Bites: Eureka Chinese Restaurant, Wilson

Good Chinese food is simply irresistible.  I come from a background of extremely good Chinese cuisine and back home, most of it has been taken for granted. This makes me treasure the little gems I find in Perth even more.  Last week, my meal at Eureka Chinese in Wilson was a recommendation of my friend Bel.  Her mom knows the chef whom hails from Malaysia and without a doubt I was keen to try.  With a host of regular dishes found off  the main menu, it pays to order a few dishes in advance to avoid disappointment.  This includes the cold shredded chicken with spring onions, finely chopped shallots and fragrant ginger soy as well the Eureka’s famous Roasted Duck.

 

The shredded chicken is a cold appetizer.  But unlike the usual suspects like the cold pig trotter, marinated jellyfish or drunken chicken, this was heaps more delectable.  In fact, this could double up as a main dish as the sauce was just sensational when eaten with rice.  All the finely sliced herbs were an amazing condiment for the tender shredded chicken.  Top with some of the soy sauce and it was literally home run.   Cold appetizer: tender shredded chicken, soy, ginger and shallots.

 

Next up was the Kangkung Belacan and Sizzling Bean curd which I do not have a photo of!  My dear friends could not help digging in!  Hmmph!  The Kangkung was yummy and extremely tasty despite having minimal lashings of sambal Belacan.  It makes me wonder how it became so tasty!  Nonetheless, it tasted very Malaysian.  With the bean curd, it was very TYPICAL.  Thankfully, it was typical good.  Much to rave about it?  Probably not, but definitely no problems either :P!

 

One of Bel and D’s favorites which they order every time they visit is the fish two style.  One was a deep fried salt pepper fillet while the other was a stir fry with vegetables.  As simple as they might turn out, it was actually worth the price and tasty too!  This 2 kg monster was only $68.  But this dish was not without its flaws.  The big turn off?  Beware! Not all fillet are equal without bones.  There were some nasty little bits which might catch you by surprise.  So, definitely be careful :)!

 

Last but not least was Eureka’s signature Roast Duck ($30) which needs to be ordered at least 24 hours in advance.  Tender, crispy skinned duck in its full glory this one was.    Its seasoning was spot on with all the herbs rubbed into the ribs and such.  The meat was flavorful and seriously good.  Definitely up there with some of the best places in town.  But if I had one request, it would be for a thicker sauce.  Or perhaps more of the sauce!  Having spoons of sauce and roast duck with rice is easily a Chinese meal that keeps most happy  :)!In a nut shell, Eureka Chinese Restaurant falls under my description of an honest home style restaurant which we do not get very often in Perth.  The cooking is authentically Malaysian and its price was extremely reasonable.  Sittings are extremely limited with the venue fitting little more than 30 people at any one time.  Put 3 large tables in the equation and you are only left with small tables for 10 people? Nevertheless, get a booking a few days before and you will be easily sorted! Do not forget the roast duck per-order :)!  My only wishes are that the dishes come out consistent.  Various places I have been to tend to be inconsistent.  But the good ones like Hawkers and HK BBQ in Northbridge never fail to keep my buds happy! Hope this place keeps doing the same thing too.

 

WenY

Bites: Rice Noodle House @ Shelly

Earlier this week in my review of Big El, I promised a mix of half price discount eateries as well as hidden gems.  Here is the first.  This is the Rice Noodle House in Shelly.  It seems to have garnered many “likes” on Urbanspoon and through word of mouth, it is simply a suburban favourite.    Hidden amongst a small complex of shops, I would not blame you for not stopping for a bite as even I felt like my life was at stake coming in on a gloomy Friday afternoon.  I had absolutely no expectations of the interior looking posh and true enough, it was bare as hell.  But through my eating experience in Asian countries like Bali, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, it is these places that packs a punch.  The Rice Noodle House in Shelly is famous for a few things including its super smooth Hainan Chicken or its Ipoh Hor Fun (rice noodle).  In fact, some people claimed that the Chicken Rice here rivals the famous one from Boon Tong Kee in Singapore.  True or not, only a Singaporean can decide.  Fortunately we had one with us that day.His comments were little and murmured along the lines of “Boon Tong Kee in Singapore is overrated” as well as “It’s just chicken rice”.  But it ended with an agreement that the chicken here is indeed very smooth.  But so smooth that it stole our money for so little on the plate.  For $10 $9 bucks, one would expect a lot more chicken.  This has got to be one of the smallest serves of Chicken Rice that I have seen in a long time. In fact, it was as flat as the plate.  But fortunately where taste was concerned, the chicken rice was spot on.

Next up was a serve of the Rice Noodle House’s famous Dry Ipoh Hor Fun.Least to say, Fishman and Nee founded it appealing to their tastes buds. Fishman liked the flavor and when I tried it, I found that it easily rivals the one made by Ipoh Garden although its sauce felt not as thick.  In fact it felt less sweet and more salty typical for an Asian palate.

For me who has been craving for some wanton noodles since a week ago, I ordered the Rice Noodle House’s Dry Wanton Noodles.  Not one of their specialty, but this is what a taste test is all about.  Experimenting.The noodles for starters were cooked spot on.  Not too soft or hard whilst still being springy.  Easy to understand why this place is famous for their noodles.  As for the wantons, they were pretty decent although nowhere near the standard of the ones I have had in Hong Kong.  I like the seasoning of the noodles which had enough flavor from the concoction of essential Chinese sauces with a good hint of pepper.  This one though felt a little sweet, possibly from the use of sugar/kicap manis.

At the end of the meal, we were all satisfied with the taste and quality in the food.  But where size was concerned, it was pretty obvious that this was not your typical  Australian serve where there was always going to be an abundance of meat and carbs.  Really quite surprising considering I have seen photos of the Nasi Lemak served here that looks absolutely huge.  Nonetheless, the Rice Noodle House in Shelly is definitely worth coming for the Malaysian classics it makes.  But if you are hungry, definitely ask for extra noodles.  In the end, putting its price (<$10), the quality and it’s location, this is definitely a hidden gem ;)!

WenY