THERE are restaurants which do very little takeaway because they focus heavily on the experience of dining.
There are others which offer a place to dine, but focus more heavily on quick service, lower prices and high turnover.
Either can produce great food and excellent service.
When we walked into Ma’s Recipe at Park Ridge, the manager apologised that duck had been taken from the menu because lockdown had put a hole in their budget.
It’s a sad reality when some foods are perishable and just won’t survive three days of
Criticise if you will, but the owner’s humility and honesty was just what you want in food – to find people who put their heart and soul into what they cook to the extent they’re devastated when they can’t provide a full experience.
After what Covid has done to many restaurant and cafe owners, it’s up to us to support those who are struggling.
You might argue that under the circumstances, the quality of the food doesn’t matter.
But nothing could be further from the truth. It matters to those who care most, and that’s the people who are cooking it.
Noodles at this restaurant and takeaway come with Ma’s special sauce, a soy blend which gives a salty base to the beef and vegetables.
A good sign of Asian noodles is when the beef almost melts in your mouth, thinly cut and sans gristle.
Plentiful in portion, the dish is just what the doctor ordered for a cool night.
Despite having touches of Chinese, Thai and other Asian flavours, the catch-all Asian menu is predominantly Vietnamese inspired, and the bao is fluffy and beautifully blended.
Fresh vegetables are cut with saltiness of a thin slice of slow-cooked pork belly. It might be only 3-4 mouthfuls, but it’s well worth starting a meal that way.
Entrees are generally built to whet the palate, and that’s exactly what the bao does, creating a smooth taste sensation that leads into the main course.
Another sign that you’re in for a good experience is when the owner or chef steer you in a particular direction.
They’ll identify what you’re looking for in your meal and ensure you’re satisfied. In this case, the chef felt we were after stark flavours and pointed us to the salt and pepper calamari as opposed to the snapper.
Mindful that all reviews are anonymous, this was a big tick. And for the cynics in the room, it wasn’t because there was something wrong with the fish. Rather, it was a sense that the light crumb in the calamari would provide a better pairing with the shared noodles.
Restaurants everywhere are doing it tough, and it’s true that only the best will survive.
Price point at Ma’s Recipes ranges from $15 for a deep bowl of noodles through to $22 for a generous portion of calamari. There are signature options in between, including a laksa they’re proud of.
Entrees are $7-$10, and while this might not be the cheapest meal around town, in Asian terms it meets “comfort food” requirements and is a hearty option.
