Chairman and Yip brought smart Asian fusion to Canberra, with its smart western drinks list, excellent service and quirky mixed-up take on Chinese food. But after more than 20 years in Bunda Street, perhaps unable to shake off some of the longtime menu favourites for fear of wrong-footing the regulars, Chairman upstakes and moved to Malamay in Barton last year to reinvent itself there.
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This is our first visit since. As Malamay fans, the feel is different, less plush and closeted and more open - although the black bamboo poles that serve as room dividers are still there, and that imposing red and black theme, with fancy red light fixtures hanging overhead, black tables and chairs, black serviettes and carpet, red chopsticks and banquette.
It feels pared back, with less luxury and an aim to be more accessible and casual feel.
But tonight the service misses that signature Chairman aplomb. We're served, but not with panache, and we become a little irritated at small misses, such as not being offered a second drink and our sake glasses being removed. Despite what feels like the rather looming presence of a waiter watching the room, the sparkling water giving way to still water without the question being asked, and plates whipped away before we're done. Service is fast and almost obtrusive, so we feel both hovered over and yet not served. Perhaps this is partly explained by a restaurant aiming for a less high-end feel.
Chairman's duck pancakes are on the menu, but they have been part of our lives so long we set them as a happy memory and look for something more exciting. We find it in the king prawn congee brother with prawn head cracker ($22). Although exciting is probably the wrong word for this dish, which has the requisite blandness of congee or rice pudding. This is supposed to be a simple comfort dish, and here it is a loose light gruel with spinach, a great deep fried prawn head and a whole prawn. It's simple and likeable without being exciting.
Spanner crab croquettes ($20.50) are two little uniform-shaped squares filled with soft and mild crab with a little crab and herb medley alongside and a black garlic emulsion. There's a bit of heat in the dish and it's plesant, again without moving us to special interest.
But the mains have us suddenly ratcheting Chairman right up our mental scale. They are really good. Sweet and spicy eggplant with sesame, shallot and fried peanuts ($24.50) is a crowdpleaser, with loads of heat in the sweet-sour sauce, and the eggplant lightly fried in a delicate batter. We like it a lot.
The Sichuan chicken on pearl barley with caramelised onion ($36) is delicious. It's all kind of chewy and appealing, the chicken fried then sliced, with chewy barley and crispy fried onions, with little crunchy bits in the dish. It's very pleasing texturally and a great dish, very hot on the lips.
The wine list is very good, not avant garde with an almost conservative feel but very competent, with a focus on France and Canberra, plus the best of Australia.
We order the sticky ginger cake walnuts, described on the menu as a dish for two, plus a dessert of black sesame sponge with iso ice cream and yuzu curd. No one bats an eyelid at our over-ordering, and we're up to the task because both desserts are great. The ginger cake come sin its own little skillet, it's sticky, dense and dark, crunchy around the edges, with big slices of fresh ginger and hunks of apple on top, with ice cream, It's intense and good.
The sponge is also very good, the yuzu curd adding a citrus tange underneath, the sponge strong, a mild miso ice cream and a sesame snap. Well-balanced and good.
Our evening has been marred by some oddities in service, and began with entrees that were good while also unremarkable. But the mains and desserts brought excitement and have shown the clear care and talent we are used to seeing from the Chairman team so we remain firmly upbeat.
