PappaRich, Chatswood

It seems as though queueing at new restaurants is the thing to do nowadays. PappaRich has been open in Chatswood for a couple of months now, but it seems as though the queues still haven't subsided and there's still a good forty-minute-or-so wait until you can get a table. Is it the novelty factor or is the food actually that good? A few friends and I decided to join the queue and find out...

PappaRich has a wide range of drinks that spans about 6 pages of the menu! We started with a Milo Dinosaur (definitely something for the Milo lovers out there), some soy milks and barley drinks, as well as a few iced teh tariks.

Iced teh tarik

Seeing as the drinks menu along is 6 pages, it shouldn't be a surprise that the rest of the menu is also quite extensive. Luckily, we were able to peruse the menu while we waited for a seat so that by the time we got a table, we were ready to order. Ordering is done by filling out a form that tells them the dish you want and the quantities, which is then handed over to one of the waitstaff when you are ready.

Roti canai with curry chicken

We're starving but thankfully the food comes out pretty quickly. We start with the roti canai which can be ordered by itself, with curry chicken or tandoori chicken. We opt for the curry chicken which is nicely spiced and comes with two or three pieces of chicken. The roti itself isn't as fluffy as Mamak's, but I also find it less oily as well and it stands up as a good base for mopping up the curry chicken sauce.

Hainan chicken rice

I was keen to try the Hainan chicken rice which had a dish of deboned silky smooth chicken and boiled bean sprouts alongside some chicken rice. The rice was a winner in my books as it was flavoursome without being overly oily. I can't say it's the best Hainan chicken I've had but it's a pretty good version that I would order again.

Char kway teow

Sadly the char kway teow is a disappointment. It looks great on the plate but the noodles are overcooked and squishy without retaining any bite. Despite having a good colour, there's a lack of 'wok hei' in the noodles.

Wat tan hor

The wat tan hor is much better in terms of wok hei, and the smokiness permeates into the gravy as well. This is a massive serving of noodles in an egg gravy with prawns and fish cake and some fried shallots on top for good measure.

Dry egg noodles with curry chicken

The dry egg noodles are not something I usually order but I'm pleasantly surprised when a friend orders it. It's got great flavour from the dark soy sauce and the curry and there's enough chicken pieces to go around.

Rota kaya

PappaRich also do a selection of desserts but tonight it's the roti kaya that's caught our eye. The roti is stuffed full of the coconut jam and it's an awesomely sweet end to the meal.

We had a few great dishes and some that were sub par, so I'm not 100% convinced it was worth the wait. But it seems like people are still queueing up for it so I guess they must be doing something right!

PappaRich
1/63A Archer St
Chatswood NSW 2067
Ph: +61 2 9411 3207
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday, 11am-9pm
Thursday to Friday, 11am-10pm
Saturday, 10am-10pm
Sunday, 10am-9pm


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