Lotus (Potts Point) - D-Ho in da house yo

I can barely walk and talk at the same time, so I admire people who are adept at multitasking. Mothers who can cook and placate a screaming child; idiots who can drive and text; singers like Pink who can sing and dance live; and chefs who can expertly run multiple restaurant kitchens and twitter his fingers off. Dan Hong is one of those chefs.

Readers of my recent post about Dan's new Ms. G's noshery at Potts Point knows how enjoyable that meal was. His Asian fusion cuisine zips Contiki-style around Asia with nods to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and more, married with a technique honed in some of the best kitchens in Sydney; what's not to <3? His original venture Lotus is a upmarket bistro with fewer Asian influences than his newest, but is more or less full of his fanfaronade I have come to know and love.

The baby-faced and currently glabrous generation-next chef with a penchant for sneakers, UFC, basketball, hip-hop and R&B music is full of cohones in everything he does. Whether it be cooking, duelling Guillaume Brahimi in Iron Chef Australia, or wearing purple Phantom-esque lycra tights in last year's March Into Merivale ads, he does it with aplomb. Somewhat surprisingly, he is here at Lotus on this Saturday evening's dinner service, when we thought he would be running the pass at Ms. G's around the corner.

It has been about a year since our last meal at Lotus, and the menu has changed from the standard entrees, mains, and desserts menu to the culinary denier cri of sharing plates. Everything else appears unchanged, except the chef's name on the menu has shortened from the formal Daniel to that of Dan, a sign of maturity and confidence.

Complimentary bread rolls

The current menu's appetising selection of sharing plates raid the ocean as much as it does the land, with oysters, scallops, tuna, scampi, prawns, octopus, crab, calamari, and a fish of the day joining lamb, pork (belly), duck, beef, and even venison for one's eating pleasure, with no dish over twenty-six big ones. Vegetarians are also catered for with three dishes. There's a lot of fun and whimsy in the food too, from almond gazpacho to dashi custard to kim chi consomme; but does it work? Let's find out.

Vietnamese-inspired scampi ceviche ($22)

First stop on the Contiki tour is the Vietnamese-inspired ceviche, which has undergone a transformation recently from scallop to scampi, and an attendant three-buck increase. A wonderfully vibrant dish of contrasting textures, delicate flavours, and fresh succulent translucent scampi, it has umami notes from fish sauce and a 6a.m. wake-up call in the form of camouflauged green chilli rings that smashes the tastebuds like a Steve Austin Stone Cold Stunner. This ephemeral sensation makes this dish an absolute joy though, and this coming from someone with a middling spice tolerance.

Southern calamari with chorizo, peas, ricotta & lime ($18)

Next stop is a trans-continental melange, destination unknown. The calamari dish is less engaging than the scampi ceviche, but no less a beautiful and vibrant plate of food. Pieces of chopped, perfectly cooked and bouncy calamari are tossed with a handful of chorizo, fresh peas, woodear fungus, and diced baby corn. Brightened by a rich ricotta cream topped with radioactive-green wasabi tobiko, the dish is texturally interesting and balanced but lacking that je nai sais quoi.

Crispy duck parcel, spiced beetroot purée, orange jus ($22)

For more substantial fare, we swing back through China with the crispy duck parcel, a beautiful-looking dish which is essentially an oblongish spring roll. Fantastically crispy on the outside, the inside is jammed with shredded duck seasoned and cooked nicely, but texturally homogeneous and uninteresting. A wonderfully piquant sauce, beetroot in the form of puree and turned vegetable, and an unknown white fungus lifts the dish into delicious territory with sweetness, acidity, and saltiness. A good dish but lacking the usual D-Ho bravado.

Inside the duck parcel

'The Cheeseburger' ($18)

Despite not in keeping with the Asian theme, the bravado is back with 'The Cheeseburger'. How else would you describe the plating of a lone burger on a white plate with no secondary distractions? Not only is the dish austere, it is also as simple as it gets ingredients-wise. An attempt to emulate McDonald's with top-notch ingredients, the size of the burger suffers. While other high-end burgers are whoppers (Rockpool Bar & Grill, Plan B, Charlie & Co.), the Lotus burger is a lil brother in comparison. The decision to use a soft bun a la Macca's is good and bad. It is so pillowy-soft the entire burger is uber melt-in-the-mouth, but also fragile to hold and cut. We are informed that Dan likes the burger to be served whole, but we ask for it to be halved anyway and we are glad, as our attempt would have resulted in a hot mess despite the scary Dexter knife. The burger is undeniably superb and the ultimate cheeseburger we've tried, but no accompaniments coupled with its price (and up two dollars from the start of the year) has us wanting more burger and value.

Lotus may be a self-styled bistro but their desserts are of a much higher pedigree and their presentations are on par with the earlier savoury dishes. There are only four to choose from plus a cheese but each one sounds enticingly wicked.

Lime sponge and watermelon, coconut sorbet, lime curd ($15)

An artfully constructed plate of subtle lime sponge, watermelon slice, creamy coconut sorbet, and tart lime curd is pleasing to the eye. Light and slightly zingy, the combination is delicate and balanced with no standout component. A refreshingly good dessert to end a meal without feeling bloated.

Warm choc chip cookie, vanilla ice cream, raspberry, butterscotch ($15)

The chocolate chip cookie dessert has more than a few similarities to Ms. G's "Jam Doughnut" in looks and taste. There are even jagged honeycomb blocks (not mentioned in the description) that is the textural crunch equivalent of the dehydrated donut pieces in the G's dessert. Besides the airy honeycomb crunch, juicy soft raspberries and coulis, gooey chocolate-centred and warmly doughy choc chip cookie, a large scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a lattice of butterscotch sauce completes a very pretty picture. Cold, warm, sweet, sticky, and sour are all combined beautifully for a decadent but not excessively rich dessert.

Despite having his hands in two kitchens, the responsibility has not diminished the young chef's vision. It is a testament to his talent and standards that both Lotus and Ms. G's are killing it at the mo. With refined, punchy and creative dishes, affordable prices, a relaxed ambience, and sympathique friendly service, Lotus is entrenched comfortably in the upper echelon of Sydney fine dining bistros, shining as brightly as Lil Wayne's teeth bling. Word up y'all.

The good: scampi ceviche, desserts, modern pan-Asian food, warm service, casual atmosphere, alfresco dining

The bad: great cheeseburger but wanted more, duck parcel itself a little plain

What the?: staff trundling back and forth between the restaurant and the storage room (?) in the apartment block next door is distracting

www.merivale.com/#/lotus/lotus

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