Abell's Kopi Tiam

Location: 7 Furneaux Street,Manuka, 2603
Phone: (02) 6239 4199
Cuisine: Malaysian

It's been a while since I last posted, and it's not because I haven't been eating out. At some point in the (hopefully) near future, I'll go back and dig out the photos and post something up.

Abell's Kopi Tiam is located in the 'restaurant precinct' of Manuka (although I must say, there isn't much else in Manuka) and doesn't look very fancy. The decor and set up is simple, albeit a little on the cramped side. But we can't really fault them for wanting to accommodate more customers.

It was a Friday night after a long week at work, so M and I decided to go all out and order three courses.

chicken satays

First up were the chicken satays. Expecting just a pile of skewers smothered in sauce, we were rather surprised and pleased to find that the plate itself could almost have been a complete dish. Four fairly generous skewers of tender barbecued chicken was served alongside a mini serve of fragrant coconut rice, a fresh pineapple and cucumber salad and a dish of a sweet and tangy satay sauce.

Our entree was followed very closely by our mains, something I found peculiar and slightly annoying. But the food more than made up for it.

Bali chicken in a creamy coconut and tamarind curry

The Bali chicken was amazing and unlike any curry I have ever tasted. The chicken was tender (and there was plenty of it), the eggplant and beans carried the flavours well and the sauce was creamy and packed full of flavour.

spring onion roti

There was only one kind of roti on the menu, which was a bit of a disappointment after Mamak. However, this roti lived up to its rival. Light and fluffy but not overly flaky, the roti tasted great on its own, and went fantastically when paired with the Bali chicken.

aubergine and tofu in sambal sauce

The irony was the location of this dish under the vegetarian section of the menu, given that sambal is made from dried shrimp. The tofu and eggplant had both been deep fried, then smothered in a slightly sweet sticky sauce and coated in sambal. A beautiful combination of flavours.

Who can pass up a Malaysian dessert? Not us! Despite being extremely full, we opted to share a sago pudding.

sago pudding with coconut milk and palm sugar

The soft jelly like sago balls drizzled with palm sugar syrup then drowned in coconut milk was the perfect way to end the meal.

All up, the food was great, albeit a little on the pricey side. Service was pleasant and there was no rushing customers out the door. Next up, to try the new Mamak Roti House that has recently opened up in Civic.

Overall Impression: 8.5/10