Ok everyone, this is my first post about food. Today I decided to try Da Wan Lai: The Poets at Top Ryde shopping centre. I have been past this place a few times prior as well as the one in Eastwood but have never bothered to try it.
Da Wan Lai and its sister restaurant Da Wan Lai: The Poets is different from other Chinese restaurants as it specialises in Northern Chinese cuisine such as Shandong, Shanghai and Sichuan rather than the usual Cantonese fare.
Unlike Southern China where the staple food is rice, the diet in Northern China is more wheat based. That is probably why you see more dumplings, noodles and buns in the menu in restaurants that specialise in Northern Chinese cuisine as well as in Northern China itself.
Anyway back to the dining experience. As I was walking inside the restaurant, the restaurant felt like it had a nice ambience as it was beautifully decorated. You could also see the chefs preparing the meals through the glass window.
When I sat down, I was handed the menu but as I had previously looked at the menu from the outside, I knew what I was going to order already. I had decided to order Chinese Green Tea, Steamed Pork Dumplings and Dan Dan noodles.
As the chefs prepare the dumplings on site, be prepared to wait at least 10-15 minutes for them. As I was being served tea by the waitress, two other patrons came into the restaurant and their meals were already prepared for them. They had ordered dishes that were similar to mine so it was a relief to know that the dumplings looked tempting....yummmm!!
Here is a picture of the tea that I had ordered:
Finally. the Dan Dan noodles arrived. Dan Dan noodles is a Sichuan dish. It got its name from a type of pole that was used by street vendors in Sichuan. It was served in a broth that contained a lot of Chilli oil and Sichuan pepper. I enjoyed this dish, especially the noodles and the flavours as I like my food to have some spices in it. However, I would say that this dish was probably more bland than some Thai or Indian dishes that I have eaten in the past. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable but yet made my tongue have a strange sensation. Also, this dish seemed less greasy than at some other Sichuan restaurants I have been to but still if you are not used to oily food, you will find this to be a bit oily for your liking. I forgot to mention that this was served with quail eggs.
After some time waiting, the pork dumplings arrived. The name that the Chinese use for this dish is Xiao Long Bao. I think bao means bun. The pork dumplings were probably the best dish of the day as it was refreshing from the Dan Dan noodles I had just eaten. I will definately order this dish again. Maybe I might even learn how to make them myself as well.
That is all for now. Hope you are all doing well.
Laura xx
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