The art of Chinese cuisine in the heart of Western Sydney

Award-winning restaurant chain Chefs Gallery has opened up its fifth outlet, bringing its signature combination of modern Chinese cuisine and contemporary Chinese art to the heart of Sydney's west.

Located on the ground floor of Westfield Parramatta, the restaurant was officially launched on the evening of 28 April. The red-carpet affair was attended by Chefs Gallery founder Kaisern Ching, Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee and other special guests, who filled the 200-seat venue to capacity.

According to Ching, Chefs Gallery is all about “the craftsmanship of great food and creating dishes that produce a multisensory gastronomic experience". This was certainly the case on opening night, with guests treated to a range of delectable samples from the restaurant's extensive menu.

One of the first items on offer was the Macanese-style mini burger, featuring a pork fillet, pork floss, lettuce and sweet chilli mayonnaise. As the most Western-friendly dish of the night, this served as a good jumping off point for picky eaters.

As the evening went on, the food selection became more innovative. The salt and pepper calamari featured a twist with the addition of capers, while the dumplings were filled with juicy prawns. There was also a soft, spinach-based dish that divided attendees as to whether it contained egg or tofu — as it turned out, it contained both.

For those with more adventurous palettes, the restaurant's spicy Wagyu beef was on hand. Available in bite-sized pieces in a black pepper dipping sauce, or in thin slivers served on a mint leaf with a Sichuan-style dressing, just one piece was enough to stimulate the senses — in fact, several attendees found themselves washing the beef down with samples from the restaurant's wine list!

The most memorable part of the Chefs Gallery experience was the presence of the glass-walled kitchen, enabling diners to watch as handmade noodles were twisted, stretched, split, folded and cooked before their eyes. Attendees on the night observed the creation of spinach noodles wok fried with three types of mushrooms, carrot sticks and shallots — a tasty treat for vegetarians.

This is just a smattering of the selection the Parramatta restaurant will be serving up for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. It joins Chefs Gallery's other outlets at Town Hall, Bankstown and North Ryde, plus a Yum Cha-style restaurant at Wynyard.

“Western Sydney is hungry for the same culinary offerings you would normally only find in the Sydney CBD and, because of this, Parramatta is experiencing a huge boost in food and culture offerings of late," said Ching.

“We're thrilled to be showcasing the art of Chinese food to the people of Parramatta."