It’s harder to find Canton! Canton! than a black cat in a coal cellar – best tip: look up, once you’ve negotiated the endless light rail works on George Street. When you’ve made it to this first-level retreat, you’ll find a new eatery that’s sharpening the focus on Cantonese food, so often poorly interpreted Down Under.

It’s designed to replicate the street markets of Canton, with jade-green washes, exposed brick and booths inspired by opium beds, punctuated by decorative lanterns. By night – it’s dark, it’s noisy and, most importantly, it’s full. And for good reason. Not only did owner The Jewel Pantry dining group nab the old premises of Tim Ho Wan, but it also landed its executive chef and dumpling master Jacky Chan.

The service is swift and comes with a smile, but you might find it hard to get attention at times, and, apart from beer, the booze list is practically missing in action too. Don’t despair – the tea offering is delightful and the food ever so pleasing, and at a price that’s hard to ignore (around $50 per head).

The bamboo steam baskets make a fine start. Crystal prawn dumplings are delicate, braised chicken feet are a gelatinous joy and glutinous rice laced with chicken and shiitake mushroom is glorious. Pork floss and chilli adda nice exclamation mark to fried tofu, while the pick of some nine congees is a traditional and salted egg number with pork.

But congee isn’t the only dish with rice as the hero. Hong Kong-style rice comes four ways, but opt for the treasure bowl where dried pork belly, cured duck and cured pork sausage combine to deliver dark-chocolate notes.

The roast station, meanwhile, is also sure to please. Of course, choosing between Hong Kong-style roast duck, pork belly and pork char siu could be as tricky as finding the venue itself.