No.1 Chinese BBQ is located within a small group of eateries towards the southern end of Field Street just off busy Gouger Street. For any place that calls themselves number one, the expectations are certainly high and it was time to put them to the test. As their name suggests, skewered meats and vegetables are their specialty, but they also have a selection of traditional Chinese dishes on offer.

Anyone that has been to any of the other neighbouring stores would be familiar with the layout of this place. On the ground level there is a dining area at the front with the kitchen behind the front counter. There is a staircase to one side that leads to upstairs dining mezzanine area.

For dinner, I had the Sizzling Mongolian Beef. Most places would serve you this dish with the meat still sizzling on the hot plate but it seems this was already done in the kitchen before the dish came out. The beef was tenderised until it was soft and tender, and had possibly no trace of vitamins left. The sauce was nice and thick, and the flavours were just right. I was also surprised at the large serving size, and felt you could have fed two people.

The Beef Skewers were over cooked and the meat was tough and chewy. The quality of the cut wasn’t great, however, it was well marinated and there was a nice kick to it.

The Lamb Skewers also used poor cuts of meat. The meat was a bit more tender than the beef but was a bit on the bland side.

The staff were friendly and the service was really good. Water came out even before I asked for it and the dishes arrived promptly. The atmosphere was relaxed and the pricing was average. The cost of the Sizzling Mongolian Beef was $14.80 and the meat skewers were $1 each.

They need to do a bit more work before they can call themselves number one.

WHERE: 31 Field St, Adelaide