Kopi Tiam, Panmure... sedap!

Hungry after a morning of vigorous climbing at Extreme Edge, Panmure, we drove to Queen's Road. It's a road in a slightly rough neighbourhood.. but gosh! the food to be had here is really really good. If you can look past the strip mall, discount stores and un-glamorous surrounds, you're in for a treat.

We knew that there were 3 Malaysian restaurants / cafes here and had already tried the famous Sri Puteri so we walked along in the blustery autumnal winds and found the other 2 side by side. Kopi Tiam (literally translated from Malay: coffee shop) with clear shop windows and a menu stuck on the door and Blossom Court - looking slightly more upmarket with tinted windows and no menu. Both looked like there were people inside.. hmm. How does one make a choice?

Kopi Tiam

After a moment's hesitation, Kopi Tiam won, as we quickly perused its menu and decided all the food offered sounded yum.

Once inside, you could be excused if you thought you were back in a typical little coffee shop in some backwater town in Malaysia. Small cafe, with 7 tables, all neatly covered with PVC over lacy tablecloth. On the walls, pictures Kuala Lumpur and a whiteboard with "today's specials". In the background, the radio chattering away in Cantonese (some talk show, as far as I could decipher). It was 1pm and there was a table tucking into curry chicken, fried kway teow (flat rice noodles) and other delicious smelling things I could not see without being impolite!

As we looked over the menu, a steady stream of regulars came in, ordered take-aways, exchanged banter and left. Service was quick, polite and efficient. Steaming pot of chinese tea arrived on the table with our menu. We ordered Assam Laksa and Marmite chicken with fried egg on steamed rice.

Marmite. Don't wrinkle up your nose! I know people either love it or hate it (especially if you have not grown up eating it). A sticky, savoury brown, nearly black paste made from yeast extract. I love it on buttery toast or with cheese... but we digress. Alone, the taste can be overpowering for some, but as an ingredient, it adds an extra dimension or "umami". Umami is a term derived from Japanese, which describes an added savoury taste, mouth-feel attributed to glutamate. My chicken came stirfried with onions, capsicums, (still nice and crunchy), all coated in a delicious black sweet, savoury sauce. Just the thing to eat with plain steamed jasmine rice. To top it off, a perfectly fried egg, whites slightly crunchy, but yolk still runny... ooooo.

Marmite chicken

The Assam Laksa (rice noodles in a sour, spicy fish soup) was a generous portion. The soup made from fish stock was very tasty, had plenty of flaked fish and enough assam (assam is also know as tamarind and the flesh of the fruit is often used in SE Asian cooking to impart a tangy sour dimension to dishes) to make it mouth-wateringly piquant. Just enough chilli to add heat, but not too much, and garnished with raw onion slices, julienned cucumber and fresh pineapple - it hit the spot. If only there was a spoonful of "hay ko" (fermented prawn paste) it would have been perfect!

We started with our respective dishes and swopped halfway in true greedy fashion - so that we had a chance to taste both. To add to our enjoyment, we asked for a little side plate of sambal belachan. Very well done it was, and this one had heat! Phew! Pedas! (hot).

Assam Laksa

Bill came to just over $22. Good food, unpretentious surroundings, friendly service. We'll definitely be back.

Kopi Tiam, 139 Queens Road, Panmure, Auckland.

Sal Rose - the real deal

Just before Christmas, we wanted to have dinner out, on a Saturday. Give the cook a break kind of dinner, tasty, but not expensive. Roamed the 'Net, wondering what category of food might fit the bill. Chinese? nah.. French?.. too complicated, too expensive.. Vietnamese? nice, but just had that last week. Difficult decisions. Finally fell back on old favourite - Italian food. Good neighbourhood restaurant sort of Italian food?.. decided to try Sal Rose, which is " Owner operated, Sal Rose is dedicated to bringing home-style Central and Southern Italian cuisine to the Auckland area. Sal Rose comes with a history of real Italian heritage and Grandma's recipes" Phoned them to make a reservation - just managed to squeeze ourselves in for 6.30pm table. (They are popular.)

Spaghetti con Polpette

Easy to get to, it's located in a residential neighbourhood, in a tiny strip mall next to a "4 Square" grocers store and a real estate agent. Plenty of free parking directly in front of the restaurant and in the adjacent car park.


By the time we arrived, plenty of tables were happily tucking into their food, mostly families.. mom, dad, grandparents, kids. Casual but not sloppy. Cosy diner style bench seats and tables to the right, halfwood panelling with white walls making it look less severe. Ceiling fans whirred lazily overhead, cooling the sultry evening air. On the left, and dividing the main dining area from an extension / covered patio, a well stocked bar running almost the entire length of the restaurant. The extension to which we were ushered by a very pleasant young man, had a more rustic feel - red brick wall on one side and quarry tiles underfoot. Might be a bit cold in winter, but I did note space heaters on one of the walls. Service was prompt, knowledgeable and friendly.


Once seated we looked eagerly over the menu (I confess we had already looked at it online before heading out) and decided on a pasta and a pizza. To assuage our growling stomachs, we ordered a portion of their home made bread which was fragrant, slightly dense and chewy...  proper bread. Not the airy sliced stuff. Served with roasted garlic and olive oil, it went well with a bottle of Italian red - which I can't remember the name of, we enjoyed it so much we didn't stop to take photos or notes!

Gorgonzola and Pear Pizza

In spite of a rather full house, food came quickly enough, my Spaghetti con Polpette lived up to the reputation of being "our famous meatballs and spaghetti in Rose's tomato sauce". The meatballs were juicy, exquisitely delicious (did they have a mix of pork and beef?), the tomato sauce was as red and luscious as you wanted it to be without being overly rich. Often the big test (IMHO) of a good Italian restaurant is how well they "do" staples. If they had had a Pomodoro e Basilico - and if I had 2 stomachs - I would have ordered that too. The pasta which was made on site (according to the website) was slightly softer than "al dente", but to me, that was perfect, as I have dental braces and tender teeth! My mouth is watering just thinking of this pasta.


Dining partner had a pizza, also very well made - a somewhat exotic Gorgonzola and Pear. Decadent was the best word to describe it. Tangy, salty blue cheese, sliced pear and toasted pine nuts on a pesto base. So very delicious. We ate. We ate for New Zealand. But the bread at the beginning did us in and we had to "take away" half the pizza. Unable to even think of dessert, we enjoyed the last drops of our vino rosso and pushing our stomachs ahead of us, waddled back to car and home.