Chubby Cheeks — Restaurant in Sydney

(3.5 stars) Chubby Cheeks opened in Paddington with a bit of a splash in 2018 with a menu created by executive chef David Claesson (ex-Glass Brasserie). The tea smoked duck breast and banana blossom salad ($27) has stayed on the menu since inception. In the hands of head chef Tom Penpanussak it gives good smoke from slices of tea-smoked duck draped over pickled vegetables and fresh herbs bound in tamari, chilli and lime. The price of this dish has only gone up two bucks in six years, which is perhaps the secret to their longevity, surviving both the test of time and the global pandemic. Wine markups are also reasonable (less than double) with no bottle on the list going over a hundred bucks and the option to BYO ($13/bottle) every Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday. The 2021 Arfion Chardonnay ($72) by Dave McKintosh (Giant Steps) suited both me and the cuisine just fine.

The other thing Chubby Cheeks has in its favour is a very cheap tasting menu ($55/person) that is delivered in three courses. Dainty Hokkaido scallops on betel leaf ($7/each) were tiny but well cooked if a bit lacking in wow-factor. Big slabs of crisp pork belly sandwiched in steamed bao ($7/each) with pickled vegetables and lashings of sriracha spiked mayo. are a blunt way to shut up grumbling stomaches. They allowed us to delve into the duck salad more slowly, though we gobbled the accompanying school prawns, deep fried and tossed through sticky-sweet nam jim. The special satay sauce underlying crisp-skinned master stock choook ($29) was the highlight of this well-priced meal. It came with rice and wok-tossed water spinach for some greens. While some dishes, like the duck salad and the final green rice-flake battered fish fillets were pretty plain, lacking integration between the key protein and the salad, it feels churlish to nitpick...

I visited Chubby Cheeks with a friend, and we had an excellent dining experience. We were seated by the window, which provided a lovely view outside as we enjoyed our meal. The drink menu offered a variety of tasty cocktails that paired perfectly with our food.

The star of the show was definitely the lamb and beef dish. The meat was incredibly tender and flavorful. It was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The herbs and spices enhanced the lamb without overpowering its natural flavor. Each bite melted in my mouth, and I was excited to keep eating until my plate was clean.

In addition to delicious food and drinks, Chubby Cheeks offers a comfortable, spacious atmosphere. There is ample room between tables so you don't feel crowded or on top of other patrons. My friend and I truly enjoyed having private conversations without straining to hear each other speak.

Overall, I was very impressed with my dining experience at Chubby Cheeks. The service was top-notch, the drinks delighted, and the lamb exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be returning soon to sample more of their mouthwatering menu in the relaxed, open dining area. This restaurant is perfect for a special night out or a casual dinner with friends. I highly...

We had dinner a couple of times before in this restaurant having opted for the banqueting menu. This time following previous suggestions that we could swap some dish for another listed in the main menu, we found not only that now not all dishes of the banqueting menu are no more correlated to the main menu but also that they will not willing to accommodate easily any changes. In the banqueting menu the salt and pepper squid has been substituted by an unpalatable tempura of school prawns served with their heads and skin. The main fish option, battered fish with apple salad, is neither mentioned anymore in the main menu. When we asked to change this for the pork belly which it should have been just one dollar difference, we were told that it was not possible, that our option was either to change it for a mere dish of vegetables or to pay 32 dollars extra of the pork belly. My thought is that the banqueting menu has stopped being a nice suitable option, not only have increased its price but also reduced in size and the quality of their dishes has...