When I was in Primary School we were asked to design a name and logo for an airline. I chose mine to be: “TBAITW” which stood for “The Best Airline in the World”. You see I was going for the luxury market. However the girl next to me chose a clever tactic and chose “Aardvark airlines” because she would be the first listing in the phone book and therefore easy to find. And I think when they were thinking of names for this particular restaurant, they rejected all the usual names for Chinese restaurants including “Golden”, “Lotus”, “Jade”, “Kingdom”, “Palace” or “Dragon”. I think they just though sod it, let’s just use Kingsford Chinese restaurant. People who are looking for a Kingsford Chinese eat will find us easily.
Complimentary soup
I’d heard about Kingsford Chinese restaurant by many. Mostly for the brusque service but delicious food. And despite the fact that we had almost dined here several times we were always lured somewhere else. And if you’ve been to Anzac Pardae in Kingsford, there is no shortage of somewhere elses with so many restaurants within the 2-3 block area it makes deciding hard. Tonight we’re dining with Rose and Ronald and lucky that we’ve chosen to eat early as it means that there is no problem getting a table. We choose 4 dishes that we’ve heard that they do well. Prices are fabulously cheap and you can get a rice or noodle and meat dish for $6.60. The complimentary soup is delicious.
Sang tung Chicken $11
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| August 16th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Awards are controversial. Not only do people expect more but if it’s closely fought they tend to compare the contestants. And that’s exactly what I’m doing today when we’re dining at Palace Chinese restaurant this beautiful Sydney Sunday morning. And why was I up so early? Well I have to admit I set the alarm ready to go to an outdoor festival only to wake up and realise that it was next week. Yes embarrassing. So Teena, Philippe and baby Annabel and I make hasty alternative plans to Yum Cha in the city as Philippe wants to trawl the nearby luxury goods strip later.
Even though we are dining relatively late at 2pm (Yum Cha ends at 3pm) there is still a sizeable amount of people in there. Mr NQN and I usually prefer to eat a bit late as I hate queuing for a table and at this time we walk straight in and are seated. And a good thing as Philippe claims to be a “Starvin Marvin” and within minutes, our table is filled with all manner of delicious dumplings. The bamboo steamers are a little fancier and the service a little pushier. When we say “No” repeatedly to one who proffers up a single steamed basket in an effort to offload it, she proceeds to put it down on our table and then reach to stamp the card.
BBQ Pork buns
Har Gow
My favourite Yum Cha dumplings are the Har Gow. These are plump with prawns but a touch bland.
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| August 1st, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
Queen Viv models the pan fried dumplings
As a food blogger, I find it difficult to go to the same place twice. However my husband is a creature of habit and loves going somewhere reliable and ordering the same thing every single time. He good naturedly puts up with the constantly revolving door of restaurant adventures whilst still pining for his favourite restaurant Shanghai Night. He loves the dumplings there and we often joke that somewhere under that Finnish/Anglo exterior beats the heart of a Northern Chinese man. I promised him that as a treat for getting out of hospital, we could go to Shanghai Night and my ever loyal friends and fellow dumpling lovers Queen Viv and Miss America immediately piped up to come along for the ride – after all Winter is dumpling season. The song I am hearing in my head is my own version of Deck The Halls: “Tis the season to eat dumplings! Fa la la la la la la la la!”.
The queue is long, as witnessed by the crowd gathered outside. We have a booking for 7pm but here a booking is not quite a booking. It just means that they apologise several times while you wait. While we wait (we’re seated at 7.25pm), we see a framed award at the front that says that Shanghai Night was a Nominee for “Best Shopfront Presentation” from the Ashfield Mayor. I love the food, but I can’t say that the window is anything spectacular. Queen Viv loves the ceramic fish on the counter which she tries to lift up to take a closer look at only to find that it is glued down.
The crowd gathers
Prices have gone up since our last visit by about 70c-$1 per dish. As we’re here to partake of a Dumplingalooza fest, we order dumplings a plenty. The wall specials tell us that there are two types of new dumplings (a fish and a lamb & onion dumpling) and with the 18 portion size being only $2 more than the 12 portion size, we figure we’ll go the whole way. And when I look up from studying the new menu, who do I see sitting next to me at an adjoining table but one of my favourite food bloggers – the lovely Yas from Hungry Digital Elf!
Tofu and chicken mince on rice $7.50
There’s no sense of order with entrees or mains here. When it comes out is when it comes out. Our tofu with chicken mince on rice arrives first. It’s a purely comforting dish with the soft tofu and small chicken pieces coated in a delicious sauce. Sometimes we find that there is more flavour than other times. Tonight it’s good although the carrots are way too crunchy. It’s a huge plate too and more than one person could eat.
Pork and mushroom steamed dumplings $7.50 for 16
My husband’s favourite dish arrives next: the huge serving of 16 thick skinned pork and mushroom filled dumplings. Not as delicate as the Xiao Long Bao they’re nevertheless sustaining and filling and when paired with chili sauce and vinegar they’re delicious.
Miss America presents! Xiao Long Bao $6.50 for 8. Can you spot what’s wrong with this picture?
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| July 24th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
“You just don’t know how to hold the reservation and that’s really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them.” A quote from Seinfled is usually how I like to begin my days and on this sunny Winter’s Day on Woolloomooloo wharf, my dining companion Carbon Debit has called me while I am on my way to China Doll for our lunch with Soph. They seem to have lost our reservation. Thankfully, unlike Seinfeld, there is no issue getting us a table outside. We deduce that they probably misspelt it and possibly have it under the wrong name. Seinfeld moment over.
It’s a long time coming this visit to China Doll. It was spurred on by the recent apperance of the chef Frank Shek on the Australian version of Masterchef. I was not an instant convert to the show. I disliked the way they seemed to wring every bit of emotion or tears out of the contestants and play the sappy, emotional music to bring out what little emotion there was. Where was the cooking? Finally after the selection process, they started the real show and I’ve been glued ever since (did anyone catch the appearance of the Brad Pitt of the foodie world Adriano Zumbo the other week?). I’ve even gotten used to George Calombaris’s comments like “make the food look as if it had fallen on the plate like autumn leaves” and now find them endearing. Then there’s Matt Preston’s incongruous pleasure face – you know the one where when he eats his facial expression looks as though he’s repulsed by the food, only for him to say how wonderful it is.
I disgress, we’re back to China Doll on Woolloomooloo Wharf and for the Russell Crowe fans, yes Woolloomooloo Wharf is where his apartment lies (although we miss out on any Russ sightings). This is one of Sydney’s nicer looking Chinese restaurants and when I sit down I see familiar blue and white plates that just happen to be the exact ones that we use at home every day. This blue and white plate pattern is echoed throughout the whole restaurant with a wall in the same pattern and the small version of the plates on the toilet doors.
Our waiter is friendly and comes back a few times for our order as we’re busy catching up. We ask him for the specialties and he gives us about half a dozen and we choose among them. The menu is a pan Asian one with Japanese and Malaysian influences but since it’s supposed to be a Cantonese restaurant we try and go for the Cantonese dishes (with the exception of the sashimi). Service is good throughout the day from him although there is one waitress who seems determined to follow the Chinese waiter’s version of service and without finesse, dumps the plates on the table wordlessly.
Hiramasa Kingfish & Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi w Blackened Chilli Dressing $25
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| June 25th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
The dumplingers
My husband never really gets excited about food. So much so that the idea of dining at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant didn’t thrill him much. He just saw it as a place at which he had to grudgingly wear a suit. However when I read Ffichiban’s review signalling the Northside arrival of Shanghai style dumplings, I knew that this would excite him. We’ve always had to trek all the way to Ashfield to get these little plump morsels of soup and meat but now we’re pleased to discover a closer location in Chatswood. A sister restaurant to New Shanghai in Ashfield, the Chatswood location has been open for 2 months already.
At 2pm there is already a queue and a stand with a sheet of paper you write down your name and tear off a tag with your number and wait. We end up waiting for about 10 minutes while watching the 4 dumpling ladies in matching aprons make each dumpling pleating and pleating until the requisite number of pleats appears on top.
It’s a large rectangular space full of people and the tables are rickety and flimsy despite how new it is. The menu has lots of pictures to make it easy to choose but of course we know what we want. We choose a range of dishes including some Cold dishes, soup and of course dumplings and the level of English here with the waitstaff is very good particularly when compared with Ashfield.
Iced green bean drink $4.20
Our drink arrives quickly and I may have spoken too soon. I asked for red bean and I’m given green bean which I don’t really mind. It’s mostly ice and the thick straw helps a little in sucking up the drink although a long handled teaspoon is needed for the pieces at the bottom.
Pork Ribs $4.80
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| June 11th, 2009 by Not Quite Nigella
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