Jalan Alor

The lovely Salsa Stefanie introduced me to Jalan Alor. It's one of her favourites and knowing that she knows her food, I was looking forward to trying it.

It's in an arcade off Bourke Street and looks quite café in nature with wooden stools and chairs painted pale blue. It's bright and airy with a painted floor. In spite of pretty pastel colours, the staff were a drab brown uniform which looks a little out of place but aesthetics aside, this rendezvous is about the tastebuds!

Stefanie is greeted by the owner and she says this is due to her unwavering custom! I leave it to her to take control and order.

We decide to share a few things:

• Hainanese chicken rice
• Char kway teow
• Water spinach with belacan
• Roti with chicken curry

They also offer a wide choice of Asian drinks such as the cendol and kacang. Not my thing but I'm sure many Malaysians will like this. Food comes quickly and the chicken rice arrives first. The rice is in three little scoops like balls of ice cream and the chicken and broth come in separate dishes. I'm pleased to say it's good chicken rice. The rice is flavoursome and the chicken soft and slippery.
The water spinach dish is full of belacan (shrimp paste) flavour and it's cooked well as it's not too watery and the veg isn't floating in a load of liquid as can be the case with water spinach.

The roti comes out piping hot, It's golden and flaky. It's quite thin but it tastes good with the curry sauce.

The char kway teow is pretty spicy. I find the noodles a little too mushy for my taste.

Service is friendly. Communication can be a little stilted as waitresses struggle with English a little but they are keen and friendly. Looking around at other diners there are lots of other things to try; soup noodles, Ipoh style rice noodles so I look forward to another visit.