Review: Queto, Macquarie Park

Words can’t explain how excited I am about the changes to Macquarie Shopping Centre. With international brands like H&M, Uniqlo, Zara and the Gap now open in the revamped centre, it’s going to absolutely destroy my wallet and what little savings I’ve accumulated. The new fresh food precinct with a Coles, Aldi, and a fantastic fruit shop all have my tick of approval. The new restaurants and take away shops in the cinema wing are also kicking goals and offering a wider range of delicious quick grab’n’go options for hungry shoppers. K and I dropped into QueTo, a new Korean takeaway joint/restaurant one evening.

QueTo is a strange Korean/Japanese mix – while the cook-to-order options lean strongly towards the Korean spectrum with the addition of a few Japanese-style bento boxes, the grab’n’go is very much Japanese with a wide range of sushi hand rolls.

It’s very busy on the weeknight that we went, and we only just managed to grab a table after ordering at the counter. They have a system here where you’re allocated a number for your order. When your meal is ready to be picked up, a buzzer goes off and your order number flashes on a LED display. It’s simple but effective, allowing you to sit down at a table with your drinks and relax while you wait for your meal to be cooked.

K ordered BBQ Pork noodles with Korean BBQ Sauce. It’s a very very sweet sauce, and could have definitely done with a higher degree of BBQ smokiness to really make the dish special. I was also initially surprised by the BBQ pork when it came out as my background led me to believe that it would be the Chinese-style BBQ pork, but I think these thinner slices of pork worked much better with the dish. It’s a very generous serve for a single person, though it’s mainly noodles without many additional ingredients. It’s not a standout dish, but it’s pretty good value!

When I saw ‘Kalguksu’ on the unofficial menu (poster next to the counter), I was intrigued by the sound of it as a “Traditional Flour Noodle Soup in Korea” and decided to make that my order. The strong salty seafood broth of this dish really hits all the tastebuds, with each piece of juicy succulent seafood releasing a burst of brine when you bite into it. The noodles themselves are quite chewy with a good bite to them. The serving is a bit smaller than the BBQ Pork noodles, but still really hits the spot.

Overall, I quite liked QueTo as a quick, filling and cheap meal option for whenever I’m in Macquarie Centre. It’s definitely a better option than any of the offerings that are currently in the food court, and their grab’n’go sushi options look rather appetising as well. I’ll definitely be back…maybe next time with armloads of H&M and Uniqlo bags!