A key feature of Won Ton Noodle House is the ever-smiling bob haired auntie at the front counter who has been there longer than we can remember. She is the hardest working front person in Chinatown, always at her podium gently fishing for business, always smiling.
We've visited at all times of the day and there's always a continuous trickle of customers day and night. Won Ton Noodle House has a lot of hardcore fans, many customers greet her like an old chum - how are you? - long time no see! Friends often drop by for good chinwag and giggle - no wonder she hasn't retired and rarely takes a day off - this is social and fun.
So yeah, the lady is great, what about the food? It's great - some folks stick their nose up at this style of Canto food, but they are probably the same people shelling out mega-moola for the same stuff at Jade Temple or Queen Chow. Go figure. While some dishes like sweet and sour pork are much like any suburban Aussie Chinese, there's a handful of dishes that really take us back to Hong Kong, no wonder this place is a particular favourite amongst older Chinese folks and Aussie battlers alike.
Prawn with egg on rice - $11.80. This dish is one of Shawn's favourite canto comfort foods. The egg is perfectly cooked - moist yet firm, a little salty and a little sweet, the gentle flavour of prawns are a perfect combination. Egg'n'prawn was the dish that set off Mr Shawn's obsession with Chinatown's old school Canto stalls after the closure Hong Kong King Chef. Egg'n'prawn fixes the blues.
We OD'd on bbq pork noodle soup in the 1990's, so we rarely go for one these days, but when we do Won Ton Noodle House is first pick in Chinatown. Some folks swear by Happy Chef but we are firmly in the Won Ton Noodle House camp. There's a good broth and a nice bite to the egg noodles. This is the combination won ton noodle soup, because we are rich and fancy.
Mr Shawn sees no shame in his perversion for sweet and sour pork - $12.80 - he is out and proud in shiny rainbow colours. The pork is crisp and bitey and sugary sweet - like the hog was fed on Froot Loops and maple syrup. It's a large serve and a couple of hunks of deep fried battered pork in sugar sauce is enough for lunch...
...we take more than half home to heat up later - we stirfry some broccoli and ginger to go with it, it's a whole other meal. Always bring a takeway container.
Black pepper beef and rice - $9.80. Thin beef slices stir fried with Chinese veg and beans. This another comfort food favourite of ours, a simple yet punchy dish. It brings back memories of hangover breakfasts in Hong Kong cafes.
Salted fish fried rice with chicken - $11.80. A triffic fried rice, the serve is much bigger than the photo suggests.
Deep fried fish with chili - $12. A whole fish (species fishus foodcourtus) in a very mild chilli sauce, we reckon the sweet and sour fish is the better pick, but this is still great value.
Chili prawn rice - $12.80. If in doubt you can't go wrong with a prawnie stir fry, mild on the chili, with a hint of Sichuan pepper, plain simple and good.
Won Ton Noodle House is in the Dixon House Food Court, our little subterranean heaven, cnr Little Hay and Dixon Street, Chinatown.
Walking home from the Won Ton we see a bunch of old folk camped out on the footpath watching some artwork unfold. It's a beautiful world.
Prawn with egg on rice - $11.80. This dish is one of Shawn's favourite canto comfort foods. The egg is perfectly cooked - moist yet firm, a little salty and a little sweet, the gentle flavour of prawns are a perfect combination. Egg'n'prawn was the dish that set off Mr Shawn's obsession with Chinatown's old school Canto stalls after the closure Hong Kong King Chef. Egg'n'prawn fixes the blues.
We OD'd on bbq pork noodle soup in the 1990's, so we rarely go for one these days, but when we do Won Ton Noodle House is first pick in Chinatown. Some folks swear by Happy Chef but we are firmly in the Won Ton Noodle House camp. There's a good broth and a nice bite to the egg noodles. This is the combination won ton noodle soup, because we are rich and fancy.
Mr Shawn sees no shame in his perversion for sweet and sour pork - $12.80 - he is out and proud in shiny rainbow colours. The pork is crisp and bitey and sugary sweet - like the hog was fed on Froot Loops and maple syrup. It's a large serve and a couple of hunks of deep fried battered pork in sugar sauce is enough for lunch...
...we take more than half home to heat up later - we stirfry some broccoli and ginger to go with it, it's a whole other meal. Always bring a takeway container.
Black pepper beef and rice - $9.80. Thin beef slices stir fried with Chinese veg and beans. This another comfort food favourite of ours, a simple yet punchy dish. It brings back memories of hangover breakfasts in Hong Kong cafes.
As Mr Shawn eats its one of those happy days where the weather is great and he managed to get out of the right side of bed (look mum no hangover). He hides in tbe quiet 'old bloke' corner of the food court. In the new stall in the corner a pretty blonde food inspector pokes thermometers into meat and takes photos, an uncle and auntie inspect a stall for lease. Blokes sit around watching TV - Ellen catches up with Julia Roberts. Some days Dixon House has a special ambience to be lounged and soaked up. Mr Shawn told a chugger to F*** Off on the way home. A great day.
Salted fish fried rice with chicken - $11.80. A triffic fried rice, the serve is much bigger than the photo suggests.
Deep fried fish with chili - $12. A whole fish (species fishus foodcourtus) in a very mild chilli sauce, we reckon the sweet and sour fish is the better pick, but this is still great value.
Chili prawn rice - $12.80. If in doubt you can't go wrong with a prawnie stir fry, mild on the chili, with a hint of Sichuan pepper, plain simple and good.
Won Ton Noodle House is in the Dixon House Food Court, our little subterranean heaven, cnr Little Hay and Dixon Street, Chinatown.
Walking home from the Won Ton we see a bunch of old folk camped out on the footpath watching some artwork unfold. It's a beautiful world.
What's wrong with sweet and sour pork? It's legit canto food.
ReplyDeleteToo true, there is a particular Aussie style of sweet and sour pork though, we love it all.
ReplyDelete