Hawker and Roll, the newly opened Malaysian hawker food place at Sylvia Park. Founded by Josh Emett of Madam Woo is the new sensation in the new The Groove, a eating strip at Sylvia Park.
I was as excited about this place as I am keen to explore more foodie places, particularly for casual eating places that I can eat alone (yes I am loner!). So I made sure I go there to try it out.
Having watched the AM Show’s interview with Chef Emett, I can’t help but noted his inability to pronounce the Malaysian names. Sorry, but the Kiwi pronunciation is very prominent and for someone who can speak Singlish/Manglish it gives me goosebumps. But I was still exciting to try it out, considering that they have their own beer, named “Can Lah”, playing with the Manglish, and a number of special sodas such as Pandan and Lime Soda, Lemongrass and Pineapple soda.
Let me just tell you the things I don’t like, first. This is not a “traditional Malaysian eatery”; Vietnamese drip coffee is VIETNAMESE, and Portuguese Egg Tart is not MALAYSIAN, they are Portuguese and they are mainly found in Portugal or places with a Portuguese influence, such as Macao. Malaysia would be more influenced by the British than they would by Portugal. No doubt these dishes appear in Malaysia and as a hawker food. And Szechuan prawns is from Szechuan, China. Early Malaysian-Chinese are not Northern Chinese so this wouldn’t have appeared on their menu either.
And paying extra for chili, sambal and sriracha? Ouch. That sambal too doesn’t look very much like sambal either. It tasted more like chili sauce, because I couldn’t quite taste the distinctive fish paste. I had the Nasi Lemak and I am quite disappointed with the coconut rice. I could hardly taste the coconut in the rice and when mixed with the peanuts, cucumber, sambal and dried anchovies, you will not be able to taste the coconut at all. To their credit, I have NOT tasted coconut rice better than the ones the Burmese ladies did at the New Lynn Night Market. I could just eat that on it own with nothing else.
Now on the great things. The dishes are light and there are a good variety. I highly recommend the Hawker Roll set so you can try different items. It is great for people who have dietary requirements, for example, if you were a vegetarian, or if you do not eat pork (like me!). And finally someone is creating spicy food that does not cater for “Kiwi Spicy”. Yes, the food is spicy and it is great. So if you like Kiwi Spicy, please make sure you let the chef know.
I love the Rosie, a cranberry and rose tea, which is a little twist on the Bandung, a Malaysian/Singaporean/Brunei rose drink that is mixed with rose cordial and evaporated milk/soy milk or soda. The Hawker Roll is refreshing mix of Roti Canai and a selection of meat and vegetables. The Laksa is rich and flavorsome.
This is a great place for a quick casual meal, but not for a traditional meal. If you are looking for a more traditional Malaysian cuisine, pop upstairs to Paparich instead, which is direct from Malaysia – not more or less.
Average spend at Hawker and Roll – $20pp
Venue: Hawker and Roll
Address: Sylvia Park Rd, Mount Wellington, Auckland 1060
Website: http://hawkerandroll.co.nz/
Amateur Auckland Foodie Review 