Da Wan Lai The Poets

8.5 Highly Recommended

Food  8      Ambience  10      Service  7      Value  9     

The Poets has become a regular spot for us. We love the courtyard setting with water feature and musicians. The food is fresh and not the usual Chinese fare. Dumplings, buns, duck and mixed veggies are all good.

It is quiet enough to enjoy a good conversation. Service is casual but efficient. We have eyed the nearby coffee/dessert cafe, but we never have room for it!

May 06, 2012 

7 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  7     

Overall the food was pleasant and good quality, the servings for some mains were a bit small but I guess you are also paying for quality. For 6 people we paid $21 each, including a round of fresh juices.

The dumplings were yummy and fresh and the sizzling beef was quite nice, they use good cuts of beef and the flavours were great...(this dish was on the small side). The szechuan pork was really spicy, just the way I like my food but if you don't like spice, stay away from it.

The service was lacking at times, we were continuously waving them down, however, the plus is that the staff were polite. We were seated outside, the ambience was very nice, people everywhere and there was a small band playing in the piazza. Would go again for a special occasion.

Mar 25, 2012 

7.3 Recommended

Food  7      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  8     

I only had a dumplings and some dan dan noodle soup, but this certainly intrigued me enough to return. Soup was spicy without being overpowering, and the dumplings were fresh and plump.

Mar 20, 2012 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  7      Value  9     

After reading Dumpling Girl and Cheesecake Boys blog, we thought we'd try the Dim Sum at Poets for lunch and were not let down. The Pork dumplings were as good as their reputation. The chives, prawn and egg pancakes were a real surprise. The vegie spring rolls were the best we have ever had! We ate too much, but wanted to try as many dishes as possible. Smaller serves would be good, maybe we should have asked.

Service was good at first but we were a bit forgotten about later (had to find their water jug for a top-up). $40 for a four dish Dim Sum, a beer and a glass of sparkling was good value, especially as three dishes would have sufficed. We'll be back.

Jan 25, 2012 

9.5 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  9      Value  10     

Dinner for 5 for less than $100 without compromising quality. We ordered Boiling Fish, Shandong Chicken, Chinese Cabbage with pork mince dumplings, Mixed veg with tofu. The Fish was a real hit, it is supposed to be spicey but we requested less spicey which still tasted succulent. The chicken was served in half sizes, a whole chicken would have been nice. The dumplings were also a favorite, we could have ordered more but were full enough without over indulging. The veggie dish was a healthy choice.

We also got pumpkin flavored pancake with red bean. Not a favorite. Chinese restaurants rarely if at all gave a dessert menu to rave on about. Overall for the value n food quality I do recommend for you to try.

Dec 30, 2011 

9 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  10      Service  8      Value  9     

Food was great (especially the chinese cabbage/pork mince dumplings and the boiled fish). I think the restaurant could have used another waiter to improve the responsiveness of the servers.

Dec 29, 2011 

7.8 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  7      Value  8     

Table of 8 on a Saturday night. Food was delicious and there was nothing left over. Ordered entrees and mains at same time and mains came out too close to entrees but other than that can not fault as food was quickly served.

Service was friendly and efficient without being overbearing (greatly improved from my first visit) and the little touches such as cushions on our chairs and candle provided for our birthday cake were appreciated.

Reasonably priced and BYO option is fantastic ($3 corkage per person is great value). We'll be back.

Oct 10, 2011 

5.8 Average

Food  7      Ambience  6      Service  5      Value  5     

Not bad, although the xiao long bao would have been better if they were hotter. The hot and sour soup was a little bit too sour.

Oct 06, 2011 

7 Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  7      Service  5      Value  7     

Great food at reasonable prices. The boiling fish was (and I use this word sparingly) authentic. Having traveled around Sichuan 5 years ago, this dish was the closest thing I've eaten since coming back. Like my favourite dish I had in Sichuan, it is very hot but so delicious that you will ignore the heat to just finish it. It makes me happy.

It was somewhat let down by a confused service team who had forgotten our cumin chips despite being reminded no less than 3 times throughout the night. Would definitely come back just for that dish alone. The value was there especially when you consider Hurricane's next door charges $40 for ribs and is full on weekends.

Sep 29, 2011 

8.3 Highly Recommended

Food  9      Ambience  8      Service  6      Value  10     

This is a restaurant which has great food and for 2 people we only paid $40 which I consider a bargain. We ordered for a Saturday lunch: a citron pot of tea, steamed pork dumplings (12), scallop dumplings (8) and a lovely Beijing styled pork with crepes. Here's the good news. I am a huge fan of the Taiwanese Din Tai Fung so I wondered how the dumplings would compare. Well they compare very well.

Whilst the dough is not quite as transparent and elastic, the flavour was great and price and quantity wise, I am sure many patrons would be happier here. The restaurant also provides live barramundi. The only complaint is the inconsistency of the wait staff, it did not quite match the trendy surroundings of the restaurant. Recommended.

Jul 03, 2011