We had long avoided visiting Castle Mall Shopping Centre, finding the carpark more stress than it was worth. However, with N pointing out that it was an easy walk across from Castle Towers and recommending Hawker Street in the food court, we decided to give it a try on a late weekend afternoon.

Char Kway Teow ($15.00) — flat rice noodles stir-fried with Chinese sausage, prawn, egg, chives, and bean sprouts.

The dish carried good wok hei, though a few pieces tipped into being burnt. The prawns were neatly detailed with nails removed, which was appreciated. There was a balanced mix of chives and bean sprouts, with the noodles tender and the flavour satisfying overall. The main drawback was the portion size, which felt small for the price, though typical for food court fare.

Char Hor Fun ($15.00) — mixed rice noodles with seafood, vegetables, and a topping of egg gravy.

This version combined crisp noodles with wok-fried flat rice noodles underneath. The prawns were prepared with the same attention to detail, joined by slices of fish cake. A generous serving of vegetables added crunch, with good wok hei throughout. The egg gravy was plentiful and did not become overly watery at the end, unlike some versions at PappaRich or Albee’s. The crisp noodles softened as they soaked up the gravy; while better when crisp, the softened texture still worked reasonably well.

Overall, Hawker Street offered dishes with solid wok hei and thoughtful preparation of ingredients, though the portion sizes were modest and the execution uneven at times. Worth trying when nearby, but not a destination in itself.

Hawker Street is located at Shop FC3, Level 1, Castle Mall Shopping Centre, 4-16 Terminus St, Castle Hill NSW 2154