When looking for an eatery in Dunedin to truly satisfy the taste buds, it’s hard to look past Madam Woo. Founded by Michelin star chef Josh Emett and well renowned and respected restaurateur Fleur Caulton, Madam Woo is one of (if not) the best Asian eateries in town. Madam Woo has a strong focus on Malaysian and Chinese dishes such as rendang, shredded duck salad, and stir fry pork belly, as well as a whole host of entrees and smaller meals including, but not limited to, prawn and coriander dumplings or the incredibly popular hawker rolls, where you can choose from pulled pork, percik chicken or soy sesame eggplant, all wrapped in a delicious roti.
To kick things off at Madam Woo, I decided to sample both the prawn and coriander dumplings, and the pork and lup cheong wontons. For mains I decided to dabble in both the stir fry pork belly and the shredded duck salad. The pork belly was delicious and slow cooked, finished with an oyster sauce and completed with a spiced crackling crumble, which I can assure you was just as awesome as it sounds. However, for me, the jewel in the crown was without any shadow of a doubt the percik chicken hawker. If you haven’t tried one of these little gems before I would recommend clearing any dinner plans you have tonight and heading on down. These tasty little morsels are so good I dare say they would have made Hitler happy.
If you’re looking to wet the whistle, I’d recommend trying some of the house beer, Woo Brew. Or if that’s not quite your cup of tea, or beer, Madam Woo offers a wide range of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to keep the whole dinner party happy. So, if you’ve been keeping an eye on that special little someone down on second floor in Central, I’d recommend showing them the sights and sounds of Madam Woo. You’ll be sure to find yourself in for a second date. Or, alternatively, with graduation season on the horizon, why not get in fast and book a table at Madam Woo; ideally located just below the Octagon, it’s a great way to kick off a big night.