Ria Authentic Malaysian Food, Leederville

Pork Rib Nibbles

For my second post as part of the Malaysian Kitchen Blogger Summit, I decided to visit Ria Authentic Malaysian Food, a well known fixture on Oxford Street. It’s been around for a number of years, but I’ve never been – this was the perfect time to change that!

J and I met up with our good friend (and former housemate) E for dinner on Monday night. Monday nights are a recent addition to Ria’s opening hours and proved to be popular, with the restaurant rapidly filling up by the time we arrived at 7.30.

We started off with the Pork Rib Nibbles ($16.50). We were pleased to see the golden brown huddle of tender bite-sized pork rib pieces arrive, which had been tossed in a sweet, salty, zingy mix of soy sauce, chili and shreds of fresh ginger. I loved the gentle chili hit from this dish – just enough to get my taste buds really going! Definitely a winner for fans of pork

We also ordered a round of drinks – a glass of Flametree Embers Semillion Sauvignon Blanc for E ($8.00) and a pint of Billabong Ginger Beer ($10.00) for J. As the designated driver, I went with the Iced Lemon Tea ($4.50) – I was expecting a bottle of Liptons, but instead was presented with a frosty glass of home made tea, with a shot glass of sugar syrup on the side to mix it to my liking. Win!

The first dish to arrive was the Nyonya Chicken Curry ($22.00) which featured a rich, thick gravy, fragrant with cinnamon, turmeric and chili. The pieces of boneless chicken were super tender – practically falling apart when I speared them with my fork!

Two flaky Roti ($3.00) arrived with the curry, perfect for mopping up the tasty gravy.

Nyonya Vegetable Curry

Seafood Tamarind

However, we didn’t have much time to enjoy our chicken and roti, as the other dishes we ordered arrived moments after. We had also ordered the Nyonya Vegetable Curry ($16.00) – keeping with my Nyonya homestyle curry kick! This curry was rich with coconut, and featured fresh chunky vegetables as well as soft pillows of fried tofu. Lovely! E liked it so much she went back for seconds.

The other dish we had ordered was the Seafood Tamarind ($25.00). Tamarind-based curries featured often in the Chew household, but as a kid I always avoided them. Mum used to always say “it’s an acquired taste”. I never really understood what that meant, and used to attempt a few bites in protest (if you’re all eating it it must be good) but sadly the sour curries always ended up abandoned on my plate - until now!

As a grown up I can totally see the appeal of these tangy dishes – the acidic note really complements seafood so well. Ria’s seafood selection included big chunks of white flaky fish, fat bursty prawns (which had been considerately poached separately to avoid overcooking) and super tender pieces of fresh squid. The sauce which covered the seafood was tangy and rich, and tasted great with the fresh seafood. I think I would have enjoyed more chili in this dish, but that’s not a huge issue, and probably preferable for many people!

In the spirit of over-ordering – we had also picked the Nasi Kunyit ($6.50), my favourite Malaysian rice which gets it’s somewhat lurid yellow from tumeric (the dish gets the name from tumeric, which is ‘Kunyit’ in Malay). This version was fancier than the Nasi Kunyit I’ve eaten elsewhere – with plump sultanas scattered through the rice.

I probably would have enjoyed this more with a less extensive selection of dishes on the table…

We took a brief break after our plates were cleared (very attentive and quick service here – a big plus in my book!) and perused the dessert menu.

E asked me for a dessert recommendation, so I suggested the Kueh Dadar ($.850). She was pleased to receive a beautifully plated dish with one large rolled up pandan pancake filled with sweet palm sugar coated coconut, and a scoop of smooth vanilla ice cream.

She very kindly let me steal a bite – which was delicious! I loved the sweet coconut and palm sugar filling – and I really loved that the kueh was served hot, a great departure from the usual, which is kueh served straight out of the fridge!

J loved his choice, Homemade Pandan Ice Cream with Spiced Pineapple ($8.50) – this was obvious from the head down, talk free shovelling going on at his side of the table! He was very happy with the spiced pineapple – an unusually savoury compote of tangy pineapple. He thought it was actually a great partner for the ice cream, and I have to agree – the cinnamon and star anise which flavoured the pineapple were a great addition, and as it wasn’t too sweet, it didn’t end up sickly. Loved it!

Our friendly wait person told us that Banana Pudding was available that night instead of the usual Homemade Mango Pudding. I think my eyes probably lit up with glee.

Bananas have been expensive ever since Cyclone Yasi, the Queensland floods and Kimberley floods affected the main growing regions around the country. It’s been hard for a die-hard banana lover like me.

This pudding made up for all the months of missing my favourite fruit. The sweet wobbly pudding was strongly flavoured with banana, and also featured nice chunks of it. Not the gross artificial flavour of an essence though, instead this was the real deal. Underneath the generous layer of fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut curls, there was also a thick layer of rich chocolate ganache, which was a delicious addition (though totally unnecessary for this banana fan).

I loved the curry. And the pork rib bites. And the roti.

But I have to tell you, this dessert had me drooling for the rest of the night!

The food here is definitely pricier than the standard Malaysian take away favourites, but Ria has made some welcome changes to their food, service and presentation which set them apart from the rest. From the nice surroundings (no sticky plastic table cloths or melamine ware to be seen here) to that extra level of customer service (instead of the usual cursory grunt), and the care taken with the little details (decent wine list and dessert options).

It’s worth a visit if you’re a fan of Malaysian food, and particularly if you want the full experience, well packaged from entree to dessert.