By Franz Scheurer
The décor of Kuali (the name of a small Malaysian wok) looks like it could be imported from a back street of Kuala Lumpur with a kitchen brigade and service staff to match. However there are touches of the new homeland with paper-over-cloth tables and a reasonable wine list, although the otherwise attentive, personable service staff isn’t too wine savvy. However the reason you’re here is the food, and all the Malaysian favourites are on the menu from Popiah through Nasi Lemak to Laksa.
We start with the ‘Kajang Satay’ (beef and chicken), which uses the perfect meat for this: tiny fatty, flavour-laden morsels, with a sauce that is exceptional; I suspect they boil their peanuts before crushing them, giving the sauce a very different consistency to most. The ‘Hainanese Chicken Rice’ consists of pieces of ‘perfectly-steeped’ chicken with a rice pilau made from the steeping stock, accompanied by a chicken soup that any Jewish mother would be proud of. ‘Salt and Pepper Prawns’ have good flavour but the quality of the prawns (frozen would be my guess) is suspect. The ‘Penang Char Kuey Teow’ is a standout dish, succulent and unctuous, but the ‘Mamak Fried Mee’ (a noodle dish with chicken, egg, chilli and curry sauce) is bland (not even a bowl of sliced chillies in soy could bring it to life). The dish of the night is the ‘Beef Rendang’, wonderfully tender meat, thick, spicy sauce and a superb ‘Roti Chanai’ to mop it up. I would go back just for this dish. A platter of ‘Wok Fried Mixed Greens’ is appetising, crunchy and fresh, delivering balance to the meal. Desserts are good, too. We tried the ‘Sago Gula Melaka’, sago pearls served with lots of palm sugar and coconut milk, and the ‘Durian Ice Cream Pancake’, a durian lover’s delight.
On our second visit we order the ‘Mud Crab in Poh’s Curry Sauce’ and it’s absolutely fantastic. Perfectly cooked crab, so fresh it almost walks off the table, is served coated in a thick curry sauce that, although messy to eat, makes this a finger-licking, ethereal experience.
Value for money is good and they allow BYO wine. This restaurant is a ‘pork free zone’, although not billed as halal. Kuali is a good place to experience terrific, authentic Malaysian food.
Score: 7/10
For more information or bookings:
Kuali Malaysian Restaurant
1st Floor, 115 Longueville Road
Lane Cove NSW 2066
Tel.: 02 9418 6878