Can you believe that there is a place in Sydney where you can get a WHOLE PEKING DUCK for under $30? Yes, the answer would be yes. That is...if you've been to Lynn Shanghai. Obviously when one hears of such a bargain there is that slight skepticism that the quality of the food would be questionable but I can tell you that Lynn has officially overturned any doubts we had. This is the place to go to for delicious Chinese food and if you choose your days right, you can bag all sorts of crazy bargains.
Situated on Castlereagh Street, Lynn is about a 10 minute walk from Town Hall Station and subtly tucked inside a building, so once you see the sign outside just keep walking in. I mean we never knew this place existed until a few fellow bloggers started spreading the news - thank god for the Instagram food bloggers community!
Lynn has an extensive offering on their menu, much like most other Chinese restaurants but there is one thing that makes this place stand out. That is, Lynn has a Daily Special Menu (which you can also find on their website) and for each day, you can score a cracking dish for almost half its usual price. For example, on Tuesdays you can get a Steamed Live Barramundi for $16.80 and on Saturdays/Sundays, a 2kg Live Mud Crab for $18.80! How crazy is that?
Both M & I are Peking Duck fanatics and we were in such disbelief about the special price that we just had to try it for ourselves to believe it. If you are like us, head into Lynn on either Mondays, Fridays or the Weekend to score a Whole Peking Duck for $28.80 (Daily Special Price).
Naturally there are a few conditions in going with a Daily Special order and here they are, from what I recall:
- At Lynn you order by form and so if you are keen on the daily special you have to make it clear on the form and to the person taking your order! There's a special menu box that you have to tick so just ensure you get this right.
- With the Peking Duck you only get one course - that is, the duck sliced with the pancakes. You do get the leftover meat pieces but no second serve options like san choy bows etc.
- You have to order at least one more main from the menu.
- You have to pay by cash.
Overall M & I thought these conditions were quite reasonable and we were more than happy to abide. For your reference, normal price for a whole peking duck is $59.80 with two courses.
The verdict? The Peking Duck was utterly delicious. The duck skin was mighty crispy and the meat was juicy and succulent. A dip of the hoisin sauce, a slice of cucumber, a wrap of fluffy pancakes and we are in business! So good that M and I demolished the plate in absolute silence, almost as if there was a competition as to who could eat more of the duck :P
As mentioned before, with the Daily Special you have to also order a main. We went with the Sizzling Diced Beef Fillet in Special Sauce ($22.80), which is one of the house specials, as marked by the LYNN sign next to the menu. It came sizzling with hot smoke and was a delicious dish bursting with flavours and a hint of chilli. The beef fillets were very tender and the sauce was truly tasty. I would recommend ordering a bowl of rice to share, just to balance out all those flavours otherwise it can be a bit too salty.
I want to say that Lynn is still a well-kept secret but honestly that would just be a lie. The place was seriously busy and buzzing with people rushing in (most likely to score the bargain we just did). So it may be worthwhile to call in and make a reservation just to be safe. Overall M & I loved Lynn and truly felt that the food was value for money. Everything was delicious, service was fast and the food was of quality. We are already planning our next visit with our eyes set firmly on the live mud crab ;)
Lynn Shanghai Cuisine
199 Castlereagh Street
Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9267 7780
http://www.lynnshanghaicuisine.com.au/lynn_shanghai_cuisine.html
Labels: Chinese, Shanghai
