By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
If you think fried chicken is all about Friday night footy feeds or greasy late-night cravings, think again. At RUMA, Chef Faheem Noor’s sleek all-day dining spot in Double Bay, this comfort food staple gets a caviar-laced glow-up - one that owes its origins to a particularly refined four-year-old.
Nestled in the stylish, orange-hued space that formerly housed the upmarket suburb’s Little Jean cafe, RUMA (home in native Malay) is a short, six-minute stroll from Faheem’s neighbouring restaurant Bartiga, on Bay Street.
However, unlike its older sibling, which Faheem says "is all about refined dining and cocktails,” RUMA is committed to balancing hospitable comfort food with high-end flair.
"We’re creating a relaxed, all-day modern diner that brings the vibrant flavours of Asia to the table - whether it’s our homemade pastries and cakes, Asian mezze, great coffee, wines or mimosas,” he explains.
Credit for this clever culinary contrast comes courtesy of Faheem’s professional pedigree and seasoned skillset - one that couples fine-dining stints under Gordon Ramsay, the Roux brothers and Tetsuya Wakuda, with an innate ability to transform white-tablecloth formality into a simpler way to celebrate big, bold flavours.
Among the best examples of this is RUMA’s signature crispy Korean Fried Chicken topped with pearls of caviar and a generous swipe of Kewpie mayo.
It’s a plate that walks the tightrope between indulgence and familiarity, crunch and creaminess, salt and umami - with the inspiration for this decadent duo coming from Faheem’s daughter, Maia, who much to her father’s amusement, decided one day to pile caviar onto her popcorn chicken.
Faheem took a bite and realised she was onto something.
Beyond poultry, Faheem has crafted a lineup of creative dishes that blur the lines between cultures and culinary traditions.
"At RUMA, the menu is inspired by the incredible diversity of Sydney’s food scene,” Faheem shares. "We're blending familiar flavours with unique touches to create dishes that feel like home but with a twist."
Think: melt-in-your-mouth tuna tartare served with gochujang aioli, avocado and crunchy wonton chips; a creamy coconut-style curry made with Aussie barramundi served with fresh pickles; mushroom and leek rigatoni dressed in cashew pesto and a generous round of burrata; and a beef katsu sando that nestles crumbed tenderloin, caramelised onion, pecorino and truffle aioli between two slices of soft white bread.
While the dessert menu is a rotating one, if you get lucky, honey cake will be on the menu - with Faheem’s take spotlighting gula melaka, a type of palm sugar made from the sap of flower buds from the coconut palm.
At its core, RUMA is about playful elegance - a space where dishes surprise and delight without ever feeling pretentious. While the fried chicken and caviar may get you through the door, there is a long list of delicious Mod-Oz-meets-Malay offerings that will keep you there.
