August - September 2015

119 146

119 Aug-Sep15
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
From the minute I was greeted
and ushered inside the cool
and calm interior of Mama San,
and presented with a cocktail
menu, I was won over. Being ludicrously
early, and therefore having to wait a
while for my friends to arrive, I took the
opportunity to sample the Coconut
Mojito – as good as it sounds!
Because we were dining in a group,
there was an opportunity to sample a
number of dishes and drinks, and also
to get a real feel for the atmosphere of
the place. We ordered a selection of
items from the regular dinner menu and
vegetarian menu, and also a couple of
specials from the birthday set. Mama
San’s menu features Asian dishes,
with influences from Chinese, Thai,
Indonesian, Cambodian and Vietnamese
cuisines – and it makes for some really
interesting and flavourful combinations.
As the only vegetarian in the group,
I was thrilled to see a separate vege
menu, and a creative one at that. The
vegetarian betel leaves with pomelo,
peanuts, coconut and lime was a
Mama San
46 Wyndham Street, Central
2881 8901 |
deliciously light starter, though the
carrot, green mango and coriander
salad was unexpectedly spicy. I also
tried the green curry with tofu, beans,
corn apple and eggplant – very nice.
Slow-cooked beetroot with garam
masala and grated paneer proved
popular, even amongst the meat-eaters.
Among my companions, the tuna
betel leaves with lemongrass, green
tomato, sambal matah and bumbu
pasih might have been a challenge
to pronounce but they were devoured
with gusto, as was the scallop ceviche
from the Raw Bar. While a starter of
Peking duck and shrimp salad failed to
make an impression, the slow-cooked
crispy pork belly with green papaya,
dried shrimp, apple, eggplant and black
vinegar caramel was one of the night’s
winners. Crispy whole snapper was
also cooked beautifully, with wild ginger,
turmeric, pineapple and tamarind giving
it a lovely sweet and spicy kick.
Even though none of us needed
dessert, we did feel we had to try the
lemongrass panacotta , and it was
really refreshing and light. I finished my
meal with the black sticky rice with
mango and coconut milk – a favourite
– and I was not disappointed.
My dining companions were as
impressed by the cocktails as I was,
and the wine list got the nod from a
particularly discerning oenophile.
The service at Mama Sanwas fantastic,
with genuinely friendly and enthusiastic
wait staff really adding to our enjoyment
of the evening. All around us there were
friends catching up, couples on date
nights, and others enjoying celebrations,
making it clear that it’s a great venue,
whatever the occasion.
Brooke Chenoweth
Stir-fried king
prawns with
Padang-style
sauce