City BBQ (Hong Kong Restaurant)

178-190 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC

In Sydney, Hong Kong Restaurants like this would be a dime a dozen. Unusually, in Melbourne, there are only 4 such places in the Chinatown Block, most of them relatively small. This is one of them and not necessarily the best one nor the worst. They offer Siu Laap cuisine, with a range Cantonese dishes from the kitchen.

The Place



Back to back chairs



This is a small space with a lot of tables and chairs cramped together. If it is full, it is likely that your chair will be pushed up against someone elses - not necessarily a pleasant condition. It's not the cleanest restaurant, having been around a long time and the ventilation is not great either. This is really a place for a quick meal, not to lurk around and have a chat. It is also unsuitable for little children because of the very limited space. Parking is really on Russell Street, Lonsdale Street, or undercover parking around the area.

Thing to do Nearby: In the heart of Chinatown, and a short walk to QV, there're plenty of shops to explore.

The Food

The usual Cantonese fare is on offer. However, having served generations of Melbournian - the food here has become somewhat watered down over the years. The roast meats are passable though a bit dry ocassionally. Mostly the best of the BBQ meats is the Soy Sauce Chicken. The Crispy Roast Pork (pictured to the right) is not always crispy and usually quite fatty. 

The dishes from the kitchen are not bad but don't usually pack a punch. For example, the Salted Fish and BBQ Pork Fried Rice (pictured below) was no different to any Special Fried Rice offered elsewhere - there really wasn't much salted fish (more of a hint really) and the bits of salted fish I managed to find were not very authentic or 'pungent'.

The one highlight here for me is the Lo Mei Tong Min which is really the Stewed Pork Intestines and Stomach Noodle Soup. Yes - I went there and I love it. Not many places serve this in town - this is one of those places and only early during the day (before they run out).

The Service
The service is variable here depending who's serving. Sometimes, you might get chatty wait staff and other days, it's not very friendly. In other words, it's variable service here at best.

Overall
This is average fare that I would go to only once in a while because there are a lot of other options. This doesn't make it a bad restaurant, just an average one in the light of better competition close by. They need to somehow differentiate themself better in the future.

Cultural Moment
Ok - this entry is not for everyone - but if you are really curious about the food culture around the insides of animals - keep reading. There is a Chinese saying "Anything to walks, crawls, swims or flies with its back to Heaven can be eaten" - and not just the meat but also the offals (the insides) - some places call them chitterlings.

Firstly, I am not a proponent of eating everything that moves - far from it. However, I do believe that anything on the inside of a few select creatures (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, goat) can be eaten. For the Chinese - pork, beef and chicken are key to the art of eating offals.

Beef - key components that are popular here include the instestines, tripe, tendon, lung, pizzle, all usually in stews.
Pork - is used the most in the art of eating offals - including ears, tongue, kidneys, liver, stomach, intestines, tripe, lung, blood, and even fallopian tubes! These can be prepared in stews, soups, stir fries or deep-fried in a whole range of sauces.
Chicken - liver, gizzard, heart are often used in stirfries.

There you have it, the art of eating offals - don't be squemish - I have just given it a name. The reality is, if any of you have eaten a sausage, a meat pie, or pâté, you are likely to have had the above in some combination or other.

Dumpling Den

88 Grattan St, Carlton, VIC 3053

Dumplings in Carlton to add to the increasing number of Asian restaurants in the area. Melbourne has been exposed to Chinese Dumpling culture for a while. More importantly, Melbourne is used to the iconic Tattersall Lane shops which are ridiculously cheap. And then, Hu Tong Dumpling comes along, and Matt Preston highlights the delights of Chinese Dumplings, and then suddenly it's not only cool to have these dumplings, it's also classy. So, what's Dumpling Den like?

The Place
This is a rather pleasant dining space with contemporary deco. It is usually relatively cleaner than the average dumpling place in Chinatown. The tables are close to each other and it's not a huge space, so it does get a bit cramped sometimes. The few times I have been there, they seem to have a penchant for playing power ballads in the background in the evenings. It's not a particularly child-friendly place because of the set up, and parking is difficult around the area, though you might get lucky around Cardigan Street.

Thing to do Nearby: Really round the corner from Lygon Street and a 10 minute walk to the Melbourne Museum and IMAX.

The Food
The menu here is a lot more limited than the usual dumpling places these days in Melbourne. There's probably about a quarter of the offerings you might see in many other dumpling houses.

The food is not bad as dumplings go. The servings are very generous, particularly the soups. The dumplings are actually bigger than some of the ones in the CBD area. They also taste slighly sweeter than the ones I am used to. the higlight for me is the Dumpling Soup  (pictured right) because of the really nice soup that's not too salty. I had the soup without noodles because the skin of the dumpling was enough carbs for me. You can see that they also throw in some fresh herbs like cilantro and fresh shallots to add fragrance to the soup.

The Fried Pork Dumplings (pictured to the right) are also quite nice, but the skin is quite thick and they are not as juicy as some of the places in the CBD. Unlike the soup dumplings, the steaming/poaching process followed by the frying dries out the juiciness a little bit.

The Service
The service is ok and friendly if a bit distracted ocassionally. They tend to leave diners alone and there is not a whole lot of interaction generally.

Overall
This is not a bad place for dumplings if you are happy to pay Carlton prices for offerings which you can get at a slightly cheaper price in Chinatown or Box Hill. The quality is there, though some would complain about the thicker skin.

Cultural Moment
A few years ago, I was in Harbin in China. Harbin is the capital of the Heilongjiang Province - which is the most northern-easterly region of China. To them, every else in China is considered "South China". This is where the trans-Siberian railways become the China Far Eastern Railway. Culturally, it has had a history of influences from the Russians and the Jews, and the architecture of the city makes it look like more of a European city, rather than a Chinese one. It has been called 'Oriental Moscow' and I was really fascinated by the city. So, even the food has some Russian influence here and there, including some sort of a 'Chinese Salami'. The beauty of being hosted so generously by Chinese colleagues is that they completely take the dining decisions out of your hands, to show you around and get you to try a full range of dishes. It can also be a challenge...

What does this have to do with this blog entry? Well... it was also the first (and last) time I had Donkey Meat Dumpling. I didn't really know what it was until I had bit into it. Interesting but not my thing really. There's a certain gamey and smokey taste to them - I say them because I decided to have 2 - to confirm the taste. So, clearly, there's a whole range of dumplings we might not even be aware of out there.

Gourmet Dumpling House

71 Glenferrie Rd, Malvern, VIC 3144

The name of this joint belies its very basic set up and non-pretentious food. It's a very simple eating space across two levels and in an area where there's not a lot of competition offering this style of cuisine, it continues to do quite well. Dare I say if this was in the CBD or Springvale or Box Hill area, it might not do as well? Don't get me wrong - this is not a bad place to dine at all - but it's certainly not 'gourmet dumplings'.

The Place

This two level space has had minimal investment in terms of creating some sort of an ambience, or even rudimentary deco. In fact, the framed contemporary Chinese artworks hanging on the walls have been kept in the shrink wrap plastic they probably came in originally. It's not an especially clean space and the tables are quite close to each other. The upper level is an even more basic open space with not even the aformentioned artworks. So, don't expect anything flash now.

Parking can be difficult depending on time of day.

Things to do Nearby: The shops of Glenferrie Road, Malvern mostly.

The Food

The food is not bad but nothing to rave about. It feels like they do use frozen ingredients in their food and the dumplings are definitely pre-made. The dumplings are the mainstay of the menu and there's a good varietly in soups, steamed, or fried. They are of middling size (I have had bigger and also much smaller). They are relatively tasty though the Vegetarian Dumplings (pictured to the right) are a bit bland. The Fried Chicken and Prawn Dumplings were really nice and juicy, while the Beef Dumplings are also very tasty.

The Special Fried Rice uses northern Chinese ingredients, rather than the Cantonese and Yangzhou ones. However, what is disappointing is that they use a lot of frozen vegetables, and the shrimps aren't the freshest in it. The taste is still ok but not brilliant.

The Hot and Sour Soup is quite tasty if a bit thin, but again, contain the frozen vegetable cubes and shrimp. If you are not fussed about frozen foods in a restaurant, the food is still tasty. What as most disappointing to me were the greens that were very bland.



Hot and Sour Soup, and Special Fried Rice

The Service
The service is like the rest of the restaurant, rather functional. There's not a lot of banter between the staff and customers, or even between the staff memebrs. Unlike many places where during a quiet time, staff might engage in a bit of light conversation - this was not evident here. They get the job done, it's not rude and not completely offputting

Overall
If in the area, and wanting some dumplings, it's worth trying out. However, I won't be going out of my way to drive here for dumplings as there are many others of higher quality in other areas.

Cultural Moment
As you would likely know, not all Fried Rice are equal. I am just going to focus on the Chinese varieties here in this entry. Of course, there will always be variations depending on who's cooking it and what they like. Over the years, restaurants might also have chefs that will add a bit of this and a bit of that to their fried rice, depending on their influencers. This list is just a general guide.

Yangzhou (Teochew) Fried Rice (most common in Australia and often called 'Special Fried Rice') - The key in this fried rice is the use of diced BBQ Pork (Char Siew), in addition of shrimp, peas, spring onions and eggs, with garlicky goodness. In SEAsia, they sometimes add sweet Chinese sausage to this dish too.

Fujian (Hokkien) Fried Rice - This is vastly different from the more common Special Fried Rice, and consists of a basic Egg fried rice, with garlic, and a good dollop of thick sauce (soy and/oyster sauce base with meat, mushroom, shrimps) poured all over it.

Beijing Fried Rice - This is the most basic of Fried Rice. If you grew up having Special Fried Rice, this might be a bit of a disappointment. It is basice Egg Fried Rice, with fluffy garlicky eggs, and spring onions. This is the dominant style in Beijing.

Shanghainese Fried Rice - Think Beijing Fried Rice but with bits of cubed Chinese ham. Still relatively basic as a dish.

Cantonese Fried Rice - There are a few varieties here and the Cantonese are most likely to vary the ingredients in their fried rice. The base is always eggs, spring onion, and garlic. Then, they are likely to add one of the following (chicken pieces, sliced beef, crispy pork, or even salted fish on top of the other ingredients).

Moral of the story - always ask what's in the fried rice, don't assume it's what you are used to.

Spice 9 Girl (Chinese Cafe)

103D/604 Swanston St, Carlton, VIC 3053

A Szechuan Restaurant in Carlton is not out of place at all given the number of Chinese international students in the area. It does brisk business attracting not just international students, but also workers from the area. I am always surprised by the range of clientale. Perhaps, this is not surprising, since Melbournians are probably more familiar with Szechuan cuisine than they are with other regional Chinese cuisine such as Yunan, Shandong, and Xinjiang.  

The Place
Right across from Lincoln Square, this is an easy to find restaurant, with some parking along Pelham Street. It's an eatery with floor to ceiling windows all around, letting in lots of natural light during the day, and it means you can pretty much see what people are eating just by walking around the restaurant. It doesn't have great ventilation or sound insulation, and has a bustling feel to it, since the tables are placed quite close to each other. They don't need a lot of deco, since it feels like you are part of the outside - watching passerbys rush to their next destination. However, the deco they do have actually consists of wise words to the students who dine here about piety, studying hard, progress, integrity etc.  It's a relatively child-friendly place, though I suggest that you'd want to be very careful what you order for them - just saying.  

Things to do Nearby: After a meal here - you might want to walk to Lygon Street for gelato to cool yourself (and your tongue down).  

The Food

Beef Brisket in Szechuan Spicy Sauce (with dried chillies)

This place is unapologetically Szechuan, which means it is spicy and chilli hot. My favourite dishes here are the Twice Cooked Pork in Spicy Szechuan Sauce and the Beef Brisket in Spicy Szechuan Sauce. If they ask you how spicy you want it... and you say "Really hot", you better mean it. I have learned my lesson and for me, it will always be mild here at Spice 9 Girl. Even then, I come out sweating.

They also do a range of hotpots that you can share, soups and noodles. On one visit, I actually ordered their Sour and Chilli soup. You have to understand - sour and spice is my favourite combination. However, knowing the chilli levels here, I actually asked them just how hot this is. The waitress very nicely said, "It is quite a mild one. Should be ok". So, let me share a photo of the soup with you below... so - needless to say, I didn't finish it. The issue is not so much the chilli, to be honest, but the mouth numbing Szechuan peppercorn which is in abundance.

Really should be called "Billy Don't Be a Hero" Soup because you will be going to war.

The Service

Relatively friendly service here. The relatively quiet wait staff are very efficient and never rude. Their English is not great so you might have to be patient. So, nothing to rave about but nothing to complain about. In case, you were wondering - no, I didn't get a refund for the soup I ordered but couldn't see through. The waitress just giggled at me "Can't handle it?"  

Overall
If you go in with your eyes wide open, you should be fine. This in unadulterated spicy and hot Szechuan food. Know the items and your own limitations and you will likely enjoy this.

Cultural Moment
Szechian cuisine is characterised by the use of chillies (dried and fresh), strong garlic, Szechuan peppercorn (completely tongue numbing), ginger and peanuts. Some of the most famous Szechuan dishes characterise the use of these ingredients really well. They include;

Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup - one of my favourite soups in the world if done right, with a balance of sour, hot and spiciness. Not the Sour and Chilli soup above with an overdose of Szechuan peppercorn though.

Kung Pao Chicken - one of the most famous Szechuan dishes which is a stir fry chicken with dried chillies, peanuts, and a spicy sauce - most of the ones all around the world are somewhat less spicy, of course.

Mapo Beancurd (Tofu) - the other famous Szechuan dish, that has been adapted by the Cantonese in Chinese restaurants all over the world. The original includes a spicy bean paste sauce with generous lashings of chilli, as well as water chestnuts and wood ear fungus for texture.

Twice Cooked Pork - less common but possibly because it can be pretty greasy. Thinly sliced pork that first boiled (with ginger and salt) and stir fried in a fiery sauce, usually with vinegar and also dried chilli.

Dan Dan Noodles - Szechuan 'spaghetti bolognaise' with minced pork, a fiery sauce/soup with a chilli oil and Szechuan pepper base. It's pretty much swimming in chilli oil sauce. Most of the onces served in the rest of the world are less liberal with the chilli oil and they might even use a bean paste sauce, adapting to other tastebuds, less robust than Szechuanese ones.

Hot Pot - That chilli oil obsession continues here where you have a soup with lots of chilli oil. It's like a steamboat with chilli soup.

So, just by looking at the list of dishes, you get the idea that you need a pretty strong stomach and tastebud to cope with authentic Szechuan dishes. The irony is that it is believed that chillies were only introduced to Szechuan cuisine only in the last 300 or so years by South Americans but they have clearly taken it on in a big way (this needs more research - I am intrigued!)

Norsiah's Kitchen (Singaporean Malay Cafe)

604, Swanston St, Carlton, VIC 3053

https://www.facebook.com/groups/289877955326/10151402035600327/?notif_t=like
Norsiah's Kitchen started out more than a decade ago on Chapel Street as a restaurant but this is a true home cooking family run restaurant that struggled to keep up with the speed and sleek operations of that area. You used to have to call ahead to order if you wanted to eat in a timely manner. Then, they moved to Swanston Street in Carlton, and transformed itself into a fastfood cafe. This has worked wonders for them, serving mainly from the bain-marie, with the option for ala carte dishes too. This is basically student haven with its large portions and very affordable prices.

The Place
This is a small space with a cafeteria style setting that is very informal and basic. There are some tables outside as well. All the tables and chairs are moveable to suit different numbers of diners eating together, but remember, this is a small cafe - so don't go crazy with large groups. There is parking round the side on Pelham Street.

Things to do Nearby: Lygon Street is not too far away and Melbourne Central is a good 15 minute walk.

The Food
Basic Halal Singaporean Malay home cooking. This is good for a quick meal and they do serve a basic range of dishes that are not pretentious, traditional, and not necessarily inspiring.  Some people would prefer more intense and richer dishes. They don't do that here and all the tastes here are pretty uncomplicated. You either like that style of food or you don't. Some of the highlights here include their Fried Chicken and Tahu Telur - that is of Indonesian origin, essentially a dish that has yummy beancurd deep fried in eggs, with peanut sauce and shrimp paste. Personally, I tend to find their style of curry too soupy, whereas I tend to prefer dryer curries.

The Service
The service here is always friendly, welcoming, and informal. It's almost like visiting a friend's cafe and you do feel that way. This is a great plus for the cafe.

Overall
This is a place I go to when I want a really quick meal with no fuss.

Cultural Moment
So, is there a difference between Malaysian Malay and Singaporean Malay cuisine? Essentially, the answer is no, though regional variation can occur because of slightly different tastes and preferences. The range of dishes and style of cooking are essentially the same. However, regional variations are due to different combinations of spices in quantity and balance, and also dependent on how much influence there is from sister cuisines in the area. For example, it is arguable that Northern Malaysian Malay cuisine have Thai influences, while East Coast Malaysian Malay cuisine is characterised by their access to seafood, and seafood products such as sauces and condiments. On the other hand, some would argue that Malay cuisine in Singapore has stronger Chinese influences.

Dare I say that the Malay dishes in Singapore are less spicy and intense compared to the West Malaysian cousins? I am not sure but it does feel that way. This is not to say that they have less chillies, just that it's not as rich or heavy handed in the spices used. Of course, I can easily be challenged in that opinion and hope to continue this research through actual food tasting action research ... ah! What a wonderful World!

Minh Xuong (Chinese Cafe)

209-211, Russell Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000

So, I finally have the story. Once upon a time, there was a popular cafe in Richmond called Ming Xuong that was a staple of good Cantonese fare. Then, after many years of success in Richmond, they expanded their operations to a branch on Russell Street. Then, after that brief expansion, they sold both branches to two new separate owners. Therefore, now, the two Minh Xuongs are not related to each other and serve food and dishes of varying quality. I actually think that neither are as good as the original, but the Russell Street Minh Xuong is the better of the two.

The Place

This is a basic Cantonese eatery with just a basic nod to decoration, slightly grimy, and with dodgy ventilation and sound insulation. It's not a big place though there are two levels and perfect for a quick meal. You can ocassionally come out smelling like the food you are eating. Parking is difficult at the best of times in this section of Russell Street unless if you go for paid undercover parking - Mantra Hotel has some of the best parking rates in town.

Things to do Nearby: QV and Chinatown are all around the corner.



Crispy Noodles with Roast Pork (a bit salty, not a lot of greens)



The Food

With the demise of A1 and King of Kings, and the bad service of Pacific Seafood BBQ House, there're not that many good Cantonese eateries left in the area. Therefore, it is good that Minh Xuong is in the mix because they do good Siu Laap Cuisine (discussed in another blog entry and repeated in this one in the Cultural Moment section). They do all the traditional Roast Pork, Roast Duck, BBQ Pork and Soy Chicken dishes quite well and this means it's a plus for me. Look at all that meat in the window. They look good, don't they?

They also do a range of noodles, fried (crispy) noodles, and dishes on rice, with the usual Cantonese flare. Their dishes are not bad at all, though, I think they do stint on the vegetables in some of the dishes. They also do the usual Westernised dishes like Lemon Chicken (with a mean yellow sauce), and luminous Sweet and Sour Pork.

The Service

They have relatively good service here and also take time to answer questions. They are also a jolly bunch that seem to continue their banter in Cantonese quite loudly, giving the restaurant a buzz and friendly atmosphere. They pay attention to the customers and are quick to bring a pot of tea as soon as diners sit down.

OverallI would go here for Siu Laap dishes given the relatively friendly service and the tasty dishes. It's quick, it's convenient and it's affordable. Not much to complain about and good for a bit of Siew Yok on the way home from work. Yummy.

Cultural Moment

Siu Mei Heaven @ Minh Xuong

I wrote a substantial piece a while back on Hong Kong BBQ Houses which is worth highlighting again. So, this is a repeat of that here for those interested in this cuisine. It also helps you navigate the meats hanging in the window.

Siu Laap cuisine consists of 2 different sub-cuisines - siu mei consisting of the roast dishes and lou mei, the braised and stewed dishes. The most common offerings of a good BBQ house include (Cantonese names are used here);

Char Siew - popularly known in Australia as either BBQ Pork or Honey Glazed Pork. This is the red coated barbequed pork. It's not barbequed as Ausatlians know it - it's actually roasted over an open fire oven. Good Char Siew should still be moist on the inside rather than dried out. Some people like their Char Siew with any trace of fat (using pork loin) - which can make it drier. Others prefer a slightly fatty cut of meat (pork leg). However, at the end of the day, it's also dependent on the marinade. Again some people prefer a sweeter Char Siew while others prefer less sweet but a more subtle savoury taste. Char Siew is eaten on it's own but also used in all sorts of dishes such as fried rice, wonton noodles, bao, and even stir fries and fried noodles.

Siew Yok - Crispy Pork needs little extplanation. This is really roasted pork belly with really crispy skin, with 5-spice flavouring and actually my favourite amongst these dishes. Again, eaten on its own or as part of various dishes such as stir fried with bean curd, or in soups, they add a whole new dimension to these dishes.

Yao Gai - Soya Sauce Poached Chicken which is slightly sweet and mostly savoury. The chicken should still be very moist on the inside even after being hung out to dry literally in the windows of these BBQ Houses. Steeping the Chicken in the soy sauce rather than boiling it to death is the trick to good poached chicken. Also great in noodle soups.

Baaht Chit Gai - White cut chicken, cooked and steeped in stock. Kylie Chan has a great recipe for this and some places calls this Hainan Chicken. It's a basic dish and served with ginger and shallot sauce and/or chilli sauce.

Siew Ngap - Roast Duck (NOT Peking Duck) is a tricky dish because ducks are a tricky business. Unlike chickens which are usually succulent and full of meat, ducks refuse to be as consistent and can be quite lean. So, sometimes, roast ducks can be very boney and other than the breast meat, there's not a lot of meat. However, as I understand it, enjoying roast duck is also about sucking on the flavour ridden greasy bones and licking your fingers.

Mak Jyoo - is that orange looking cuttle fish / squid that some places have. Served sliced up and with black soy sauce. It's a bit tasteless to me but some people like it.
There are a few other dishes worth mentioning here. One that not many Europeans are likely to order amongst these offerings is the laap cheong - Homemade Chinese Sausage. Less common in Hong Kong but you might see it in Melboure are bbq pork ribs as well. On some special festival days, some places might also have roast suckling pig which is very expensive. A dish you would not usually see outside of Hong Kong is siew ngoh which is roast goose.

China Style (Chinese Cafe)

743, Swanston St, Carlton, VIC 3053 (Entrance from Grattan)

This is a no fuss fast food joint with a range of Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes. It is best good for a quick lunch if you are very hungry as they serve big portions. It's a basic eatery that caters mostly to students at the University. This space has seen a few incarnations since it was opened (including China Bar at one stage) - this latest offering has chefs with stronger Northern Chinese influences (rather than Southeast Asian or Cantonese).

The Place
This is actually on Grattan Street though the building has a Swanston Street address. It's a basic eating space with rows of tables in and outside. The ventilation is ocassionally bad enough that you come out smelling very much like the food they serve, especially when it gets busy. It's a bustling eating space around lunch time with many students and some staff. Expect to have someone knock into you at some point of your meal especially if you are sitting a bit far out from the table. I am never sure about sitting outside by Grattan Street with the traffic just zooming by (would you like dust with your meal?). None of these have stopped the large numbers of students who dine here. There is no parking to speak of here.

Things to do Nearby: Lygon Street is not too far off.

The Food
This is basic hawker fare aimed at a hungry crowd of students. I am just going to state it up front, if you are really into healthy food, this is not the place for you. It's not really high quality food but there's a lot of it, it's very down to earth, and has a real punch (they don't hold back with flavouring). The dishes do tend to be a bit more oily and the cuts of meat also have fat in them. In addition, the food comes out pretty quickly in order to get the students back to classes...

Some of the highlights here for me include:
Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice - (I do ask for less oil) The are generous with the salted fish and it's always quite tasty. However, there's a lot of it and it gets boring after 10 mouthfuls... sometimes, I pack it to have later... but beware of leaking oil... yes, salted fish oil is never good in the manbag.

Szechuan Style Chicken and Beancurd Rice - Again with the oil but this is spicy, sweet, savoury and yummy but it's harder to hold back on the oil. Anyone who's had Szechuan style dishes would know that chilli oil is usually part of the deal. You either like it or not. This is generally a nice dish but the chicken can be fatty too.

Black Fungus, Shredded Pork and Egg on Rice - Very easily my favourite dish here, with a healthy dose of fibre and protein with a heap of carbs. It is tasty and non-spicy, and for me, the textures of this dish is what sets it apart from all the other dishes here.

Shredded Pork and Fragrant Fish Sauce on Rice (pic to the right) - This is a classic Szechuan dish that's very popular in the region. The one here is a bit more vinegary (just how I like it) but again, it's greasy. If you like bamboo shoots and black mushrooms in a garlicy sauce, this is it. It's a huge serve as you can see.

The other dishes are ok and they do have a wide range of dishes including Southeast Asian dishes like Char Kway Teow and Hainanese Chicken Rice, but just note that they are cooked by Chinese Chefs, so it's not as authentic as you might expect.

The Service
The service is pretty basic like all such places. They are never rude and the food is usually served very quickly. As far as a fast food joint goes, this is pretty good. However, it does get busy and very harried at times, so don't expect too much.

Overall
I'd go there for lunch when I want a quick meal and can cope with the level of oil. It's not the place for a lunch meeting though, just a quick meal or a takeaway.

Cultural Moment
It is commonly suggested that you need to look at the clientale of restaurants to know the target audience of the restaurant. The clientale at China Style is mosly mainland Chinese students, most times I have been there. What I find really fascinating is the collectivistic/communal dining that I often observe here. Although most of the offerings here are individual dishes, it is totally not unusual to see the students eat off each other's plates.

The food here is very similar to some of the more basic eateries in Shanghai and the Szechuan regions. The flavours are strong and they don't hold back on the grease either. Obviously, this resonates with the Chinese students and they keep coming back. I have just one question... how do they have all that grease and still manage to be half my size? Both the men and women!!