Uncle Man restaurant in Manukau is one of just a few Malaysian eateries in Auckland where roti canai is made fresh and teh tarik is pulled for diners to see. Photo / Alex Burton
Uncle Man restaurant in Manukau is one of just a few Malaysian eateries in Auckland where roti canai is made fresh and teh tarik is pulled for diners to see. Photo / Alex Burton
Herald reporter and foodie Lincoln Tan takes you to some of Auckland's eating places that make you feel like you're in another country.
A TikTok video of a man breaking down in tears when he took his first sip of teh tarik after months of lockdown at a mamak stallin Malaysia last August went viral.
The video started with the man staring at his cup of teh tarik before taking a sip. He soon started crying tears of joy and asked staff for a tissue to wipe them.
Najib Othman, 57, says it struck a chord with many Malaysians because of how much eating out at street stalls means to them.
Quite a show watching the dough stretched, folded, flattened and flipped to make roti canai. Photo / Alex Burton
"Eating at mamak stalls is not just to fill our stomachs, it is a way of life and how we connect with friends," Najib said.
In the state of Muar, where Najib was originally from, many start the day with their roti canai, a Malaysian flaky pancake, served with a bowl of curry or lentils and a cup of teh tarik.
Growing up, he used to help his father run the family's restaurant and it was there that he learned the art of rolling, flipping and cooking roti on hot griddles.
Malaysian street food served at Uncle Man's include roti canai, mee goreng, nasi biryani and beverages such as teh tarik and sirap bandung. Photo / Alex Burton
He was to take over the restaurant which was started by his parents, but when his mother passed away, the restaurant was closed and before long Najib and his family moved to New Zealand.
Here Najib opened Uncle Man restaurant outlets and has the image of his dad, the original Uncle Man, on the chain's logo as a tribute to his late father.
"I do this because my father is my inspiration, and like how running his stall in Malaysia has fed me, Uncle Man restaurants will also be what will put food on the table for my children here," Najib said.
Najib Othman aka Uncle Man pours the tea from a height to make teh tarik. Photo / Alex Burton
Although the menu has a wide offering, Uncle Man is one of very few Malaysian restaurants in New Zealand where customers can watch their roti being pounded, flipped and cooked - or their teh tarik tea being pulled before their eyes.
"Roti and teh tarik will always be our champion because that is my way of keeping the family tradition and family name going," said Najib.
"Also, a Malaysian roti canai experience is not complete if you don't actually get to watch how it is made."
Roti canai is best eaten fresh and piping hot, says Uncle Man. Photo / Alex Burton
The first Uncle Man was opened at 277 Karangahape Road in 2014, but there are now outlets also in Eastridge, Auckland's Viaduct, and Manukau - each managed by one of Najib's three adult children Azlan, 30, Amy, 33, and Nadia, 27.
The three have also been taught how to hand throw roti, turning dough into layered fine puff pastry flaky pancake perfection. Najib says his son Azlan has mastered the art even better than himself.
Roti canai regularly features on lists of must try dishes in Malaysia, and Najib says for a full Malaysian experience the roti should be eaten with hands, torn up and dipped into the dahl or curry accompaniment.
Drinking teh tarik is practically a national past time in Malaysia. Photo / Alex Burton
"Of course roti canai is best eaten when it is freshly cooked and piping hot, otherwise it can lose the crispy and flaky texture," Najib said.
It is believed that the dish was brought over from India by Indian Muslims during the British colonisation of British Malaya, and today is eaten at all hours of the day back there.
Tea time to many Malaysians is having teh tarik, which literally translates as pulled tea.
The strong black tea is sweetened with condensed milk and is poured from a height from one glass to another.
"That's how we ensure the tea is mixed well, and the perfect one must have the right amount of froth," Najib said.
Teh tarik also brings back many childhood memories for Najib, who recalls that his parents would dunk biscuits in their tea.
* Uncle Man has several outlets, but this interview and photos were done at 652 Great South Road, Manukau City.
