Attendees: Beata, Steph, Mark R, Penny, Andrew
Am I in the twilight zone or is this place a replica of Pacific BBQ House four doors down? “Only someone who has eaten at every restaurant would make a comment like that,” says Mark in his first week of Chopstick Chowdown Challenge. The strung-up ducks in the front window are there, as is the wall covered in coloured papers with specials. But here we don’t have to wait for a table.
Even the font on the menu looks the same. I do a double take – is it the same menu? However a count down to 27 yields a different item. This week it is vegetarian corn soup, which we begin with, dividing out a small bowl between the five of us in spirit of communal eating. It immediately makes me think of Japan and the addiction that grew there with hot corn soup in a can out of a vending machine. Delicious in a snow storm in Kyoto but is unlikely to ever get a 10 out 10 in Melbourne restaurant.
Next are the plump spring rolls. I take a quick survey of the filling to notice shredded carrot, celery, cabbage and shitake mushroom amongst other ingredients. There is also the bonus of two sweet dipping sauces.
The tea tastes different and Steph suggest a hint of liquorice root. We end up working our way through quite a few pots of it.
Peking duck is becoming our backup staple at Chinese BBQ restaurants and those of us who participated in the Pacific BBQ House have problems shaking the memories of that divine peking duck. My first piece is a little thin on and a bit dry. Penny complains about her pancake falling apart, fatty duck and the lack of hoisin sauce by the time she has finished eating her spring roll with chopsticks. Still there is something about the combination of flavours and textures in peking duck that has me tasting it long after we leave the restaurant.
From the specials board we choose the deep fried oysters with special sauce and sautéed scallops with garlic stem. I love natural oysters and I’ve had Chinese fried oysters at yum cha before that left disillusioned at how the majestic oyster can be ruined. However at Seafood BBQ House the deep fried oysters are a pleasant surprise. Very tender (some suggesting they taste more like scallops than oysters) they had a mild flavour of the sea inside a perfectly fried shell with a touch of gently sweet sauce. Plus at $19 a dozen, a bargain. So good in fact that all five of us did ‘scissors, paper, rock’ over who got the last two.
The scallops come amongst a pile of green stalks that none of us had had before. The garlic stem was like a cross between spring onion and the stalks of Chinese broccoli. A subtle taste of garlic plus a sprinkling of carrot, mushroom and baby sweet corn in the dish. The scallops were perfectly cooked with a touch of sweetness.
We supplement all this with fried rice, which comes with unexpected pile of prawns on top (prawns, not shrimp) and has a great smoky flavour to it. I suppose it should in a BBQ restaurant... Though I find myself looking around for soy sauce and am suddenly struck the complete lack of condiments on the table.
By the time we have finished the restaurant is full. Maybe people are later eaters at BBQ Seafood House. The similarities with Pacific BBQ House are inescapable however lack of divine peking duck aside, I found BBQ Seafood House more even across the board and felt sated. Penny was just happy that nothing was gelatinous.
Ratings
Spring rolls 7.4/10
#27 (vegetarian corn soup) 7/10
Peking duck 7.2/10
Special (deep fried oyster with special sauce) 8.6/10
Special (sautéed scallops with garlic stem) 7/10
Average cost per person: $20
Am I in the twilight zone or is this place a replica of Pacific BBQ House four doors down? “Only someone who has eaten at every restaurant would make a comment like that,” says Mark in his first week of Chopstick Chowdown Challenge. The strung-up ducks in the front window are there, as is the wall covered in coloured papers with specials. But here we don’t have to wait for a table.Even the font on the menu looks the same. I do a double take – is it the same menu? However a count down to 27 yields a different item. This week it is vegetarian corn soup, which we begin with, dividing out a small bowl between the five of us in spirit of communal eating. It immediately makes me think of Japan and the addiction that grew there with hot corn soup in a can out of a vending machine. Delicious in a snow storm in Kyoto but is unlikely to ever get a 10 out 10 in Melbourne restaurant.
Next are the plump spring rolls. I take a quick survey of the filling to notice shredded carrot, celery, cabbage and shitake mushroom amongst other ingredients. There is also the bonus of two sweet dipping sauces.The tea tastes different and Steph suggest a hint of liquorice root. We end up working our way through quite a few pots of it.
Peking duck is becoming our backup staple at Chinese BBQ restaurants and those of us who participated in the Pacific BBQ House have problems shaking the memories of that divine peking duck. My first piece is a little thin on and a bit dry. Penny complains about her pancake falling apart, fatty duck and the lack of hoisin sauce by the time she has finished eating her spring roll with chopsticks. Still there is something about the combination of flavours and textures in peking duck that has me tasting it long after we leave the restaurant.
From the specials board we choose the deep fried oysters with special sauce and sautéed scallops with garlic stem. I love natural oysters and I’ve had Chinese fried oysters at yum cha before that left disillusioned at how the majestic oyster can be ruined. However at Seafood BBQ House the deep fried oysters are a pleasant surprise. Very tender (some suggesting they taste more like scallops than oysters) they had a mild flavour of the sea inside a perfectly fried shell with a touch of gently sweet sauce. Plus at $19 a dozen, a bargain. So good in fact that all five of us did ‘scissors, paper, rock’ over who got the last two.The scallops come amongst a pile of green stalks that none of us had had before. The garlic stem was like a cross between spring onion and the stalks of Chinese broccoli. A subtle taste of garlic plus a sprinkling of carrot, mushroom and baby sweet corn in the dish. The scallops were perfectly cooked with a touch of sweetness.
We supplement all this with fried rice, which comes with unexpected pile of prawns on top (prawns, not shrimp) and has a great smoky flavour to it. I suppose it should in a BBQ restaurant... Though I find myself looking around for soy sauce and am suddenly struck the complete lack of condiments on the table.
By the time we have finished the restaurant is full. Maybe people are later eaters at BBQ Seafood House. The similarities with Pacific BBQ House are inescapable however lack of divine peking duck aside, I found BBQ Seafood House more even across the board and felt sated. Penny was just happy that nothing was gelatinous.
Ratings
Spring rolls 7.4/10
#27 (vegetarian corn soup) 7/10
Peking duck 7.2/10
Special (deep fried oyster with special sauce) 8.6/10
Special (sautéed scallops with garlic stem) 7/10
Average cost per person: $20
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