I wrestled with this one, to be honest.
I wanted to treat the subject respectfully, with maturity and aplomb. I wanted to offer pithy observations and profound insights wrapped in a colourful and intricate quilt of searing wit. I hoped to reveal with clarity and precision deep philosophical connections heretofore obscured from the uninitiated. Alas, reader, I’ve got nothing.
Why is the new Malaysian restaurant on Lonsdale Avenue called John 3:16? Why is the biblical verse to which the name refers (“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”) inscribed in large lettering on the central wall of the main dining room?
What is the connection between these aged words and the complex, bold cuisine that has contributed Nasi Goreng, Roti Canai and Sambal to the world of food? I don’t know.
From casual conversation with John 3:16 Malaysian Delights staff, exploration of the restaurant’s Facebook page and general online commentary, the best I can conclude is that the owners wished to create a Christian environment in which to showcase their food and have a personal connection to the eponymous verse. So that’s that. No further revelations will follow, I’m afraid.
I hope to compensate for my deficiency in unearthing John 3:16’s conceptual roots with commentary about their menu, which I had the pleasure of sampling recently with my wife DJ and good friend Gil.
John 3:16’s food is, on the whole, outstanding. We enjoyed a cross-section of the restaurant’s menu via take-out, as the room was largely occupied on our Friday evening visit. Of the seven items sampled, none disappointed even remotely, though clear favourites emerged.
Chief among these was the simply delicious Halibut Sambal. The amount of halibut (a perennial favourite of mine but something I feel is an indulgence due to its high cost) supplied in this $18 was generous. Large chunks of the fish were lightly battered and stir-fried in spicy sambal with onion, red peppers and tomato. Sambal, of which there are countless variations, is, broadly speaking, a spicy paste made of hot chilies, garlic, shallot, shrimp paste and fish sauce, ginger or galangal, and an acidic component like rice vinegar or lime leaf.
I usually find sambal tests my threshold for spiciness but here, on the fish, it was pleasantly hot but wholly manageable, not once overwhelming the delicate halibut. Each morsel of fish was moist and tender and the batter, perfectly proportioned, served only to absorb the tasty sauce, not weigh down the dish. Generally speaking, I would suggest that those with a zeal for spice ought to ask the kitchen to dial up the heat, as nothing in the meal pushed this agenda very far.
Beef Rendang, a dry-style curry of coconut milk and complex spices, revealed the signature heady, luscious flavour of kaffir lime leaf with every bite and, following the halibut’s lead, was generously portioned. My only complaint with this dish is that the exceptionally lean cubes of beef tended to be overcooked, with scarcely a vein of pink to be found within. Still, the creamy and fragrant curry sauce, more of a paste, really, added back some requisite moisture. This dish represented good value also, in my opinion, at $16.
As a fan and amateur home cook of Nasi Goreng (Malaysian stir-fired rice), I was compelled to order John 3:16’s version and was impressed with the depth of flavour it showed. Decent chili heat was complemented by shrimp, strips of squid, egg, corn, carrot, peas, and anchovies, fresh cucumber and sambal as garnish.
This was a filling selection and was an ideal accompaniment to a more traditional, gravy-based curry, such as the Kari Chicken, another dish in our takeout order. Lean cubes of chicken were suspended in a thick, rich and perfumed, orange-hued coconut curry sauce, topped with slivers of green beans. Here, the meat retained its moisture throughout.
A Vegetable Sambal dish was comprised of green beans, eggplant, okra, and onions, all stir-fried in the spicy chili sauce. The okra was exceptionally good in this preparation, cooked al dente and saturated with spices and flavour.
The eggplant, while tasty, presented a challenging texture, stringy and limp, as if it had been cooked separately and added later as an afterthought. A side of Roti Canai, supple disks of layered, crepe-like bread that is a Malay culinary staple, served as a welcome resource with which to mop up significant quantities of delicious sauces.
John 3:16 Malaysian Delights relocated to the North Shore from their original spot in Richmond; the latter was only open from July of 2014 until the restaurant’s recent move.
I hope their thoughtful, well-prepared and ambitious menu (our sampling of six dishes barely scratched the surface of a deep menu that includes many as-yet unexplored, appetizers, seafood dishes, noodle specialties and even desserts) finds favour here on Lonsdale and that they endure the crucial first year of operation in their new home. That Halibut Sambal needs to remain available to this writer for some time to come.
Our meal of five entrees, Roti Canai and a side of steamed rice was $93 before gratuity. John 3:16 Malaysian Delights is located at 1933 Lonsdale Ave. 604-770-3833
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
