China Lane, Sydney CBD, Sydney

A lot of people I know would dismiss the likes of China Lane and Mr Wong's as overpriced Chinese food which has been Westernized for the masses. Why pay for these restaurants when you could grab delicious Chinese dishes for half the price down in good old Chinatown? Well in my opinion, sometimes you want the tasty dishes but also a bit more of restaurant service. Meaning nice atmosphere, decor, service in addition to the food and this means having too fork out that little bit more. Sure, not likely something to enjoy all the time, but every now and then - why not.

China Lane for me ticks all those boxes. Hidden away in a laneway on Angel Place in the Sydney CBD, it can be very easy to miss it if you haven't been in the area before. The setting is cozy with dimmed lighting and some outdoor seating also. Service is great and the menu has plenty of variety.

For this occasion, we went with the easy option with the set menu for two for $62 person. This is plenty enough for two people but you can also order addition dishes a la carte if you like.

Prawn san choy bao - an amazing starter. Literally could have had 5 of these bad boys but there's only one each. Cool, crispy sheets of iceberg lettuce wrapped around a medley of ingredients including prawn pieces, green beans, mushrooms, shallots and water chestnut among others.

Crispy master stock pig's ears - One of my favourites here - crispy ears which are masterfully marinated to provide just the right amount of heat and flavour. Mixed with slices of cold cucumber and spring onion, a really good combo.

Togarashi cuttlefish - soft pieces of fresh cuttlefish, lightly dusted in batter. Chili powder and vinegar on the side as accompaniments.

Tamarind pork Shanghai salad - crunchy pork crackling tossed together with a number of salad components and Shanghai noodles.

Cone bay barramundi - steamed fresh fish fillets with a light tangy sauce. Still prefer the standard ginger, soy and shallot style steamed fish but this was not bad.