Cha Kee - Runcorn

Being a HongKonger, despite my passionate love affair for Japanese food, there will always be a special place in my heart for Hong Kong Cuisine. Of course, I was super excited when I saw the sign for a new Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng go up in Warrigal Road Shopping Centre last December.

As an introduction to those who may not be familiar with the concept of Cha Chaan Teng (茶餐廳 - literally tea restaurant), when the British colonised Hong Kong, Western meals were initially very expensive and only available to a select portion of society. Following this, many of the locals adapted Western Cuisine with local flavours at a modest price, with a target market of the general population. This was the birth of Cha Chaan Teng. Characteristics of Cha Chaan Teng is the casual atmosphere, set meals and extensive menu which ranges from traditional chinese dishes (fried rice, noodles, congee) to western dishes (sandwiches, steaks and pasta dishes). It is also credited with making drinks such as Yuan Yang (coffee mixed with milk tea), lemon coke and iced lemon tea mainstream [1] .  

Personally, I love going to Cha Chaan Teng especially when with a large group of people because its sure to be able to satisfy a large variety of preferences.

Consistent with other Hong Kong Style Cuisines, the Lunch Special is clearly visible from the outside, so that potential guests can consider whether they would like to eat it before going in.

It was completely full at the time that I went, but instead of taking a number and waiting outside in the 36 degree heat, the waitress took down my phone number and offered to call when they had a table. Needless to say, I was very grateful and very impressed. After walking around the supermarket for around 15 minutes, I got a call to go back.

The decor is pretty simple but comfortable, with multiple boards hanging on the wall recommending daily specials and chef specials, as well as the usual tv sets you would have in other Hong Kong Style Cha Chaan Tengs.

Compared to other Cha Chaan Teng that I have been to, the menu at Cha Kee was relatively shorter than others, being only limited to two sides and a separate drinks menu, however despite being short, it contained all the essential ingredients of a Cha Chaan Teng: Noodles, Rice, Sandwiches, Pasta Bakes, Soup, Roasts, and Congee.

I found the cutlery to be rather striking with red chopsticks and black serviettes.

Water was available in plastic cups.

My companion ordered the Lunch Set A, which was Hokkien Fried Rice. I noted that whilst other Hong Kong Style restaurants offer sets with a soup and a drink, Cha Kee only had a main with a drink. I would have liked it a bit more if they had soup with it too. In terms of Hokkien Fried Rice, I go to try a bit of my companion's dish, and really liked it. It contained all the essential elements, a fried rice base and a pour over sauce, which contained meat, mushrooms, shallots etc. I found the sauce to be yummy, and the rice to sauce ratio was quite sufficient.

On the other hand, I ordered the Pork Chop Baked Spaghetti with Pepper Sauce. I particularly liked how the baked meals were offered with customisable sauces, as other places usually only offer baked pork chop with the generic tomato sauce.  The portion looked small on appearance, but the dish was quite deep. The sauce was yummy, and the amount of pork chop was quite generous. The spaghetti was more on the soft scale, but I personally prefer my pasta to be soft.

My companion decided to offer me her drink. I got iced Yuan Yang, which usually gives a good indication of how good a Cha Chaan Teng is. The thing about a good Yuan Yang is that the coffee and milk tea have to both be strong, but neither have to be strong enough to overpower the other. In this respect, I think Cha Kee made quite a good Yuan Yang, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Within the small city of Brisbane, there aren't many options available when it comes to Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng. Up until now I would consider Coffee Square to be the most authentic, but now with Cha Kee, I would consider it to be either on par or mildly better than Coffee Square. I really enjoyed my meal there and hope to go next time to try out their Wanton Noodle Soup.

Price Range: $10 - $15

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8.5/10

Service: 9/10 kudos to the manager, who made his impression on us years ago with his warmth and friendliness to us, even back when he was working in Coffee Square.

Environment: 8.5/10

Madtongsan III - Runcorn

Recently we had a small family gathering. My relatives being rather old school traditionalists usually opt for restaurants that serve the proper Hong Kong style Chinese dinners, such as Landmark, Parklands, The Manor, Shangri la, or even 3 Bamboo. On a whim, an Aunt suggested that we try for something new and unique. We chose Madtongsan III at Warrigal Square.

At 6.30, the place was relatively busy, with us having to wait for around 10 minutes whilst a few guests left so that they could put a few tables together.

The first to arrive was the Seafood Pancake. It was a nice dish to start our meal, being quite mild for a Korean dish, it had a nice assortment of octopus, mussels and prawns.

The next thing that arrived was our Bu Dae Jeon Gol, a steam boat which contained pork sausages, pork belly, some vegetables and ramen in some kimchi soup. Whilst I tried another version in another Korean restaurant in the CBD, I found the soup to be a lot more flavoursome with the preserved veges, but a lot less spicy (thus a lot more edible on my part). It came with two bowls of rice, which we all shared. With regards to this dish, I found the ramen to be very yummy, especially because it didn't become soggy after the constant boiling (as other ramen tends to).

Next came the Banchan. I was surprised that it didn't come first, but anyway we had the usual servings of KimChi, sweet potatoes and pasta salad. While I'm not a huge fan of the KimChi and the sweet potato, I found the pasta salad quite a good and a nice palate cleanser after eating so many spicy things.

Next was our Ramen Man Du set. This involves a bowl of Korean spicy ramen, and is served with a side of deep fried dumplings. The dumplings were pretty interesting, although it was filled with some vegetables which I could not distinguish, and they were piping hot and freshly fried. However what I really enjoyed was the ramen, which was cooked to just the right consistency 

How could I attend a Korean restaurant without ordering my usual Dduk Man Du Guk? The answer is I dont. So next came my Dumplings with Rice Cake. I found the portion size a bit small at Madtongsan III, and I also found it to be lacking in the usual egg in the soup, but the dumplings were nice, and the rice noodle was cooked to the right level of softness.

A signature Korean dish that we were sure to order was the Dol Sot Yook Hwe, which consisted of raw beef topped with egg, surrounded by a multitude of raw vegetables in a hot stone pot. So the idea with this is you stir it around after being served to you, whilst the stone pot is still hot, and you DIY cook the meal. I really enjoyed it, and found the freshness of the flavours mixed really nicely, with all the juices being locked into the dish.

Our last dish to arrive was the Cheese Chicken Cutlet Rice. My sister informed me that of all five stores in Brisbane, this was the only one to offer melted cheese on top of their chicken cutlets. I liked how the cheese was melty and stringy. That really sets it apart from the usual chicken cutlet rice.

After going to Madtongsan III, I will have been to every one of the 5 available stores. Out of all five stores, I definitely like the food at Madtongsan III better than the others. Overall I found the service was quick and efficient, but could have been more friendly though. 

Price Range: $10 - $15 per person

Taste: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Environment: 7/10

Genkotsu Ramen - Runcorn

During one hot summer afternoon, I found myself looking for a new restaurant to try out. After browsing the net, we went to Genkotsu Ramen, situated across the road from Warrigal Square.

A menu was stuck outside, so you could consider whether you wanted to eat before going in.

The shop itself is very small, and I believe that max capacity would be around 15 to 20 people. It was full when we arrived, so we ordered and waited for a seat. Luckily the customers left quite quickly.

The menu consists of 9 different types of ramen, with different variations of soup base, five mini rice options to accompany your ramen, and a number of sides and extra toppings. 

We were given a number after ordering, and waited patiently for a seat. 

Luckily for us, we got a seat at the bar table, so the chefs could pass us food directly after cooking, rather than waiting for the waitress to bring us food. It also allows me to observe and appreciate the hard work that goes into preparing a meal.

Each table had chili oil, and a sesame grinder. I love freshly ground sesame on my ramen, it definitely adds to the the fragrance of the dish.

Of interest was the loyalty card at Genkotsu. Whilst other places allow you to place multiple stamps on one card, despite ordering three bowls of ramen, the cashier informed me that their policy is one card per person, so despite ordering and paying for three bowls of ramen (and one side), we could only get three cards with one stamp on each, making it much harder to achieve any of the loyalty rewards. Other than this, I noted that whilst the restaurant was quite hot and crowded, the waitress was quite rude and abrupt in her dealings with us, which is definitely rare in a Japanese restaurant. Probably something which could be improved.

Aside from this, the authenticity of the restaurant really impressed me. Whenever I go to a Japanese or Korean restaurant, one of the first things that draw my attention relate to whether the staff are really authentic. On this point, Genkotsu Ramen definitely did not disappoint. What really impressed me was that the clientele were also Japanese (one child came and tried to start a conversation with me in Japanese). To me, thats a sure sign of authenticity.

After being seated, our meals came out rather quickly. This was the Karage Miso Ramen. It definitely exceeded our expectations. The chicken was crispy (the parts that weren't dunked into the soup), and the batter was light. The soup was rich and creamy with the strong taste of miso. The only improvement I could suggest for this bowl, (and the two following) is that the egg yolk could have been a bit runnier. But overall, it was a very enjoyable and satisfying ramen.

This is the Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen, which is exactly the same as my bowl of Genkotsu Shoyu Ramen, with the only difference of mine having more pieces of Cha Shu.

When it comes to ordering in a new store, I usually order their signature dish by default when uncertain. So I ordered the Genkotsu Ramen with Shoyu soup base. Again, I found the egg to be rather overdone, but other than that all other elements were done wonderfully. The Cha Shu was very tender, but not super fatty, and the noodles had a good texture. 

The highlight of the dish of course, was its soup, for soup is the soul of a bowl of ramen. The shoyu soup was strong, and rich and creamy. I could definitely taste difference in the soup being cooked for an extended period of time, and it definitely sets it apart from other ramen shops, making it one of the best in Brisbane. 

As you can see, the pork wasnt overly fatty, although the soup inevitably was.

Between the three of us, we also shared a Pork Gyoza. Six pieces for $5 was definitely one of the cheaper options, and although it wasnt as good as the gyozas at harajuku, it was very yummy. The bottom was crunchy and the skin was thin. It would have been a bit better if the filling had a bit more taste, but that may have been due to my drinking the strong ramen soup.

As I was finishing, a companion suggested getting the option of extra noodles for $1. The portion provided was quite generous, but I note that some other places offer extra noodles for free. Nevertheless, $1 wasn't too expensive.

Overall, I found my experience at Genkotsu Ramen to be very positive. Whilst there were several areas which could have been done better, I was impressed with their standard of food, and convinced of its authenticity (which I hold in very high regard). With the opening of many ramen shops in Brisbane (Hakataya, Ramen Champion, Taros, etc.), it is very important to set yourself apart from your other competitors, I believe that Genkotsu Ramen has been able to achieve this, and look forward to going back for another meal in the near future.

Price Range: $10 - $15 per person

Taste: 8.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 5/10

Environment: 8.5/10

Nonbei Sake Bar - Fortitude Valley

When asked about my all time favourite buffet in Brisbane, the answer is always going to be Nonbei Sake Bar, situated on Ann Street, in Fortitude Valley.

*Disclaimer, Whilst all efforts were made, the dark lighting in the restaurant meant that some photos came out blurry. You have been warned.*

 They offer three different types of buffet, with the most basic at $39. With every increase in price, a wider variety of foods become available for selection. Usually, we settle for the $49 Awesome Buffet because it has wagyu and salmon sashimi.

They specialise in Japanese BBQ, which is slightly different to Korean BBQ, as it is cooked on a wire mesh instead of an iron plate.

Other than buffet, they also offer a la carte options, but considering the amount of food we go through, buffet seems to be the better option.

The first thing that we always definitely get is the potato salad. Its a creamy mashed potato with different vegetables mixed into it as well as salad sauce. (Also looks remarkably like ice cream)

Seaweed salad and kimchi is also a definite must for us.

Occasionally we order edamame.

For some reason, in the multiple times I have been there, ox tongue is the first meat to be served. I like how it is thinly sliced and mildly flavoured.

Although this is a bit blurry, but one of the crowd favourites are the deep fried oysters, apparently one of the best in Brsbane, although I personally prefer the Gyoza because of its juicy filling and thin skin.

Aside from just grilling meats, they also offer little metal tubs of mushrooms and corn, which you can also cook on the grill. It comes with a bit of butter underneath, which melts and works to cook the veges.

The lotus chips are also very crunchy, and karaage chicken was nice and hot.

Of course, coming to a BBQ buffet, the main attraction is the meat. As you can see from the photos, the wagyu was well marbled, and also nicely marinated. Personally, I also purchase wagyu for consumption at home, but what keeps me returning to Nonbei time and time again is their sauces and marinades, being subtly sweet but not overbearing at the same time.

Another highlight for me is the Salmon Sashimi, which you order by the piece. The cuts are generous and thick. The fish is also very fresh and yummy.

They also offer a large range of salads. The one in the photo is a tofu salad, which was quite large in size.

And for those who are particularly courageous, the Salmon Yukke is raw salmon mixed with a raw egg yolk which emphasises the smoothness of the fish.

If I had the budget, I would eat at Nonbei at least once every week. The service is fast, and even though there is a time limit on weekends (1.5 hrs), I have always finished with time to spare. This is a definite must try for all Japanese food lovers in Brisbane

Price Range: $39 - $59 per person (for buffet)

Taste: 9.5/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 8/10

Environment: 7/10 (would prefer environment to be a bit more well lit)