PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAOne of Lane Cove’s most sumptuously saucy dishes is hidden up an inconspicuous flight of stairs in a nondescript arcade. It’s the curry Queensland mud crab, the creation of Kuali chef John Poh. Order up his signature feast and a prime specimen is brought to the table; big, meaty claws visible under a fragrant, molten smothering of luxurious curry sauce. Crack open the carapace and the flesh reveals itself to be sweet, succulent and perfectly cooked. This is the kind of crab dish worth getting your fingers messy for, worth sucking and scraping every last morsel out of the shell. Simply divine.
Of course, there’s more to Kuali than curried crustaceans. The large, bright dining room is decorated with photographic murals of white sand Malaysian beaches and glittering city skylines, and the menu too, is suitably evocative. There are some contemporary touches on the specials board, but Kuali strives mainly for authentic Malaysian flavours, and usually hits the mark. Go for the rousing, herbal chilli hit of the otak otak (mackerel mousse in banana leaf) and the sticky, flavourful char kway teow (rice noodles with prawns, fish cakes and bean sprouts). Those uninitiated with Asian-style desserts might be pleasantly surprised by the sago gula melaka. Soft, wobbly sago pearls with caramelised palm sugar sauce are addictively sweet and wonderfully refreshing.
Fiona Davies, January 2008