Food World Gourmet Cafe, Wollongong

I am a bit biased when it comes to Food World. After all, I have been dining there since 1995 and saw the expansion from a small little takeaway shop with too few tables and the usual long line of customers queuing outside, to the size it is today. I do miss those days when they were open 7 days a week and I could buy a bowl of delicious suy kao or wonton soup for $5. Alas, their prices have increased over the last 15 years (not surprisingly) and their menu expanded considerably.

Spring Rolls (with pork and prawn)

Char Keow Tew (stir fried flat rice noodles)

I still order my old favourites (being a creature of habit) and Char Keow Tew and Spring Rolls being the first on my list even though I eat everything else on their menu. Their spring rolls remind me of the ones my mum makes with pork and prawn and they even look hand-made in that they are not perfectly shaped. That's what gives spring rolls their character! 

Their stir-fried noodles are always a hit. I have found myself asking for "less less oil" when I order though (just a little tip for those healthy conscious) but nothing beats the "char" taste of a stir-fry coming from a very hot wok. You just can't get that taste at home (never mind the sticky-oily feeling on the floor and walls and the smell in your clothes when you do try to cook it yourself).

This is the place to go if you're looking for affordable meals, generous sized servings and an extensive menu to choose from including entrees, soups, rice and noodles as well as a variety of drinks and desserts.