Mr Happy Chef Noodle House Homebush NSW

The classic tomato flavoured rice that comes with pork chops, or as above, with deep fried chicken.

The crowds this time were not just lining up at Toan Thang, much celebrated in social media, but also two doors away at Mr. Happy Chef.   So our group of six persons decided to give this corner restaurant a try.  It was a public holiday and so many people were out and about, we just being lucky to have found vehicle parking spaces not too far away.   There is a relatively spacious walk area outside this restaurant - another plus in so called Asian suburbs!

Subtle but flavourful stock in soup served with Wanton dumplings and egg noodles.

As in such so called ethnic places, service can be devastatingly fast.   The soups do come piping hot, and my best dish experienced that day was the tomato flavoured rice with the deep fried chicken.    The chicken skin was crispy, the rice had sufficient oomph in flavour and the meat was happily good on the bite.   The prawn noodle in contrast lacked the required level of taste but the accompanying ingredients were all right.    The wanton dumpling soup was above average to my fellow lunchers who love Cantonese styled food.

Tender on the bite pork slices garnish a spicy soup brewed with ground shrimp, enhanced by shallots, bean sprouts and boiled eggs  -  the Mee Yoke or Prawn Noodles.

So there you go, one has to be selective in having dishes anywhere.   The buzz at Mr. Happy Chef is turnover, tight seating and friendly service.  One of my meal companions went for a quick drop by to get Western Australian nougat and another got the chopped barbecue meats next door.    There are, as expected, many items in the food and drinks menu at Mr. Happy Chef.

My Impressions on this visit to Mr. Happy Chef at Homebush West:

Ambiance:  2.5 out of 5

Staff Engagement: 3.5 out of 5

Culinary Delight: 3 out of 5

X Factor: 3 out of 5

Overall Score: 3 out of 5

The butcher is central to the social and business life in Flemington NSW.   This  is K.W. BBQ located between Happy Chef and Toan Thang.

Mr. Happy Chef Noodle House visited is located at Shop 11/90 The Crescent,  Homebush West, NSW next door to K.W. BBQ and Toan Thang Vietnamese Restaurant.
Opening hours are from 930am to 900pm every day.
Contact   +61 2  9746 8999

Kreta Ayer Eastwood NSW

The art of preparing the soy bean pudding ( or Tau Fu Fah in Cantonese) as a dessert dish is steeped in migration history, family folklore and as a quick snack.   Consuming this on a  regular basis is supposed to help ensure the face has a skin as delicate as the dish.   Making this for the mother-in-law is a test of faith and skill.   It was sold by vendors who carried them on poles over their shoulders and now served in precious porcelain cups for the elders.   Beans are a staple in southern Chinese diet and to have them ground to such fine granularity is a separate art itself.


For many years now, I have been advised to try this at Kreta Ayer, but until on this recent visit, I was told on several visits that they had sold this out.    This made me more curious and determined to find out what the fuss was all about.    It comes in a whopping traditional big wooden container, like a wine bucket and I do wonder why, for it is good enough to be shared by four persons.   Fine brown sugar and syrup is offered in the set.


Okay went in our first gulp of the silken, smooth concoction.  By itself, the soya bean is tasteless but agreeable.   It is not over powering and in the worst of opinions I hear, rather bland.   Ah ha, so the trick is to gradually add the syrup and sugar to a level that pleases your palate.   There is a hint of ginger and Pandanus leaves, but all in a subtle way.   I begin to compare with the Tau Fu Fah served at the Hong Kong Old Town in Sydney's Chinatown.


Our verdict is to try it at least once -  I would not follow up myself.  The servings here are better than at most yum cha places.   

Amongst its listing for entrees are braised pig trotters, deep fried soya bean cake (Tau Hu) and the Ngoh Hiang pork roll ( a Straits Chinese version of the Lobak).    There is also the more south Indian emphasised dry curry leaf chicken and the Ayam Kapitan, a rather unique sea faring curry made for a Dutch captain on long voyages.  


 The general impression I get on feedback regarding Kreta Ayer is to know what to call   - the iconic dish is the Tau Fu Fah as described above.    I do find the customer engagement better at the Eastwood cafe than at Kingsford.    I had found the Char Koay Teow average but Hawker in Sydney city centre is hard to beat for this street food classic from Penang.
There is also Bah Kut Teh with deep fried Chinese style doughnuts and the old fashioned Imperial pork ribs, once found in every respectable Chinese restaurant in the suburbs.


I saw an omelette with white bait, a kind of comfort food once common in home meals across the Malayan Peninsular and Singapore.   Barramundi fish with tamarind flavours can be an appetiser.    There is cereal prawns (do I get this at Albee's as well)  but I am not sure what Maggi prawns are.    I notice many China nationals digging into the Kreta Ayer version of chilli or spicy soft shell crabs.


Kreta Ayer refers to an iconic suburb in Singapore, and the menu here emphasises what close ties there really are between Malaysian Chinese and Singaporean food.    Taro flavoured ice cream is available here, together with durian smoothies, stir fried Hor fun with seafood and a variety of laksas.








Kreta Ayer visited is located at 172 Rowe Street, Eastwood NSW - along the mall and near the curved road junction.

Opening hours are from 10am to 11pm every day.
Contact  +612  9858 3203

T's Kopitiam Wollongong NSW

Pork mince stir noodles accompanied by prawns and Char Siew.  I rather found this enjoyable, good fro kids and yummy.

Roti with an egg based filling and dipping sauce.   This is not what I remember form my back packer days.

T's Kopitiam's rendition of Mee Goreng - I preferred it to be more spicy with a more tomato based gravy.

Highly recommended by me - I just love it!   It is the gravy, full of luscious tasting peanut crush, but more than that, it is the marinade of the chunky chicken skewers - with hints of lemon grass flavours over a charcoal grill.

The Nasi Lemak, but without curry, served with deep fried chicken, cucumber slices, sprinkling of peanuts and anchovies, hard boiled eggs and the Sambal condiment.    I must say the Sambal at this restaurant is worth going for  - it has  flavour, a kick on the palate and a smooth texture.

To me, this is the crowing glory of the menu - Sarawak version of the Laksa, here laden with prawns, bean sprouts, egg omelette and the all important gravy.   The gravy here is so different from the Curry Laksa you find in peninsular Malaysia   - there is more spice and less chilli.   This dish is tops in the realm of street food heaven as decided by New York food celebrity Anthony Bourdain.

T's Kopitiam visited is located at  Shop 2, 166 Keira Street, Wollongong NSW, near the corner with Market Street and on the way for vehicles to enter for parking inside the GPT Shopping Centre.

Opening hours for lunch are from 1130am to 230pm every day except Mondays.
Opening hours for dinner are from 530pm every day except Mondays.

Contact +61 2 4226 6663


My impressions of T's Kopi Tiam in Wollongong NSW:
Ambiance:  3 out of 5

Customer Engagement:  3.5 out of 5
Culinary Delight: 3.5 out of 5
X Factor:   2.5  out of 5
Overall:     12.5 / 4  out of 5

Ipoh on York - Sydney CBD

The ice grinder

Jimmy is an affable person who hailed from Ipoh and now runs two restaurants in Sydney CBD through his two sons. His outlet at World Square is smaller than his York Street joint, located between the Grace Hotel and the Queen Victoria Building. Ipoh on York is located in a large basement level and one navigates the stairs to reach the order counter, which looks more like a ticketing office in previous reincarnations than one offering the spectrum of street food from south-east Asia, particularly the Malaysian Peninsular.  Ipoh itself denotes definitive good food, specifically of Chinese origin - dishes like Ipoh hor fun are held in high esteem.

Andre and I ducked in to this larger of Jimmy's joints one working lunchtime.  The place becomes chock-a-block with customers significantly from 1215pm onwards. Whilst waiting for Andre, I chatted up a Welsh chap having a stint in Sydney and who had got addicted to what Jimmy had  to offer in food. Apparently he is such a regular that the female staff all know him by name and recognition, asking him if he is coming back tomorrow. Most of the tables at Ipoh on York are small two seaters but do reflect a segment of the Asian population working around the Wynyard and Town Hall precincts of Sydney CBD.

The place is open for half a day on Saturdays.  In the Asian demographic, this can be a venue for catching up with mates from the old country without making an appointment. I understand that networking groups do gather at this venue and not just to enjoy the food.

Various elements for making coffee,  iced concoctions and drinks.



On this occasion I had the ever reliable  char koay teow.   I recall coming together with Shane one early morning, having survived the train commute, to sample the kaya toast and Malaysian coffee combination for breakfast a couple of  months back.  Shane found the condensed milk used for the beverage was rather sweet and I found the servings of toast under sized.  I reckon it may be worth trying the unique drink concoctions  for lunchtime if you have not tried them before.   They range from fruit based mixes to soya choices. What goes well with Malaysian street food is beer but of course, Ipoh on York is not licensed.  However, there is the usual menu of food familiar to anyone who has been to Malaysia - curry laksa, nasi lemak, Hainan chicken rice and so forth.

Ais Kacang (lower pix) - the hot weather cooler so commonly available in Malaysian and Singaporean food courts and streets.  Photo above - the char koay teow, worth trying and served on a miniature wok.

Dinner in Carlingford Too

Susan and Boo Ann Yap do cook up a tasty storm and I just want to share some dishes they came up with one Sunday evening in August this year.

Fish curry, with reminiscences of the Malacca Straits.  Braced with okra, sourish tinged and with a kick of spices, chili and the pace of the sea.

Glass noodles with broccoli and bean curd squares in a salad mix tone.

Light and easy on the palate.

Crispy topped roast pork, Cantonese inspired.

Pickled radish soup brewed with pork hock, Fujian style.

Appetising potato side dish, Korean inspired.

Pork slices braised with bean paste, ginger, shallots and chili - Fujian based.

Pun Chun Restaurant, Bidor, Perak

I am told that the main reason for dropping by Bidor, a small town in southern Perak in Malaysia, is to obtain the chance to savour the braised duck noodles, pictured above. Bathed in herbal soup, it is a pleasant lunch dish or snack to bite into the well marinated duck breast, accompanied by noodles of your choice and enjoy this classic Cantonese street food.  Bidor lies in a unique hub with nearby Kampar and Teluk Intan, in a region with light industrial facilities, palm oil plantations and an ethnic Chinese community with roots of migration after experience of civil conflict both in China and from the local triad wars of a century past.  Kampar is the iconic home town of Olivia Lum, a key contributor to NewWater in Singapore and a dynamic business woman in her own right.  The region also has a rich historical past - in the 20th century, it saw the Japanese incursions and later was in the centre of the Malayan Communist insurgency, and many hundred years before that, it was flourishing with Hindu and Buddhist socio-political and cultural activities.  Below, a snapshot of the seedless guava fruit, of which Bidor is well known for.

The well established Pun Chun restaurant, located at a street corner along the main strip of Bidor ( 38 to 40 Jalan Besar) - picture above - specialises in a few signature dishes, but what I love best is the wu kok (or deep fried yam balls), one of the staples of yum cha sessions. (image below)  Here one gets gratifying flavours of the inside fillings - like roast pork bites, peas and meshed yam - after first savouring the crispy outside.  Pun Chun also has a branch in the Kota Kemuning section of Shah Alam in Selangor.  I have not been back to Bidor since varsity days and so this recent opportunity was especially appreciated.  My other fondness is for the unique baked chicken biscuits (kai chai peng in Cantonese).

Another attraction of Bidor is in its variety of baked stuff, pickles, dried condiments and biscuits (above). The pomelos of Perak (below) are steeped in Malaysian Chinese traditions and practices, especially for the Mooncake Festival, and are often snapped up by travellers along the North-South Highway of peninsular Malaysia.  I also came upon the petai, a kind of long bean variety, significantly utilised in Malay and Indonesian cooking for their strong flavours to infuse into the dish or just eaten on its own (with a kick to the palate and very much an acquired taste).

I did recall with fondness the unique satisfaction of eating soy sauced stir egg noodles in Bidor. Served with a slightly fatty version of the char siew (Cantonese roast pork) - Sydney outlets tend to use too much lean cuts and lose some of the flavours in this manner - greens and the vinegar soaked green chili cuts (pictures below and above), my expectations were high on arrival at the Pun Chun Restaurant with my brothers and families.  Everything was fine that afternoon, except for the egg noodles served - they were shades below in texture, flavour and integrity and did a disservice to the reputation of Pun Chun Restaurant.   The egg noodles I had in Johor Baru more than a year ago and recently in Shah Alam were much better.

The elderly man who is in charge of the wu kok sales was friendly and did not mind a chart (above).

Round coloured bean paste cakes below are used for festive wedding occasions (below).  Notice the insignia on top of each pink and yellow piece.

Local mangoes (above) are sold in market stalls outside the Pun Chun Restaurant,whilst you are greeted on arrival at the restaurant by hanging pieces of juicy char siew, steamed whole chickens with skin and various condiments of the business. (below)

Would I return? Most probably for  the wu kok. The staff I met that day were helpful, especially the matriarch suggesting to me the current two versions of the kai chai peng.  Pun Chun was a very busy place, with a long shelf of snacks, tit bits and biscuits all ready packed for sale along one side of the two shopfront outlet.

Penang Chinese Food

Steamed egg squares, topped up by finely cut spring onions or chives, remind me of childhood meals - I still look forward to them, with a custard-like silken smooth surface. I anticipate the bite into one of such warm slices, or the texture when consumed with steamed jasmine rice. It gives a light and appetising sensation and is not too difficult to prepare, even when rushed at dinnertime after coming home from work on a weekday evening. You can also add small bits of cut shitake mushrooms, ham, prawns or minced pork. Place the mixture preferably in a round dish to steam and garnish with sesame oil for taste.

A classic soup (above) with the positive nutrients of red dates, peanuts and chicken feet on the bone slow simmered in rich stock. Flavourful, enhancing and aromatic. Do not try to focus on the chicken feet, they are there for a purpose to add to the richness of the dish and there is no need to eat them. Interesting enough, chicken feet are also utilised as food in Mexico, Trinadad and Jamaica. They are also referred to as phoenix claws or feng jiao in Mandarin. In the kitchen preparation, cooks do remove the outer yellow layer of such chicken feet before proceeding to utilise them. Cloves of garlic and dried mushroom slices are also put in the soup shown above.

The ultimate quality of stir-fried vegetables depends on their cut, stir-frying techniques and accompaniment of carefully selected companions in the recipe - be they carrots or garnishings like dried shrimp, garlic and more.

Fish cutlets resting in a heady mix of soy sauced based gravy, garnished with chili cut slices,

deep fried shrimp and spring onions. Best served with steamed rice, this dish serves as an everyday alternative to seafood in batter or grilled, and reflects as one of several dishes found at the lunch or dinner table in a Penang Chinese home.

Petaling Street, Sydney - Malaysian Street Food

Petaling Street, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown district and referred to colloquially as Chee Cheong Kai, evokes the hustle and bustle of commerce, street vendorship and hawker food. The name also refers to a chain of cafe restaurants in Melbourne city centre and its suburbs, specialising on the spectrum of fare fro breakfast, dinner, supper or any time ranging from Cantonese, South Indian, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Straits Chinese to fusion varieties from south-east Asia. Charmaine and Cindy alerted me to the opening of Pet Street's branch along George Street in Sydney's CBD, opposite from the corner of Ultimo Street. I could hardly wait to try this out. Above image - ice kacang, or shaved ice with a mixture of palm sago, black jelly bits, creamy corn from the can, roasted peanuts and more, and all doused with pink rose syrup or green flavoured extras. Ice kacang is replicated in the Philippines and Indonesia, known there as ABC or ais batu campur. I must say the roasted peanuts gave me a kick in this ice kacang dish.

The ambiance is casual, crowded and busy. On first impressions, I wondered if they had only these several tables for customers in a narrow corridor at street level. Tables are squat and practical, with no backs but more like stools. It was only half an hour later when a visit to the washrooms in the basement opened my eyes to more spacious seating. Petaling Street's menu is extensive and they open late till 2 am from Thursday to Saturday nights, otherwise they open their doors at 11am every day and close at 11pm from Sundays to Wednesdays. Their drinks offered reflect the selections available in any Malaysian or Singaporean coffee shop (kopi tiam) - including not only hot or cold teh tarik, soya bean ice and cham ( a mixture of both tea and coffee in one serving), but also Ribena Sprite and ice Bandung. One of the dishes that caught my attention at the window display was the Thai nasi Pattaya, or fried rice all snugly wrapped in an egg omelette cover (picture above). When we observed other tables, steamed fish was ordered in a variety of styles - with tamarind sauce or chill or ginger and shallots.

The first dish I had at this George Street cafe was the yee mee in a claypot with shreds of marinated braised duck. (image above) My first thoughts on taking this were, hello, there are sharp bones with the duck and they should have been deboned, and secondly it tasted more salty than I preferred. Some people prefer boned duck as they are convinced that it adds tot he flavour, when compared with deboned duck meat. The yee mee are fat flat noodles that can also be served deep fried but in a claypot, I like it al dente.

Penang fried koay teow (flat rice noodles) and Mamak mee goreng ( stir fried Hokkien noodles with a mixture of tomato, chilli and bean paste based sauces) and rotis are also available here. I reckon one has to decide whether to order rice-accompanied dishes or straight hawker food if one does not have the numbers, but do go with the flow. The curry puffs and satay skewers serve as good snacks at mid afternoon, and nasi lemak is always a good bet for brunch . For late night drop ins, the congee is recommended. Service was fast, but one sits neck to neck with fellow diners, so be ready for a street food dimension.