on thursday night at 7pm, rasa was packed - it is very clearly a popular malaysian / south indian restaurant.
walking in, apart from people and one lone available table (we had booked), we were met by warm smells of dinner plates being demolished and simmering pots from the kitchen, the noise of a dozen or so conversations, and an atmosphere of cosy chaos, that had been helped along by the red walls, amber lighting and odd malaysian nick-nacks on the walls.
service wasn’t slow. the menus were already on the table, and within a minute a young man was ready to take our order.
unfortunately for him, arrival at a restaurant does require a moment for settling into the dining environment with a little relaxed conversation for a few minutes before the menus are opened and thoughts descend to the stomach. the phase need not last more than a few minutes but it was a phase during which the young man returned at least twice.
the menu is not extensive but it contained the most popular traditional malaysian and some south indian dishes. the greater focus was, as to be expected, malaysian.
our group of five ordered a shared entrée platter to pacify the young man while we explored the mains.
after an interval measured in only a fraction of a glass of the byo pinot gris we had brought, the platters arrived. they were huge – unexpectedly generous.
lined up we found:
satay chicken skewers with peanut sauce: ok, not different from what you might expect. the home-made sauce was very good, nice texture and flavour.
curry puffs: good, dry flaky exteriors with a filling of kumara and spice. needed the moistening sauce accompaniment. would have again.
pan fried squid and prawns: enjoyed the squid texture - the sauce was very pleasant. would have again.
spring rolls, delicious, would definitely have again.
as the last crumb was being dipped into peanut sauce, the plates were swept away and the young man returned. we were ready for him.
masala dosa: a beautifully formed and cooked south indian dosa but the potato filling was rather sludgy and dull – i would have preferred something a little more textural with some flavour interest - the traditional incorporation of slightly crushed potatoes not completely mashed. the coconut chutney, sambar and tomato sambal were all ok, not spectacularly interesting but good. if i was having again i’d probably go for a different filling.
ikan panggang: malaysian gently spiced and perfectly cooked fish. possibly the highlight of the mains – this was delicious, i’d go back just for this.
goat curry: usually one of my favourite dishes at indian restaurants sufficiently interesting enough to serve it. unfortunately this wasn’t agoodone. rather (very) tough bits of some animal in an otherwise pleasant sauce. i couldn’t really get much in the way of goatiness. would have preferred a cut more suitable to long slow cooking. unpleasantly firm.
lamb biryani: nice gentle spices – agoodbiryani, but again the chunks of lamb were extremely tough (no i don’t wear dentures!). to be honest they were indistinguishable from the pieces of goat.
a chicken dish – i think it was ayam panggang. delicious, perfectly cooked chicken and lovely warm spices.
i’d personally recommend booking a table, taking a byo wine and having the entrée platter, ikan panggang and ayam panggang. i couldn’t recommend the goat.
the bill for two, of our party of five, was $75 (the wine was byo) which i think is verygoodvalue by any measure.
if i could, i’d give it a rating of 3.75, with a 4 if the cut for the goat curry and biryani was improved.
would definitely go back.