Chinta Ria Temple of Love, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

Restaurant manager Gerri with Toby's Pepperbird

Restaurant manager Gerri with Toby's Pepper Bird

UPDATE 19 October 2014: This restaurant has now permanently closed for business.

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What do you get when you mix laksa, fiery chillies, spicy curries with the timeless numbers of R & B legends such Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan?

Hot food cool jazz has been, and is still firmly the mantra of Cockle Bay stalwart Chinta Ria Temple of Love.

“It’s about fresh Malaysian cooking with a pleasant ambience” says owner Simon Goh. Chinta Ria is a casual eating house where the food is an interesting mix of Malaysian classics such as nasi lemak, laksa, beef rendang, satays, assam prawns and dishes with a slight twist from the traditional.

In the true spirit of communal dining as practiced by many Asian cultures, many dishes on the menu are designed to be shared among diners where steamed rice plays the perfect complement to dishes that come with marinated meats, fresh vegetables, stir-fries, braised sauces and spicy curries.

Parker's Gems $8.60

Parker's Gems $8.60

Parker’s gems are chicken mince with glass noodles squares deep-fried to a golden crisp outside while tender and juicy inside.

Toby's Pepper Bird

Toby's Pepper Bird $25.50

Toby’s Pepper Bird are suculent pieces of chicken fillets marinated with lemongrass and spices. Each piece of chicken is deep-fried to golden brown and fragrant with lemongrass aromas.

Mingus scallops

Mingus scallops $28.50

We tuck into Mingus scallops which are tender scallops snap-fried with butter, a sprinkle of curry powder, chillies, shallots, curry leaves and asparagus.

King Toh Beef

King Toh Beef $24.00

King Toh Beef is one of the most popular dishes on the menu where strips of tender beef are stir-fried with shallots, onions, carrots and the chef’s blend of special sauce.

FKT aka Fried Kway Teow $18.50

FKT aka Fried Kway Teow $18.50

FKT aka Fried Kway Teow is arguably one of the best interpretations of this Malaysian classic in Sydney where rice noodles, slices of fish cakes, crunchy fresh beansprouts, egg and prawn cutlets are spicy with smoky flavours from the fiery woks of the Temple’s kitchens.

Sambal prawns

Sambal prawns $28.50

Sambal prawns is another dish where the spicy sour sauce is calling out for steamed rice while huge succulent prawn cutlets are fresh and tangy.

Blakey's Beef

Blakey's Beef $28.50

Blakey’s Beef are tender cubes of beef fillets seared with a savoury black sauce with chillies.

Blakey's Beef

Blakey's Beef $28.50

Each morsel of beef is so tender it literally melts in your mouth while the savoury spicy sauce is another great accompaniment with steam rice.

Lucky Beer

Lucky Beer $6.00

Chinta Ria’s very own Lucky Beer comes in a green bottle with a smiling Buddha. Its wine list covers most varietals and an assortment of icy cold beers cool you down from the spicy curries and chilli hits.

Full throttle - Saturday lunch at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Full throttle - Saturday lunch at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

It is Saturday afternoon and by 1.00pm, the Temple is rocking with diners tucking into their lunch.

Kelly from the Temple's kitchen with Kon loh hokkien noodles and roast duck

Kelly presenting Kon Loh Hokkien Noodles with Roast Duck $18.50

The Kon Loh Mee Hoon or Hokkien Noodles is blanched with a sweet soya sauce. It is versatile and can come with either a choice of curry chicken, beef rendang, soy sauce chicken or roast duck.

The names of certain dishes at Chinta Ria Temple of Love take on the inspiration of jazz legends.

Satchmo squid

Satchmo's squid $28.50

Parker’s Gems is a take on legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker while Satchmo’s Squid, a delectable dish of squid rings in a tangy spicy tamarine sauce, draws its name from legendary Louis Armstrong‘s nickname.

Service with a smile - floor staff of Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Service with a smile - friendly faces of Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Service staff at the Temple is eagle-eyed where they may detect your quest for another beer with a cursory glance or a quick replacement set of chopsticks if one finds the floor.

Pretty little maidens with the smiling buddha at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Pretty little maidens with the smiling buddha at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Through the years, patrons both young and senior are intrigued by the huge smiling buddha which takes centre stage at the dining room of Chinta Ria. A gentle rub on the buddha’s belly is thought to bring good fortune and lighting a couple of joss sticks is a simple act of homage and respect to perpetuate well-being.

Happy couple - John and Therese celebrating their 40th anniversary with their family and grandchildren

Happy couple - John and Therese celebrating their 40th anniversary with their family and grandchildren at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

We manage to catch a happy couple, John and Therese, celebrating their 40th wedding annivesary with their children and grandchildren at Chinta Ria Temple of Love.

Razor sharp - Floor staff at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Razor sharp - Floor staff at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

The service staff at the Temple is efficient and on the ball. Attitude is casual but sharp, friendly but knowledgable.

Iconic - the smiling buddha at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Iconic - the smiling buddha at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

The temple takes on a different facade as night falls. Joss sticks and candles are lit around the giant buddha. There is a warm glow within the Temple.

Paying homage - lighting joss sticks at the Temple of Love

Paying homage - lighting joss sticks at the Temple of Love

Tonight is the first Tuesday of the month and this is when hot food cool jazz takes its place at the Temple.

Preparing for dinner service  - dining room at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Preparing for dinner service - dining room at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Slide McBride and his band at The Temple of Love

Tools of the trade of jazz exponent Slide McBride

Tools of the trade of jazz exponent Slide McBride

Slide McBride‘s music is infectious because the talent of his musicianship is every bit as impressive as his charming personality on stage. He is on lead vocals, cornet and trombone while Charlie Meadows plays guitar and Karl Dunnicliff is on double bass. The band’s repertoire is classic Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Chet Baker and Dean Martin.

Listen to Slide McBride’s rendition of Diamonds are a girl’s best friend below:

Slide McBride in action at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Slide McBride in action at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

The Slide McBride band at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

The Slide McBride band at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

The band generally plays at Chinta Ria Temple of Love on the first Tuesday of each month between 7pm – 10pm.

The band is also available for weddings and private functions by appointment.

Calm before the storm - dining room at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Calm before the storm - dining room at Chinta Ria Temple of Love

From my years of frequenting this iconic Sydney restaurant, getting there early might mean a great table at the al fresco dining area outside as there is a “no bookings” policy for dinner. On the other hand, dining inside the Temple is also a tempting proposition with its cosy but modern surrounds.

Chinta Ria Temple of Love, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

Chinta Ria Temple of Love, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

So dear readers, do you have a favourite Malaysian dish that you would like to share with us?

ChopinandMysaucepan dined as guests of Chinta Ria Temple of Love

Related ChopinandMysaucepan posts:

Chinta Ria Temple of Love
Roof Terrace, Cockle Bay Wharf

201 Sussex street, Sydney, 2000
Tel: +612 92643211

Chinta Ria (the Temple of Love) on Urbanspoon

Lunch: 12.00pm to 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.00pm to 11.00pm
except Sunday 6.00pm to 10.30pm

Reservations: Lunch Only

Fully licenced – BYO wine only (Corkage charge $10 oer bottle. (Limit for groups  –  12 bottles for 20 people)

Arrive at Chinta Ria Temple of Love by ferry – See ferry timetable here.

Buy the book Hot Food Cool Jazz – a collection of recipes from Asian cuisines – snacks, curries, sweets, breads and noodles with each recipe is a suggestion for the perfect jazz accompaniment. The audio CD features 12 jazz tracks to compliment the recipes.

Slide McBride Band
Contact Slide McBride on:

Tel: +612 9388 9771 or mobile 0415 104138
Email: slidemcbride@gmail.com

 

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22 Responses to Chinta Ria Temple of Love, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney

  1. The decor of this restaurant has always caught my eye, I like the colourful bowls and the Lucky beer bottle, it’s a nice difference.

  2. What amazing amazing dishes! Wish this was in the States!

  3. Oh I love this restaurant – people there look friendly and atmosphere is nice….and the foooooooooood! Oh my. Completely keep drooling here. I think Toby’s pepper bird is a MUST.

  4. Oh I have walked past this restaurant a bunch of times. I am defo going to check it out now. The food looks amazing. Wish I could duck in now for a bite. MMmmmmmm! And, how great is Lucky Beer. Yum!

  5. Carolyn Jung says:

    After my first time in Australia last year, I was ready to retire there. With you showing me all the delectable eats there all the time, I am so ready to go. 😉

  6. Hannah says:

    That squid looks fantastic! And I love Buddha statues :)

  7. Sounds like you had a good time. It has been around for ages-we used to go there during our advertising days.

  8. sugarpuffi says:

    that pepper bird looks awesome. and i want some of that lucky beer! 😀

  9. Melissa Loh says:

    You look like you had a wonderful time and the food looks awesome. I personally am more used to a drier sambal prawn, so would love to try this version when we next get the chance to visit Sydney.

  10. Betty Pham says:

    i love the laksa there! its so good, i’ve been afew times here, its one of my fav malay restaurants :)

  11. JasmyneTea says:

    Love that rendition of ‘Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend”! Came here and I really loved the simplicity of the Hey Tango :) Unfortunately, that has really been my only Malaysian restaurant experience – I must get out more!

  12. Hot Food Cool Jazz? I love that! 😀 And also that some of the dishes are named after Jazz musicians. :) The Buddha beer bottle is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a while! And definitely the coolest beer bottle of all times. 😉

  13. Manu says:

    Ohhh Chinta Ria!!! It is one of my all time favourite restaurants in town! We used to go there soooo often before we had kids! We took a break when the little ones were very small and I have actually been thinking of taking them there soon. Now I will HAVE to! hehehe I love their roti! I always order their curry with plenty of rotis! Yum!

  14. Sophia Lee says:

    O…M…G!!!!! It looks wonderful, and I’m SO homesick for Singaporean cuisine now!!! I’m salivating over that beef and the sambal squid and Fried Kway Teow. I think my ultimate favorite Malaysian dish is, however, Mee Rebus and Mee Soto. Or Otah-Otah!

  15. I love the look of those little packages, nd the rest of the food looks nice and well cooked. Great music and great food, what a nice place to go!

  16. Chinta Ria has its own beer….?
    So much food! The scallops look divine!

  17. I’m taken with the scallops and the prawns! And the Buddha statue, but I’m certain I’ve seen that beer bottle elsewhere…

  18. Jen says:

    How did I not know about hot food cool jazz?? Sounds like a perfect antidote for Tuesdaitis!

  19. Ahh so that explains the names attached to some of the dishes. The jazz night was much fun and it was so lovely to meet you both that evening :)

  20. Juliana says:

    Oh! Everything looks so yummie…what a torture to see all the food and not be able to reach…what is better than good food and music?
    Hope you have a wonderful week ahead :-)

  21. Huhu, Chopinand! How are you doing? :)

  22. Nico says:

    I was there last year, and I still dream about the King Toh Beef (especially when I’m hungry).
    Apart from the great food, the ambiance is great as are the people there!

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