Jimmy | Posted on Sunday, December 25, 2011 at 21:22 Kung Pao Chicken - Quanjude, Melbourne Central
On Christmas Day 2011, we flew from Wellington to Melbourne for a week. I'd searched and searched for a flash place to go for a Christmas dinner but it seemed that most places cooking European style food were closed, and those that were open were doing lavish set menus that required bookings and cost at least AU$150 a head.
We decided this price was out of our league and that we would just wing it when we got into the city. Due to a massive lightning storm that enveloped Melbourne as our plane was approaching we landed a little bit later than our scheduled 5pm arrival and didn't make it into the city to the apartment we had rented until about 8pm.
So, not being in the mood for a lengthy hunt for somewhere to eat we went to Quanjude, which handily was just around the corner from where we were staying. It seemed like a relatively flash place, but i'd spotted more than one other patron in their finest jandals like I was so we bowled on in.
Dining in Melbourne is a bit different to Wellington - most places have much better service, and this was no exception. Our tea never ran out and they even went to such lengths as to flourish our napkins over our laps and serve portions of food from the main plates onto our individual ones. Swanky!
The Kung Pao chicken here was amazing - and is the version i've been trying to replicate. The dried chillies had an almost smokiness to them and were nice and hot. The chook itself was cooked perfectly, but it was the sauce that I liked best. It was thick, dark and syrupy sweet as well as being nicely salty from the soy. I could have eaten two plates of it.
http://www.quanjude.com.au/
Reader Comments