You don't see bak kut teh in restaurants very often here, but Sugarbun has been happily pumping out claypots of the pork-based herbal soup for the last three years. Twins Francesca and Fiorn Lee are still the owners of its reincarnation, Aunty Franklee, which features fresh wallpaper and a new menu. Their signature bak kut teh is still, of course, on the menu....
Somewhat of a quiet achiever, Okra has actually been running for 15 years and is very popular with the locals, yet doesn't seem to be quite as well known as it should be. Things are set to change, with Okra recently being awarded a chef's hat in the 2016 Gault Millau guide. Menus encompassing more than one cuisine tend to have a harder time excelling at everything, but Okra has been successfully serving Thai, Malaysian, and Indonesian dishes side by side. Sunday nights are when Malaysian hawker dishes like...
Previously known as Nasi Lemak House, NL House underwent a facelift a number of years ago and emerged transformed into a slightly smaller, but much more modern and hip little place that caters for both eat-in and takeaway. The menu is simple and easy to navigate, being neatly categorised into the different rice and noodle dishes, and snack boxes....
Mabrown, the venerable house of quail in Balwyn, expanded to the CBD a few years ago bringing their signature dish with them. Walk into Southern Cross lane using Australia Post as your landmark, and keep a look out for the red signage. Unlike its much older and well-established Balwyn cousin, whose white tablecloths, white napkins and high-backed chairs are more typical of Chinese restaurants, the CBD branch has a much more casual style, almost like a Chinese cafe. [caption id="attachment_12055" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Tea Tarik ($4)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_12051" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Salt...
Masak Ku opened just last year, close to Camberwell station. Simon and Mary Lee have presented to us a more upmarket restaurant experience for Malaysian cuisine, rather than sticking to the more common casual, hawker style of eatery. Taking over from a Chinese restaurant that previously occupied the site, shades were removed from the chandeliers, brightening up the room and providing a warm and inviting dining space. The restaurant is available also for functions of up to nearly 60 people. Masak Ku is Malay for 'my cooking', and the...