Nanyang Tea Club is located on the top floor of Market City in Sydney’s Chinatown center. The term “Nanyang” is a Chinese reference to the Southeast Asia region. A tea club was traditionally a place where people gather to socialize. An array of small plates of food were served with tea during these social gatherings.
The restaurant’s decor and ambiance are definitely in line with this theme: the lighting, the round marble stools, and the rickshaw at the entrance. The waiters also spoke in a very familiar Malaysian accent.
After perusing the exceptionally eclectic menu, I settled upon 3 choices: the Nasi Kerabu (Coconut Blue Rice), Hainanese Chicken Rice, and Moonlight Hor Fun.
Coconut Blue Rice (Nasi Kerabu)
Nasi Kerabu is a traditional east coast Malaysian dish consisting of blue-colored rice served with salted eggs, fish crackers, spiced sauces, and curry. The blue in the rice is natural and comes from the butterfly pea flowers used during the cooking process. This is one of their flagship dishes, and it’s not hard to see why; it tasted delicious. I could also tell that the chef must be Malaysian or has experience cooking Malaysian cuisine as the taste of the curry chicken served on the side was spot on.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
The Hainanese Chicken Rice is probably the dish that most would recognize on the menu. The steamed chicken is served with chicken soup, chili, ginger, and dark soy sauce. What makes the Nanyang Tea club chicken rice stand out is that the rice is served in balls. This is an authentic tradition that has somehow been lost over the years as chicken rice gained mainstream popularity. I last remember having chicken rice balls in a small Malaysian town Seremban as a child. Needless to say, I was impressed with both the presentation and taste of this dish.
Moonlight Hor Fun
Every Malaysian has a list of food they crave or wish to have whenever they get a chance to travel back home. For me, Hor Fun (wet egg noodles) is always high on the list. Hor Fun consists of thick rice noodles first wok-fried till it’s slightly burnt before adding an array of meats, vegetables, and sauces to the process. The pièce de résistance, so to speak, is the final step where an egg is thrown in to thicken up the sauce, thus giving the dish its namesake. The “wok hei” (i.e., the signature caramel flavor) here was strong, a sure sign of authenticity. Definitely, something I would go back for again.
There are many choices for Malaysian cuisine in Sydney Chinatown; however, Nanyang definitely makes a strong case as to why it should be at the top of your to-try list next time you’re in the area.
Restaurant: Nanyang Tea Club
Locations: Shop 3.11/9-13 Hay St, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia
Menu – https://nanyangteaclub.com.au/menu
Bookings – Here or call +61292818787
Enjoy reviews like this? Subscribe to my newsletter and get the latest reviews sent to your inbox
