Perth Voice Interactive

THE last time I was out in Northbridge on a Friday night I was wearing tan bell-bottoms and a Rolf Harris t-shirt.

Several years on and aged 40 the streets seem alien to me—a vulgar tsunami of breasts and ribald tattoos.

I seek refuge in Hong Kong bbq, cowering behind the red-glazed fowl in the window.

The menu’s as long as a Led Zeppelin concert and features both the prosaic (sweet and sour pork, stir-fried beef) and exotic (stewed trotter, seafood yam).

My friends and I order a shared feast, which arrives a few minutes after we order (no tardy service here).

The Peking spare ribs ($22) have a lovely sweet and sour glaze, and unlike their macho cousins have only a fine bone abutting the meat.

It is comfort food with a savoury twist.

I love scallops ($33) and am slightly concerned the Szechuan sauce we order might bully the seafood, reducing it to an anonymous teenager, cowering in the corner of my mouth.

Thankfully the fishiness punches through and the scallops taste as fresh as a nun’s cassock.

Glancing around, the restaurant is modern and clean, with the look of a hotel lobby minus the chaste insignia.

It is packed with diners both Asian and European, creating a nice Friday night buzz.

But there is little time for voyeurism, and we are soon tucking into the roast platter of duck and pork ($32).

I enjoy the slabs of juicy duck meat and rendered fat: a beautiful dish that’d make Elmer Fudd orgasm—the highlight of the night.

Last up is the chicken and mushroom with fried noodles: a light antidote to the other bold-flavoured dishes.

It refreshes the palate, preparing it for the next onslaught of scallop and duck.

The food is fantastic—albeit verging on the pricey—and the service good (we’d arrived 30 minutes late and they’d held our table despite it being a busy Friday evening).

I always tend to feel a bit bloated or underwhelmed after going out for Chinese food, but despite the numerous dishes consumed at Hong Kong bbq, I finish my meal feeling I’ve enjoyed a dining experience, not just a quick stodgy food-hit.

The restaurant is licensed and I enjoy a bottle of Pigs Fly pilsner from NSW.

Right, now it’s back onto the streets of Northbridge, and that alien civilisation they call “Generation Me”.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

Hong Kong bbq
6 Francis St, Northbridge
http://www.hkbbqperth.com.au