Tropika has been in Edmonton since I started living there a decade ago. It was always one of the places I go to when I am home sick (but not too often because it is considered pricey for a poor student). CL and I originally planned to dine at a German restaurant but made a last minute decision to eat at Tropika instead.
Menu is very extensive, with choices of meat, poultry, vegetable, seafood, rice, noodles and sides. Not to forget a nice array of authentic desserts as well.
For first timers, there are nice combination dinners that will introduce a range of local Malaysian favourites, which I think is brilliant.
We ordered:
6 Satays (Chicken, Pork and Lamb) $6
The satays were pretty good – nice char and smokiness. Marinated with the traditional spices with a sweet salty note. I didn’t care much for the peanut sauce that it is served with. Kinda like a runny, chunky peanut butter sauce with random spices. The chicken was the favourite, pork texture was weird from marinating for too long and the lamb was all fat.
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2 orders Roti Canai $9
Best appetizer that is always a must a Tropika! I always find it shocking that this cost $4.50 each considering they are $0.60 in Brunei but I just had to order it. Flaky, chewy with crispy exterior. Pretty good roti. A must try if you have never had roti from SEAsia because it tasty. If you are expecting the ones that you get in SEAsia, then you might be a tad disappointed especially for $4.50 per piece.
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Dry Shrimp Pomphret $17.50
CL ordered this more out of curiousity. This is definitely not for the faint of heart – the dried shrimp is very pungent and salty. The fish was coated with flour and deep fried – moist flaky white fish with nice crispy crust. Very good with rice.
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Beef Rendang $14
The beef was a tad disappointing – the meat was stringy and quite tough. The spices were spot on (cardamon, cinnamon, coconut and more) but it was way too salty.  I could not eat more than a few pieces eventhough I am a huge fan of rendang.
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Lamb Curry $14
The lamb curry is my favourite dish to order at Malaysian restaurants. Â The meat was so tender with pieces of fat that melted in the mouth. The sauce was great over rice, but way too salty after a couple bites. If the salt was reduced, this would be great – nice curry spices that are all infused with nice coconut milk, so it is rich and packful of flavours with a nice kick of heat. I did find the lamb to be way too fatty and not a lot of meat but I am all about the sauce over rice.
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Thai Style Kang Kong $15
The Kang Kong was great – nice crunch stalks. Simply tossed with some garlic and seasoning (I think it is fish sauce). Pretty good, but I do prefer the Belacan version coz it has more flavour. This version is way lighter.
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Spicy Spinach $13
The spicy spinach is definitely spicy! Tossed with dried shrimp – salty, shrimpy and spicy and cooked very well. The stalks still had a little crunch, with nice tender leaves.
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Bubur Cha Cha $4.50
Rich, thick coconut milk base with bits of sweet potato, taro, tapioca pearls. Pretty standard and tasty~
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Pulut Hitam $4.50
Delicious! Wild rice pudding, mixed with sweet coconut cream and tapioca. The wild rice had husks on them, giving the dessert little buts of nutty rice to chew on. I can’t describe it well but it is great!
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Extras:
Smoothie $6
2 orders Hainanese Chicken Rice $6 – My favourite rice dish. Cooked with chicken stock, ginger and screwpine (pandan). Delicious!
Steamed Rice $2.50
Coconut Rice $3 – Subtle flavours of coconut milk. Great with curries.
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Total Damage: $120.75 (including tax, without tip)
Personal Rating:Â 2.5 out of 5 (Average)
I found all the dishes to be too salty. The flavours and seasoning was definitely there, and tasted authentic BUT the excessive salt in all the dishes ruined our dining experience.  I don’t know if it is just an off day for the evening. The South Side location was way better in terms of seasoning for the dishes.
Service was a tad lacking, it took a good fifteen minutes or more before we were greeted by a server for orders. As the dishes were served, we rarely saw our server and there really was not much of a service provided other than getting orders taken and bill given.
I find it hard to dine here again considering the exact same dishes are served at another location with better food and service.
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14921 Stony Plain Rd NW
Edmonton, Alberta
T5P 4W1
(780) 487 6668
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[…] Since the time  I lived in Edmonton over half a decade ago, Tropika was a popular dining spot. Back then, being a poor student it was more of a special occasion spot and not an every day place. I was happy to know they are still operating well and the food is just as good.  I didn’t enjoy my experience at the West location much but let’ s see how the South Location did. Other experience here. […]