Given my most recent experience with Chinese BBQ skewers was less than idea, I thought to give it a bit of a break before trying anything new. Unfortunately, my mum had other ideas and on a whim decided that we should go try out Skylab Charcoal BBQ, a stones throw away from home, in the now bustling shopping strip in Algester suburbia. With no apparent english signage, it was definitely likely to be authentic.
The shop was large but fairly quiet for a Monday evening. Other than us, there were only two other tables. There was only one waitress looking after the entire venue.
Menus were promptly provided along with a marker to indicate our choices. There was a fairly large variety of choices including spicy seafood dishes on top of skewers and the usual suspects.
First to arrive were the lamb skewers. Each serve comprised five skewers. With Chinese BBQ, you can never really tell value until you see the final product because there is often significant variation in portion sizes between restaurants, however this was definitely one of the better value ones I've had lately. The lamb was tender and well seasoned with spices and cumin without being overly hot. My only criticism would have been that it could have been served a little more charred than it was.
Beef and chicken skewers came next. One serve had ten skewers and these were again excellent value. The beef was much like the lamb, tender and flavoursome. I would definitely order this again. The chicken was a little bit odd, being tempura battered chicken breast. The light salt and pepper flavour was definitely contrasted by the intense beef and lamb. This was probably the weaker of the skewer options that night, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Next up we had a serve of grilled oysters. These were very delicious, with a generous amount of garlic, chilli, vermicelli and spring onion, the flavours were again very intense. Portion sizes were also generous, each scallop was fairly large and tender. This would definitely be a must order next time I go back.
Having experienced a fairly depressing fried rice at another BBQ restaurant lately, I was hesitant to order the same prawn and egg fried rice, but upon mum's insistence we did. This was definitely a far better rendition. Each granule of rice was distinct from the rest, making it a fairly good fried rice, it was flavoursome and the portion was generous. I would only have liked it if there was a bit more toppings, but for the price, this was reasonable.
Our final dish was a cold noodle. Again portions were impressive. It contained shredded cucumber, half an egg, braised beef slices and kimchi. The noodles were chewy but not to the point of Korean cold noodles which requires scissors to cut. The soup was also cold but not icy. I didn't mind the mild sweet tangy flavours and although not as good as Korean, I would order this again.
Overall a very pleasant experience at Skylab Charcoal BBQ. Portions were generous and the total spend for four that evening was easily what Dr L and I pay when we are out together alone, making it excellent value for money. I can't wait to come back again and try their other dishes.
Price Range: $20 - $30pp
Taste: 8/10
Value: 9/10
Service: 6/10
Environment: 6/10
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