PappaRich

92-94 Kingsway 

Glen Waverley, VIC 3150

http://papparich.net.au/

When I went to Malaysia earlier this year, I was surprised to discover that ‘real’ Malaysian food is rather different to the Malaysian food served in Melbourne. It really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me but I guess I’m not a very smart cookie once I have food in my mouth. So when Pappa Rich, a Malaysian hawker food chain, opened in Melbourne, it immediately generated the sort of hype that led to half-hour waits at dinner time. And whilst I am very, very late to the party, I finally got around to making a visit. 

The interior of Pappa Rich (the Glen Waverley branch at least) was very nicely fitted out. It’s not what you’d expect of a restaurant for hawker food; in fact it felt rather European. It certainly made for a nice change from your usual cheap and cheerful.

Pappa Chicken Rice ($11.5)

After perusing the lengthy photo menu, we wrote our orders down on the order pad, before handing it off and sitting back to wait for our meals. I was in the mood for comfort food, and the Pappa Chicken Rice ($11.5), aka Hainanese chicken rice, with its fragrant rice, plump chicken, beans sprouts, and chicken soup certainly seemed to fit the bill.

Pappa Chicken Rice ($11.5)

After tasting the dish...I was neither impressed nor disappointed. The food came in modest portions, and whilst it wasn’t outstanding like other chicken rice I’ve had, it was still pleasant, and made for good comfort food. That is if you discount the soup made of nothing but MSG and salt. 

Pappa Char Kuay Teow ($11.5)

I got really excited when I saw that the Pappa Char Kuay Teow ($11.5) was made with the thin rice noodles found in Malaysia, as opposed to the wide, fat ones here. Unfortunately that was where the similarities ended. This had neither the smokiness nor spiciness of a genuine char kuay teow, and I really missed the little pieces of cockle that’s supposed to be scattered through the dish. It sat at a disappointing halfway between authentic hawker food, and Melbourne-styled Malaysian.

Two traditional Malaysian dishes later, I found Pappa Rich to be thoroughly ho-hum. Maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes but I felt the food was average, over-priced, and only semi-authentic. So until I find a restaurant that offers up the kind of nosh I dined on in Malaysia, I’ll be going to my regular haunts for Char Kuay Teow made with wide, fat noodles.

Rating: 11/20 – entirely underwhelming.

This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.