Mamak, Chatswood - A revisit

I've been to Mamak many times over the years. The menu has never changed. I go back to see if the food is as good as I remembered. Check out my last visit in 2017 in this blog post. 

So with covid-19 social distancing rules in place and a requirement to have 1 person per 4sqm, there are obviously less tables at Mamak so I make a point of trying to arrive there early. I am able to get a table straight away but I do see a small line forming in the subsequent 20 minutes.

You can't go to Mamak without ordering a roti. It's a signature that's always captured my tastebuds' heart. I've tried all the rotis on the menu over the years and my favourite is the Roti Planta ($9 aka the Butter Roti) followed by the Original Roti Canai (fluffy and light on the inside, crispy on the outside). Today Mr Weekend Food Escapes and I share the Roti Planta.

The Roti is served up with a side of sambal sauce and two mild curries. The Roti Planta is just as I remembered, fluffy, light and delightful as it reaches my mouth. I like to mix a small portion of sambal and two curries on the roti in one and then enjoy the all the flavours in one bite.

Today, I decide to order a noodle dish off Mamak's menu called "Maggi Goreng" ($15).  This dish has a spicy wok-tossed maggi noodles with egg, prawns, fish cake slices and bean sprouts. There's also fresh cucumber and tomato. The noodles are full of flavour but fused with garlic, onion and a  spicy sauce. I enjoy combining sliced fish cake with the noodles into my mouth and when there's a particularly spicy bite, I enjoy the cucumber as an instant reliever.

Mr Weekend Food Escapes has a shell-fish allergy so he is often confined to what he can order at Mamak. He orders the dozen of satay sticks (12 for $24) which you can choose of chicken or beef or a mix of both. The skewers are served up with a delicious mildly spicy satay sauce and a side of onions and cucumber. We also order a side of rice ($3). The spicy satay sauce is just as I remembered - chunky, full of peanut and spicy flavours with a hit of garlic. I enjoy the chicken satay sticks more so than the beef. The cucumber is a nice relief although I decide to preserve my breath and avoid the raw onions on this occasion. 

Summary: Overall, my Mamak experience was consistent with my previous visits in terms of quality of food, taste and customer service.  I always recommend the roti and I quite liked the chicken satay sticks. 

Price: $20-30ish per person

Location: 1-5 Railway Parade, Chatswood

Opening Hours: 
Sunday, Monday to Wednesday 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30 to 8:30pm

Thursday 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30 to 9pm
Friday and Saturday  11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30 to 9:30pm