New menu @ Ho Jiak, Haymarket

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018Leave a comment

The new menu at Ho Jiak pays homage to the truffle – evident in an Indomee appetiser where spicy stir fried instant noodles are served with a generous coating of buttermilk sauce topped with pungent rounds of fresh truffle. This dish alone is worth a visit to Ho Jiak this winter, but there is plenty more to tantalise the palate.

We also loved the precisely stacked tower of stir fried chicken wings with a buttery salted egg yolk crumb and crispy fried curry leaves and chilli (Kiam Ah Nui Kay). A fruity Marlborough riesling is a great accompaniment to the spicy noodles and crispy chicken wing starters.

The spice dial is turned up in a rendang, fragrant with lemongrass, tamarind and spices that showcases a crispy KFC chicken rather than your usual beef.

The Kari Claypot is a creamy coconut curry with a bounty of vegetables and the catch of the day, which on our visit was barramundi; the large pieces of fish are beautifully complemented by eggplant, okra and cabbage.

Nui Choay Cim is a luxurious dish of whole blue swimmer crab set in a delicately flavoured silky steamed egg custard made from century, duck and chicken egg.

Whole lettuce cups are steamed and presented as a verdant vegetarian centrepiece surrounded by strategically placed sliced Chinese mushrooms with a garlic and oyster sauce (Sang Chye Hniau Kor). It’s a simple dish expertly executed to deliver maximum flavour with minimum ingredients.

The sweet finale is a nod to “old” and “new” with a black glutinous rice porridge (Pulut Hitam) with small globes of sweet tropical longan fruit, served warm with a side of coconut milk and sticky palm sugar syrup representing a traditional Malay dessert.

A Teh Tarik affogato cleverly introduces the flavours of a classic Malaysian pulled tea in a creamy housemade ice cream with a side of hot kopi (strong black coffee). It’s a delightful conclusion to a degustation meal that takes your tastebuds on a journey through the flavours of Nonya cooking. Traditional dishes are given a modern twist by Head Chef Junda Khoo delivering an overall exceptional dining experience.

We’d like to thank Ho Jiak for the invitation to try their new menu.

Rob and Anita (eatwithmyfoodsafari) contributors

Visit Kusuka for a beautiful brunch

June 21, 2018June 21, 2018Leave a comment

Ever since we visited Kusuka’s first cafe in Haymarket, we fondly remembered them for
their amazing bowls, colourful lattes and magical drinks. Although it is in a hidden location, customers flock there to get their Instagram worthy pics and delicious food offerings.

We were excited to hear they opened a second location closer to the CBD on Sussex St. A much larger space, filled with light, the beautiful styling certainly makes you happy! Long before you’ve even got your meal!

The owner Mario is just delightful. So keen to know his customers, explain the food and really make you feel welcome. One of the most hospitable owners we’ve met.

Their dishes are influenced by their Indonesian heritage and we love their Super Bowl. Mee Goreng is always a winner! Served with pork belly slices, Balinese chilli, Marsh, sausages, corned beef and melted cheese. It’s packed with flavour, the right amount of a chilli kick and extremely satisfying as a brunch option.

We also were recommended to try the crispy rendang. We all know that rendang isn’t always crispy, but this is a play on a Masterchef episode. The crispy rendang is sitting atop an omelette with some greens, radish and pour that rendang sauce all over it.

On our last visit, we tried Martabak and we liked it so much, we had this again. Filled with meat and topped with chilli sauce and melted cheese.

Added to this was a side of fried tofu with some chilli and a side of tamarind sauce which gave it a nice kick.

Another superb choice has to be the kopi pancakes – a sweet dish that has coffee mixed with the batter and made into fluffy pancakes and served with peanut butter between the pancakes layers and topped with ice cream and maple syrup.

Alongside this we had a brownie affogato. How amazing is that! Coffee here is also good and a personal favourite of ours is the red velvet latte.

We thoroughly recommend a visit here for a beautiful brunch in a delightful setting.

Ho Jiak is a top Malaysian Restaurant

January 12, 2018Leave a comment

Ho Jiak has long been in Strathfield but has now found a second home in the relatively new Haymarket location. Ho Jiak specialises in Nyonya (Chinese Malaysian Cuisine), which which we can only describe as flavour upon flavour and even more flavour! The food is inspired by the Chef’s Grandmothers home cooked meals with exotic ingredients making for a flavorful dining experience.

The interior of the restaurant is set up into two dining spaces. The downstairs portion of the restaurant reflects how we picture the streets of Penang in Malaysia to look with plenty happening – there is a hawker style set up, with splashes of colour everywhere. Beautiful artworks adorn the walls. The upstairs section takes you into Grandma’s home, with some beautiful mosaic tiles imported from Malacca, some elegantly painted family portraits and family photos. There are also Malaysian antique crockery and cookware, adding to the authentic homely feel, it definitely feels like you are visiting someone’s home. The upstairs part is perfect for larger dining groups as well.

Ho Jiak is a licensed venue, so you can enjoy a glass of wine, which the suggestion of Pinot Gris perfectly matched the food. We visited with foodie friends Spooning Australia and e.m.i.l.y_eats which afforded us to try many dishes on the menu. The starters were creative and moreish. The Pai tee was a big hit, with paper thin crisp pastry cups you can fill with a tasty topping, they also come with lettuce cups to make a type of san choy bao. If you want to try something a little different, try the loh bak which is pork jowl wrapped in bean curd and deep fried. It is damn tasty.

We of course had to try some Malaysian favourites, what we know as comfort food including: the char kway teow, this is simple and delicious. This noodle dish could never disappoint. The Ho Jiak version is super tasty and had a good whack of chilli. Their indomee goreng with the inclusion of premium ingredients with the salted duck egg and crab meat elevating this dish to next level and the chilli also providing some heat.

Another display of premium ingredients is the wagyu portion of the menu, the Rendang Gu another traditional meal. This version was made with quality wagyu. This stew was popping with colour, full of flavour and the meat melt in your mouth.

All of the items served were of a high standard, but there were some particular standouts. These included the Sam Wong Dan: a savoury custard made with a trio of egg; the century, duck and humble chicken egg. This dish had amazing flavour and silky texture and is a must order. The most suprising was the kangkung belachan. This is one for the vegetarians. The kiam ah nui squid, stirfried with salted duck egg yolk, butter and curry leaves was a flavour sensation and we would go back and undoubtedly order this. The Laksa is one of their signature dishes, and as to be expected was also very good, and be prepared – this is also hot.

Desserts are inspired by Teh Tarik (pulled tea), or poured back and fourth between two jugs. This is the national drink of Malaysia and is a mellow way to finish after a taste sensory overload from the preceding meal. To sooth the taste buds a teh tarik ice cream or teh tarik affogato made with the teh taic ice cream with kopi(coffee). Ho-Jiak also do a housemade teh tarik liqueur or a cognac hot chocolate to sip on, these options are great if you have gorged and are lacking capacity for dessert.

Ho Jiak is a top spot to get a Malaysian meal. The chef’s inspiration from his Malaysian upbringing evident in the setting. He is passionate about his restaurant and his cooking and this was inspirational to hear. The food is ridiculously good, using premium ingredients and traditional Malaysian flavour. It is at the top of our list for Malaysian food in Sydney. Make sure you pay it a visit.

Ho Jiak

92 Hay Street,
Haymarket, Sydney NSW

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Tag: rendang

New menu @ Ho Jiak, Haymarket

Visit Kusuka for a beautiful brunch

Ho Jiak is a top Malaysian Restaurant