I love Asian food. Particularly if it’s authentic. Having grown up in a Chinese-English family who owned various Chinese restaurants in London, I’m particularly fussy when it comes to eating out.
And when I heard family-owned P’Nut Street Noodles had teamed up with former MasterChef Australia star Matt Sinclair to create a series of special dishes on their menu, I was down at their Dee Why branch in a shot.
The eatery is known for its reasonably priced food, so I was curious to know what he would create in conjunction with the restaurant. In addition, our ed Kim hadn’t had a great experience with her Uber Eats from the establishment so I was also interested to see if his expertise would give the menu a new lease of life.
Leveraging Matt’s lifelong passion for Asian cuisine and his extensive knowledge and experience from his travels throughout South-East Asia, the three exclusive new dishes include; deliciously decadent Hoisin Duck Noodles, a wholesome yet flavour-packed Green Curry Fried Rice and a rich and creamy Thai Coconut Soup.
What’s more, these new affordable dishes promise to be wok’d fresh on the spot to order with no additives, no nasties and no MSG.
Served to me in a flash, I first tucked into the Hoisin Duck Noodles and was really pleasantly surprised with the generous serving of tender duck immersed in soft flat noodles and a sweet sticky sauce.
Most low-priced Asian restaurants stint when it comes to serving up expensive meat such as duck, but not here. The portions were generous.
Next up, the fried rice was devoured by my partner in crime, who grew up in Malaysia and is a huge fan of the dish. It was full of plump prawns and plentiful veggies and was a real hit.
We then both shared the soup which was a rich, creamy Thai coconut broth topped with crispy fried noodles, greens and sprouts, which I can only lovingly describe as a hug in a mug.
Matt has done us proud and indeed given the menu a much-needed lift, perhaps our ed Kim might give the eatery another whirl?
“Matt quickly gained a loyal following on MasterChef Australia for his fantastic cooking and quirky sense of humour,” said Petra Orrenius, Group General Manager at P’Nut Street Noodles.
“His partnership with us is sure to please fans of authentic street food experiences and as an incredible chef, he will celebrate the humble flavour profiles of Thai dishes making sure P’Nut customers will be able to enjoy them across all our stores in a fun and convenient way.
“I am passionate about delicious Asian cuisine that’s accessible and convenient for everyday Aussies looking for an easy go-to lunch or dinner, so building on the knowledge and experience of P’Nut Street Noodles, I was able to put my own personal twist on these classic dishes through this collaboration which was a natural fit for me,” added Matt.
“Thai food is perfect for winter and these dishes bring the flavours of a true Asian street food experience with sauces made from scratch and by using traditional street-style cooking techniques,” he said.
Indeed, during our visit to the eatery we were transported straight to the streets of Asia with real Asian street food, what’s more, all the dishes were under $20 each. Bargain!
The dishes are set to be available for takeaway and dine-in customers throughout winter.
Find your nearest location or more information here pnut.com.au
Transparency check: This is a genuine food review; meals and reviewable beverages were provided free for the purposes of review, and we attended by invitation so it was not anonymous.
