Perth Voice Interactive

AS I ambled towards PappaRich I half-expected to see Anthony Bourdain pop out from an alleyway to bend me over and ram his spatula into my groin.

“Pollock, why are you reviewin’ a chain?!” he’d have yelled in New Yorkese.

I would have replied that a friend, a chef who’d spent time in Malaysia, reckons PappaRich is fantastic and insisted that I try it out.

After queuing outside the decidely posh Northbridge franchise we enter what can fairly be described as a Malaysian Dome, with virginal tiles and surgical-grade lighting (it’s not a place for a softly-lit amour). Noise seems to bounce off the ceramic with glee and it is some time before my ears adjust to the din.

As is often the case with Asian joints, the menu is a pictorial gallery, illustrating a range of traditional dishes, including roti canai, hainan bread, prawn mee and ice kacang. To order you jot down the code and stab a button that summons a staffer, who grabs the order and tears towards the kitchen.

Because I was hungry and ok, am slightly misanthropic, I appreciated the Kanban system, but some might find it impersonal — like submitting launch codes for a nuclear strike.

Looking around I was pleasantly surprised to find all staff appeared to be of Asian descent: call me old-fashioned but it adds to the authenticity.

After a few sips of my lychee soda ($4.90)—a refreshing burst of tart ice—the dishes started to pile onto the table.

My friend grinned and began to devour his nasi lemak beef rendang ($15.50). “It’s cooked to tender perfection in a rich coconut gravy,” he said, wiping viscous sauce from his chin. “The authentic accompaniments of roasted peanuts, cucumber, hot sambal, and ikan bilis [fried anchovies] are a nice touch.”

My steamed chicken ($14.50) arrived floating on a soy broth and was served with a traditional ginger, garlic and chilli dipping sauce. The keuy teow noodles were smoky and a nice alternative to the regular accompaniment of rice cooked in chicken broth that you usually get with hainanese chicken rice.

As I finished off my chook I looked up and saw — squinting through the biblical light — an effigy of a clean-cut man sipping tea. It was of Rich Tan, the founder who came up with the idea of transforming traditional coffee shops in Malaysia into dining outlets.

As I turned back around, my friend dived into the fried chicken skins ($6.90), prompting me to ask if he had ambulance cover. “Crispy, salty and delicious,” he grinned uncaringly. “The skins are going down a treat after a cold beer and are similar in flavour to American fried pork rinds.”

PappaRich is slick clean-cut fun. A good pit stop for some tasty Malaysian in the city. If this is the future of chain food, the future is looking good.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK

PappaRich
101 James St, Northbridge
http://www.papparich.net.au