Master

I absolutely loved my experience at Master (have been back a few times now). Food was simply amazing, scallop silk is a must. Although I could say that about all the dishes. Wine list was such a breath of fresh air with many new and exciting options. The space and vibe were great, music pumping out the tunes. Will be back many more times… great to see a fresh new face in Surry Hills

Smart, interesting, unusual food and knowledgable, attentive service — great! Standout dishes from our visit include the scallop «silk» — delicate sheets of pressed (?) scallop served with an XO sauce — and the pork jowl pancakes, although pretty much everything on the menu was memorable, with the exception of the asparagus, which was beautifully cooked but just not a particularly interesting dish. The selection of wines, all organic, was unusual but our waiter was a great guide and we sampled a few which matched the food well. A great way to end our first day in Sydney!

This restaurant offers ‘modern Asian fusion’ cuisine as it recreates a few dishes that I had grown up with. However, I didn’t find anything really outstanding on the menu and the overall value is alright. I was happily satisfied but I could have eaten another dessert to really fill my tummy. The pork jowl pancakes were probably my favourite, as it takes a spin off the original peking duck pancakes, with the pork and pancake elements being so juicy.

Master opened in July — the chef was trained in high end restaurants (quay, mamafuoku,…)
I have a bit of mixed feeling to be honest as I think there are definitely a few things that could be improved but the dishes that I had were very unusual and well done and I would recommend it for curious tastebuds willing to try something a bit different so for me it deserves 2.5 stars.
The restaurant itself is a bit weird: downstairs, fancy black and white décor, you can be sitted at the bar with an open kitchen — but the lights are too strong and it lacks cosyness. I sat upstairs where the room has nothing particular at all… But that is okay.
Staff was really nice — there are many waiters to attend to you and I found them very professional.
The glass of wine is a VERY small serving in a large glass (not a typical wine glass) — a bit of a rip off this one I have to admit. Go with a bottle if you are 3+
On the food side… I hardly remember the names of the dished we tried.
1. Was not impressed with entrees. The scallops sashimi /​tartare disappointed
2. Eggplants, veal and lamb were absolute standouts for the mains
3. The potato style desert did not taste as good and interesting as it looks. Texture was great but lacks a lot of flavour — you would be better off having a Messina next door !

The reviews of Master in Time Out and Broadsheet Sydney piqued my interest. High end restaurant technique with a small number of elemental ingredients — modern Chinese food. I was intrigued, but the dining experience was, I hate to say it, pretty dismal. Nothing I put in my mouth evoked a «wow». The best dish was a steamed whole fish and nice as it was it wasn’t stellar. At least it was hot. The scallop dumpling looked nice but I was shocked to find it was cold and the scallop barely discernible. At $ 4 a throw you’d want a nice plump bite of tasty shellfish. The steamed cucumber with lime crème fraîche and roe was cold too and bland bland bland, and the signature burnt-​skin mini cabbage with a fish and butter emulsion was small and mildly interesting texturally, but if this is the signature this place is in trouble. For dessert, apparently a tempura-​battered and deep fried potato skin filled with ice cream coated in biscuit crumbs and balsamic glaze. It looked interesting but I did not care for it. There was scant ice cream, no vanilla flavour and just a mouthful of dry biscuit crumbs. The balance was all wrong. We had red wine by the glass and it was free-​poured at the table into flat bottomed glasses to a depth of about half an inch — I thought the volume poured was mean and I expect there’s a wide variation in how much you get depending on the waiter, which isn’t a good practice. And to say the décor is minimal is an understatement — it’s white and bare. Would I recommend this place? No. In fact I’ve taken the trouble to write an unflattering review which is unusual for me and should tell you something.