Malaysia Makanan

by D

A hidden gem in Calamvale, Malaysia Makanan has become a regular of ours when we’re hankering for some authentic Malaysian fare.

The servings are generous and reasonably priced (below $15 per dish) and include an array of Malaysian and Singaporean dishes such as Char Kuey Teow(CKT), Mee Goreng and Nasi Lemak.

Chicken CKT

Despite the fact that they serve our favourite Char Kuey Teow in Brisbane, our staple is Hainan Chicken Rice which they do extremely well, perfectly balancing the amount of ginger and chilli sauce. The rice is full flavoured and the chicken abundant - what’s not to love? (don’t forget to ask for the soup though!)

Hainan Chicken Rice

Their curry laksa is tasty and comparable with most others around town. This can easily be shared between two with no-one going home hungry.

Chicken Curry Laksa

For something a little bit different, we’ve also tried their tofu goreng a few times. Picture deep fried tofu, covered in peanut sauce, on a bed of bean sprouts and cucumber - moderately healthy!

Tofu Goreng

For something a little more fancy, we suggest you give their butter herb dishes a try (available with chicken or prawns). Based on our experience it can be a bit hit and miss but always buttery, yum!

Butter Herbed Chicken

We strongly suggest you give it a try, but be prepared to come back a few times as you may get addicted!


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Guzman Y Gomez

Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) is a casual eatery located in the reputably ‘prestigious’ Emporium precinct.  With a layout of long tables and benches, large groups and communal dining (with strangers) is definitely on the menu.  There are also a few small tables with stools around for those who prefer more privacy.

Their 2-step menu is simple and self explanatory.

Step 1: Pick a Style of Burritos & Bowls, Soft or Hard Shell Tacos, Quesadillas or Nachos.

Step 2: Choose the Filling of Mild or Spicy Chicken Guerrero, Mild Beef Guerrero, Spicy Steak Chipotle, Spicy Pork Chipotle, Mild Barramundi or Veggie.

The sauce station is set up for those who want to add a bit more heat to their food. This is Dan’s review of the sauce:

Habanero Sauce - Exactly what you expect, a hit of habanero (hot)
Green Pepper Sauce - A tangy chilli sensation (medium)
Smoked Chipotle Sauce - Smoked to perfection (milder)

As for the food, the meat is well-seasoned and tender. However, we find the ratio of rice is higher than our liking in the Burrito wrap. Overall, the spicy meat gave the food a good kick, but we thought the salsa could be a bit more refreshing.

Steak Chipotle Burrito

Pork Chipotle Burrito

Spicy Chicken Quesadillas

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PappaRoti

The sweet aroma of coffee-crusted bun drew me to the shop when I first visited Warrigal Square. PappaRoti is a new gem in Warrigal Square specialising in only one thing, Malaysian coffee-crusted roti (bun).

Seeing the reasonable price tag of $2.20 per bun, I decided to give it a try. The bun was still hot – straight from the oven. Bonus points for freshness.

The first bite took me by surprise. The texture of the bun was soft and fluffy, leaving me wanting for more. The crunchy coffee crust was the icing on the cake - pun intended.

I strongly recommend you give it a try!


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Restaurant Manx - High Tea

Caught in the wave of new daily deal sites, I bought a high tea voucher at Restaurant Manx on impulse. $59 for a high tea for two, valued at $166 sounded like a bargain!  However, doing the math later, $30 per person for high tea is not really a good buy.  Furthermore, the bottle of wine that comes with the deal is no good for non-drinkers like us.  I have to admit that was partly my fault for not reading the deal clearly. 

I was hugely disappointed when the 3-tier stand arrived. The ribbon sandwiches, scones, sausage rolls and petit fours looked like they had been prepared in a rush and just dump on the plate. Not to mention the measly amount of food on the plate. Surely a restaurant can do better than that!

High tea with champagne instead of tea is not what I would call a high tea at all. The effort to modernise the traditional high tea is a big flop in my opinion.

I have learnt an important lesson about impulse buying and will in future stick with the high tea venues I know and love.


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Tea and Niceties

Tea and Niceties is everything you would expect from a classic European tearoom. Like its name suggests, it is all about tea and everything that is delicate and elegant.

Be warned though that the shop is extremely pink. From chair sashes, table decorations to staff uniforms, everything is one colour, PINK! Even the sugar is pink and sugar cubes are topped with a pink rose. There is definitely no lack of attention (or pink) here.

There is a choice between Traditional Tea ($40) and Elegant Tea ($45). Knowing in advanced that we will be given a box for the leftovers, we happily settled for the Elegant Tea. For a difference of five dollars, we get two savoury muffins, Panna Cotta and two additional petit fours. There was also a selection of 18 types of first grade teas to choose from.

The food is served on a 3-tier stand, sharing between two people. I was lucky (maybe?) to have my own stand because we had an odd number of people at our table. We spent the first few minutes admiring the daintiness of the food, before going on a photographing frenzy, snapping endless shots of the delectable delights from every angle. We wanted to make sure we did the place justice, capturing every bit of our experience.

We slowly worked our way from the bottom up, starting with the ribbon sandwiches, savoury muffins, scones to petite fours. Everything was very tasty, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would be the Chocolate Cup with Caramel and Mousse. I expected the mousse to be heavy and the caramel sickly sweet like others I have eaten before - but it was the exact opposite. The salty sweet caramel, topped with light and fluffy mousse in a chocolate cup was absolutely perfect!

Smooth & Creamy Panna Cotta

This is by far one of the best High Tea places I have been to in Brisbane. It is highly recommended to anyone who wants to indulge in a bit of elegance from the past, or just share a relaxing day out with girlfriends. From experience, weekends are usually booked out up to a few weeks in advance so make sure you book early; and if you're like us you'll even have some leftovers to help with midnight munchies.

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