Phone 03 9663 3006
***THIS RESTAURANT HAS NOW CLOSED***
Copper Chimney may not be the most atmospheric of venues, but what it does have is fabulously tasty food at damn cheap prices. The decor is functionally utilitarian – canteen style – with echo-y tiled floors, a long stainless steel bain marie, wood veneer tables and steel/ply chairs. Whilst it all sounds rather cold and serviceable, there is something inviting about the place; the smell of whole spices being tempered in hot oil and of curries simmering, and noodles and rices frying. Copper Chimney specialises in Indo-Asian food; that is, a mix of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian – Halal endorsed. It may seem an unusual mix for some, but it is not so unusual in many Asian countries where these cuisines tend to mesh in all manner of ways.
I have been for lunch a number of times, partaking in the $6.90 deal of two dishes (meat or veg) and rice. You get to choose from the extensive bain marie range, though this has a definite bias towards Indian cuisine (which I am certainly not complaining about!). But we decided to sample from the a la carte menu on a cold Sunday night, where the options expand to other cuisines.
Photographed above is a Hyderabadi chicken biryani ($6.90), which is an Indian form of the spicy Middle-Eastern / South Asian rice dish. It was served in cute copper pot with a side of cooling carrot raita. There was just a little bite of heat, but nothing too in your face. And the spice was just right.
EG went the chicken masala dosai, which is a huge South Indian rice pancake served with sambar and chutney. Dosai is usually made from fermented rice and/or lentil batter and is cooked with ghee, so it has a slight sourness about it (in a good way that is!). The chicken masala filling was tandoori style, with fried potato and onion. I have seen dosai at other restaurants that remain quite rigidly cylindrical. This version though came out a lil’ flat, though it was still relatively crunchy. I’m not sure whether the rigidity of the dosai is indicative of its quality. Anyone?
We all shared in the mee goreng, a mamak version of the Malaysian favourite. The hokkien noodles were dry-fried with spices, chicken, egg, tofu and vegetables. It wasn’t too oily either, which is the approach Copper Chimney appears to take with most of its dishes.
Lastly (well almost) was the Murtahaba Kambing – roti stuffed with minced lamb, onion, tomato, chilli, fresh egg and spices. It is fried on a hot plate and served as is, though we asked for an extra bowl of curry sauce on the side. The murtahaba was bloody fantastic, though having to wait close to forty minutes for it meant it bloody well should be. The roti was goood – flaky and buttery, with a generous filling.
Teh Tarik is a Malaysian tea made with condensed milk. But what sets it apart from regular tea is the preparation – the tea is poured from a container held high to container held low (and repeated ad infinitum) until it forms a frothy top, somewhat like a cappuccino. It is deliciously sweet and utterly drinkable.
It may not be somewhere you’d want to take a first date, but I’d happily eat here for a cheap and cheerful any day.
***THIS RESTAURANT HAS NOW CLOSED***
Fantastic – and so similar to the Friday night I just spent at Nila Junction in Brunswick! Now I wish the preparation of our teh tarik hadn’t been hidden away in the kichen.
Hiya cindy – I’m with you…the lentil doughnut at Nila would have been my choice too
Mmm, that dosai looks yum. I had a great one in KL last year folded into a huge cone – would love to find one as tasty here in Melbs! Want to try that mamak mee goreng too
Oh yeah, agreed. Only had a few meals here, but have enjoyed every single one of them!
I’m a real pain when it comes to ordering a chicken dish anywhere — in that I love chicken, prefer chicken, but won’t order it as you never know if it’ll be edible or not. Top points to this place – very nice chicken used in their dishes, and tastes great.
Hey mutemonkey – ooh, that cone looks amazing! I haven’t quite seen anything like that here yet, but if I do, I’ll be sure to post about it
Hi anna – I hate scungy chicken too. My pet hate is the use of chicken thigh for quick cook dishes. Thigh is okay when you cook the bejeesus out of it. Otherise, it is just horrid.
Teh Tarik, mamak mee goreng and murtabak is a must whenever I go back to Malaysia. Some places even serve Maggi Goreng, which is basically Mamak mee goreng fried with the Maggi Curry Instant Noodles and seasoning. Full of msg goodness. =D
Not sure what the measure of a good dosai is unfortunately. My old neighbour used to make some decent ones in the size of a dinner plate, crunchy on the edges but soft moist-ish in the middle. (Sorry, not a very good description of it, but the proper words seem to escape me today).
Hey ilingc – Maggi Goreng?!? That is too funny, and I must have it
You words re: the dosai make sense to me, and that pretty much expresses the dosai at Copper Chimney. It was softish in the middle where the filling sits. I want to go back and have the cheese and potato version.
Hi!
Is this particular restaurant still around? I’ll be heading to Melbourne soon.
Hi Serena – unfortunately it closed about six months ago. It has been replaced by a place called Spice Kitchen. I haven’t tried it yet, so I’m not sure if its any good. Is there a particular dish you were looking for?
Oh, that’s too bad. Do you know where else I can find Malaysian food. I’m from Malaysia, and I’ll be in Melbourne for 3 months. I’m scouting around for places offering Malaysian food in case I’m missing my country’s food.
There are a couple of places that you can look up. Try Sambal Kampung, Chatterbox, Laksa Me, Little Malaysia, Golden Orchid – to name just a few. They’re all in the CBD.