NanYang Cafe - Nasi Goreng

  

Ahh, NanYang Cafe, a favourite for surprisingly authentic Malaysian cuisine! Today I'm up for their Nasi Goreng!

I say surprising because usually, if you want to eat some really authentic Asian cuisine, you'll need to head on over to Chinatown or restaurants/cafes hidden outside the central hub of Adelaide. But no! There's a place in the heart of the city, Rundle Mall, that you can enjoy some exotic tastes!

But before we get stuck into the Nasi Goreng, let's have a nice cooling refreshment! To start, I'm having a root beer float, a favourite in Asia!

  

Now on to mains! Nasi Goreng, in Malay and in Indonesian literally means "fried rice". The key features that distinguish this fried rice with say, Chinese fried rice is the ketchup manis! Aw don't get any Malay or Indonesian started on ketchup manis... It's a type of soya sauce that's been infused with palm sugar, giving it a sweet savoury flavour. So when it is tossed in fried rice.... Kapow!

Tasting notes:

The plate arrives with steam; scented with the charred notes of the wok. Admiring the dish, specks of chili, whole shrimp and battered egg gives the rice a cheerful feel. The colour, toasted and darkened with ketchup manis, but not as much as usually seen a nasi goreng. On the first mouthful, toasted rice, firm to al dente, seasoned with the smoky wok flavour hits the palate with umami. The tasty flavours are highlighted by other supporting ingredients like the bean sprouts, peas and even shreds of lettuce. Overall, the charred wok flavour is protagonist of this story.

Not bad! Though, I expected the nasi goreng to be more sweeter with a more generous seasoning of ketchup manis. Still, it's a nice fried rice.  

NanYang Cafe are more famous for their roast duck noodle, loh bak, roti chennai and their tasty kway teow. So even if you don't order their nasi goreng, it'll be a much bigger treat to have their other more famous dishes!

Thank gawd they're just in the city!