File:Char kway teow - Old Town Kopitiam.jpg

We were quite excited to be able to try this new "Malaysian Cuisine" that appeared in Chinatown, especially after several false starts of it being [/photos/avlxyz/3118154414/in/set-72157611093877385/ closed for one-day renovations] a few days after its opening, and queues during lunchtime.

Maybe our expectations of it were too high, but our first impressions was that the coconut rice wasn't that "lemak". In other words, not rich enough in coconut milk and/or pandan leaves, or in their posh terminology, "pandanus". Aiya, call a pandan a pandan lah. The beef rendang was quite good, but wasn't that great. I think I prefer the rendang at Nelayan where the sauce is rich and unctuous. The sambal squid turned out quite well though, tender morsels of fat squid in a good tangy sambal. Julia failed the dish after tasting soggy peanuts and ikan bilis, the deep fried anchovies that are supposed to be crunchy.

Next came the "white coffee" that Old Town Kopitiam supposedly invented, so named after the White Cafe that was its birthplace, or so the story goes on the Old Town White Coffee website. One sip from both of us and our knowing glances at each other signalled, instant coffee. C'mon lah, brew the real stuff.

Our last dish was the Char Kuay Teow. They had ran out of blood cockles, or clams proclaimed the menu, even though it was a AUD2 addition to the dish. Authentic CKT comes with cockles. If you don't like it, exclude it, but perhaps in a nod to Western sensibilities, it is left out. Educate their palates I say. While the noodles and dish itself is not bad, with a faint whiff of smokiness from a hot wok, the noodles were thin, like Pad Thai noodles. Not entirely authentic, but not too bad either. And the prawns were decent sized.

The logo on the signage and menu suggests that it could be somehow related to Old Town White Coffee or Old Town Kopitiam in Malaysia. I should have asked a friendly waiter dressed in black, who i suspect might be the boss or shareholder. Then again, the service was very friendly overall.

Would we go back? Well, I'll at least give it a second chance for the [/photos/avlxyz/4313050123/ curry laksa], assam laksa, chicken curry, or the nasi goreng fried rice. I didn't even manage an Ice Kacang or Cendol. Both sold out, apparently.

Old Town Kopitiam Little Bourke St, Melbourne (previously Banana Palm, between Russell and Swanston Streets)

Photos: - [/photos/avlxyz/3118157168/in/set-72157611093877385/ White Kopi] - [/photos/avlxyz/3117329663/in/set-72157611093877385/ Char Kuay Teow] - AUD9. AUD2 extra for blood cockles. - [/photos/avlxyz/3102439596/in/set-72157611093877385/ Char Kuay Teow] - Jeff's iPhone - [/photos/avlxyz/3118156830/in/set-72157611093877385/ Old Town Kopitiam Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang and Sambal Squid] - AUD10 - [/photos/avlxyz/3118156344/in/set-72157611093877385/ Top view - Old Town Kopitiam Nasi Lemak with Beef Rendang and Sambal Squid] - AUD10 - [/photos/avlxyz/3117327803/in/set-72157611093877385/ Authentic sauces + trendy display] - [/photos/avlxyz/3117327465/in/set-72157611093877385/ Entrees and rice menu] - [/photos/avlxyz/3117326979/in/set-72157611093877385/ Dessert Menu] - [/photos/avlxyz/3117329961/in/set-72157611093877385/ Decor] - [/photos/avlxyz/3117328095/in/set-72157611093877385/ Dinnertime crowd] - [/photos/avlxyz/3101605603/in/set-72157611093877385/ Under construction]