House of Pearl used to be located amidst the hustle and bustle of Gouger Street, but has since moved to a quieter side street within the area. The restaurant specialises in Malaysian food, and their menu is quite extensive. The menu offerings are divided between entrees, rice and noodles, vegetables, seafood and meat dishes. They even have a special lunch menu which what all good eateries should have.

Located in a new building with a split level dining area, the decor is modern and stylish. I love the polished concrete floors at the ground level and the prominent use of timber throughout. The low hanging bird caged light fittings are a nice decorative feature, although they’re not unique to this place. The newspaper wallpaper on one of their main walls looks a bit cheap and tacky, but that’s just a matter of personal preference. There is an abundance of natural light that comes in from the floor to ceiling windows, however I imagine the rear section of this place may be a bit dark and gloomy.

For lunch, I had the Nasi Goreng. The dish was ready within 10 minutes of ordering and was average in presentation. The amount of chicken was rather conservative with a combination of thigh and breast meat used. The meat was overcooked and I encountered bits of sinew in my dish. The rice was well cooked with nice individual grains. There were a few charred bits here and there, but that just added a bit of depth to the dish. I could visibly see dry chilli flakes scattered throughout, but they failed to provide any heat. The dish itself was ok, but nothing to write home about.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. Drinks arrived promptly and were constantly refilled. The plates were cleared as I finished and I thought the waitress was very accommodating to both me and other customers. The atmosphere was relaxed, particularly with the Asian music playing in the background. The pricing is reasonable with most dishes under the $20 mark. If you’re looking for duck or seafood options then expect to pay closer to $30 for your main. The lunch time menu is fairly priced with dishes between$10-$15. The Nasi Goreng I had was $9.90 and the serving was decent. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t a big fan of the dish.

WHERE: 25 Field St, Adelaide