NoHo’s newest eatery will help you spice up your life
This latest addition to the North Hobart restaurant scene, a sibling to Sawak in the CBD, offers diners a taste of the magical fusion of flavours known as ‘Nyonya’ cuisine, writes Alix Davis
Food and Wine
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I’ve not been fortunate enough to visit Malaysia yet, but if the food at Little Borneo – the latest addition to North Hobart’s restaurant scene, is anything to go by, I’m bumping it up my list. Hobart Airport, are you listening?
Little Borneo, a sibling to the popular Sawak in the CBD, offers spice-loving diners a taste of Nyonya cuisine – that magical amalgamation of Chinese, Indonesian and Malay flavours.
Also known as Peranakan cuisine, the food is tangy, aromatic, spicy and herbal. And did I mention, delicious?
We visited on a Tuesday night and the joint was jumping with tables of families, friends and couples. Service is friendly and efficient and some groups ate before heading to the cricket, while others lingered a little longer.
We started with a selection of entrees – Sambal crispy eggplant ($12) was a plate of meltingly tender eggplant pieces that were (as promised) crispy on the outside and drenched in a spicy sambal sauce. As sambals go, this one was on the fairly mild side, but my two dining companions are a little chilli-averse and left most of it to me, #winning! Pan-fried chicken dumplings ($11 for six) came from the Chinese end of the Peranakan spectrum and with a beautifully lacy edge.
The filling was delicately flavoured and these were a table favourite. A crispy plate of spring onion pancake ($7.90) was also well received – the light, flaky pastry studded with spring onion.
There’s a lot I want to eat here, which is always a good sign. Laksa ($13.50) is a staple of Malaysian cuisine as are Maggi noodles, which surprisingly, were only introduced to the country in 1970. Those two original flavours – curry and chicken – can now be found in almost every pantry in the country and at Little Borneo you can have Maggi Mee Goreng in vegetarian, chicken or combination varieties ($15.90-$19.50).
While the noodles have a strong Malaysian influence, Hainanese chicken rice ($17.90) is a distinctly Chinese dish, created by immigrants from the province of yes, Hainan, but is considered one of Singapore’s national dishes as well as being widely available throughout South-East Asia.
This traditional dish consists of poached chicken served with rice that’s been cooked in the chicken stock. A ginger garlic sauce and a chilli sauce are served as an accompaniment and it’s a classic for a reason.
I can’t resist a roti canai and order mine with beef rendang ($18.90). Although roti canai has Indian roots, it is a bread of Malaysia, through Tamil immigrants. This flatbread is stretched paper thin, then folded on itself and charred on a screaming hot grill. Once cooked, it’s scrunched to reveal almost croissant-like layers inside.
It’s perfect for scooping up mouthfuls of rendang (or any other curry or gravy) and Little Borneo’s version is piping hot and delicious.
The rendang – a traditionally Indonesian curry – is flavourful, with its distinctive coconut base and large chunks of beef. My husband’s only complaint is that there’s not more of it and a second helping is soon on its way.
Nasi Lemak with curry chicken ($17.50) is a beautifully presented dish with all the traditional elements in place. This rice dish is usually served with roasted nuts, egg, ikan bilis (dried anchovies), and slices of cucumber. Literally meaning “fatty rice” in Malay, nasi lemak’s distinctive taste comes from cooking the rice in coconut milk and pandan leaves which gives the dish its rich flavour and fragrant aroma.
It is rounded off with spicy sambal – a chilli paste made from dried chillies, garlic, shallots, and belacan (shrimp paste).
Nasi lemak has its roots in Malay cuisine and is believed to have originated from the indigenous community who lived by the sea on the west coast of Malaysia in the 19th century, where coconuts and anchovies were widely accessible. In the 1970s, nasi lemak was sold in packets by hawkers travelling from house to house. I would be very happy if someone was delivering Little Borneo’s nasi lemak to my house.
Everything we eat at Little Borneo is fresh, full of flavour and great value. A note on the menu says that its new wok will be arriving soon and with that will come wok-tossed dishes that are a favourite at Sawak. Sounds like a good excuse for me to pay them another visit soon!
LITTLE BORNEO
322 Elizabeth St, North Hobart
Opening hours:
Mon, 5pm-9pm; Tues-Sat, 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5pm to 9pm.
On the menu
Crispy sambal eggplant, $12; chicken dumplings, $11.90; roti canai with beef rendang, $18.90; nasi lemak with curry chicken, $17.50; chicken kurma, $20; and coconut ice cream, $5.
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