Cafe Kowloon

By Franz Scheurer

Adelaide’s Chinatown has always been a culinary cut above the rest of Australia. Restaurants here have never seen the need for a Chinese and a Western menu, hiding all the really good dishes in fear that the gweilos wouldn’t cope. Bring on the braised intestines, pickled duck web, deep-fried cock’s combs or salted pigs’ ears. I have however made an interesting observation over the years: there seems to only ever be one top yum cha place at any one time. The title is passed on by the choice of the fickle and spoilt Adelaidians and the new king in waiting, in my opinion, is Café Kowloon. Ding Hao might still feel secure at the moment but they’d better watch out!

This simple, small licensed restaurant with tables spilling out onto the footpath, serves a mean yum cha. Impeccably fresh ingredients, perfectly steamed, braised, stir-fried or roasted, it offers superb food and easily the best service of any Chinese restaurant on Gouger Street. Try the scallop dumplings, the roast pork, the braised chicken feet and the taro dumplings for outstanding examples and make sure you leave room for some of the sweets. Chinese choux pastries? Absolutely! Custard tarts? A must!

Score; 6.5/10

For more information or bookings:

Cafe Kowloon

Chinese Restaurant

116a Gouger Street

Adelaide SA 5000

Tel.: 08 8410 8299