Jala Roti and Onde Onde

[GaijinGirl]

I've tried pretty much everywhere, and still have them on my "to do" list - any ideas where they could be found? Thanks!

(Also, anyone have any opinions of Proto Saga on Allen Street? Came back from Bali Nusa last night, and was quite underwhelmed. Don't want to repeat that error....!)

--Janet (GG)

[Jammin]

FYI, I have been told that Proton Saga is the name of a very cheap and disrespected car in Malaysia. When my Singaporean girlfriend saw that restaurant, she busted a gut, but we didn't actually go in at the time.

On a whim, I tried it one evening (not Jala Roti or Onde Onde mind you), and well, the Hainanese Chicken Rice tasted only slightly better than the tires on a cheap car. Lesson learned.

Edited May 25, 2005 by Jammin (log)

[GaijinGirl]

Thanks for the warning! Now...if only I can find that Onde Onde...!

[Pan]

I went to Proton Saga twice and it was bad both times. The second time I had asam laksa that was by far the worst I have ever had anywhere. I simply have never understood what Sietsema could like about the place and strongly urge you to give it a wide berth.

Laksa and Ms Congeeniality have enjoyed the Malaysian/Indonesian restaurant down a staircase at Doyers and Pell. Have you tried it?

[GaijinGirl]

Ah yes - Sanur, and I do like it. The service is slightly gruff, but that's fine. Sanur also has an amazingly cheap $3.00 'economical breakfast'. But I *do* like the Kueh better at Curry Leaves in Flushing. No Onde Onde or Jala there, though.

I've also heard so-so things about the following three - any comments?

Brodobur

New Malaysia

Singapore Cafe

(they're the last three in Manhattan I've not yet tried...)

--Janet (GG)

[Jammin]

New Malaysia isn't going to blow your socks off, but it's cheap and it's passable. It isn't nearly as egregious as Proton Saga or Singapore Cafe. My Singaporean girlfriend and her Singaporean friends all agree that Singapore Cafe is quite inauthentic. To subtract yet another level of authenticity, I posted this little tidbit in the "Best Char Siu" thread:

"The word for Singapore is represented by three Chinese characters: xin1 jia1 bo1, the first word "xin1" being the same as the word for 'new'. In the Singapore Cafe sign, they've written the first character "xing1" as in 'star', which is a near-homophone, but unfortunately, no cigar. This goes unnoticed by most people except actual Singaporeans, who always snicker and/or make snide comments about it when they walk by."

Have not tried Brodobur, so please do report back on that one.

[Pan]

Janet, I assume the first place you're talking about is Borobudur. I plus and minus the place; I doubt it's worth a major detour, but it wouldn't hurt to go there for a special reason.

Here's my negative take on New Malaysia.

Here's a thread I started on Chowhound on Singapore Cafe. I said the food was "authentic," but I was really thinking authentic for Malaysian food, not specifically Singaporean. However, as I mention in a later post in the thread, the food was tough on my system. I probably haven't been there for at least three years, but the times I went, I found their food tasty but over-the-top fatty.

I have to admit I'm not familiar with roti jala by name, and onde onde is usually something I've just eaten as a kueh without thinking about its name. Perhaps someone could clarify precisely what the difference is between roti jala and roti canai.

[philadining]

Perhaps someone could clarify precisely what the difference is between roti jala and roti canai.

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I think the roti jala is supposed to be lacier, with holes in it, like a two-dimensional funnelcake. Roti canai is more solid, like a crepe. But I wouldn't bet large sums of money on that actually being the distinction...

[Pan]

Yeah, one of the pictures of roti jala I looked at looked lacy, but roti canai is flaky and unlike crepes usually has no filling and instead is eaten with sauce.

[philadining]

Yeah, one of the pictures of roti jala I looked at looked lacy, but roti canai is flaky and unlike crepes usually has no filling and instead is eaten with sauce.

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I love the Roti Canai at our outpost of Penang here in Philly, and the filled Roti Telur is pretty good. The Roti Canai was decent at Melati in (London's) SOHO, but I haven't seen Roti Jala at those places, nor at a few spots I've forgotten the names of on the West Coast. But now I feel like I too must find it! I'll look forward to you folks finding a good version in NY, and running up there to try some.

[GaijinGirl]

Ah ha! The search for Roti Jala is addictive! Yes, it's my understanding (haven't never seen it except in pictures) that Roti Jala is lacy and "fancier" than Roti Canai, and is also served with curry for dipping. Got to find it somewhere....!

[Jammin]

Here's a thread I started on Chowhound on Singapore Cafe. I said the food was "authentic," but I was really thinking authentic for Malaysian food, not specifically Singaporean. However, as I mention in a later post in the thread, the food was tough on my system. I probably haven't been there for at least three years, but the times I went, I found their food tasty but over-the-top fatty.

to be fair, singapore and malaysia aren't exactly far from each other and there are heavy influences because of the geographical proximity. the other thing to keep in mind is that tastes differ based on cultural upbringing. the opinions i expressed about singapore cafe reflect my own asian heritage and thoughts garnered from numerous singaporean friends, not one of whom thinks singapore cafe is any good. but as they like to say on the net, YMMV.

pan - i wonder if the issue with the fattiness is that a decent bit of the "authentic" food from singapore uses lard. so maybe they're trying to compensate?

Edited May 27, 2005 by Jammin (log)

[Pan]

[...]the other thing to keep in mind is that tastes differ based on cultural upbringing. the opinions i expressed about singapore cafe reflect my own asian heritage and thoughts garnered from numerous singaporean friends, not one of whom thinks singapore cafe is any good.  but as they like to say on the net, YMMV.[...]

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Keep in mind that I haven't been there in at least 3 years (probably 3 1/2), and they could easily have deteriorated in that time.

I really doubt that the use of lard would explain the over-the-top fattiness of the food I had back then at Singapore Cafe. I've seldom if ever had that much fat in Malaysian food in the U.S. or Malaysia.