From the Cantonese style brunch Yum Cha, to Beijing’s famous Peking duck. What’s not to love?
While a lot of westerners consider Chinese food to be one big cuisine, it’s actually separated into many different regional styles of cooking. There’s Cantonese, responsible for the recognisable fried rice, stir fries and sweet and sour dishes, as well as the spicier Northern style of cooking from Shanghai and Szechuan with chilli hot pots and hot and sour noodles. Each region is set apart by particular ingredients and cooking methods, but one common thread in all Chinese cooking is the use of ginger, garlic and spring onions, along with soy, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and bean paste.
Here are the four best spots to find Dim Sum, Chinese BBQ and Cantonese food in the city:
William St, Northbridge
You won't be disappointed by Hongkies, the home of some seriously delicious Dim Sum like har gow prawn dumplings, and char siu bao honey BBQ pork buns. Decked out in a primary colour palette, Hongkies has an inviting and friendly atmosphere that you’ll feel right at home in. They do all the well-loved appetizers, like salt and pepper squid and Chinese style satay chicken sticks. For mains, you’ll find fragrant pork and salted vegetable noodle soups and a slightly non-traditional, but Hong Kong style spin on French Toast.
PHOTO CREDIT: GOOD FORTUNE DUCK HOUSE FACEBOOK William St, Northbridge
On the very tail end of William Street is an unassuming restaurant marked with a red sign and Chinese letters, but it is one you won’t want to walk past. Don’t be discouraged if the Good Fortune Duck House is packed though, they will always find you a spot and it will be well worth it, to try their peking duck or san choy bow. Other specialties of the house include whole or boneless roast duck, which is pretty much what everyone goes there for. Add some delicious sides of authentic fluffy fried rice and gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and you have the perfect mid-week pick me up.
PHOTO CREDIT: HONG KONG BBQ FACEBOOK Francis St, Northbridge
While duck might be well and truly covered in Northbridge, no one does BBQ pork quite like Hong Kong BBQ. Clean white linen and ceramics cover the tables and the air conditioned room means you’ll have an appetite for hot sweet & sour pork in the middle of summer. The first thing that hits you when you walk into the restaurant, is the incredible smell from the BBQ, followed closely by the speed at which your meals arrive at the table. For an easy meal, pair the Roast Combination Platter with rice and greens, but don’t forget to ask for the delicious chilli and fried shallot oil on the side. For something a little more celebratory at dinner time, try the spectacular looking Yee-Foo Noodle with Crab meat sauce and their deep fried ice cream for dessert.
Roe St, Northbridge
Anyone who’s spent the early hours of the morning painting the town of Perth city will have at least heard one person say “let’s go to Billy Lee’s.” A late-night institution, Billy Lee’s is the Chinese restaurant that never sleeps. Specialising in Cantonese food, it’s brimming with the chaos and charm of all the Chinese restaurants you’ve been to combined and it also has all the satisfying standards on the menu, like honey chicken and fried rice. But for those wanting to stray from the well beaten path, there’s plenty of options, like Australian mud crab and soft shell crab curry.
