T-Chow: Cantonese in the heart of Adelaide’s Chinatown and Gouger Markets
T-Chow, an Adelaide yum cha insitution, sensibly decides to introduce pencils and menus in lieu of carts.
I am not a restaurant complainer. I have my own, satisfying, method of identifying problems and venting. But for every rule, there is of course an exception.
It was at yum cha one gloomy Sunday, a suburban local that seemed worth a shot. Round went the trolley; point at the dumplings did I; in with the chopsticks, and WTF? Everything was cold. I pointed this out to the man with the cart, who opened the door of his stainless chariot to reveal what he matter-of-factly informed me was an empty gas bottle. As if this were an entirely reasonable explanation. I didn’t pay.
Semi-institutional Adelaide dining barn T-Chow has dispensed with the trolley system, which is a little sad but, as the aforementioned anecdote should reveal, negates any excuse for cold dumplings. Not that this is a yum cha-only proposition at lunch. You can order from the list with a supplied pencil (there’s an info sheet with pictures for the uninitiated); browse the carte. Or mix ’n’ match.
The Pitch: Simple, old-school Cantonese in the heart of Adelaide’s Chinatown/Eat Street Gouger/Central Markets precinct.
The reality: T-Chow hasn’t survived on its hospitality credentials. No sirr-ee. It’s a perfunctory experience, arriving here, being not so much greeted as processed into an ordinary table, even at lunch when demand for the better tables is low. Choose one that suits better if you feel like it. You are not going to leave besties with the waiter. It’s not that sort of a place.
The cuisine: Great standards. It’s that simple. Go early and you should (should) get everything freshly prepared. But specify how you want it to arrive. We found ourselves with (excellent) stir-fried kale and oyster sauce, and house special fried rice, long, long before the yum cha dishes arrived; and, in retrospect, that was possibly our fault for not specifying.
Highlights: Next time, and there will be a next time, I’d politely demand my steamed items first. Outstanding, slightly sweet ginger sauce bible tripe (as opposed to honeycomb) is a joy, laced with bean shoots and a little fresh spring onion. Full of life and love, juicy and … well, you probably need to like tripe to get it. Glossy, steamed spinach and scallop dumplings the size of a squash ball are similarly excellent, cooked and served just right, though in the typically reactive manner of this place, you’ll need to ask for condiments like soy, chilli bean sauce, chilli, that kind of thing. And maybe a second paper napkin. This kind of eating destroys them. Fried rice is only a little special, but if you have a penchant for fried garlic, the “salt and pepper whole flounder” is a case, almost, of a little fish with your garlic: a flour-dusted fish deep fried and served with fresh chilli, it’s gelatinous and satisfying, a Cantonese classic that pre-dates the vogue status this creature now enjoys in the bistros of our land.
Lowlights: Mysteriously, given the bouncy freshness of its other steamed companions, the glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf — in this case filled with shiitake, lap cheong sausage and minced pork — is steamed beyond recognition. I wondered if we’d ordered a firm new style of congee.
Will I need a food dictionary? Not with that collection of pictures to help you choose.
The damage: Starters about $5.80, mains about $25.
Address: 68 Moonta Street, Adelaide | Contact: (08) 8410 1413, tchow.com.au | Open:
lunch, dinner daily | In summary:Super reliable, and well-priced. Go with modest expectations of the service and you’ll be happy | Rating: 3 out of 5