Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant

Happy New Year readers!

I thought I'd kick off my first blog post of 2014 with a review of Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant in Wantirna South. Hubby and I dined there this evening and were quite impressed.

We arrived at 6pm and we were amazed at the size of this restaurant. It was quite large. When we arrived there were only approximately 3 other tables of people. We were greeted and seated immediately.

The tables had mini bowls of bright yellow crackers. The waiter indicated that these were wheat based and therefore not gluten free so he took these away and replaced them with some prawn crackers when we told him that hubby was coeliac. The prawn crackers were not greasy and quite light in colour. They had a garlic aftertaste which was pleasant. 

Reading the menu we were impressed at the amount of gluten free options available. I would say at least 50% - 60% of the menu was gluten free. The wait staff approached us minutes later to take our drinks and meals order. Even though the gluten free options were clearly marked on the menu the waiter was extremely helpful in answering our questions and seemed to understand the dietary requirements quite well.

We decided to not order entrees, as gluten free options were quite limited on the entree menu, but instead ordered three mains and a large rice to share. Our choices were:

Special fried rice

The rice was delicious and contained peas, chives, prawns and a small amount of pork.

Chicken teriyaki with broccoli 

Chicken breast was used so as a result the chicken was a little dry on the outside but otherwise very tender. The teriyaki sauce was quite sweet. 

Chilli & plum roast pork with vegetables

This was my second favourite main of the evening. The pork was tender and there was a slight hint (and sometimes a kick!) of chilli mixed into the plum sauce. I would definitely order this again.

Mongolian beef with peppers (my favourite of the evening!)

I have always had a soft spot for Mongolian Beef. The meat in this dish melted in my mouth... So tender! The sauce was not overpowering at all. There was quite a bit of meat in this dish. 

For two people I would recommend ordering two mains and a rice to share. We ordered too much food - couldn't finish our meals (not for lack of trying!). 

I couldn't fault the service. Wait staff were constantly walking around ensuring that patrons had full glasses and were happy with their meals, always with a smile and polite manner. 

Our bill come to a reasonable $96 for three mains, large fried rice and four soft drinks. If we had ordered one less main our bill would have been around the $70 mark which is a relatively inexpensive night out.

We left at 7pm and the restaurant was steadily filling up.

For those with Coeliacs Disease or a gluten intolerance I would highly recommended Dragon Boat Chinese Restaurant. 

They have several locations. We visited the Wantirna South restaurant which is located at

Shop 2216 Knox O-Zone, 509 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South, Vic 3152 I would highly recommend making a reservation by phoning (03) 9801 6655  Do you know of a gluten free friendly Chinese restaurant? Please share by commenting below.