Rasa Sayang Restaurant

LOCATION
In the popular eating precinct Dickson.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
When walking past Rasa Sayang in Dickson, most people will notice one thing – the restaurant is full of diners enjoying a tasty meal, be it a Tuesday lunchtime or Saturday night. Restaurants are one of the most difficult small businesses to keep running and the fact that Rasa Sayang is celebrating its thirty-first birthday this year is proof that the owners are onto a winning combination – that is a great atmosphere, a mix of Malaysian and Chinese specialties and happy diners. Word of mouth alone has been responsible for hooking at least one generation of Canberrans on Rasa Sayang's cuisine.

The menu offers a good mix of dishes, but regular patrons are sure to have (and stick to) their favourites – perhaps the ayam siob; Malaysian crispy-skin chicken marinated with tamarind fruit juice, ginger, onions and coriander, then oven-baked and served with mild spicy tamarind sauce or pork baba; tender pieces of pork in a sweet and spicy sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. In addition to these, diners will find a large variety of choices including multiple sambal dishes, laksas, noodle and vegetarian choices as well as the requisite roti chanai. But be warned, the cosiness and popularity of the place mean that you should book ahead or make sure to arrive early in the evening. Alternatively, take-away is available.

Elizabeth Hall, July 2010