blue eye dragon

By Franz Scheurer

Tucked out of the way, almost at the end of Harris Street, blue eye dragon is a wonderfully cosy little restaurant serving serious Taiwanese food. Grey walls, a highly polished red-tinted wooden floor, a feature alcove with a collection of teapots and a captivating display of statues overhead, combine to soothe and relax you. A menu that immediately appeals (I want to order every dish) and a BYO policy promise a sensory experience at great value for money.

We order the ‘Entrée Tasting Plate for Two’ ($24), which changes with availability and the whim of the chef. More than a plate, it’s a collection of small entrees that arrive one after the other. Tonight it starts with beautifully plump ‘Pork Dumplings with Chives, Ginger and Shallot’ and succulent ‘Prawn Dumplings with Shallots and Chinese Celery’, the pastry is smooth with good bite and probably the best of its kind I have tasted in Australia. ‘Salt and Pepper Soft Shell Crab’ is crunchy, yet soft, hot but complex, ‘Taiwanese Salad Rolls with Sweet Peanut Powder, Coriander and Light Chilli’ are a touch sweet to my taste, but succulent scallops on the half shell (still attached to the shell!) with a light soy wash and a scattering of ginger and green onions are fabulous.

For mains we order far too much (as usual) but it’s worth it! The ‘Pork Belly slow cooked in Soy, Aniseed, Garlic and Light Chilli’ ($18) is a convincingly dry-seasoned dish that warms and soothes and the ‘Braised Beef Brisket with Aniseed, Ginger, Light Chilli, Tomato’ ($18) underpins the pork dish’s flavours. A dish of ‘Chicken with dry chilli & shallot in house Gongbao sauce’ ($18) provides the spice and the ‘Chinese Turnip Omelette’ ($16) is a crunchy delight, perfectly balancing the other dishes. All we needed now was something with a touch of sweetness and the ‘Prawns in Jade’s Bloody Plum Sauce’ ($24) provided the perfect sweet/acid balance. We are served fluffy fragrant steamed rice as an accompaniment.

I don’t know where we put it, but we finish the meal with a dessert of ‘Sticky Rice with Chinese Wolfberries & Sultanas with Sweet Peanut Powder and Coriander’ ($6) and again, the perfect balance and seeming simplicity is astounding.

This is seriously good food cooked with generation-old knowledge, a love for the ingredients and a healthy respect for tradition. The service is friendly and proficient and executed with a smile. If you love good food then this restaurant with its wonderful Taiwanese cuisine is one that must be experienced.

Score: 7/10

For more information or bookings:

blue eye dragon

Shop 2

42 Harris Street

Pyrmont

Tel.: 02 9518 9955

http://www.blueeyedragon.com.au