THERE'S still a bit to finish but it's all on schedule for the opening next Tuesday of the new, improved Kuali Waldorf Cafe in Queen Street, Masterton. Owners Monica Kok and Ong Morrison have had a long association with the hospitality industry in Malaysia and New Zealand. Mrs Morrison is married toa farmer and has been in Wairarapa for 17 years also continuing her work in the industry while Ms Kok arrived not long ago after managing a Wellington hotel for some years. Mrs Morrison said the Waldorf menu has been enlarged to include a considerable selection of Malaysian dishes, but all the old favourites that made the restaurant a favourite eatery for scores of people were still available ? the big bacon and egg breakfast with hash browns, tomatoes and sausages, light meals of steak and toasted sandwiches, deep fried chicken pieces, served with chips or home-made potato fritters. She said the decision to open a Malaysian cafe in Wairarapa was partly the two women being ready for a change and also based on the region's changing population, with many Wellingtonians coming into the region, bringing with them a taste for Malaysian food. "Wairarapa is ready for it. "There are the Wellington people who are used to eating out and enjoy Malaysian food and also Wairarapa people who have been overseas and enjoyed it, "she said. The cafe has been completely refurbished with two burner woks, a new oven and gas griller, deep fryer and hot plates. It's been painted with new furniture to complete the overhaul. Mrs Morrison said the 16 dishes on offer include mee goreng, which is stir-fried noodles with either chicken or seafood cooked with Malaysian spices, nasi goreng, stir-fried rice with a combination of shrimps, chicken mixed vegetables and eggs, fish sambal deep fried fresh fish served with Malaysian-style chilli sauce with steamed rice, ginger chicken and stir-fried chilli mussels. Vegetarians are also catered for with stir-fried vegetables with oyster sauce on steamed rice and a vegetarian mee goreng, an assortment of vegetables with noodles, tofu and Malaysian spices, chosen from a selection of coriander, coconut, ginger, chile, lemongrass or lime leaves.
