The Lemony Side of The Tumbler

Cocktail Correspondent: Weldon Gardner Hunter

A View to a Till: When you pay the bill at Mamalee

Friday, June 7: My colleague K & I decided on Malaysian for lunch, before we went to work. A chance to finally try Mamalee (3144 West Broadway, Vancouver). We ordered Hainanese Chicken with Yellow Rice and for appetizers, Roti Canai, and Daily Soup (Chicken Broth with Turnip).

Such a nice, simple little soup. Very flavourful. My lunch companion & I discussed how white people seem to have turned their backs on the humble turnip. Is it because upward mobility causes some to forget their peasant roots? Get back on the turnip truck, Saxons! 

The Roti Canai was greasy and flaky and delicious. Lots of breadcrumbs on the table, so I used my soup cup to catch the crumbs and curry sauce, and this added extra surprise flavouring to the soup. The yellow rice is made from the Chicken stock - all of these elements combined into a hearty meal. I would be ready to go plow some fields, or teach paragraph structure.

Now for the drinks:

Iced Lemon Ribena: Very cordial. A blackcurrant drink on a warm day, served in a simple plastic tumbler – delight. Who doesn't enjoy the humble berry? Those black bears in the woods know what's good. The lemon slices inside the bright rubyred liquid makes the drink pleasing to the eye and palate. I wish I'd taken a picture of the lemony side of the tumbler, I really didn't capture its best side.

It's my belief the drink should have a better name than just Iced Lemon Ribena, so for now, I'll call it a "Hulk Hogan" (think "Arnold Palmer") because the Hulkster wore yellow and red. If you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears, brother!

Blackcurrant is not a widely-known flavour in North America, which surprises people around the world who have been enjoying it for years. The berry was banned in the US because it was a vector for White Pine Blister disease, so the logging industry curtailed the currant. Apparently, it disappeared from Canada as well. I imagine the loss of a whole berry hit the Black Bear community pretty hard.

Of course, blackcurrants are found in Crème de Cassis, and I enjoy a Bramble from Uncle Abe's (3032 Main Street) from time to time:

Bramble: Beefeater, Créme de Cassis, Lemon, Sugar

But there's more!

Iced Bubur Chacha: a dessert and a drink. 

Bubur Chacha: Yam, Taro, Tapioca, Coconut Milk

The tapioca pearls here were mercifully not of boba rotundity. The yam gives the drink a thickness, otherwise it'd be too soupy. I feel like the addition of a little banana would make this drink even more amazing. This one required a lot of straw work - I struggled with the wide straw, so I switched over to the small one I used for the Hulkster. Plus I was sharing, so a third straw appeared.

By the way, "bubur" means "congee" or "porridge" in Malaysian. And remember that bears don't just eat berries, they like porridge, too - though they have to watch out for uninvited guests. In The Tempest, Sebastian says that Alonso "receives comfort like cold porridge." This means that Gonzalo must have made him a Bubur Chacha. That's a nice thing to do for a friend. 

The ambience: small space, maybe room for 20, with about 8 tables. 

We were there at lunchtime, so it was busy: customers and delivery drivers coming and going. The place has tons of notices by the entrance instructing customers and staff of various rules. There's one by the cash point informing the staff about a customer whose credit card was declined. I get the feeling Mamalee got her "Best Mom" award (see first picture) by being very organized. The restaurant is fairly minimal otherwise. It's a get-in, get-out ambience. Don't be a Goldilocks and overstay your welcome.