Cuisine: Malaysian
Price: Around $15 per main
Location: Chancery Square, 50 Kitchner Street, Auckland CBD
Website: https://www.facebook.com/mamak.nz
Summing up Mamak forces me to consider the importance of expectations. When Malaysia is as far away as a 9 hour direct flight, from a country with next to no Malaysian immigrants, can one expect good Malaysian food in New Zealand?
When you grown up cooking and eating authentic dishes with your mother, and eating in Malaysia many times, how do you rate a cuisine outside its home?
Critique quandaries aside, Mamak is located in the cosy Chancery Square where several affordable eateries jostle for your attention. At Mamak the mostly swift service, the earth bound seating and the choice of quintessential Malaysian dishes enable the restaurant to stand out.
The food itself is...reasonable. It is no where near as good as you would get in Malaysian, but perhaps that is an unreasonable expectation. Suffice to say, at Mamak the curries have depth of flavour, the rice is fragrant and the roti crisp. Beef rendang, chicken curry and laksa are all very enjoyable, and will satisfy your South East Asian curry lust.
If you haven't tried the popular Malaysian teh tarik yet, then Mamak will fix you right up.
It's perhaps unreasonable to expect authentic Malaysian food in New Zealand, but nonetheless Mamak does a pretty earnest job of it. You won't go wrong with any of the classics here.
7/10
Summing up Mamak forces me to consider the importance of expectations. When Malaysia is as far away as a 9 hour direct flight, from a country with next to no Malaysian immigrants, can one expect good Malaysian food in New Zealand?
When you grown up cooking and eating authentic dishes with your mother, and eating in Malaysia many times, how do you rate a cuisine outside its home?
Critique quandaries aside, Mamak is located in the cosy Chancery Square where several affordable eateries jostle for your attention. At Mamak the mostly swift service, the earth bound seating and the choice of quintessential Malaysian dishes enable the restaurant to stand out.
The food itself is...reasonable. It is no where near as good as you would get in Malaysian, but perhaps that is an unreasonable expectation. Suffice to say, at Mamak the curries have depth of flavour, the rice is fragrant and the roti crisp. Beef rendang, chicken curry and laksa are all very enjoyable, and will satisfy your South East Asian curry lust.
If you haven't tried the popular Malaysian teh tarik yet, then Mamak will fix you right up.
It's perhaps unreasonable to expect authentic Malaysian food in New Zealand, but nonetheless Mamak does a pretty earnest job of it. You won't go wrong with any of the classics here.
7/10
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