PappaRich @ Chadstone Shopping Centre, Melbourne

Guess what? PappaRich has landed on Melbourne shores.

For those unfamiliar, PappaRich is all over Malaysia, a place where people hang out and have a quick bite in an air conditioned environment. The concept is pretty simple, they charge more than a hawker stall but less than a western cafe would for a meal and drink. They are everywhere, in suburbs and shopping centres and they open till late. It is one of those places where you can order a variety of Malay, Chinese and Indian under one roof at any time of the day. To me, PappaRich is a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none kind of an eatery.

So when they opened up in Melbourne, I wasn't really keen to join the massive queues until one day the Wife said we had to try. The craving for Malaysian food had obviously got to her.

We took a number, waited 20 minutes and sat down to a familiar looking menu, a menu that actually got me drooling. The drooling continues when you see roti being made fresh on the spot as well.

While latte may be my norm drink on a regular weekend, I can't go past a "cham" if I see one on the menu. A concoction of coffee, tea and condensed milk, this was good or simply a Malaysian who has been deprived of his Malaysian drinks.

If you have to order one item on the menu, it has to be their roti canai, make it the roti telur bawang (or the roti with egg and onions). Freshly made and cooked on order, this was very close to what you can get in Malaysia. Although for Malaysians who convert everything to local currency, you won't be happy to know that a plate of this will set you back $6.50 or a tad under RM20.

If you have gotten over paying RM20 for a roti telur bawang, my tip for you is to avoid paying over RM30+ for the nasi briyani with fried chicken. The chicken was pre-cooked which meant it didn't come out hot and crispy. The rice was just well rice and the sides of brinjal and prawns didn't do it for me.

The positive is the Ipoh Kuey Teow soup. It's good to know that you can get decent quality rice noodles in this part of town. Paired with chicken and prawn broth, it makes for a nice hot meal especially in the freezing winter we have been experiencing.


Overall, a good job. Now fingers crossed, if the quality remains as it is, I am sure I will fork out the occasional 6 bucks for a roti telur bawang when the craving hits.


Address and contact details:

Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. It's funny how I wouldn't really pop into a PappaRich in Malaysia but after the roti telur, I am willing to go back again and pay heaps more compared to the prices in Malaysia!