218 Chinese Style Restaurant (食麵八方) - 218 Padstow Road, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113

Feeling like Chinese tonight, we stopped over at 218 Chinese Style Restaurant for a bite. With "such an original name", there really are no prizes for guessing what type of cuisine this restaurant specialises in.

So what does 218 stand for? In Chinese, 218 means "easy profit", so it's seen as a very auspicious number. Well who doesn't like easy profit?

Coincidentally, 218 Chinese Style Restaurant is located on 218 Padstow Road. Mere coincidence? I'll leave that for you to decide.

In terms of dishes, you get a huge variety, ranging from special Chinese snacks - intestines (sounds eww I know, but if you close your eyes, it's actually pretty good); shallot pancakes; meat buns; to rice/noodle dishes; soups; and casseroles. Prices are very affordable, with the most expensive dish only costing $15.90.

Apparently, the most popular dishes include Shallot Pancake ($4); Lightly Fried Meat Buns ($9); and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($10.90), so that's exactly what we got.

The crispiness of the Shallot Pancakes made it insanely addictive, but the lack of shallot flavours was its main downfall. I still enjoyed it though as it was significantly less oily than the pancakes I've tried at other restaurants - and needless to say, I finished it pretty quickly.

Shallot Pancakes ($4)

We waited 30 minutes before our Meat Buns arrived, but it was made fresh so I didn't mind (our waiters warned us about this which was good). With a wonderfully crunchy base and a soft fluffy bun, the Meat Buns would have been perfect if the pork mince exploded with a delicious broth. Unfortunately, it didn't so I still prefer the Pan Fried Pork Buns from New Shanghai more.

Lightly Fried Meat Buns ($9)

The Beef Brisket Soup ($10.90) was deliciously flavourful on its own, but I would have liked it just a little saltier as it's meant to accompany noodles. Noodle texture was perfect - with just the right balance of firmness and chewiness, but the (generous portions of) beef brisket was a little too dry and chewy.


Beef Brisket Noodle Soup ($10.90)

Verdict:
Great value for money - stop by for some cheap Chinese eats.