20 January 2011

Kung Fu Kitchen: Chinese and Malaysian, Westfield Sydney CBD (20 Jan 2011)

Shop 2020a, Level 2, 100 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000
http://westfield.com.au/sydney



Nice broth but limited seating

Kung Fu Kitchen offers traditional Asian take-away prepared in accordance with the principles of Kung Fu: wisdom, speed and perfection!

A laksa special offer advertised in the Westfield Sydney e-Newsletter I received today tempts me to try this eatery which sits amongst a few other eateries in the underground passageway between David Jones Food Hall and Westfield Sydney. I still need to try their Wonton Noodle Soup, Crispy Chicken and there strangely named Chow Kuay Dew [Char Kway Teow] but I like their tag line promise of wisdom, speed and perfection. Apparently the part owner/chef has brought their 10 year restaurant experience from a previous Chatswood restaurant (under a different name) to the heart of the city. Upon arriving and presenting the voucher the service seemed a bit confused about the offer but soon validated it — perhaps they weren't fully told about it.

After managing to find a tiny table spot inside I order the Seafood Laksa ($11.80, $10 with Special Offer) which arrives pretty quickly from the kitchen. It's a rather small bowl but its broth is thankfully better than most around town. Maybe not quite as rich as the Malay-Chinese but it's perhaps less oily as well. It has the right mixture of ingredients you'd expect including about 3-4 large prawns to my delight. The Chicken Laksa ($9.80, $8 with Special Offer) also comes as the same small serving size and the same decent broth. In the end I actually didn't mind the small serving because laksa can be a bit too rich to finish but the prices are just as expensive if not more than most of the other laksa eateries around the city which is a shame. I look forward to sampling some of the other classic dishes on offer to compare. The closet competition in the area is Deli Choice and Jimmy's Recipe Malaysia.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Friendly and efficient service, Decent depth of taste in the laksa, Decent variety of seafood used including large prawns (albeit frozen ones), Central location in the city
CONS: Very limited and cramped sitting conditions, More expensive prices than the norm, Small serving size compare to other eateries, Disposable plastic bowl and cutlery used for eat-in which isn't the best for the environment perhaps
MUST TRY: Char Kway Teow next time

Seafood Laksa ($11.80, $10 with Westfield Sydney Special Offer voucher)

Chicken Laksa ($9.80, $8 with Westfield Sydney Special Offer voucher)

Very limited table and seating space

Me sitting at the very end of this very narrow side table

A customer finds a tiny spot to sit awkwardly at the service counter

Observation: Japanese soy sauce in a Chinese restaurant


Menu



View Larger Map
Kung Fu Kitchen - Westfield Sydney on Urbanspoon

10 comments:

joey@forkingaroundsydney said...

I've passed this place trice and have never seen anyone in it! You might be the first! :-P

john@heneedsfood said...

Hmmm, not sure I'll be trying this place anytime soon seeing that Malay-Chinese Takeaway is now my #1 choice for laksa near my work

Tina@foodboozeshoes said...

Another Westfield addition to try, though the comparisons don't fare too well...

Maria @ Scandi Foodie said...

Wow that table is certainly narrow! :-D
I'll have to make a trip to the city to explore this place better!

Simon Leong said...

hi joey, there was definitely a lot of people when i visited so perhaps the crowds are picking up. i wish they weren't there though so it would be easier for me to get a seat ;-)

hi john, you can't go too wrong with Malay-Chinese for laksa. when you're on a good thing stick to it.

hi tina, hoping the other dishes are good next time i visit.

hi maria, hope you get to try it soon.

Anonymous said...

If you are ever in Parramatta try the laksa at Oriental Tucker Box on George Street. Its comparable to Malay Chinese Takeaway. Open everyday except Sunday. The Char Kway Teow is good too.

Anonymous said...

http://www.orientaltuckerbox.com.au/

Here's the website...just found it on google :-)

Ken Bell said...

I had the Peking Duck here last week and it was fantastic. The name caught my eye while shopping in Sydney, and I think i'll check out their Laksa next time i'm in the city based on this review.

Viv said...

Just a clarification on the names - Chow Kuay Dew is generally the cantonese version whereas Char Kway Teow is usually the malaysian version. If you're very picky, the cantonese version should be more savoury whereas the malaysian version would be considered "sweet" by most cantonese. :)

Simon Leong said...

hi sydney foodies, i've heard about the Oriental Tucker Box before and have added to my wish list. hopefully i'll get to try one day.

hi ken, thanks for the recommendation. sounds like i need to try it.

hi viv, thanks for the clarification although when i did a google search on 'Chow Kuay Dew' it actually comes up with no matches so i'm wondering if it's been spelt incorrectly?

Simon Food Favourites Map

View Simon Food Favourites in a larger map Key: BLUE - Location visit and review PINK - Simon Favourites and places offering something special

Small Bars in Sydney map


View Small Bars in Sydney in a larger map