Ho Jiak – Malaysian Street Food

For the past month or so I’ve been having these extreme cravings for CKT (char kway teow) and all things savoury with “wok air”. So when I found out about this new Malaysian joint in Strathfield, I just had to check it out.

Ho Jiak, conveniently located inside Strathfield Plaza, takes inspiration from the hawker food stalls in the streets of Penang.  I visited the joint with Yan and Koentadi on a fiery summer day (35 degrees to be exact). Not the ideal time to eat laksa and such, I know; but hey, challenge accepted!

Our favorite dish was definitely the Hainanese chicken rice. Juicy, tender strips of white chicken served with a dome of chicken oil rice. Oh, that rice – so fluffy, so fragrant, so goood. Definitely one of the best I’ve had in Sydney.

The satay chicken was another favorite – perfectly charred and very flavorful, although a bit salty. We also tried the roti canai, laksa, and CKT. The laksa was delicious but a bit too spicy for our amateur palettes; sweat beads started forming on my forehead just three bites in and the warm weather of the day definitely did not help. The CKT, whilst flavorful with a generous amount of toppings, was a bit too burnt for my liking. Too much “wok air,” if there is such a thing?

In terms of drinks, the teh tarik and Michael Jackson (soy milk with grass jelly, ’cause it’s black and white. Get it? Ha ha ha ha ha) were both delicious and definitely helped douse that fire in my mouth after eating the laksa.

Overall I really enjoyed our meal and would definitely return if I’m in the area and craving some Malaysian street food!