WHY CHOOSE THIS RESTAURANT?

The Left Bank, when viewed quickly, can seem nothing more than a dilapidated walkway but spend some time and you will see a cobbled side street teeming with mismatched furniture from the cafés and restaurants that pour out onto it. Tucked halfway down you will find Macha, Jom Tapau! To sit out here and eat this quality of Malaysian food feels just so right.

ABOUT THE CHEF

Muthuvelu Supramaniam came to Aotearoa on holiday twenty years ago and very quickly decided this was the place for him. Already a successful restaurateur in Malaysia, he gave it all up to pursue his dream of cooking Malaysian food here. Landing first in Nelson, he worked his way around a number of established Wellington restaurants before opening Konama Kopi Kadai in Kilbirnie in 2020. He sold that first restaurant in 2024, but he could not be kept out of the kitchen – returning in 2025 with Macha, Jom Tapua!

ABOUT THE MENU

The name Macha, Jom Tapau! translates to ‘Bro, let’s do takeaway!’ and the food is a testament to that informality and energy, whether you eat in or take out. The menu is short and precise, giving a whistlestop tour of Malaysia. Here they take no shortcuts in serving up dishes that are as close to home as possible, with most of the spices and core ingredients imported directly from Malaysia. Too often dishes are sanitised for the Kiwi palate, but not here. Take for example the laksa and how it is layered with a complex heat that is no way obnoxious, rather it sits broadly and with purpose. While most chefs will use tinned coconut cream to enrich their rendang, Muthu takes the time to make his own kerisik – a traditional method of toasting and pounding raw coconut to make a rich paste from which to build upon. It is a generous bowl with a broth of deep ochre with flecks of bright rust peppering the surface, piled high with treasures of shrimp, tofu, chicken thigh, fresh herbs and a boiled egg. It is a dish we will all recognise but be unaware of how majestic it can be. Roti canai is an iconic dish of an unleavened flatbread, that should be at once flaky and chewy and buttery, served with a dhal or similar. It should be beyond reinvention, but here Muthu has managed to do that by making it vegan and adding a touch of pandan essence to create something quite stunning. The truth is, everything on the menu here is quite simply better than it needs to be.

ABOUT THE TEAM

This place is all about Muthu and his singular vision.

OF NOTE

Make sure to order either the kopi or teh ais, Malaysian iced coffee or tea, to get the perfect balance of sweet, dairy complementing the richly spiced food.

206 Left Bank, Te Aro, Wellington
Check website for opening hours
Mains $19-$21
0266 851 828, machajomtapau.co.nz