Tucked away on the border of Preston and Reservoir you’ll find a cosy combination café and Indonesian restaurant run by Lily and her partner Wayne. My Asian Neighbour opened earlier this year and Lily, who has more than ten years of cheffing experience, takes the helm in the kitchen cooking up a menu that showcases dishes from the Manado region of Indonesia.
One of the most popular and unique offerings is the rendang pie, which Lily has described as being “Indonesian on the inside and bloody Aussie on the outside.” There is a beef version and a vegan version and Lily only makes a limited number of these flaky pastries filled with rich and flavourful rendang curry each day. They sell out quickly, so it’s best to try and grab one early in the day.
The highlight of the dinner menu is the ungke, which is Lily’s dad’s favourite dish consisting of twice-cooked pork belly served with garlic, chilli, ginger, a mix of spices and a hearty squeeze of lemon. Roti may seem like a fairly simple entree, but Lily’s version is somehow both doughy and flakey and is moreish when paired with satay sauce. For vegetarians and vegans, there’s also an eggplant, potato, and pumpkin curry served with coconut cream and rice.
The brunch and dinner menus are both available for pick up and takeaway too. The space is cosy and inviting, just mosey on over to a space by the open kitchen and watch on as Lily works her magic.
