Category: Chinese

Categories
Chinese

Yang Guo Fu Ma La Tang – Kingsford NSW Restaurant Review

So fresh! So clean! After having an awful time the previous week at No.1 Malatang in Kingsford, we went just 190 metres up the road to Yang Guo Fu Malatang. The difference was immense.

Malatang, for the uninitiated, is basically a form of hot pot where you choose your own raw ingredients, pay for it by weight, and have them boiled for you in a soupy and generally spicy broth. There are a number of vegetables, meats (lamb, beef, chicken, pork), tofu, mushrooms, quail eggs, and seafood on offer, so it’s quite easy to build yourself a bowl that suits your own preference.

We’ve had malatang from Yang Guo Fu in Hurstville, Burwood and Eastwood before and have generally enjoyed it. The ingredients have always been fresh, the soup tasty, and we’ve kind of made their our go-to. Keeping in mind the general good quality of YGF MLT, their Kingsford location was even better.

Yang Guo Fu in Kingsford is a larger location than its more suburban counterparts. There was ample distance between tables, and it didn’t feel as claustrophobic as some of those other restaurants do.

The ingredients were very fresh, even as we were making some of the last orders for the night. We also got the option of several different broths, which isn’t available at some of the smaller YGF Malatang stores. Unlike some of the other stores, the responsibility of saucing our meals was put on ourselves via a self sauce station. This was nerve-wracking (what if I put in the wrong ratio of ingredients!) but ultimately paid off.

A special mention needs to go to theses housemade meatballs. I haven’t seen these at any of their other stores. Their texture and taste are quite good, and I would recommend you try them. They also had ham hock, also a good and rare feature.

One weakness of Yang Guo Fu Kingsford is that they are connected to a bubble tea shop called Hey Fresh, which I have briefly written about before. Hey Fresh tends to underperform, but the restaurant staff voiced no objections to us bringing in Beautea from down the road.

I would definitely recommend Yang Guo Fu Malatang Kingsford for any malatang or hot pot lovers. They really elevate the standard.

Yang Guo Fu Ma La Tang Kingsford
520/522, Anzac Parade, Kingsford, NSW
+61401035858

Yang Guo Fu Ma La Tang Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Categories
Asian Fusion Café Chinese

3 Ronin – Chippendale NSW Cafe Review

UPDATE: See my thoughts on their Pho here

3 Ronin is a new Asian-fusion cafe in Spice Alley (Central Park Sydney) with a limited but exciting menu.

The Quinoa & Rice Congee with Poached Salmon, Slow Egg, Shallots & Radish was the highlight of the meal. It was a successful exploration of umami, combining both Winter and Spring themes. We really felt like the congee warmed us up from the inside out, while the coriander and cripsy sour radish provided a fresh Spring feel to it. The salmon reminded us of thick cut, raw smoked salmon that was lightly poached in the warm congee soup, and provided a well balanced protein load for the rest of the dish. The “slow egg” was a highlight of the dish, and something I had never experienced before. The egg yolk was not cooked, but firm and didn’t spill. Absolutely perfect.

I’ve been off baos ever since I had my first baos from a food truck in New Zealand last year, a very bad collection of oversauced disasters. The Waygu Bao ($17.50) was however very good. The brisket was nicely cooked too hard and not to raw. The meaty flavours mixed well with the pickled cabbage and aioli. An overall hit.

This cheesecake style thing was just fine.

Overall i can recommend 3 ronin. I’m a sucker for Asian fusion brunch and the congee is definitely worth a try.

UPDATED: See my thoughts on their Pho here (spoiler: it’s good!)

3 Rōnin
26 Kensington St, Chippendale NSW 2008
0411 616 167

Categories
Chinese

The Northeast Restaurant 大东北 – Kingsford NSW Restaurant Review

The Northeast Restaurant is a small group of restaurants serving North Eastern Chinese cuisine throughout Sydney. The Kingsford store is open relatively late (until 10PM), and was a great option for a quick dumpling-based meal after work.

Ordering at the Northeast Restaurant was via an app on their instore iPad, and service was quick and efficient (although we were the only ones there at around 9PM).

The Northeast Restaurant Dumplings

We really enjoyed all of their dumplings. The pork mince, egg, and chive dumplings are very similar to the ones that I grew up with. The pork mince with Sauerkraut was also very good, as was the pork mince with cabbage ones. All were very juicy and well cooked. I have a personal preference for boiled dumplings and was glad to see them make an appearance, as I feel like too many Chinese restaurants only offer the option of steamed or pan fried.

The pig ear with bean curd and chives was good but I think by the time we got to them we were a bit too full. They are probably too salty to eat without rice, so if you’re keen to try them make sure you eat them with rice. We still have some leftovers in our fridge.

Overall I can highly recommend The Northeast Restaurant for your Kingsford dumpling needs. Their food is much better quality than Chinese Dumpling & Noodle Restaurant across the road, which is a place I never want to go back to. Five out of five dumplings.

The Northeast Restaurant Kingsford
436 Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW 2032

Categories
Chinese

Dumpling Hut – Kogarah NSW Restaurant Review

Let’s be honest. Dumpling Hut in Kogarah doesn’t look very appetizing. Their decor leaves much to be desired, but if you can get past this barebones, no-frills visual style you will find very well priced, fresh from frozen pan-fried dumplings.

The pork and chive dumplings are very yummy and delicious. They’re only $8 for 15, and even cheaper if you bring a friend with you. They come out hot and juicy, and are great for a quick lunch.

The service is also good and friendly. I feel like the staff are very dedicated to their restaurant and I really hope they succeed.

I’d love to go again but unfortunately I hardly have time to leave work during the day now.

Dumpling Hut Kogarah
Shop 5/13 Belgrave St, Kogarah NSW 2217
0455 376 304

Categories
Chinese

No.1 Malatang 壹號麻辣燙 – Kingsford NSW Restaurant Review

Wow. What a legitimately bad time for two humans.

No 1 Malatang (壹號麻辣燙) was one of the only restaurants open late on a weekday night in Kingsford. The first thing you notice when you enter is the toilet-like smell, concentrated in the area where you choose your ingredients. We should have turned back then but unfortunately hunger won and we prevailed.

The ingredients weren’t fresh, so much so that when we were waiting for our food to be cooked we saw one of the staff members holding up a tray of raw meat to sniff it to see if it was still good.

Once the meal arrived some of the ingredients (notably the tofu and the quail eggs) tasted unusual.

Towards the end of our meal we noticed that the honey tea which we had paid $3.50 for each had expired five months ago in January.

Overall, dining No 1 Malatang in Kingsford was an awful experience that had us wondering whether we should just leave even though we had already paid the entire time. I am very concerned about the food safety at this restaurant and actually don’t think places like this should exist.

I would strongly advise you avoid this restaurant and instead visit Yang Guo Fu Malatang which is just down the road.

No 1 Malatang Kingsford
522 Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW 2032