陈师傅东北菜 Master Chen Northeast Chinese Cuisine — Restaurant in Sydney

28/7/24 - 4.5 stars

Chen shifu has been at the top of my list of places to visit in Burwood for a while now. I was told how great it was by many different people but the long lines deterred me until now. We decided to tough out the cold and wait an hour to get in. Service is very functional but the atmosphere is quite bustling.

I would highly recommend coming with a group of people so you can try more dishes as the food is excellent and the serving sizes are quite generous.

Mung bean noodle (Liang Pi) Flavour: S, 8/10. The sauce was actually fairly thick with a strong peanut and sesame flavours. Chilli, garlic and coriander was mild Texture: S, 8/10. The noodles were nice and chewy though the thickness of the sauce detracted a little Value: A, 7/10. $17

Guo Bao Rou (Double fried pork slices) Flavour: SS, 9/10. Admittedly, I was skeptical having tried this northern specialty dish at other restaurants, but, I was told this is the best and for good reason. The batter was not too thick and oily which allowed the sweet/sour sauce and pork to come through Texture: SS+, 9.5/10. The best one I've had so far. Crispy but not crunchy. Chewy but not tough. Value: S, 8/10. $27 is worth it. Definitely worth trying.

Fried eggplant with capsicum and potato Flavour: SS, 9/10. Not overly oily or battered and the vegetable flavours were allowed to shine Texture: SS, 9/10. Crisp on the outside but soft on the inside Value: S+, 8.5/10. $18

Stir-fried lamb chops Flavour: S, 8/10. Explosion of flavour with all sorts of spices and chilli. A little too salty tho Texture: A, 7/10. A bit too stringy Value: A, 7/10. $29 for a plate but a lot of it is the garnish and several pieces of meat were mostly skin and bone

Stewed pork ribs iron pot Flavour: S+, 8.5/10. Surprisingly mild compared to other places I've been to but still nice mix of salty and sweet Texture: S+, 8.5/10. Good mix of tender pork and soft vegetables Corn cake: A, 7/10. Quite ordinary Value: A, 7/10. $33 but quite a big serving

Chicken and shrimp fried rice Flavour: S, 8/10. Solid. No complaints but nothing special either Texture: SS, 9/10. Rice was fried well with nice mix of meats and vegetables Value: A, 7/10. $17

Salted egg tofu Flavour: A, 7/10. Decent but a little unappetising after a few bites Texture: S, 8/10. Well cooked soft tofu Value: B, 6/10. $19....

Dear Manager of Master Chen NorthEast Restaurant,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration regarding an experience I recently had at your establishment on 11/8/23 during my visit with friends. I believe that constructive feedback is crucial for the improvement of any business, and I hope my account will aid you in identifying areas for enhancement.

Upon arriving at your restaurant, we were informed that we needed to provide our names and phone numbers on a waiting list in order to secure a table. We complied with this requirement, expecting that our contact information would be utilized to inform us when our table was ready. However, to our dismay, after a considerable wait, we returned to the restaurant to find our names crossed out without any notification.

I attempted to clarify this situation with your staff, questioning the purpose of collecting our phone numbers if they were not intended to be used for notifying patrons. Unfortunately, the response I received from your team members was less than satisfactory, as they repeatedly stated that your restaurant does not follow a practice of calling customers when tables are ready. This inconsistency left me feeling frustrated and disheartened, ultimately souring what was intended to be an enjoyable Friday night outing.

As a patron, I believe that clear communication and adherence to stated procedures are essential in providing a positive dining experience. The discrepancy between the information provided and the actual practice left me and my companions feeling disrespected and undervalued as customers. I urge you to consider the impact of such discrepancies on customer satisfaction and the reputation of your establishment.

I sincerely hope that my feedback will be taken constructively, and that you will take steps to address this issue to prevent future instances of similar dissatisfaction. I would appreciate hearing from you regarding any measures you plan to implement to rectify this situation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a prompt and thoughtful...

Uh as a southern Chinese, I'm very surprised by this authentic, next level North Eastern Chinese food. Other Chinese will laugh at me, but this is way better and next level compared to Jilin family in Chatswood.

Ordered 3 dishes between 2 people

1. cold mung bean noodle with cucumber and sesame sauce 涼皮

Soft, slightly chewy noodles that doesn't break. The sauce is a nice balance and it's addictive

2. fried pork 鍋包肉

The North eastern version of sweet sour pork. This place adds a thicker later or batttee but is fried to crispy perfection. It's like a combination of honey chicken and KFC - satisfying mouth feel. Meat is a bit thin but that's in purpose to achieve that crispy mouth feel and texture.

3. braised pork belly with Quail eggs 紅燒肉鵪鶉蛋

The pork belly is braised long enough so you can taste the Quail eggs throughout the dish. The belly is cooked to the point that it's very tender and the fat just melts in your mouth.

This dish is a must if you like something more-ish and want a dish that pairs well with rice. This definitely will kill bowls and bowls of rice.

Waiting time: Average waiting time is around 20 minutes to 30 minutes on a weekend.

You will have to put your name down for the line, and the staff will call out by your number.

Awesome food, and given that the dishes are all very nice, reasonably priced and good portions, I will need to bring in a pack of 4-6 people to pig out other items...