e would not be surprised to soon find queues snaking out the door of newly opened, Malaysian restaurant Mamak, just as they did from the original in Sydney some five years ago.

What began as a side project for Julian Lee, Alan Au and Clement Lee has now grown into a fulltime gig, with restaurants in Sydney’s Chinatown, Chatswood and now in Melbourne’s CBD.

While the owners do not come from foodie backgrounds, their passion for Malaysian cuisine (each hail from a Malaysian background) has quickly garnered a cult following. They traded in their corporate suits for the hectic lifestyle of restaurateurs and they couldn’t be happier.

So what sets Mamak apart from the plethora of other Malaysian restaurants in town? Quite simply, they refuse to compromise on taste, and when they speak of ‘spicy, bold flavours’ and ‘letting the food speak for itself’, you can be sure that what you see is what you get.

What Mamak’s menu lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality, with special emphasis on the roti, satays and traditional street eats made to order. The sweet roti that Mamak has come to be known for will also be on the menu – think tall cones of crisp, sweet roti filled with banana and ice cream.

With wooden tables and granite floors offering a city streetscape feel, Mamak is the kind of place you can head to any night of the week for casual dining with a bunch of buddies and a bottle of booze.

Mamak
366 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
(03) 9670 3137

mamak.com.au