chuchu

This place has only been open for 2 weeks and was a surprise as we walked pass. My wife is from Beijing & loves dumplings so it was a no brainer that thats where we were having lunch. The place is very clean, Chinese style decor, very welcoming staff, great choice of food that comes quickly and hot.
We ordered pork & chive dumplings - steamed & delicious, pan fried chive cakes - pastry crispy & light, cooked just right & absolutely delicious. I ordered the fried tofu with spicy peppery salt - yum and we also had the Yuxian shredded pork - little bit salty but yum. Hau Chu in fact (hope the spelling is okay).
After trying lots of Chinese restaurants in Canberra & being very disappointed (still like CBD Dumpling House), this place is great & we will definitely be going back.

Wife loves high tea - this place does it on Sunday's only. $45 per head. Wow, it was the best high tea I've had the misfortune to go to (as I said, my wife likes high tea). This also included a glass of bubbly (or other drink if you wanted). Out came the plate tower with the usual stuff, sweet, savoury etc. I thought that was that & then came out the plate with stuffed zucchini flowers & a couple of other sweet and savoury hot nibbles.
Service was fantastic. Even I wouldn't mind going back.
Hidden Gem as they don't advertise they do high tea.

This was the second time we've come here. First time was a disaster, dirty glasses, quite plain food & guess what - it hasn't changed.
Glasses were clean. Food however was extremely bland & that was including the extra chilli we asked for. I had the combination chow mien, it came with mostly chicken pieces, 2 prawns, some sort of fish ball and a couple of bits of greens. No flavour at all. Wife had some of the candied beef which did taste ok. Special fried rice wasn't very special to us.
Service was ok. We have given them a go twice & will not be going back. I may be too fussy.

Wife & I wanted a quiet weekend away to relax and fish. Wife booked this motel on line. On arrival, very clean, although on the 'main road' it was very quiet. Although the bathroom was dated, the whole room was very clean. Had a small kitchenette, so we actually got take away & ate on the balcony overlooking the water. Location is good in that you can walk to all the restaurants in the centre of town.
Room has all the usuals, tv, air etc. If ever we go back to Merimbula we'd probably stay there.
Didn't catch any fish the whole weekend though.

My wife loves dumplings so I'm always looking for a new place to take her. We went to this place for lunch - quite crowded with business types - but we got a table straight away.
Ordered some boiled chicken dumplings - so so, pan fried pumpkin & prawn dumplings - delicious, fried chive dumpling - yum and some hand made noodles with beef - also delicious. Fresh chilli was super hot, Chinese tea was also hot (and real tea i.e.. tea leaves in the pot).
Restaurant quite noisy - had to wave for waiters but not too bad. Loved the experience and will be going back. Four dishes + tea for $43. That included 2 x takeaway containers because we couldn't eat it all. Was good for breakfast on Sunday morning.
Definitely will be going back. Unfortunately they don't do the yum cha thing.

We went for yum cha on a Sunday morning. Dickson is meant to be the 'China Town' of Canberra - not so - better places to eat & they are not in Dickson.
Got there at about midday & had to wait only about 15 mins - not a problem. Got our table - two trollys were going around the restaurant - steam coming off the bamboo containers - all looked good.
Ordered eight dishes (not all at once), Chinese tea & fresh chilli. Chinese tea was good i.e.. actual tea leaves in the pot, couldn't complain about the chilli - hot and spicy. the dishes though were not very good, in fact below average. All the dishes only had 3 items per plate. e.g.. stuffed dofu was 3 pieces of puffy tofu with a bit of chicken squeezed in the middle. Pork ribs looked good and tasted ok except the bottom of the plate was cubed bits of taro just making the dish look bigger. Dumplings quite small and not hot enough, beef tendon was also not hot. Battered whitebait too oily. Only good dish was the tripe which was hot and tasted ok.
Went to pay and was very disappointed $73.40 for eight average dishes that didn't taste good.
Staff were very pleasant though.
Whole experience left a bad taste in our mouths. Definitely will not be going back & will tell all my friends to avoid.

We went to Manly beach for a swim and some brunch. Lots of seaweed in the surf but the water was great. Wife wanted to go to Whitewater for brunch. Breakfast menu - wife had scrambled eggs, chirozzo, tomato, corn & rocket with toast. I had the scrambled eggs, bacon & toast. Both meals were cold, scrambled eggs undercooked, bacon & chirozzo were burnt.
Skinny cap tasted ok however, my mixed berry smoothy was a flavourless purple milkshake.
Next time it will be fish & chips on the beach.

Great motorbike riding up around Canungra (just behind the Gold Coast). Dropped in for some lunch - only about 50 bikes out the front, very family orientated (little bit noisy though). Pies seemed to be big on the menu - I opted for a chicken & mushroom with some chips. Got my flag and a table out on the front balcony (watching all the bikes go up & down the main street). Pie came about 5 mins later & was somewhat a disappointment. Gravy in the pie was a bit floury and didn't have a 'thats it' taste. Chips were quite nice though. Although its very popular on the weekends, I won't be going back. Maybe I'm too fussy (thats what my wife tells me).

I think this place is now called 'Rolls Vietnam'. Anyway, again I found this place by accident (was running past & saw a small queue). I love Vietnamese pork & chilli rolls & this place does nice delicious ones. They are different to Hong Ha in that the rolls are not 'long rolls' but more of a French stick and the ingredients are sort of compressed. Still, there is the mayonnaise, pate, rolled pork, Vietnamese ham, steamed pork, pickled carrot, onion and a sprig of coriander. Each time I've been I've asked for 'bum burning' chilli & yet I haven't worked up a sweat while eating one. Still, they are delicious. Cost is $5.90 for a 6" and $10.90 for a 12" roll.
They also do a few different types i.e., pulled pork & salad (I'm trying this one next), chicken & salad plus an assortment of rice paper rolls.
Rolls Vietnam also have a loyalty programme where once you buy five rolls the next one is free. Located just up Oxford St from Hyde Park.