We live in a cosmopolitan, digital age where traditions are eroding at an alarming pace. Ask any youngster on the street for their fav staple food and they’ll most likely say pizzas, pastas, fish & chips, burgers etc… In fact, most of us can whip up a pasta meal better than say, a ‘Bak Chok Mee’ or ‘Bak Chang’ (Rice Dumpling). What makes us truly Asians and how do these show from the food we eat? Asians are renowned for our work ethics – diligence, adaptability and entrepreneurial spirit. These traits can often be found in the signature dishes of good Asian cuisines and their street food (or more commonly known here as hawker food), is no exception.
Nothing like wood-panelled exterior to symbolise an old Asian homestead inviting you in for a hearty meal |
At PappaRich, these Asian traditions and values are preserved and translated into the food they serve. Whilst these ‘street food’ are now prepared in a different setting – under strict hygiene standards, air-conditioned comfort and served by a team of efficient staff, the PappaRich management takes a dedicated, hands-on approach from restaurant decor, staff training to food quality and sourcing for the freshest ingredients from different parts of Malaysia to preserve the authenticity of the heritage cuisines.
Warm and welcoming interior sets the tone for a nice meal with family and friends |
From traditional breakfast fare to delectable dinner dishes, every item from PappaRich’s extensive menu is prepared and served with pride. Take for example its Hainan Steamed Bread with Half Boiled Egg served with Homemade Kaya (coconut jam spread). This seems like an ordinary dish served at any coffee-shop but one taste and you’ll soon discover PappaRich’s is far more superior.
At PappaRich, only the finest organic rice flour and premium eggs are used to make the bread. They are then baked according to the traditional recipe and bread making process inherited from the Hainanese forefathers hence retaining its fluffy and soft texture. Served with a generous dollop of the Homemade Kaya, slurp it down with few mouthfuls of the semi-runny half-boiled eggs and you’re in breakfast heaven. It’s heartening to know that PappaRich pays attention to the littlest details – the ground pepper used to season the eggs are sourced all the way from Sarawak!
Premium omega eggs for the freshest taste |
Cooked in a temperature-controlled water-bath…perfect everytime! |
For lunch or dinner, diners are truly spoilt for choice. High on PappaRich’s chef recommendations are their Super Rich Combo and Pappa Curry Laksa. The former is an aromatic rice dish (inspired by Nasi Briyani) served with crispy chicken drumstick, tender braised beef, sambal sotong, potatoes , hard-boiled egg with okra and sambal by the side. A specially created dish for diners (like me) who simply cannot decide what to order so we can enjoy the best of everything. Using only high quality Basmati rice, every mouthful is rich in taste, texture and bursting with aromatic flavours.
Super Rich Combo…for the undecided who wants to have, well, everything! |
Succulent, sambal squid… |
If noodles are your preferred choice of mains, then try the Pappa Curry Laksa – commonly referred to as just ‘Laksa’ here in Singapore. This dish tingles your taste-buds with its spice-laden, thick creamy coconut curry gravy that wraps around each strand of noodle (typing this alone has made me hungry!). 10 different spices are used to make the soup base and some of these spices are sourced all the way from UK. The fish-stuffed ‘foo chok’ is freshly made and delivered daily. We’ve not eaten a Curry Laksa with such generous ingredients. It’s spicy, smooth and definitely ‘salivate-worthy’!
Red and Orange never looked so appealing… |
For this born and bred Penangite, PappaRich’s Assam Laksa transported me home sans the sweat and heat from having to eat at the roadside stalls. No chef worth its salt would dare to put this on their menu unless they are confident of replicating it. At every PappaRich outlet, the chef freshly makes the assam laksa stock from scratch 4-5 hours prior to opening, carefully deboning the Ikan Kembung (a type of Mackerel) for the broth. They are generous with their fish meat, ensuring that diners get some fish in every mouthful. I am pleased to have finally found a place for my Assam Laksa fix right here!
The one and only…Penang Assam Laksa. |
Perhaps the most famous of all Penang street food is the ubiquitous Char Kuay Teow. The version here at PappaRich is savory with generous portions of fresh prawns and cockles tossed in. The fresh Kuay Teow arrives weekly from Ipoh and the special chilli sauce created exclusively to accompany this dish gives it that extra ‘oomph’.
One bite of this and you’re in Penang! |
Penangnites love a good Chendol and the Chendol strips which goes into Pappa Chendol are freshly made from scratch (with no preservatives) hence the natural green colour. These soft, silky strips complement the perfect union of shaved ice, coconut milk and Gula Melaka from Malacca. There is a wide range of beverages to encourage diners to linger on and reminisce over the meal.
Desserts and drinks ends the PappaRich meal on a sweet note. |
Overall, dining at PappaRich feels like you’ve been invited to the home of a close kin or distant relative – where the environment is cosy, food is cooked with love using only the best ingredients; where no efforts are spared to serve a hearty meal that leaves you feeling all fuzzy and satiated. As Asians, there’s nothing like good street food to connect us to our roots. And PappaRich has found the right formula to do just that!
Hainanese Steamed Bread with ‘to-die-for’ Homemade Kaya – I would wake up for this! |
The strong PappaRich brand has now expanded to 100 outlets since its humble beginnings in Malaysia. The reach is as far as Singapore, Australia, China, Indonesia, with more new markets coming up.
5. OneKM (Tanjong Katong)* Opening Soon
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Ai Sakura says
looks soooo good!! I’m so hungry now haha
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Shermeen says
I dont’ know why I always thought that Papparich is an indian restuarant until I read this. LOL! Will head there soon!!!