Cho Dumpling King

There’s a reason for the queue outside Cho Dumpling King. The place is tiny, crammed so ambitiously with narrow tables that keeping your elbows tucked in is not an option, but a necessity. The crowd is mostly Taiwanese uni students, noisily hoeing into a taste of home at bargain basement prices. Set meals are $9, a bowl of Taiwanese sauced-up pork mince on rice and your choice of ten side dishes. The deep-fried chicken pieces are everything you could wish for: marinated, tender and coated in a super crunchy batter. Upgrade to a large set meal for a dollar, and throw in another buck for a cold ice tea and you’ll be feasting like a king for $11. In the window are little plates of cold appetisers that you can help yourself to for only $3.50 each. It’s a cheap way to try lots of different dishes, like seaweed salad, deep fried prawns in their shells, caramelised eggplant and even pig's ear terrine if you’re game. The deep-fried pork chop value meal ($9) comes in a bento box, with compartments for rice, vegetables, potato salad and fruit. Stewed pork ($8.50) uses belly pieces, cooked in a sweet soy sauce until soft and unctuous.