After mum and I spent a morning running errands in the city, she took me out to lunch at Chefs Gallery. We arrived at noon, which meant it was very easy to get a table, but by the time we had finished about an hour later, the place was packed, and there was even a wee line.

Mum ordered some of her favourites, including two hot soya milks with azuki beans ($3.90), warm, comforting, and just sweet enough. Mum’s usual dish is a Zha Jiang noodle: handmade noodles with minced pork sauce, cucumber, carrots sticks, and edamame ($13.90), which she easily polishes off by herself. And I could see why–the noodles were simply delicious, having been freshly handmade on the premises, and the minced pork sauce super yummy. I would’ve liked some more of the vegetable toppings, though–especially the edamame, of which there were only half a dozen.

Yummy toppings for the yummy noddles.

More of the noms!

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On Saturday (aka Day 2 of Samantha in Sydney 2015), my parents (with whom I’m staying) decided to make a trip to Sydney’s southern suburbs and pick up a few things from a family friend. While we were there, they took me out to lunch at Yong Feng Restaurant, a local Chinese eatery–and, unlike Bang, its market was most decidedly the local Chinese population. In the vein of Chinese dining, mum and dad ordered several dishes to share, while my sister and I sat back and chatted away.

The servings at Yong Feng were very generous, and at a ridiculously low price that even my yet-to-be-recalibrated-Sydney-monetary-radar could recognise. Make no mistake: this isn’t where you’d go for an up-market gastronomical experience, complete with pressed linen and three sommeliers, but if you want to be seated while stuffing yourself with some cheap and satisfying grub, then Yong Feng is definitely worth a visit.

Halfway through our meal, when all the dishes were happily gathered together.

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