From the mind of Chef Ken Leung, head chef and owner at Cha Ching, comes Lexy on Flinders Lane. It has a striking interior, including an infinity mirror and rather eye-catching light installations and ceiling fixtures. There’s also a focus on sustainability here, and there are signature cocktails amongst a large drinks list, served from the zero-waste bar. The cuisine is modern Asian, using locally sourced ingredients and drawing flavour inspiration from various Asian cuisines. It lends itself well to share-style dining.

On Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm-12am, Lexy runs a Late Night Bar Experience, perfect for a night cap after a night out, or for an extra bite if you’re still feeling peckish after dinner. On the drinks menu are two Late Night Edition Cocktails – Fire and Ice – on top of their other regular offerings including whiskey or sake flights.

The zero-waste philosophy at the bar means there are creative inclusions of unused ingredients from the kitchen. Our Ice cocktail for the day included coconut, adzuki, vanilla, banana and rum, all combined into a nitro ice-cream, which eventually became a creamy drink as it melted (delicious in both forms!).

The warm Fire cocktail had sake and other smokey ingredients, topped with a sesame crisp and blazed at the table, the heat blending and transforming the flavours into something unique. It’ll be particularly suitable for the colder weather that’s on the way.

Just Fries – Mentaiko Mayo $12, Crispy Chicken Bites – Togarashi Mayo, Gochujang Glaze, Curry Aioli $24 Prawn & Scallop Dumpling – Chive Pesto, Cashew, Snow Pea Tendril $28

Prawn & Scallop Dumpling – Chive Pesto, Cashew, Snow Pea Tendril 5 for $28

The Late Night snack menu is designed for sharing. The Fries were so good thanks to their crispy outer and fluffy interior, and the Prawn & Scallop Dumplings were a highlight too. There was a pretty decent serve of Crispy Chicken Bites, which came with a delicious togarashi mayo. Other options include cassava crackers with yuzu miso mascarpone, and also caviar if you’re feeling up for something fancy.

Smoked Balloon Cracker – Cinnamon sugar, black garlic honey butter $13

Salmon Nori – Gochujang, pickled daikon, shiso, puffed rice $12 ea

Stone Axe Wagyu Beef Tartlet – Cashew cream, fried betel leaf $14 ea

XO Rock Lobster – Shokupan, tobiko, lime pearl, pickled cucumber $15 ea

Crispy Rice Bibimbap – Perilla leaf, nori, egg floss $11 ea

Pan Seared Scallops – Coconut bisque, finger lime, avruga, roe cracker $32

There are plenty of bold flavours and creative pairings on offer throughout the menu, and many of their dishes make use of the Josper oven. The smaller bites we had tried on a previous visit are a particular standout. The Smoked Balloon Cracker was not only a bit of fun, but was accompanied by a delicious black garlic honey butter. Crispy Rice Bibimbap was a joy to eat, and there was plenty of punch in the Salmon Nori from the gochujang. The youtiao that came with the Pan-Seared Scallops were the perfect vehicle for tasting more of that rich sauce. XO Rock Lobster had gentler flavours compared to the other starters we tried, but still well-balanced and delicious. The lime pearl and pickled cucumber were a good counterpart to the creamy lobster. The Beef Tartlet was also good, and like a little journey to South-east Asia.

Seared Black Cod – Choo chee curry, kipfler, potatoes, pickled shallot $54

Jasmine Tea Smoked Arum Duck – Aromatic claypot rice, umami budu $58

Grilled Pork Jowl – Kohlrabi kimchi, green shiso verde, umeboshi glaze $32

Warm Silken Tofu – Brown butter soy, leek furikake $18

Proteins are handled very well here, and on a previous visit we tasted the perfectly cooked Aurum duck and Seared Black Cod. Today it was the decadent Pork Jowl – the accompanying shiso verde and kimchi helping to cut through the richness of the cut.  The Warm Silken Tofu, was served in a shallow pool of brown butter soy that possessed a gentle sweetness, and was topped with a flavoursome leek furikake.

Whether you’re heading to Lexy for regular dining, or for their Late Night experience, the menu has many interesting things to explore.