Sedap Malaysian Kopitiam and Cake Generation, Regent Place
Coffee or Horlicks with your pork spare ribs? Not with one. On them. And that's half the fun about the new Sedap Malaysian Kopitiam that's opened in Regent Place on George Street. The menu is littered with dishes you won't normally find around Sydney.
The Sedap dining space is smaller than it looks, made to look bigger by the clever use of mirrors, fairy lights and atmospheric murals in the short shopfront. By 6pm on a weeknight the place is heaving, packed with Asian uni students and young office workers. If the dining room is full you'll have to add your name and party number to a clipboard out the front and wait patiently in the corridor.
Fried fish ball $1.50; lo bak crispy pork roll $4; and fried homemade tofu $1 per piece
The display cabinet in the front has extra snacks that don't appear on the laminated menu. We kick things off with a skewer of fried fish balls, fried homemade tofu and a crinkly but crisp lo bak five spice pork roll.
Sedap dining room
Teh tarik $3.50
Metal plates and cups are a nice touch, and our teh tariks are frothed the proper way, poured from jug to jug at great heights until the sweet strong tea is foamy with froth.
Char kway teow $12
We plow through a series of classic dishes like char kway teow, a huddle of fat slipper rice noodles stir fried over high heat with slices of fish cake, prawns and omelette. Bean sprouts come in at the end so they maintain their crunch, and an extra spoonful of sambal gives a welcome chilli kick.
Hainan chicken $12
Hainan chicken is soft but a little on the bland side, although there's a fair amount of meat piled on top of the bed of bean sprouts. We're instantly on the hunt for the usual dipping sauces (ginger shallot oil and the dark sweet soy) but our requests are met with a blank look and we're told the chicken comes as is.
Kam heong squid $16.80
The squid section is surprisingly the longest, running with ten variations that run from assam (tamarind) to Singapore style black pepper. We order ours cooked kam heong, meaning golden fragrance, so named because of the use of dried shrimp, birds eye chilli, curry powder and curry leaves. The squid is plump and tender and the sauce is fragrant.
Horlicks spare ribs $15.80
Horlicks spare ribs sound like a childhood dream come true but they're an odd couple in the flesh, with the deep fried ribs slathered in a thick gravy that is disconcertingly sweet.
Butter prawns $22.80
Although we order the butter prawns, we're served with what looks more like cereal prawns. I'm not complaining. The jumble of sweet and salty Nestum cereal is addictive as always, adding textural crunch to the unshelled prawns. The cereal is even better on rice, and I end up scooping out last toasted oat with a spoon.
Cake Generation
Macarons, mini muffins and mini cupcakes
The rejuvenation of Regent Place has seen a spate of new tenants move in. We head next door to Cake Generation, a deliberately fancy looking eat-in cake shop.
Mini cupcakes $2.50
The display cabinet is lined with rows of tiny desserts that include macarons, cupcakes, tarts and muffins. Larger cakes sit at the front of the store.
Afternoon tea set with tea for two $16
Indecision means we order the afternoon tea - a set range of items that can be customised by flavour. The cupcake and muffin are a little on the dry side but the pistachio domed mousse is a highlight. Fancy tea cups only add to the experience.
Earl Grey tea
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Cake Generation
Shop 27, Regent Place (George Street Level)
501 George Street, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9264 0090
Opening hours:
Monday to Thursday 10.30am - 10pm
Friday to Saturday 10.30am - 10.30pm
Sunday 10.30am - 9pm
Sedap Malaysian Kopitiam
Regent Place (George Street Level)
501 George Street, Sydney
Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday 11am - 9.30pm
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posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 10/21/2013 12:05:00 am
19 Comments:
At 10/21/2013 5:57 am, Hannah said…
Maybe the ribs should have milo instead of horlicks.
At 10/21/2013 8:31 am, Tina @ bitemeshowme said…
I only just noticed this place upon my many returns to chanoma. It is always buzzing with people even during lunches. Very interesting horlicks spare ribs.. I'd usually be excited but not sure why I'm not. Maybe its just too weird... haha
At 10/21/2013 8:39 am, Cyn (The Food Pornographer) said…
Mmm, looks interesting. Another place to add to my To Eat list. It's been steadily building since I haven't gone to / won't make it to Sydney at all this year. Definitely would like to try Horlicks spare ribs.
At 10/21/2013 9:43 am, steph | a little bit of tang said…
WHAAAT NO SAUCE D: ....
Regent Place is definately expanding on their eateries. Must give his cupcake shop a go :)
At 10/21/2013 10:08 am, Tina@foodboozeshoes said…
Uh, no sauce with the Hainan chicken??? WTH? Can I BYO my own sauces...?
At 10/21/2013 11:49 am, Mel said…
Did the Horlicks ribs make you sleepy - that's a sleepy time drink right? And no sauce for your Hainanese chook - criminal.
At 10/21/2013 2:12 pm, chocolatesuze said…
ooooh cereal prawns!!!
At 10/21/2013 5:31 pm, Sherrie @ Crystal Noir said…
I was about to eat here at the Malaysian restaurant but the line was very long! We were sad and shuffled across to Tenkomori instead for cheap ramen :P
At 10/21/2013 9:59 pm, Iron Chef Shellie said…
awww man, so many of my favourite things. I need to save my clams and head back!
At 10/21/2013 9:59 pm, Amanda @ Gourmanda said…
How funny, I just recently ate at the Sedap in Westfield Chatswood! We didn't order too much because it was a light lunch, but I found their range of fried goods really authentic (compared to what I've had in Malaysia!).
At 10/23/2013 4:53 pm, Arf. said…
I also recently ate at Sedap in Chatswood. The cooked food looked very nice, but the salt and pepper sotong on display was awful. It had been sitting there way too long.
Tak impressed.
At 10/23/2013 7:03 pm, Anonymous said…
Sedap @ Regents Place... the rendang totally FAIL. The meat was sooo tough that I can't even rip it off hard with my fork and spoon. When I asked for a knife they don't carry that as a cutlery. I asked for a replacement and the waiter was kind enough to give another serving but still the same. So disappointing...
At 10/24/2013 2:46 pm, Felicia @ Next Stop: Food said…
oh!! we've heard about sedap and how we should visit ...
but hainan chicken with no sauce? SAY WHAT?! how EXTRA bland that would be considering it was already lacking ... :(
- Cassie
At 10/24/2013 5:32 pm, Cara @ Gourmet Chick said…
Love, love Hainan chicken but can't believe they sold it with no dipping sauces. Fail.
At 10/26/2013 12:01 am, Annie said…
always seems so packed whenever i go past but have been hearing lots of mixed reviews about sedap :/
At 10/26/2013 1:40 pm, Unknown said…
I have just come back from Singapore and Thailand and I am missing all the foods that are in this story!
I am so pleased to see that Sydney has somewhere that is so authentic.
At 10/26/2013 6:54 pm, Jo said…
I have to agree with Anonymous from 23/10. I made the mistake of ordering the beef randang @ the George st place and the beef was rock hard. I couldn't even cut through the tendon! It was not a beef randang. The curry was watery...We asked for a replacement and they gave us a chicken curry. It was just as bad. It was a bowl of drumsticks in a watery, bland curry. The meat didn't taste fresh either. Like its been reheated. Never again!
At 10/27/2013 12:47 pm, ChopinandMysaucepan said…
Dear Helen,
Horlicks pork ribs that is disconcertingly sweet???? Errrrr, no thanks.
Not sure if I'm in a big urry to try judging from the feedback on the rendang and Hainan chicken.
At 10/31/2013 3:35 pm, Daisy@Nevertoosweet said…
Wow Sedap Malaysian looks really authentic I thought it was one of the Hawker centres in Malaysia when I first saw the photos :) And cake generation looks like a place I'd love :P Two more places to add to my list in Sydney hehe ~
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