Bringing back the Asian Bolognese! XO’s cult dish is returning for one night only.

Posted on 27 January, 2025

Much imitated, but never bettered, XO’s Asian Bolognese put this former Narrabundah restaurant on Australia’s culinary map.

So when XO closed its doors last year, the Asian Bolognese afficionados expressed an outpouring of sorrow.

Well, save space on Saturday 1 February as the two architects of this spectacular dish are putting it back on the menu for one night only!

Chef Anand Kumar (AK) Ramakrishna, and XO’s former co-owner Kent Nhan are reuniting at AK’s Diner, the new street food eatery at the bottom of the Nishi Building in New Acton. Since opening a few months ago, AK has been serving a series of curries and hawker foods inspired by his Malaysian Tamil roots.

This dish earned rave reviews around the country.

And due to popular demand (i.e., people incessantly asking for it), AK and Kent are firing up the woks for a special Asian Bolognese fiesta on Saturday night.

Starting at 5.30 and serving until 8 pm, AK’s will be pumping out one dish and one dish only.

AK wants diners to be clear that while the recipe will be the same fine-dining creation that earned him rave reviews all over Australia, the setting will be far more relaxed. So relaxed, in fact, that if you can’t nab one of around 40 seats at the tables, your best bet is to grab a milk crate on the footpath.

Kent and AK in their fine-dining days. The Asian Bolognese at AK’s will be a much more relaxed affair

“My one concession to elevating the dish is that I won’t be serving it in our usual take-out bowls; I will have plates. Oh, and nice chopsticks.”

You can also BYO for the evening.

Alternatively, AK will package your dish up to go, if you want to take it home.

He will take his place in the kitchen while Kent joins the team for the night and directs all the action front-of-house, ably assisted by AK’s unflappable wife, Toma.

After all, it is Kent and his mum Kim who we can ultimately thank for this dish.

“As a baby, Kent would not eat the regular Italian Bolognese. No matter what his mum did. So she substituted Udon noodles, chicken mince and crab paste and threw a fried egg on top and Kent polished it all off!”

When the pair started up XO in 2014, Kent wanted his childhood dream dish on the menu. And Kim took AK through her cooking process before he put his own special twist on things.

Kent and AK learning from the woman who started the XO Asian Bolognese craze, Kent’s mum Kim Nguyen.

There are quite a few tweaks to the original, including AK adding a mirepoix to the ragu, swapping fried egg for a 60-degree egg and replacing the fried shallots with salted and fried chicken skin. A star was born.

So, for those who have been pining for this dish, or for those who never had a chance to experience it, put it in the diary for Saturday night. No bookings will be taken, it’s just a matter of turning up and being patient.