The yuzu kosho dressing on the scallops was delicious. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Lanterne Rooms is a fine-dining restaurant serving Nyonya-style dishes in an elegant setting.
Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) cooking is associated with early Chinese settlers in Penang, Malaysia, and is characterised by its use of spice and aromatic ingredients.
Lanterne Rooms has been a staple of fine dining in Campbell since 2009, but this was my first time here. The space gives off a Singapore-sling vibe – rattan chairs and light but luxurious furnishings – and we were welcomed by friendly and professional staff (who were prompt and attentive all evening). The space was warmly lit on a cold evening.
The restaurant offers a set menu, but we decided to order à la carte, partly because I was immediately smitten with a prawn and pipis dish that was not on the set menu.
Seafood wontons are a popular dish for good reason. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
In a seafood state of mind, we ordered scallops crudo, seafood wontons in assam broth (a menu favourite), and the grilled squid served with sancho pepper pesto as starters.
Obviously, the jumbo prawns and pipis served ‘Kam Heong’ style were on the list, and we also ordered the fried eggplant in tamarind dressing, along with a cucumber and wombok salad.
But first: drinks. We were feeling celebratory on this particular Saturday night, so we ordered cocktails. I sipped on the delightfully bitter Cicada Negroni – with London dry gin, vermouth and a tomato aperitif – while my friends enjoyed the Martinez martinis.
The scallops arrived served on the half shell, topped with yuzu kosho (fermented citrus and chilli paste) and zingy finger lime pearls. It was delicate and fresh. My only gripe was the addition of red onion, which I felt was slightly overpowering, and the dice wasn’t as fine as they could have been (I’m being picky, but as a former chef, I am still a stickler for knifework). A shallot would have been more appropriate to enhance the dish’s delicacy.
The grilled squid was toothsome and tender with a gentle citrussy warmth from the sancho peppers (a Japanese pepper with a mild Szechuan-like numbing effect). And I can see why the seafood wontons are such a popular dish: the wrapper is slippery and soft, and the filling is plump, juicy, and so delicious. The broth was slightly sour, warming and perfect on a cold night.
The prawns and pipis served Kam Heong style were a highlight of the meal. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Our plates came pre-loaded with jasmine rice, and were later re-filled in silver service style.
The Kam Heong-style seafood dish arrived piled high, along with accompanying plates for discarded shells and bowls of water to wash fingers. Kam Heong style is a Malaysian preparation that is savoury, spicy and rich. I would describe it as something between Singapore-style sauce and XO. The prawns were headless, and the shells were actually tender enough to mostly crunch through.
The eggplants were absolutely gorgeous: crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside without any oiliness. The slightly sticky tamarind dressing was sweet and sour. Lovely.
To accompany our mains, we shared a bottle of exquisite Stargazer Riesling from the compact wine list – not long, but it covered anything you’d need.
The restaurant is refined and attractive. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
My only gripe with the restaurant was its deliberately bland cover-song soundtrack, set to a gentle synthesiser pulse. I’m sure this was supposed to be unobtrusive, but once I noticed, it was actually quite distracting.
For dessert, the two of us shared a little dish of coconut cake, pandan ganache and pineapple – a short and sweet finale to a delightful dinner.
Lanterne Rooms is located at 81 Constitution Avenue, Campbell (on the ground floor of ISKIA East Building). It’s open for lunch on Thursday and Friday from 12 to 2 pm, and for dinner from 5:45 pm to 10 pm. Follow Lanterne Rooms on Facebook or Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
