What’s on the menu in Chinatown

Many of SA’s favourite restaurants are trying to survive the COVID-19 crisis by offering takeaway food and need our support. In the first part of a new series, Simon Wilkinson looks at what is on the menu in Chinatown.

Concubine’s prawn dumplings. Picture: Vueey Le

‘Welcome to the ghost town,” Concubine’s Audreen Lee says with a wry smile as she looks out to the empty street.

Like all the owners of restaurants in Adelaide’s Chinatown, Audreen can scarcely believe what has happened in the past three months.

Chinatown is Ground Zero for COVID-19’s destruction of the hospitality industry in this state. Long before social distancing restrictions came into play, the precinct’s restaurants were battered by a one-two punch: the loss of the international students who made up a large part of their customer base; and the ill-founded notion that eating in the area was no longer safe.

Walking down Gouger St now is heartbreaking. Lights are off, doors closed, messages taped on to windows talk of if, not when, they can open again. The footpaths that were filled with high-spirited hordes and crowded tables are nearly empty. Everyone is keeping their distance (which is good, of course).

Enticing wafts of soy and garlic, however, show there is still life in some of the strip’s most popular eateries. Some had already offered takeaway and delivery; others are new to the game. Either way, many Chinese dishes work brilliantly when transported home.

Here are three to try soon:

YING CHOW

It’s reassuring to see Chinatown fixture Brian Shair still in charge at Ying Chow, even if he is now working in the kitchen and taking orders rather than maintaining order in a frantically busy dining room.

Takeaway red vinegar ribs and BBC from Ying Chow

Many of the Ying Chow favourites translate well to takeaway. The legendary BBC (broad beans, bean curd, chutney) is served as a container brim-full of glossy, vivid green beans looking like little gemstones. Their tender snappiness contrasts perfectly with spongy strips of fried tofu and a lingering chilli kick. If you have leftovers, the combination is just as good the next day as a salad.

Also recommended are the finger-licking joy of red vinegar pork ribs coated in a fruity sauce that gets the sweet-sour balance just right, the brown bean beef and any of the duck dishes.

114 Gouger St, city, 8211 7998, open daily for takeaway or delivery within 8km

WAH HING

Driving home with Wah Hing’s tea-smoked duck is a serious test of willpower. As a heavenly aroma fills the car, it is ever-so-tempting to stop and have a little nibble.

And while pulled over, the golden pastry rings of shallot pancakes, sitting in an open carton so they don’t go soggy, are just demanding to be eaten.

Tea smoked duck at Wah Hing

Wah Hing’s Cantonese cooking has always seemed cleaner, fresher, more subtle than many of its neighbours on the street and that hasn’t changed. A big container of fried vermicelli noodles is light and free of any excess oil, the squiggly strands tossed with just enough chicken, shrimp, egg and bean sprouts.

And the duck, neatly dissected so breast slices sit on top and bonier portions underneath, is every bit as good as it smells.

85 Gouger St, city, 8212 0338, open daily for takeaway or delivery within 8km (minimum $50), 20 per cent discount on regular menu

CONCUBINE

An aristocrat in a strip known more for its cheap-and-cheerful eateries, Concubine has always stood out with its quality glassware, tablecloths and Shanghai tea house décor. Now, in takeaway mode, the focus shifts solely to what happens in the kitchen and particularly the quality local ingredients used.

Concubine prawns with sauce. Picture: Vueey Le

SA king prawns, in particular, shine. Even after a half-hour trip home, prawn and chive dumplings are spectacular, a fine veil of wrinkled wrapper giving way to big, bouncy chunks of meat dotted with chopped herb. Give them a swipe through a sticky soy and chilli oil dressing in the bottom of the container for extra kick.

Plump prawn cutlets, their little fan tails still attached, feature in a stir fry with beans, snow pea and other veg, all tossed with a house-made XO sauce packed with shreds of dried scallop and other goodies that give another level of powerful funk to the seafood flavour.

San choi bao also works surprisingly well, the lettuce leaves packed separately so they can be filled with a mix of chicken mince, chopped mushroom and bean sprouts at home.

For the moment, the restaurant is offering its complete regular menu with a 20 per cent discount. Other recommended items include the golden fragrant chicken and braised beef cheek in black bean sauce which should be a winner when the weather cools.

132 Gouger St, city, 8212 8288, open Tue-Sun for pick up only

Concubine’s prawn dumplings. Picture: Vueey Le