My week home was a very Asian one. Starting with a yummy lunch at JBento, I was then invited to try out PappaRich, Northbridge and on Sunday, I ended up at Sarapan in Victoria Park with my ex-colleagues. This was my second time here at 1 Leonard Street, Victoria Park and this training ground is easily the Silicon Valley for upcoming food entrepreneurs. This pop up named Sarapan which translates to breakfast in Malay, operates every Saturday and Sunday from 7.30am until 12pm for late brunch. Wake up early and step in to the basic staples a Mamak place in Malaysia would have like Roti, Nasi Lemak, Soft Boiled Eggs and toast.
The front counter was filled with all the little Malaysian snacks from biscuits to chocolate but I ultimately settled for the one I liked best, the “Kuih”.
Served as a duo of Kuih Lapis and Kuih Talam, I was happy to see them here. A rare treat down under if you ask me. More importantly, the Kuih Lapis had all the lovely colours and the richness of the coconut milk. Meanwhile, the Kuih Talam had the fragrant Pandan flavour it should always have. Taste wise, it ticked all the boxes but felt firmer than what I would have back home. Eating this brought back memories of my childhood where I would normally peel our layer by layer :)! Unfortunately, it did not happen here as I was unable to peel either of the Kuih out layer by layer as I would back home. Perhaps it is time to grow up lol.
After having the Milo Dinosaur at PappaRich, I decided to have something else. This time a warm Teh Tarik for breakfast. Just what I needed on a cool Sunday morning.
A little short on the bubbly froth but down right delicious in flavour. At times, it lacked the potency of the red tea like the ones I usually have in Malaysia but being so far away, it was easily something I could live without.
My brunch here was a serve of pipping hot Nasi Lemak. The good news is, the Nasi Lemak at Sarapan came out looking like a champion. A massive drum stick marinated in their special spices and deep fried sat alongside the hardboiled egg, some crisp anchovy-peanut combination, sambal and a mound of rice.
This $11.50 Nasi Lemak might not look like much from the photos. But believe me, it really fills. Comparing the various Nasi Lemak I have had in town, the one at Sarapan aces its rice in every category. Fragrance, cooking, and taste. Comparing the rice at Sarapan and PappaRich, the former wins hands down with each grain not only full in shape, but perfect in moisture. On the other hand, the one at PappaRich was respectable but a little damp for my liking. Moving on, the sambal at Sarapan in Victoria Park was full on Malay with pieces of anchovy in the sweetish chill concoction and more importantly, the pairing as a whole was very authentic. I as a Nasi Lemak snob could not ask for more. Satisfied!
Last shared dish was a serve of Roti Telur (Egg) and plain Roti. I liked the way the Roti came out with all the authentic sauces I would usually get in Malaysia. A sauce of curry chicken and dhal served with a spoon of sambal. However, I would not mind a last bit of "slap and slam" treatment the locals usually give the Roti back home as it normally crisps up the Roti.
Happy? Definitely. This little pop up gets my vote for several things including a fuss free - queue-less meal with a quality that is hard to beat. Operating in this little indie training ground also meant that the dishes came out feeling more home cooked than its other commercialised kitchens. While I am less strict when visiting places like this, Sarapan is a sound contestant for unique brunches in town. Some of you might question my judgement here ahahaha especially with the Nasi Lemak. But Nasi Lemak in Malaysia is not a dish dominated by a single race back home, rather, it is something perfected by every chef who loves the dish in a different way. With the countless rendition of this classic staple, one Nasi Lemak can differ significantly from another but have equally amount of fans. Such is the story of this humble rice dish. More importantly, Sarapan like JBento might be the starting of something big in town. Victoria Park, you have done it again ;)!
WenY
