Ironchef Chinese Seafood Restaurant - Broomfield St Cabramatta

Where else can you find good Yum-Cha in Sydney. You are tired of fighting the congestion of Haymarket, and the traffic chaos that is Chatswood. How about Cabramatta? Surprised? Don't be! While Cabramatta is famous for its little Vietnamese shops boasting the best Pho in town, there are also Yum-Cha restaurants that are equal to those found in Haymarket and Chatswood.

We arrived at Ironchef at around 10:30. Even at this time on a Sunday morning, hungry families had already started collecting tickets waiting for their number to be called for a free table. I am guessing Sunday is when many Chinese families will gather for a feast of dumplings, sticky rice and paos. No different to any other good yum-cha joint in town.

Carts are brimming with bamboo pots and we are spoilt for choice. It is hard to discern between this yum-cha with the best I have eaten in Sydney. I will definitely have to come back with a bigger group to try many more of the unique offerings, which I did not have the chance to on this day.
I tried the usual suspects and also a few new offerings.

In terms of size, Ironchef is large and with an open kitchen you can see what is going on. Outside Ironchef is a club area as well. So you can eat, watch the latest sport, place some bets. Lots going on to keep everyone happy.

The staff are friendly although trying to get a tofu fa took quite a while as only one cart was circulating with this delicious dessert.

Situated directly opposite the railway line, Ironchef is easily accessible. If you get there early, parking is not a problem and generally you won't have to look very hard for a spot.

After yum-cha the main centre of Cabramatta is just quick walk over the train line. Walk off the calories perusing the shops and quence your thirst with sugar cane juice.

See a different side of Cabramatta, the side where families shop for fresh produce, enjoy delicious yum-cha and spend quality time together.

Rating : ***

Nick's Seafood Restaurant - King St Wharf

When looking for a restaurant to impress on friends from overseas, you tend to go for the trusted names such as Nick's, Doyles etc... You hope for a level of service and quality of food that is consistent and worthy. When it goes wrong, potentially, you leave a bad impression, because people feel that they have paid a premium yet end up experiencing a feeling similar to that of leaving a local McDonalds restaurant.

Our night started out with the reservation being misplaced. Luckily on this cold Monday night, most restaurants on the Wharf strip were empty, so it was not a problem obtaining a table for 6.

Menu options are quite solid in all areas. Seafood tends to dominate the menu, but having a seafood in its title, you expect that. I tried Nick's Chowder Soup for my starter. With a reference of local chowder firmly etched into my palate, Nick's came up short. Flavours were not as intense and the measly offerings within the chowder just did not stack up to those sampled further up the bay towards South Head.

Onto the mains and it was the Seafood Platter that was now being tested. Refreshingly, it was nice to see an offering that was not dominated by fried battered! Fresh lobster, king prawns and oysters stood out.

In my experience when sampling platters, you quite often stumble on morsels of seafood you were not expecting to see, yet with this offering, what was on the menu was all you got and even then we were made to share just 1 piece calamari.

Attention to detail was sadly lacking. Imagine receiving a chowder, without a spoon, or bread without butter? Yet this was the case. I can only guess, that the crew on hand had a crazy weekend where they were run off their feet, and were looking for a Monday night, where they could tune out.

Finally it was time to pay the bill and watch out if you have an entertainment book because you will have to wrestle with the maitre'd or shall I see the kid with a tie to get your discount to which you are entitled to. You have been warned!

Overall a disappointing experience. The food was average and service was a real let down. When you spend $200(after discount) you are hoping, that you are spoiled for an hour or 2, rather than made to supervise the staff to ensure your needs are being met.

Rating : **