It’s literally been years since our last visit to Marigold. In fact since our last visit, it’s now changed it’s name to Marigold Regal instead of Marigold Citymark. Marigold Citymark used to be our Chinese restaurant of choice, mainly because the food was good and the decor was nicer than your average Chinese restaurant (I find Golden Century’s food is great but the decor isn’t as nice) and the free parking for dinner guests always made my father and husband happy. Yes, we’re the type of family where the men will greet each other with “Where did you park?” and the park closest to the restaurant wins and gets a fleeting moment of pride. Please tell me we aren’t the only ones.
The decor has been spruced up with warmer reds and oranges instead of austere blacks and whites. The fish tanks have been moved further down but other than that, everything is fairly similar. What we notice is back are the silver spoon and chopstick rests which is what we liked about dining here in the first place. Yes I know it may make me sound like a complete brat, and at times I am, but it’s the little details that help set a place apart and these were the details that my sister and I noticed and liked. So when they didn’t put them out 3 times in a row and we had average food we stopped coming here.
Tonight we’re here with my uncle, cousin, my family and my cousin’s wife who is over from Singapore. We order a slew of dishes including Peking Duck plus a whole lot of new dishes we’ve never tried before which I hope comes out quickly as I am very hungry. I am relieved with they wheel the duck out.
I always love it when they carve it at the table (although I know this would horrify my vegan mother in law who could not believe that they would do such a thing) and they show the duck off to us before slicing off the skin with a cleaver and placing them in 12 pancakes with the requisite spring onion and cucumber.
Curiously I notice that there is still a lot of skin remaining on the duck after it is carved and even though there are 7 of us, they don’t give us 14 pancakes. I wonder where the rest of the skin goes? It never seems to turn up in the second course and it’s a suspicion of mine that they use the skin for other dishes. I’d love to know whether this is true or not!
The pancakes have a little too much meat in them for my taste and the pieces are smaller than I’d like. For me, I love big discs of glossy, crispy skin and it’s a good sign when the sauce and oil run out of the pancake. My ideal version is not for the faint hearted or diet conscious.
The sang choi bau course arrives and they plate it into the lettuce cups. It’s nice and crunchy with the water chestnuts although we have to ask for the Hoi Sin sauce as it is bland without it.
The rest of the dishes arrive in quick succession. The pork ribs in champagne sauce ($18) are circled by orange slices and the sticky orange glazed champagne sauce is a lovely match to the deep fried ribs. It’s unusual and very moreish and a hit with the table.
Steamed egg whites, fried bean curd with assorted seafood and meat ($24) comes out next, with the bean curd sitting on the edges of the plate surrounding a melange of meats, seafood and egg whites. The scallops and prawns are plentiful and whilst the mixture is soothingly soft, it lacks punch or a distinct flavour.
The Spicy Fish fillets with Mermaid’s Tresses ($28) resemble the deep fried cornflour dipped salt and pepper fish but with spice and less intensity of flavour than the S&P variety. The spice comes in the form of some sliced bird’s eyes chili and the mermaid’s tresses are deep fried seaweed shreds. It’s alright but not particularly stunning.
The last dish, Four vegetables baked in creamy taro sauce ($21) comes out, the purply grey creamy taro mash coating the vegetables with some satisfying blistering on top. Scooping out the vegetables we are rewarded with large chunks of broccoli, whole mushrooms, asparagus and snow peas. It’s the most comforting of comforting Winter food and the buttery scent of the sauce beckons you to eat more than you really should.
At this stage we’re full but they bring out the fruit-sliced watermelon and rockmelon as well as a large tureen of sweet red bean and black sticky rice soup. It’s only the most robust of us that can finish a whole bowl of the sticky, sweet and delicious soup. Completely full, we rest for a little and then get up to leave whilst the men continue to debate who got the closest “parking spot”.
Marigold Regal
Levels 4 & 5
683-689 George Street, Haymarket Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9281-3388
Parking from 10am-6pm:
0-1 hour - $2.80
1-2 hours - $7.20
2-3 hours - $11.60 3-4 hours - $16.00
4-5 hours - $20.40
Over 5 hours - $30.00
Free parking for dinner guests (otherwise my husband noted that parking is $50 an hour so don’t make the mistake of parking there unless you are eating!)
Lunch (yum cha)
11 Comments | Add your own
Hi NQN,
Thanks for a terrific post.
The menfolk in my family sometimes go through the parking greeting ritual, but of late (maybe everyone’s just getting old) restaurant choice is made on the basis of parking availability. That means no more evening city meals due to “no parking”. The meal looks lovely; pity about the skimpiness of the duck skin and pancakes though. I reckon they should have removed all the skin, and given you more pancakes (pancakes are so cheap anyway).
hi again! gotta say that the creamy taro dish certainly got my eyebrow raising. usually we use taro for desserts or as sweet filling in buns.
i recently went to Marigold for yum cha. Except for their black sesame ball (hak chi mai jin tui), I was disappointed mainly because Zilver has set quite a high standard for yum cha. Even East Ocean which I used to enjoy now ranks behind Zilver.
This post is making my mouth water :p
Hi Lori-It’s funny you say that. The family has stopped having dinners in the city for the same reason
Thinking about it, we only had the dinner in the city as my cousin’s wife who was here on business was staying right near the Marigold and it was easiest for her. I love a city meal though as it always seems more exciting but it’s hard to get everyone on board.
I agree about the duck skin, there was definitely enough for probably 4 more pancakes and to add 2 more wouldn’t have broken the bank!
Hi Tian-I love taro in anything but in this dish, it had a buttery creaminess. Have you tried the deep fried yum cha dumplings with taro on the outside? I think there’s also a duck dish with tafo on the outside also deep fried. We’ll try anything with taro!
I’ve yet to go to Zilver but have it on my list!
Hi Kathy-Hehe thanks! Peking Duck can do that
NQN - oh yea, thanks for reminding me of those! .. that yum cha dish is called woo kok. it’s usually made from yam, not taro
How does the food compare with Golden Century? We used to stick pretty much to East Ocean. We took the in laws there once and sat next to Bill Granger and his family, so now they request a visit every time they’re in town.
I agree with Tian though that Zilver has really pulled ahead of the others.
Hi Tian-Oh right, I thought that yam and taro were the same thing (they are in some parts of the world). They’re quite similar in taste and look-and I’ll take both at any time!
Hi Amanda-Hmmm well I’ve had some hits and some misses at both Golden Century and East Ocean. The criteria for me is the live seafood, especially lobster and Peking Duck. For people that don’t like those dishes though, it may be a different experience.
Marigold used to be the place we always went as a family for Yum Cha. And we always greeted each other with “where did you park” as well. We haven’t been to Marigold lately though, since discovering Zilver. Also, my parents now favour a place in Eastwood for dinners - their duck pancakes are pretty good as they’re not too fatty and have plenty of crisp skin.
Hi Y-Hehe I’m comforted in knowing that it’s a ritual for other families-so mine doesn’t seem as odd!
I must get myself to Zilver. Hmmm yes the skin must be crispy, there’s nothing worse than skin that isn’t crispy. Then it’s just a roast duck!
I just love crepes.. so a savoury pancake with duck would probably hit the spot for me. I don’t think I’ve seen a duck presented before (excluding TV) with its head still attached to the body. I think it was great that so many of you were able to dine together and try different dishes. Lol..about the parking-greeting. If I’m meeting my husband somewhere because we’ve been unable to travel together.. he’ll usually ask me where I parked.. and then tell me where he parked if I don’t ask him the same!
Did the vegie sauce have any cheese in it? I’m only asking because it looks like it has!
I detect a feeling of “not an overly mind blowing banquet”… so I hope the company was much better!? I’m yet to find “good Chinese” in the town where I live. Though there is one place I know that gets the “special fried rice” right..so that’s something at least
Hi Maria-I think only some chinese restaurants will show you the duck and carve it in front of you (the bigger, more upmarket places tend to). Other places will carve it in the back.
Hehe about your husband and you and parking! It must be a male thing
I am not sure if it had cheese in it to be honest. It did blister on the top like it had some cheese in it but I couldn’t taste any cheese in it. The taro can be quite dominant in flavour though.
It was good to meet up with my cousin’s wife although the food wasn’t all great. I suppose that’s the risk one takes when they try new dishes. Do you have a Chinatown area near you? I find that’s where you tend to get better restaurants. Having said that, my favourite place is a suburban place but it depends on what you order
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