Ocean King House Restaurant

By Franz Scheurer

Just south of the business district of Kogarah is a well-lit, attractive two-storey house, the home of Ocean King House Restaurant. A Cantonese haven in a gastronomic wilderness, its beacon shining brightly, with so many regulars that it can be hard to secure a table.

The interior couldn’t be mistaken for anything else but a Chinese restaurant. Decoration, table-settings, wall hanging and very bright light make sure of that, but the space is a little more generous, the noise level a little lower and the service a tad faster than what we have come to expect. The menu is extensive and apart from a banquet menu on the wall, all dishes are labelled in English as well as Chinese. Mind you, with typical Chinese nonchalance some of the descriptions are rather vague: a dish of ‘Free Range Chicken’ turns out to be a perfectly steeped chicken, served as part of a cold platter with boiled peanuts and jellyfish. It’s an excellent dish but might surprise some less adventurous diners.

Let me tell you right up front: the food is good… no... the food is great! Some of the best Cantonese this city has to offer. Start with the ‘Steamed Oysters with Ginger and Shallots’, rich, creamy oysters served at the perfect temperature, perfectly seasoned, and a real treat! The ‘Singapore Style Mud Crab’ is exceptional. The balance between spice heat and sweetness is admirable and the crab’s own taste is not overpowered. Finger-licking good, and served with a generous finger bowl with vinegar and large wet towels to clean up the mess. A dish of ‘Eel Fillets’ is a Chinese take on the Japanese unagi and is sweet, caramelised and unctuous. They use saltwater rather than freshwater eel and although fattier it has a lot more depth. The ‘Stuffed Beancurd – Hak Gar Style’ is filled with Szechuan pickled cabbage, coated with what we suspect to be chickpea flour and deep-fried. Delicate and robust in one, this is an attractive and innovative dish. The ‘Green Bean with Minced Pork in XO Sauce’ is the best version of this dish I have tried, spicy, texturally alluring and leaving you with a complex, layered taste that seems to go on forever. The only disappointment was the ‘Scallops in Bird’s Nest’, sugar snap peas and scallops stir-fried in oyster sauce and ginger, served in a vermicelli basket with mermaid’s tresses underneath. Although it was competent, yours truly was disappointed not expecting vermicelli but the real delicacy of a swallow’s nest. My mistake… The obligatory fruit platter at the end of the meal featured very good watermelon and rock-hard rock melon.

The large row of tanks with the live seafood is put to very good use. The seafood is obviously fresh (well, alive actually until you order it), and this freshness, combined with the chef’s knowledge and experience, shows in the quality of the food.

Service is friendly and quite fast, but surprisingly uninformed. Normally Chinese wait staff know their product and the only problem can be a language barrier, here, they spoke perfect English and knew very little about the food.

If you’re after authentic Cantonese food and fresh seafood, at very good value for money, then I suggest you make the journey to Kogarah. It will be worth it.

Score: 7/10

For more information or bookings:

Ocean King House Restaurant

247 Princes Highway

Kogarah

Tel.: 02 9587 3511