Chinese Noodle Restaurant

Where: 8 Quay Street (entrance off Thomas Street)
Overall Rating 4 Price 4.5 Food 3.5 Ambience 3 Service 3.5

This little nook in the wall is a gastronomic gem for both the penniless student and those lovers of authentic Chinese cuisine. It has the fast economy of a restaurant with a secret to success, sometimes conferring a feeling upon its customer of being a money-bag ripe for the reaping. But there is no “Australian Chinese” touch here, no ruinous ‘assimilation’ of flavour or culture that plagues the lazy palette of parochial Australia. It is a walk into a backstreet in global Shanghai showcasing a clientel of Sydney’s cultural diversity.

The dumplings and hand-made noodles are, as I peer into the kitchen, home-made. The noodles are glutinously slippery with the perfect thickness for soaking up their Xinjiang sauce complimented nicely by various meat, and vegetable combinations. The dumplings come in very generous servings of 14, round and plump, both steamed and fried. They are stuffed with different mixes of green vegetable, meat, and egg and have a crunchy underbelly. There is no desire for sweet and sour sauce; you instead desire the acerbic taste of vinegar and soy to counter-balance their starchy delectability.

These two dishes are only a peep into the new flavors that await you - try their braised eggplant with its sapid hint of caramel. A dish equally as good for the spice-lover is their chili and tofu compote, a hearty and warming meal for a winter’s day.

Verdict: a very satisfying eat for cheap.