Chong Hing Restaurant, Kingsford

I had been given some double passes to see Home Song Stories by the kind people at Dendy films and it seems only fitting that we partake of some suburban Chinese Australian cuisine to help get us in the mood. My husband and I (and his family) love Dendy films as they're not the usual cliched Hollywood blockbuster, plus they serve the best choc tops with real waffle cones, good quality chocolate and flavours like Cherry Ripe and Boysenberry. Once you've had one you'll be hooked!

At about $11.20 per person, Chong Hing must be one of the best value restaurants in Sydney. If you look at their regular menu the prices are similar to any suburban Chinese restaurant. However a glance at their walls shows their set menus for 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 people. What is also surprising is that there are a few seafood dishes offered in this set menu. Tonight we have 4 omnivores and 1 herbivore so we opt for the Menu A for 4 plus a vegetarian dish (warning for vegetarians, there aren't many vegetarian dishes on the menu).

Menu 4A comprises of Deep fried king prawns in creamy sauce, Pork strips with stir fried mixed vegetables, Chicken with celery and honey and pepper pork ribs

Shortly after we order, the tea and house soup (clear vegetable and pork broth) arrives. Then with the rice arrives the first dish, pork strips with mixed vegetables-fabulously tender strips of tasty pork with shiitake mushrooms, boy choy and other veges perfectly cooked-definitely one of my favourites, especially the pork strips. They're generous with the skiitake mushrooms, one of the costlier vegetables.

The prawns with creamy sauce arrives, the creamy sauce being a tangy Praise type mayo which was a little too heavy handed for my liking (I never liked Praise mayo) but I managed to secure some relatively sauceless pieces. They are beautifully crisp, large prawns generously garnished with perfectly steamed broccoli with a light saute sauce. I was surprised to see that there were so many prawns and that they had taken care with the garnish.

The honey pepper pork ribs arrives, in a past visit I wasn't as fond of these as I'd hoped, they weren't terrible by any means, perfectly edible and tasty in fact, just not quite the harmonious mix of honey and black pepper that I've had in the past. However tonight, they are my favourite dish.

The vegetarian chow mein ($7.50) arrives and it is a huge plate piled high with fried chow mein noodles and a variety of mixed vegetables. Our resident vegetarian wonders how on earth she can finish it, indeed she can only polish off 1/3 of it and the rest is packed away for her son just like a Mother Hen!

The last dish to arrive is the chicken with celery. All I can think is what a boring name for something so tasty. Underneath sat a bed of deep fried chicken morsels and on top sat a mound of the tenderest sauteed chicken and veges. Chicken done two ways?

Menu 4A was a good mix of steamed and fried dishes. There was plenty leftover, actually about a whole plate's worth. I neglected to mention that serving sizes are very generous and I think 3 dishes with soup and rice are sufficient or if you have 5 people, you would probably be happy with the set menu for 4. The damage was a princely sum of $44.80 for us four omnivores and $7.50 for the vegetarian chow mein!

And as for the movie? It was great, like a Chinese suburban version of Romulus My Father but more interesting in my opinion. But if anyone could tell me who the family were in the last scene that were getting out of the car with Tony and his sister that would be great. We had discussed this but no-one could hazard a guess as to who they were.

Chong Hing Chinese Restaurant

Open 7 days

325 Anzac Parade Kingsford NSW 2033

Phone (02) 9663 1761

Dendy Newtown

261-263 King St Newtown

Bookings phone: 02 9550 5699