Northern Chinese Street Food hits Sydney’s ‘burbs

Noodlies, Sydney food blog has a nibble

Chinese food used to be Canto fare from Chinatown or popular Aussie-Chinese still found in regional towns (and many Sydney suburbs). With the large influx of migrants from China, we’re discovering the exciting food from different regions of China, Szechuan, Shanghai, Yunnan and so much more. It seems like the more we know about regional Chinese cuisine the more we realise there’s so much more to know.

Lamb & Cumin is Raymond Hou’s tribute to a popular street food from his childhood in Shenyang, north of China. This is fast and furious charcoal meat, bought and eaten on the street and usually washed down with cold beer.

Hou has brought this concept to Hurstville. Ordering is easy, choose from seven types of skewers – lamb & cumin; the most popular – Hou says if you say “meat skewers” in Shenyang everybody knows you mean lamb, there’s also wagyu, chicken fillet through to more ‘exotic’ chicken gizzard, beef tendon, chicken frames and Aussie bush crocodile.

Faithful to the street food experience, it’s all cooked to order within view, while you wait. Your freshly bbq’ed skewers arrive in a paper bag, no additional sauce needed, all the flavour you need is in the extra zesty marinade, perfect for eating on the go. For an authentic experience without a liqour licence, Hou has sourced a Bavarian Malt Drink that’s non-alcoholic but tastes deceptively beery.

The lamb is tender and juicy, cumin and chilli is very noticeable, wagyu is a satisfying gnaw and crocodile firm, lean but not tough. It’s perfect for a quick snack between meals, no wonder the kids are queuing especially after school. At $5 for three lamb skewers or $8 for five it’s well within the budget of young and old.

Hou’s managed to recreate his childhood food in such a simple and elegantly successful way.

Lamb & Cumin
Shop 7C, Hurstville Central, Hurstville
(02) 7901 2374

Noodlies, Sydney food blog sampled Lamb & Cumin street food skewers courtesy of Lamb & Cumin.