LL Wine & Dine

Last Friday Eat Drink Play welcomed 19 special guests to celebrate the launch of Secret Foodies. Bringing together lovers of good food, wine and interesting company this was the first of many surprise pop-up dinners to come in Sydney.

Guests pre-purchased tickets to the event completely unaware of the location, cuisine or company. All they knew was the date, time, it was somewhere in the eastern suburbs and they were in for a good night.

Two hours before the event guests were sent a text message at 6pm telling them to make their way to Kings Cross and await further instructions.  At 7.30pm they got a final text with the address, 42 Llankelly Place. At 8pm guests arrived to the surprise location, LL Wine & Dine a new bar/restaurant that opened 10 weeks ago.

Hostess with the mostess Ms Darlinghurst was there to greet guests as Chris, one of three brother who owns the bar, showed them to the underground dining area.

Tucked away down a discreet alley way off Darlinghurst Road, LL Wine & Dine epitomizes the deep underground history of Sydney’s notorious Kings Cross. The venue has been home to a number of interesting ventures including an illegal casino, adult bookstore, brothel and swingers club. Last Friday it hosted a more tame bunch of foodies eager to try modern Australian cuisine with an Asian inspired twist.

Chris entertained guests with a brief history of the surprise venue. He showed us an archway where a secret door used to be to access the casino and a solid beam above our heads that used to hold a sex swing! During refurbishments the brothers also discovered a second ceiling built into the roof filled with garbage bags of porn.

The history behind LL Wine & Dine is captivating and so is the food. Guests were treated with the following:

First course:

• Prawn and Pork Wonton with chili oil & Chinese black vinegar sauce topped with silk egg & pickled mustard
• House Blend Chili, Sea salt & pepper calamari with preserved lemon & finished with cucumber salsa & fresh lime
• San Choy Bau of Chicken, Pine nut, lemongrass & Mint in an iceberg lettuce cup with spicy lemon dressing & topped with special crouton

Second Course

• Chili & Garlic crumbled Soft shell crab with wasabi mayonnaise & Fresh lemon
• Crispy Skin Pork Belly drizzled with palm sugar & kafir lime leaf syrup, finished with crushed peanut & fresh herb
• Wok Fried baby eggplant with tofu, glass noodle, chili & shallot in a spicy Soy Bean & Thai Basil Sauce ( vegetarian )
• Wok Fried Rice with BBQ pork, egg, garlic & shallot
• Steamed Gai lan with vegetarian Oyster mushroom sauce
• Sichuan style green beans with dried shrimp, ginger & garlic sauce
• Steamed rice

Desserts:

• Assorted dessert tasting plates

It was a fantastic evening filled with fantastic food, good wine and brilliant company. But don’t just take my word for it, check out what our Secret Foodies thought of the evening…

Walking into LL Wine & Dine I was hit immediately with a change of atmosphere: it was warm and friendly, very sophisticated without being pretentious.  Staff were incredible, and second only to the food.  Great spot for drink and light meal.- Jye, Darlinghurst

My favourite dish was the san choy bow, a nouveau take on a Chinese classic. -Ed, Bondi

The story behind this place is awesome. I looked above my head during dinner and saw where the sex swing use to hang from the beam, it was pretty cool. – Matt, Paddington

The venue was awesome, the food fantastic, it’s a bit loud and hard to hear people but apart from that it was a fantastic night. -Megan, Alexandria

LL Wine & Dine is in a perfect location. It’s tucked away from the main street so you don’t feel like you’re in the thick of Kings Cross’s nightlife. The staff were personable and  welcoming. Sharing meals created an engaging atmosphere between diners. I definitely recommend it as a good place for small groups. -Sarah, Cronulla

Tags: King Cross

Category: All Restaurants, East