Peppermint Cafe Restaurant - Canberra

I couldn't believe that I had run into an authentic Malaysian restaurant in the heart of Manuka. Yeah, sure, Abell's Kopi Tiam and Timmy's are around the corner but their dishes just could not compare with Peppermint Cafe's. I had the nasi lemak rice cooked in coconut milk) - with deep friend anchovies and peanuts (yes, for those with allergies, not a place to eat), freshly diced cucumber, egg turned over easy and ... Most importantly - the "sambal" - which is the most essential part of nasi lemak - beautifully cooked and spicy - as it should be! I was in heaven! Big thumbs up from me for the authencity of Malaysian tasting food. I will be back to try other dishes soon. This was a chance encounter whilst I was playing PokrmonGo! Oh yes, Manuka has many pokestops and some unusual pokemons.

Long-time Canberrans would be very familiar with the Nyonya restaurant in Tuggeranong Hyperdome where stalwart chef Robert has been whipping up Malaysian Nyonya / Peranakan (Straits Chinese) delights for years. This cafe represents a fresh incarnation of those excellent Malaysian dishes -- cooked with joy and passion. The chicken rice is still the best in Canberra, and the Penang lobak (fried meat roll) distinctive. Wanting something spicy, we asked Robert to whip up "something", and he didn't disappoint with a fiery, tasty, squid dish with dried chillies and peppercorns. We'd be looking forward to many more meals at this space on Saturday lunches (a pity they don't do dinners). The bobochacha (yam, sweet potato & sago dessert) was a sweet ending to a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Located inside a small shopping mall, the café is a bit impersonal, but this is not off-putting. The café is open for traditional breakfasts and for lunch and dinner, with a Menu that while short is both interesting and hard to categorise. The description of dishes offered, at first sound very western, but on closer examination reveal some Asian twists that make then sound quite appealing - roast salmon with a miso coating is one example.The dishes we tried were all interesting and tasty, and different enough from direct equivalents to justify the chef's efforts to differentiate his café from his straight Western and Asian competitors. It is worth a try.

We asked for this brand new café/restaurant to be added to the Canberra list. We tried it two days after it opened, and we thought it had great potential. There were a couple of bumps, as one would expect in a brand new establishment, but the chef knows his stuff, and the serving staff a bit green but attentive and helpful. Menu was interesting because it sort of sounded western, but there were some intriguing Asian twists that added to its appeal. We had two entreés and two mains, and three of the dishes were excellent, but the fourth a bit of a dud. A good strike rate. Overall, worth trying, and quite good value for money.

Wow, this restaurant is amazing. The pancakes were incredibly delicious.