Sydney Eats: Emperor's Garden Restaurant

After three days in Melbourne (so short, I know!), we arrived in Sydney.  And the first thing on my Dad's mind?  Chinese food!!!  If you've read about my post about Emperor's Garden Restaurant last 2013, then good for you!  Haha, I'm kidding.  Being no stranger to this restaurant, my Dad chose this one as our first meal in Sydney.  Us kids, who are not much of a fan of Chinese restaurants, had no choice because the boss said so.  Ok, I'm kidding again.  We actually love this one because the food is absolutely fantastic!  Let's get going, shall we?  

Fresh Steamed Abalone

Chewy, but a little on the tough side.  But fresh abalone can never be compared to the canned ones, it will always be tougher.

Stir-fried Scallops with Egg White

Our favorite!  Even though we did not enjoy it that much last year, I made sure we ordered this one and just tell the server not to add too much flour with the eggs.  The result?  Almost got into a fistfight with my Brother.  LOL.  But yes, it was THAT good.  I am always amazed as to how huge their scallops are!

Honey King Prawns

This was truly unforgettable last year.  And this time around?  STILL AS GOOD!  Prawns were big and juicy!  An absolute must!

Fried Rice with Diced Scallops and Vegetables with Egg White

Still good.  So good that someone who does not eat rice actually ate more than a bowl of it!  (hello, Brother!)

Stir-fried Diced Fillet Steak with Japanese Style Raddish

Extremely tender.  Japanese-Style Raddish = Wasabi.  The addition of wasabi added a nice kick to an otherwise normal dish.

Nobler Barbecued Pork Spare Ribs

Melts in your mouth.  Or rather, MY mouth.  Bwahahahaha!

Stir Fried Beancurds with Assorted Mushrooms

The stir-fried beancurds were silky soft.  Almost felt like eating chawan mushi (Japanese steamed egg).

As if that's not enough, we went back for another round of Emperor's Garden Restaurant on our last night in Sydney!  We ordered a bit of the same dishes, and added some other new dishes too.  Other dishes are as follows:

Goose Web with Sea Cucumber in Pot

Not too impressed with the goose web.  It was tough bite.  I've had really soft and almost fall off the bone goose web before, so this one did not impress me at all.

Stir-fried Sliced Mini Abalone with XO Sauce

The sliced version was way better than the whole one.  Still chewy, but easier to bite into.

Pan-fried Wagyu Fillet

We found out about the wagyu fillet just as we were about the finish dinner the first time around this trip.  So Mom made sure to order this one when we went back.

Wagyu Fillet.  Look at that color!

I wish I could tell you that it tasted as good as it looked, but it did not.  Lacked the melt-in-your mouth goodness of wagyu.  For me, the best wagyu award still goes to Japan.

So the verdict?  We had a better meal the first night.  The second time around was not bad either, but paled in comparison to the first.  If we're talking about just the first night, then I'd give them 5 out of 5 stars.  But if you include the second night, then I guess it'd have to be 4 out of 5.  Next time, I'll go back for all those tried and tested ones and just stick to that!

Emperor's Garden Restaurant is at 100 Hay Street, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia