Ho Jiak - Truffle Edition

I have now been to all three Ho Jiak locations: the original hole in the wall in Strathfield serving cherry cheap eats, the larger but homely Haymarket branch where I enjoyed a veritable feast, and now, the Town Hall location which serves some pretty special high-end dishes. 

The main reason I had to go to Ho Jiak Town Hall ASAP is that truffle season is currently underway (one of the few perks of winter in my view), and the Town Hall branch is serving up some seriously bougie dishes. 

I'm going to save the best for last and start my review, as I do my meals, with a tipple. 

Leng Lui, $19; Chateau Gabriel Rose, $15

There are two cocktail lists at Ho Jiak: one Asian inspired, the other classic. Leng Lui means "pretty woman" in Malaysian, and the cocktail is certainly blushingly becoming with a jaunty chili hat. I do love a good salt rim on a drink, and the fact that it has just the tiniest of chili kick. It's refreshing and easy to drink without being very alcholic. The wine list at Ho Jiak is larger than you'd expect. Most of the wines at Ho Jiak are by-the-bottle, but there is a by-the-glass page with all the usual suspects, plus  an option to order my favourite: orange (aka amber / skin contact) wine. 

Hainan Chicken Rice, $19

Listed as one of Ho Jiak's favourites, one cannot go past this classic, simple and delicious dish. The rice in Hainan Chicken Rice is particularly fragrant because it is cooked in the chicken stock and glistening with a good dose of chicken fat. The chicken itself is juicy, tender and well-seasoned. The ginger and chili are mild-tasting but actually do add a bit of something-something to the overall taste of the dish. At this price point, you really can't go wrong. 

Kiam Ah Nui Squid, $35

Kiam Ah Nui squid is stir fried squid in a batter of salted egg yolk. I am a huge fan of salted egg yolk, it adds a beautifully umami, comforting powdery-ness to everything it touches. I was a little surprised to find that the salted egg yolk at Ho Jiak isn't as salty as I would have expected. The squid itself is wonderfully tender and not chewy at all, which means it is fresh and cooked just right. If only the flavour could be a tad stronger, I would have been very happy. 

Indomie Buttermilk Truffle, $48

Now let's move on to the main name of the game. This, my friends, is Ho Jiak's signature indomie, drenched in a house-made truffle infused buttermilk, and topped with lots of freshly shaved truffle. Unlike the very distinctive, strong truffle smell and taste that are the hallmark of synthetic truffle oil (which, spoiler alert, do not contain real truffle but are made of a truffle-mimicking chemical compound. Always read the label to see if it's "truffle oil" or "truffle infused oil". When in doubt, check the ingredient list), the truffle smell and taste are both elegantly mild. 

The indomie is wonderfully salty, rich and packs a real flavour punch. It is a lot richer and saltier than straight out of the packet stuff. Apart from the truffle, the noodles are also accompanied by generous servings of seafood and a fried egg, making this quite a decadent experience - sharing is strongly recommended. 

This bowl yielded 4 small bowls, so my friend and I each tried the dish two ways: one without the egg, one with the egg mashed and stirred in. The latter method neutralised the saltiness of the noodles and gave the dish an even creamier taste, and personally speaking, that is my preferred method. 

Yes, the price is eye-wateringly expensive for a two-minute noodle dish, but when you consider the ingredients used and the generosity of serving, this is a dish that's well worth a try. Not into indomie? You can also have truffles served with char kway teo (a thick rice noodle), sam wang dan (soy steamed egg) or simply ask to add truffle to your favourite dish. 

Get in quick before truffle season is out. 

Score: 4/5

Price: approx $75 pp with a drink 

Address: 125 York St, Sydney 

Website: https://www.hojiak.com.au/