My sister TFP, my fiance J and I recently went on a ten day holiday to Sydney. Food was high on our agenda, and we visited lots of great places.
I’ll be posting the highlights from each day, so stay tuned!
We arrived in Sydney around 1pm, and after we made it to our hotel, checked in and got settled, one thing was clear.
There was no way we would be getting to dinner time without some food in our bellies.
Window of barbecued delights
As our taxi driver navigated through the busy streets of Haymarket, Sydney’s bustling Chinatown, it was difficult to ignore the bright displays and the windows crowded with diners enjoying a late lunch.
BBQ King’s window display got our immediate attention, and despite our best efforts to find lunch closer to our hotel, nothing seemed right. Except Chinese barbecued meats. Oh yes.
BBQ King menu
We were shown to a table by the window and given a menu each. I immediately fell in love with the retro-fabulous image on the front of each menu, which looked like it could have been a propaganda poster from communist China! If communist China was keen on spreading propaganda about roasted meats, that is.
Condiment station
The service was brisk and simple, and I was secretly relieved that I didn’t have to use my absolutely shocking Cantonese on our waitperson.
We settled on sharing two meat and rice combinations – we thought that ordering a combo each would have been too much. After all, we were on (stomach) space saving mode, in preparation for a special dinner that night!
J dishes out the soup
Not long after we ordered, a bowl of fragrant, meaty broth was plunked on the table with three small bowls. J did the honours and dished out the soup for each of us.
I love the complimentary soup you’re often given when you eat in at a Chinese roast shop. Naturally, with roasted meats being the main attraction, these restaurants aren’t short on all the requirements for a tasty broth. The cooks usually throw in meaty bones, flavoursome roast off-cuts, and a selection of veggies which are available that day.
My bowl of soup had a piece of sweet tender carrot, and a chunk of a corn cob, which was surprisingly tasty despite having been boiled (for possibly hours) in a vat of meat broth. I’d expected it to be flavourless and watery … and though I know it was just added to flavour the broth, I really enjoyed nibbling on the bright yellow kernels of corn 
Char Siu and Roast Duck Rice, $14
It wasn’t long before our meals arrived, and boy was I glad to see them. I’d been eyeing off all the food that other diners were enjoying since we arrived, and I could hear my tummy growling.
Suckling Pig and Rice, $18
The food was exactly what I wanted, and I’m pretty sure both J and TFP agreed – though, there wasn’t a lot of talking happening, as we were too busy eating!
We all agreed that the Suckling Pig was a stand out. The bubbly skin was crunchy and light, and the meat was tender. The crackling was seriously addictive, well seasoned, and adding a great textural crunch to every bite. My favourite part was dipping the crunchy rinds into the chili sauce provided – YUM.
The complimentary greens which came with both dishes (Kai lan) was simply blanched, with tender green leaves and stems which were still a little al dente.
This made for a satisfying late lunch for three tired travellers. The bill came to $38, including drinks.
Marinated Pork Uteri and other interesting roasted delights
As we left, I noticed this awesome signboard next to BBQ King’s takeaway counter….
I’m not sure how I feel about Spicy Intestines or Marinated Pork Uteri, but there’s definitely other tasty looking options up there!
