Kowloon Cafe Burwood 九龍冰室 (Sydney, AUSTRALIA) ★★★☆☆

My quest for the best cha chaan teng (茶餐廳) in Sydney took us on a journey to Burwood this morning. I have heard mixed reviews on the Burwood neighborhood from different people. Some said it's the new Chinatown with friendly people; others cautioned me about the area. Well, let's find out.

Our first stop in Burwood was a stop at Kowloon Cafe (九龍冰室). They have a branch in Haymarket with limited seats but this is like a flagship restaurant that they have over here in the heart of Burwood. When local people talk about Kowloon Cafe, or "bing sutt" (冰室) in general, this is the one that immediately comes to mind.

The cafe was a lot smaller than I expected. Boy, I miss the Hong Kong style cafes in Vancouver. They were so spacious and very few times, we actually needed to wait for a table.

But I immediately felt in love with the food menu over here. This is what I am talking about when I think of a cha chaan teng! A food menu over 50 items and one can easily find a handful of dishes of interest.

Happy times!!! ✌

Iced milk tea (港式奶茶) – This was absolutely bursting with flavors. Smooth, creamy and flavorful. Much much better than the one served at Hong Kong Cafe (港夠味). The tea was strong there too, but it didn't have that full-bodied texture and flavor.

Baked rice with pork chop and cheese (焗豬扒飯) – One of the Hong Kong classics from the cha chaan tengs. The rice with egg, rich tomato sauce, and gooey cheese on top.

And of course, the seared pork chop. Pretty succulent. 

Stir-fried rice noodles with beef in black bean sauce (豉椒牛河) – The rice noodles came with pretty decent "wok hei (鑊氣)" and I like that thick black bean sauce tying everything together nicely. The only blemish was the beef which was pretty rubbery like the ones at Hong Kong Cafe (港夠味) the other day.

We were so happy to find some authentic Hong Kong food here in Burwood. It was a little far from where we were staying but since we didn't have much on our agenda this afternoon, it was totally worth venturing over. Now, time to get to know this neighborhood a bit more.

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: $$$

Address: 11a/27 Belmore Street, Burwood NSW 2134, Australia

Closest Train Station: Burwood

Tel: +61 2-9745-3888

Website: www.kowlooncafe.com.au

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 9:00pm daily