Walked into Capital Market during the Easter weekend and noticed that a new food stall has opened up. Dapur Johor is a Malaysian eatery and makes their own roti after your order it. They have quite a few roti options and also have the typical rice and noodle dishes found in a Malaysian eatery menu and some normal Chinese items like Black Pepper Beef and Sweet and Sour Chicken (not Pork). I have been there a few times after Easter and here are some of my thoughts.
Chicken Nyonya Curry Laksa
Egg Vermicelli Noodles in Coconut Curry Soup, Topped with Chicken, Fish Cakes, Tofu, Boiled Eggs, Spring Onion, Crispy Shallots and Bean Sprouts
This looked packed with ingredients. However, I was disappointed with the raw shredded carrot as I didn’t think raw carrot would go with a curry laksa soup. Also, the chicken looked overcooked and very pale. Overall the laksa was good. I liked the flavour of the coconut soup but some shrimp paste, fish sauce or salt would have improved it. The egg noodles (which were not vermicelli) really nice, but the carrots didn’t work in the laksa. The chicken and tofu would have benefited being cooked in the coconut soup as they had no flavour. The spring onions, bean sprouts and the egg were good but I loved the crispy shallots in the laksa.
Mee Goreng
Malay Style Friend Egg Noddles with Beansprouts, Egg, Prawns, Fishbowls and Chicken
I was slightly surprised to see how small the serving was as I did see this dish pass me by while I was waiting to order and it seemed to have a lot more noodles on it compared to mine. Anyway, I was also surprised that there was lettuce on top and I do question that as a garnish. The dish as a whole was really good and would be one of my top 5 in Wellington. I loved the flavour in this dish and I loved the flavours that came directly from the wok. The added flavours used were sauce base, which I like better compared to the curry powder base flavours. I did like the bean sprouts, fried shallots, fishballs and chicken in the dish, but I think they could have added a bit more to give the dish more substance.
Chicken Rice
Chicken Rice served with Soy Coated Roast Chicken, Salads and Chicken Soup
This looked impressive when I picked it up. The main thing that surprised me was the generous amount of chilli sauce that came on the side. The chicken soup was alright but needed a bit more seasoning in it as it was overpowered from the fried shallots. The flavour in the chicken rice was really nice but was overcooked and too soggy for me. The fried chicken was really nice and had a nice seasoning and I loved adding the chilli sauce to it.
Roti Bread
I suppose this is a secret menu option as it is not on the board. The roti was made to order, which was fantastic. The roti was nice but not as flakey compared to other roti you get around town. The flavour was slightly more salty than sweet and didn’t quite go by itself and I think the roti here need to go with a sauce.
Overall, I love the freshly made roti. However, the food is good but missing a few elements to make it fantastic. Overall, I think the dishes need a bit more seasoning and not just salt. Some of the serving sizes are underwhelming and maybe paying a bit more to get a bigger serving would benefit.
Address: Capital Markets – 151 Willis St, Te Aro, Wellington
Facebook Page: Dapur Johor
Trencherman's Travels 