This cafe is quite small however they have crammed in lots of tables in order to maximise their customer potential. On our visit we found it was quite busy, almost full to capacity.
The cafe's decor is dull and mismatched. They offer Malaysian cuisine but their decor is far from being South East Asian. From the menu cover to the wall decorations, menu boards and background music we found nothing that seemed to fit.
Our first impression wasn't a good one. However, we dared to venture on. We found that the menu offered entrees from $6 to $8 and main meals ranged from $12 to $20.
For our entrees we chose Tempura Prawn $8, Vegetable Spring Rolls $6 and Spicy Chicken $6.
The Tempura Prawns were tasty, and the Vegetable Spring Rolls were quite delicious. Unfortunately we found that the Spicy Chicken had been rolled in Chinese five spice and deep fried, certainly not what we had expected. Along with the human hair attached! No one was game to eat the last piece. We pointed this out to our waitress and she came back to us with the decision that we would not be charged for the Spicy Chicken.
We were also amazed that the entrees had been served on one big platter and with no dipping sauce.
All the entrees on offer were deep fried, it's a pity they can't offer an alternative for those people who can't eat a lot of deep fried food.
At this point I was feeling a little daunted as to my prospect of getting a decent meal, however, I was hungry and looking forward to the Stir Fried Seafood with Vegetables that I had ordered. Alas, I was to be disappointed.
Stir Fried Seafood with Vegetables, $18.
Three prawns, three pieces of squid, nine pieces of silken tofu. I am not a fan of tofu and if this meal had been advertised on the menu as having tofu I would not have ordered it. Luckily it came with a generous serving of rice. I would also have to add that the flavour was exquisite and I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the meal. I was adventurous and tried one piece of tofu; left the rest. To me tofu is a filler, something you add into your cooking because it's cheap, helps to cut costs and it fills up the plate.
I checked the menu once again and realised that none of the meals had any explanation as to what they actually contained.
Chicken Laksa, $12.
The cafe advertises that it has the best Malaysian Laksa in town. I'm wondering if there are any other Malaysian restaurants in Darwin? I'm also wondering how they could presume that they are the best? The comments from my friend, who had ordered the Chicken Laksa, would make me believe that she does not agree with their statement.
Green Prawn Curry, $20.
The initial reaction from this meal was that the cook had forgotten to add the prawns. They were found at the bottom of the dish. This points to the prawns being cooked separately, placed in the dish then the curried vegetables placed on top. Consequently the prawns won't have the wonderful flavour from the curry. This didn't detract from the enjoyment of this meal though, as my friend scoffed it down with obvious pleasure.
We found that communicating with the staff was quite difficult. It would be best not to ask too many questions, just order off the menu and eat.
I was keen to try the Gula Malaka at $7 for my dessert, unfortunately they had run out. I also couldn't get an explanation from them as to what it was; another communication break down.
This cafe is obviously popular, the prices are very reasonable, and it would seem that they have a regular clientele. It's not flash, it's not the most spectacular meal, the service is not the best, but it is just a cafe after all.
This is not the place to go to for a dining experience; it’s a place to go to and have a Malyasian meal. The prices are quite cheap with an Entree and main meal being able to be ordered for under $20. The soup of the Chicken Laksa was very tasty but the other ingredients were as you would find them to taste in most places. As to their claim of having the best laksa in town..... I don’t think so but that’s only my opinion. It’s a shame about the communication difficulty as we were reluctant to try unknown dishes that might have been very tasty indeed.
ReplyDeleteThis is not a Cafe at all. It’s a Malaysian Restaurant set up in a pre-existing Cafe premises. A change to the decor would be most welcome.
Hungry Hungry Hippo
SSM
ReplyDeleteI had the curry. It had a mild, very creamy flavour and was quite enjoyable. Seating is crowded, our choices were a 'booth'on which we hardly fit, or a table with proper chairs , set beneath an overhanging counter, in the path of anyone who entered the premises, we chose the latter.The decor is less than ordinary. This is the second time I have been here, having gone for lunch, we went at my suggestion as one of my friends is partial to laksa and they advertise the best Laksas in town. It is obviously very popular, so they must be doing something right, but I won't be in a hurry to return.