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Hills BBQ Noodle Shop
Reviewed
Food
- Roast Duck & Roast Chicken on Rice
- Stir Fried Green Beans
- Pork Belly with Pickled Mustard Greens on Rice
- Beef Fried Rice
The Good
Nothing.
The Mediocre
The Roast Duck & Roast Chicken on Rice brought decent lacquer on the duck and some glaze on the chicken, neatly laid over white rice on a classic blue-rim floral plate. Neither bird was memorable, but neither was embarrassing—the kind of roast meat plate that keeps a neighbourhood Chinese restaurant open for thirty years without ever becoming a destination.
The Stir Fried Green Beans arrived hot, blistered properly, with minced pork and dried chilli present and correct. Nothing about it was surprising or worth recommending over any other stir-fried green beans in Box Hill.
The Bad
The Pork Belly with Pickled Mustard Greens on Rice fell well short. The pork belly hadn’t been braised long enough—at this price point it should yield without any resistance, and this didn’t. More critically, the pickled mustard greens were barely present, which guts the point of the dish; without enough mei cai to cut through the fat, you’re left eating under-seasoned braised pork over plain rice.
The Beef Fried Rice was noticeably oversalted and wetter than fried rice should ever be. The grains had clumped together, which tells you the wok wasn’t hot enough or the dish sat before plating. The portion was generous, but the execution was not.
To compound the kitchen issues, the service was unacceptable. Three of the four dishes arrived over an hour after the first. There was no acknowledgement or check-in across three separate occasions we flagged it, and staff only treated it as a problem once we stated we were walking out.
The Verdict
Hills BBQ Noodle Shop’s roast duck and chicken plate is a perfectly adequate Box Hill classic—the kind of honest, unfussy roast meat over rice that this suburb built its food reputation on. Everything else ordered that evening is much harder to defend. The pork belly needs more time in the braise and more pickled greens on the plate, while the fried rice is oversalted and under-woked.
The service is what stays with you: losing a three-dish order is an unfortunate slip, but ignoring three polite follow-ups until a customer threatens to leave is a pattern. Stick strictly to the meats hanging in the window and keep your expectations calibrated.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Unlikely.