BBQ King, Sydney (NSW) by Bureaucrat

Alrighty, with too much eatin’ and not enough time spent writin’, I’m facing a back log of places to review.

A few weeks ago, I was stomping around Sydney again.  As I was staying around Chinatown, it was a no brainer as to where I’d be eating.   As with any Chinatown in any city, I find it hard to determine which places are the genuine good stuff and which ones are the crappy touristy fare.  Having spotted BBQ King from across the street, I thought this could be a contender for dinner.  However, as I walked closer to it, it looked less appealing with its shabby-ish exterior and interior and the neon lights in its BBQ takeaway area.  My mind couldn’t help but wonder about the cleanliness of the place.

Just was I was about to walk away, a large group of about 10 diners walked into the restaurant for their booking.  And I thought, what the hey, if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

Inside, it’s a like a time warp back to a Chinese restaurant in 1980s surburbia.  Decorated (and I use that term loosely), in mustardy hues, vinyl chairs, plastic flowers (covered with dust) and some really dated posters and artwork.  The restaurant is moderately big in size, but given the floor plan, it feels more pokey than it really is.

While the decor wasn’t that impressive, the service was friendly and prompt.  I was quickly shown a table, and before I realised, a pot of tea and menu appeared.  It was time for comfort food, so I ordered fried fish w sweet corn sauce on rice.   And no sooner that I placed the order, a big bowl of complimentary soup appeared.  While I think it’s a nice touch when restaurants offer the complimentary soup, I’ve never been a fan of it.  So aside from having a sip, I didn’t touch it.

Soon, my meal arrived.  An impressive mound of rice smothered in fish and sweet corn.  Everything about it was reasonable (neither bad nor great) and there’s not much to say about it.  There was plenty of fish; it had a light batter.  Plenty of sweet corn sauce.  No msg, which was a good thing.  There was just much of it that I took 2/3rds of it in a doggy bag. 

I also got a mixed BBQ roast (roast duck and char siu) w rice and veg as a takeaway for the Lawyer.  He quite liked it and it was pretty good value, I thought.  Both the duck and char siu were lean and tender, and the roast duck had a nice crisp skin.  Reasonable amount of meat (I loathe places where you get gristle-y bits or the back parts of the duck where there's very little meat).

Verdict

Food – 7

Service – 7.5

Ambience – 6

Price – 7

Overall

I have nothing against BBQ King.  Going by the conversations and the greetings between the staff (including the manager) with the diners, it was clear that many were regulars.  Young families, solo office workers and friends out for dinner all seemed to like this place.  Given its size and its longevity (going by the decor) it seems like BBQ King may be an institution in the local area.

The food is fine and the serves are generous.  Service is friendly and prompt.  Nothing fancy here, but it’ll do the job.

Address
BBQ King
18 Goulburn St
Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone: 02 9267 2586