This place is exactly like the street stall its owners had enticed the Chinatown Friday Night Market goers with last year. It's fast, there are still queues and the food remains scrumptious.
While I can't pronounce "Mamak" like a true Malaysian, I can definitely eat chilli like one. And even still, the fiery hotness in the Sambal udang caught me by surprise. The jam textured sambal was so addictive. I scooped spoonfuls on each delectable piece of prawn.
The Kari ikan was delicious also. The fish was oily and flaky and the tangy curry was matched well with chunks of tomatoes, okra and eggplant.
Next was the Rojak which was brought out within an impressive 10 minutes of ordering. The prawn and coconut fritters were sweet enough to be classified as dessert but i loved the refreshing textures between the salad of shredded yambean, cucumber, fried tofu, hard-boiled eggs and glossy thick peanut sauce.
The Kangkung belacan seems to transcend many cultures and languages as it is also known as 'rau muống' in Vietnamese, 'ong choy' in Cantonese, 'eng chai' in Hokkien/Teochew and 'water spinach' in English, right here in Australia. The aromas of the shrimp paste were all mopped up with the leafy greens.
Mamak serve 10 types of roti, including 4 sweet variants. We ordered the original roti canai which was crispy on the outside, buttery and fluffy on the inside. It was served with 2 curry dips and a dollop of spicy sambal sauce. It couldn't have been good for my waist, but oh, I am so craving it right now! (Psst, Mamak opens til 2am on Friday and Saturday nights... almost too good to be true! Traditional roti at 2am? Count me in! Hehe...)
There's not much I can say about perfectly fried chicken... and Mamak do the best ayam goreng. Crispy, spicy, golden... I'd have this over KFC any day.
Ais kacang... just look at this glorious mountain of red beans, corn, grass jelly, rose-syrup, sweetened milk and shaved ice! Enough said.
Want more Malaysian goodness? Check out the Mamak menu below or why not tingle your taste buds at the Malaysian Festival on Aug 31, at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour?
Mamak
15 Goulburn Street, Sydney
www.mamak.com.au
I went there last weekend...I'm so amazing at how authentic the food is..just like when I used to go back to Singapore to visit relatives..! Check out 3Dworld next week for my review :) Mel
Hands down one of the best Malaysian/Singaprean restaurant. Very fast and efficient.
The roti is the most authentic I've ever tasted in Sydney coz they make it fresh! Other restaurants usually just heat up the frozen ones. And back in Msia, mamaks are usually open 24 hours...something i really miss when I'm here. :) Thanks for putting up the plug and link to Malaysia Fest Jennifer! Hope to see you there! :D
Oh and I forgot to say that Mamak will be opening a stall at Malaysia Fest as well. So those of you who want to sample their goodies while watching Malaysian performances feel free to drop by Tumbalong Park on 31st August.
Im addicted to their Rojak, Ayam goreng and all the different rotis. Mmmm must go get another fix but the queues are always so long haha. Nice photos btw ^^
FFIchiban and I have been here a few times now and we can vouch that the roti is one of the most authentic found in Sydney. We'll definitely be on the hunt next Sunday for the Mamak stall @ Darling Harbour :)
Sheera - I didn't make it to the festival 'coz was in Hobart... it looked awesome though, i def won't miss it nxt yr!! :-)
D - can't wait to see your blog post about it! Yummo...
on my way......for lunch..!!
Wow...nice!! I'm a malaysian and I never truly appreciate the food here especially Roti til now..!! I love ur coverage on most of the food in Malaysia. Thanks!! :)
Krissie, Ah yes... i am so addicted to the roti!!! I have lost count of the number of times I've been here... the sambal is awesome with the roti canai and i can never leave without a dessert roti tisu! i'm glad u've enjoyed it too
steve, so lucky! i wish i worked closer...hehe...
Oh wow! have been looking for a great Malaysian restaurant in Sydney (we were spoiled in Wellington, NZ thanks to a great Malaysian community!). The food looks incredible!