Saturday night, I joined Mum & Dad for dinner at Hong Kong Cafe in Carlingford Village. It's been awhile since I've been here unlike my parents who routinely head over to Carlingford Village each weekend to pick up groceries and Chinese magazines and who visit Hong Kong Cafe much more than I do. If you ask them, they'll give you a good word or two about this place, they reckon it's probably one of the few Chinese places that have opened up and have actually maintained the quality of their food over time. We discussed it at dinner also but the latest topic of discussion amongst my parents is that most of our local Chinese joints are becoming quite bad - from bad hygiene, poor quality food to chefs that don't really know how to cook but yet call themselves cooks. It's one of those topics which we could discuss at length! Anyway, moving on...
For me, the one thing I love about Hong Kong Cafe is their HK Style Milk Teas. It's strong yet slightly sweet as it should be. I like my milk tea cold and this place serves it with the right amount of ice. Anyway, whilst waiting for food, I was browsing through my free copy of Good Food Magazine which I picked up at the Good Food Show.
Stir Fried Beef Noodles. Truly a classic done just right.
This was an XO sauce chicken noodle which had a decent amount of fresh chilli tossed through. My parents weren't a big fan of the chilli and started picking them out but I loved it!
Pork with Crispy Noodles. This is my dad's favourite and he orders it without fail whenever he feels like noodles. The crispy noodles are great (adds texture to the dish) but I'm not the biggest fan of the pork bits that come with it - they just taste like bleached pieces of meat (I swear, it tastes like this wherever you order it!)
Over time, I've grown to love this dish. It's fish with black bean, bitter gourd, bamboo sheets and mushrooms. Hate to say the obvious but I used to find the bitter gourd 'bitter' but over time, you get accustomed to the taste and you actually come to crave it.
The four dishes was a bit much for the three of us and we ended up taking away a box of noodles for home.
Anyway, for those interested, Hong Kong Cafe serve up breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. I'm always tempted to go for afternoon tea because they have Nissin 2 minute noodle specials (I know it's silly, I could cook a pack at home but you've got to admit, it does taste a bit better when it gets cooked by someone else!)
Overall, it's worth visiting and you'll get a decent feed for under $15.
7 comments:
oh, is that "fu gwa" ? my sis and I have been adamant since we were kids that having a taste for "fu gwa" is an age thing :)
jo - lol, i just put up this post and i get a comment so quickly! yep, bitter gourd is 'fu gwa' and lol, i think i have to admit my age, i do quite like bitter gourd these days!
Those noodles look very luscious! I always love it when you get a box to take away with you. It's like a bonus gift for the next day!
I've never tried the one in Carlingford but I go to the Chatswood one a lot. I agree it's a decent feed for the price and it feels almost like a home-cooked meal :) Some of the sauces can be quite starchy though!
that's pretty great value! hehe, i know what you mean - a lot of things tastes better when someone else has made it for you! and yes, as i've gotten older, i actually enjoy the bitter gourd!
I love HK-style food, but there aren't many places that serve it here. Lucky you to have a place nearby. I think there is a cafe in Dixon St, and I want to go there and have the hot Coke with lemon.
nqn - that's the great thing about asian meals, there's always leftovers to take home and they actually taste great the next day!
steph - haven't been to the one in chatswood but i know what you mean about the meals that come out starchy - i try to avoid them.
betty - we must be starting to show our age by liking bitter gourd! and yeah, as much as i love cooking, i also like getting fed...even simple things like cooking 2minute noodles taste great when eaten out :P
belle - my nan used to make hot coke with lemon at home when i was younger; it was the cure for all sickness! this place on dixon st. sounds great if it's got hot coke with lemon.
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