Friday, 26 June 2009

Mamak Sydney: wherefore art thou?


Mamak...before the renovation walls closed in

Alas! Mamak has been closed since June 8th for renovations and I've been at my wits end. No late-night roti runs, no gratification for my tea tarik yearnings. It's a disaster but according to their website, the renovations will only take three weeks, which means that it should reopen on Monday 29th. And not a moment too soon! In the meantime, a simple tribute if you please, with a pre-renovation visit while we wait.

There's only one reason to come here...

...and it certainly isn't for the standard Malaysia fare. The nasi lemak, the nasi goreng, ice kacang...my mother makes it better frankly.

Take a good look now, as it might not look like this come Monday

It could be for the beverages. Especially if it's the sweet tea tariks (perfect hot or iced) or maybe the Cham and its gorgeous combo of tea tarik and Malaysian coffee. It's definitely not for the Kopi-Os...bitter, odd tasting and in dire need of more condensed milk but maybe it was just a bad night.

Umm how I crave for Malaysian Tea!

My friends, it has to be for the Roti Canai. Spell it for me...R-O-T-I.

I love my Malaysian food. So much so that I can get depressingly homesick when I'm debilitated by monthly cravings for Hawker Chicken Rice, Ban Jian Kway, Penang Rojak and (oh my god), a bowl of thick and rich Assam Laksa. There is a large gaping black hole in Sydney's dining scene when it comes to Malaysian food, which certainly doesn't help matters.

I love the prison-esque canteen tray. Très chic!

But at least the roti side of things are taken care of.

When it comes to Roti Canai, Mamak can't be beat in Sydney. Especially when the Roti costs much less than street parking in the city! Crispy, fluffy, flaky and pretty decent curry accompaniments whick packs just the right amount of heat. All that on a prison-chic canteen tray for only $5.

A perfectly fluffed roti

What I love the most is watching them flip the tissue-thin rotis like they're nobody's daddy. Even I don't get to see that often in Malaysia but here, you can watch to your heart's content while you wait in the long queue (which Mamak is just as famous for!).



And though you can't beat eating roti in Malaysia itself (the flies, burning sun, sweat and extreme humidity makes for a killer atmosphere), it's an entirely new experience eating warming Roti Canai in winter and that's something you just can't do in Malaysia - though their subzero air-conditioning says otherwise!

Hungry yet?

Mamak's tea tariks tonight are a little weak in taste, sweetness and fragrance for my liking but I can't complain too much. A craving is a craving and this is about as good as I'll get in Australia.

This Roti Kaya doesn't look like much (and I did ask for no ice cream) but there is some liquid gold in that roti. That being homemade Kaya, a sweet, toothsome coconut egg jam. You haven't had real kaya until you have it homemade. Too bad it's spread so thinly inside the roti! A bit sweet but beats the store-bought jar anyday! Just ask Mamak for a bit more kaya generosity.

Roti Kaya - a thicker layer of it would've been nice...say, 5cm more?

Mamak has come a long way from their humble stall at Chinatown markets. I remembered when it first opened and my cousin (who knew one of the owners) pestered all of us to go try it. Who would've thought that it'd soon become a roti institution? You just know they have a good thing going when there are constant queues that snake out of the restaurant and the patrons are an even mix of locals, caucasians, Asians and tourists.

My guess it's the roti that keeps them coming.

Why the sour face? Maybe he's experiencing roti withdrawal...

Success! Fresh roti makes for a happy man.


Mamak
15 Goulburn Street
Haymarket / Chinatown, NSW
(02) 9211 1668

Mamak is closed for renovations from June 8th for approximately three weeks.

Open 7 days
Lunch: 11:30am to 2:30pm
Dinner: 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Supper: until 2am on Fridays & Saturdays


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10 Coffee Breaks:

FFichiban

LOL at random..
I miss rotiiii! Open already!

Chris

oh I know the feeling - i've only experienced roti kaya once, but I'm having withdrawal symptoms..

Howard

I can't wait for it to re-open, I never get sick of this place. The thing is, I think I've tried everything on the menu!

Stephcookie

I have so much love for their roti! I can't believe I haven't tried the roti kaya before, I always get the roti tisu with sweetened condensed milk. *drool* I can't wait til it reopens!

Karen

Hi FFichiban - hehe you whine better than I do! We should celebrate the reopening with a roti-fest!

Hi Chris - lol kaya will do that to you :)

Hi Howard - Yeah I know! I hereby crown you Mamak King!

Stephcookie - *gasp* now I know what I'm ordering for you if we ever head there!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

Kaya is one of those terribly addictive things I can eat byt hte spoonful :) LOL at the man's face at the end!

Trisha

When is it coming back????? I want Mamak roti - no other place makes roti the way Mamak does (or maybe I'm just biased? LOL)

Minh

Cry, I'm getting a roti craving just looking at your photos! I can't wait til they reopen :D

Leona

AHHHHH!!!
I love roti so muhc i could eat it plain as a snack and walk down the street like a retard.

Every time i walk past this joint on a friday its packed out and the line stretches all the way to malaysia its insane!

I'll have to choose a good time to go.. I'm hoping to go with steph so she can show me some malaysian food! other than the dodgy malaysian stuff i eat from fast food-court outlets during lunch breaks =(

Karen

Hi Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella - hehe glad to see I'm not the only one!

Hi Trisha - Wednesday the 8th! Roti for all lol!

Hi Minh - hehe not long to go now :)

Hi Leona - Lol if you want good Malaysian then I should take you to Alice's at Thornleigh. Better than Mamak I reckon (well maybe not the roti so much) but everything else is!

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