If the rise of the Darling Square precinct on the former site of the Sydney Entertainment Centre has taken some bragging rights from its historic eating neighbour, Chinatown is poised to strike back with a couple of high-profile openings.

Hansang, the Strathfield restaurant that regularly attracts queues that would shock even Taylor Swift fans, will open this month on a Goulburn Street site opposite the one-time home of BBQ King.

“Traditional Chinatown is perfect for us, we’ve very traditional,” says Hansang manager Henry Lee.

Hansang isn’t the first Korean restaurant in the area; Lee counts about eight. But where most focus on barbecue, Hansang has two massive cauldrons producing its famed 72-hour bone broth.

“Korean food and culture seems to have enveloped the city, but we chose to open here because a lot of our customer base is Chinese and many of them were travelling to us [at Strathfield],” Lee says.

Lee also believes Chinatown is on the uptick after a gruelling COVID period where its restaurants were among the earliest and hardest affected. “There seems to be government and city backing of the area, with things like market days and opening hours.”

Chinatown’s image has taken some knocks, with entrenched brands including Marigold, BBQ King and Golden Century departing its city blocks.

There is some encouraging news at the Golden Century site, where a new operator is opening Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant after property group Anson bought the building for a reported $50 million. Local observers say Royal Palace Seafood Restaurant will open in coming months.