I feel like over the last five years, as the growth of our liabilities and expenses has outpaced the growth in our income (thanks NSW), the contents of this blog has gone from a mix of Western and Asian cuisine at both luxurious and budget-conscious price points to a clear majority of Asian food at under $20 per person.
In keeping with this trend was our visit this morning to The Old Buddies 老伙記, a recently opened Malaysian-Chinese restaurant in Campsie. The premises are small with only a few tables on the inside, and a few tables for alfresco dining on th eoutside (though I’ve never heard it called that for this kind of local, hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant). We were greeted in Mandarin and therefore felt the need to order in a mixture of broken Chinese and pointing, thought it later became clear that English would have been absolutely fine, as was Cantonese (the lady working there called me 靚仔 (leng zai), which I’m very proud of).
We had the Crispy Nam Yu Pork with Curry Noodles ($18.80) based on an (accurate) online recommendation. Provided was an excellent bowl of curry mee with a rich and warming soup, a mixture of egg and rice noodles, and nice variety of toppings. The namyu pork was lightly crispy on the outside and richly fatty and melty on the inside.
The pork, imbued wiht a umami red fermented tofu flavour, was sliced thinly to ensure a maximal number of mouthfuls that could have pork involved, a worthy strategy to minimise quantity of pork whilst maintaining frequency.of enjoyment. Other toppings in the bowl included egg with embedded fish paste (yummy, and not something we’ve had before), and bean sprouts.
Our other choice was the Signature Nasi Lemak with Crispy Belacan Chicken ($15). This nasi lemak, whilst fine, was not as excellent as the curry noodles. The chicken, lightly seasoned and deep fried, came as 3 drumettes, which was not extremely clear from the photo. The eggs were hardboiled with chalky yellow yolks rather than the soft boiled yolks in the menu photo, and though the meal was overall fine it didn’t have enough factors that set it out from every other nasi lemak out there. Appropriate props should be given, however, for the unlimited self serve sambal and hainanese chicken chilli sauce.
Overall
The Old Buddies 老伙記 is a welcome addition to the Malaysian food scene in Campsie, a suburb in which I no longer live. The nam yu pork curry noodles were absolutely excellent, though I’m yet to find a second item that is worth eating (other online reviewers weren’t as impressed by the roti canai nor the char kway teow). The restaurant offers a braised pork rice dish only on some days (the owner said to follow the Instagram to find out when it’s available), as well as allegedly Sydney’s only yong tau foo (tofu and veggies stuffed with fish paste), so these are potential reasons to return.
They’re open from 5AM Mon-Sat and 7AM Sundays, which may seem unusual at first but is kind of in keeping with a bunch of other Chinese and Malaysian restuarants in the area, catering to a workforce that gets up early, has a meal near home, and goes elsewhere to do their job.
The Old Buddies 老伙記
5/2-16 Anglo Rd, Campsie NSW 2194
