Uncle Joe's Malaysian Kitchen — Restaurant in Sydney

UNCLE JOE’S MALAYSIAN KITCHEN, NEWTOWN

The aroma of curry just floods the air as you step into the establishment of @unclejoesmalaysian in Newtown. @unclejoesmalaysian is dishing out authentic Malaysian dishes that really exudes comfort when you take that first bite into their various menu items on offer such as their Nasi Lemak/Goreng, Laksas, their Char Kuey Teow and different Curries.

I absolutely loved the dishes that l ordered at @unclejoesmalaysian and the service was friendly while the atmosphere and decor was lovely.

☆ NASI LEMAK WITH BEEF RENDANG ($22)

The first bite into the cubes of Beef from the Beef Rendang was just purely amazing as it was so tender and flavourful from the curry sauce which had hints of Coconut Milk and other flavourings in it. It is when you combine these super tender cubes of Beef with the Coconut Milk-infused Rice, crunchy Roasted Peanuts, Boiled Eggs, Crispy Fried Anchovies, slightly acidic Acar Pickle and the explosive Sambal that it makes for a delicious mouthful with various textures gracing your palette.

☆ CHAR KUEY TOW WITH BEEF ($19)

The Flat Rice Noodles have been tossed into a heated wok and seasoned with their house-made caramelised sauce allowing the noodles to take on a dark colour and the breath of the wok (the wok hei) to permeate throughout the noodles.

The sliced pieces of Beef in this Char Kuey Tow are absolutely tender that it requires no chewing when you take a bite of it. Spring Onion and other vegetables have been stir fried with these Flat Rice Noodles making this dish really textural and vibrant looking.

I really appreciate that the Bean Sprouts are not cooked at all but has been used as a garnish leaving the vegetable still crunchy among the soft Flat Rice Noodles, resulting in a lovely textural contrast when mixed and eaten altogether.

☆ MILO DINOSAUR ($8)

My first ever Milo Dinosaur ever! A delicious blend of Iced Milo-infused Milk with additional Milo Powder on top with pieces of crunchy Milo Cereal for some texture. I absolutely downed this drink in no time as it was that good with a right amount of sweetness to it.

☆ ROTI CANAI WITH CURRY SAUCE ($6)

The Roti Canai at @unclejoesmalaysian is absolutely flakey and slightly fluffy with so many layers to it which just makes it a perfect vessel to tear and dip into the Curry Sauce that is provided for this appetiser. The Curry Sauce has hints of Coconut Milk into it and other flavourings which just makes it an absolute delight to constantly dip the soft yet crispy...

Good food. Service could be better.

Went as a group of three for lunch. We were presented with the QR codes for ordering – I hate this system; not everyone can use it easily, and I don't like how impersonal it is. To their credit, they brought me a paper menu when I asked for one.

The problem is, you cannot order without a smartphone. We flagged down a waitress to take our order, and she told us we had to either go and wait for someone at the counter to take our order, or wait even longer for one of the waitstaff to come and help us. Why can't the waitress at our table take our order, instead of telling us "we're too busy"? Too busy doing what? We're your customers, as well.

Two of our group ordered the same main, and they brought only one. So, two mains for three people. We ended up sharing the one, but to be fair, it was a sufficiently generous portion to be enough. Our meals – squid sambal with okra and green beans (shared between two of us) and a soft-shell crab laksa – were very good.

Prices generally are a bit expensive, but the lunch specials are more reasonable. I'd come back for the food, but only if they improve the ordering experience – and I don't mean by forcing us to use smartphones to do it, and certainly not telling me they are too busy to look after us. It's not...

Rendang is one of those curries that only comes together right at the end. When you don’t cook it for long enough, it tastes a little acidic from the lemongrass. Undercooked versions, like the rendang ($32) I ate at Uncle Joe’s Malaysian, also look quite watery. The characteristic frothy thickness only happens when you take the curry right to the edge of splitting. Mop it up with roti—we took ours as roti canai ($8.90) with another watery curry sauce—and you’ll taste the difference, with this version showing none of the complex, savoury coconut milk and spices.

Belachan stir fried kangkong with spicy sambal ($24) was the best thing I ate in this Newtown restaurant, though I winced at the price. Especially when you can eat stir-fried clams with XO sauce ($24.90) for basically the same price. The bivalves had been crashed so hard in the wok, the dish arrived with sharp shards of shattered shell scattered throughout, making it hard to enjoy over coconut rice ($5/each).

Geared toward Sydney University students and staff from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, the cocktails and wine list are cheap, especially during happy hour, when a vodka lemon lime and bitters is yours for ten bucks. The wine selection is pretty pedestrian, which wouldn’t be a problem if fancy drinkers were...