It's a weeknight where I head to Dragonboat restaurant to meet a group of foodie pals. It's a venue that I've never been to before but tonight we will be feasting on a banquet.
Mr Weekend Food Escapes and I order a Tsingtao and a glass of red wine to cheers to the night. We are sitting by the window that has a nice waterview of Darling Harbour.
The Head Chef Owen Wang comes out to speak to the group of foodies and you know the food is going to be authentic and legit!! He is very friendly.
Mr Weekend Food Escapes went travelling to Bejing a few years ago and we still have fond memories of the Pekking duck pancakes we had. It's tonight that we also relieve those memories. There's the Pekking Duck Banquet for 2 people at $42 which has
- Peking duck pancake,
- Peking duck san choy bow,
- Peking duck chopped to serve,
- Special fried rice,
- Dessert of the day and
- A glass of wine.
If you are a duck fan then you'll love this option. The pekking duck is very enjoyable to eat with a soft savoury pancake, cucumber, shallot, hoisin sauce and that glistening duck. Mr Weekend Food Escapes loves duck.
We are also treated to a special spanner crab in a 13 flavour spicy sauce soup ($48.80). This dish is served up in a giant bowl and was shared amongst the group. The broth is AMAZING and incredibly flavoursome. The broth is moderately spiced and quite complex in flavours. I end up using this flavoursome broth and adding this to the fried rice. I would highly recommend if you love crab. This is one of the favourites of the group.
We are also treated to some Roast Duck and the duck San Choy Bao is served up in a glass which Mr Weekend Food Escapes enjoys. The Roast duck has crunchy skin which the foodies enjoy and they also enjoy the moist flesh.
I focus more on the seafood while Mr Weekend Food Escapes eats the duck dishes. The steamed mussels are loaded with spring onions, black bean sauce and chopped mushrooms. I really enjoy the natural flavour of mussels but also enjoy the Chinese twist. The black bean sauce adds a depth to the mussel in flavour. I also love the Deep fried prawns with maggi seasoning in salt and pepper. There's a nice crunch to the prawns which is even more crunchy with the crispy onions on top.
As Mr Weekend Food Escapes is allergic to shellfish, we are also treated to a delicious beef rib dish which is crunchy on the outside flakey on the inside. There's a sweet sticky flavour on the outside that is addictive. We all agree that this in addition to the crab dish are our favourites.
Other staples in any Chinese banquets also include vegetables and also fried rice! Fried rice is great for soaking up all the flavours of the other dish but also it's an Asian staple. Banquets also generally include a vegetable dish for balance and good health. For dessert, we sample the Glutinous rice ball in fermented sweet soup. This is a dessert which I haven't had before but really enjoy the soft, chewy texture of the rice balls in the sweet and alcholic tasting broth.
Summary: Overall I really enjoyed the Chinese banquet at Dragonboat Restaurant. My favourite dishes were the crab soup with that delicious and complex spiced soup and also that beef. The duck is also really tasty if you love duck. I also enjoy the waterside views at Darling Harbour.
Location: Located within Harbourside Shopping Centre 2-10 Drive, Darling Harbour
Opening Hours:
11:30am to 3pm, 5:30pm to 10pm Daily
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| Owen Wang is all smiles |
Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of the venue or their representatives. All photos, opinions and words are my own.
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