Macau Noodle Kitchen, Burwood
As I have been craving Pipies in XO Sauce lately, my brother shouted me to a Chinese feast for my birthday this year. We didn’t want to travel into the city over the long weekend knowing it would be rather busy, so we opted to go to Macau Noodle Kitchen, located in Burwood. Despite the name though, there is no traditional Macanese food fare here.
We headed to Macau Noodle Kitchen on a Saturday evening, around 5:30. The restaurant wasn’t busy at that time, and the staff were all having their meals before the evening rush. We were quickly pointed to a table as we entered, and not long after, a staff member dropped some menus and Chinese tea at our table. The restaurant décor is nice and clean, and not too cramped, which was good, we also noticed a staircase near the counter, so I believe the restaurant is over 2 levels. Looking around, a lot of the tables had reserved signs on them, so we were lucky we came early.
The menu is quite extensive, with all your classic favourites and fresh seafood as well. They also have some good deals including banquets with live steamed fish, all at very decent prices, but we were here for the Pipies. So that’s what we ordered the Live Pipies with xo sauce and vermicelli noodle, steamed 1/2 shell scallops, salt and pepper soft shell crab, stir fry snow pea and steamed rice. Once we placed our order with the staff, they returned to confirm the prices for live seafood that night. (The menu has some set seafood prices, but there is also a live seafood specials menu on the wall, which we totally missed when we came in).
It didn’t take long for the food to arrive, the first dish we received was the steamed 1/2 shell scallops. This was in a serving size of 4 tonight, which meant 2 each. The scallops were steamed and topped with shredded spring onion and soy sauce. The scallops were cooked perfectly making it a tasty dish to start off on. Our other dishes arrived not long after we started to dig into the scallops, and there was abit of shuffling between the staff and us to fit everything on the table.
Steamed 1/2 shell scallops (4 for $14.80)
The next dish was the highlight of the night, the Pipies in XO Sauce and vermicelli noodle. The Pipies itself were plump and juicy and the XO sauce was delicious being slightly spicy. The fried vermicelli was crispy and moorish, maintaining the crispy edges whilst soaking in the XO sauce. The dish was well balanced, with the right amount of sauce to cover the Pipies and the vermicelli. This was without a doubt the best dish of the night.
Pipies in XO Sauce and Vermicelli Noodle (market price, $39.80)
The soft shell crab was also another tasty dish of the night. The crab was fried to a crispy golden perfection, and topped with chilli and spring onion. This dish was a generous serving, and well balanced with the salt and pepper ratio just right.
Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab ($19.80)
The stir fry snow pea was an accidental order, we originally wanted to order the water spinach with garlic sauce, however was told this wasn’t available. So in the rush of trying to pick our vegetable dish of the night, I chose the stir fry snow pea (I thought I was ordering the snow pea sprouts). Nevertheless the dish was also very good, the snow peas were cooked well whilst still being slightly crunchy and fresh.
Stir Fry Snowpea ($13.80)
Overall, we had a fantastic experience at Macau Noodle Kitchen. The staff were friendly, attentive and very helpful. The food was delicious, and the portions were generous, whilst still being a wallet friendly restaurant. We ended up packing half of the soft shell crab and stir fry snow peas for home, as we couldn’t finish it. When we left the restaurant, the place was buzzing, with staff running around and shuffling chairs and tables to accommodate for families, and outside the restaurant, a line of hungry customers waiting. Best to book in or arrive early to avoid a queue, we will be back again for more delicious tasty dishes.
Macau Noodle Kitchen
Address: 93 Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW 2134
Phone: (02) 9715 2038