A Gan Guo Kui opened its second store in Westfield Parramatta in early 2020. Perhaps an unfortunately timed opening due to the public’s unfounded aversion to Chinese establishments (and Hubei Province-style foods in particular) on account of the coronavirus pandemic, but we were delighted to discover the ultra crispy naan-like street snack that is jingzhou-style guo kui.

The guo kui at A Gan Guo Kui is Hubei-style, which is a type of thin, crispy flatbread that’s cooked traditionally oil over charcoal in a clay oven, much like a tandoor oven. According to A Gan Guo Kui, guo kui originated some 2,000 years ago as an army provision before evolving into a street snack.

This is the Beef Crispy Pancake ($7.80).

The pancake is thin and crispy while the beef inside is evenly distributed and moderately spiced to give a gentle lingering burn. This is our favourite of the pancakes on offer.

This is the Pork Crispy Pancake ($7.80)

We’re fans of pork generally, so it’s no surprise that we enjoy the crispy pancake with the moreishness of the a savoury pork mince. The spices in the beef do give it an edge over this pork, though.

This is the Lamb Crispy Pancake ($7.80).

The lamb swaps out the spices flavouring the beef for its distinctive, but not overpowering, gamey flavour that we enjoy, while retaining a similar mouthfeel to the beef.

This is the Curry Chicken Crispy Pancake ($7.80).

The curry chicken delivered a very healthy heat that comes from chilli in addition ot he usual curry spices. We’d have preferred a more mellow burn to better enjoy the flavour of the chicken and curry.

Onto the sweet pancakes, there is only this Red Bean Paste Crispy Pancake ($5.80) on offer.

The red bean is a smooth paste that’s generously spread throughout the pancake and adds a touch of sweetness. For someone with a chronic sweet tooth, though, I surprised even myself by preferring the savoury versions for their moreishness that kept me going back for a second bite in contrast to this red bean one where the flavour was less complex in comparison.

We hope traffic picks up for this branch in Westfield Parramatta as our stomachs would be sad to see it languish.

A Gan Guo Kui is located at Shop K521, Westfield Parramatta, 159-175 Church Street, Parramatta, New South Wales 2150.