Dining at Albee’s Kitchen has somewhat become a weekly ritual since we discovered this little gem in May this year. Located in Campsie on the southern end of Beamish Street at number 282, Albee’s is definitely the best, and most authentic Malaysian restaurant I have tried in Sydney so far. However, let me clarify that the food at Albee’s leans more towards the Malaysian style of Hakka, Hokkien, Hainanese and slightly Cantonese style of Malaysian cooking – In other words, Nyonya-style Malaysian cooking or Straits-Chinese.
The exterior of Albee's - They have quite an array of photos which definitely helps the decision-making process while waiting for a table!
As Malaysia is a country with a very diverse culture, Malaysian food doesn’t necessarily mean Rendang, Goat Curry and Roti Canai. There are three main types of Malaysian food that I’d like to specify – Malay, Malay-Chinese and Malay-Indian. These three styles of Malaysian food represent the three main cultures in Malaysia. But having said that we cannot forget the various other ethnic foods from other cultures and tribes in Malaysia as well.
Albee’s Kitchen is a small, family run business. The ambience at Albee’s is nothing to write home about – it’s relatively cramped, and expect to share a table with other patrons. They do have a more private dining area out the back – usually reserved for larger groups or really desperate customers! The setting actually reminds me of a typical Malaysian canteen.
The ambience at Albee’s never bothers me – when the food arrives I’m pretty much in heaven! And the food never dissappoints either- Another amazing fact about Albee’s food is the price. Mains range from $7.50 – $28, and the portions are astronomical. We always end up with leftovers and doggy bags without fail! Otto has a collection of Albee’s leftovers in takeaway containers in his freezer. Definitely good value for money!
The customer service at Albee’s is great too. I got a bit friendly with one of the ladies who works there, and we usually have a little banter in Mandarin – she’s got a rather comical sense of humour. During one visit with Otto, as we were paying at the counter she said to me in Mandarin, “I notice you guys always split the bill. Is he not your boyfriend?” – That comment had me in stitches. Enough said.
My three favourite dishes at Albee’s is their Hainanese Chicken Rice and their Fish Head Curry and Asam Pedas Fish Head Curry (Hot and Sour). As I am a regular at Albee’s, you can be sure that this post will become bigger over the months!
Sambal Belacan Eggplant - Eggplant stir-fried in Albee's famous sambal belacan sauce. Belacan is a paste made out of fermented shrimps and has a very strong aroma and flavour. This dish also has a generous helping of chillies giving it that extra kick. A tad oily, but still deelish!
Prawns and Petai (Abacus beans) stir fried in spicy chilli sauce. Abacus beans grow in a very long and narrow pod very similar to sea beans and is quite bitter. You'd like this if you're a fan of bitter gourd. This is a popular Nyonya-style dish or Straits-Chinese, meaning West-Malaysian-Chinese.
The original Fish Head Curry - This version has a thick curry sauce that has a Malay-Indian influence. As you can see this is a pretty hefty dish and can easily feed 4 people! The fish head is cut into smaller portions and is served with okra, eggplant and fried tofu. Strong, rich and spicy just the way a good fish head curry should be. Also served in a claypot which contains alot of the heat. I highly recommend this!
Penang-style deep fried crispy fish with sweet sauce - This is awesome. The fish is very crispy on the outside, yet the flesh is tender. The sauce tastes like it is a combination of XO sauce, plum sauce and dark soy sauce. It's very sweet, and has a generous helping of fresh chopped birds eye chillies and shallots. Very fresh and tangy!
Stir-fried Long Beans with Spicy Belacan sauce - One of my favourites. The beans are firstly deep fried, then re-fried with fermented shrimp paste (Belacan), fresh birds-eye chillies and onions. Not the healthiest, but heh! It's too delicious to consider the health repercussions.
Asam-Pedas Fish Head Curry / Hot and Sour Fish Head Curry - This is the other version of fish head curry available at Albee's. This version is cooked in a spicy tamarind, tomato and chilli-based curry sauce and is also served with okra, eggplant and fried tofu with a dash of raw Spanish onions. This version tastes quite different from the original fish head curry and is slightly sweet from the tomatoes and sour from the tamarind they use in this dish. Hits the spot each time! Highly recommended!
One of the best parts of the fish head - The eyeballs! The eyes have a soft and fishy jelly-like texture and is considered a delicacy. Not for the faint-hearted! But then again, you should give this a go. It's delicious contrary to infamous hear-say.
Another close-up of the fish eye - Check out the gelatinous texture! Just be careful not to bite into the hard bit of eyeball in the centre, you could hurt your teeth.
Otto about to savour that succulent piece of fish eye. That's the first thing he searches for in the curry before he eats anything else.
Malay-style fried glutinous (sticky) rice - Not your typical fried rice dish! This version uses glutinous rice which is sweeter, starchier and has a stickier texture than normal rice. This dish is fried with egg, chicken, prawns, Chinese sweet sausage, shallots, peanuts and dark soy sauce. Definitely a richer version of the regular fried rice!
Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang - Albee's have a few versions of Nasi Lemak. They have Nasi Lemak served with either Prawn Sambal, Beef Rendang or Chicken Rendang. Quite authentic but I prefer the coconut rice to be cooked with turmeric as well!
Crispy fish with Asam Sauce - Like the Penang-style fish, this one is also deep fried before the sauce gets poured over the top. The sauce for this dish is a combination of Tamarind paste, tomatoes and chilli. It tastes quite similar to sweet and sour fish but has a stronger Tamarind flavour. The way this dish is prepared at Albee's is exactly how it's done in my family! Totally brings back fond memories from my childhood.
Spicy Sambal Prawns cooked in a tangy sweet sauce with lots of fresh chillies - This dish also has a hint of some Belacan (shrimp paste) in the mix.
Also known as the 'Four Treasure' dish, this four-bean stir fry is a combination of okra, snake beans, abacus beans and snow peas stir-fried in a Belacan (shrimp paste), birds eye chilli and onion sauce.
Albee's latest addition to their fish head curry range - The Nyonya fish head curry. It's a cross between the original and the asam version. The Nyona fish head curry tastes quite similar to a richer version of laksa with extra tomatoes and also comes with the usual okra, eggplant and fried tofu.
One of the star dishes at Albee's: Their Hainanese steamed chicken. They've got the authenticity of this dish down to a T, and tastes exactly like how my grandma would cook it back home. Of course, they also serve the original Hainanese rice simmered in chicken goodness upon request!