PappaRich

The Verdict

Whenever you have a hankering for flaky roti canai, slurpable noodles or a warming laksa, PappaRich is exactly where you need to go. It’s been a year since PappaRich landed in Auckland and it continues to serve up some of the best authentic Malaysian eats around.

Situated in Sky City Metro, just off Queen Street, PappaRich is a welcome haven from the hustle and bustle. The place is decked out in earthy tones and cosy booths, making it the perfect inner-city escape during the summer months (hellooo, air-conditioning!).

The absolute star of the show, however, is the menu. Pro tip: If you’re prone to indecision, you might want to leave it at the door—PappaRich has 160 items on their menu. That’s right, there’s a whopping 160 dishes, drinks, sweets and snacks to choose from. In other words, you’ll basically be in Malay foodie heaven!

To help you navigate the beast of a menu, PappaRich has broken it down into seven delicious categories. We recommend you start with the bread section (yep, a whole section dedicated to glorious bread). Kaya toast is basically the Malaysian breakfast food of champions and 100 per cent acceptable to devour at any time of the day. We’re talking thick-cut white toast served with lashings of butter and kaya jam—a mix of coconut milk, sugar and eggs. Trust us, you’ll be hooked.

If rice is your carb of choice, you’ll be pleased to hear that PappaRich’s rice game is more than strong. There are 17 delish rice dishes on offer—from nasi goreng and nasi lemak to biryani and a simple yet fragrant chicken rice—and it only makes sense that you make your way through them all, right?

And then there are the noodles! We’re talking big, steaming bowls of laksa, smoky char kuay teow and a moreish mee goreng.

No trip to PappaRich is complete without getting amongst their roti canai. Its freshly made with every order and you can watch the talented chefs work their magic through the open kitchen. The result is a flaky, doughy roti, perfect for dipping into curries (our pick is the beef rendang!) or sauces.

All that eating is thirsty work and luckily PappaRich has more than 40 (!) drinks for you to dive into. Try their world-famous white coffee, slurp on a milo or freshen up with a juice.

Even after all that food, we can’t say no to the epic dessert line-up. Banana fritters and ice cream are always a hit but the canai bom, a thick and sweet roti served with condensed milk and sugar is an absolute treat.

Whether you’re a Malaysian food addict or keen to get amongst this delicious cuisine, head straight to PappaRich—you won’t be disappointed. 

Image credit: Kellie Blizard