26°C | Thursday November 13, 2025 
4 November 2025
By James Mullan
Neutral Bay has welcomed a new face to one of its most popular dining spots, with Hong Kong–born chef Eric Lai taking over the restaurant formerly run by fellow Hong Kong restaurateur Kirk Yip at 240 Military Road.
Lai, one of Sydney’s leading seafood chefs, built his career over nearly two decades at The Star Casino after moving to Australia in 1999. He studied hospitality and commercial cookery on the Gold Coast before joining the Gold Coast Casino and later The Star, where he became known for his skill in seafood preparation.
With his children now grown, Lai decided the time was right to start his own venture. Around the same time, Yip was looking to move on from his Neutral Bay restaurant, which he opened in 2022 after a long run by Singaporean eatery Ginger and Spice. Lai described the handover as “destiny,” saying that after visiting the site with his wife, “the first impression was very good.”
“Mr Yip shared his experience with me and talked for one hour. After that, I started to consider it with my wife. Everything happened so quickly,” Lai said.
Lai has largely kept the restaurant’s existing setup and menu, adding his own touches to reflect his Hong Kong heritage. Early favourites include diced beef with black pepper sauce, Hong Kong–style beef flat rice noodles, kung pao chicken with cashews and vegetarian fried rice.
He is particularly proud of his XO live pipi fried vermicelli. “I didn’t expect people would try it or feel confident, but after one table ordered it, the next table said, I want this one. In the first week we sold five kilos,” he said.
Another standout is the Singapore-style prawns, reintroduced by customer request in homage to Ginger and Spice. Lai researched the original recipe online and now serves it alongside variations such as prawns with honey sauce, salt and pepper, scrambled eggs, or stir-fried with snow peas and celery.
Dumplings, a popular Mr Yip staple, remain on the menu, while Lai’s wok-focussed Hong Kong style also shines through in dishes such as fried beans with chicken and duck fried rice with XO sauce.
For dessert, diners can enjoy mango pancakes and cheesecake, with Lai planning to expand the sweet offerings. The restaurant remains BYO.
After more than a decade of Asian cuisine at the same address—from Ginger and Spice to Mr Yip and now Mr Lai—Neutral Bay locals continue to enjoy some of Sydney’s finest Hong Kong and Singaporean flavours.