Regal Restaurant, Haymarket Chinatown

1. Steamed scallops with black bean sauce

EDIT: Regal Restaurant has closed

If there's one thing I tend to avoid at Chinese restaurants it's the banquet option in the English menu. Often the dishes involve too much batter, bicarb and sugar for my liking, and besides I always think it's much more exciting and rewarding to choose and design your own array of dishes. Usually the bill is cheaper too.

But when someone else is paying, and you're an invited guest, well, I can think of worse things than enjoy a free meal. The Deluxe Banquet option had been chosen, and whilst I didn't have high hopes, I was actually pleasantly surprised with the quality of the set banquet dishes at Regal Restaurant. Sister restaurant to the Marigold, both restaurants are considered to provide some of the better, or "classier", feeds in Chinatown.

DELUXE BANQUET
$35.00 per person (min. six persons)

ENTREE
1. Steamed Scallops with Black Bean Sauce
2. Crab Meat & Sweet Corn Soup

MAIN COURSES
3. Deep Fried Spicy King Prawns
4. Beef Fillet Szechwan Style
5. Peking Spare Ribs
6. Regal Roast Chicken Supreme
7. Stir-Fried Seasonal Vegetable
8. Fried Rice

DESSERT
9. Lychee Ice Cream
10. Chinese Tea


2. Crab meat and sweet corn soup

The entree of steamed scallops was sweet and tender; surprisingly they weren't overpowered by the accompanying black bean sauce which was more a sweet dressing with black beans and shallots scattered throughout.

Crab meat and sweet corn soup was thick with hearty with chunks of prawn and floating tendrils of egg.


3. Deep fried spicy king prawns

Deep fried spicy king prawns were another winner, fat curls of prawn lightly floured and fried until crispy. The tumble of deep fried eschallots, chilli and fresh green shallots were perfect partners with the prawns and mouthfuls of steamed rice.


4. Beef fillet Szechuan style

Beef fillet Szechuan style was thankfully not as spongy as I've had in other Chinese restaurants. Usually tenderised with a sprinkling of bicarb, the slices of beef were reassuringly recognisable as meat, although the accompanying thick batter and spicy syrup of sauce requires an all-embracing sweet tooth.


5. Peking spare ribs

Just in case you hadn't had enough sugar, the sweet beef was followed by sweet pork. I'm not averse to a bit of Peking spare ribs every now and then, which is usually a tad spicier than the common sweet and sour pork. Alas this one was more like sweet and sour pork, more sweet than spicy, and overwhelmed with onion, capsicum, pineapple and more onion again.


6. Regal roast chicken supreme

Regal Roast Chicken Supreme was an impressive sight, with skin that was thin and crisp with an appetising lacquered finish.


8. Fried rice

We concluded with the usual fried rice, stir fried vegetables and lychee ice cream. All in all, a banquet that surpassed my (admittedly low) expectations, although a la carte for me will always win over the banquet option.


7. Stir fried seasonal vegetables


9. Lychee ice cream


Inside the Regal at 6pm (start of dinner service)


View Larger Map


Regal Restaurant CLOSED
347-353 Sussex Street, Sydney
Corner of Sussex and Liverpool Street

Open Seven Days
Lunch 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Dinner 5.30 pm - 12 midnight

Telephone: (02) 9261 8988