The Bund - Walsh Bay 16A Hickson Road, Dawes Point, New South Wales 2000

"(3.5 stars) The Bund is well placed for Walsh Bay’s theatres, and clearly aimed at folks who frequent them. Staff fly across the floor to get you in and out within an hour without even being asked. The restaurant is named after Shanghai’s famous waterfront stroll which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River facing the futuristic skyscrapers of Pudong. So it should come as no surprise that they employ red neon for their name and window art. The interior, which is more expansive than it first seems, is richly decorated in the Chinese Art Deco style with patterns, prints, ornate lacquer screens and “Shanghai girls” wallpaper. The menu is succinct, captured on just two pages, as is the booze list. The bulk of wines sit under sixty bucks; and, from the by-the-glass selection, the Brookland Valley Verse 1 Chardonnay ($12/glass) proves quite drinkable. It cuts the sweetness of crispy eggplant ($19) in honey and tamarind. The pile of eggplant planks proved a little over-battered and sweet for me, though I did like the addition of hazelnuts. The Bund dumpling fusion ($22/4) quartet is colourful and flavoursome, if somewhat unwieldy. Using Jack’s Creek Angus beef in their wok-fried flank and asparagus ($42) kicks it up to the next level, so long as you like black pepper. Wok-fried prawns ($40) with ginger and woodear fungus was simple but the kitchen did take care to ensure all the vegetables stayed nice and crisp. We ate it over pricy egg fried rice with vegetables ($24). While The Bund is unlikely to become your favourite Chinese restaurant, it does the job for those doing dinner and a show quite well."

"The Bund is a hidden gem on Hickson Rd close to the Roslyn Packer Theatre. I had the seafood dumplings and the spring onion pancake. The seafood dumplings are a generous portion and absolutely delicious. Definitely worth a try if you are a seafood lover, as there is an assortment of crab, scallops and shrimp. The dumpling shells were also each made differently to note, one was made out of spinach and another from squid ink. The spring onion pancake was also very tasty as well. Layers of flaky dough, with a filling of nice blend of green onions and seasoning. This was also pan fried and not deep fried, which made it must tastier and healthier. The menu is thoughtfully curated and in speaking with the chef, the food is all made in-house with no msg. Friendly staff as well. A surprisingly large space in a prime location which is also open during the week. Will definitely be dining here again."

"Enjoyed a nice family dinner here. The owners were great with the kids, made us feel very welcome. The ambiance matched the tasty food."

"Great chinese food. Not much noodle and rice variety but what was ordered was done very well. The staff warmly greeted us and asked if we needed be anywhere (like to a show). We werent, but its good to know they are proactive with serving you a bit quicker if you need to get going. Booking was a breeze. Reccomended to give this a go if you're in the area."