Background to our Malaysia experience
Most of our experiences in Malaysia have been en route to somewhere else. But on one occasion we were lucky to be chosen to participate in an IT project in Kuala Lumpur for over a month. During that time we diligently ate in local restaurants every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner and in between.
This gave us a good understanding of Malaysian flavours and regional variations of those flavours.
We were able to try many variations of laksa, nasi lemak, har mee, bak kut the (a fabulous bone broth laced with medicinal herbs) and much more.
Wikipedia has a good article on this dish which includes a discussion of regional variations.
We were therefore delighted when Sawak opened and we were able to try their version of bak kut the which was as good as the ones we had tried in the Malaysian capital! Unfortunately, due to the difficulty in sourcing the authentic herbs for this dish they no longer offer it, but all the other favourites are still available.
Sawak Cafe offerings
Sawak Cafe is a small take-away and café a few doors up from Lucinda in Collins Street serving pleasant Malaysian food that has some influence from Sarawak where the chef hails from.
They also do a very good Nasi Lemak (our go to dish) with crunchy ikan bilis (dried anchovies), egg, maybe a rendang curry or a fish curry and some condiments. The other thing to look out for here is the Roti Canai which is flaky, fluffy and truly delicious.
If you are looking for a laksa then they make their own laksa paste and the noodles are quite good as well. Even the wok-fried dishes are good and we thoroughly enjoy the Char Kway Teow.
We also often order the Har Mee which is a noodle soup based on a prawn stock with a kick from balachan.
They are open for lunch and in the evening and you can take your own wine. If you forget, then you can call into nearby Lucinda and select a bottle to take away!
We love Malaysian food from every region of that complex country and this provides us with some glimpses of the many times we have visited.
Additional information
Street: 131a Collins Street
Town/Suburb: Hobart, 7000
Phone number: +61 3 6234 3622
Opening hours: Lunch and dinner Mon – Sat
