Petaling Street (Clayton)

367 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC 3168

There is something to be said about crowdsourcing for opinions and times like this, one would go - "OK - Urbanspooners were being fair". One of the lowest scoring Petaling Street Outlets in Melbourne here, and I didn't believe it. In addition, I know I especially liked the dishes from the CBD branch. After all, this is in Clayton where the competition can be fierce, and Springvale is not too far away. How can this be?

The Place 
A simple set up with the kitchen in the back and rows of seats for diners and movable configurations. The decorations are relatively simple with pictures of the dishes on offer and a large mural towards the back of the restaurant. This is a well ventilated space with easy access. However, the first warning sign for me should have been the sticky wooden tables.

This is set within the busy Clayton Road shopping strip and parking is round the back where it can be a challenge on busy days.

Things to do Nearby: Clayton Road Shopping

The Food
The food ranges from ok to questionable. We had a number of dishes, none of which were spectacular and one was a total fail. I'll start with the ok dishes - the Wonton Noodle Soup (pictured right) was actually not bad with nice generous wontons thought the char siew (BBQ pork) that went with it wasn't anything to rave about. Nevertheless it is what you would expect from a basic wonton noodle soup.

The Salted Fish Vermicelli was alright as well but not as smokey as some of the best in town. The problem here is the addition of capsicum slices... WHY?

The other dish that was not too bad was the Prawn Hokkien Noodle Soup which had a really rich prawn broth. It was somewhat greasy which detracted a bit from the tastiness of the dish but the ingredients were generally fresh.

Salted Fish Vermicelli

Prawn Noodles

FAUX Lobak

Some other dishes were truly disappointing. The Lobak was a joke! They serve fishcake filled beancurd skin to pass if off as lobak. They acknowledged they had changed it but still insisted on calling it Lobak - 'bak' in Hokkien refers to meat, not fish. It was like eating inferior deep fried fish cake. Then there was the Roasted Chicken Rice. Now, I have had the authentic version in the CBD branch but the one here was served with a lightly fried chicken (pictured below) - nothing like the Nanyang style roast chicken that I had been hoping for. The best thing about the dish was the chicken broth that came with it!

The Service
The basic service was not all that attentive and nothing to rave about. One has to call out for attention here and don't be shy about doing so, expecially if you are sitting towards the front of the restaurant, or you might be forgotten.

Overall
I was disappointed but the worst thing was, I had my parents with me - I was trying to show off what good food we have in the area and I took a risk and it didn't pay off. Ah Well! I have taken them to some pretty good places before this. Ok, so it's not the worst restaurant

Cultural Moment
Why did I assume that because of the location of this restaurant, that it was going to be excellent and authentic? One word - stereotyping! Why would I think that just because it's in an area where there are a lot of "Asian" diners, that it would be authentic - that's like saying all Chinese restaurants in Chinatown must be good. Even in Malaysia, not all Malaysian restaurants serve good Malaysian fare. Haha! Ah Well!

It also showed me again that not all branches of the same franchise/restaurant are equal - especially amongst Asian franchises. This has shown to be the case for Killiney Kopitiam, Es Teler, PappaRich, YimYam, and now, Petaling Street. In the end, I suspect that it comes down to the more complex dishes on offer in Asian franchises compared to your run of the mill chicken or burger outlets where menu items are really standardised. Asian dishes depend very much of the chefs working in particular branches - which makes it harder to standardise. A lesson that I am reminded of again today.

Petaling Street Chinatown

1F/188 Little Bourke St, Melbourne, VIC 3000

This is a Malaysian chain that is in both Melbourne and Sydney and by many accounts, of varying quality across branches. It truly is a Malaysian hawker food hall experience rather than a restaurant. Therefore, like the food halls in Malaysia, you get varying quality for different dishes at this place and across branches. While some dishes are really quite good, others are sub-par. This is no different to places in Malaysia where they might do some dishes really well while others are well - non-edible. Above all, it is a huge improvement from its days on Swanston Street when I had nothing good to say.

The Place
The Chinatown branch is located on Little Bourke Street, pretty much the heart of Chinatown. Access is up a set of stairs and I have not found any wheel chair access. It does get very crowded much lunch times, which means that it has garnered a positive reputation generally. They certainly do not cramp you all in like sardines and there's plenty of space to move, which is good.

It is also well ventilated and even at it's busiest, you can hear each other without having to shout over the din, which is always a plus. The deco is nothing to rave about but really, this is a comfortable functioning space.

Things to do Nearby: This is in Chinatown and a few minutes walk from Bourke Street and Lonsdale Street.

The Food
The food is of varying quality. While some on Urbanspoon might be critical, I believe that it is mostly dependent on what one orders. Some of the highlights here for me include the Wat Dan Hor (Egg Gravy Fried Flat Noodles with seafood), and they are one of the few places that do the Nanyang (Southeast) style Roast Chicken with their chicken rice.

Chicken Rice with Roast Chicken

The other dish that I have had here is the Char Kway Teow - again, compared to many other Malaysian places in Melbourne, nothing to rave about, especially since they seemed to include copious amount of canned clams. Also, they called it Penang Char Kway Teow on the menu, which is not right. They use big flat noodles instead of the more delicate thinner ones. There is no taste of 'hay kor' (prawn paste). So, while it passes for generic Malaysian Char Kway Teow, the diehards are unlikely to be happy with this.

Not bad but not a standout either - and definitely not of the Penang variety.

I suspect that most of the people who do not like the food here are more critical Malaysians and those who might think there's too much MSG in their dishes. However, I continue to maintain that this is not unlike many Malaysian food halls where some dishes are great, and others are far from it.

The Service
This is the main improvement from the Swanston Street days. Firstly, they are no longer rude and actuallly make an effort to engage with diners when they are ordering. That is a positive thing indeed though the bar was not set very high in the first place.

They are still struggling to get the food ordered by each group of diners out at the same time. This is likely because they have different stations in the kitchen working at different speeds. However, I believe it is a lot better again than what it was on Swanston Street when some diners would finish their meal before others have been served. Whilere there is still room for improvement, it's certainly not the disaster it used to be. Hence, that might explain the good number of diners at lunch here.

Overall
I would go there over a period of time to try out its extensive menu and I will add more dishes to this blog entry as I try them. However, it's certainly not my first go to place for Malaysian because like many other Urbanspooners, there's just not enough here that stands out, making it a middle of the road place for Malaysian dishes.

Cultural Moment
The food halls of Malaysia are seldom renowned for their high quality dishes. You do get some stand outs in each food hall sometimes, and they become famous very quickly. However, for every hawker that is good, there're probably 7 - 8 others that are average at best. Even on the famed Petaling Street of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia - there are some well known individual stalls that sell specialised dishes while others are hit and miss. I think that's worth remembering when going to Malaysian restaurants and cafes in Melbourne - it's highly unlikely that one kitchen with a few chefs are going to be amazing at every single dish on offer. Unfortunately, many Malaysian restaurants seem to fill the need to include every hawker dish on its menu. Personally, I think they should cut the number of offerings and only focus on the ones their chefs are good at. On the other hand, if you cut down the number of offerings, some might complain about the lack of variety. This is perhaps why the food halls of Malaysia seem to work well because when you have specialist stalls, they try to perfect their art over time, and if they don't - then, they don't survive.

PappaRich Northland

Northland Shopping Centre, 5-20 Murray Road, Preston 3072

Newly opened on the 26th December 2013. I actually went on the very first day and tried a variety of dishes and again in the new year for more. While some restaurants might take a while to work out the details, service and management, this place seems to have it all sorted out already. There also seems to be a constant flow of diners each time I have been there. As they would say in Malaysia, "Very auspicious start".

This is a halal chain and elsewhere in this blog, is another entry for the QV branch.

The Place
Unlike the city branch, this place is more kid friendly and has high chairs as well. Given its location, I suppose it has to account for large families. It is not a huge space and the clunky standard PappaRich chairs and tables makes it hard but they try to make it work well. Plenty of light during the day and very airy, which is important given that that diners are sharing space with part of the kitchen.

Compared to other branches of PappaRich, the decoration here is a bit more understated. What really amuses me is the soundtrack choice here which includes hits from the 50s to 70s (Doris Day and Olivia Newton John feature prominently).

The Food
The food here is pretty good with well balanced flavours. Although they do not offer the intensity of spices one would expect back in Malaysia, there is a still a good kick in the flavouring. If there is one complaint, the food is not presented as nicely as the very enticing pictures in the menu. However, don't let that fool you, the flavours are intact.

The star of the offerings is their Roti - made on premises, fresh and accompanied by a variety of curries. For the uninitiated, watch that sambal (that's the red chilli paste).

Char Kway Teow (CKT) - this perennial Malaysian favourite is also on offer here. The one offered here is not bad at all but doesn't have the sweetness or darkness of the KL style CKT. It uses finer flat rice noodles which is difficult to get right but ends up quite yummy. I would have liked mine with more of a kick but nevertheless, I was quite happy.

Combination Crispy Noodles (pictured above) - this was less stellar and rather plain. Don't get me wrong, it's ok but compared to the other dishes, it didn't shine. Might need more egg or perhaps even real fish slices to give it more star quality.

Nasi Goreng - Malaysian fried rice with it's smoky flavours laced with frozen mixed vegies. This is what you might get in parts of Malaysia but with less chillies. The fried chicken maryland that came with it could not be faulted though. Very yummy.

Fried Chicken Skin - I know this is bad for you but it is so good (mildly curried and served with Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce)... eat it while it is hot and deal with the consequences later.

The Service
The service here is really pretty good and fast! Perhaps because it was still relatively new, there was no queue and they accepted reservations. However, once we settled in and ordered (you have to write your own orders down and call them over), the food came very quickly.

They are very polite and hospitable though some of the wait staff had some difficulty understanding the range of accents. One thing that they do need to learn is that most diners might not have knowledge of Malaysian cuisine in the area and they need to be careful about the assumptions they make about their diners. Perhaps, take time to explain some of the items in the menu (even though diners are supposed to be self-managing).

Overall
This is probably going to be a regular haunt, so watch out for regular updates. I guess that is an endorsement as good as any. I am looking forward to my next visit already.

Cultural Moment
A good restaurant needs to assume that their diners might have a very different culinary experience and therefore a different expectation of what they are about to get. In a restaurant where diners make their own order with minimal interaction, it's important to check with them what they have ordered. This systems only works really well if diners are familiar with the dishes on offer.

Terms are are often used in many restaurants which might seem self-explanatory but convey a wrong picture to the reader based on the reader's experience. For example, fried crispy noodles - what picture does this conjure up for you? Is it the fried thin crispy egg noodles, or the ones that are thicker that come like a bird's nest, or the ones that are almost like crisps? They are all very different in texture and taste.

So, while some restaurants try to deal with this by showing pictures of what is on offer, others do not. Even when you have pictures, you do need to explain what the flavours are like PLUS when the food comes out, it should look like the pictures (many don't). So, I always believe that a good restaurant has wait staff who are able to explain their offerings to even their diners who have had the least experience with the particular cuisine. That's key to successful restaurants and also hey! It's an opportunity for multicultural education!

NL House

115 Grattan St, Carlton, VIC 3053

SCORE! The rebranding and repackaging of the old tired Nasi Lemak House into NL House is an exercise in what to do to update your image and offerings. They have clearly done their research, and the target is now clearly students in the area and working adults after a quick meal (takeaway or eat in). This really works and I am most excited about the prospect of watching it grow. I don't mind if it gets really crowded because the new operations work just as well as a takeaway joint.

The Place
This is now a 'fast food' space which seats about 15 inside and again the same number outside on the foot path of Grattan Street. It is not a huge space. So, it also works well if you take your packaged Nasi Lemak (NL) to the nearby parks.

They have updated the look, the feel, and the deco into a funky informal dining space. I love the bright colours as well (though I am not sure about the hazard tapes outside). Admittedly, it's not a great space for kids but then, this is really targeted at students and working adults nearby - not leisurely dining. Parking can be a bit of a struggle in the area as it is near Lygon Street.

Things to do Nearby: It's in the Lygon Street Precinct and the Museum is about 10 minutes away.

The Food
Let's get down to core business - Nasi Lemak. It's what they do and they do it well. Towards the end of their previous incarnation, I was pretty critical of their declining standards because it felt like they had given up. It seems like they are back with renewed energy. The food is fresh and the Nasi Lemak is cooked the way they do it back in Malaysia. What is also nice is the fact that it's not 'fancy' Nasi Lemak and is reminiscent of the many places in Malaysia where you can get a small pack of Nasi Lemak with various accompaniments quite cheaply.

Check out the funky paper boxes they are served in.

Beyond the coconut rice, the accompanying chilli paste is really important in good Nasi Lemak. The ones here induce as much perspiration as the ones back home. So, they are not kidding when they put signs up indicating "Warning - Spicy Eaters Only". The other essential accompaniment to traditional Nasi Lemak is the fried anchovies and peanuts. The ones here are fresh - you can tell if it's been in a container somewhere for too long. Nothing tastes worst than stale anchovies - right? No worries with that here at all.

Some might complain that the chicken is a bit dry on the outside but I can assure you - this is how they do it in many parts of Malaysia and Singapore. It's a style of Malay fried chicken, laden with tumeric, that's quite yummy. Remember that much of Asian food is also about the texture.

The Service
I have to say that one of the thing that has come with the rebranding has been the total change in attitude and service. It is happy, cheery, friendly, helpful and very reminiscent of Don Don's service in the old days (for those who know the old friendly Don Don in the city). It's a huge improvement and I love that they do take time to talk to customers about their various offerings.

Check out the 'wait card" - they have even put in a little saying to keep it interesting (some say tacky - but many will like it - from a cultural stand point).

Funnily enough, I love the saying in my card today because it's just what I needed in dealing with difficult situations. Thanks! NL House!

Overall
I am looking forward to more lunches in this new revamped place. They will also be bringing back their various noodle offerings. It's really re-assuring to see improvement and for Nasi Lemak lovers - it's great that there's really good nasi lemak in the area once again.

Cultural Moment
Coconut Rice is popular in Southeast Asia. Nasi Lemak is the Malay style (dominant in Malaysia and Singapore) coconut rice, that has both coconut milk, salt and also pandan (some call this Asian vanilla). In Malaysia and Singapore, this used to be sold in little packages - traditionally banana leaves - but more recently - paper packages. People have it for breakfast/lunch/dinner. What differentiates breakfast - lunch - dinner nasi lemak are usually the accompaniments that go with the rice.

For example, breakfast accompaniments of nasi lemak might include a little slice of omelette, and possible a small fried fish. This is in addition to the requisite chilli paste, cucumber, and peanuts/anchovies mix.

By lunch, nasi lemak might be served with some fried chicken pieces,  or the Chinese might serve a hot dog, or a piece of luncheon meat with it (in addition to the requisite accompaniments mentioned above).

At dinner, you'd replace the fried dry chicken pieces with various curries or rendangs, for a heavier fuller meal. Achar (pickled vegetables) are usually served as well to offset the spice of the curries.

Of course, nasi lemak is not something one should have all the time as it has relatively high cholesterol inducing - some would say - you shouldn't have it more than once a fortnight. But it's so goooood, right? But like everything - moderation is the key.

Chillipadi Mamak Kopitiam

295 Racecourse Rd, Kensington, VIC 3031

In a highly competitive area because there are four Malaysian restaurants of relatively good quality (including the icon that is Laksa King), this restaurant is usually the least full of the four, possibly because it is a larger restaurant. This doesn't mean that it is not a good restaurant... just that competition is pretty stiff in the area.

The Place
This is a pleasant enough space and large enough so that you don't have to share tables and be forced to listen to the conversations of strangers with their backs against yours. It's certainly the most spacious of the Malaysian restaurants within the 400m radius. There is some attempt to create an ambiance with various objects that might remind one of Malaysia. It's definitely a child friendly place, including having clean high chairs should you need them. When it gets busy, there's usually a buzz here without overwhelming noisiness.

Things to do Nearby: The shops of Racecourse Road in Kensington during the day but that's about it.

The Food
The food is not bad but nor is it a stand out. Admittedly, I have not tried its main differentiator from the other Malaysian offerings in the area - the Crab dishes. Partly, this is because I can't be bothered and I just haven't got round to it. I might be wrong but one of the things that clearly stands out here is their portion sizes. I think it's the biggest compared to the other Malaysian places in the area. I could barely finish my lunch. The Nasi Lemak (pictured right) itself was pretty good and I loved that they had generous portions of achar (pickled vegetables), and peanuts with fried anchovies. The let-down for me, was the Chicken Curry which was basically overpowered by the star anise they used too liberally in a very Chinese curry.

The Wat Dan Hor (below) on the other hand was really tasty though they definitely have a more Kuala Lumpur style with darker soya sauce in this dish, rather than the lighter style of Ipoh and even Penang. For some, this is not authentic - for me - I was very full and happy at the end.

The Service
They do have very friendly service and highly obliging. Probably the second best service amongst the 4 Malaysian places in the area. It is pretty good though the only thing that sets them back slightly is probably their food knowledge of Malaysian dishes is slightly below par, unlike the confidence of the wait staff at Grand Tofu.

Overall
I think I would go there occasionally when the other places are really full. The thing about the 4 Malaysian places here is this - you really just need to know your own taste and preferences. All 4 have some very similar dishes but cook them somewhat differently. For example, they all do Hainanese Chicken Rice... but who has the best one? The jury is still out on that one but I like Chef Lagenda because they have the Roast Chicken option. That's just one of the dishes - we could have a debate around it till the chickens are cooked... One day I might compare the various dishes across each of the 4 Malaysian restaurants.

Cultural Moment
Some people ask "How can one place sustain so many Malaysian restaurants?" Ummmm... "How can a tiny suburb sustain 3 pubs?". They might be alluding to the idea that such an exotic cuisine might not attract enough customers to sustain 4 'similar' restaurants but a pub? Everybody here drinks!

However, that's just the point, I think that Malaysian cuisine is no longer considered "exotic" especially when you are looking at a city like Melbourne. Dare I say, most people must have tried some Malaysian food in the past and might be able to name at least a couple of Malaysian dishes. Perhaps, Malaysian food hasn't quite reached the status of Italian food or Vietnamese food yet, here in Melbourne (where you can have a whole street of Italian or Vietnamese restaurants and have them all do quite well). However, I think it must be getting close in places like Flemington, Springvale, Glen Waverly and Clayton.

This is the joy of Melbourne - that you can have enough choice amongst the various cuisines, even the 'exotic ones', and have them all do well so they can all challenge each other to do better. How lucky are Melbournians!

Lazzat on Lygon

112 Lygon St, Carlton, VIC 3053

With an increasing number of low cost Asian eateries in this part of Lygon, it's important to differentiate itself from others, particularly when visitors to Lygon have come to expect relatively good service and food over the years. This is a small place that is very informal and has not necessarily stood out for anything other than the style of food and its halal status (though it's not the only halal restaurant in the area either).

The Place

Lazzat has the potential to be a nice set up but is essentially a basic eatery with quite nice decoration, set up by previous management. It's not a huge space and when it is full, you would end up sitting very close to other diners. Ocassionally, when it is at its peak, the buzz from other diners create a great atmosphere but when it is quiet, it is very quiet and the silence is almost deafening (without any background music). Now, I am not a believer in loud background music being imposed on diners, but something in the background can actually help.

Things to do Nearby: This is on Lygon Street and also a short walk to the Museum and IMAX Theatre.

The Food
Having been here when it was under the previous management when they served great food from the bain-marie, I thought I'd give it a go since new management has taken over the reigns. The food was different and the bain-marie is gone (well, it's still there, but just covered up). On the day I visited with my friend, Catherine, half the items on the menu were not available (no Nasi Lemak and no Roti at lunch time. I tried ordering the oxtail soup and that was not available as well). Some day, I might get to try it. The food here reminds me of what you would get in a cafeteria in a Malay Kampung back in Malaysia where they cook a range of dishes (including Chinese dishes) with a Malay twist and taste. That's not to say it's not authentic but one knows that Cantonese fried noodles done by the Cantonese will be different to those done to suit Malay tastes - nice, but different.

Steaming hot fresh fried seafood kway teow

The Seafood Char Kway Teow (fried flat rice noodles) is really quite tasty though it's not as spicy as I expected. They use really fresh seafood and the noodles are well done overall, with the right level of smokiness and moistness.

The Fish Ball Soup (as pictured above) is a basic soup that serves well as a side but it is a basic soup for $5.00 and not a main on its own.

The Biryani Rice was a big disappointment to me. I think I was expecting too much for $9.50, but I have had Nasi Biryani here previously and it had been good. In the Cultural Moment section, I am going to discuss Biryani as it should be done. In this case, this was a disappointment because it was a very dry offering with not real flavour. The lamb curry was basic and not spicy but to top it all off, it was served with a basic dhal and pickles on a plastic thali style plate. I was clearly expecting too much! However, the main problem was not just the way the food was served but it's really about the quality of the dry rice.

The Service
The service is really friendly and casual. I think they have a great kampung style hospitality that is understated but friendly. It's not fine dining service but works for me. Some might not be used to the relaxed casual manner of the service, but it's almost like visiting friends for a meal together.

Overall
I would go again to try the other dishes because I do like this style of food and think that they do some dishes well enough to try the range (if they were available).

Cultural Moment
Biryani rice originates from Indian and Persian cuisine and the best biryani would have been great one dish meal wonders where the spices, rice and meat are brought together and the flavours are infused throughout the dish. The meat and the rice are usually cooked separate initially and then brought together, layered and baked in the oven to finish up the cooking process. As a result, there are layers of flavour and texture throughout this dish. However, it is very easy to get it all wrong and have really dry rice.
It is clearly not a dish that one can take short cuts with. In many parts, it is served with raita or pickles as well. Of course, there are many different regional differences all over the South Asia and Southeast Asia, with different combinations of ingredients. Ah! I miss good Nasi Biryani.

Rice Bar (Not only Rice)

121, Grattan St, Carlton, VIC 3053

What is in a name? I simply cannot work out how they came by their name... perhaps they think it might be an interesting talking point. This is one of those nominally Malaysian restaurants that offers generic Asian dishes from a range of countries from China to Indonesia to Singapore and of course, Malaysia. This is really targeted at students, though it does attract a good lunch time crowd from workers from the area. This is pretty no frills, and so, if you are expecting top quality, you need to just move on to the next restaurant. If you are looking for cheap and cheerful, then - check it out.

The Place
This is a squishy space and there's a likelihood of diners getting to know more about fellow diners than they need. This is a serious case of eating side by side with strangers, especially during peak periods. Then, you have to try and get out and weave through the limited space too. Not easy. So, it does get noisy. This is really not a great place for children because of the limited space, unless if you want to sit outside, by Grattan Street - in which case you have to watch them, or put them on a leash.

Things to do Nearby: Lygon Street is really close by.

The Food
There are hundreds of offerings here but the question is, do they do it well? I don't know that they actually do a bad job of it all though nothing really stands out. Yet, it does continue to attract a good crowd. So, it is a mediocre restaurant with a range of some good dishes while others are less stellar. There is not a whole lot of pride (in my opinion) in their presentation, given the speed at which the food comes out.


Rice Bar Special Beef Brisket on Rice - the veg was cold

The speed at which they bring out the food is pretty amazing, which basically means that you have to expect a proportion of pre-cooked food. It's that kind of restaurant. There's a range of SEAsian dishes here that are not bad, but there are no real stand outs. In fact, the one disappointment is that they have taken my favourite dish off their menu - Hakka Stewed Pork with Black Fungus. Very sad.

Other mainstays of SEAsian dishes include Hainanese Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Curry Noodles, Nasi Lemak, Tom Yum Soup, Laksa, Kung Bao Chicken, various Fried Rice.

The Service
The service is basic and really efficient. The food does come out really quickly though not in order that suits all the diners at the table at the same time. They don't make a huge effort with the casual diner, though if you are a Cantonese speaker and a regular, they might step it up a bit and be friendlier. Otherwise, don't expect any engagement.

Overall
I would go there ocassionally when I am looking for a quick no fuss meal. I think that these sorts of restaurants have a place in Melbourne, because there is always a demand for cheap and cheerful, with relatively tasty

Cultural Moment
Dining with strangers is not everyone's cup of tea. Dining with strangers, who are speaking at the top of their voices, is definitely not pleasant. However, this is more common practice than you think in many parts of  Asia. It's probably less popular here in Australia as culturally, we do like our space and privacy.

However, many of the Asian restaurants have probably not actually factored for this and assumed that diners here are just going to behave in the same manner as those back in Asia. Their target audience is clearly international students from those nations that are used to this. The risk of course, is the annoyance from the wider group of diners that would struggle with this.

For me, if I am dining alone, this can provide interesting entertainment for the 30 minutes or so you are there. You learn all sorts of things about people's attitude toward just about anything under the sun, from politics, to the Universities, to 'manhunting' (from a group of girls), to the quality of food.

Monk & Me (Malaysian Restaurant)

9 Evans Place, Hawthorn East, VIC 3123

http://www.monkandme.com.au
This fully licensed restaurant has been around for a while and is pretty much an icon in this area. It seems to have the formula right with a upmarket feel and look, jazz music and a good variety of dishes. It gets busy and noisy and yet continues to achieve on relatively low Urbanspoon Scores. So, what's the story? I think the key is in understanding the clientale. I have to say, the food here is not bad, which is not to say it is authentic or that it is the best Malaysian in Melbourne.  

Tables are close to each other

The Place
The space is pleasant enough though it suffers from bad sound insulation when it gets crowded. There is nothing to indicate that it is a Malaysian restaurant - the vaguely Asian deco and artworks are not specifically Malaysian - though it does hint of exotica (just enough - not too much). For a restaurant of its calibre, it does still space diners rather closely to each other. The tables are all moveable for different configurations to fit differently sized groups of diners. There's usually heaps of parking around, either on Campberwell Road, the car park around the shopping area and The Well.  

Things to do Nearby: Shops of the area, heaps to explore.  

The Food
This restaurant focuses on shared mains rather than popular hawker dishes. The food is not bad. It is relatively tasty but the truth is, it is not all that authentic, and is somewhat watered down in terms of spices. Here's an example, the Mee Goreng (which was a very generous portion) was really tasty but did not have a kick and was very sweet. If I were to judge it on the basis of noodle dish, I'd say that it's rather nice. However, if I were to compare it to what I know is authentic Malaysian Indian Mee Goreng, this dish would fail and might even cause a minor shock with the sweetness.

Sweet Mee Goreng (tasty tasty)

In short the range of dishes here are not bad, but the level of authenticity is lower than expected. It lacks the richness of spices or the kick from the chillies. It appeals to a westernised audience and does very well on that level.

A range of appetisers - the lohbak (Meat Spring Rolls in the foregound) is good and reminiscent of Penang LohBak

The Service
For the set up and for what it charges, the service here is far from desirable. Smiling is at a premium and there's just no effort to engage anyone in any sort of way other than to take your order, bring your food and collect your money with a very hollow "Thank You". This is really unfortunate and the attitude and complete of facial expressions from different wait staff is rather offputting. It gave a sense that they were doing me a huge favour and that I was really an inconvenience... errrr, ok, maybe I won't bother you again in the future.

Overall
It's not my go-to place for Malaysian but once in a while, I'd come to see if it has changed. This is however, very doubtful but I still would come anyway because even if I don't get my authentic Malaysian fix, I can still expect some good "Malaysian inspired" dishes - IF I feel like putting up with unsmiling unengaging wait staff.

Cultural Moment
Not all Mee Gorengs are equal. To my knowledge, when people from SEAsia talk abotu Mee Goreng, they can refer to either the Indian Mee Goreng, or the Indonesian Mee/Mie Goreng.  I will talk about the two here.

The Indian Mee Goreng is also known as Mamak Mee Goreng. Mamak refers to Indian Muslims who inspire this dish in Malaysia and Singapore. This style of mee goreng uses Hokkien Noodles, and contains various de-seeded chillies, a little bit of sweet soy/oyster/tomato sauces combined, tomatoes and curry powder as well. This is on top of the usual garlic, shallots, spring onions, onions, bean shoots and sometimes, shredded cabbage. It can be a bit greasy but is usually a balance of pungent, sweet, tangy, and curry flavours with a bit of kick from the chillies. When you have a Chinese cooked Indiam Mee Goreng, it can be overly sweet sometimes.

Indonesian Mee Goreng is clearly different because firstly, it uses thing egg noodles (ramen style) or even instant noodles on occasion. It doesn't usually use tomato sauce or curry powder. Instead of bean shoots, they usually use shredded carrots mostly and cabbage only. They also tend to use more garlic and black pepper in this dish and sometimes, are more liberal with the thick caramalised soy sauce and kecap manis (Sweet soy).

Here's the thing though - lots of people might argue that if you just throw similar ingredients in - you have mee goreng. If you google it, you will probably find all sorts of recipes that completely mix up the two styles and make it all indistinguishable. You see, that's just not right. That's just different ways of frying noodles. The fact is, you'd find it difficult to get Indian Mee Goreng in most of Indonesia, just as, if you ordered Mee Goreng from an Indian Stall in Malaysia or Singapore, you are not likely to get Indonesian Mee Goreng.

Masak Masak (Contemporary Malaysian Restaurant)

230 Smith St, Collingwood, VIC 3066

http://masakmasak.com.au/
This is a funky place that thrives on simplicity. "Masak Masak" means 'To Cook", and in some cases in Malaysia, the term Masak Masak has a more playful informal connotation.  It is more expensive that your average Malaysian cafe, more trendy, and has a contemporary feel in presentation. Note that they do close between lunch and 6pm (when they re-open again for dinner)

Grilling Station to the left

The Place

Simple deco with a big mural and basic chairs. The place can get noisy because sound insulation isn't great. There is a sense of space here from the way it's set up, though I suspect it will struggle to cope with big groups. The repetitive single reggae track drives me a bit nuts though. Finally, when they are grilling the satays and beef ribs - it gets pretty smokey inside. Parking on Smith Street is always going to be a problem but you could try Stanley Street around the corner.

Things to do Nearby: During the day, the Smith Street shops can be interesting a couple of blocks down, you have some of the outlets. During the night? Not so much.

The Food

There is a range of modernised Malaysian dishes - they call it Malaysian hawker food with a twist. The Hainanese Chicken Rice (pictured left) is a serve and a half. There's probably about a third of a whole chicken in one servce. The white cut chicken is tender, on the bone and ever so slightly pink, much like the way it is served in Malaysia/Singapore. This is one of my favourite dishes here. Check out how much chicken there is!

The Charcoal Grilled Beef Ribs  (pictured below) are pretty tasty too, but the sambal oelek might not be to everyone's liking - it's a bit of an acquired taste if you have not have this style of sambal oelek before. The ribs on their own are pretty nice anyway - though it's not a dish for one person on its own (unlike the Hainanese Chicken Rice which can be shared or be eaten by one person (and a half)).

Beyond those two highlights, there is a range of lesser dishes which are worth trying. If you like noodles, the Western Malaysian style Kon Low Mee (pictured below) is probably one of the dishes that is most similar to its origins. The Buffalo Wings is realy crispy chicken wings with onion sambal - the wings themselves are nice but the onion sambal needs more tweaking in my humble opinion - it lacks something, and feels a bit undecided. Does it want to be spicy, or tangy or sweet or savoury? At the moment, the onion sambal has no dominant taste, leaving it neither here nor there.

Possibly the most traditional dish on the menu other than Satay

Buffalo Wings

The Service

Lo Mai Gai (Sitcky Rice) was a little bit one dimensional for me

The service here is really good and what is even more impressive is that they actually come round and see if you need anything during your meal. I asked for more soup and promptly got given more. They take time and make an effort to see how you are going without being intrusive. I think it provides better service than your average Malaysian joint... though I have to say the service at most Malaysian restaurants have improved remarkably over the year compared to some others.

Overall

I think it is a place I would go to once in a while to try out new dishes or for the Hainanese Chicken Rice. It doesn't have a huge range and for the traditionalists, this place is guaranteed to disappoint. However, for those who want to see what innovation might look like with Malaysian cuisine, this is worth checking out. Don't come here looking for the traditional dishes - they might have the same name - but that's about all.

Cultural Moment
Sambals, Belachans, Cincalok are the various dipping sauces of Malaysia that usually contain some sort of preserved, or fermented seafood or vegetables. While various versions can be found all over South and Southeast Asia, I am just going to focus on the Malaysian ones here.

Belachan is fermented shrimp paste, which can be eaten with a squeeze of lime and fresh chillies, or fried till it's dark and dry, or used in stir fries. It can be fried up with shallots and garlic too and sprinked on dishes to add another layer of spiciness, or even stirred into soups (like laksa). Belachan is usually sold as a block that might look like a thick block or wedge of chocolate from a distance until you get a whiff of it.

Sambal is a chilli paste primarily and so, Sambal Belachan is chilli paste mixed with belachan, shallots, limes and sugar in various combinations. They can be used as an accompaniment to various dishes to given them an added 'kick'. In Sri Lanka (where you have Sambol) and Indonesia, there is a wide range of sambals that include a great variety of ingredients ranging from peanuts to bananas to petai (stinky beans) to anchovies.

Cincalok refers to a condiment that consists of shrimps fermenting in water, lime, shallots, and chillies. This is usually served wet, as dipping condiment, or the Peranakans love having it in omelettes (which I think is the best way to eat it because I can never take it on its own).

Chilli dipping sauces are also common in Malaysian Chinese cuisine, ranging from processed chilli sauces (which may be sweet or savoury or garlicky or super hot), to fresh cut chillies (green, red or padi) in vinegar or soy sauces, or ever preserved green chillies.

Coconut House (and Little Coconut House)

449 Elizabeth St, Melbourne,VIC 3000

This place has had mixed reviews over the years primarily centred on their variable friendliness and service level. In addition the standard of the food is also variable at times though it has improved over the years. Finally, they must be doing something right with the crowd they attract. Yet, they have a relatively low Urbanspoon Score. What is going on here?

The Place
This is a pokey place. Both the 'mothership' and the little offshoot 3 doors down are small and pokey. They try to fit in a lot of people into the space and it's really not designed for a leisurely meal. It's really an "Eat and Go" place. As a result, cleanliness is hard to maintain though they do try their best. Also, it can get noisy in the main restaurant. So, this is also not a child friendly place and parking requires a hedging of bets around Franklin Street.

The Deco at Little Coconut House

Things to do Nearby: This is about halfway between Melbourne Central and Queen Victoria Market. Also close to the State Library.

The Food
This is a West Malaysian restaurant with authentic West Malaysian Chinese tastes. The food comes out really quickly which means that it is never steamy hot enough for me. However, there are 3 main things that are worth trying here;

Hainanese Chicken Rice - the rice itself is nothing to rave about but very passable. However, the chicken here is pretty good and they also have roast chicken (which they call BBQ chicken). That's a plus in my books to have both options. The accompaniment chilli sauce is ok too, though the soup is never warm enough.

Curry Laksa - so, while I am not a huge fan of curry laksa, the one here is not bad afterall, but I usually have the chicken laksa, not the seafood laksa. The soup though, is pretty tasty and rich enough for my liking without being sickening. By the way - you can order extra noodles with your laksa, though all the servings are pretty big as it is.

Mee Pok (pictured right)- this is one of the few places in the CBD that offers Mee Pok - which is SEAsian thin 'fettuccine' - it's a flatter egg noodle. They serve the Mee Pok here with either a curry or soy base. The texture of the noodles is what you would expect of the West Malaysian / Singaporean mee pok. The soy base mee pok here with either BBQ Pork, or minced pork or combination of both, tend to be sweeter than what I like. However, it's what they do in Kuala Lumpur. They like it sweet generally.

The Service
This is variable, depending on who you get on the day. Over the years, they have actually improved (believe it or not?). They also have to coordinate between Coconut Hourse and Little Coconut House because there's essentially one kitchen. They transfer the food across in a very hygenic way within bainmarie containers. They have a good system of getting the food out really quickly, which of course means that there is probably of pre-cooked food that's never steamy hot enough. Most of the time, the wait staff are pretty friendly these days.

Overall
I'd go there ocassionally when I want Chicken Rice and I am in the area. With the major competitors here being the iconic Rose Garden and the newcomer Kitchen Inn, it would be hard to survive if they weren't any good (Just ask the former owners of the cafe that used to occupy the Kitchen Inn space). However, they continue to attract a healthy number of students and people working in the area. So, they seem to be holding their own. Therefore, despite a relatively low Urbanspoon score, it's far from a disaster, it's really a matter of whether the style of food appeals to you, now that the service has improved.

Cultural Moment
Slurping Noodles is something you are likely to hear at Coconut House, from international student diners sitting very close to you. In Australia, one doesn't slurp noodles - it attracts attention of other diners and can be quite annoying to down right rude.

So, where do people slurp their noodles loudly?
In China, Korea and Japan, slurping noodles is perfectly acceptable and is a sign that you are enjoying the food, and complementing the chef. It also cools the noodles as you are eating them. There are some minor differences in techniques though - some Chinese tend to scoop it in rather than slurp it (though, just as noisily). All generations continue to do this today. However, not everyone does it - all I am saying is that, it is acceptable.

Therefore, slurping is also quite normal amongst the older generations of Chinese in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore - though you won't see that as much amongst the younger generation. Amongst the younger generation in SEAsia, you are less likely to see this and they might even view the older generation's noodle slurping habit with some annoyance (much like the disappearing art to swirling tea/coffee in the saucer to cool it down, and then slurping it straight from the saucer).

The question then is, should a young Chinese man in Melbourne be slurping his noodles loudly? Is this a case of 'when in Rome' or 'people should be comfortable with their culture'? What do you think?