Best Malaysian Food in Oz

[superbadkitty]

Where do you go for your favourite authentic Malaysian Hainanese chicken rice around Australia?

PERTH

So far, my favourite in Perth is still at the Penang Food Restaurant (William St, a few doors from Kakulas Bros gourmet food shop).

If they are closed, I go to Tak Chee (a close second - not quite as authentic, although with a larger serve of chicken, more Ipoh-style with beansprouts but the chilli sauce tastes more like it is sweet chilli sauce or a bought chilli sauce instead).

SYDNEY

(Not found too many yet...)

So far: the East West food stall at the Mandarin Centre Food Court in Chatswood is OK although once the chicken was underdone (raw so I sent it back and they poached it again which ruined the texture (They do a lovely fish laksa though, with huge chunks of fresh fish).

Another Hainanese Chicken Rice I tried is at the Townhall station - they seem to have a great selection of Malaysian dishes, however the chicken was completely overcooked.

[Snadra]

I won't pretend to have deep experience of Hainanese Chicken Rice, but I have tried a few around Sydney.

The one at Temasek in the Roxy Arcade in Parramatta is pretty good, and there is the bonus of a few other very tasty things to go with it.

My personal, long-standing favourite has got to be the one at F&L Gourmet in Macquarie Centre in North Ryde near the Woolies. We no longer live near Macquarie Centre, but when we are close it's *the* place we choose. Their chicken rice has a lovely silky texture, with a bit of jelly under the skin, which I assume comes from cooking it gently and letting it cool properly. It comes with two very fresh tasting sauces - a chilli and a coriander/cilantro - and some very delicious broth-cooked rice.

Just realised we haven't been there is a couple of years. I hope it's still there, because we might have to make a pilgrimage this weekend. Once a week they also used to have a cold dish made with bean starch sheets which was absolutely delicious as well.

ETA: The place at Town Hall - is that the big place in the basement? I used to really like it -it was the first place I ever tried Laksa - but it doesn't seem as fresh anymore. There's a few places in the Hunter Street arcade which may be good for a chicken rice. I must check them out!

Edited April 6, 2010 by Snadra (log)

[superbadkitty]

Hi Snadra,

Oh yeaaahh, the silky texture and the jelly!!! (Slurp!) I had heard about both the Temasek and the North Ryde ones being very good however never got round to trying it. Do report back after your pilgrimage!

I am intrigued by the sound of the beanstarch dish. What type of dish was it - was it a type of dessert?

Yes, the place at Townhall station is down at the basement. Great variety of dishes for a food court setup but everything seemed a bit tired looking, especially the chicken in the Hainanese Chicken Rice lol. One thing which really ruins this dish is when the chicken is overcooked/dry and the silkyness is gone (sigh).

Kitty

[Snadra]

Hi Kitty,

Right, that's it! I'm going to Macquarie Centre this weekend... assuming I can find a carpark. I shall report back.

The starch sheets dish (it may have been green bean starch sheets - I can't remember) was sort of a cold noodle salad dish, with the starch sheets, and their lovely gelatinous texture standing in for noodles. It had chicken and raw veggies in it and was seasoned with sesame oil.

This (almost) makes me wish I worked in Macquarie Park again.

There are a couple of Malaysian places in the Hunter Street Arcade in Sydney (near Wynyard). I should see whether they have Chicken Rice on the menu...

Snadra

[superbadkitty]

Mmm, that cold noodle salad sounds like a very interesting idea. Looking forward to hearing how you go at Mac. Centre and Hunter St Arcade!

[Taubear]

The Laksa King in Erskine St [Cnr of Kent and Erskine] in the City is good. I am a regular there for their chicken curry.....mmmmmmm.....yum. Better than the places in the Hunter arcade in my opinion.

[superbadkitty]

Just a quick update: the Penang Food Restaurant in William St has changed hands yet again. I have been unwell so I got my other half to get some take away chicken rice for me recently. When I opened the packet, it was char kway teow instead - and a whole lump of goo at that. So... no idea, really, what the chicken rice there is like now. They weren't at all concerned they had gotten the order wrong - blaming it on new staff. Who knows.

[Snadra]

Thanks for the tip. I STILL haven't gone to Macquarie Centre, or Hunter Street Arcade for that matter...life got in the way. Must do better!

[annachan]

I'm so glad that I came across this thread and found Temasek. I had the Hainanese chicken rice and it's fantastic. The just cooked meat, the jelly under the skin and the fatty but not greasy skin. I devoured my plate in no time and will definitely go back for more before leaving the area.

[rarerollingobject]

Apart from Temasek, my favourite HCR places are Singapore Shiok, in the Eating World Foodcourt at the city end of the Chinatown mall, and Malay-Chinese Takeaway on Hunter St (not in the arcade).

Malacca Straits on Broadway is also good (though it's all dark meat, with bone, which is good or not depending on personal taste).

[Simon Lewinson]

Another place to try for real Malaysian food in Melbourne is Sue'z Delights in Clayton. Run by a Malaysian couple - Sue and Victor. Makes a fantastic nasi lemak, char kueh teow, rendang daging, mee rebus ..... must stop ..... stomach growling.

Seriously, this place is as good as it gets in Melbourne. Only better Malaysian food I have had is in KL and Kuching last year.

Mmmmmmmm Sarawak Laksa Mmmmmmmmm

Interested to hear other prople's opinions on this place.

[superbadkitty]

Hello again everyone!

I'd forgotten all about my membership here (!) until someone told me about others using my nickname and to Google it. Well, who gives a monkey's, really LOL - but here I am, back again on this wonderful site as a result, and just back from Paris too - more about that when (or if lol) I get ALL those food photos onto my iMac... So many food stories..................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you very much to annachan, rarerollingobject and Simon Lewinson for the recent tips.

Just a note re: Hainanese Chicken Rice in Sydney..........

I was over in Sydney before I went to Paris and I was sooooo lucky to have discovered a fantastic food blog by this guy which had AN ENTIRE LIST of Sydney places for Hainanese Chicken Rice. Needless to say, it had saved me weeks (/months) of research and trial. I am not sure what the rules are about posting links here. I am too jetlagged and can't be bothered to read the rules right now lol! Message me privately if you want the link.

PS I have since been back to the Penang Food Place on William Street in Perth too - it is by far the best in the whole of Perth for the following dishes: Nasi Lemak, Crispy Yee Meen (SERIOUSLY crispy), KL Pork Noodle Soup, Roti Canai with Chicken Curry (their chicken curry is the best)...... Apart from my personal preferences, there are dishes which are apparently best sellers like "Mee Pok", and I have also tried the deep fried Fish Wings which are EXTREMELY crispy on the Entree section of the menu if that is what you are looking for (crispiness). But their Hainanese Chicken Rice is definitely NOT good.

Cheers,

The Queen of Kai Fan

[superbadkitty]

Oh yes, forgot!!! There is a place called "TEN TEN" in Perth that serves (probably the best) Hainanese Chicken Rice. It is not the best, but it is The Best In Perth!! Like most Malaysian Food lol! It's in East Victoria Park (...? I will have to go back and check).