This place is tiny inside. I am 5 foot and when I walked to the restroom, I had to squeeze sideways past people sat down. I found this place too small and noisy. I went with a friend who had read a lot about Kylie Kwong so she was already impressed but I went knowing nothing about her reputation but knowing a lot about authentic Chinese food. We had mussels and fish dishes, they were standard quality and taste, nothing beyond cooking at home.
Ahhh Kylie, Kylie..... finally I get to your restaurant! After following the My China series and the books I could not wait to actually try the food I had seen and read so much about. I'm a bit torn about this experience because the actual restaurant itself is quite a gem, beautifully lit and eclectically decorated, great crowd too, but the food was a slight disappointment to me.
I guess I stupidly went in there with really high expectations but in the end it is what it is, a teahouse. We ordered the prawn dumplings with brown rice vinegar, the filling was dry and tasteless but the sauce was well-balanced and sharp. Then we had the best course of the night- the Fried Biodynamic Eggs with homemade XO sauce- Every lip-smacking, bone-tingling bite was an utter joy to consume!
The eggs are not your run of the mill sunny-side up, its like deep fried omelette but with the yolks still unbroken, so when you cut in the yolk mixes with the spicy, sour and sweet sauce. Pure dynamite! The rocket and calamari salad had amazing flavours but every now and then I would get the unpleasant texture of a completely RAW and squidgy tentacle in my mouth.
Lastly the White cooked chicken, I know the bones are meant to be red but the level of redness is what I was unprepared for. There was blood oozing out of them into my rice. At some other chinese restaurants (usually the expensive ones) they remove the bones all together so that this unique characteristic of white-cooked chicken doesn't deter you, as the flesh is indeed completely cooked.
That aside, I felt the dish lacked any flavour at all. The sauce looked great but was surprisingly bland ,would have liked more shallots/chillies garnish. I would go as far as to say make it a black vinegar dressing instead for more impact. My last complaint is about the tea. For a chinese teahouse there is only ONE tea to choose from!
Also, the fact that you don't get refilled feels a bit stingy to me. So it was tepid water for the rest of the evening. However, the wait-staff were fantastic and getting a clean bowl with every course was a very nice touch.
Fantastic ... I had of BK's for many years and was a bit apprehensive. However, the experience exceeded my expectations. There were six of us, four adults and two strapping 17 year old boys. The food was delicious and abundant, and the price with plenty of drinks very reasonable.
I have dined at Billy Kwong many times over the past couple of years and enjoy the great tasting fresh flavours. Unfortunately, since opening, the banquet price has doubled. After all, this restaurant really is just a stylish cafe - there are no great views and it's pokey. I think that if the restaurant wants to fit the bill of having great food it should have a great dessert menu - for some it's the highlight of a meal. All they offer is fruit and chocolate.
Have eaten dinner here twice in the past few months, the first time off the a la carte menu and the second time the banquet. Both times we experienced wonderful food and very friendly, chatty staff. Yes, the chairs are not the most comfortable however, the closeness of the tables add to the ambience. We arrived early both times (before 6.30pm on a Tues & a Wed) and had no trouble getting a table. Highly recommended.
I keep coming back here for the deep fried eggs, micro salad, and the mandarin duck. The pork is also very good. I have never had a bad meal here. Service is always on the ball and friendly. The only downside are the small space, seats are not too comfortable and it does get noisy. But the food is truly wonderful and deserves to be the best Chinese in Sydney.
The food was really nice; nothing blew me away I guess but nice flavours. I always find it interesting reading this site after (never before) I’ve eaten somewhere.
I enjoyed the ambience for what it was. I was on a first date so certainly made it more fun than being in a poxy fine dining restaurant or dodgy pub. I would suggest to the closed mined writers below to pick a restaurant that will suit your night. If you're after a relaxed night out with friends and food this is your place. If you're after an intimate evening perhaps you should THINK a little beforehand, duh!
Only criticism was that I felt we were being pushed into too much food. Didn’t order much, the bill racked up fairly quickly and we had heaps of food left. At least they'll pack it up for you so it made a great lunch the next day!
If you are looking for great tasting Chinese food - this is the place to good. If the bbq duck with the mandarin sauce is on offer go for it. All dishes looked simple and uncomplicated - which sometimes translates into average tasting food. The kitchen squeezes every last ounce of flavour out of each ingredient. Try the pumpkin as well - who would have thought that traditional Chinese flavours would work with baked pumpkin. Love how it is BYO and corkage was not over the top.
Our waiter was fantastic in offering portion sizes and the fact that they can 'upsize' if they need to (e.g. wontons usually come as 4 but we needed 6) is helpful instead of some restaurants who simply refuse and make you order 2 lots of the same dish.
My only concern with this restaurant was the fact there was only one bathroom?! But I'm not there to hang out in the toilet. Would definitely go again however, the fact you can't book a smaller table might put me off.
Kylie has taken her eye off the ball. We all agreed (4) every dish was too salty(too much fish sauce). We don't mind paying high prices for good food but the flavours weren't that extraordinary. I dont care if it is organic. It is a silly small room with uncomfortable chairs. I elbowed the woman sitting behind me twice. I also don't undestand the lining up for a table concept?