Berempah Malaysian Street Food

I would love to give Berempah 5stars. Eating in is usually very good. Takeaway is sadly a bit hit and miss. Before our current covid19 lockdown I would never have recommended the takeaway option. There seemed to be one quality for dine in and then the small, not so good takeaway version which was really disappointing. However, since lockdown and there not being a dine in option, they have upped their game and the takeaway is as good as the dine in. Definitely I will be ordering again. I just hope that things don’t revert back again down the line.

We had a pleasant Sunday evening here in mid December, and even though it was a hot and muggy night, it was pleasantly cool inside B.M.

Three of us dined and we shared a selection of dishes. First, a mixed entree plate with chicken skewers, a spring roll and a curry puff, and two serves of “roti canai”. The mixed entrees were tasty and fresh; a little small for the three of us, but given the overall reasonableness of the prices, we could easily have ordered two serves. The roti was one of the nicest I’ve ever tasted, it was soft and fluffy, easy to break up and share, and came with two spicy dipping sauces.

For mains, we chose a beef rendang, Malaysian-style fried chicken, a plate of green beans in soya sauce and a nice big bowl of steamed jasmine rice to go with it. The fried chicken pieces were crispy and succulent. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and smothered in a creamy coconut sauce, and the green beans were the perfect healthy accompaniment to the other meaty dishes. It was all delicious and flavoursome, and infused with those fragrant and aromatic Malay herbs and spices that we love so much. Dishes were nicely presented on colourful plates and bowls, whilst the entrees came on a neat little wooden serving board. Serving sizes were generous and we all enjoyed our meals.

Service was an absolute joy. We were warmly welcomed by the smiling, pretty maitre d and made to feel at home straightaway. Our order was quickly taken, and dishes came out at a steady clip, in the right order, with very little waiting time between dishes. That’s just the way I like it. Both the maitre d and her assistant were super friendly, polite and efficient.

I understand that B.M. is soon to move to new premises on Falcon Street in Crows Nest, so I guess that there’s not much point in talking about the ambience here. But for what it’s worth, it’s a small place, with a cool and relaxed vibe, with a stylish interior design; interesting montage of black and white pics on the back wall and a bottle arrangement with lots of greenery on the side walls. It’s all very modern and trendy, the kind of place you feel good to be in, rather than being stuck at home, slaving over a hot stove! 

And these guys have clearly built up a loyal following amongst the locals. We were the first to arrive at 6.15pm, but it soon filled up. Only problem with that though, was that as it filled up, so it became quite loud even though there were no rowdy or drunken diners. It’s just that the acoustics here are awful, There are no carpets or sound absorbers, and the wooden floors, tubular steel furniture and rather cramped arrangement with tables packed close to each other in a small room, all help to create a noisy atmosphere. I hope that they’ll improve things at the new place.

Toilets are easy to find, in the middle of the room. There are separate male and female cubicles, and they’re reasonably clean and well stocked, but small and a bit awkward to move around in. I guess, here too, the new place will hopefully see an improvement.

The menu is clearly laid out and easy to read, and there’s a specials sheet attached to a clipboard.

Prices are reasonable, and here’s also hoping that this doesn’t change too much, when they move to their new home in Feb 19, although I’m not hopeful. Judging by past experience of restaurants that have moved on to bigger and better premises in a more central location, prices tend to go up accordingly. But in any event, with our 25% Ent Book discount (up to a max $25) we paid a modest $60 for the mixed entree plate, two serves of roti canai, three mains and bowl of rice. Unfortunately, there’s no alcohol service, so best to bring your own if you want to imbibe.

Overall though, this is an excellent place. The food is fresh, tasty and full of flavour. Service is first class and the ambience is laid back and casual. There’s easy parking right outside on Willoughby Rd, or just around the corner in Frenchs Street. Negatives, of course, are the acoustics, and the lack of alcohol service, but still, I’m looking forward to visiting them in their new premises in Crows Nest in 2019.

A great place to go for Thai-Malaysian cuisine lovers. Highly recommended !👍🏻
Try their Roti canai, Ayam Berempah fried chicken, Crispy pork belly, Mee goreng, they're all good !

Have been twice to this little gem. Looks dark from the outside. Good value lunch time meals. Enjoy the mee goreng. Good to have a local Malaysian place

It was my first time at monkey king, after looking through the past reviews they have undergone a renovation which in my opinion looks more contemporary and inviting. The restaurant can accommodate about 30 people, fairly well spaced out. My only complaint is the lounge chair along the wall is a bit low which when sitting at the table makes the eating position a bit awkward. The food is delicious, good portion and reasonably priced. Combo meal available for additional $5 you can choose a entree dish such as fish cakes, spring rolls, curry puffs and a soft drink of your choice.

Great quality food, nice portions. Favourite was the Royal duck curry. We came during the opening specials, will come again.

Love this little place. Service is great. Curry puffs nice. Satay chicken great. Roti was amazing. Chicken laksa was also great. I would give this place a strong 5/5!