Hawker, Sydney CBD

We can't get enough of Malaysian cuisine these days. With the success of PappaRich, Petaling Street, Malay Chinese and, of course, Mamak with its non-stop queues; you can be forgiven for noticing more Malaysian restaurants popping up more often these days. Mamak has clearly noticed this success so they have recently opened another restaurant. This time focusing on the more obscure Malaysian hawker street food that you are less likely to find at other similar restaurants. No rotis on the menu though.

Cham Ping, Teh Ping, Milo Ping ($4.00 each) 

We started off with a few drinks to freshen up after an epic gym session. My fave so far was the  cham ping (half tea and half coffee on ice) which was light and not too bitter. Found that the iced milo was not too sweet but a bit too milky for my preference. On the other hand, the girls really enjoyed the Teh Ping (iced milk tea) for that reason...hah.

Penang Rojak (Top left, $14.00) and Ikan Bakar (Grilled Stingray)

We ordered the Penang Rojak (top left in the above pic) to share as a starter. This was described as a salad of fresh yambean, fried tofu, cucumber, pineapple, guava, dough crisps, coated in a dark sticky sauce and chilli paste. It's one of the more unusual and interesting dishes I've tried here with all those ingredients meshed together. With all the hot dishes they have, it was a cool, refreshing plate that's great to share in a group. Personally I found it to be quite addictive when popping each ingredient in my mouth.

Ikan Bakar ($16.00)

The grilled stingray got CC and N curious enough to order. For a dish listed under snacks on the menu, it was presented as a full sized stingray which amazed us once it landed on our table. While it was well cooked and zesty, it was scattered with so many tiny bones. This made it tougher for us to eat peacefully without worrying about getting stabbed in your mouth but otherwise it was a very tasty dish for us.

Picking the bones out!

KL Hokkien Mee ($14.00)

I was personally excited to try this stir fried Hokkien dish but it ended up being let down in the end. It was way too fatty and oily for my liking and it wasn't as flavoursome as I would have hoped for - even with the black sauce.

 Wan Tan Mee with pork dumplings and soup ($13.00)

Despite an average first visit, there was still other dishes that I was keen enough to sample so I made another visit at Hawker recently. After all, I believe in second chances. Thankfully, that second visit was a more positive experience for me. The saucy noodles were tasty and well complemented with the crisped duck meat scattered within the noodles. I wasn't too sure about the dumplings at first but it ended up being a good palate cleanser after all the sauce and oil from the noodles. 

Goreng Durian ($8.00)

Didn't try much of the durian fritter but damn look at that batter! So crispy. Didn't seem to be strong from where I was sitting. Maybe I've gotten used to it. Both CC and N seemed to really enjoy this dish. The ice cream was probably too much for us to handle since we were so full by this point but I can imagine its creamy texture and flavour matching well with the durian fritter. 

Apam Balik ($6.00)

This dish was certainly one that I haven't served before at other Malaysian restaurants. It definitely looked like a popular street food dish if I was in Malaysia. I'm a huge fan of peanut butter so this sweet and crunchy turnover pancake was another highlight for me but not too keen on the creamed corn. Overall this was certainly an enjoyable dish to end the dinner on a high note. 

There was plenty of dishes to choose from the menu whether it's a main or entree. The pricing was also in the cheap side which is good if you are on a budget and the serving size was on the generous side. While the dishes were delivered quickly, it was hard to get the attention of the staff every now and then. While it has been a mixed experience so far, I would still return eventually (especially once the weather gets colder) to sample some of their other dishes including the laksa, har mee popiah, fried bread snacks, and char koay teow . 

Hawker
345 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW 2000
(02) 9264 9315
http://hawker.com.au/
Mon-Sun: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm

Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food, Haymarket

Once the location of a Vietnamese restaurant, Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food has created a solid following since it opened in 2012. Centrally located in the Haymarket/Chinatown side of George Street, it has a wide range of traditional Malaysian dishes with generous servings and decent prices for the hungry masses. As of 2014, this restaurant has opened three additional branches including Kingsford, Bonnyrigg and a take-away sister restaurant 'Petaling Express' at Strathfield.

Ice Milo Dinosaur ($4.80)

While it looked small from the outside, there's actually two levels to this restaurant with more seating downstairs. The buzz was very social especially during peak hours. Mostly students and anyone looking for a cheap eat. Very casual vibe. We ordered a few drinks to start off. My pick was Petaling's version of the Milo Dinosaur. The taste was a bit more milky than the PappaRich version but it went down well smoothly. Loved how it was served in a good old fashioned milkshake glass.

Roti Canai with Beef Rendang ($11.80)

Although the roti canai with beef rendang was intended to be AC's main dish, we couldn't help getting a sample of the roti pastry. It wasn't as thin and silky like Mamak's but I still liked the crispy, flaky bite that this has. Tasted even better when dipped into the spicy beef curry. 

Quarter of Hainan Chicken ($7.80)

Didn't try much of this but it seemed to be well-cooked, tender and warm from what I could recall. Enjoyed dipping it with the sauces on the side. The other peeps seemed to really enjoy this. 

Petaling Street Claypot Short Rice Noodle ($11.80)

Been looking forward to trying the Petaling Street Claypot Short Rice Noodle after seeing its presence in a few blogs. The noodles were quite chewy and the dish itself was too greasy and oily for my personal liking. However, it was still a delicious dish especially with the amount of minced pork and mushrooms. The serving size was on the heavier end so I didn't manage to finish this but I could see this dish to be suitable to share between two people.

Marmite Pork Spare Ribs with Rice ($11.80)

The dish that we enjoyed the most was the Marmite pork spare ribs. It was crispy and sticky on the outside but so juicy on the inside. Quite sweet with lots of flavour to our liking. Definitely would try this again on a future visit.

Roti Kaya ($6.80) 

Roti Pisang ($6.80)

While the above two sweet roti plates looked very similar, they each have different fillings. We all ordered a Roti Kaya (coconut jam) and a Roti Pisang (banana bread) to share between the four of us. Both of these plates were served with condensed milk on the side. While both fillings were sweet, rich and buttery, my preference was the Roti Pisang because of the banana filling. 

With the generous serving sizes, cheap prices and quick service; I was satisfied by my experience trying more Malaysian hawker dishes. There was a wide range of dishes to pick here that I wouldn't spot at many other Malaysian restaurants. Will definitely make a further visit to try a few more of their specialty dishes including the Hawker style dry egg noodle with roast chicken or one of their laksa bowls. Would recommend this place to go with friends or even family looking for a cheap and cheerful joint without the fuss.   

Petaling Street Malaysian Hawker Food
760 George Street, Haymarket NSW 2000
(02) 9280 1006
Mon-Sun: 11am - late

Papparich, Parramatta (II) - featuring Poh Ling Yeow!

Can you believe it's nearly the end of October? Neither can I. It feels like yesterday that I posted up my initial PappaRich Parramatta review when I was approached once again for another lunch at the restaurant - with Poh Ling Yeow this time. Although I haven't been watching Masterchef (in fact, not that much TV at all) in the last few years, I still remembered the first season very well and it's good to see her making her mark in the food industry. Considering I was at the peak of my stomach bug at the time of the actual event, I was actually hesitant on pigging out on this occasion but then I was too tempted at the thought of meeting Poh in person...for lunch!

On the day, Poh was making a special appearance at Westfield Parramatta earlier that day where she demonstrated some of her favourite Malaysian dishes at a pop up restaurant. After demonstrating the dishes, the people at the pop up restaurant got the chance to sample the finished product. Looked very cool from afar.

Lychee Cincau ($5.90)

While it may not looked pretty, Poh said that this was one of her fave PappaRich drinks out of the extensive beverages menu. 

Ribena Melon ($6.90)

It was a warm day so I went with the fruity Ribena melon (mainly because I do have a soft spot for Ribena drinks). It may look simpler than the many other beverages at this restaurant, but I personally enjoyed its lightness. Plus I do like the lychees stuck on the straws.

Pappa Fried chicken skin ($8.90)

We started off on a high note with PappaRich's signature fried chicken skin zomg. While the fried chicken skin was a tad chewier than my last visit, it was still addictive to the point that I kept popping many of these babies into my mouth. Dammit fried chicken why do you have to be so bad for me?

Pappa Fried Chicken Wings ($8.90)

There was more fried chicken goodness happening when the wings arrived to our table. While the skin does have that tempting crispiness, the meat had that juicy and well-cooked texture, which was what I personally preferred when it comes to chicken wings.

No matter which Malaysian restaurant I go to, the roti was always a must order for entrees to share. This time we went for the basic roti canai, which I always enjoyed for its flaky, crisp yet soft texture. We did note that it was a bit sweeter compared to rotis at various other Malaysian joints but it was still tasty for me especially when using the dipping sauces.

Satay Chicken ($12.90 for 6 pieces, $21.90 for 12 pieces)

The satay chicken was well cooked and easy to chew this time around though I still enjoy dipping the roti into that satay sauce.

Before the mains were served, we got to check out a live Teh Tarik demonstration. It's amazing how he was able to pull this off so perfectly. I struggle at pouring a drink out from a low distance let alone that high.

Nasi Lemak with Curry Chicken ($13.50)

My pick of the main dish this time was the traditional Nasi Lemak with curry chicken. Apart from the red sambal (?), it wasn't as flavour intensive as the other dishes I've had previously at PappaRich, which was good for the tummy at the time, though the veggies did cool me down a bit. The curry chicken was deliciously tender and not too spicy and the rice wasn't too soft or hard. 

Pappa Char Kway Teow ($13.50)

I sampled a bit of Mel's main dish pick, which was the Char Kway Teow. It was slightly spicier though from what I've heard on what CKT was meant to be, I presume this was the norm. Really liked the taste of the noodles as well as the smokey flavours and aroma from the renowned dish. 

Dry Kway Teow with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

When I spotted this dish on the other table, I know I had to try a sample. It's saucier and slippery than the traditional CKT but I do like the twist on this dish. Regretted not ordering this as my main dish of choice but I was happy with what I got. 

Dry Curry Egg Noodle with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

Another dish that I am very keen to try on my next visit was the dry curry egg noodle. Didn't get to sample this but wished that I did since it looks mighty tasty especially with the rich sauce. Like the other main plates, this looked very filling though also great to share with a large group. 

Pappa Chicken Rice with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

Biryani Rice with Red Chicken and Sambak Eggplant ($13.50)

This was another dish that I also wished I ordered if I had a bigger stomach. Did not look like a dish I would expect at a Malaysian restaurant but it looks yummy. Can imagine the huge range of flavours from various components of this plate.

Assorted vegetarian dim sum dumplings ($4.90-$6.90)

If you are a vegetarian and the amount of meaty dishes have put you off, don't fret. There is a menu full of vegetarian dishes including the vegetarian versions of fried mee hoon, char koay teow and four different types of dumplings catered for this market. 

By the end, we were too stuffed to have dessert but we did have lots of fun taking selfies with Poh. All in all, I had a good time at PappaRich on this visit. Especially discovering dishes that I didn't even notice on my first visit. While the queues are still crazy, the prices are decent enough to get you full by dinner. If you are not familiar with Malaysian cuisine, PappaRich offers a generous range of dishes to explore your taste buds whether you like laksa, curry, nasi lemak or roti. 

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of PappaRich Parramatta, courtesy of Wasamedia. Opinions are however, my own. 

PappaRich Parramatta
Shop 2185A, Westfield Parramatta
159-175 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
(02) 9633 3387
http://papparich.net.au/

PappaRich, Parramatta

After drooling at THAT chicken skin from countless PappaRich reviews across its NSW branches, I finally got the chance to indulge in that fried chicken goodness at their newly opened Parramatta branch with a few other food bloggers for a lunch of epic proportions. Literally. No really, it was epic.

Located at the former Pho Pasteur site near Nandos (the Church Street branch is still open btw), it is very easy to spot PappaRich over the other outdoor restaurant especially with the insane lines. Not sure if they do bookings but dang I really did not expect PappaRich queues to be that crazy!

It was equally busy and noisy when you get inside the full restaurant too but there is a button to get the waiter's attention - similar to the Korean restaurants actually. When you decide what you want to order, there is a pad where you get to fill out what you want to eat using the codes from the menu and then hand it to the waiter once it's done.

Milo Dinosaur ($4.90)

We kicked off with choosing our beverage from an extensive list of drinks. Even the drinks looked incredible with many unusual ingredient combinations that you would not see elsewhere. My pick was the bombastic Milo Dinosaur. Just look at those massive layers of Milo chocolate powder cluttered on top of thick, decadent chocolate milk! This was served in a large beer-sized mug that you would normally expect at a beer garden. It definitely wasn't your ordinary Milo chocolate milk.

Clockwise L-R: Coconut Paradise, Mango Mania (x2), Tropical Lime, Lychee Soda, Matcha Rocks, Milo Dinosaur

You can see the work of art in PappaRich's drinks. There are currently over 60 types of beverages available including their more exotic signature drinks that I would recommend trying when you make a visit. The Mango Mania was a popular drink at the table which was no surprise from its aesthetic appearance filled with lychees and watermelon balls. Another PappaRich classic drink was the tropical Coconut Paradise consisting of blended coconut juice and coconut shavings, which was actually refreshing to have especially with the warmer seasons arriving soon. For the green tea lover, there's the creamy Matcha Rocks packed with green tea soya, red bean and green tea ice cream. So much green tea goodness and it looks amazing too! The Tropical Lime is another classic with its ice-blended lychee and lime sweetness combined with the generous scoop of Vanilla ice cream. If you want something light, simple and flavour-bursting then I would go for the fresh Lychee Soda.

Satay Chicken ($12.90 for 6 pieces, $21.90 for 12 pieces)

The feast started off with a platter of satay chicken skewers. The skewers were quite tender and well seasoned with a nicely charred outer texture. The highlight for me was the mouth-watering satay sauce especially when you can taste the crumbled peanuts meshing well in the sauce. Felt the urge to use the satay sauce with everything else, especially the rotis.

Roti Canai ($6.90)

Speaking of rotis, we were treated with a wide range of different types available at PappaRich. The original Roti Canai was soft and fluffy in the inside and crispy and flaky on the outside. It was served on a platter with curry, sambal and daal on the side. End up making the most of the delicious curry dip and the creamy daal since the sambal was a bit too spicy for my preference. However, the roti helped in balancing the hotness. Could eat this whole dish by myself.

Roti Canai with Curry Chicken ($12.90)

We also had a variation of the roti canai with curry chicken on the side. The chicken curry was mild, succulent and easy to pull apart with a touch of the knife.

Roti Telur Bawang with Beef Rendang ($13.90)

I was also a fan of the Roti Telur Bawang, which is laced with egg and onions. Softer and denser than the roti canai, this was more filling and moreish but equally tasty if you want to try something different. This arrived with beef rendang on the side, which melted in your mouth with a burst of flavours and various spices on the tastebuds.

Roti Planta ($7.90)

I actually forgot to take a picture of this until I scrolled through my photos and realised something was missing (sorry). The Roti Planta was another type of roti I haven't tried at other Malaysian restaurants before. It was sweeter and stickier than the other savoury rotis though it was also quite soft and light in its texture.

Vegetarian Shui Kau Dumplings ($4.90)

Vegetarian Siew Mai Dumplings ($4.90)

I was really surprised to spot various vegetarian dumplings at the table. Not too soft and not too firm. Equally surprised that I was keen for seconds for them since I usually prefer meat dumplings in the past.

Pappa Deep Fried Chicken Skin ($6.90)

And now finally, the famous Pappa Deep Fried Chicken Skin I have been looking forward to the most for months. That friiieeeddd chicken skin! And I gotta say, it was definitely worth the hype. The above picture really does not do this dish any justice. While it's not gonna decrease the waistline anytime soon (sadly), it was absolute crunchy goodness. Even when I grabbed a piece towards the end, it was still extra crispy. Must have!

Curry Chicken Laksa ($13.50)

Curry Laksa - Vegetables ($13.50)

After all that, we finally got onto the main dishes. Yup that was just the entrees! It's still the middle of winter so we ordered a couple of bowls of laksa. The Curry Chicken Laksa had a fragrant aroma with various spices to enhance the flavour (though mild compared to Malay Chinese Takeaway). It was also creamy, thick and generous with the coconut and juicy chicken fillets and firm noodles. Even spotted eggplant and beancurd skin in the broth. I didn't get to try the Curry Vegetable Laksa but it looked very appetising from afar. While the vegetable curry is very similar to the chicken curry (except without the chicken of course), it also has a generous serving of eggplants along with lots of beansprouts. 

Pappa Asam Laksa ($13.50)

If rich and creamy laksa are too much for you to handle, the Pappa Asam Laksa was lighter in comparison with its rather clear broth. The overall flavour was quite sour and fishy and the noodles were well cooked. Definitely a dish I am very keen to order again even during the warmer seasons.

Vegetarian Fried Mee Hoon ($13.90)

We also got a plate of Vegetarian Fried Mee Hoon, which consisted of dry vermicelli noodles served with vegetarian sambal, tofu and shredded eggs. For a dish that looks plain and simple, this was light and refreshing. Very nice breakaway from the heavy, rich and creamy dishes. Would recommend this dish for the strict vegetarians as it was a tasty dish.

Pappa Chicken Rice with Steamed Chicken ($13.50)

The Pappa Chicken Rice with Steamed Chicken reminded me of Haianese Chicken Rice from the various Singapore food stalls. The soy sauce added a decent amount of flavour to the chicken, whereas the chicken rice was fragrant and had a balanced texture that wasn't too soft or too hard. 

Pappa Fried Rice Noodles ($13.50)

To end the mammoth feast, there was the seemingly innocent but spicy Pappa Fried Rice Noodles. This contains wok fried noodles, prawn, shredded chicken, egg and bean sprouts. Personally I found that this dish was too spicy and quite oily for my preference though I did enjoy digging into the juicy prawns. 

Sago Pudding ($5.50)

By this point I was absolutely stuffed but when it's a food blogger gathering, you cannot miss out on the dessert. The traditional Sago Pudding was sweet, creamy and...well...bubbly. Seriously, I thought that the bubbly sago pudding looked adorable in a bed of coconut milk.

Pappa Premium Ice Cream

If the Sago Pudding is a bit too adventurous for the palate, the Pappa Premium Ice Cream brings out the child in you with its beautiful presentation. Although it was simply a strawberry and chocolate ice cream sundae with cream and banana in a waffle basket, it was lovely to try and would certainly be popular for the kids.

Roti Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream

If I wasn't so stuffed, I would gladly eat up the Roti Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream for sure. This was thick, sticky, sweet and packed with banana inside the roti pastry. It was well complemented with the vanilla ice cream which melted across the roti. Felt so sinful yet so indulgent.

At the end, we were treated to a few cooking demonstrations at PappaRich's open kitchen including the roti demonstration where we got to see the chef twirling and spinning the roti dough.

It was an amazing experience sampling as many dishes as possible at PappaRich - even with the subsequent food coma afterwards. While the service was busy due to the noisy and packed out restaurant, they still looked after us on the day. While there were a few dishes that were slightly pricey, most of the dishes on the menu were reasonable if you are on a budget. It's halal-approved so you get to try the fried chicken skin without the guilt. Because of the many variety of Malaysian dishes available on the menu that we haven't tried yet (yup there's still much much more), I would certainly be coming back at one of the PappaRich branches whether it's Parramatta, Broadway or even Chatswood if I'm in the area - even if the wait can be pretty crazy during peak hours. With another branch opening at Macquarie Centre soon, you can be sure that there will be more branches opening up in your local area in the near future.

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie dined as a guest of PappaRich Parramatta, courtesy of Wasamedia. Opinions are however, my own. 

PappaRich Parramatta
Shop 2185A, Westfield Parramatta
159-175 Church Street, Parramatta NSW 2150
(02) 9633 3387
http://papparich.net.au/