Beverly Hills Chinese Restaurant earns rave in Good Food Guide 2026

The review, published on October 22, 2026, highlights owner Anthony Kwok's hospitality as "some of the warmest you will ever encounter" and describes the tiny dining room decorated with neon signs, a framed Peanuts jigsaw puzzle, and good-luck trinkets. A tank of grumpy barramundi awaits diners who order them steamed with ginger and shallots. The menu offers more than one hundred dishes, including homespun chicken soup with collagen-rich fish maw, free-range chicken spangled with sesame seeds across mustard-yellow skin, and eggplant steamed in garlic, soy sauce and lap cheong sausage. The reviewer recommends ordering anything with salted egg yolk, a Kwok specialty, such as a generous portion of fried rice topped with orange nubs of the yolk. The restaurant, opened by Kwok and his wife in the 1990s, is known for its tank-to-wok pipis with deep XO sauce over crisp-fried vermicelli noodles. The guide notes there is no right or wrong way to order, only the wrong tunnel exit from the city. The review is part of a series profiling South Sydney restaurants.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Highlights the strength of family-run Cantonese restaurants in Sydney's south-west.
Recognition from a major guide can boost business for small eateries.
The review is part of a broader series on South Sydney dining, drawing attention to the area's culinary scene.

Background

Beverly Hills Chinese Restaurant is a long-standing establishment in the suburb of Beverly Hills, known for its Cantonese cuisine and live seafood. The Good Food Guide is an annual restaurant guide published by the Sydney Morning Herald, with reviews conducted anonymously and independently. This review is one of several in a series focusing on South Sydney restaurants.

Key Perspectives

Owner Anthony Kwok: His hospitality is described as some of the warmest in town, and the restaurant has been a family operation since the 1990s, with a focus on live seafood and classic Cantonese dishes. Diners: The restaurant attracts those seeking hot pot, live seafood, and lacquered pigeons, with a loyal following. The reviewer emphasises the quality and authenticity of the food. Critics/Skeptics: Some may find the neon decor and eccentric menu overwhelming, but the review argues the food and hospitality more than compensate.

What to Watch

Future Good Food Guide inclusions or awards for the restaurant.
Whether the restaurant expands or remains a tiny gem given increased attention.
Potential increase in visitors after the review, especially for the salted egg yolk specialty.

Checked

9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedBeverly Hills Chinese Restaurant earns a rave in the Good Food Guide 2026.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Modest family-run gem with some of the warmest hospitality in town.”
SupportedThe restaurant is praised for warm hospitality and live seafood.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “For anyone into hot pot, live seafood and lacquered pigeons, Beverly Hills should hold the same gravitational pull of Leichhardt’s Norton Street to spaghetti fanciers in the 1970s.”
SupportedThe review calls the restaurant “one of our favourites”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “It’s impossible to name a best Cantonese restaurant in the south-west suburb, but this is certainly one of our favourites.”
Partly supportedThe story says “reviewers” called the restaurant one of their favourites.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “It’s impossible to name a best Cantonese restaurant in the south-west suburb, but this is certainly one of our favourites.”
Partly supportedOwner Anthony Kwok’s hospitality is “some of the warmest you will ever encounter”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Owner Anthony Kwok’s hospitality is some of warmest you will ever encounter, there are live lobsters the size of Tonka trucks, and tank-to-wok pipis come with a deep XO that soaks into crisp-fried vermicelli noodles.”
Partly supportedThe review was published on October 22, 2026.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Updated October 22, 2026 ,first published October 13, 2025”
SupportedThe menu offers more than one hundred dishes.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “There are more than one hundred dishes to choose from, though, including a homespun chicken soup with collagen-rich fish maw;”
SupportedKwok and his wife opened the restaurant in the 1990s.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Opened by Kwok and his wife in the 1990s, the tiny dining room is decorated with neon signage, a framed Peanuts jigsaw puzzle, good-luck trinkets and a pair of grumpy barramundi in a tank, ready for their close-up steamed with ginger and shallots.”
SupportedThe reviewer recommends anything with salted egg yolk, including fried rice topped with orange pieces of yolk.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Must order: Anything with salted egg yolk, Kwok’s speciality, such as a ferocious amount of fried rice topped with meaty, orange nubs of the stuff.”