mindless ramblings

The quality of Singaporean/Malaysian food in Vancouver is improving all the time, thanks to new upstarts like Prima Taste and good old favorites like Cafe D’Lite. Add another one to the list, and I definitely hope this one hangs around… because it is pretty damn good!

It’s called Jonker St, after the famous street in Malacca. THey are located along Pacific Blvd in Yaletown, around the corner from Urban Fare and next to a Flight Center. There usually is street parking right outside, but you can also park in the Urban Fare parkade and they will reimburse you for the first hour of parking. Their newly expanded menu includes a wide range of Malaysian food, including roti canai/prata, satay, chicken rice, prawn noodles and even KL Hokkien Mee! They also claim to use no MSG in all of their cooking.

We’ve been there twice so far and we’ve been very happy with the food. We were in a big group the first time, and so we got to try a whole bunch of dishes. The second time just consisted of Esther and I, but we still managed to try some new stuff.

The individual reviews start here… but I haven’t managed to bring my camera there… one day!

Prawn Noodles
After the disappointing version at Prima Taste, the one here is much much better! The soup base is chock full of flavor. After listening to my mom lament about the abysmal state of prawn noodles in Singapore, I think this might be even better than the real thing! A definite must-try IMHO.

KL Hokkien Mee
I haven’t had the KL style hokkien mee for years, and after trying it again here, I’m probably going to have to get it regularly. I love the sweet sauce that the KL version is doused in. I find it more tasty than the plain version in Singapore, which tastes too bland for me.

Laksa
The laksa was less creamy (less coconut milk?) than the one at Prima Taste, but still quite good. We missed out on their sambal belachan both times that we ate there though. They do have (homemade!) sambal belachan, but you’ll have to ask for it. We’ll be getting this next time to try it with the sambal!

Hainanese Chicken Rice
Chicken rice is a tricky topic here… and I think it is almost a 3-way tie between this, Prima Taste and Cafe D’Lite. Let me explain why. There are several components of chicken rice that need to come together to make a good dish. The rice must be oiled, grainy and have a hint of chicken in it. The chicken must be boneless, garnished with parsley and drizzled with sesame oil and soy sauce. Finally, the chili must be hot, fresh and have that tangy taste to it. Having said that, the rice served here and at Prima Taste is substantially better than Cafe D’Lite. As for the chicken, all 3 are equally good, although Prima Taste probably holds the upper hand for having roast chicken too (do they have that in Malaysia too?). The chili sauce is equally difficult to seperate, I do find all 3 to be good, but I wish they all would provide larger portions. Honestly, I can’t decide between the 3, but if you want a good serving of rice, then I’d avoid Cafe D’Lite.

Roti Canai
The canai here is pretty thick and not as crispy as the one at Prima Taste, although it does not come with carrots on top. The accompanying curry gravy here is really good though, it has a beautiful colour and flavor to it. Much better than the brown swill they usually serve in Asia.

Char Kway Teow
I don’t remember too much about this dish, but I thought it was a reasonable rendition of a good old favorite. Lots of lap cheong and clams make for a fairly authentic dish. We got it without chili though, and I think chili would improve the dish by a great deal.

Overall this is a really nice place. The ambiance reminds me of the original Senhor Rooster: small, cosy and a friendly owner. Give a try and let me know what you think!