Tuesday 17 August 2010

mango restaurant @ archer st., chatswood

Up to this day, I've always looked forward to holidays to Hong Kong. Shopping is fantastic (love H&M and wish they would bring one to Sydney), love seeing my grandparents (and having grandma telling me that I should really eat more and that I'm too skinny which I assure you, I am not but is great to hear nonentheless), getting red packets, seeing all the extravagant X'mas displays which are quite unmatched and unheard of here in Australia, catching up with friends that have moved back to Hong Kong to work, I can tell you many more reasons why I love going back. Amongst all the reasons though and you might think that I'm weird, but the one foodie thing that gets me really excited about Hong Kong is getting to have a decent cup of Hong Kong style milk tea.

Believe me, I have searched high and low, far and wide for a decent cup of Hong Kong style milk tea in Sydney. There's been a couple of places that have managed to do a decent one but I do think the best ones are to be found in Hong Kong and the great thing is that in HK, every place you go will be sure to do a decent one. Well if you're like me and get cravings for a decent HK style milk tea, let me tell you now that Mango Restaurant on Archer Street in Chatswood is the place to go.

I've actually been here 3 times now and have tried both the hot and cold HK style milk tea. I like both and let me just say, I like their lemon tea too!

J's latest favourite soup is Fish Chowder after having the one here. Love it how they serve their soups with freshly baked Chinese style bread rolls and butter.

I actually don't mind their French Onion Soup which I've ordered 2 out of the 3 times I've been here.

Baked Ox Tongue with Sweet Cream Corn Sauce, served with rice.

If you were to ask me about the one dish to order here, it would have to be the Baked Pork Chop rice with Egg.

After coming here a few times, you'll probably find that a lot of their dishes taste quite similar. You have your key meat ingredients (e.g. chicken, ox tongue, beef, pork chop), your key sauces (tomato based, cream, portugese style), your key carbohydrate (rice, spaghetti, potato) so don't be surprised to find if a different dish you order to one you've ordered before tastes quite similar! 

To be honest, I actually don't think too much about the food when I come to Hong Kong cafes. My main priority is my cup of milk tea. A place will be in my good books if they serve up a decent Hong Kong style milk tea and I really do think that Mango Restaurant is high up on my list. Do give it a go!

9 comments:

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

My dad would love this place! All of those HK cafes take him back :) And I want an H&M here too!

Betty @ The Hungry Girl said...

Looks like some interesting food here, I must admit I haven't actually eaten to many HK restaurants in Sydney, so I will definitely note this down! I'm glad you found somewhere to satisfy your milk tea cravings!

Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said...

I've only tried Mango once but was impressed with their milk tea as well - it was smooth indeed! The food's not as good as, say, Excelsior at Kogarah though which do a similar style of food.

Joyti said...

The food looks delicious...I think I'd probably like the soup too.

missklicious said...

I walked past this the other day, and noticed it because of the unusual name! Probably won't have time to try it though, since I'll be heading off to HK in a couple of weeks! =D

James Johnson said...

The ox tongue with rice is a similar dish to lengua in the Philippines, yummy. I like milk tea also but is rarely served here.
Have you tried Korean bulgogi? tastes really great, try it. My cousins brought me to a Korean bbq restaurant at Mandarin Centre in Chatswood, barbeque wrapped in fresh green leaves.

Von said...

haha...love the name of this restaurant! I can't really tell a good milk tea from a bad one, unless the difference is huge.......but I've never been to this place- I'll have to try it one day! And the food looks great too! How are the prices??

panda said...

lorraine - i think most asian dads have a soft spot for hk cafes! i do wish H&M would expand out to sydney but all is not lost, i hear zara is making its way to australia!

betty - hope you like the food when you do go! it's not 5 star dining but for me, hk cafes always bring back nice foodie memories of home!

mademoiselle delicieuse - i haven't tried excelsior at kogarah but will do now that you've mentioned it!

indie.tea - hk cafes are always great for a quick bite. they do a lot of staple food items which is just the thing i want when i can't be bothered thinking about what i want to eat.

missklicious - i actually thought the name was strange too! anyway, have a fantastic trip in hk and report back on your foodie adventures!

james johnson - the one food i need to try is filipino food and by the sounds of it, i think i'll like it :) and yep, i've tried korean bulgogi and agree, very yummy and i'm always asking for more green leaves to wrap the meat in :)

von - prices are ok. not as cheap as the restaurants say you'd find in eastwood but the place is clean and you can also sit in there for ages (well till they close anyway).

Anonymous said...

hello jenny,
do u know what time does the shop open?
thanks!