The first time I tried Ho Jiak, I traveled to Strathfield and ate at their little hole-in-the wall joint, teetering my milo-infused laksa (yes, you read that correctly) dangerously on a little stool. Since then, Ho Jiak has opened a decent-sized restaurant in Chinatown, and it has come a long way from its humble street-eats roots. It even boasts two tasting menus - one omnivorous, one vegetarian.
My friends and I, of course, had to try both.
Get ready to carry a food baby by osmosis, because this is going to be a huuuuge review.
Ho Jiak Tasting Menu
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| Nasi Lemak in a Bite |
This may only be "a bite", but it sure packs a punch. Arguably the national dish of Malaysia, nasi lemak is rice cooked with coconut milk and in pandan leaf, which gives it its enticing fragrance - it is topped with crushed peanuts, sambal and accompanied by a rich shot of laksa broth.
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| Kiam Ah Nui Kay |
Perfectly fried chicken bits on the bone in salted egg-yolk coating. Salted egg yolk has got to be one of my favourite things in the world - it is so rich and so satisfyingly oily, and it makes everything it touches taste amazing. This is a very moreish little bite.
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| Loh Bak |
Five spice pork rolls wrapped in bean curd skin, then deep-fried. Five spice is commonly used in Chinese cuisine and many South-East Asian cuisines, it gives the dish a gorgeous depth of flavour.
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| Satay Chicken |
Wonderfully charred and with a light smokiness, you'd be forgiven to fear that the chicken skewers could be a tad dry - but fear not, the satay chicken at Ho Jiak is cooked to juicy and tender perfection. The thick peanut sauce is a very good accompaniment, though the chicken by itself is already flavourful.
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| Eggciting |
I was extremely egg-cited about the eggciting. It involves silken steamed egg (a combination of chicken, duck and century egg) drizzled with light soy sauce and topped with fish roe, which gives little bursts of saltiness to an otherwise mild-tasting dish.
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| Ya Cniau Chye |
Though vegetarian, this stuff is rich - eggplant and long beans cooked in coconut broth and drizzled with chili oil. Though its texture and the feel of it upon your tongue is rich, the flavours are very mild. If I were judging it by itself, I'd say it could do with a pinch more salt; but as part of this tasting menu, it offers a welcome reprieve from all the exciting, strong flavours of the other dishes.
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| Rendang Wagyu (Chicken as an alternative) |
Rendang curry is very mild as far as curries are concerned - there is almost no heat to it, but that does not mean it is bland. It is extremely flavourful and fragrant. The wagyu is a little tough - probably the only dish that disappointed me just a little bit, because I keep imagining how great it would be had the meat been melty. The flavours are on point, the texture not so much.
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| Choay Tau Eu (Assam Nyonya Fish Fillet as an alternative) |
This style of steamed fish cooked simply with ginger, green onions and drenched with hot oil and light soy is very similar to Hong Kong style fish. The fish has a pleasantly firm texture, though I usually would prefer something with softer flesh. If you have a high spice tolerance, you might want to opt for the Assam Nyonya fish fillet instead - it comes with a three chili warning.
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| Teh Tarik Affogato |
Have you ever seen those videos of street vendors "pulling" milk tea back and forth between two jugs from great heights? That's probably teh tarik, which is a hot, sweet, milky tea concoction that is very popular in South East Asia, particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. The ice cream, being thus flavoured, is so authentic you can see little bits of tea leaves throughout. The ice cream is paired with a very lightly roasted coffee with almost no acidity or bitterness, making it a wonderful treat for those with a sweet tooth.
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| Ice Kacang (Pulut Hitam as an alternative - see below vegetarian section) |
Ice Kacang and Ice Cendol, the two most famous icy-treats of Malaysia. What's the difference? Ice Kacang is Malaysian shaved ice served with palm seed corn, grass jelly, red bean, creamed corn and
crushed peanuts. Ice Cendol Pandan has jelly noodles and red bean served with coconut milk and gula melaka (smokey caramel). Ice Kacang is more textural and refreshing, Ice Cendol is a whole lot of soft and sweet.
Vegetarian Tasting Menu
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| Pai Tee |
The vegetarian feast also starts with a little delicate bite (though the serving size is generous) - sauteed vegetables with which to fill crispy cups. The softness of the vegetables contrasts well with the crunch of the cups in which they are served.
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| Salad |
Simple and refreshing, the salad is balanced in flavour and makes you feel a little more virtuous in the face of such a heavy, full-flavoured feast.
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| Kiam Ah Nui Eggplant |
The vegetarian counterpart to the salted-egg yolk chicken, I actually prefer the egg plant version! First, you get a lot more salted egg yolk, and that can only be a good thing. Second, egg plant is one of these vegetables that is like a sponge, soaking up whatever flavour it is cooked with, so it enhanced the salted egg yolk even more.
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| Yin Yong Choy Sum |
This dish may look simple and boring, and a little overly-virtuous, but this is one of the most incredible vegetable dishes I have ever had. Apart from being beautifully seasoned, the leaves are unbelievably light and crispy - almost as satisfying as eating chips.
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| Garlic Kangkung |
These straw-like vegetable (I saw straw-like because the stems are empty in the middle) are extremely delicious, however you cook it. The stems has a crunchy, interesting texture, and the leaves are so soft and silky they immediately takes on all the flavours of the sauce in which you choose to cook it. It is garlicky, salty, and oh-so satisfying.
The vegetarian tasting menu also comes with a slightly less exciting version of eggciting (through the removal of the fish roe) and the Ya Cniau Chye (eggplant and long beans cooked in coconut broth), which I have shown above in the Ho Jiak menu section. So imagine the photo of Eggciting below without the orange dots of joy, which gives the simple egg dish a gentler flavour.
For dessert, we have two courses just like the Ho Jiak menu. First, the affogato, of which I am such a fan.
For the vegetarian menu, I have chosen the pulut hitam instead of the ice kacang, so the whole table can try both options.
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| Pulut Hitam |
Pulut Hitam is served warm - which, after the affogato and the Ice Kacang, is such a welcoming, comforting change. It is sweet glutinous purple rice with longan (anAsian fruit similar to a lycee, but even sweeter) and drenched in coconut cream. It's like finishing the meal with a hug.
Score: 4.5
Price: Ho Jiak menu is $65pp, Vegetarian menu $55pp. Excellent value.
Address: 92 Hay St, Haymarket
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