Ho Jiak, Haymarket, Sydney

Prior to 2019, I had zero experience with Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine.  And then I visited Singapore twice in just a couple month span, *right* before the pandemic really broke out (I was there in Feb 2020, and had to cut my trip short due to concerns over border closures).  I *loved* the food though, the strong flavors and funk of fermented ingredients and sambal, the sweets that were unlike anything I'd ever had before, the fascinating world of hawker stalls, and the affordable prices.  When I returned to the SF Bay Area, I had my favorite dishes I was eager to eat again, and ... discovered they literally aren't available (!).  While Sydney doesn't have a huge Malaysian restaurant scene, it is considerably better than SF, and I've been working my way through them on every visit.  A few months prior, I ordered delivery from Malacca Straights on Broadway one rainy night out of convenience.  But one place consistently rose the top of the list of best Malaysian in Sydney: Ho Jiak.

"Ho Jiak Grill and Nyonya House is my dream of sharing good food with the world."

Ho Jiak actually has two restaurants in Sydney, both fairly different concepts.  the first, a traditional style restaurant in Haymarket, the second, a more innovative offering in Townhall, that they describe as their "playground" (think: Malaysian ingredients, but, not many classic dishes, more fusion).  They also have two restaurants a bit further out, in Strathfield or Chatswood.  All are well regarded, although the Townhall concept doesn't necessarily win over those who go in expecting the classics.

Ho Jiak isn't on the delivery apps I use, so I ventured there in person. 

Setting

My visit was to the Haymarket location, which I believe is the original, and less swanky of the branches.

Exterior.

Ho Jiak is located right on Hay Street not far from Paddy's market.  The exterior has some appeal to draw you in, but nothing really sets it apart from other businesses nearby.

Interior.

The inside of the restaurant is rather interesting, it almost feels like you are at a Hawker center in Singapore, with different awnings and lights strung up like you are outside, but, this was all inside.  The tables are rustic, the floor not particularly clean looking.  There was a semi-open kitchen.  I ordered takeout, so I didn't experience the ambiance besides stepping inside to pick up my order.

Cuisine

The Haymarket location, which I visited, is the more traditional of their outposts.  

The menu is however fairly overwhelming.  Many pages long, begining with Starters (things like satay, chicken wings, crispy fish skins, and more), moving to Entree (as in, the starter kind of Entree, with soup dumplings, steamed rice rolls, pork jowl rolls, and more), and then an assortment of filled roti, and finally main dishes that are broken down into fish (mostly barramundi in a number of whole preps), prawns, mud crab, and squid, then several wagyu curries, a variety of duck and chicken offerings (including their signature KFC rendang and of course Hainan chicken), pork, and vegetable dishes (most of which aren't vegetarian, as they have shrimp paste or minced pork or dried shrimp), and concluding with extras like coconut rice, man tou, and dry noodles.  

And then ... when you think you've wrapped your head around the menu, you reach page 8 (!) which starts their list of Signatures, where all the heavy hitter Malaysian classics are found, e.e. laksa, indomie goreng, char koay teow, nasi lemak, etc, etc.  Take a break, come up for air on page 11, which starts the extensive list of nasi goreng variations, followed by "Ho Jiak Favorites", which are different from the "Signatures" of course, with a variety of rice and noodle dishes.  Several pages later, you hit the vegetarian menu, and then the gluten-free menu, each of which are quite extensive too.

If you think the drink menu options will be any easier, think again.  Sooo many kinds of kopi, hot or iced, with flavors ranging from classic teh tarik to milo to rose milk, and everything in between.  Another page brings you to canned beverages, soft drinks, juices, and tea. And finally, desserts, both "new school" like the teh tarik affogato and more traditional "old school" with cendol of course.

If, by page 17, you are overwhelmed by it all, they have a set tasting menu for $85/pp ($75 for vegetarian) that includes 3 starters, 4 main dishes, and dessert.  Just go for that.

I selected an entree, one vegetable, and one dessert, and it was enough for two meals.

Dessert Packaging.

I ordered takeout, and it was ready quickly, packaged with care, with proper utensils included.  I was particularly impressed with the dessert that could easily be messy, was wrapped in plastic wrap, and with the sauces separate.

Entree: char koay kak 炒粿角. $22.

"Wok fried radish cake in signature soy sauce."

First up, the reason I really went to Ho Jiak: the char koay kak.  A dish I fell in love with in Singapore, and literally does not exist (I've tried VERY hard to find it!) in San Francisco.  Literally cannot get it anywhere.  I crave it regularly, and must journey to the other side of the world to get it.

So how was the version from Ho Jiak?

Glorious.  Everything I wanted it to be.  Does that sum up how I felt about the dish?  It was also fairly different from the version I had from Malacca Straights on Broadway when I was in Sydney just two months prior.

The hunks of radish cake were a bit larger, and they were amazingly crispy.  I believe they double fry them, and that is apparent in great crispiness.  A heavier version perhaps, but, that was part of the glory, and what I was looking for.  I wanted either char or fried-ness, and it delivered.  The egg was smaller bits here, but was still a dominant component, and was well cooked.  The bean sprouts were less extensive, and actually wok fried along with everything else, so it was slightly less crisp and fresh tasting.  Green onions and chiles rounded it out, along with the deep dark soy sauce.  One thing it was lacking however was the funk and the sambal that other versions I've tried have had, and I did miss that.

But overall, fabulously crispy, good flavor (some spice!), and quite enjoyable.  Probably the best I've ever had, just due to the execution on the radish cakes themselves.  ****.

Vegetables: Belachan Kangkung 马来棧通菜. $27.

"Wok fried morning glory with shrimp paste & chilli."

My second dish was a fairly random and odd pick for me.  I wanted something more to round out my meal, and I was considering a few different things, but when I was reading reviews, over and over, this dish kept being mentioned as an essential dish.  I was rather confused/intrigued, because, the menu had so many heavy hitters, why were people excited about ... stir fried morning glory?  Sure, I was drawn to the idea of the shrimp paste and chili, but, eh?  Also, the price, $27, sure seemed high for what sounded like a basic vegetable side dish.  I wanted to know more, and took a gambling, thinking that if it turned out amazing, I'd have a great new find, and worst case, I'd toss much of it, but at least try it, and I had plenty of other food anyway.

So this dish was a first for me, and I can't really comment on how authentic it is.  I also don't think I've really had much morning glory before, so that was sorta new too.

The dish pretty much matched my expectations, which is, I still didn't really get it.  It was basically just fairly greasy and limp vegetables?  Slightly more robust than spinach, but, lacking the bite of a stronger green like collards or kale.  The sauce was flavorful, although I didn't taste the funk I was expecting (and wanting) from the shrimp paste.  It did have a bit of heat from the chili.  I wanted more of the crispy fried shallots sprinkled on top.

So, texture wise, it was soft and limp, mouthfeel wise it was greasy/oily, but flavor wise I enjoyed it.  Basically, I don't think I've acquired a taste for morning glory, and prefer less oily dishes.   I was glad to try it, but I wouldn't get it again.  ***.

The price also just seemed strangely high, compared to the rest of the menu.  I guess it takes a lot of morning glory to cook down like this, but, still.  It is also available with wagyu for $68, or prawns for $38.

Dessert: Pulut Hitam (Warm) 椰奶黑糯米(热). $12.

"Black glutinous rice porridge with coconut milk and gula melaka."

Of course I also got dessert, even though none of the options were ones I was super, super excited for.  I do like good sticky rice, but I usually want something like mango with it.  That said, people like this dish from Ho Jiak, so, I was happy to give it a try.

It is served warm, and both for dine-in and takeout the sauces/syrup are on the side, so you can make as sweet and creamy as you please, which I appreciated.  The rice was a great level of sticky, nicely al dente and an interesting flavor as it was black rice.  Slightly hearty and savory, and there was a couple palm seeds within as well.  It wasn't really what I think of as porridge though, not very soupy, which was fine with me.

The coconut milk was a thin style, not sweet, standard coconut milk.  It was a great addition to the rice, just as I am familiar with for mango sticky rice for example.  The gula melaka was as expected, a sweet sauce, with a reasonably complex flavor.  Since the rice was fairly savory on its own, this is what turned it into a dessert.

Overall, it was warm and comforting, nicely sticky, and something different for me.  I'd likely still prefer other desserts, but, I wasn't upset having it (and added fresh mango myself for the second portion!).   ***+.