I mentioned in a previous post that I don’t post about Chinese restaurants even though that makes up half of my dining experiences and I’ve finally realised why. Every time we go to Chinese restaurants, it’s with my parents. My dad is quite against me taking photos of food. He thinks it’s rude to the guests who have to wait for me to finish and it’s just a waste of time. Mind you, he LOVES photography, just the nature and artsy sort.
He puts on that fake smile of his and stares at me until chills run down my spine. I get it dad! As a result, my photos turn out disgusting and blurry.
Another reason I don’t like writing about them is the fact that I usually can’t get my hands on the bill. As most Chinese restaurants don’t have online menus, I never know how much dishes cost or even what they’re called. That, in my opinion, does not make good blogging content.
Either way, it’s Chinese New Year very soon and I just had to write about them as that’s all I’m going to be eating for the next few days.
Last night was spent at Kingsway Seafood Restaurant where a family friend invited us to dinner. It’s right opposite Rock Kung for those of you who don’t know about it as this restaurant opened up not too long ago and is owned by the same people at New Royal Garden (corner High St Rd and Blackburn Rd). It’s the most minimalist restaurant I’ve been to – their walls were stark yellow with absolutely nothing on them, no photos, no paintings, no decorations.
The only thing you’d pay attention to was the cramped space filled with many large round tables – obviously getting ready for CNY – and the big fish tanks at the back filled with large living things.
The first dish served were the fried pigeons. I haven’t had pigeons in so long since dad used to keep over 200 of them in our backyard for racing and I got attached to them. These ones were quite delicious as they were tender and fragrant. I loved the crispy skin and didn’t it too oily either. I just wish they were a bit meatier but obviously they’re quite small so couldn’t ask for much more.
Fried pigeons
I thought the order of dishes that came out was a bit confusing. The complimentary soup came out after the pigeons. I really liked the bowl they were served in though and made them look like something we had actually ordered. The flavour of the soup however, was somewhat lacking.
Complimentary soup with meat, pumpkin and fungus
The raw lobster we had though was just fantastic. It was the biggest thing I’ve ever seen and my family friend’s 8 year old daughter laughed and clapped in glee. It looked almost fake from a distance. What I was disappointed with was the lack of flesh. It seemed just a little small for the sheer size of the beast surely? Mind you the flesh is propped up by a big layer of ice so it’s not as much as it looks.
Raw lobster
If you’ve never had raw lobster before, I can tell you, it’s delicious. The natural sweet flavour and slightly chewy texture won’t be the thing for everyone (especially if you don’t like eating raw seafood like sashimi) but it’s one of my favourites.
I didn’t like their wasabi paste. Even though they gave us a lot, it wasn’t all that strong and Yuye noticed a thick layer of peppery-looking powder after being dissolved in soy sauce that made it look very gross.
A Chinese restaurant meal won’t do without eating baby abalone. Most places it’s $10 for 3 and come in black bean or garlic sauces. These abalone were reasonably tender and tasty, although I was too busy taking photos of the dishes that kept piling up to really notice the flavours. Lets just say they were average and taste similar to all the other Chinese restaurants I’ve been to.
Abalone cooked 2 ways
The beef stir-fry though was just perfect. Absolutely perfect. I couldn’t fault it at all. The meat was so tender it tasted almost like wagyu. I hardly needed to chew them. It was also perfectly seasoned with the right amount of salt and sauce. I find many restaurants over do it with the sauce, adding in way too much black bean paste but this dish had all the right elements. Even the veggies were crisp and green. My favourite dish of the night. 
Stir-fried beef with veggies
I didn’t try the scallops dish at all. It somehow didn’t seem appetising after having the wonderful beef. The deep-fried balls also had scallops in them and some of the scallops had different colours which made me wonder if they’re of a different variety or they’re not as fresh?
I didn’t like how the waiter who came to change this dish onto a smaller plate just blatantly disregarded some of the left over veggies. I’m not trying to be stingy but who likes to waste food right?
Braised and deep-fried scallops
The braised spinach was lovely and light. Most places make this dish with just garlic and salt which is not bad but this one came with dried shrimp which gave it extra flavour. It had the right amount of saltiness and was refreshing and light to eat after the more substantial dishes.
Braised spinach with dried shrimp
The steamed coral trout was beautiful and the meat was quite tender. The sauce was the classic soy sauce with ginger and spring onions, similar to the trout recipe on my blog. It was a big fish but we finished it quite quickly.
Steamed coral trout
I’m sure you’re now wondering what they did with the lobster legs and head that came with the whole lobster earlier. It’s normal for them to take those parts back to the kitchen and make another dish with it, in this case we chose braised lobster with ginger, shallots and egg noodles. Truth is, I’m actually quite sick of this dish, it’s inevitable that we order this every time we’re at a Chinese restaurant whether it’s cooked with lobster or crabs.
I still ate a fair bit of the noodles as rice wasn’t ordered.
What disappointed me the most about this dish wasn’t the flavour or the size, they were both fine, but rather the lack of the usual hand-wipes, hand-wash and even clamps for the lobster legs. A clamp was only provided after we requested for one but still no hand-wash. For those of you who don’t eat this dish much, it’s custom to provide a tea solution infused with lemon to wash our hands in as eating this dish can get quite oily and messy.
Braised lobster with ginger, shallots and egg noodles
4 vanilla ice creams were ordered which I didn’t take photos of but my brother’s girlfriend said they tasted like Coles vanilla ice creams. They were rich and delicious but most likely not house made.
Usually my dad orders the dishes and he always orders too much but this time it was perfect. We only took away the lobster and noodles but finished most of the others.
Although I liked the rich flavours of the dishes at Kingsway Seafood Restaurant, there are many issues with service that need to be addressed. I hope this is only due to its recent opening and they’re still trying to find their feet because as long time owners of New Royal Garden, they should really know what they’re doing. With that said, I’d go back to eat that stir-fried beef any day.
Kingsway Seafood Restaurant
Phone: (03) 9562 2688
100 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, raw lobster! I adore sashimi (including raw prawns and scallops), so I think I could be convinced to try that one. Gorgeous photos, too!
Me too!! I love raw prawns and scallops, in fact, raw scallops is one of my favourite foods. If it appears on a sashimi/sushi platter, I will fight over it for sure.
You should try it, it’s lovely. 
I totally know how you feel
My parents get really annoyed when I take pictures of the food that we’re eating hehe ~ and I’m not really a big fan of Chinese food that’s why I rarely blog about it hehe
Happy Chinese New Year
I know right! Parents just don’t understand what good cause we’re contributing. I’m totally not a big fan of Chinese food either, I have it every second day (or nearly every day) and I’m beyond being sick of it.
Too bad my dad eats nothing but Chinese!
Happy New Year!
OMG! My parents are just like that!! It’s so frustrating especially when we’re on holidays and we HAVE to go searching for Chinese food for them >_<
Wow, I didn’t realise you could eat raw lobster. Your photos look so yummy! I’m the same with chinese restaurants. I feel like we always order the same food and it becomes kind of boring.
You’ve never had it before? It’s quite nice
But some of my relatives are scared of eating it…recently my dad’s gotten super addicted to ordering raw lobster…I’ve had it about 3 times this week 
Can’t order the same thing all the time even if it IS very delicious….
My parents indulge my need to take pictures for a little bit, but its awkward when we have parties. I usually make a few extra and photograph it before people arrive or the next day.