TL;DR: It is pretty much adequate here, with the service and decor being appropriately not a major focus of the entire area, but all relying on decent home-style fare. That they manage to deliver pretty well, with portions that are decent and filling. Extra points are definitely given to it changing its tune throughout the day to trial all sorts of offerings, and therefore getting more clientele in that might be interested. While it is not high up on the list, it is still given notable credit that it earned, and like any outlet around here, definitely deserves to be tried on its own merits.
Coming here was something of an oddity with the story, and basically the end result of what seemed to be a wild goose chase. Remembering some time back, there was a location nearby that both me and my house mate took to quite kindly; it was a Taiwanese breakfast (recommended thoroughly regardless, so just find one in where-ever you are in general), and while breakfasts out are often one of the best and most memorable meals, after a while many of the places become a bit the same offering the same kind of fare. That is where the odd foreign breakfast comes in, and one week that was sort of at the back of my mind. Just a new place to eat at, with interest if there was another kind of place like that in town - to what I managed to find, it was possible.
That is just the first part of the story, as after trying to go back and forth around Sunnybank Plaza, it seemed to be amiss until after observing what one of the photos looked like, that we were to be headed under cover at the car park. At this moment, desperation as starting to kick in and any kind of food was going to be good with a number of options on the table - after looking here and seeing there was a breakfast menu, with a final check and finding the original place not open on Sunday mornings, it was a U-turn to here. It was more or less giving the look and having a shrug of the shoulders thinking "what is the worst could happen". Sometimes a new place is just the thing you are looking for, and other times it ends up being pretty adequate. I would put this place as the latter if I had to be most honest.
Among a number of other outlets here, there is a bit of a rougher and more grungy aesthetic to them, due to the combination of being within the carpark and also having a lot less sunlight streaming into the restaurant. That being said, the sun can still seep in and brighten up the place when the weather is fine outside. As for the decor, it is adequate. Maybe not the most flashy, as it has that grimy look to it a bit like a dining hall. It was early morning on the weekend, so not many people were quite out yet, which made it a bit sparse; rumour has it that it can get rowdy and fill up during peak hour, and not dining during then might have missed part and parcel of eating here. Ah well, it still was pretty good to see all the tables set up well, spread out quite well, and what definitely looked good were the big pictures of Hong Kong's cityscape on the wall.
What is definitely not going to be getting any extra points is the service. Don't be mistaken, it is not because it is horrible by any real means, but it is the usual standard of service that is done with Chinese waitstaff. From a customer service perspective, they could hardly care less lest they try, but this is in exchange for it being at an utmost efficiency - though it was a bit slower here than usual, they got it done regardless. They bring it to your table without much of a look on their face, and plonk it down on the table. The tip is to never take offense to this; it is just the way it is, and to here more or less adds to the atmosphere. How it goes here is just up to the counter, place your order and pay followed up getting a number and taking a seat. Next, they will come to you. Any extras like water or cutlery are up to you to collect.
Now we get onto the menu, where it is a pretty small one. It is Chinese cooking, regional Chinese that is. Here we are talking about Hong Kong, and the menu overall reads a bit like the standard local take-out, alongside having a small yum-cha selection and clay pot specials. There is the range of favourites there, a good lot of seafood, a reasonable vegetarian selection, and plenty of rice and noodle dishes, then to drink it is the general sodas, as well as frappes and Hong Kong style teas. It is a bit eclectic from the vantage point location, and needs to be observed for itself.
In addition to all of that, what was also noticeable about the place was the Honk Kong style breakfast which is being trialed out as of this writing. Most of the dishes were consist of congee, though there is also a range of soups, and noodle dishes as well plus various bits of yum cha fare to have on the side and really beef out your meal - think dumplings, or sticky rice and whatnot. You could definitely get a decent meal here without having to fork out a huge amount of money, and to me that is always something in a restaurant's favour.
When it came to doing the order, what I managed to get was completely by randomness. Whatever the name of it was called, it seemed interesting and it ended up being a pork rib stew of sorts that came with dipping bread and some rice. That may well be one of the strangest combinations that I have ever seen. It was nice, not too big on the flavour going for the more subtle taste. The pork meat was definitely tender, and there was the chicken noodle soup that my dining buddy ended up ordering with the meat being nicely poached, and some tender noodles as well.
Looking at all the extras, what was hard to go past was getting a side of sticky rice, plus the usual beverage on the side being coffee. No point are being added or subtracted - per se - when it comes to the coffee, however it is duly noted that it is basic-boned right here. In observing a couple of spoons going in, it was definitely instant and while instant is no go-to option for me, as long as it ain't decaf you are in good hands with me. The milk was creamy, the taste was nice, and it was both warming and perked me up. Again, when needing caffeine as long as it ain't decaf.
As for the sticky rice, I have always loved it going way back to when I was a kid, and it still manages to hold up as one of the best snacks. Here it was served in the traditional banana leaf, and there were two to a serve (bonus!). The rice was hot and sticky, with plenty of flavour in it, especially the bits of chicken throughout it. As always, it is pretty delicious and well worth a go.
Overall, Sunnybank Oriental is definitely not an awful place, nor is it really one that would stand out among all the choices present around this area. It is sort of the hidden place in the back that some would like, that is a little rougher looking than usual, though if the food is alright and the vibe is there than it is good enough. That being said, the vibe is pretty chilled and relaxed, coming in just for the food and that is what they manage to do well, with portions being decent and food not being too bad, but definitely don't count too much on the service.
It is for that reason that after some thinking about it, a 4.0 rating is what it stands at. Perhaps overstated in part, this is to show that there is definitely aspects which make it stand out or are notable when trying to make a comparison, but what does get given credit is how it is distinguishable when the food is alright. While some aspects are a bit rough, maybe it is mostly the service, all that really does is add to the whole vibe and atmosphere. Competition for what is the best around here is fierce, and Sunnybank Oriental - with no fault of its own - might not stand out too far ahead; but in saying that, like almost any place within this short radius, it is worthy in part to go and search for it, to find its charms, and make your own mind up about it.
That is possibly the gold star for why this is a gourmand's mecca.
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