I went to CCwok on the recommendation of a friend of mine who’s Malaysian. He said this was the most authentic Malaysian he’s tried in Melbourne — that’s reason enough for me to give it a go!

Press PLAY to hear Emilia’s full review

CCwok is in North Melbourne on the corner of Victoria St and Leveson St, it’s a street away from the Comic’s Lounge and 500m from the QVM. The distinctive CCwok LED sign lets you know you’ve found it. 

There’s not many places where you get the opportunity to dine with the seven dwarfs and rows of Hello Kitty plush toys, I know you’ve all been asking for a restaurant just like this… well I’ve finally delivered. Homemade, home-cooked and recipes from home make up the DNA of what CCwok is. Cecilia Chuah (get the name now) started baking Malaysian and Singaporean pastries and started CCwok 2019. The pastries are still very much a part of the menu but they began growing their menu and in November 2021 it became much more than just pastries when they opened CCwok restaurant.

I knew their story from pastries to restaurant meant I had to try their curry puffs with chicken and potato (but you can also get potato and egg or potato and sardine). They’re well known for these puffs as they’re handmade fresh every day; they’re flaky, buttery, crunchy and absolutely stuffed on the inside. I’m a huge fan of sweet and savoury together – they walk that line so perfectly in these curry puffs.

We also tried the nacci lemak, which is their ‘CC’ take on Nasi Lemak. Infused steamed coconut rice served with fried anchovies & groundnut, hard boiled egg, cucumber slices and CC spicy savoury sambal. It’s so simple but we came hungry and this was the perfect dish to satiate and satisfy. The chicken was crisp on the outside but still juicy and the sambal (chilli paste) was so moreish I wanted to smother it on everything.

We tried a couple of different soups: the assam laksa — this is a sour Malaysian laksa — I loved the squishy rice noodles and the freshness of the cucumber and pineapple on top. We also had to try the dumpling soup — sox pieces of handmade chicken and prawn dumplings in broth— if you, like everyone in Melbourne are sick right now, go have some of this. You’ll be cured.

Tried the spring rolls as a barometer, they were simple but crispy and delicious. Tick of approval.

We, of course, had to try one of their desserts, despite being extremely full at this stage. There was the distinctly coloured light green bunt cake that I’d had my eye on the whole time. It’s the pandan chiffon cake, the pure pandan extract makes it that colour. Imagine a grassy vanilla flavoured sponge cake and you’ll be close to the flavour of this. 

One thing that came highly recommended, but they now only serve on weekends, is char kway teow with the jumbo prawns. I was bummed to not try it but will definitely be going back on a weekend to give it a go. I trust the person who recommended this and therefore hand on the knowledge… try the char kway teow!

Not only is the food at CCwork heart-warming, they also fed the homeless near Victoria Market every Tuesday and have done so since COVID-19 kicked off. Chuah never misses a week. Their Instagram and TikTok show the team playing games and enjoying what they do, when you eat at CCwok you’re not just eating at another faceless restaurant, you can see into the kitchen, see the generations behind the counter, and really feel a part of the family.

If you’re new to Malaysian food or feeling a little gun shy my advice is to get the nasi lemak with crispy chicken and the potato and chicken curry puff, even if the flavours are new to you you won’t be disappointed.

Desserts, authentic Malaysian food, a great place to celebrate Chinese New Year, stuffed Hello Kittys, a family restaurant — CCwok covers all the bases and keeps your wallet happy. The most expensive thing we got was the Laksa at $18. We got 2 mains, 5 sides, a drink and dessert all for under $80.

CCWok
464 Victoria St, North Melbourne
ccwok.com.au