Surrey Hills 3127
Leveraging off the success of the hugely popular (and somewhat dilapidated) Smith Street restaurant, Old Kingdom has recently branched out into suburban Surrey Hills. I was pleasantly surprised at the modern feel of the place, as well as how clean and fresh everything looked. They've even designed the counter to act as a quasi mini bar area. The room is pretty big and tables aren't overly 'sardined' together. It's definitely a vast improvement to Old Kingdom's grandfather in Collingwood.
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| Carving the Duck |
Much has been said about the service standard, or lack thereof, at Old Kingdom. I'm not sure if I was just lucky or if people simply expect too much from a restaurant like this, but my experience wasn't all bad. The staff go about their duties matter of factly and will seldom crack a smile, but they get the job done and will happily top up your sauce or bring you an extra plate of garnish when asked. Service was quick and courses followed each other promptly. It's true that the wait staff look like they wish they were anywhere else, but keep in mind how busy this place is and the fact that they are probably paid a third or less of what 'professional' waiters get.
Only the ignorant would go to a peking duck restaurant and not order the peking duck (or in our case, three). For $55.00 you get peking duck, duck and bean shoot stir fry (with noodles for an extra $8.00) and duck soup with tofu and pickled vegetables. If you're not eating anything else, you'll need to indulge in one duck for every two people. To be honest, the duck isn't terribly traditional. It's very light on in terms of herbs and isn't as strongly seasoned. But the subtlety works. The meat is amazingly tender and succulent. As relatively young ducks are used, they are far less fatty and don't have that gamey taste that often comes with duck. Perhaps this is why Old Kingdom can afford to go easy on the seasoning? People who know me know that I'm not a fan of skin, but this was so spectacularly crisp and with minimal fat that even I enjoyed it. I could go on forever about how gorgeously delicate and thin the pancakes were. They are freshly made in house and worlds apart from the generic, supplier bought versions served at other restaurants. I would go as far as to say that they're the best peking duck pancakes I've had. The noodles, while good, were nothing special. As a testament to how lean the duck was, the shredded meat had absolutely no trace of fat. The soup was light and subtle, dominated by the natural sweetness of the duck. Arguably the best thing about Old Kingdom is that you won't go home having consumed about half a kilo of MSG.
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| Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk ($27.80) |
The other dishes on offer are a mixture of Chinese and Malaysian. Like the noodles, they are good enough to satisfy, but not spectacular enough to have you spreading the word. The beef dishes taste a bit 'food court' and the chefs tend to get too excited with the meat tenderising powder. Malaysian dishes like the Belachan Kang Kong tend to be done better and are just as good most Malaysian restaurants. I would also recommend the Deep Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk. Crispy and not over battered, with just enough saltiness from the oily salted egg yolk, these are pure bliss.
Old Kingdom's peking duck is undoubtedly the star of the show. It's what causes tongues to wag and diners to come en masse. Although their other dishes don't hold a candle to the duck, they are by no means terrible. When you book (a prerequisite for getting a table), you will be asked rather abruptly 'how many you want?'. Such is the popularity of their spectacular signature dish that it need not be spoken of, and whether you'll order it is a mere formality.
Casual Dining
Food - 4/5 (because of the duck)
Ambience - 3/5
Service - 3/5
Price - 4/5
Total - 14/20
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