There’s a little pocket on Potts Point’s Macleay Street that’s home to a powerhouse of ritzy joints that are oh-so-cool without even having to try. Cult-favourites include The Apollo, Franca, Cho Cho San and Yellow, but the lesser-known joint you should add to your hit list stat is Diana.
Book in a dinnertime reservation because this dimly lit diner is magic when the sun goes down (and it means you can stick around for some sing-along action later). The long narrow space is lined with abstract Asian artwork, colourful cushions brighten the booths and fuchsia orchids perk up in ceramic vases at each table – it’s bold, fun and we dig it.
The menu spans classic Korean dishes and pan-Asian eats. Some are well-known – kimchi fried rice, Korean fried chicken, springy japchae noodles and plump bossam pork belly bites, for example. Others are a little less familiar, but equally delicious – like hwae moochim, a fresh, sashimi-style vegetable salad dressed with sesame oil and gochujang, and Korean street donuts with butterscotch.
Is it your first visit to Diana? We recommend letting Korean-born chef Sammy Jeon (Mr Lim, Avido Ristorante Italiano) feed you. The $75 set menu gets you going with seven of their most popular dishes (some served stacked on bamboo steamers or made tableside – *fancy*), and if you’re feeling swanky, you can add on a mud crab course.
While you’re fuelling up, order some liquid courage for later too. The cocktails are well priced, many starting at $17. There’s plenty of fruity mixes that play with Asian spirits like soju and sake and flavours like green grape, plum and ginger. Ready to sing now? Let’s go.
At 9.30pm the restaurant transforms into an open-mic karaoke joint. The stage? The centre of the space. The dining room is subtly split up into little sections, so you can settle in with a couple of your besties, or prepare to wow your whole office with your pipes at a work dinner.
Ready to sing K-pop and eat tasty K-food? Diana’s calling.
Find out more here.
Address: 1/28 Macleay St, Potts Point NSW 2011