Ho Jiak - Strathfield

There's a new Malaysian place in town and it's super close to home. Being inside Strathfield plaza, there was a bit of a hitch in finding the place - as "HoJiak" actually isn't the name plastered ... it has "Penang Express" on the shop front and has that "food-court"-y type feel. Nonetheless, enough people seem to have found the place to make it quite buzzing and happening.

Hubby ordered their Hainan Chicken Rice. It's pleasant. The chicken is average and the rice is also decent. Not dazzling though unfortunately. 

My Prawn Mee was more impressive. Fragrantly aromatic and loads of flavour. It was pretty delicious. The noodles were wonderful in soaking in the tasty soup. I think it could have been improved by having real prawns instead of prawn cocktails... but you know what? I'd take it. I'd order it again. I also wanted an ice coffee but as they'd "run out", I had to opt for the Teh Terik instead (milk tea) which disappointingly, was pre-made, pre-packaged and slightly over-sweet.

 So all up, this is not a bad place for some Malay food. Lots of flavours in the soup for my noodles. But you know what? Temasek (in Parra) isn't too far away and that's also pretty delish! :)

Ratings:
Food - 6.5/10
Service - 6/10
Ambiance - 6/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 25.5

Ho Jiak 
Shop 33, 11 The Boulevard
Strathfield Plaza
Strathfield
Tel: (02) 9008 8020

Pappa Rich - Chatswood

For a chillaxy lunch, hubby and I found ourselves at Pappa Rich in Chatswood - partly due to much consultancy of the Entertainment Book. We were greeted by friendly welcoming staff and an extensive yummy sounding Malaysian menu.

Took us ages to choose, but we finally decided on a noodle dish each. I ordered a Coffee+milk tea+ jelly drink which I LOVED. I would have appreciated a slightly strong coffee and tea flavour, but the drink did the trick anyway.

Hubby's noodle dish was the Curry Laksa. It was a rich and aromatic spicy coconut brothed noodles (thick eggy hokkien-style noodles) with prawns, mussels, eggplant, tofu puffs, bean curd, fish cake and bean sprouts. It smelt really good ... but... the benchmark for a good laksa has been set really high (thanks to the laksa place at unsw matt building) and unfortunately, this one fell a bit short of that.

Curry Laksa

I really liked my Prawn Mee, which had a really delicious prawn broth to it. It was a bit chilli, but I was determined to soldier on. There were thick egg noodles, prawns, half and egg, chicken, bean sprouts and water spinach. It was quite yummy. Maybe not the most awesome prawn mee I've had, but it hit the spot.

Prawn Mee

All up, not a bad Malaysian restaurant. Not the best but for the price (esp after Entertainment book discount), it was pretty decent.

Ratings:
Food - 7/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 7/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 28/40

Pappa Rich
63A Archer St
Chatswood
NSW 2067
Tel: (02) 9411 3207

Jackie M - Concord (closed)

We had heard about how amazing Jackie M's cuisine was and yet, living 5 mins away from it, we had procrastinated 2 years before actually giving it a visit. Our procrastination ended just in time - as Jackie M was scheduled to close just weeks after our visit (to focus on her catering business).

I first ordered their iced milk coffee. I really like asian iced milk coffee - but this was definitely made from powder as there was undissolved powder left at the bottom of the glass. Hence, I was a bit disappointed by this - wasn't anywhere as strong or as flavoursome enough.

In terms of dishes, one that we opted for was the beef rendang. This came on a slightly smaller scale than expected. However, it was chockablock full of stringy beef and deliciousness spices and flavours. This was perfect when eaten with the roti. The roti here has got to be one of the best I've ever had - super super flakey, super super light, super super crisp, and super super soft all in one bite. Deliciousness!

I had also read about how their chai tow kway (fried radish cake) was amazing and hence, I simply just HAD to order it. I wasn't disappointed. Yummy stir-fry of shredded radish cake with garlic, beansprouts, chives, egg and preserved radish. Yes - slightly greasy but so subtly tasty when it all clings to that sweet salty sauce.

Hubby also wanted some greens so the Kang Kong was ordered. Slightly spicier than the type I like, but tasty (and oily) all the same.

In sum, Jackie M is slightly more expensive than most other Malaysian restaurants but it is still tasty. No doubt that their catering business (and takehome meals) will be just as tasty (but possibly just as pricey).

Ratings:
Food - 7.5/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 6.5/10
Value for money - 6.5/10
Overall - 27.5/40

Jackie M - http://www.jackiem.com.au/

Temasek - Parramatta

I was crazily craving a good prawn mee - so much so that I was almost willing to fly to Singapore/Malaysia just for a good bowl. Luckily, hubby whisked me off to Temasek just in time to save thousands in traveling costs.There was a bit of a line for this busy Sunday lunch but we waited patiently and was rewarded handsomely with super yummy hainanese chicken rice and my beloved prawn noodle soup (har mee).

Hubby's chicken was really tender and tasty. The skin was silky smooth with just a thin layer of jellied fat underneath it. The rice was flavoursome but not too crazily oily which was good.

hainanese chicken rice

My prawn noodle soup was absolutely heavenly! The prawn stock was really really rich and packed full of seafoody prawn-shelly flavour. The hokkien/thin rice noodle mix helped soak up the delicious broth making for a crazy yummy meal. The king prawns in it were also good - but as the soup was soooo good, I probably would have been satisfied without them.

Har Mee - prawn noodle soup

I have a feeling that there will be plenty of har mee excursions to Temasek coming up for me in the future.

Ratings:
Food - 9/10
Service - 6/10
Ambiance - 6/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 28/40

Temasek
71 George Street
Parramatta
NSW 2150
Tel: (02) 9633 9926

Istana - Thornleigh

Hubby and I wanted to try Alice's in Thornleigh. Unfortunately, as it was a public holiday, this popular makan @ Alice's was closed :( Next best option for a Malay fix in the Thornleigh area was Istana.

We ordered a Hainan Chicken Rice (1/2 chicken) and a homemade fish cake with egg noodles. When it came out, we were like... zomg. The chicken was much bigger than we had expected. Luckily, it was really tasty and tender and yummy. Also, when we asked for more shallot and ginger mixture, we were given a massive bowl of it, bringing a huge smile to hubby's face :) Though the chicken rice was slightly less tasty than normal, it was still deliciously satisfying.

Hainan Chicken Rice (1/2 chicken)

The handmake fish cake with egg noodle was also interesting. The fish cake was really quite fishy and relatively hard and tough. I can't say it was to my liking. The egg noodles were as normal, so nothing extraordinary here.

Handmade fishcake with egg noodles

Ratings:
Food - 7/10
Service - 6/10
Ambiance- 6/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 26/40

Istana
238/230 Pennant Hills Road
Thornleigh NSW 2120
Tel: (02) 9481 8855

Albee's Ktichen - Campsie

My friends suggested a good Malaysian place in Campsie - so when we were lost on where to eat for the night, we decided to check it out. Albee's isn't a flash restaurant (looks kinda dingy) but is definitely buzzing with activity and pleasant aromas.

We decided to order the hainanese chicken rice ($10), kangkong with chilli and preserved bean curd ($12.80), and butter king prawns ($19.80). Drink wise, my hubby went for the milk tea and I decided on a white coffee. Drinks were not bad - but not as awesomely strong (ie. strong tea/coffee flavour) as some other places.

teh terik - $4

kopi susu - $3.80

The hainanese chicken rice was really good. The chicken was smooth and succulent and the rice was awesomely fragrant. The soup was meh - msged ish. The kangkong here was AMAZING. Maybe it's just that I haven't had it in a while but it was packed full of flavour. The preserved tofu bean curd thing was silky smooth and strongly flavoured. And the last but not least, the prawns were really something different. The shell was deep-fried and crispified and sprinkled full of this sweet ish powder. I think the "butter" bit may actually be pigs fat - which really took the dish to another level. I have to say, it was probably really unhealthy as I immediately felt the sore throat coming along. Worth it though I think :)

Hainanese Chicken Rice - $10

Kangkong with chilli and preserved bean curd - $12.80

Butter king prawns - $19.80

All up - don't come here for service or the ambiance. But the food here is worth a return visit.

Ratings:
Food - 8.5/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 6/10
Value for money - 8/10
Overall - 29.5/40

Albee's Kitchen
282 Beamish St
Campsie
NSW 2194
Tel: (02) 9718 8302

Mamak - Haymarket

The weekend was met with rain. It made it gloomy and humid and wet - ruining our attempt at enjoying the Japanese Summer Festival at Darling Harbour. Well, it meant we had to have a good meal to cheer us all up.

For 4 people, we were luckily escorted to an empty table at this busy popular Malaysian place without any need for waiting. When we sat down, my partner wanted to order atleast 10 things on the menu. Luckily, myself and our company had a bit more self-control and settled for just 6 dishes.

Drinks first, my partner's Teh Tarik ($3.50), which is a hot classic malaysian sweetened tea, was super super sweet yet nicely so. It has a centimeter of froth on the top as the tea is "stretched". Some people believe that this stretching process is what makes the milk tea yummier. Well, I thought it was yummy, as did my partner. I ordered the Kopi Ais ($3.50) which is essentially super sweet ice white coffee. It tastes like the coffee lollies I used to buy from Asian grocery stores except nicely ice cold. Mmm... YUM. So unhealthy, but I could so drink it everyday.

Teh Tarik - $3.50

Kopi Ais - $3.50

Foodwise, we ordered the Kangkung Belacan ($13). This is stir-fried water spinach with chillies and shrimp paste. As myself and our other female companion does not tolerate chilli well, our dishes were all ordered "mild" with a side plate of chilli (as our male companions love chilli). The water-spinach was nice - soaked in the shrimp paste and was chilli especially when you accidentally bite into a chilli flake (thought I, but not my partner). Very tastey with juices that don't leave your memory easily.

Kangkung Belacan - $13

A non-spicy choice, the Mee Goreng ($10.50) was decided upon. The hokkien noodles were stir-fried and tossed with eggs, prawns, fish cake slices and bean sprouts. It bought with it a sweetish taste that gets you going back for more. Not too oily, yet not dry. Pretty good.

Mee Goreng - $10.50

We also ordered the Sambal udang ($18) which is tiger prawns stir-fried in fiery sambal sauce. We asked them to dumb down the "fieryness" - which they luckily did, making this a very yummy tastey yet not overly tastebud numbing experience. The prawns were also nicely cooked - no soggy and mushy, but a good elasticy-type chewy.

Sambal udang - $18

We couldn't step out of Mamak without ordering Roti. We ordered the Roti Canai ($5) which was served with two types of curries and a dab of spicy sambal sauce. The roti was oily, but not overly so, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I think the currys were nice? My company had no complaints, and I didn't feel like trying it LOL.

Roti Canai - $5

A surprisingly awesome dish was the Ayam Goreng ($12 for 4). This was four super hugemungous, super juicy, super tender and super crispy skinned slabs of chicken. It was really very WOW. It felt as though I was eating KFC, except having a HUGE piece of it, and the chicken tasted better - marinated with herbs and spices and super super tenderness. However, whilst I'm talking this up, please keep in mind that it is just chicken after all.

Ayam Goreng - $12 for 4; $3.5 per piece

Last but not least was the skewers ($14 for 12). We ordered half chicken and half beef. It was awesomely chargrilled tasting, tender, tasty, and complemented the sweet and spicy, slightly chunky, satay sauce very well. The fact you get a bowl of satay sauce meant that we could lather it on the skewers if we wanted to.

Chicken/Beef Satay Skewers - $14 for a dozen

Overall, the food here was awesome! No wonder they are usually packed out with seemingly endless lines on most nights!

Ratings:
Food - 9.5/10
Service - 7/10
Ambiance - 6.5/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 30/40

Mamak
15 Goulburn St
Haymarket
NSW 2000
Tel: (02) 9211 1668

Istana - Parramatta

Istana Paramatta

Reminiscing the awesome food from Singapore/KL, we stepped into Istana in Parramatta for lunch. I was craving awesome oyster omelette and my partner wanted laksa. But as we were stepping into the place, the blackboard special was hainan chicken for a mere$5.80.

Sticking to our original cravings, my partner ordered a chicken laksa ($9.80) and I ordered my oyster omelette ($16.80). However, the more we thought about it, the more the chicken sounded like a super deal. Hence, it was ordered as an afterthought.

My partner's chicken laksa was nice and fragrant and comprised of a mix of hokkien and rice noodles. No complaints from him - except maybe not chilli enough?

chicken laksa - $9.80

The afterthought came before my oyster omelette. We were seriously expecting just a few pieces of chicken. This - was a whole huge plate of chicken! A super bargain for $5.80 I think. Quality-wise, however, it was nothing really special. Wasn't super smooth or tender. Just average. Still a great deal though!

Hainan Chicken - $5.80

At long last, my oyster omelette came. Whilst huge looking, it was very flat (and hence, deceivingly big). Disappointingly, oysters could not be found whole - it was chopped up into tiny bits and even then, they were hard to find. So really, given that it took so long to cook up an omelette, perhaps they had to run off to the seafood store to just get a couple of oysters which became non-existant after cooked. Honestly, this just did not compare to the one in Singapore where plump oysters in multitude were found in and amongst the egg.

Oyster Omelette - $16.80

Overall, Istana wasn't bad. Service wasn't brill but was adequate. Food was OK apart from my omelette and the chicken was a bargain. However, if on the hunt for hawker-style food, Istana is not really it. However, if you're just out for some malay food, this place is probably adequate.

Ratings:
Food - 7/10
Service - 6.5/10
Ambiance - 6.5/10
Value for money - 7/10
Overall - 27/40

Istana
277 Church St
Parramatta
NSW 2150
tel: (02) 9687 5113

QQ Pot - Carlingford

A bunch of 20 or so of us were looking for a lunch spot after church. We did settle for Carlingford Village Food Court and were all lining up for the food court chinese takeaway until one of us suggested going to a newly opened "viet" place (and what looked like a super popular takeaway disappeared in a flash!). I think the place is called "QQ Pot"... but... umm...

So what's enticing about this "Viet" (but not actually viet) restaurant? Not really too much. The decor was kind of interesting, with newspaper stuck on as wall paper. The place looked kind of like a cafeteria... However, the waiters (who spoke wierdly accented canto) were friendly and I loved how you get to just tick the meal you wanted (kinda like how you would order dim sims at yum cha in HK).

ticking menu

We ordered thai fish cakes ($8.80) and viet spring rolls ($6.80) for starters. The fish cakes were of the frozen packet variety. Mmm.. very average. The spring rolls were miniature and quite peppery. However, not too appetising... even though I was STARVING (and that's saying something...)

thai fish cakes - $8.80

spring rolls - $6.80

Some of my friends ordered sizzling clay pot rices (all $10-12). There were chicken and chinese sausage clay pots, chicken and chestnut clay pots, pork ' n vege pot... etc etc. The clay pots came out before any of the other dishes... which is kinda wierd (as it normally takes around 20 mins for one of these to be done)... and kind of gives you an indication of how slow it took the food to come out. However, my friends seemed to much appreciate these clay pot rices :)

clay pot rice varieties

Another friend ordered pork chop with fried egg rice. Mmm... I don't really know what to make of this dish. I ordered a malaysian noodle in casserole ($9.80). The picture on the menu looked much better than it actually was. What it essentially was is a small bunch of tiny frozen marinara mix, shrivelled pork pieces, bits and pieces of veges and a fried egg on top. This was... ermm.... essentially tasteless. LOL

pork chop rice

Malay noodle hot pot - $9.80

This was the last dish to come out on our table (some many many many minutes later). It was crispy chicken with tomato rice. According to my friend, the rice was extremely extremely soggy. The chicken seemed alright though.

crispy chicken tomato rice

Overall, the food here was very non-consistent. Other than the clay pot rices, the other dishes were quite plain and ordinary-ness. I think most of us would have preferred to eat outside in the food court. However, the service was quite good. They didn't kick us out even though we were making a huge ruckus :P

Ratings:
Food - 6/10
Service - 8/10
Ambiance - 6.5/10
Value for money - 6/10
Overall - 26.5/40

I.T (??? ... I don't actually remember what this place is called)
Carlingford Village Shopping Center
372 Pennant Hills Rd,
Carlingford
NSW 2118‎