Hi Simon, I just stumbled onto your site and saw the article on Hong Ha. I don't know how well you know that area but just a few shops from there, there is a Charcoal Chicken Shop named Mascot Charcoal Chickens and it has the best charcoal chicken in Sydney hands down. Effie
Thanks to Effie for recommending this charcoal chicken shop just a few doors down from the famous Hong Ha which had a particularly long queue when passing by (see picture below) and made me actually wonder if they might get their chicken meat from Mascot Charcoal Chickens — would be handy. I'm not sure if this is the best charcoal chicken in Sydney as I still need to visit two other places on my wish list, El Jannah in Granville and Frank's Lebanese Food in Fairfield which I've heard very good things about. I thought the Charcoal Chicken ($14.20 whole) had a nice flavour but could have been a bit more moist for my liking and I'd like to try the Portuguese Chicken next time to compare. There's quite a few salad options which is good to see and I went for a half-half of Greek and Garden Salad ($7.50 large) which was pretty fresh and tasty and had a nice dressing on it. The service was friendly and efficient and when I mentioned I'd come from a far due to a recommendation the owner (I think) said he'd give me the Hot Chips ($2.70 small) I ordered for free to say welcome and also said to grab a free juice from the fridge — very nice of him to do so. I'd definitely keep in mind the next time I'm in Botany as an option when I want to avoid ridiculously long queues at Hong Ha.
SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Friendly staff, Reasonably priced, Decent salad options, Good hot chips
CONS: Limited street parking on weekends, Chicken doesn't travel well in bag — juices started to seep through a bit
MUST TRY: Hot chips, Portuguese chicken next time
—
Whole Chicken ($14.20)
Chips ($2.70 small - provided complimentary)
Greek and Garden Salad ($7.50 large)
Juice (Provided complimentary)
Chickens being cooked
Charcoal chicken counter display
Salad counter display
Chicken and chips menu
Street entrance
Long queue at Hong Ha nearby
12 comments:
I could murder some charchoal chicken right now... or any western food!!!!
when we have lunch for the whole office, we always get them here, the portuguese style chicken with lemon herb or chilli are so good ! and their caesar salad too of course :)
I wish there was a place like this in Canberra! Also a place like Hong Ha. The only place that sold a Banh Mi has now closed down :(
Frank's at Fairfield is indeed very good!!
hi thang, hope you found your western food fix :-)
hi monica, i'm definitely going to get the portuguese chicken next time. sounds great.
hi susan, that's a shame there's no Banh Mi places you've found. there certainly doesn't seem to be much choice on http://www.urbanspoon.com/n/70/46873/New-South-Wales/Canberra-ACT-restaurants but hopefully soon enough something will open for you there.
hi buggles, glad to know franks is good. can't wait to try :-)
Simon, I've just this morning had an experience with the Mascot Charcoal Chicken shop that was a little to the one you recount.
I too come from afar, it takes me about forty minutes to drive to Mascot. I go there for what has been, until now, a nice trifecta: The aforementioned chicken shop, the Hong Ha hot bread shop, and the butcher's shop that is about halfway between those two.
I ordered the hot chips, a $4.50 'medium' serve. I took a bite of a freshly cooked hot chip on my way back to the car and, immediately, realised that something was amiss. I drove around the block, a little conflicted, then decided that since a common problem for business is that customers don't give feedback enough, I should return.
So I went back to the store, approached the same salesman as had originally served me. Placed the remaining chips on the counter and said "I would like to give these back to you. I am not going to eat them. These are the worst chips I have had from this place in eight or ten years. You've lost a customer this morning.". I spoke the truth. I do not intend to return.
My impression, pure speculation though it is, is that perhaps this business has recently changed hands and is now under new ownership or new management. I didn't see any of the familiar old faces there. Perhaps as a result of the change, their focus has also changed, and the product is not what it used to be.
I'm disappointed, but, such is life I suppose!
hi geoff bridges, sounds like you've been a regular there for a long time. so what exactly was wrong with the hot chips? i would think it's pretty hard to get hot chips wrong. :-) i've only been once but it didn't seem like a place that was about to change ownership.
Great food, great staff excellent catering they have the best chicken.
hi Anonymous, sounds like your a huge fan :-)
There is also this lebanese restaurant at ryde called cedrus lebanese restaurant, it is right next to the river, very nice at nite and food is great =D
hi Cedrus, seems to be fairly well liked on Urbanspoon at the moment http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1583857/restaurant/Sydney/Northern-Suburbs/Cedrus-Lebanese-Restaurant-Ryde
Hi I go to mascot charcoal chicken a lot almost every day so make sure you go back as there are new faces and very kind :)
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