Some friends and I headed back to Papparich for dinner one weeknight. We got there at 6pm, however all diners must be present before a table is provided (I’m thinking that might only be the case on weekends). There was quite a queue from 6 and we only waited about 20 minutes after all diners had arrived before we got a table.
We ordered drinks for the extensive drinks menu.
I ordered the dry curry egg noodle with steamed chicken ($12.90). Initially, the waitress had forgotten to provide me with curry sauce and this came out a minute later in the little sauce bowl. I was disappointed by that as the dish is described as being a curry egg noodle so I assumed (incorrectly) that the noodles would be mixed with and sitting in a curry sauce. Instead, the dark sauce you see is a mix of soy/oyster sauces and I had to pour the small bowl (a few teaspoons) of curry sauce over the top. Still tasty but I couldn’t taste the curry as it got lost in the soy/oyster sauce. The chicken skin was so soft and delicious, and the chicken breast itself was moist too. Not the softest I’ve had but better than most places.
Food porn of my friends’ dishes
For dessert, I couldn’t go past the roti banana and vanilla ice cream ($8.90). The roti is made fresh on the premises and was crispy but soft and easy to pull apart. This was pretty filling especially after finishing off my main. I enjoyed this with the ice cream and banana. Fresh and yum! You get the option to upgrade to premium ice cream for a few dollars more.
My friend ordered the ‘ABC’, this looked different to what was shown in the menu picture but all elements were there. This is really just crushed up rose water ice with beans, lychee and ice cream. Great on hot days! I wish they did this with mango like Meet Fresh.
I headed back for round 3 the other day and ordered the Pappa Wat Tan Hor ($12.90) – combination flat noodles with egg gravy, 2 prawns, fish cakes, chicken slices and shallots. This was served in a large flattish bowl. Look at all that gravy sauce! I really enjoyed this. Only complaint is there weren’t enough noodles. The prawns were tasteless so they obviously had been cooked separately, thrown into the bowl and the gravy poured over the top. I’d still order this dish again and for $12.90, it’s pretty cheap!
I also had to order a new drink from the drinks menu. This time the ice blended soya milk bandung with grass jelly ($4.80 I think). Bandung is a popular drink of milk and rose syrup. Yum.
I think I will be going back to this place quite a lot. The food isn’t oh-my-god spectacular. I think it is a combination of the extensive menu, the fact that the menu photos are fantastic and drool-worthy, the cheap prices compared to other Asian restaurants, the fast ordering system and service, minimal wait times even though it’s clearly packed, and the fact that 90% of people eating there are Asian makes this place a winner. I also have this urgent desire to try out EVERYTHING on the menu at least once.
You can stand in queue and drool/decide what you want to eat by taking the big menus sitting on the front lectern or desks behind it. Happy eating!
