The arrival of Da Ma Restoran, another way of saying “Malaysia Street Restaurant”, is another concept attempting to bring some “authentic” Malaysian street hawker fare to us.
I mean there are already multiple Malaysia Boleh, Malaysia Chiak, Malaysian Food Street in Sentosa, and the coming Eat Alley at Orchard Gateway.
Of course, the more, the merrier?
Nestled in Summerview Hotel, a spot on Bencoolen Street near to Sim Lim Square, Da Ma Restoran is easily accessible by a short walk from Rochor.
By their own words, the café-eatery focuses on comforting and savoury tastes of Malaysian traditional street vendors, to transport your tastebuds into a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of the 1980s.
It is somewhat unassuming, despite the glass front and high footfall around. Call it a hidden gem if you will.
The menu concept tries to capture the essence of walking down a back-alley night market. Each section is affectionately named like its own hawker stall, complete with a name-brand and food item.
The brands include Traditional Hai Nan Coffee to KL ABC Mamak Restoran, Wei Kor Stir Fry, Bing Shu Noodles, Ipoh old-street Roast, and Lao You Handmade Dim Sum.
(Just a tiny feedback on the online menu which didn’t have numbers or alphabets, while customers had to write item numbers on the order chit. Do people even test out their own ordering systems before hand?)
Make an order at Roasts by Ah Zhong, where classic roast meats are prepared in-stall and served. Roasts are also offered as a Double Combo Rice ($9.80) or individually. Some may even prefer the Double Combo Kon Loh Mee ($9.80), which is much more savoury.
I had the Double Combo Wanton Mee ($9.80), comprising of honey glazed char siew and roasted crispy pork on top of wanton mee.
Initially I wasn’t expecting much due to the set-up, but the char siew was surprisingly tender matched with lip-smacking-good caramelisation.
It definitely had the taste of nostalgia, thanks to the dark soy sauce-based concoction that the noodles were tossed in. This was good.
However, when I paid a morning visit and wanted to try other items, many were unfortunately not available; and the service staff had a challenging time trying to settle food for hotel guests as well – their priority.
Lesson learnt: don’t go too early.
I had the Kopi Butter ($3.80) from Traditional Hai Nan Coffee, an old-timer that had a smooth mouthfeel.
Other drinks available included the timeless and fragrant Kopi O ($2.50), Kopi C ($2.80), and Teh ($2.80).
The Kaya Butter Toast ($4) was very much ordinary; while the Half-Boiled Eggs ($2.80) needed too long a time to arrive (more than half an hour), and so I had to cancel the order.
If available, you can try going for the Bing Shu Noodle Stall, where a hearty Curry Hor Fun with Roasted Crispy Pork ($8) is on offer.
Also notable is the KL ABC Mamak Restoran, which serves some Traditional Nasi Lemak ($8.80) and Maggie Goreng ($7.80). Wei Kor Stir Fry is another stall which has Char Kway Teow ($7.80) and Shrimp Egg Fried Rice ($8.80) as signatures.
The rather comprehensive repertoire is rounded off with Lao You Handmade Dim Sum, Penang Lucky Spring Pastry, Ah Bo Snacks.
Da Ma Restoran
Summerview Hotel Level 1, 173 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189642
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
Chin Mee Chin (Katong)
The Hainan Story (Hotel Boss)
Hawkers’ Street (ION Orchard)
3 Meals A Day 一日三餐 (Sim Lim)
The Coconut Club (Beach Road)
* Written by Daniel Ang and Dean Ang. Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
