Hubby and I celebrated our anniversary a couple of weeks ago, and given the current lockdown status in Melbourne, we didn't have a choice but to celebrate our anniversary at home with our kids. I ordered in some Malaysian food from
Colonial Cafe based on recommendations by my sister who had ordered from them recently, and we enjoyed the food for both lunch and dinner on our anniversary date. Contacting the business to order was easy via the
Facebook page, and response time was quick. During the Covid-19 lockdown, Colonial Cafe delivers to further suburbs on certain weeks (announced on their Facebook page), but we live close enough to be able to order for next-day delivery. The food was delivered chilled, and I was happy to reheat the dishes for my own peace of mind. We all enjoyed the food, and we found the quality didn't suffer too much with the delivery option. Flavour-wise, this is as authentic as Malaysian food outside of Malaysia can be. The Nonya
kueh (cakes) I ordered were also pretty good. I can see why my sister and cousins enjoy ordering from Colonial Cafe.
The whole haul, enough to feed a family of five for two meals:
Wonton mee (AU$7.50), a clear favourite with the kids. We only wish there were more than two dumplings:
Char Koay Kak (AU$8). These stir-fried rice cake cubes resemble one of my all-time favourite chai tau kueh (stir-fried radish cakes), but with a firmer texture. I found this a bit too salty, but otherwise it's a tasty dish:
Mee rebus (AU$8.50). I remember buying mee rebus from the school canteen when I was young (only occasionally, as my parents always packed food for us to bring to school, and I really didn't hold much money at that age), and this dish holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. This version from Colonial Cafe was delicious:
Nasi Lemak (AU$8.80). The ikan bilis (fried anchovies) were no longer crunchy, and the rice wasn't as fragrant with coconut milk as it should be, but the sambal was excellent and the fried chicken was a delicious accompaniment:
The chicken rice (AU$8.80) is one of the best dishes in the order. Rice was fragrant and rich with chicken flavours, and the chicken pieces were tender and flavoursome:
Curry puff (AU$3.50). Beautiful flaky pastry and delicious filling. For that price though, it would have been nice to have some protein (like a quarter of a boiled egg, or some chicken pieces, or some beef mince) in the filling:
Kueh ketayap aka kueh dadar (AU$6). This is one of hubby's all-time favourite Nonya kuehs, and this version didn't disappoint.:
Kueh lapis (AU$6) - the kids enjoyed peeling this kueh to eat it layer-by-layer (just as I did when I was young, and in fact I still do even now whenever I get my hands on kueh lapis!):
Kueh Seri Muka (AU$5.50). This is one of the classics that I always buy whenever I see it - I love how the smooth pandan custard layer pairs so well with the sticky glutinous rice base rich with coconut milk. This one was pretty good:
Kueh onde ondeAU$5.50 - another of hubby's favourite because of the copious amount of dessicated coconut and gula melaka (palm sugar) in such a tiny ball. This was delicious:
There were a few more items in my order not pictured above. The rice dumplings were ok, the nasi lemak bungkus was delicious, and the
lo mai gai was another family favourite. All in all, we were satisfied with the quality and flavour of the food from Colonial Cafe.
Colonial Cafe
Located inside Colonial Fresh Market
Ground floor Westfield shopping centre
619 Doncaster Road
Doncaster VIC 3078
Australia
Tel. 0401 862 638
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