The contents of this blog are matters of opinion formed over one more visits. There has been some artistry applied and metaphors and similes should not necessarily be taken literally. All meals are independently paid for - the author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
I’m surprised I hadn’t already written a post about QW HuaXing Bakery 華興包點 , a place that I had visited on the recommendation of a colleague and PICU registrar of the month JL.
The place runs as a normal Chinese bakey, with a pick-your-own structure with tongs and trays, but with one exception. Unlike most Breadtop-style Chinese bakeries, QW HuaXing Bakery 華興包點 has quite a nice selection of dim sum snacks, ranging from egg tarts/蛋撻/dan ta to glutinous rice fried dumplings / 咸水角 / xian shui jiao , steamed buns, and other puff pastry delights.
I haven’t had anything out of the freezer yet (frozen shao mai, mostly), but everything I’ve had has been reasonably priced and of good quality, especially if you catch them when they’re still warm. Good for a quick bite.
QW HuaXing Bakery 華興包點 297 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield NSW 2131
We avoided the hustle and bustle of D’Penyetz & D’Cendol Burwood’s grand opening, only to land there a few months later during Ramadan, an equally peaky time.
The wait to order was a little bit longer than your average Asian restaurant on Burwood Road, but eventually we were greeted with the Iced Cendol Original ($5.90), a sweet, coconut milky drink which we did not love. The green wormy jellies on top, made of rice flour, had a mouthfeel and texture that was enjoyed even less than the drink itself. I am informed that this drink is quite popular in South East Asia, so perhaps it is just not for me and my partner’s East Asian-Australian palates.
We had the ayam penyet sambal mild ($12.90) and a more saucy version as well. Ever the lover of fried chicken, I can’t fault D’Penyetz’ rendition, though neither the fried nor saucy ones were as enjoyable as at ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak in Mascot. The side of fried tofu was fine, but I did not love the tempeh, which reminded me too much of natto, even though it did not taste as strong.
We rarely order fish out, but the ikan bakar aroma special (mild) ($25.90) caught our eye. It was moist and flavourful, with extra tanginess added by a liberal application of lemon wedge juice. Eating it felt like something my parents would approve of, ignoring for a moment that it was deep fried. This stood out to me more than the chicken, but was not reason enough for me to go back any time soon.
I came here with work so I couldn’t really take the time to individually review each dish and write down and collect my thoughts. If I remember I will queue this post as an extra in the middle of the normal post cycle, as it really is quite low effort.
We basically had a work dinner at a local Western Sydney restaurant and ordered the banquet menu to absolve individuals of tyranny of choice.
The spring rolls were vegetarian and not bad.
The curry puffs, also vegetarian, were even better.
The Thai beef salad was quite nice – tangy and meaty.
The pork belly in Thai basil was good.
We had a vegetarian Pad Thai but had enough meat to go around from the other dishes that I did not miss the protein in the pad thai itself. I have no photos of it.
I did not fancy the grilled prawns and squid dish which I felt was not that flavourful unless paired with the difficult to administer sauces it came with.
Holy Basil Parramatta Shop 5/330 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150
Panned by both the NSW Food Authority (1)(2) and Google Maps reviewers alike, Harvest Foodie sits adjacent to the Burwood Chinatown arcade and somehow became our choice of a second breakfast meal one morning, after a salty visit to Cha Dim House.
While the majority of negative Google Reviews seem to be about the attitude and communication skills of the aunties working here, my partner and I found no problem with this. I actually thought they were pretty chill, even taking my beef noodle order through me showing them a photo of what I wanted from the placard outside. Sadly the food was not as good as I had hoped.
This is a soy milk ($3). How can I really describe essentially the same soy milk made by a couple of similar machines across Burwood? Why does my partner always order them? Should I buy a soy grinding machine for home?
This is a soy egg ($2), not the same as a soy milk. It was fine. Totally adequate.
These pan fried dumplings鲜肉锅贴 (8 for $10) were very cheap, but not particularly good. I felt that the wrappers were far too thick, with a leavened texture to them, which is the opposite of what I like. Dumplings, I feel, should be filling forward.
This homemade beef noodle soup红烧牛肉面 ($15) was deeply disappointing. It was very salty, but had none of the spiciness that the menu picture implied. We didn’t finish it.
Other thoughts Commenters on Google Maps seem to feel that the restaurant offers a dynamic pricing model, based on how much cash the aunties think you have in your pocket. Whilst this would be hilarious if true, and would be supported by the lack of prices on the placard outside, I just feel like it would be too much work to put into practice.
I shouldn’t call this a review, and it’s not even a restaurant, but the title syntax has been established for so long now that it feels impossible to breka.
We had the magnolia milk tea at SOTEA back in June, a few months after opening, once the hype and the lines had died down. Some meals I remember with clarity a few months later – mostly if it was either really good or really bad. This was neither.
I’m not completely convinced that we needed a 19th bubble tea shop in Burwood, and yet I’m sure we will find ourselves trying the 20th once it too pops up. This not-review will get posted outside of the usual schedule.
