Ho Jiak
92 Hay St
Haymarket, Sydney
Ho Jiak is nestled just off the main street of Chinatown in Sydney and although it has only been open for less than a year, it already has quite the reputation for having great Malaysian food with a modern twist. The restaurant was bustling and the staff were very friendly and very excited about their new menu they have just launched.
We were treated to a Chef’s Tasting Menu which showcased the favourite new dishes which are designed to be shared from the centre of the table. Their main menu is extensive with so many great options. If you’re unsure of what to order, just ask the staff – they really know their stuff!
The menu started with Indomee Buttermilk Truffle. This was the chef’s take on the MiGoreng he used to eat during his uni days – needless to say he has refined and finessed the recipe quite a bit. The noddles were spicy and crispy, and the buttermilk added a lovely creamy flavour which really helped to accentuate the flavour of the truffle. Not a pairing I would have ever expected, but it was delicious.
Next up was the Kiam Ah Nui Kay, or fried chicken wings. The coating on the wings was just the right thickness so it wasn’t doughy but crispy and buttery, thanks to the egg yolk in the seasoning recipe. We could have easily filled up on these, but there was a lot of food coming our way so we thought we better pace ourselves.
We then moved on to the shared main courses served with coconut rice which is one of the Viscountess’ favourite thing about Asian food. The first dish was Ho Jiak’s take on KFC chicken, the Crispy Rendang Chicken. This was our favourite dish of the evening and we found ourselves going back for more and more until the bowl was nearly licked clean. The coating on it the chicken was crispy and crunchy and the spicy rendang curry sauce was the perfect blend of sweetness and spice with a really great flavour.
The Kari Claypot was very impressive when it landed on the table, and the aroma had us all intrigued. This was a white fish cooked in a yellow curry sauce in a traditional claypot. The fish was cooked perfectly and absolutely fell apart on the plate. The yellow curry sauce was more subtle than the rendang which complimented the delicate fish, with the added creaminess of coconut milk.
Nui Choay Cim was unlike anything I had tasted before, but something I will definitely be recommending to others to order. It was such a wonderful dish. The silky steamed century was nearly a silken tofu texture, made with chicken and duck egg and served with fresh blue swimmer crab. This dish looked amazing, and the crab meat was so tender and juicy and balanced perfectly with the subtle flavours of the silken century.
The final dish of the main course was steamed lettuce cups with mushrooms and oyster sauce, or Sang Chye Hniau Kor. I’ll admit, we were a little sceptical of this dish, and we have no idea how the chef managed to pack lettuce with so much flavour – but he definitely did. The lettuce was soft and the mushrooms carried the same flavours of oyster sauce and garlic. What a wonderful and refreshing way to finish our main course after some heavier curry dishes.
We then moved onto dessert and we had a choice of Affogato or Black Rice Porridge – we chose one of each. The Tarik Affogato was a beautiful adaptation of a traditionally Italian dessert. The combination of the traditional Malaysian coffee with the tea flavoured ice cream, it was a light and creamy dessert and a perfect way to end this Malaysian feast.
The black rice pudding, or Pulut Hitam, was sweet and sticky and served with warm coconut milk which made it nearly resemble a porridge. This is a beautiful dairy free dessert and was a beautiful warm dish on a cold winter’s night.
A huge thank you to the team at Ho Jiak for this invitation. Thanks also for showing us their new menu and for so passionately explaining each dish and their passion for Malaysian cooking. A highly recommended restaurant for anyone wanting something a little bit different that’s sure to impress.