Mak’Indos Cafe, Victoria Park
We’re always on the look-out for places that sell nasi lemak. We discovered Mak’Indos Cafe at the Centro Shopping Centre in Victoria Park – the more shopping centres where you can buy nasi lemak, the better! It makes it so much easier to feed our regular nasi lemak cravings.
We each ordered the full-sized nasi lemak (AU$9.00). The rice was topped with fried shallots and surrounded by a piece of freshly fried chicken, telur balado (hard-boiled eggs deep-fried until golden brown on the outside, then covered in chilli sambal), ikan bilis (fried anchovies) and sliced cucumber. The anchovies were warm and crispy but there were barely any peanuts. The golden fried chicken was juicy and served popping hot – I’m pretty sure I burned my fingertips on it! I say this every time I write about nasi lemak – so far no restaurant’s coconut rice has tasted as “lemak” as my mum’s. I presume everyone whose mum cooks nasi lemak says the same!
Jac ordered teh tarik (AU$3.50). It was lovely and sweet but was missing the lightness and frothiness that comes from real pulled tea.
There’s a AU$4 nasi lemak bungkus special available too, a simpler, smaller takeaway version minus the chicken drumstick, wrapped in brown paper. Mak’Indos didn’t mind if you ordered the $4 version to dine-in – they simply served the brown paper package on a plate!
On the way out, I bought a curry puff. It was filled with potato curry – no meat, but tasted pretty good.
Mak’Indos is run by people who used to have the Indonesian Sarindo stall at Spencer Village Asian Food Hall in Thornlie. Given the bad publicity Spencer Village has had, it’s probably good that they made the break from the food hall. Judging by the steady trickle of customers, Vic Park shoppers and shopping centre staff are enjoying Mak’Indos food.
The nasi lemak is pretty good – not the best I’ve tasted, but good enough to satisfy a nasi lemak craving.
Mak’Indos Cafe
Halal Indo-Asian Cuisine
Shop 3, Centro Victoria Park (Shopping Centre)
Duncan St side, Victoria Park WA 6100
Telephone: (08) 9470 5656
Monday to Saturday for lunch 11am – 5pm; dinner 5pm – 8pm
Sunday 11am – 4pm
5% off for takeaway (dinner only)
For the record, Jac and I still eat at Spencer Village. The Fook Kee stall still makes the best siew mai (steamed pork dumplings) and lor mai kai (glutinous chicken rice) – better than most dim sum restaurants. And t’s one of the only places we know in Perth that sells chai tow kway, yong tow foo and chee cheong fun.