bbq one, Eastwood

Soya pigeon

It was always going to be a day of fooding. It was lunchtime and we were starving, but as we pulled up to Makan @ Alices's in Thornleigh, Veruca Salt and I realised with sinking hearts that the only thing greeting us was a darkened shop and a 'we are closed' sign.

No matter. It was only a short detour to Eastwood to conquer another new adventure, the much loved local favourite bbq one.


Intestines

We drove past Little Korea on one side of Eastwood station and then crossed over to the railway tracks to the other side, sometimes known as Little Hong Kong. It's not hard to find bbq one. There's a steady crowd of hungry folk clogging up the footpath, all waiting for a table or a quick takeaway.

The queue for tables is much like yum cha, and we clutch our ticket stub with similar ravenous impatience. There's the tense anticipation akin to a meat raffle whenever a new number is called, although at least we are entertained by dancing cleavers on bits of roast pork, duck and caramelised char siu.



It's only a ten-minute wait before our number is called (a flutter of excitement like we've just won lotto) and we are ushered to our table. It's not hard to see why there's always a qeueue, the tiny narrow eatery holds a jostle of jam-packed tables that seats only twenty elbow-to-elbow.


So many choices

A waitress quickly bustles over to take our order, and as she leaves a huge bowl of complimentary house soup is brought to our table. It's a hearty pork soup filled with wads of soft beancurd sheets, chunks of tender pork that almost melt in the mouth, and plenty of pork bones for extra flavour.


Complimentary house soup

Veruca and I are all set for a smorgasboard special. We feast on barbecue chicken liver, sweet and caramelised with its basting of char siu-like sauce; pei pa duck whose flattened shape is supposed to resemble a Chinese pei pah musical instrument; and deep fried pigeon,
a bird I've only enjoyed a few times - in this instance it is somewhat similar to duck but less fatty and with a stronger almost gamey flavour.


BBQ chicken liver $5.00


BBQ pork noodle in soup $8.00

Bellboy has gone for the simplicity of the barbecue pork noodle soup. The pork glistens atop a bed of egg noodles, a blanket of vegetables and a simmering lake of clear soup.


Noodles in soup $4.50

Veruca and I contrast the fattiness of our meal with a bowl of plain noodles with crunchy gai lan Chinese broccoli.


Pei pa roast duck half $14.00


Deep fried pigeon $16.00

There's a bounty of choices on the A3 double-sided menu. Six columns of dishes beckon including porcine-derived delights that include instestines, stomach, knuckles and ears.

We also note, with a knowing smile, the $1.00 surcharge for "special request chicken or duck drumsticks". Me, I've always been a wing fan myself.

Meanwhile Veruca and I have to pack the remainder--half our lunch--for takeaway back home. We vacate our table quickly. There's plenty more people waiting outside.




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BBQ One
181 Rowe St, Eastwood, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9874 5332

Open 7 days 10.30am-9pm

Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Eastwood - Da Wan Lai (Chinese)
Eastwood - Zenya Noodle Bar (Japanese)