It's Chinatown food court time again. This time I try some Malaysian\Chinese at Asian Style Cuisine in Dixon House food court in Chinatown. Another gem. [CLOSED - MID 2012]
The joy of food blogging is that it encourages us to try places we normally glaze over. Case in point is "Asian Style Cuisine" - that place in the corner of Dixon House Food Court that you may have overlooked, next to the hugely popular hot plate joint (I love sitting near the hot plate stall just to listen to the boss lady, she sure keeps those customers in line!).
The owner of Asian Style Cuisine is from Kuala Lumpur and the food is Chinese Malaysian with a couple of Thai and Cantonese favourites to draw the punters in. It's an odd little place: the menu is all over the shop and they could do with a bit of a name\marketing makeover; but they have some great dishes, it's a wee gem.
There's stuff cooked to order as well as some dishes in the bainmarie for nasi campur.
Nasi campur, mixed dishes on rice, three choices for $7.80. Pork and green beans in the middle, always delicious and almost healthy. On the right is pork with mustard. It has a flavour I have come across overseas, a little gamey for my skippy, western palate, but there's some homesick Malaysian that loves it.
The best part of my nasi campur is the sweet soy egg and tofu. Oh my god. The egg has a lovely tea smoked flavour and the sweet soy sauce has soaked right through the tofu. I'll be back for this baby. I noticed a few other folks getting it as well.
There's quite a few more things to try in the bainmarie\nasi campur department. I plan to get back to it soon.
On another visit I have to try the Har Mee, prawn noodle soup. It's not the thick, rich, uber prawny stock that I have come to love from Singapore Shiok, but a lighter, more Chinese broth with a nice chili kick. It turns out to be the perfect choice on a stinking hot day.
On yet another visit I try loh mee - braised broad noodles in black vinegar sauce - $8.80. It doesn't look pretty but it tastes great. This dish was hokkein noodles cooked in a lovely gravy/soup, thickened with beaten egg, a little sweet from the black vinegar I guess. Very filling and rehydrating, right up my alley. There was a bit of everything in the bowl: prawns, pork, fish cake, mushroom, shallots and fried onions. A new favourite.
Roti canai $5. OK it's not as good as Mamak, but I don't have to wait in line for an hour. This roti is fairly thick and filling, the Malaysian curry sauce for dunking was excellent. I enjoyed it.
I come back for my fourth visit in five days because I just have to try this dish: Five Spices Spare Ribs and Rice - $8.80. It is's even better than I hoped. The sauce is really something else, it is thick and sweet, there's a toffee flavour to it. It's braised not fried which makes me happy. I'm over the moon.
The ribs have plenty of flesh. Oh yeah. I could easily imagine paying $25 for this is a restaurant.
Alison goes for the nasi campur - $7.50 for three choices from the bainmarie of delights, on rice. She tries the egg and tofu in sweet soy which I was raving about earlier in the post. Thumbs up.
Choice # 2 is the tempe with dried anchovy and peanuts, crunchy and delicious. It's like a twist on the Indonesian classic of ikan bilis. We'll be back for this one as well.
Alison goes for something simple to counter the strong flavours of the other dishes: fishball and tofu.
Asian Style Cuisine Menu - Part of It Anwyway - Click to Enlarge.
Asian Style Cuisine is at Stall B9, Dixon House Food Court, cnr of Dixon and Little Hay Streets. Chinatown/Haymarket.
There's quite a few dishes on the menu I'm keen to come back and try: duck rice vermicilli soup; five spice spare ribs; nasi ayam fujian; steamed rice with pork and mushroom; prawn and carrot omellette. Just to name a few. So much food, so little time...
We are constantly amazed at the quality of food you can find in Chinatown foodcourts for such measly prices. We are so lucky to have these places.
How happy does Asian Style Cuisine make me? About as happy as this guy, the wonderful Elder Paik. He's 78 years old and about to liberate North and South Korea with a hula hoop, some flowers and a huge smile. Right outside my favourite pub too. My kinda guy.
I want to eat all of those dishes! I wish I had eaten more at the food courts when I was living in Sydney. Too much choice!
ReplyDeleteWe promise to eat more just for you Susan :-)
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