Happy Valley Asian Cuisine

The real taste of Asia

Standing on the pavement in South Perth looking for a tasty meal you could be forgiven for not noticing Happy Valley, simply because it's a restaurant on a higher plane - in the physical sense - being up a short flight of stairs near the river end of Mends St, just a coo-ee away from the jetty.

Once you discover it though, chances are that your taste buds will want you to return more than once, as meal-by-meal you explore its extensive and proudly authentic menu.

Assuming that you've yet to sample its delights, we'll walk your through what to expect on your exploratory visit.

First up, the aroma that greets you as you climb the stairs speaks volumes about the freshness of the ingredients and variety of flavours you might be about to encounter.

Second, the visuals: While there are a red lanterns, a little wall mounted shrine and some Asian-themed pictures, overall the restaurant is simply decorated. The white linen on the tables looks crisp against the wooden floors, and elegant against the glass and silverware.

The main feature of the room is the row of large windows that, given the elevation, provide an impressively panoramic river and city vista.

Odds are high that the person who will greet you at the door is Lien Cheong, wife and business partner of Chef Jacob Cheong.

Jacob's gastronomic CV is extensive. Before coming to Perth he built up an empire of seven large restaurants in the US serving thousands of meals a day and he's won awards for his culinary style.

Lien says this restaurant is different though, and that it's happily running on a smaller scale because it's about being true to the origins of the dishes and being dedicated to recreating them authentically, without substituting ingredients or changing the flavours to suit the expectations of a western palate.

Jacob is relishing the fact that his job now includes recipe (and ingredient) gathering trips to a wide range of Asian locations, where he gets to taste and talk and gather new inspirations for the Happy Valley specials menu. He says: "It's all about focusing on the food and enjoying the creative process."

If you are a Happy Valley first timer, it's worth letting Lien know as you take a seat and asking her to talk you through the menu and the specials. (It's worth noting here that most of the entrees and soups are under $5, while the larger dishes are mostly priced between $11 and $21).

My tip is that if you've yet to enjoy a really good Malaysia curry, and you've maybe even thought that they are just a bland version of their Indian cousins, then try Jacob's.

It isn't spicy in the Indian sense, but it's rich and aromatic and full of a surprising mouthful of delicate flavours.

The satay is suprising too. Jacob says: "It's because I use walnuts like they do in Malaysia and I don't substitute them with peanuts, which is so common that people have forgotten what the dish should taste like."

The other dish that stopped the flow of our conversation was the sizzling garlic prawns - a treat that's only sometimes on the specials menu - but they were so tender and tasty that they put other famous prawns to shame.

Other regular menu highlights include both the Thai style Tom Yum Soup and the Sechuan-style Hot and Sour Soup, and it's interesting to try them side by side to note the subtle differences, and to further your specialist knowledge of the flavours of Asia.

Asked what she likes best about the menu Lien smiles, "the specials". Why? Because before Jacob cooks them for the customers he cooks them for her at home, and her job is to judge whether they are special enough to be served at Happy Valley.

What are her criteria? She says: "They have to taste like they did when I was a kid, or like I remember them from Asia and they have to be fantastic." Does he ever disappoint and cook something that isn't so good.

She laughs and shakes her head. "Not him, No."

With this much love going into the preparation of the food, we suspect that Happy Valley might be on a higher plane in more than one sense of the word.

By Kayt Davies