Tags
2015: samantha eats her way through sydney, cities: sydney, cuisine: chinese, oceania: australia, photography: food
On Saturday (aka Day 2 of Samantha in Sydney 2015), my parents (with whom I’m staying) decided to make a trip to Sydney’s southern suburbs and pick up a few things from a family friend. While we were there, they took me out to lunch at Yong Feng Restaurant, a local Chinese eatery–and, unlike Bang, its market was most decidedly the local Chinese population. In the vein of Chinese dining, mum and dad ordered several dishes to share, while my sister and I sat back and chatted away.
The servings at Yong Feng were very generous, and at a ridiculously low price that even my yet-to-be-recalibrated-Sydney-monetary-radar could recognise. Make no mistake: this isn’t where you’d go for an up-market gastronomical experience, complete with pressed linen and three sommeliers, but if you want to be seated while stuffing yourself with some cheap and satisfying grub, then Yong Feng is definitely worth a visit.
Halfway through our meal, when all the dishes were happily gathered together.
The first dish to arrive was fried udon with chicken, bean sprouts, and scallions ($11.80). It was a little greasy, but it was also a Saturday and I’m on a pseudo-but-not-really holiday, so I had no qualms about helping my jet-lagged self to the noodles.
Mmm, udon…
Next was a hefty portion of Fujian/Hokkien fried rice ($11.80), which is the name for “wet” fried rice with a lovely sauce poured over the noms (as opposed to the “dry” Yangzhou fried rice). Apart from the inclusion of sauce, the specifics of Fujian fried rice differ according to the restaurant–at Yong Feng, there were scallops, prawns, mushrooms, pork, courgettes, and scallions.
See all the saucy goodness?
Dad, who returned from a trip to Shanghai on the same day I’d arrived in Sydney (we actually left the airport together), had been gorging on youtiao, which literally translates to “oil stick” ($5.60). These are deep-fried savoury doughnut-like things that are crunchy and oily and beautiful and a cardiovascular attack waiting to happen, but I’m still young, right? And I went “jogging” this morning.
Yes, please.
The youtiao are typically served with congee ($8.80), which is the Chinese version of porridge (using rice instead of oats). So basically, it’s healthy!
My type of comfort food!
And finally, we had some coral trout, stir-fried with carrots, snow peas, wood-ear mushrooms, and more scallions ($23.80).
And fish is healthy!
Visited on: Saturday, 12 September 2015. Lunch.
Spent: $61.80 for five people–and had a bit to take away.
Overall: I’m honestly not sure if this place is English-friendly–for one, the menus are all in Chinese. The atmosphere and decor probably won’t suit someone unused to Chinese dining, and I’m quite sure hygiene’s not a high priority. That being said, if you’re feeling adventurous, or if you’re familiar with Chinese dining, then this is definitely worth checking out for some tasty and affordable grub (though if you don’t live in the area, the transport will probably cost more than the meal). 8/10.
Yong Feng Restaurant
274 Belmore Road
Riverwood NSW 2210
Phone: (02) 9533 6800