Chatswood BBQ Kitchen

I love, love, love roast duck. A fact that is known by my family here as well as in Malaysia. So whenever I'm in the neighbourhood I go to Chatswood BBQ Kitchen because they have really good chinese bbq meats. The roast duck is my favourite in Sydney and the other bbq-ed wares are good too.

But a little bit about the place, it's a pretty basic layout and very Hong Kong in style - there's booth tables along the walls, plain chairs and tables in the centre space. The shop front comprises the bbq window where you can watch the bbq-man chopping away dishes of duck/pork with rice for diners and plastic containers of takeaway.

They used to be across the road in a smaller space, but some years ago moved to their current bigger location. Their menu has grown too - in addition to the bbq, noodles and rice dishes there are now dishes for a proper dinner meal, including steamed whole fish (fresh from the tank), mud crabs and more. It all looks tasty too.

The duck is consistently good - lean with glistening skin and moist flesh. I can't speak for others, but this is just the way I like my roast duck. I could never go past it when deciding what to eat until.....

A bbq admirer? 1/4 Roast duck - just look at it...

I think it might have been a year ago (or more, I can't remember) that I saw something new on the menu - "Soaked rice with Shun De fish ball" (順德魚腐泡飯 in Chinese, $10.30). For those who aren't familiar, soaked rice is a dish which is like rice in soup, with meat/seafood/vegies added in. It is so good. The fish soup is full of flavour with a nice milky consistency. In addition to the rice and the (super awesome) Shun De fish balls there's chinese cabbage, diced up mushrooms, zha cai (pickled mustard plant, which gives the soup the teeniest sour notes which I like), wood ear fungus and corn kernels. The Shun De fish balls are really something else - it's soft and soggy in a good way and the pre-frying (when they're made, I think) gives them lots of flavour. Heaven. It's since been my favourite dish at Chatswood BBQ Kitchen.

Soaked rice with Shun De fish balls. a.k.a "heaven"

Oh, I should mention there are other variations of soaked rice and rice noodle too. All come in the milky fish soup. I got a taste of the "Rice noodle and cuttlefish ball and seaweed" ($10). The cuttlefish balls are really soft, yum. The soup is lighter compared to the Shun De one but still flavoursome. Thumbs up, but my heart still belongs to Shun De fish balls.

Rice noodle and cuttlefish ball and seaweed

What: Chatswood BBQ Kitchen
Where: See below for the growing empire

• Chatswood original branch: 306-308 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood 02 9419 6532
• Soon to open Chatswood branch: 426-428 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood
• Hurstville branch: 192a Forest Road, Hurstville 02 9580 6881 (only takeaway BBQ from memory, yes I've been there too..)
• Eastwood branch: Shop 32/1 Lakeside Road, Eastwood 02 9874 5508 (not sure if this is BBQ only/takeaway only)

How much: 1/4 duck as a dish costs $10, soaked rice/vermicelli in the $10 range.
Need to know: Dinnertime is VERY busy at Chatswood. I don't know if they take bookings. While I waited in line I think heard a waiter say that if you want crab, you should pre-order.