Reviews Junk Lounge

Awesome bar with an awesome view. We luckily got a seat by the window so we were able to enjoy dinner with a view. The highlight was definitely the seared tuna and the snapper which was grilled at the table then served over soba. The hainan chicken rice was nothing like the typical one - the rice was stuffed inside the whole chicken. The desserts were alright, nothing amazing.

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I cannot rave enough about my experience at this venue. If I could give it 6/5 I would!

On Saturday night I celebrated my 26th birthday here, and everything about the night was absolutely on point!

It was a booking for 20 guests, and we were all seated at the long wooden table in front of the chefs kitchen that looks out onto beautiful Circular Quay and the Opera House. It was a rainy night, but such a cosy intimate space with friends, that it was the perfect space.

The staff here are simply wonderful, nothing was too much trouble for them. They kindly took photos for us, I got a free glass of champagne for my bday which was sweet, and they organized my bday cake to come out later in the evening.

The best part is that with such a huge booking we were still able to order off the a la carte menu making it so simple for everyone to go up and order as they wish, when they wished throughout the night! No hassle of splitting bills at the end, what a dream!

The venue itself is gorgeous, with an Asian inspired theme decorated in elaborate chairs, cosy lounge spaces, a well stocked bar, cool wall murals and a moody vibe.

The menu, both cocktails and food, carries on the theme. Let's talk about the cocktails first. Not only do they have funky names, but the flavours are incredible. I honestly am not a huge cocktail fan as I often find them too strong for me, but the bar staff can happily point you in the direction of something suited to your taste.

The food menu has some nice choices and is ideal for sharing a few dishes with friends. There's dumplings, a range of meat skewers, spring rolls and heavier dishes like udon. Delicious tasty fresh food, and a simple menu that nails the dishes listed. There's also dessert if you're a fan of sweet treats!

You absolutely have to check out this venue! Would be great for a date night, a classy dinner with friends, somewhere to show off the view to visitors, or just a gorgeous cocktail spot if you're keen for a dance on a Saturday night. This ones going to quickly become a regular!

Saz - burgersnbikinis xx

With rain bucketing down outside, we headed to Junk Lounge, a funky, vibrant bar at the Overseas Passenger Terminal with a beautiful view of the harbour at Circular Quay! We were so excited to try the creative, Asian-inspired drinks! Our first pick was the Kung Fu Hustle, a vodka based cocktail with lychee ginger syrup, fresh apple and citrus juice. It was light and refreshing, and delicate, with great zesty flavours.

Another pleasant surprise on offer by Cruise Bar. On level two there is an Asian fusion street style restaurant and it surely did not disappoint! I would give this place a 10 if Zomato allowed.

Sydneysiders are blessed with perhaps the world’s most beautiful harbour. The Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the ferries plying their trade from Circular Quay. It all adds up to a stunning backdrop for any foodie experience. Pride of place to take best advantage of this unparalleled stage is the newly renovated Junk Lounge.

Perched atop its sister space, and well-known Sydney favourite, Cruise Bar, the Junk Lounge is an inviting mix of cocktails, tasty hawker treats, DJ beats, and chill-out areas to soak it all up in. One of the best ingredients in this eclectic concoction is the fact that all this is on offer until late. Sydney needs more access to places that offer this fun and casual atmosphere that stay open well past Nanna’s bedtime. So Junk Lounge is here to answer that call.

The Coco & Vine team are here to try out some of Junk Lounge’s new food creations that are described by its talented team as a fun and non-traditional take on hawker style favourites. We’re also here to tickle our tastebuds while comparing notes with a huge table of fellow foodies. It’s a Zomato Meetup, and that means lots of amazing food, Instagram overload, and catching up on new foodie finds in the food blogosphere.

The dishes come thick and fast, so here are some highlights of the night. To kick things off on the right foot, our skilled bartender hits us with his masterful creation, the Fuko Fizz. It’s an inspired blend of sake, Yuzu, matcha green tea, and ginger beer, that fuse together making a drink that both awakens and cleanses the palate for the banquet ahead.

I’m a sucker for nachos and chicken wings, so imagine my delight when both members of this dynamic duo land on our table, sporting some imaginative flair. The “nachos” are an Asian twist on a bar food staple. Using lotus root chips for an even lighter and crispier mouth feel, this simple yet sassy starter features a delightfully zingy Yuzu salsa. The chicken wings are presented “Korean style” and are moist bundles of tangy, peppery, lightly-spiced, lip-licking goodness.

That street food experience is embodied in the skewers plate that takes you on a little stroll through the food markets of Southeast Asia. Juicy, crispy style prawn, succulent beef, Malay chicken, all served with a tantalising peanut sauce. This is ideal cocktail lounge cuisine.

Beef brisket brings another influence to the table. The tender and moist generous cube of slow cooked beef is served simply with a slaw salad to ensure it remains the star of the dish. A jus based sauce accompanies the brisket and a soft stack of roti awaits, to soak up all that gravy goodness.

I’ll never say no to Sago, and when you top it with Drunken Fruit, well, let’s just say oh yes! The Sago is slightly chilled, subtly creamy, and refreshingly light. Just the right level of sweetness on the tongue and the fruit brings that all together with a brightness and texture that reminds me why I love this desert so much.

Junk Lounge is an atmosphere that Sydney needs more of. Spaces that are relaxing, casual, fun, and actually allow you to have a conversation without losing your voice, all while showcasing the city’s beauty. Yes, please! Let’s have many more!

Note: Coco & Vine dined as guests of Junk Lounge as part of a Zomato Meetup.

Disclaimer - Zomato meet up event.

Ambience is a sensory experience created by elements of the environment. I couldn't help but think momentarily that I was looking out onto Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong with the backdrop of junks reflecting in the moonlight, but only it was our very own Opera house. The Junk Bar occupies the top level of the cruise bar and has been tranformed into an intimate lounge and restaurant serving Asian inspired cocktails and food. The lighting is perfect to capture the romance projected by our most famous landmark. It was explained to us that traditonally, cruises were not known for their food but for the ports they would dock at to showcase the local cuisine. Junk aims to showcase the best Australian produce by visiting international guests with their daring "to break all rules" interpretation of Asian food throwing 'traditional' out the window. 

The communal table is the centrepiece of the restaurant and is in fact part of the Rose Bay pier. The cocktails on offer are just as inspirational as the food with a rum based cocktail reflecting tropical notes from concentrated aloe vera that had a blueberry bubble gum like finish. The gin and T was an intense and sweet conconction not for the faint hearted.

The Lotus root chips came with a spicy salsa in an Asian rendition of nachos. The Korean chicken wings had a distinct ginger aroma to its sweet and sticky sauce that managed to keep the batter crispy and flesh juicy. The other standout dish was Grilled Storm Clams which were plump and sweet supported by a good intepretation of XO sauce using dried shrimp that worked well with shitake mushrooms. The Hainan chicken was slightly overcooked and the rice a bit too stodgy but there were no shortcuts with the flavour as it was cooked with chicken stock and ginger. The soup came in a plunger that was creative but the soup itself should be commended as it was chicken essence in its purest form free from MSG that almost every single restaurant serving this dish uses.

The desserts were probably the most understated dishes on the menu where the 'Raspberry Mouse' was encased in a white chocolate dome (coloured green)with pop rocks and a chocolate crackle like crumb at its base and scattered pieces of sponge lining the plate. The Sago Pudding with drunken fruit was as pretty and exciting as an Asian inspired dessert flaunt a juxtiposition of creamy sago and slightly sour toasted pineapple and dehydrated sliced pineapple with small beads of sago encasing gold leaf. 

Just as fine dining is to accentuate top quality produce, the Junk Lounge is to enhance the experience of this spectacular view. Whether you come here for a date, bringing friends from overseas or simply enjoying a nice drink with a beautiful backdrop, the Junk Lounge will impress at all levels from casual cocktails to inspiring food and top notch service to match from true hospitality professionals on the floor and in the kitchen. 

Thanks Zomato and management at Junk for the great evening.

Thank you to Zomato and the Junk Lounge for this invite to the Zomato Meet Up.

This bar/restaurant has spectacular views of the Opera House and the harbour. The venue itself has a nice relaxed vibe and fuses different aspects of Asia in both the food and drinks.

The service was top notch and very hospitable. All items were explained to us and were also welcomed by the general manager.

We were treated to an Asian inspired feast which took our tastebuds through different countries of this continent.

We started off with Edamame With Chilli Salt and Lotus Root Chips With Spicy Yuzu Salsa. They were both delectable snacks and couldn't stop eating them. The edamame had a nice spicy kick to them. The lotus root chips reminded me of chips and salsa. It was a perfect combination.

We continued on with Pork Belly Steam Bun With Pickled Daikon, Cucumber & Carrot as well as Roasted Duck Breast Steam Bun & Shallot. Both were moreish and the buns were so delicious and fluffy. Both fillings were tasty and could've eaten a whole plate of them.

Next came the Korean Chicken Wings, Grilled Storm Clams With Shitake Mushrooms & XO Sauce, and Skewers Plate: Prawn, Beef & Malay Chicken. The chicken wings were juicy and flavoursome. Not too spicy and very crispy. This recipe was from the grandmother of one of the chefs. The clams had a good flavour to them. The skewers were lovely and each one was yummy.

Onto the larger mains to share we had the Beef Brisket With Slaw & Roti Bread. The beef was okay but the slaw was vibrant and crisp. Roti bread was a nice accompaniment to it. The sauce made the beef more moist.
To finish the savoury dishes we had Hainese Chicken & Rice. It looked amazing when it came out. There were the plates of chicken, bowl of rice, a savoury tea in a teapot, and the usual accompaniments of sauces. The chicken was slightly dry by itself but once combined with the other elements it was a pretty good dish.

We definitely finished on a high note. There were choices of Raspberry Mousse or Sago Pudding With Drunken Fruit. The mousse was encased in a matcha chocolate shell. Biting into it there was the raspberry mousse with hidden surprises of chocolate covered raspberries and bits of chocolate crackle. The sago pudding was luscious and silky. The flavour was wonderful and the charred pineapple was a great addition. The presentation of both dishes was beautiful.

Overall it was an enjoyable evening with the company of other like minded foodies and a great venue to enjoy a relaxed meal or drinks.Thewhereto Sweetandyummie The RnB Diary Howardwashere Coco And Vine Taylor Mckay Alexandria Dodds

Junk Lounge as an addition to cruise bar was a pleasant experience. The chicken skewers were full of flavour and cooked to perfection. I was definitely thrown off by the quality of the food. Glad to have found this underground spot!

For full review including photos, go to weekend food escapes Overall I really enjoyed my experience at Junk Lounge. I thought the staff were really friendly, helpful and timely. The Lunar New Year Banquet is delicious - well thought out in terms of texture, flavour... My favourite dish was Kingfish and the Char Siu Pork. The desserts and cocktails were also flawless. I had a great time!!! I recommend.

One of those loud doof doof places, quiet dimly lit. Chairs had no back and rather heavy. The food was very good and the portions were quite large. The karaage stole the show. Wagyu skewers were very tender. Dumplings had nice inside, but the skin was slightly dry. The noodles were very tasty, but slightly salty after a while.