Sydney loves Malaysian-mania
It takes a certain amount of patience to line up for just over an hour before you actually get to sit and eat your lunch but in the end the perseverance is rewarded with a sampling of four Malaysian dishes for only $10. I arrived at around 11.50 am to a very long queue reaching towards The Hilton and discovered people had been queuing since 11.30 am to be the first in line. The event can sit a maximum of 80 people so once the first group are allowed in it's about 45 minutes until people from the second group are allowed to trickle in as seats become available — I ended up being the 113th position. I think there's a maximum of 250 covers per opening session. Receiving my raffle ticket group placing was like receiving the Willy Wonka Golden Ticket which I held on to tightly as it made me feel reassured of my eventual entry amongst a slightly unclear queuing system — clearer directions from staff would be helpful.
It was funny watching pedestrians walking past with expressions of what-the-hell-is-happening-here looks. Once you get to the front entry and pay your $10 you walk down a photo plastered laneway with joy to have finally made it in to unfortunately discover you've now arrived at the next queuing section — WTF. Oh well, it's all part of the experience I guess. You can order drinks at this stage but I think it would have been nice for complimentary cups of water to be made readily available at this point, especially if you've been waiting a very long time and it's a very hot day.
There are 15 restaurants listed as being part of the event and for each lunch and dinner a selection of four are chosen to provide 1 dish each. There doesn't seem to be a listing of when each one will be on so it's a bit of pot-luck of who you'll get on the day. Today's lunch starts with a Char Kway Teow from Kuali unfortunately uses pad thai style noodles rather than the wider Chinese rice noodles which I prefer. It's lacking a bit of robust char factor like you might find at Malay-Chinese Takeaway, Sayong or even Yummy Cuisine but it's pleasant enough. Next served is the
Roti Canai from the legendary
Mamak whose lineups are famous as well before opening.
The satay chicken had plenty of flavour but could have been a bit hotter in temperature to be even better and the roti was very good although that's what they're famous for doing so well.
serves up a Nasi Lemak which I surprisingly enjoy since I'm not usually a huge fan of this dish. My fellow Malaysian diner thought the rice could have been less wet and stuck together and the sambal seemed a bit watered down and could have had more kick to it which I tend to agree. To finish the
N
asi kunyit with beef rendang is served by
Kaki Lima and rich in flavour including some distinctive kaffir lime notes. I enjoyed this dish served with
turmeric glutinous rice. All in all if you can stomach the wait to get in I think it can be a very enjoyable dining experience to share with a few friends or even perhaps by yourself.
I'm suspecting if you dine alone you might even end up getting a bit more to eat because you wouldn't have to share your roti or rice. Enjoy if you're one of the lucky ones to get in before ending.
Opening hours (I suggest arrive as early as possible):
Wed 16 Feb 2011: 6 – 9 pm
Thu 17 Feb: 12 noon – 3 pm & 6 – 9 pm
Fri 18 Feb: 12 noon – 3 pm & 6 – 9 pm
Other reviews and info of Malaysia Kitchen Food Market:
• Grab Your Fork - Media Launch
• Chocolatesuze - Media Launch
• Jenius - Media Launch
• The Heart of Food - Media Launch
• Noodlies - First Night
• Simon Food Favourites - 16 Feb visit
• Simon Food Favourites - 17 Feb lunch
• Mirgraphy
SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
SNAPSHOT REVIEW:
PROS: Good value ($10 gets you 4 sampling dishes), Nice decor and atmosphere with lanterns, Interesting location, Friendly staff albeit feeling a bit overwhelmed by the huge interest
CONS: Hugely popular so arrive as early as possible to line up (I suggest 30-60 mins), Weather permitting, During lunch you might be under direct sunlight, Drinks are expensive I believe, Dishes may not be as authentic as you hope but it's a good introduction
MUST TRY: Definitely worth visiting before it ends (it keeps being advertised as one week but seems to actually only be on for 3 days)
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Video walk-through of Malaysia Kitchen Food Market from outside lineup through photo laneway and past kitchens and table seating
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Video walk-through of Malaysia Kitchen Food Market from outside lineup through photo laneway and past kitchens and table seating
The queue at 11.50 am before the 12 noon open time
End of the queue at 11.50 am already stretching past Mick Simmons
My place ticket — now I feel reassured amongst the queue
Doors open at 12 noon for the first 80 people (minus VIP people on the guest list that don't have to queue up)
Laneway of photos
The inner sanctum line up where you're one step closer to getting to eat something — sugar levels running low but hold on
Drinks are available for purchase in the inner sanctum lineup — I believe beer or soft drink
Chinese lanterns create a colourful ceiling which opens up to the sky — not sure how it'll cope with rain though
Table setting — you better like communal eating
Laneway seating
Mirrored surface create interesting surroundings and make the space feel a bit bigger and brighter
Sound system at the end of the laneway with mirrored signage — hey that's me in the mirror!
Kuali: Char Kway Teow - Stir-fry rice noodles with prawns, fishcakes, bean sprouts, egg and garlic chives (was shared between 2)
Mamak: Roti Canai with satay chicken served with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce (was shared between 2)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Jackie M: Nasi Lemak-Fragrant coconut rice accompanied with dried anchovy sambal, peanuts, egg, cucumber and achar (was shared between 2) — Hey, that's Ms Jackie M herself!
Kaki Lima: Nasi kunyit with beef rendang - Slow-cooked beef curry served with turmeric glutinous rice and cucumber slices on banana leaves (was shared between 2)
SIMON FAVOURITE :-)
Table water — it's free and needed after all that lining up
Table cutlery — mirrored table looks cool but not if you're seated in a spot where the sun is directly above
Toilets available in the side entry to the State Theatre
Malaysian restaurants being showcased
Contact details and map flyer
Time of exit 1.35 pm — no queues now and some limited seating was still available if you're lucky. I think there's a maximum of 250 covers for each session.
Lunch time menu – Friday 18 Feb 2011
Lees Malaysian serving Vegetarian Gado Gado
Malacca Straits serving Penang Chicken Kapitan
Kaki Lima serving Jahoran chicken and beef satay served with peanut sauce, cucumber, onions and compressed rice
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