Red Wall Palace
571 Burwood Road, Hawthorn
03 8592 6957
Asian, Chinese
$$$
Food
- Vegetarian Spring Rolls
- Pecking Duck Pancake
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Stir Fried Vegetables
- Seafood Combination in Bird’s Nest
- Signature House Special Fried Rice
The Good
This must be the most delicious Sweet and Sour Pork we’ve ever sampled. With a nice balance of sweetness and sourness, the thick, flavoursome sauce coated some perfectly fried pork balls. The thin, crispy batter enclosed a good mixture fatty and lean pork protein which made for a tender and juicy mouthful.
The Signature House Special Fried Rice didn’t disappoint either. Beautifully presented, the rice was served on, and was quite literally spilling out of an actual pineapple. The freid rice was incredibly crumbly, with good ‘wok hei’ like a good fried rice should and provided a very fragrant aroma. Mixed within was crunchy bits of cashews, fresh prawns as well as sweet and slightly caramelised bits of pineapple. All of this created a flavoursome mix of ingredients that were well-balanced, both in flavours and in textures.
We also enjoyed the Pecking Duck Pancake. The thin and delicate rice paper wrap was served warm and held juicy and flavoursome pieces of duck. The occasional bits of crispy skin perfectly contrasted the soft protein, and was accompanied by the freshness of the shallots. The only gripe would be the Peking sauce, which was too liberally applied on this occasion.
The Mediocre
We also enjoyed the Seafood Combination in Bird’s Nest, though it fell slightly short on expectations. Generously topped with an abundance of fish, prawns, scallops and calamari, this was accompanied by various greens and served in a bowl made from crispy noodles. While the flavours could’ve definitely been bolder, the seafood itself was mostly enjoyable and fresh, with the exception of the calamari which was tougher than expected on this occasion.
The Bad
The Vegetarian Spring Rolls were a huge disappointment. The thick skin was hard, dense and tough. Within was one of the most bland and tasteless mix of vegetables we’ve ever sampled. A dish to avoid, and it’s no surprise that this dish was not actually made in-house.
The Verdict
Newly established in the quiet suburb of Auburn, Red Wall Palace provides a taste of Chinese cuisine with a lot of Western influences thrown in. While the food is strictly non-traditional, nor do they pretend to be authentic, the dishes were overall healthy and satisfying.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
You definitely can’t look past Red Wall Palace if you were looking for a solid introduction to Asian cuisine, all without the usual flavour offence on the tastebuds that usually takes much getting used to.
Penguineats would like to thank owner Cindy for inviting us to Red Wall Palace.