We avoided the hustle and bustle of D’Penyetz & D’Cendol Burwood’s grand opening, only to land there a few months later during Ramadan, an equally peaky time.
The wait to order was a little bit longer than your average Asian restaurant on Burwood Road, but eventually we were greeted with the Iced Cendol Original ($5.90), a sweet, coconut milky drink which we did not love. The green wormy jellies on top, made of rice flour, had a mouthfeel and texture that was enjoyed even less than the drink itself. I am informed that this drink is quite popular in South East Asia, so perhaps it is just not for me and my partner’s East Asian-Australian palates.
We had the ayam penyet sambal mild ($12.90) and a more saucy version as well. Ever the lover of fried chicken, I can’t fault D’Penyetz’ rendition, though neither the fried nor saucy ones were as enjoyable as at ATL Ayam Tulang Lunak in Mascot. The side of fried tofu was fine, but I did not love the tempeh, which reminded me too much of natto, even though it did not taste as strong.
We rarely order fish out, but the ikan bakar aroma special (mild) ($25.90) caught our eye. It was moist and flavourful, with extra tanginess added by a liberal application of lemon wedge juice. Eating it felt like something my parents would approve of, ignoring for a moment that it was deep fried. This stood out to me more than the chicken, but was not reason enough for me to go back any time soon.
D’Penyetz & D’Cendol Burwood
183C Burwood Rd, Burwood NSW 2134
(02) 8526 0199