Eureka Chinese Restaurant

Eureka Chinese Restaurant would not register a blip on the radar to many. It can be found in Wilson, a quiet suburban neighbourhood close to Manning Road and Curtin University. The restaurant is small and unattractive, but don’t let its looks fool you. On weekends the place gets busy, and for good reason. Their roast duck is spectacular, cheap, and affordable.

The roast duck at Eureka Chinese Restaurant was good. So good in fact that indulgence could only be equated to the peeling and smearing of roast duck skin all over the face. It was large enough to feed a family of four and then some. All the traits I wanted in a roast duck ($29.00) were there – large, plump, soft, and fatty. The skin was crispy and had a glass-like texture that maintained a slight resistance throughout each bite. And the flesh underneath (white as day) managed to give a firmness and moistness unseen in many of the roast duck houses found in Perth. The duck was substantial as a meal alone, and because of this, our accompanying bucket of steamed rice never got a looking to.

Chinese roast duck

Crispy, glistening skin

Roast duck close up

Thick juicy piece of roast duck

Sauce made from duck juices, soya bean, rice wine, star anise, and cinnamon

The Kailan with Salted Fish and Chilli ($12.80) really did it for me. There was a balance of saltiness from the fish (dried) and sweetness of the bright, crispy kailan. The chilli injected a bit of kick but was not overpowering.

Kailan with salted fish chilli

Crispy sweet kailan with chilli and salted fish

Our Crab Meat Sweet Corn Soup ($5.50) was sub-par – where was the crab meat? Okay there were traces of crab meat but not enough. Disappointing.

Crab meat sweet corn soup

The Seafood with Chinese Bean Curd ($16.00) was brought out in a large ceramic pot and looked good – florets of fresh broccoli, slices of mushrooms, deep fried bean curd, fish, prawns, and squid in a broth. The broccoli was crunchy and just cooked, while the mushrooms were soft, slimy, and juicy. The deep fried bean curd soaked up the broth like a sponge – the juices were expelled with each bite as a result. They were the good points. Now for the bad points. The fish and squid were rubbery like hockey pucks – throwing these at someone’s head could have resulted in a serious head injury. They were frozen.

Seafood with Chinese bean curd

What was the verdict? I highly recommend the Roast Duck (which must be pre-ordered in advance for takeaway ($28.00) and dine-in ($29.00)). It is a specialty dish and is well worth it – thick juicy pieces of duck meat, and crispy brown skin – just the way I like it. I would avoid any seafood dish because nothing is fresh. The people sitting at the table next to us were feasting on a large fried crab dish. It was confirmed by the waitress that the crab was frozen, which is unlike most other Chinese restaurants where seafood is caught fresh from the tank. Suggested dishes to order for dinner include the Roast Duck ($29.00), Prosperous Fragrant Chicken ($15.50), Roasted Crispy Chicken ($15.00), and any of the vegetable dishes like Sambal Kang Kong ($13.80), Kai Lan with Salted Fish and Chilli ($12.00), or Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish and Chilli ($12.00).

Eureka Chinese Restaurant
Address: 14 Eureka Road, Wilson
Tel: +61 8 9258 8860

Opening Hours:
Lunch
Tuesday – Sunday (11:30am – 2:30pm)

Dinner
Tuesday – Sunday (5:00pm – 9:30pm)

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