Chinatown Sizzling House — Restaurant in Sydney

23/8/25 - 3 stars

To be fair, given the location and seating arrangements, can't really be surprised when the quick and dirty Chinese is actually quick and dirty. Part of me was hoping this would some sort of hidden gem, but, it was just a normal find. The owner is quite the character though.

Food is just alright. Not terrible but not that good either. Outdoor seating can be fun but furnishing leads a lot to be desired. Value is surprisingly not great despite appearances. Even with an 30% discount, still ~$30-35pp though we did order several dishes (cos they were small).

Chilli wonton: A, 7/10. Recommended by the owner. Not recommended by me. Just average. $15

Chicken steak: A, 7/10. Deep fried, not grilled. Another owner rec. Mid. $21

String beans: A, 7/10. $20 and just what you'd expect.

Black pepper beef: A, 7/10. Sizzle is nice. Sauce a bit too sweet. $26

Cashew nut chicken: B, 6/10. No distinct flavour at all. $24

Sweet sour pork: S, 8/10. Sauce well balanced and pork still crispy. $24.

Mongolian lamb: S, 8/10. Also decent but sauce again a bit sweet $28

Prawn dumpling: C, 5/10. Definitely store bought. $16 for 8 and looks very sad coming out.

Beef steak and rice: S, 8/10. Beef was decently tender. $23.

Rice noodles with beef: S+, 8.5/10. Nice wok hei but very little beef! $18 is...

As first time visitors to Sydney, my wife and I took the light rail to Chinatown to have dinner at Chinatown Sizzling House.

I am a Chinese Food snob. From New York, I have eaten at Chinese restaurants in Chinatowns in NY, San Francisco, Vancouver, Chicago, Manila, Melbourne and elsewhere.

Chinatown Sizzling House did not disappoint.

Chinatown Sizzling House has very few interior tables. It shares, with multiple other restaurants, many outdoor tables that lend a comfortable and festive atmosphere to your dining experience.

We chose Braised Eggplant with Green Beans, Sizzling Mongolian Lamb (placed in a sizzling plate at our table), Fried Rice Noodles With Beef (called Beef Chow Fun in other cities) and Vegetable Fried Rice. All were very well presented and tasty.

No liquor is served but you may bring your own (and may even purchase Soju and other liquor down the street).

Chinatown Sizzling House provides a menu with pictures of every offered dish. Very helpful for the uninformed.

I recommend Chinatown Sizzling House for delicious...

Great restaurant, the owner is very friendly and chatty, and the food is delicious. I go there at least twice a week. The owner sometimes calls me to try new dishes. My favorites there are fried buns and bak kut teh, the omelette rice and cream cheese baked rice are also great. Well the only thing that isn't perfect for me is the mushroom sauce tastes a bit like ketchup, goes well with fried chicken but not for tonkatsu. Well there's also good black pepper sauce so it's not a big deal.

--23.Feb.2023 The restaurant manager said there was a new dish for me to try called Volcano Ribs. A super-sized plate of meaty pork ribs was really eye-catching as it comes out of the kitchen. It's drizzled with flaming liquor when served to the table, living up to its name "Volcano". The fermented sour and spicy flavor of pickled peppers adds a rich depth to this dish, and the refreshing Southeast Asian-style soup is perfect to enjoy with the meat or steamed rice. It's a quite...