Inspire Me

Where to find the best Malaysian hawker-style food in Auckland

Eat your way around Auckland with these seven classic Malaysian hawker-style dishes, from curry laksa, to Hainanese chicken, and nasi lemak. Sedap! (Delicious in Malay)
Where to find the best Malaysian hawker-style food in Aucklan

Curry laksa

Spicy, satisfying noodle soup

Left: Selera’s curry laksa. Right: Mamak’s Sarawak laksa.

There’s a whole lot of laksa in the Malaysian hawker repertoire; in New Zealand, it’s the curry laksa that appears most commonly on menus. For the best chicken curry laksa, look no further than Selera in Newmarket. Selera is Malay for appetite/taste, an apt description of their signature dish. Owner Miki Ong went back to Kuala Lumpur, and to the state of Perak, for her sifu (master) to teach her how he made his curry laksa. The result is a winner, with a balance of cinnamon, lemongrass, galangal and curry powder in the spices, plus shallots and coconut to make the curry gravy lemak (coconut-rich).

It’s served in a huge bowl, topped with chicken, taupok (tofu puffs) and a boiled egg. For a more traditional meal, request rice vermicelli noodles (rather than yellow egg noodles) and start slurping. Sedap, as they say, or syiok (in Hokkien).

Worth remembering: if you’re further out of the city, the same curry laksa is available at Selera’s sister restaurant, Mama Rich at Greenlane. These aren’t the only locations to find an authentic laksa. Takapuna’s Mamak Malaysian Street Food serves a mean Sarawak laksa, a unique dish that Mamak owners Jeffery and Charlotte Ng have Jeffery’s brother Jim Ling to thank for its appearance on New Zealand menus, as he imports the spice mix from Kuching. It differs from curry laksa in that it’s not as coconut-rich and includes (among other spices) katumbar (ground coriander seeds) and chilli belacan, which make it more piquant. Ask for this laksa to be served with rice vermicelli.

Selera, 487 Khyber Pass Rd, Newmarket;

Mama Rich, 205 Great South Rd, Greenlane; Mamak Malaysian Street Food, 6 Huron St, Takapuna

Nasi lemak

Coconut rice makes the perfect accompaniment

Nasi = rice. Lemak = coconut-rich. This combination is the foundation of archetypal Malaysian hawker food, so much so that many mamak stalls wrap servings of it in a banana leaf or cone of brown paper and sell it for no more than the equivalent of $1.50. You then eat it with your fingers alongside some teh tarik or kopi-o (Malay-style refreshments).

At Auckland’s KK Malaysian, the nasi lemak works beautifully with their beef rendang. The coconut rice is flecked with bunga telang (dried blue pea flower), which is specially imported for this purpose, such is their commitment to authenticity. Meanwhile, their beef rendang (a dry version of a curry) is made with shredded coconut. Must-have accompaniments include sambal ikan bilis (dried anchovy), which is the core of a good nasi lemak, plus cucumber, pan-fried peanuts (skin on) and a boiled egg. It’s a complete flavour fest.

The nasi lemak at Mamak Takapuna is also a feast on a plate. The rice is very lemak, and the accompaniments are equally good; the chicken rendang is redolent of Malay authenticity. As well as the accompanying sambal, there are also crunchy, fried ikan bilis. A further nod to homestyle custom: all this is served on a strip of banana leaf.

KK Malaysian Cuisine, 463A Manukau Rd, Epsom; Mamak Malaysian Street Food, 6 Huron St,Takapuna

Char kway teow

Classic fried flat rice noodles

Malaysian Noodle & Rice in Avondale does the classic hawker char kway teow better than anyone in town: It’s so good that aficionados close their eyes and think they are back home eating at a hawker stall in Malaysia. Their secret is the smoky wok hei (‘breath of the wok’) achieved by cooking the kway teow (rice noodles) in a very hot wok.

Anthony Seng Lai set up his eatery in 1998. His wife Alice joined later, and now their son Albert has ditched his IT job and is carrying on the legacy. Ask for #24 on the menu – fried rice noodles with combination meats. For $10, you’ll get perfect smoky wok-seared rice noodles, plus chicken, squid, prawn and lup cheong (Chinese sausage), bean sprouts, chives, garlic and egg. Chef Anthony says his secret is to use homemade lard, crunchy, deep-fried small cubes of pork fat and the contents of his bottle of dark soya sauce with its special ingredients (be warned – you won’t be able to pry that information out of him). For punters not enamoured of lard, vegetarian ingredients can be substituted.

I’ve always recommended Malaysian Noodle & Rice for their char kway teow. You have to take it as it is: as the decor hasn’t changed since they first set up shop in 1998. Nor will the plating win any styling accolades. But the char kway teow is what you come for. Bring cash: they don’t have Eftpos, although Albert says that now he’s on board, he’s going to make changes, including some refurbishment. The food, of course, will still be top-notch.

Malaysian Noodle & Rice House, 57D Wolverton St, Avondale

Roti curry

Expertly prepared fried flatbread and curry

In Malaysia, fried flatbread is called roti canai and the best roti in Auckland is found and made at Uncle Man. When you order their roti curry, you witness a spectacular display of stretching and spinning of the dough, just like in the hawker or mamak stall and kopitiams in Malaysia. Then, the fluffy, multi-layered roti is cooked on the flat grill/hot plate and delivered, delectably fresh, to your table. The flat roti is squashed together to create the flaky roti as we know it. Uncle Man is a tribute to Uncle Osman, the owner’s uncle, who remains the main influence in all the dishes served at this restaurant. However, Azlan (the son of owner Najib) now does most of the roti making.

Their roti canai is mostly accompanied by a chicken or beef curry (or dhal if you don’t wish to have meat). By the way: roti is always eaten with the fingers.

Roti canai found in other restaurants pales in comparison to that at Uncle Man, not least because some of them use pre-made roti, usually frozen, which does not lend itself to the flaky style so deliciously crafted at this establishment.

Uncle Man, 277 Karangahape Rd.

Bak kut teh

The acquired taste of pork rib tea

Its popularity hasn’t quite caught on here, but any Malaysian will be familiar with this herbal pork rib tea (a literal translation from Hokkien), available from dedicated hawker stalls and eateries which offer this hot black herbal tea in teapots, with a continual refresh of small teacups. Pork ribs (oxtail can also be used) are stewed with soya sauce, herbs and spices including chuan xiong (Sichuan lovage rhizome), dong khi (angelica root), cinnamon, star anise, gou gi xi (wolfberry fruit) and garlic. The resulting tea is served with taupok and button mushrooms.

Sam Ng (from Johore Baharu) and wife Jennie (from Kuala Lumpur) of Treasure Kitchen in Henderson have pulled together their cooking skills and knowledge from their respective townships to achieve a bak kut teh of distinction. Side dishes include you tiao (Chinese crullers), kiam chye (preserved vegetables) and chopped-up garlic in thick soya sauce. The kiam chye is a Johore Baharu influence. Eat with a steaming hot bowl of rice.

Bak kut teh is an acquired taste, but there’s no better place to start than here. Treasure Kitchen, 392 Great North Rd, Henderson

Wat tan hor

Smoky flat noodles in egg gravy

Another hawker favourite, wat tan hor translates as flat noodles in egg gravy. The best wat tan hor is cooked at Bunga Raya, where co-owner Rita Lai is proud of her rendition of this dish, and justifiably so. A good wat tan hor needs the rice noodles to have wok hei (i.e. seared to a deliciously smoky state in a hot wok with soya sauce). The eggy gravy, boosted with some cornflour, defines the success of this dish, as the egg component must not be overcooked.

With the gravy comes a combination of pork, chicken, seared fish cakes, prawns and bok choy. Wat tan hor can be unappetising and gluggy, and many uncomplimentary words have been used to describe it. Not so at Bunga Raya, however. Here, it is served glistening, luscious and bursting with wok hei and flavour. But be sure to eat it hot, as soon as it’s served, as when the dish cools down the gravy turns watery.

If you’re after a crispy dimension, then ask for wat tan ying yong, a mix of two noodles: flat rice noodles and crispy deep-fried mee hoon (vermicelli). This also needs to be eaten pronto to gain maximum crunchy enjoyment from the crispy noodles.

Bunga Raya, 2a/3062 Great North Rd, New Lynn

Hainanese chicken rice

The best poached chicken ever

Left: Bunga Raya’s Hainanese chicken rice. Right: KK Malaysia’s Hainanese chicken rice.

People in the know rejoice when they find a good serving of Hainanese chicken rice. It’s not that easy to find nowadays, as most eateries that feature it on their menus are serving over-boiled chicken: a shameful travesty, as anyone can boil chicken at home. But to make this famous dish, there’s much more to it than just boiling the chicken. First of all, it’s placed in boiling water with some crushed ginger and a whole onion. The heat is then turned off and the chicken is left to gently poach for 15 minutes, after which it is plunged in cold water. This results in silky and tender (but definitely cooked) meat. Then there are the condiments, which most places stint on, but they are vitally important in bringing the chicken to life: a great soy dip with flavoured shallots and a chilli ginger dip are vital. Also essential: the rice must be cooked in the chicken stock with extra crushed ginger and some garlic. It’s a time- consuming process, which is why many restaurants only offer it for lunch.

Hainanese chicken rice aficionados debate this often, but agree that the dish served at New Lynn’s Bunga Raya is the best because of the way it masterfully follows the steps detailed above. Owners John Lim and his wife Rita Lai are known for carrying on the tradition of John’s parents, who had a successful restaurant in ¯Ot¯ahuhu. However, it’s worth noting that their style of Hainanese chicken rice is nyonya style, with the soya sauce mix spooned over the sliced chicken rather than served on the side.

Also worth checking out: the Hainanese chicken rice served at KK Malaysia in Greenlane. Aunty KK says her dish is Melaka-influenced, though the rice is not served in balls. Most importantly, the chicken has a silky texture, made even more delectable by the accompanying chilli ginger sauce. Sadly, neither restaurant serves the traditional clear soup as an accompaniment – a great pity.

Bunga Raya, 2a/3062 Great North Road, New Lynn; KK Malaysian Cuisine, 463A Manukau Road, Epsom

Words and photography by : William Chen

This first appeared in Paperboy magazine.

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