[category]
[title]
If you haven’t yet checked out the new Sydney Fish Market, here’s another reason to visit. Celebrated Vietnamese-Australian chef, restaurateur and television presenter Luke Nguyen has opened a 300-seat Southeast Asian restaurant overlooking the shimmering water at Sydney’s new fish haven, in partnership with Doltone Hospitality Group.
Called Lua, meaning “fire” in Vietnamese, the new restaurant is inspired by Nguyen’s heritage – he was born in Bangkok to Vietnamese parents before moving to Australia and growing up in Sydney’s Cabramatta area. Fresh, vibrant and full of flavour, seafood is a big focus of the menu, with dishes given added character thanks to an open hearth and charcoal fire pit.
The opening of Lua comes off the back of the closure of pioneering Vietnamese restaurant Red Lantern – which Nguyen co-founded with his sister and her husband – which had its final service in November 2025 after 23 years. Nguyen is still involved with Botanic House in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Fat Noodle at The Star Sydney, as well as having stalls at Hay St Market, plus Vietnam House in Ho Chi Minh City.
Nguyen says: “I’ve looked at the diversity of Vietnamese cuisine, looking at dishes from not just one region, but all regions of Vietnam, from north to south. But also getting my inspiration from the Mekong River – so many Southeast Asian countries snake through that river. Travelling down that Mekong really brought all those flavours to the Lua menu.
“With some of the world’s best seafood on our doorstep at the iconic Sydney Fish Market, Lua celebrates the ocean’s bounty while also offering vegan, vegetarian, and other protein options, bringing a menu that’s as diverse and vibrant as Sydney itself.”
Barry Ngo, who’s worked in Chin Chin, among other venues, is the head chef at Lua. Menu highlights include Wagyu beef pho tartare with aromatic star anise, fragrant Thai basil and crisp rice paper; soft, sea-sweet coral trout, calamari and prawn dumplings; perfectly cooked scallops doused in buttery, fish-sauce-boosted goodness; juicy snapper wrapped in banana leaf with fresh herbs and chilli; and Vietnamese-style tiramisu featuring Vietnamese salted coconut coffee.
Standout cocktails include the Fire Margarita with pandan-infused Espolón tequila, Phu Quoc pepper agave, cucumber and Luke's fermented chilli sauce; and the Song of Fire and Ice with jackfruit-infused Bundaberg Silver Rum, pineapple, calamansi and mandarin shrub, apricot liqueur, and warm coconut foam.
Most of the seafood at Lua is sourced from the Sydney Fish Market, with the team working closely with Nicholas Seafood, Peter’s and Claudio’s. It doesn’t get much fresher than that.
Find out more here.
Address: 1 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037