I couldn’t say how many times I’ve eaten Golden Century’s signature dish of pipis in XO sauce with crisp vermicelli, but I doubt that I’ve ever been there without ordering it. So when the group behind one of Australia’s most talked about dishes opens a new restaurant, XOPP, in honour of said dish, I’m more than eager to check it out.

On the first floor of the curvaceous new Exchange building by designer Kengo Kuma in Darling Square, XOPP has a very different vibe to its sibling. It forms a ring around the perimeter of the building with floor-to-ceiling windows throwing natural light on a vibrant  space popping with a mix of emerald and orange and floral light fixtures.

The service is friendly and genuine, if a little green at times, while the wine list is dominated by well-priced Aussies suited to this fare, such as the on-point Helm Classic Riesling 2017.

Where Golden Century’s strength lies in reliable delivery of Cantonese classics, here things get more innovative, though it’s still Cantonese at its heart.

As for the famous XO pipis, sadly I found it a bit underwhelming on my visit – pedestrian compared to the dish I’m used to at the mother ship. It lacked umami punch and the clams themselves were a little bitter, suggesting a bit of stress before cookery. Soft mantou buns are packed with prawn meat tossed in XO mayonnaise and topped with a dollop of XO sauce.

Cauliflower ‘typhoon shelter-style’ comes with spring onion and chilli, while cuts of Glacier 51 toothfish star in a wok-fried kung bao-style in a tumble of capsicum, baby corn, shallots, chilli and cashews. A magic blend of seven spices, meanwhile, makes a delicious statement on lamb chops served beneath wok-tossed leeks and chilli. XOPP is perhaps still finding its feet – it seems to fall short of its own ambition – but there’s plenty of promise here and it’s well worth checking out.