Rosalie Village keeps its best stuff quiet, and @ma_chim_brisbane is the proof.
It sits on Baroona Road in Paddington, a small cosy room that feels more like a neighbourhood joint than a restaurant. Exactly what you want after work, when you are done talking and just want to be fed. It is run by siblings Bowyo and Yew, cooking their mum's recipes, and you feel that.
We started big, and honestly I would come back for the entrées alone.
The chicken sanga and the fish taco both arrived looking a bit dry. They were anything but. The sanga is crumbed laab chicken on a soft bun, generous with the coriander, so if you are in the coriander hater camp then skip it. I am not. I loved it. The taco came with a chilli jam that was the sleeper hit of the night, sweet and sharp and just enough heat. I very nearly asked if I could buy a tub to take home.
The DIY duck pancakes were great. Crispy, tender and soft all in one wrap, savoury and sweet and fresh at the same time. Satay skewers were solid, and I definitely kept some of the satay sauce for the mains. A yuzu whiskey sour alongside, which was a smart bit of business.
Mains kept the run going. The massaman is rich and fragrant and deep, and you want the roti bread to mop it up. Prawn Thai fried rice was comfort in a bowl. Cashew nut stir fry with chicken brought crunchy nuts and tender chicken in a savoury, slightly sweet sauce that I kept going back to.
Service was warm, the way a local spot should be.
