PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAVeggie pork soup, Taiwanese fried chicken and other vegetarian meat meals are all on offer, with a great range of fresh juices, and bubble and herbal teas to accompany them. Situated on the outer edge of Chinatown on the busy Wickham Street strip, Kuan-Yin is often brimming with people sampling the dumplings and other delicious dishes. The family-run restaurant borrowed its name from the goddess Kuan Yin, who is known to Buddhists as the compassionate rebel. Among all the Buddhist gods, she is loved rather than feared and is the model of Chinese beauty.
This sunny little restaurant is open for lunch and early dinners, shutting its doors by 7.30pm most days, so for dinner it's necessary to get in quick. A corkboard labelled Treasured Memory is decorated with photos of merry diners while another, closer to the counter, reveals the results of the competitions, declaring who can eat the most and, cheekily, who can spend the most. The friendly atmosphere is complemented by the unique range of entrees and meals not often seen in other Chinese restaurants. Chinese “toona salad” pancake, and shallow-fried dumplings with tofu and salad are just some of the great sharing options available. The “delicate combo” is a favourite main meal, which is wonton soup served on a Bunsen burner with a huge fried Chinese pancake on the side. For desserts many of the bubble and milk teas can have pudding added, for that extra oriental treat.
Ilana Tulloch, August 2008