Ho Jiak – Strathfield

I first heard about this place on where else but Instagram. Since I am Malaysian by heritage I’m always keen to try out any restaurant/eatery which has any Malaysian sounding dishes in their menu. Ho Jiak meaning ‘delicious’ in hokkien (dialect spoken in Malaysia), I thought I must try this place out to put their name to the test.

It’s a small shop in the food court area of Strathfield plaza with limited seating inside. However we get there early and manage to grab a table inside.

There’s a large variety of Malaysian dishes and I want to try them all! Unfortunately my stomach space cannot handle all that goodness so I end up choosing the ‘Special Sauce Pork Rib’ with rice, ‘Penang Fried Koay Teow’ and ‘Roti Kosong’ which is roti with a side of curry sauce.

I’m a sucker for Fried Koay Teow, aka Char Koay Teow and this has got to be one of the better ones I’ve had in Sydney. There’s a little bit of a charred taste from the wok which is a good thing and reminds me of authentic Char Koay Teow from Penang (which is definitely a good thing). There is a little bit of spice as well and if that isn’t enough, they provide a small side of sambal to mix in. From this dish alone, I knew I would be back to try more. On a side note, you can pay an extra $3 and have duck egg mixed in with your noodles.

Char koay teow

The pork ribs are also a delight to eat. It’s lightly deep fried and covered in a sticky sweet and sour sauce. It’s a simple dish, served with white rice and a few pieces of cucumber and tomato. Not as much meat on the rib to my liking but the flavour (and Koay Teow) is still there.

Pork ribs

The roti comes last as it takes 10-15 minutes to prepare but you definitely want to save stomach space for this. It’s probably the most aesthetically simple dish but don’t let looks deceive you. It’s crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside which is what you want in a good roti. Pulls apart easily with chopsticks and allows you to dip it in the generous serving of curry sauce. It’s a winning combination and all three meals are definitely ‘Ho Jiak’.

Roti with curry sauce

This place definitely lives up to its name and I will be eating here again. The surrounding pictures of all their other dishes makes you want to order more and take it home to enjoy in your own comfort and I’d be lying if I said that’s not what I was thinking at the time. However the Laksa, Har Mee, Nasi Pataya, Combination Hor Fun, Hainan Chicken Rice and many other dishes will have to wait until next time.

What Would Lobi Eat? Everything in this place.

Ho Jiak

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