The steamed fish with pickled chilli was a flavour revelation. Photo: Tenele Conway.
The bland corporate restaurant facades on Childers Street in City West never fill me with inspiration when searching for an exciting dining experience, but when it comes to The Golden Drum, don’t let first appearances fool you.
Opening in 2011, these guys are pumping out a solid menu of Chinese bangers that are far from bland, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Wandering in the door around 6 pm on a Tuesday night, I was surprised to be met with a pretty full house, and the party was in full swing, with dishes of all shapes and sizes being rushed out to the eagerly waiting tables.
If you’re feeling a little ho-hum with Chinese food, maybe you’ve overdone it, or perhaps you’ve had some dull experiences. The Golden Drum will reawaken your love for the cuisine.
The menu is diverse, spanning approachable classics like honey prawns and Shandong chicken all the way through to a spicy Sichuan deliverance with their hotpots and dried chilli specialities.
Looking around the room to get a feel for what’s on the menu, it appeared that every table was enjoying something different. Wire scoops were being plunged into pots brimming with chillies, metal burners were bubbling away like mini-cauldrons. Ceramic burners were sizzling away with all manner of meats and veg, and all dishes were generous in their proportions.
The remnants of the dinner rush at The Golden Drum. Photo: Tenele Conway.
A loud ding from the kitchen heralds each new dish to be rushed to the floor, and at one point, a monumental platter on legs is placed in front of two impossibly small women. The platter, filled with whole grilled baby barramundi and topped with an array of spicy ingredients, has the ladies peering over the top to see each other.
Just as diverse as the array of dishes are the people, and I’m taken with the wide age range and cultural backgrounds in the dining room, all coming together with a love of good food.
A group of young guys laugh and dive into dishes that barely have time to hit the table before they are devoured. Young couples talk quietly at their window-side tables. Groups of colleagues shake hands before heading to the private dining room. Older couples sip their Chinese tea before departing, the table well and truly cleared of all food. It’s an impressive homage to the broad appeal of Chinese food.
The Golden Drum has private dining rooms. Photo: Supplied.
Placing our order on the supplied tablet, we opted for crispy cumin lamb and steamed fish fillets with pickled chilli.
The crispy lamb was tasty, with its tender crumbed meat reminiscent of a schnitzel. But the real revelation for me was the fish.
I’ve always been hesitant to admit it, but I really like basa. If that makes me a little low-brow, then so be it, but when done well, the flesh can be so soft and sweet. In this instance, it was beautifully presented in a circular pattern and on a bed of sliced tofu. The funky fermented notes of the pickled chilli offset the impossibly tender, sweet fish.
The flavour combination was new to me, and on top of some simple boiled rice, I was hooked, clearing the whole plate with ease.
I would also like to give a special shout-out to the buyer and supplier of the crockery and serving dishes. Each dish is presented in its own unique fashion in a vessel best suited to its form. It makes for a vibrant experience and one that really feels like it marches to the beat of its own drum.
The Golden Drum is located at 1/14 Childers Street and is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.
