Concubine

If you had a bunch of friends who happen to be slight snobs and would like to eat something fancier, then Concubine is the place to bring them. Granted, it’s a bit more on the finer dining side but still fairly reasonable.
Concubine elevates your standard Chinese/​SEA food into plates of elegance and sophistication. All the flavours are spot on. We got the pork ribs which were tender, the beef with peanut sauce which was a standout and the lamb rack that fell off the bone. It was quality food at a quality restaurant.
Hot tip! Make sure you make a booking because it is pretty in demand.

Amazing food and service, I loved this restaurant. I shared prawn dumplings and a crispy roast pork salad for starters and for mains had braised lamb shoulder and slow cooked beef and black bean. The dumplings were so fresh and made with quality ingredients and the salad had just the right mix of vegetables, herbs and chili and was very generous with the pork. The mains were even better and the meat was falling off the bone and literally melting in your mouth.
The staff were so friendly and made the whole experience feel so personal as they were making jokes and asking about our night.
I definitely have my expectations of a quality restaurant raised after the impeccable food and service offered here!

I love this place! It’s Chinese-​Southeast Asian cuisine with a modern vibe and lovely décor. Service is friendly, attentive and non-​intrusive. You brought your own bottle of red wine? A decanter is offered straightaway. Their wine list is pretty good too.
This restaurant was highly recommended by a few friends when we first moved to Adelaide. Everything I’ve had here has been delicious! We’ve devoured the dishes from a few different cuisines from Chinese to «Oz-​Chinese» and Malaysian, all with a modern/​local twist e.g. beef cheek used for the black bean dish. And local fish for the yellow curry. I think it’s also well priced for such quality food, service and ambiance.
Definitely a favourite for date nights and family meals in the Chinatown district. Different from the typical Chinese restaurants you get around here, no gluggy cornflour or artificial coloring used here! And such smooth service.
Tips: bookings essential 2 sittings 6 or 8pm. BYO corkage is $ 18/​bottle.

My first time here was phenomenal. I ordered the sweet and sour pork with cantonese style fried rice. Absolutely delicious. Great wine selection too. Will be back.

Good ingredients, good décor, good service, tasty food — what more could you want? Our waiter was super attentive to everyone on the floor upstairs. The drinks were very well prepared and the wines were very good off the list. I’ll definitely go again.

I organised a work function here and we booked the Secret Room upstairs. We had a banquet menu and the food just kept coming; every dish was delicious. Although it was upmarket and more expensive than some Chinese restaurants, it was good value for the money. Even though it was a warm night, the room was comfortable and didn’t feel overly crowded. The restaurant catered for our vegetarians, as well as one of our number on a strict diet. There was no problem with either request. Service was perfect. I recommend the lychee martini!

I’d like to give 4.5 stars!
Service is impeccable (and goes above and beyond, e.g. asked us whether they should make our appetizers 4 pieces to share better), the place is very nice and we were lucky to get a spot outside (personal preference, the inside is air conditioned and not smelly)!
The appetizers (called entrées like anywhere in the world except the US) were very good: delicious Peking duck wraps and tasty spicy dumplings (could have had more standalone taste besides the chili oil)
Mains: great wok beef with onions and ginger sauce (recommended)!! And good pad thai…
Overall: Very solid, but not quite 5 star exceptional on the food level (service was 5 star)

Modern style Chinese restaurant with great service, wonderful ambiance and excellent food.

Brilliant. Generous servings that are full of flavour and moderately priced.
I had the tofu San choy bau for entrée and I have never had better! And then the main– salt & pepper tofu! OMG!!! Probably the best I’ve ever had.
The service was great too, very friendly & attentive wait staff.

We happened across this place and just had a good feel about it. We could only get a table outside — I think the tables inside are better though as there is a classy feel to it and has a buzz about it. The music from the spanish bar next door was very loud so just be aware of that if you are booking an outside table.
The menu was really extensive and has something for everyone. A real blend of chinese and vietnamese influences. Not cheap though — we averaged $ 50 per head plus drinks.
The staff were brilliant and made us feel super welcome. Would definitely eat here again.

First time here. Had no booking but the 2 of us were welcomed and taken upstairs. Seating is on backless cushioned seats that are surprisingly comfortable. Gr8 selection of Asian style food, meal sizes r just right. U could comfortably share a entrée and main and feel like u have been satisfied.
Loved the spicy chilli chicken dish.
Spring rolls r good too.
Unfortunately we had to leave mid meal but staff were excellent and accommodating and packed our meal up for us to bring home.
Will definitely go again, perhaps with friends to enjoy the ambience.

This isn’t your standard $ 9 bowl of noodles Chinese restaurants, it is fine dining food, service and atmosphere that non-​regular Asian food diners will even enjoy.
Forget the 5 pages of dish numbers and photos of your meal. A simple menu of entrees through to desserts are available and they clearly pride themselves on using the highest quality ingredients in all dishes.
I have been here a number of times for date night at out with friends and I appreciate the effort they have put into a high quality wine list to pair with dinner.
On our most recent visit we did the $ 40pp Chef’s Surprise Degustation, full of his favourite dishes. It was a great way to not have to make a meal decision when sharing with friends and meant we got to stuff ourselves with 10 dishes + sides. Highlights? Peking duck pancakes, prawn dim sums, salt and pepper squid and the stir fry beef. I know these sound like very traditional dishes, however the spice and lack of sauce used meant each dish tasted fresh, crisp and didn’t leave you feeling bloated.
The last time we were there we had the fried barramundi, a whole fish that was laid vertically on the plate so you could pick from either side at once. I wish they brought that dish back on the menu!
Quick service, perfect space for large groups and share meals or even an intimate date night dinner.

We were greeted with smiles and familiarity that it felt likes we had arrived at a dear friend’s house. The food choices were fantastic. Started with duck pancake wraps, and a crispy soft shell crab and apple salad. The salad was exceptional — sweet, juicy, crunchy, and zesty with the spice of chilli. Mains were prawn coconut curry, and pork ribs in black vinegar and honey. The prawns were large, succulent, with a little crunch, mild hint of chilli and lime. The ribs were full of flavour with the meat falling off the bone. We had a side of wilted bok choy which was subtlely flavoured so as not to detract from the flavours of the other dishes. Will definitely return and recommend to friends.

My sister got me a voucher for this place, otherwise I may have never noticed it next to the busy Mesa lunga. Concubine is a classy Chinese restaurant, and a contrast to the quick and cheap eats along Gouger street.
Service from start to finish was great, and this includes over the phone checking if they could do vegan dishes. The staff member made lots if suggestions of substitutions and options, which is great as sometimes I end up on the phone going through the menu asking what I can have!
Our waitress was lovely and helpful when we arrived. We got shallot cakes to start, and shared a main of the salty tofu and the noodles. Only con would be that maybe the bean curd was too salty. But then the menu did advise salt.
Our waitress was very attentive and made sure out wine glasses were never empty.
It is a little pricey, but worth it. I’d save it or special dates, the décor is pretty, and the restaurant is quiet enough to be able to have a good conversation with your date!

It’s always a rare and exciting find when you come across a Chinese restaurant as classy as Concubine. Based on my assumptions, Chinese culture is aimed towards the food itself, rather than the dining experience as a whole. It’s a refreshing change to see a restaurant serving all the classics, but without the plastic chopsticks or the stained ceramics.
It’s no surprise that Concubine is an award winner. Whilst the menu isn’t as extensive as some of the other Chinese restaurants in the area, there’s a large variety to choose from with high quality ingredients. There’s all of the fan favourites on the menu, plus a few Thai and Japanese inclusions. Much like the restaurant’s décor, the presentation of the food is exquisite, and its the sort of meal you just feel like photographing before eating.
Of course, you can expect to pay a little more at a place like this, but it’s well worth it. If it’s simply food you’re after, then many of the restaurants down the street will do. However, If you’re looking for a true dining experience, then Concubine is definitely a place that will interest you.

I’ve had consistently high quality food and good service at this restaurant.
The staff are lovely and the food is great. The décor’s pretty funky as well, which adds to the cool, classy vibe of the place.
So I’ve still yet to work out why the restaurant has the name given to a woman who lives as a man’s mistress but is of a lower status to his wives.
But the name is the only questionable thing about this excellent place. It’s worth forking out that little bit extra for,
FRESH
What I really like about this place is the freshness of the ingredients, probably because the head chef is big on buying good, South Australian produce. And the chicken dishes are free range.
FAVOURITES
I seriously love the salt and pepper bean curd with Murray pink salt because it is seasoned to perfection. This is just one example of a humble dish elevated to another level.
My bloke loves the Kung pao Barossa free-​range chicken with Szechuan chilli and cashew nut. The chicken is so tender and because it’s free range it offers a better quality of meat than regular chicken.
DRINKS
The drinks list is almost as impressive as the food and there’s a fantastic cocktail list. It features some old favourites, such as the classic Bloody Mary, as well as some Chinese specials — including the Chinese Whisper, with Zen green tea liquor, Cointreau, fresh lime and soda.
The wine list is extensive and the beer and spirits list isn’t bad either.
TAKEAWAY
If you’re looking for a bit more than your run-​of-​the mill Chinese takeaway you’ll find it on this restaurant’s menu. Again, there a Barossa free range chicken options.
Many of the excellent dishes are also available to restaurant diners. The baby soya, bean curd, shitake mushroom and chilli is sensational.

Now, what I found interesting is that the waitresses are kind of dressed like concubines. In fact you have to wonder if this is a family business and all the wives (or mistresses) are the active staff members, well I wondered.
Great food here, beautiful venue and it isn’t too pricey. I had Pad Thai Noodles last I was here and it was probably the best I’d ever eaten, not only that I didn’t have to wait for hours to be served & the place was packed.
Concubine is a classy Chinese eatery in comparison to the other Asian restaurants along the strip, it’s a breath of fresh air to be able to eat for less and yet still appreciate your surroundings. you can get all the old favourite like Mongolian Beef and Sweet&Sour Pork, don’t forget your Chinese greens either.
Dine in style kids, you can ogle the waitress while she serves you.

Concubine brings home the trophies of the best Chinese in Adelaide. Walking past this place with my brother we saw the mentions on their window, we turned to each other and gave the ‘yeah right’ look.
The next week we were there sampling some of the finest crispy duck we’d ever had. The tangy tamarind sauce packed a walloping flavour that lingered for days. Everything on the menu looked fantastic and I had trouble landing on just one dish.
Upstairs is really quite cool, and the overall décor is modernistic and has that sophisticated dining aspect.
It’s not completely authentic Chinese, but Asian inspired for sure. It doesn’t matter that much, because the food is fabulous.

‘Fine dining’ and ‘Chinese restaurant’ are very rarely used together in a sentence, unless it is to say that Chinese restaurants aren’t often considered to be a traditional home to fine dining.
But then there’s this place. It really is a nice restaurant, very stylish and comfortable, a really good atmosphere. It’s a place for special occasions.
And like places that are reserved for special occasions, it’s a bit pricey. Not stupidly expensive, just enough so that you know you won’ t pop in to grab a couple of dim sims and a takeaway beef ‘n blackbean.
That’s not to say that beef ‘n blackbean isn’t on the menu. It is, it’s awesome, and I’m ready to have it’s babies. It’s good. It’s very good.
I really am looking forward to my next visit.