Malacca Straits, Broadway

Malacca Straits isn't the easiest of restaurants to find. Tucked away in a residential block, there is only a subtle sign out on the main road telling you of the existence of the restaurant. However, you cannot miss it once you turn in!

The boy and I were quickly seated and the waiter (a happy chap he was) gave us the menus and water and left us to ponder over what we wanted. The food came out alarmingly fast after we ordered!

Hainanese chicken rice, $9.50

The bowl of soup came to the table first, and it really was warming and exactly what I needed.This is just like my parents make it at home. Though we normally boil the chicken and then dunk the pieces in a separate bowl of sauce. The chicken was wonderfully tender and juicy, pairing wonderfully with the deliciously fragrant rice. And there is chilli for those who like a bit of an extra hit of heat!

Murtabak, $10.50

I've had a fantastic murtabak at Mamak that was packed full of flavour so I had high expectations for this. But I found the beef slightly dry and the roti was not as flaky as Mamak's unfortunately. The curry sauce really was needed to give the beef some extra moisture and flavour.

Kuih ketayap, $5.00

I am a sucker for all things pandan, coconut and palm sugar so this was a dessert that I definitely could not forgo despite already being full! And for five bucks, why the hell not?

Coconut and palm sugar innards

Inside the fluro green pandan crepe was a filling of toasted coconut, palm sugar, and I swear I could also taste a hint of ginger though the boy just looked at me and said, "What ginger?" The palm sugar syrup and coconut cream gave this already very sweet dessert that extra bit of richness because it just wasn't needed before ;)

Though it was supposed to cost $25 all up, they only charged us $24.50 for some reason. Isn't that nice? (:

Malacca Straits
66 Mountain St
Broadway, NSW, 2007
8021 7069

Opening Hours
Monday - Saturday: Lunch and Dinner

http://www.malaccastraitsbroadway.com.au

Tommy's Beer Cafe, Glebe

Tommy's Beer Cafe is a small joint down Glebe Point Rd, more  further down from the busy end close to Parramatta Road. It was date night once again and my boyfriend was in the mood for some good beer. He was keen to try "German beer" as apparently it tastes better (I wouldn't know as I don't like beer... Maybe it's an acquired taste? Probably). But alas, Tommy's Beer Cafe is actually Eastern European and not German - well, he didn't really mind as long as he got his beer ;) There was some cute deco going on at the tables in the form of the pot plant.

Budejovicky Budvar Lager, $5 for 0.33L

My boyfriend had trouble trying to pronounce the name of this beer so the waitress just smiled and helped him out, replying fluently with a wonderfully thick accent to which he laughed and said "Yes, that one." This beer I actually didn't mind too much. Still not a big fan of beer though. I think I prefer the general aftertaste that lingers in my mouth as opposed to when you first drink it.

Buffalo cheek, $12.90

When this came to our table, I was in shock at the large serving portion as this was just an entree! I could probably eat this as a main by itself and be very satisfied and full. This slow braised buffalo cheek served on parsley mash with dark beer and rosehip jus was absolutely divine. The meat just fell apart with a prod of the fork from the long braising process and the sauce just tied everything together. The mash was creamy and smooth as a potato mash should be so I'm not even going to question how much cream and butter went into it! The pork crackling on top was deliciously crunchy and well seasoned so no complaints there.

Pork belly, $15.99 Thursday special

The pork belly was wonderfully juicy and succulent contrasting with the crispy crackling on top. I loved the combination of the pork with the apple chutney, the sweet and salty working very well together. This was the first time I've had sauerkraut and I quite liked its sourness! Too bad there were only two pieces of csabai sausage, but at least there was one for us both (:

The waitress was friendly, coming around asking if everything was fine. Of course it was - the food was delicious! It was early dining for us though as it was just a bit past 5 and we were the only ones there. As we were heading out at 5:30, some regulars began trickling in probably for a nice, cool, refreshing lager before heading off home.

I will definitely be back to try other things on the menu for sure! Of course, with help because of the large serving sizes. The potato pancakes, pork knuckle, and schnitzel are calling out my name ;)

Tommy's Beer Cafe
123 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe

Opening hours:
Monday-Thursday: 4pm-12am
Friday-Sunday: 12pm-12am