Rasa Sayang Restaurant – Dickson – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – August 2017

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ACT, Australia, Australian Capital Territory, canberra, Chinese cuisine, Dickson, Dickson Dumpling House, dinner with friends, Friends, Malaysian cuisine, Rasa Sayang Restaurant

A quick dinner with a friend 

A thirty minute walk from my home is a suburb with many Chinese/Thai/Indian and Vegan restaurants.  I usually eat at the Dickson Dumpling House which is definitely my favourite but I wanted to try something different, so with a good friend who I used to go to school with [all those years ago], we visited a Malaysian/Chinese restaurant called Rasa Sayang.  This particular restaurant has been in this suburb for over thirty-five years so it must be doing something well.

We had made a reservation but as we were there early, we were initially the only people in the restaurant.The menu is extensive with over 100 dishes to choose from and has lots of options for us vegetarians.  I ordered the tofu with peanut sauce and Anne ordered the deep fried spring rolls with a plum sauce.  Pretty good but am glad the tofu comes with a sauce otherwise in the main I do find it rather bland.  But this particular tofu was lovely and fresh so it was enjoyable.I ordered some Malaysian bread [roti chanai] to share which was absolutely delicious. My friend had not tried this type of bread before and loved it so guess next visit she will order it along with her omelette.The owner is very personable and enjoys a joke whilst taking your order and as soon as he saw us laughing at his jokes, he returned to tell us more…more laughter and now ready to order our main courses.  Anne ordered the crab omelette with beansprouts, shredded onions and topped with oyster sauce…she said it was absolutely delicious.  So delicious that since that visit she drives over from her home [about half hour] to pick up this omelette regularly.  [no photo as forgot to take one].

I ordered the Eggplant Sambal, which was sliced eggplant cooked in a spicy sambal sauce..not bad but my preference is up the road at the Dumpling House.  I don’t think this dish was as spicy as my preferred dish.  Still good though!I enjoyed the evening very much and loved chatting to my friend but as it was a week night [I was working back then], we just ate our meals and left rather than what I usually like to do which is relax, chat and enjoy a glass of wine.  Next time!!

 

 

Dumpling House – Dickson – Canberra – ACT – Australia – 2010 – 2017

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Chinese food, Dickson Dumpling House, Dumplings, Eggplant, Yu xiang qiezi

My absolute favourite Chinese restaurant

There is a small Chinese restaurant in Canberra (Dickson Dumpling House) about a thirty minute walk from my home that I absolutely love!  I eat there at least once a fortnight and always take visitors there as for me it reminds me so much of the food in Beijing especially the dumplings; vegetable for me and pork for my friends who also order the xiao long bao (Shanghai dumplings containing soup).

Every friend I have taken there loves the authentic Chinese dishes and always asks to reserve a table when they return to visit me; I am actually going there this Sunday night with a friend who is visiting from Cambodia. We usually also order the chive pancakes to start with – a little bit oily but delicious with Chinese vinegar.

The dried green bean dish with chilli is fabulous as, I am told, is the kung pao chicken which is regularly ordered by my friends.

The decor is basic but the service is great.  I have made friends with one of the waiters [Peter] and I practice my Chinese with him and develops his English with me – he is pretty good anyway as he goes to uni here in Canberra.  He recently returned to his home town in Sichaun Province and brought me back some lovely tea.   A very sweet young man who has now invited me and my friend Jon to his home for eggplant as he says he makes it really well and knows I order it always..looking forward to that!

So on the subject of my most favourite dish –  yu xiang qiezi (fish fragrant eggplant).  Ordered every single visit without fail but without the pork on the top and without the fish sauce.  Even my brother has changed his mind about eggplant now because of this dish.

And there are desserts but it’s rare that we order them…but last time my Goddaughter and her partner came to visit we did…very big dishes and oh so sweet!!

So there you have it…my most favourite Chinese restaurant – no MSG either!!