Swinging Bowl, Adelaide City Centre

Hello readers! 

It's winter break and I'm in Adelaide! Arrived yesterday and will be here for seven days to visit a couple of friends (Ismah and Kay!). I went for a solo city tour earlier today and stopped by this Malaysian restaurant  for lunch. It is easier to locate if you have familiarized yourself with the city grid system. From North Terrace (where it is dotted with places of attraction such as the SA Art Gallery, the state library, etc.), look for Myer shopping center nearby the War Memorial and enter a small lane named Stephen Place. Look out for the restaurant's red signage.  

It was pretty daunting at first looking at the wide variety of dishes but the staff was very helpful to explain how to order and even recommended their top-selling one for me to have. Basically, they charge you depending on how many dishes you take. So all you have to do is choose what type of rice you want (they have white rice, steamed coconut rice and briyani during my visit) and what you want to have it with. 

Swinging Bowl features weekly specials with different specialized dishes from Monday to Friday. Since today is Friday, they have creamy chicken and black pepper lamb included in the menu. Other dishes offered everyday include fried chicken, egg sambal, beef rendang, fish sambal, mixed veges, etc. 

I had white rice with fried chicken and asked for 2 gravies: the butter chicken gravy and the sweet chili chicken gravy. Oh nyums. With student discount, my meal is about AUD5. 

The owner of this restaurant is a Malay Malaysian who also frequents the kitchen. He was wearing a jersey with 'Mangkuk' printed on it as his name. Mangkuk is a Malay translation of Bowl. And if you are a Malaysian, you would know what Swinging Bowl literally means ;) That's pretty cheeky..and creative haha. I learned later from my friend that Malaysian students here call this place just as 'SB'. 

Overall, the food here is fresh, tasty and value for money. Highly recommended!

Opening times: 
Mon-Fri: 11.30am - 7.00pm
Sat: 11.30am - 5.00pm

  

Update Dec 2015: A friend's recent visit to Adelaide confirms that this place has closed permanently.

Malacca Straits, Broadway, Sydney

My friend and I went to this restaurant nearby our uni to unwind after finishing couple of assignments and mid-term papers. Food was great, we were both happy with our choices. It's also value for money, considering the price was standard throughout Sydney city. Service was good with friendly and attentive staff. Waiting time was acceptable taking into account the place was half full when we arrive. 

If you come from UTS tower on your right hand side in Broadway, walk straight ahead and look out for their sign also on your right. You have to walk inside the main entrance to finally see this joint. It is before Broadway Shopping Centre in Bay Street.

The menu consists of both Malaysian and Thai food. The friendly owner's wife mentioned that they have Thai chef to prepare Thai dishes. She is Indonesian while the husband is..Malaysian of course!

The halal logo :)

Patrons keep coming in while we we there. It was on a Tuesday night!

My friend had Laksa with Chicken (top) and I had Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang (bottom), both cost AUD10 each. 

Updated: On my second visit (15/5/2013) I had this appetizer for AUD6. They were fish cakes, curry puff and spring roll. Nyums!

N/B: The restaurant charges AUD0.50 for a container and plastic bag if you decide to take away your unfinished meal.

Pondok Selera, Food Court, Sydney

Pondok Selera is a small halal stall in an area called Food Court at Dixon Street. It is right where Chinatown lane is in Haymarket, Sydney. If you enter Dixon Street from where Paddy's Market is, find an entrance on your right hand side with a sign that says Food Court. A staircase going down will lead you to an area with vast numbers of small stalls. Pondok Selera is located towards the end of this area. Do not be confused with another Food Court at the end of the road though (because that's what happened to my friend when he says he has arrived but we didn't see any sight of him!). 

Service wise, nothing much can be said as it's pretty much self-service. We ordered our food and paid beforehand at the counter, waited at our table that we finally secure after standing beside an uncle until he finishes his meal, and collected the food at the stall after checking twice whether it was ready. Staff were fast and warm. 

I chose Special Fried Rice and it was a bit of a bummer as it wasn't that great although a tad more expensive compared to other choices in their menu. The fried rice was nice but the chicken was a bit dry and salad was not interesting. Meanwhile, satay was okay but spoiled by the strange taste from the peanut sauce. I wish I ordered something else as I still have a good feeling about this stall. It's one of the busiest stalls too from observation. 

One of the most visited stalls in Food Court

Tables are fully taken during peak hours

Special Fried Rice wasn't so special after all. It costs AUD13.80 and comes with fried chicken, satay with peanut sauce, crackers, salad, and fried egg. 

N/B: The stall charges AUD0.20 for a container and plastic bag if you decide to take away your unfinished meal.

Café Kasturi, George Street, Sydney

Dear readers, 

It's the second last day of my parents trip here in Sydney to send me off to uni. We had lunch at Kasturi, a very strategically located Malaysian-Thai restaurant along George Street. From Railway Square where you can see Adina hotel is across the street, head left into George Street. The restaurant will be on your left-hand side about 300m ahead. 

Whenever I passed by this shop, I could not help but to ask if it is really open? Yes, the exterior seems pretty gloomy and empty. But be surprised when you step inside, it is a pretty fancy 'city' restaurant. Price is a little bit high but still in the affordable range. 

The three of us had Hainanese Chicken Rice, Bihun Goreng (fried vermicelli) and Char Kuey Teow (fried flat rice noodle) (AUD14.80 each). Taste was good although I wish they could be more rich in flavours. I tried my Dad's fav, steaming hot Teh Tarik and it's so nice and creamy it reminds me of home :)

 

Other mains served here included noodles (laksa kari, pad thai etc.) and rice/roti canai with poultry/meat/seafood/vegetable dishes. They also have in their menu: soup (soto ayam, tom yum goong etc.), entrée (satay, curry puff, chicken wings etc.), and desserts (banana fritters, sago, bubur kacang etc.). 

Update (July 2013): A group of friends went there for dinner and ordered set meal of rice, main dishes and vegetables. They reckon that their dinner there tops other Malaysian food they have tried in Sydney :)