Ricky and Pinky — Melbourne, Australia
Chinese restaurants have long been a staple of the Australian dining scene, however much their repertoire of long soup and fried ice-cream might scandalise traditionalists in, say Singapore or Hong Kong. And now, with the opening of Ricky and Pinky in a mid-19th-century public house – along a street littered with eateries and boutiques, just a couple of blocks from the Melbourne Museum – we daresay the gauntlet has well and truly been thrown down.
The restaurant’s throwback moniker is an homage to the Hong Kong tattoo parlour where owner Andrew McConnell was once inked with a dragon. Its interior design is a modernist riff – Melbourne-based Sibling Architecture dispenses with expected tropes of a Chinese restaurant in favour of bright primary colours. Gold and blue pipings bend and twist to form transparent arches and room dividers (an ode, it seems, to Shanghainese art deco), while puce leather banquettes, Bentwood chairs, blackbutt tables, sea-green and dark blue carpets, and ceiling mirrors conspire to create a mood that feels more like the Jetsons’ living room than your average Chinatown pitstop.
Meanwhile, terrazzo Lazy Susans twirl with chef Anchan Chan’s exuberantly concocted dishes of mapo tofu, deep fried quail, homemade Chinese sausages and rice fried with salted egg.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
211 Gertrude Street
Melbourne
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
10 books culture editor Hannah Silver recommends this winter
Lacking inspiration over what to read next? Wallpaper* culture editor, Hannah Silver, shares her favourite books
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Midtown Manhattan restaurant Ánimo! takes its cues from Mexican morning rituals
Designer Jordana Maisie creates a minimalistic yet referential setting for Ánimo!
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
First look: Leica Cine Play 1 brings premium style and tech to the world of home cinema
Leica compresses its meticulous optic know-how into the ultra-compact Cine Play 1 4K projector
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Australian heritage meets European grandeur at Copperstone, a New South Wales retreat
Copperstone is New South Wales’ answer to the European country estate, and includes a five-bedroom retreat, set in 48 acres
By Jess Kelham-Hohler Published
-
Tap into local creativity at The StandardX, Melbourne
The StandardX, Melbourne is the first hotel in The Standard Group's new breed of ‘younger and rebellious’ properties
By Monique Kawecki Published
-
Basq House is the eclectic-cool stay to know in Byron Bay
Designed by StudioFAB and Léo Terrando, Basq House reverberates with the Australian town’s laid-back beach culture and artistic spirit
By Amber Hunter Published
-
Discover Beau Sydney, an intimate two-part restaurant enlivening the city’s laneways
Beau Sydney dishes up contemporary Australian cuisine, from baked goods to regional wines, amid elegant interiors by Smart Design Studio
By Stephen Crafti Published
-
Inside The Ghan train across Australia, new carriage interiors elevate a classic trip
The Ghan’s new carriage interiors designed by Woods Bagot reimagine modern rail travel for this epic trip between Darwin and Adelaide
By Monique Kawecki Published
-
Sydney’s The Darling shows off its playful and sophisticated suites
The Darling in Sydney unveils its recently renovated suites by Fender Katsalidis, paying homage to the surrounding cityscape
By Tianna Williams Published
-
St Ali & The Queen elevates Melbourne’s coffee culture with modern brews and brutalism
St Ali & The Queen is a Fiona Lynch Office-designed café and cocktail bar in Melbourne’s revitalised Queen Victoria Market
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge returns to full splendour
Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge reopens in one of Australia’s wildest and most enchanting remote corners, following the devastating 2019 bushfires
By Monique Kawecki Published