When you see que!!! First thing you know that you are not going to be disappointed with the foods that you are about to discover. This Malaysian restaurant will definitely amaze you.
Dat que!!
Mamak is specialised in making Roti's and satays which is a must try no matter what. It is their most authentic dish in the restaurant. Look at the skill of the roti flipper, surely he is entertaining while you are waiting patiently to be seated.
The "mamak" in Malaysia are Indian by ethnicity and often Muslim by religion, their forebears having been brought to Malaysia from southern Indian by the British (who colonised both India and modern-day Malaysia). Now, mamak street stalls are popular across Malaysia and Singapore, specialising in roti, satay, mi goreng noodles and more. Well another meaning for "mamak" is the concept of opening 24 hours a day 365 days a week in Malaysia which of course is not 24 hours here!!
So if you are looking for foods like laksa, char kuay teo, or malaysian chicken rice, you have come to the wrong place.
Chicken/beef satay, one dozen for $16
Fantastic satays! Bite sized morsels of tender chicken and beef, threaded onto long, dainty skewers and with the most delicious satay sauce for dipping. All I can say is that this is a real stunning dish that makes you crave more, but i would recommend chicken which I think is really good. Awesome.
If some roti is like puff pastry, this was like filo - almost impossibly thin, elastic dough cooked on a hot grill and gently curled on a silver tray. I could happily eat it on its own, but it comes with a traditionally thin lentil dal speckled with nigella seeds, a creamy curry gravy, and a dot of dried anchovy-rich, full-flavoured chilli sambal.
Teh tarik, $3.50
Of course, when eating mamak, Tea Tarik, "Malaysian's Favourite drink" is not to be forgotten. This is tea sweetened with condensed milk and "aerated" by pouring in long streams between two mugs.
Roti telur bawang, $7
Next up were curries - first a fantastic, full-flavoured chicken curry with whole cloves bobbing in the rich, thick sauce and big, tender taters.
Kangkung belacan, $14
This is kangkung belacan, also known as water spinach. It is stir-fried with shrimp paste, yummmm.
Sambal sotong, $17
"It's very hot," warned the edible young waiter. "Yes, we love hot," we replied. Sambal is a chilli-based sauce that can be anything from just pounded fresh chillies with a little lime to an intense blend of shrimp paste, sugar and citrus. While at first bite the sotong tasted sweet and tangy, the addictive chilli rush crept up slowly afterwards. Delicious.
Much rice for soaking up all the sauces...
Rojak
Rojak is also one of the best dish which consist of cucumber, prawn fritters, egg, and yam beans. Worth a try!
Final comment, this is a really must-try. Oh and don't for get to end your sentence with "la" (If you know the humour of Malaysian English :P )
Location: Chinatown, chatswood, Melbourne
