06 April, 2008

Sydney Part 3 - Noble Court Chinese Restaurant

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Click here for Part 2


Housed within the Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club, dinner was at a newly opened restaurant called Noble Court Chinese Restaurant by the recommendation of a friend who knew the owner, Mr Johnny Lim.

What marvelled me when I first stepped in was the unique adornment of East meet West – Eastern-themed decor mixed with a hint of modern Western architectural touch.

The huge dining space is cleverly partitioned into more intimate sections by dividers made from traditional Chinese birdcages, red lanterns and bamboo steamers.

Dinner was set in motion with the first dish for the night – Tofu topped with Preserved Olives Flakes and Minced Pork – the aromatic flavour of the olive flakes was brought out completely in this dish making this seemingly cheap and simple rendition the clear favourite for the night – everyone simply loved it.

The ‘live’ Steam Fish (we had no idea what fish it was) was next and although you can taste the freshness and “flavours of the sea” from it, the fact that it’s a freshwater fish means that the muddy tang does not sits well with many on the table.

Next up was the spectacular served Beggar’s Chicken that was lit up in flames. The original rendition of this dish is to have the chicken enfolded up in mud, but their version had it wrapped up in flour instead.

My suspicion proved correct when the chicken served came insipid in essence to the extent tasteless – I understood that mud would have trapped the aroma in the meat better.

Wok-fried Diced Steak with Walnuts and Honey in Pepper Sauce was up next and I kinda like the unusual pairing of walnuts to this dish, which adds a crunch to this dish. Although I do not have a liking to having my beef tenderised, it was flavoursome – a sign of well marinated.

Although many found the Salt and Pepper Squid to be too salty that night, it sure brings me back those fond memories where I used to eat this favourite dish among the students at the Chinese restaurants in Northbridge, Perth.

The Kang Kong that night was a letdown – it was bland without a hint of even the spiciness from the chilli, even though it was fresh and the stalks were cooked crunchy.

The Spinach with Enoki Mushrooms was also similar. The gravy taste flat but the only good deal that came out of it was that everyone love the mushrooms.

The Mango Dessert that wrapped up the night though was very good – the mango pudding came in a wrap that was very pliable and chunks of the fruit paired with ice cream was an interesting interpretation to this dish.

Overall, I think this place is a decent Chinese restaurant to entertain your friends in Sydney, but would pale in comparison to those in Singapore.

Rating

Food: 2.5/5 (Not consistent)

Service: 3.5/5 (Generally attentive, except for one who tends to throws the plates and utensils)

Ambience: 4.5/5 (Nice design and decor)

Price: 2.5/5 (Food is not value for money)

Total: 13/20

421-429 Sussex St
Level 1, 9 Bronte Road,
Bondi Junction
Sunday - Thursday
Lunch 11.00am - 3.00pm
Dinner 5.30pm - 10.30pm
Friday and Saturday
Lunch 11.00am - 3.00pm
Dinner 5.30pm - 11.30pm



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