Jinja

Lobster and scallop dumplings. Wagyu-stuffed black charcoal buns. These are just a few of the 30-odd dim sum options you might find at Jinja, a contemporary Cantonese restaurant on the first floor of Macquarie Park’s Governor Hotel.

Other dishes on the menu might include Cantonese-style roast duck and king crab fried rice with XO. Desserts are a contemporary Asian affair: green tea soya pudding is topped with lychee granita and crumbled cookies, and there’s a “secret deep-fried ice-cream”.

A glass-fronted wine cabinet occupies one wall, housing a 100-strong wine list that includes bottles from the owners’ private collection – some of which can’t otherwise be found in Sydney.

As well as wine, Jinja also serves Baijiu (a Chinese grain spirit) by the glass, as well as a traditional tea ceremony. A large tea station in the centre of the dining room holds more than 100 canisters of vintage Chinese tea, with 17 teas available to order.

The restaurant is named for a fictional character conceived by Sydney artist Ronnie Samuels, who has worked closely with Momento Group on artwork throughout the venue. Samuels’s paintings of Jinja – a socialite who is passionate about food and splits her time between Sydney and Shanghai – inspired the 218-seat venue's extravagant aesthetic.