A Chinese restaurant on O’Connell Street? Now we’re talking!

With so many Thai and Indian restaurants on O’Connell street, it is so satisfying to see my consistent craving for Chinese food met here too. Co owner Hui Mei Yang, said that she always had a soft spot for North Adelaide. There is something beautiful here which made her decision to be part of it even easier. Being their second establishment to open here in Adelaide, they already have one take away shop in Prospect called Mei Sun which is doing so well with their westernised Chinese food.

Boasting great options and an affordable price list, it shouldn’t be hard to attract pedestrians and business people alike that are short on time during their lunch break. Yang Chow is not afraid to try new things and market the ones that work for us to enjoy. Hui Mei believes in their product and their quality of food. This is why they challenge themselves to be better on delivering food, even the ones that aren’t traditionally their own cuisines. They offer Beef Noodle Soup which is originally from Vietnam or a Curry dish which was inspired by Thai cuisine. We were excited to try some dishes on their menu. Here are the ones we picked;

Chicken Satays

The chicken was battered and deep fried then soaked into this rich flavour of satay peanut sauce. Thanks to the generous amount of sauce, the chicken was tender and very full of flavour.

Beef Red Curry

This is a Thai inspired cuisine. The considerable portion of curry consisted of sliced beef, carrots, brocolli, and some ocras combined for a great healthy mix of beef and vegetables. With the first bite, we experienced a spicy kick, just as it should be. Perfect to serve with a bowl of rice or even better, their Yang Chow Fried Rice.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

Speaking of their Yang Chow Fried Rice, it was simply amazing, such comfort food when you crave for fried rice. The rice was well cooked and soft. Buttery prawns came with it and they nailed this typical Chinese fried rice to a T. We couldn’t stop eating. It comes out as a mild dish so it’s perfect for little kids too.

Chicken Wings

Chicken Wings were marinated in the traditional Chinese way with fermented bean curd and ginger. Dip in sweet chilli sauce and you can’t go wrong. It’s definitely a mouth watering entree dish.

Sizzling Mongolian Beef

There are actually two choices of sizzling hot plate available to order. Beef or Chicken, and this time we picked the beef. This came out hot and sizzling as you would expect and filled your senses with the taste of black bean sauce mixed with chopped onion and capsicum.

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

These also came on a sizzling hot plate. Their sweet and sour tends to go towards the sweeter side and the pork ribs were tender and so easy to bite. You definitely won’t regret getting your hands dirty for this one. I know I didn’t.

Peking Duck

Our highlight of the day was their 2-course Peking Duck Pancake which comes in your choice of 8 or 16 pancakes. They cut up the duck so thinly across the crispy skin so you can put it on the Chinese pancake. On the side came a large plate with choices of sliced cucumber, julliene carrots, spring onions, and leek. They put the hoisin sauce in a small bowl in the middle of the table so people can reach out to it and either dip into it or a teaspoon of it and spread on top. Roll it like a wrap then enjoy! To be honest, I didn’t even really need the hoisin sauce. My peking duck was already so tasty, I was definitely not in the sharing mood. The second course is Duck Noodle, so nothing goes to waste. Yang Chow use the skinless meat and mix it with their fried egg noddle, what a great two course meal for sharing!

We also got to try their Watermelon Lemonade, Yuzu Lemonade and Strawberry Lemonade. My personal favourite would be the watermelon one. It’s just like drinking cold fizzy watermelon. Such a good beverage to quench your thirst!

We wish Hui Mei and her family the best on their new endeavour. Only one month since they opened and their $10 extensive lunch menu has started to take off. Opens daily for lunch from 11.30am then close in between before it opens again for dinner. We reckon O’Connell Street has gained another wonderful eatery that’s destined to stay!

Words by Dee Pene from Adelaide Food Authority

WHERE: 53 O’Connell St, North Adelaide