PappaRich

With all PappaRich franchises there never seems to be a lack of customers. Tonight was the same for the Parramatta branch. Despite being a cold night, the line ran at least 10 deep and we too partook in the waiting game. To be honest, the turnover is amazingly rapid and long lines only induce hunger.

My friend had the Biryani Rice with Curry Chicken and Sambal Prawns. What I do love about PappaRich is their serving sizes. It's very generous especially for the price they charge. 

WifeOfSnackingBear went for their Pappa Special Nasi Goreng with Fried Chicken. I think the first thing we noticed was the egg... it was way overcooked. Nothing like the picture in the menu. The second thing was how artificial the rice looked in the menu as opposed to real life. The picture they provided is the one you would use to explain to someone who has never eaten fried rice in their life. I think the picture alone was enough deterrent to stop my friend from choosing the dish.

I'm glad the fried rice came out with such nice deep brown colours. It tasted full bodied as well and paired so well with the sambal and chicken. Despite the egg disaster, the dish was still satisfying. Best of all their sambal had a pretty mean kick to it so use it sparingly for those who are chilli shy.

I ordered their Roti Telur. It's essentially a roti filled with eggs and onion served with curry dipping sauce. Personally the roti here is okay but not as soft and fluffy or buttery as the ones at Mamak. Hence their lines are more ridonculous.

WifeOfSnackingBear had the Iced Barley on the left and I had the Cold Bandung with Grass Jelly on the right. I was surprised the Barley drink was actually quite refreshing and sweet. The Bandung had an aromatic rose taste that wasn't overpowering. It reminded me of my beloved Falooda because of the rose syrup. 

When ordering at Pappa Rich, you choose what you want in the menu and write down the matching code along with the quantity count. Then there's a buzzer on the table to get the waitresses attention. Personally I prefer this ordering system. The best thing is if you can manage to group your orders when you write it down, thats the exact same order it'll come out on the receipt... great for bill splitting.

I have to commend Pappa Rich on how fast their food actually comes out. Despite having such large turnovers and so many customers, they don't rush you to order or to finish.

One other thing that makes Pappa Rich stand out is how modern and clean an Asian eatery is. It has a nice vibe about it and you're not crammed in like cattle. The service also had some element of niceness to it as well. Which is always a welcome change.

In saying all that, that night I had gastro.... but was it Pappa Rich or the Max Brenner I had afterwards... who knows. I couldn't point out the culprit nor would I let that sour experience deter me from a revisit to either franchises.