Situated on the ground floor of a high-density grey-on-white apartment block, surrounded by several other grey-on-white apartment blocks, Yan probably doesn’t attract many people visiting Wolli Creek for a Sunday stroll. It does attract a lot of locals though, who know damn-good cooking when they taste it.

Yan means “smoke” in Mandarin, and chef Ewa Goralewski leans into the theme, dishing up smoked prawns with feature-length flavour, fresh lime and ginger sauce (peel, squeeze, dip) or sliced beef short-rib layered over just-sauteed kale. The latter is a natural-born killer dish, humming with mountain pepper and earthy wood tones after hot-smoking in a combination oven.

Occasionally, there are moments of quiet elegance too, such as the braised wintermelon with smoked almond cream. Dark walnut chairs and dulcet light make the dining room feel much cosier than the building it inhabits, as does the hospitality from owner Narada Kudinar.

Must order: The showstopper dessert of dairy-free coconut ice-cream spangled with toasted coconut flakes and concealing refreshing coconut jelly.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.