Jonker Walk

Across the Pyrmont Bridge and up along Murray Street resides Jonker Walk; a Malaysian restaurant aptly named after the Jonker Walk in Malaysia. 

It appeared to be a pretty standard family-run restaurant when we stepped inside. There were some neon fairy lights and balloons used as a way to brighten the place without breaking the budget. 

Our waitress showed us to our table. We looked through the menu and took in our surroundings. Jonker Walk has a good mix of table sizes to cater for a variety of patrons; from couples to larger 'banquet style' groups.

We placed our order and before long our entrées were served. 

Roti Canai Curry Chicken with Condensed Milk and Coconut Paste

A great starter! Jonker's Roti Canai curry chicken is made for sharing. Tender, slow cooked chicken slid cleanly off the bone as we cut, releasing some fragrant spices which made our mouths water. 

The roti was nice and fluffy. The roti-to-chicken ratio was practically flawless. We had enough roti to bundle up tender bite-sized pieces of curry chicken for the entire portion. 

There was a bit of heat to the dish, which you could quell with the accompanying coconut paste or condensed milk. There wasn't anything special about the latter, but we found the coconut paste really enjoyable. Its strong coconut flavour really pegged the dish to South East Asia and was enjoyed on its own when we were finished with our chicken and roti. 

Satay Chicken Skewers

Our second entree quickly followed the first - a pile of six skewers with a satay sauce. The skewers were juicy with a nice crispy edge, reminding us of the kind of BBQ skewers you find in markets and street vendors. The satay sauce  had a noticeable kick at the end of each mouthful which we enjoyed.

There were also crunchy pieces of peanuts scattered throughout the sauce that reinforced its overall satay flavour. We also liked that the sauce was served on the side intended for dipping, rather than it being slathered over the skewers - this allowed us to decide how much sauce we wanted in each bite. 

Salt & Pepper Crab

The moment we were waiting for arrived - our crab course!

An imposing behemoth crustacean perched on an aesthetic plate greeted us. We noticed the chef had prepared the crab into sections for easy eating, then re-arranged it all back together for striking visual effect. 

We ordered an off-menu salt and pepper style due to our guest's chilli allergy. We found it really enjoyable! The coating (which we discovered was made with garlic powder and butter) was light, allowing the crab’s freshness to speak for itself. Despite being used sparingly, the flavours still helped to add an extra dimension to the crab’s profile; the garlic powder added some crust to the crustaceans coating while the butter lent some smooth creaminess that diffused into the crab meat itself. Besides, who doesn't love garlic and butter?

We were actually quite surprised with the quality of Jonker Walk’s crab. Whilst the little restaurant might not have the grandeur or notoriety as other crab houses, it holds its own on the quality front and did not disappoint!

Jonker Pork Ribs

Our last course came to the table - Jonker pork ribs. The ribs were coated in a glaze similar to sweet & sour but had a light chilli kick to round out its flavour. They were slightly on the dry side, however the sauce concealed this setback. We still licked our fingers clean when we finished!

For us, Jonker Walk’s star are their crustaceans. Some of their other dishes are nice, however what would draw us back are the prospect of crabs and beers. 

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Written by Lachlan Munings (@mister_eats) 

@the.eatventures

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