Having spent almost 2 years in Sydney, I can confidently say that Thai food here just can't go wrong, no matter where you go. Lately though, I notice that Malaysian food is steadily winning the hearts of locals and I'm about to share with you, arguably one of the best authentic Malaysian restaurants in Sydney, Ho Jiak Haymarket.
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| Coming soon: Char Kway Teow Pattaya (price to be advised) |
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| Loh Bak (five-spiced pork jowls, wrapped in tofu beancurd, deep-fried & served with loh mee sauec & sweet chili) AU$15 |
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| Kolo Mee (dry-egg noodles, tossed in shallot oil & topped with minced pork & mushrooms) AU$15 |
A finance & business professional turned self-taught chef, Junda is a living proof that no dream is impossible, as long as pursued consistently and passionately. Together with his business partner, William Xie, they first opened Ho Jiak 1.0 in Strathfield years ago, which focused on serving up fast-paced comforting Penang street food. Unlike the older sister inside Strathfield Plaza's food court, Ho Jiak Haymarket is slightly different as it is an upmarket concept, with more extensive menu that reflects the younger years Junda spent learning how to cook from his Ah Mah (hokkien word for grandmother).
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| Left: Head Chef & co-Founder of Ho Jiak, Junda Khoo Right: tossing char kway teow in fire for that fragrant 'wok hei' (charred) perfection! |
The venue itself is a mish mash of a number of design elements, which may be overwhelming to some at first, but somehow, they work. Some of the most striking features are the prominent wall murals and boldly colours wooden frames reminiscent of old houses and street murals commonly found in Penang. Leaving no details unattended, the eclectic design are also incorporated in the cutleries, to the staff's pretty & colourful uniform, and other ornaments.
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| "Nyonya" is a hybrid or sub-culture born from the marriage or Chinese & Malay culture back in the colonial days |
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| Street murals spotted in the first floor interior |
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| Some cheeky Hokkien humour & vintage posters |
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| 'Selamat Datang" means 'welcome' in Malaysian / Indonesian |
Last week, a number of Sydney foodies and myself had the pleasure of sampling Junda's upcoming new dishes, which are scheduled to launch in mid May. I have tried the existing menu numerous times, and I personally think it's impossible to pick a dish that doesn't taste good! Honestly, some of them are quite spicy, even to my Indonesian tongue, but just let the staff know of your preference and they're always happy to go the extra mile to cater to the customers.
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| The new menu spread (including 1 existing dish, Loh Bak) coming soon mid May 2018! |
Below are close-up photos of each of the coming-soon dishes (prices to be advised). If you ask me which ones are my absolute favourite, I have to say, it's got to be the Char Kway Teow Pattaya: Ho Jiak's signature spicy stir-fried rice noodles with prawns, fish cake, clams, chinese sausage (lap cheong), pork lard, bean sprouts & chives, wrapped in thin omelette. I also had my heart on the silky & creamy texture of the Steamed Egg with Prawn & Pork, as well as the deceivingly simple but tasty Lettuce & Mushroom with housemade oyster sauce. So delish!
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| Lettuce and mushroom with housemade oyster sauce |
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| Steamed okra with pork belly |
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| Steamed free range chicken (whole) with housemade sauce |
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| Choay tau eu razor clam (steamed with soy sauce, chinese mushrooms & shallots |
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| Lobster and salted fish fried rice |
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| Deep fried barramundi with black bean sauce |
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| Char kuey teow pattaya |
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| Steamed egg with prawn & minced pork |
Then after all that massive feast above. it was dessert time! I especially am in love with the warm black sticky rice porridge for dessert, which is just like what my Mum always used to make back home. But Ho Jiak's version comes with longan.
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| Left: Ho Jiak Haymarket is fully licensed and also does BYO (Bring Your Own wine) for AU$3/person; Ice Teh Limau AU$5 Right: Ais Cendol (homemade pandan jelly, red beans, rose flavoured shaved ice, serve with coconut cream & gula melaka) AU$8 |
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| Left: Pulut Hitam, served with coconut cream & gula melaka AU$8 Right: Air Mata Kuching (wintermelon, lo han guo, logan & chinese dates soup, served with gula melaka) AU$8 |
Curiously, I find Thai food in Sydney tasting much better than even when I was in Thailand a couple of years ago. Could be the superior Australian produce? Maybe...So when it comes to Penang food, although I have never been to Penang myself, I imagine Ho Jiak's food would taste as authentic as the legendary street food there, if not better, because of the superior Australian produce in the ingredients used. So what do you think of the new menu above? Which ones do you look most forward to trying out?
My personal recommendation, of their must-try...
- Dishes: Everything...seriously, you have to try everything!- Dessert: Teh Tarik Affogato, Ice Cendol, Pulut Hitam (black sticky rice porridge), Nyonya Kueh
- Drinks: Teh Goncang (iced shaken milk tea), iced / hot Cham (mixture of milk tea & milk coffee)
Open Hours:
11 am - midnight (everyday, including Public Holidays)
Ho Jiak Haymarket
92 Hay Street
Haymarket, NSW 2000
Ph: +61 (02) 8040 0252
Facebook: Ho Jiak Haymarket
Instagram: @hojiak.haymarket
For live and regular updates,
stalk my Instagram: @ellynatjohnardi
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