Billy's Pine and Bamboo - Cannon Hill

Caught up with some of Adam's friends for a birthday party a short while ago. The birthday girl wanted some Chinese food and to try somewhere new, so we tried our luck with Billy's Pine and Bamboo at Cannon Hill. A long standing local favourite, my parents told me they had come here as early as twenty years ago, long before I can remember. 

The restaurant was fairly large and spacious. We were seated with ease and the place was around half full throughout the evening. Guess it saves having to line up to get a table at Sunnybank.

 

The menu was fairly long and comprehensive, sorted into type categories as most Chinese menus are. Having said that, we were only there for one thing. 

Fragrant jasmine tea was provided for the whole table. Of course it was nowhere near the strength of what I brew at home, but for a commercial standard, it was adequate. 

Before long, the star of the show arrived, a glossy puffy roast duck. Delivered to us on a tray and skinned before our eyes, it was definitely the show that we had been hoping for.

The pancakes tasted like they were premade and resteamed, but at least they were hot and fairly thin. The duck though, was definitely a highlight. It was super crisp with relatively low fat content and well marinated meat which was well enjoyed throughout the group.

Second course from the duck was of course shredded duck noodles which came a bit later. I'm pretty sure that the duck in this dish wasn't enough to comprise of the whole duck that had been skinned in front of us, however there was definitely a generous portion of meat. They chose to serve this with hokkien noodles which aren't my noodle of choice due to the high oil content, but all things considered, it was a fairly tasty dish.

Always a crowd pleaser, we also had a salt and pepper calamari. This was very lightly battered and topped with chilli. The portion size was sufficient, but I don't think that there was anywhere enough salt and pepper, and the dish could also have be fried a little longer for a more golden finish.

My pick for the day was combination tofu in gravy. Served with greens, corn, bamboo and mushrooms, it was a traditional homey dish. I particularly enjoyed the gravy that accompanied our side of rice quite well. I wish they had a bit more tofu though.

Next up was the rainbow beef. Being a fairly homogeneous coloured dish, I am often perplexed as to why it has the name, but there was no denying that sweet, sticky, crispy beef is a winner in most people's books. It was fairly well executed and it was finished off fairly quickly.

Our choice of carb for the day was none other than special fried rice. Well tossed and oiled, each grain of rice was evidently separate from the next. Toppings were adequate but not overly generous, prawns and peas were of the frozen variety too. The taste was fairly standard, essentially you pay for what you get.

Price Range: $25 - $40pp

Taste: 7.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Environment: 7.5/10