miss chu (part 1)
It all started with a call from M. “There’s this place here, in the paper, that we need to go to. See what you can find out about it.” I was hesitant. If it’s in the papers, it’s usually been done to death… and I was looking for a quiet lunch spot. An undiscovered mecca of deliciousness mixed with a quirky aesthetic and an immediately likeable concept. “Err… I dunno.” I responded. “Look.” said he “I’ll send you the link. Some Strode guy said it’s his favourite place to get rice paper rolls, and the only other place in the article I want to eat at is in Vietnam ok?” Well then! And so, “We’re going.” said I. “Friday. 12:30. Lock and load.”
For the next four days we stared at the menu. “I think I want the… oh wait… maybe the…” was bandied back and forth and back again. “We’re going on an adventure!” we told Geoffers. “You’re coming. Don’t pack your lunch.” But on the day, Geoffers had work to be done, so M & I hit the streets without him, eyes peeled for this magical venue.
miss chu herself!
“Miss Chu” we said to no-one in particular “Queen of Rice Paper Rolls”. And we walked some more. Past the Ferrari place (small stop to look at the cars). Past the Maserati place (another small stop). Past the kitchen warehouse (a small-ish stop while I peered in the window). Past the motorbike shop (where I thought, just for a moment, that we may never reach lunchtime). And then there, a clearing with a bamboo shelter, a collection of old school tables and an electricity box adorned with magazines and a pair of badminton rackets – just in case.
a mid city hideaway
We snag a table in the shade and order at the window. “Two mixed dumplings, a lemongrass beef salad and a fish of the day please” say I, before spotting a little white takeaway box hanging from the window “Oh!” I exclaim “and one of the coconut mousse!”
My enthusiasm draws a smile. “Can I get your name please?” asks Miss Chu. “Oh sure. I’m Shez.”
Money changes hands and I swoop back to the table, a grin on my face. “I ordered extra.” I say to M. “Bring it on” says he.
mixed dumplings $4.50
“Shez?” The call has us both startled. A white paper bag is retrieved and the contents are pulled out eagerly. We divvy up the bounty (“There’s your fish” “Oh, that must be your noodles”) and dig in.
Step One: Three steamed dumplings dressed with a sweet soy sauce. There is a scallop and prawn number (sweet, firm, fresh), a prawn har gow (had better, but not complaining) and a vege adn garlic chive parcel that has me nodding and “Mmmm…”-ing and exclaiming “water chestnuts! Oh, chivey…” while M munches away contentedly and shakes his head at the wild pair of hands that are being waved around in front of him.
lemongrass beef vermicelli salad $9.50
My next package is heavier than it looks. Flaps are opened to the heady smell of meat (oh! meat!) and lemongrass and a salty/sour dressing. It doesn’t look like all that much until I tip it out into my dumpling box, and I keep tipping it out, such is the quantity that is crammed into this box. The beef is rib eye and the vermicelli is warm and plump and bitey. And with the first bite, I am a million miles away.
fish of the day (barramundi) steamed on rice $13.00
While I sit in my tender-beef-and-crisp-salad-and-plump-noodle reverie,M is hacking into his fish. “It’s not often” he says, in between mouthfuls “that you can get a steamed fish and rice in the city for lunch.” Distracted from my own meal, I decide to go a bit of his. The fish is fragrant from its stint in a banana leaf. It is firm, and sweet and moist and oh! There’s some ginger, and ooh! There’s some lemongrass. Lovely.
steamed coconut mousse in pandan leaf $3.00 for two
My eyes have once again overestimated my stomach’s capacity, and I still haven’t touched our surprise dessert. I hand the remainder of my salad to M “It’s good” I say “You should eat it cos I can’t and I’m not going to skip this dessert”. And while he falls into a beef-induced coma, I set upon my prize.
There are (oh hooray!) two of these little parcels in the box I have opened. A salty coconut cream mousse sits atop a green pandan layer of kuih. Crunchy bits (unidentified as yet) are smattered throughout and I make a mental note to order this again when I return.
bbq pork bun $2.00
We are about to leave when M spots the BBQ buns on the menu. I am stuffed to the hilt but he is adamant. “You can tell how good a place it by their char siu bao” he says. “You couldn’t tell already?” ask I, but to no avail.
I am glad he won that argument because it meant I got to sample the bun. Fluffy dough. Chunks of not-too-sweet meat inside. A happy (albeit long and very uphill) walk back to the office, and a good ten minutes gloating at Geoffers on our return followed soon after.
Of course, Geoffers is cranky at missing out, so I decide we have to go again. [Check back here tomorrow for part 2 of this little adventure, where Geoffers & I try the rest of the menu. It just won't fit here. Crazy I know...]
Miss Chu
Shop 1/150 Bourke Street
Darlinghurst (cnr William St)
ph: 02 8356 9988
15 bites more on “miss chu (part 1)”
Yum, that food looks delicious! I must take my friend Queen Chu here who also happens to love Vietnamese food =)
That looks like an amazing char siu bao. I usually find the ratio of meat to bun to be skewed to being the opposite the one from Miss Chu’s.
I like the pandan leaf package for the dessert.
Yum! We drove past this place last week and I was wondering what the food was like. Thanks for reviewing
Ahh cool! I was hoping to visit this place for lunch for looong time!
Love Char siu bao!
The dessert looks delicious! I definitely want to give this place a try. I love anything with pandan
Can you really play badminton there?
What a cool place! I like the dessert in pandan peaf as well!
Hey, you probably won’t know but I go to BS & WIC too.
Anyway, just thought I’d let you know that the pandan dessert thing is pretty popular in Malaysia too, usually eaten chilled. If it is the one that I am referring to, I suspect the crunchy bits are water chestnuts.
What a great find. Glad you’re around to be the guinea pig.
yum! I love bbq pork pao – just had some now!
The coconut mousse looks super cute!!! Would love to try it.
Oohh yummm got my eyes on the ferrari, masarati and the beef vermicelli XD
@Jacq: Sounds like it would suit her perfectly!
@Simon: Me too. Oh the chunks!
@Zina: You’re welcome! Hope you get around to it before it gets too popular – I saw it was in the papers on Sunday too!
@Yas: Me too
Go try!
@clekitty: Oh yes. Pandan is one of my favourite infusions – the dessert was fantastic! (and runs out quickly too)
@Ren: I’m not sure. Will you try & let me know?
@Ahn: It’s so cute (and tasty). I was really bummed at it running out second time around.
@Jin: Oh hello!! I thought as much – it seemed very familiar to me, but not at the same time.
@Belle: If this is what guinea pigs get to do, I’m in. Let me know if you hear of any other adventures I should go on yes?
@Fiona: Now I’m craving one…
@Anita: Oh it was! And all snug in its little box with its identical friend… Pity I had to go and chomp it all up
@FFichiban: Mmmm… and one of those is actually affordable! (Hint: not the cars…)
hi shez, have been wondering what this place is like. BTW The Sydney Tarts spotted a bag of Ho’s Kitchen dumplings so wondering if they’re actually making and serving their own dumplings or just buying premade ones and serving them up? http://thesydneytarts.blogspot.com/2009/09/miss-chu-cnr-bourke-st-william-st.html
The owner here is extremely rude to people, good food, but terrible service.