Chigwell, Malaysian Restaurant Guide

“Oh my word, great laksa – the ’hot’ will blow your socks off” at Mandy Lim’s “simple Malaysian place” on the Holloway Road. Fans reckon it’s “the best local restaurant you could ever want”, with a “lovely buzzy atmosphere” and “friendly service” – “it’s a bit cramped, but it’s only a cafe really, so don’t expect too much”.

“Such good Thai food hiding away” near Guy’s Hospital in the shadow of the Shard – this funkily decorated venue mixes Malay influences into its unusual cuisine, with results that have stood the test of time since it opened 25 years ago.

2023 Review: “The tastes of Singapore” are still applauded at ex-Pidgin chef, Elizabeth Haigh’s hawker-style stand (winner of Harden’s Top Street Food in our September 2021 London Restaurant Awards), which sits amidst the clatter of the Market Kitchen area of Borough Market. But feedback was much more muted and a little more uneven this year, and it’s hard not to conclude that the furore surrounding the cancelled launch of her recipe book hasn’t taken some of the gloss off impressions here.

“God those rotis are heaven!” – they make it “worth joining the inevitable queue” (including “lots of Malaysian students and Asian visitors enjoying a taste of home”) for this “small Malaysian street-food cafe” in a packed little basement near Euston station. “A lot of patience is required lining up outside”: the queue here is such a regular fixture that the council have allowed the installation of a long decked area in the parking bays on the street to accommodate it. “The fluffy roti canai itself is amazing: you watch chef swirling and stretching paper thin dough”. But the “rich and aromatic” noodles and curries also on the menu can be just as rewarding. Don’t expect a long foodie religious experience. The “functional” service will get you in and out in no time. There are also now a growing number of spin-offs, of which the most high-profile is in Battersea Power Station, whose shiny vibe could not be more at odds with the grungy original; and where there’s “more of a feeling of a fast-food joint”. Even so, it comes “highly recommended for anyone looking to try some authentic and tasty Malaysian cuisine”: “it’s good to find such a reasonable place near Battersea Power Station. You can sit outside if weather permits. But it’s very popular and no booking, so go early to get a table”. Also in Waterloo and – since this year – in Spitalfields. Top Tip in NW1 – takeaway lunch is easier than queueing and amazing value too.

This well-discovered Malaysian destination off Oxford Street “does much more than laksa”, with a lineup of hawker-style street-food favourites. Reports on the cooking this year noted hits and misses: “satay was outstanding… but noodles fell apart and had no wok flavour…”; “great laksa!”; “the vegan variety lacked the authentic taste…”

“Authentic southeast Asian hawker cooking” draws “well-deserved queues” to this “noisy” Chinatown spot from Ellen Chew, who began her working life hawking Chinese-Malay street food in Singapore. “Yes, there are many more Asian super-expensive venues in and around London, but the sheer excellence and predictability of this well-known eatery can’t be beaten”. Top Menu Tip – “lovely, fluffy roti”.

“A terrific find” on the edge of Chinatown, where the owner Rosa’s family recipes have – for over 20 years now – provided an “authentic” taste of Malay-Chinese cooking, “with some fiery dishes that are all magnificently spicy and well made”. “Ask the staff what they recommend and some surprises will end up on your plate!”

“So consistent after all these years” – this “old-school local Malaysian-Chinese” in Swiss Cottage has “been going for ages”, but “you never tire of dining here” because “you know what you’re going to get and you enjoy it immensely”. Giles Coren, restaurant critic for The Times, was born in the next street and is a long-term regular, returning again and again for the “superb Singaporean laksa”. But while it’s “a cut above” and one of north London’s most popular destinations, don’t go expecting the earth (“everything is done well but it’s not amazing”).

“Don’t be put off by the venue!” – a very basic pitstop inside Queensway Market (itself, a bright, tacky, rambling mass of stalls on this touristy street, between the two tube stops). Run by Normah Abd Hamid, who “can usually be found in the cramped kitchen cooking your meal with love – her very special ingredient! – and the Malaysian food at this tiny cafe is very good indeed”.

Just off the King’s Road, this Chelsea Malaysian endures on a site that’s prominent if you are local, and out-of-the-way if you are not. It owes its longevity to a menu of “really good Malay/Chinese combinations”.

Singapore-born Abby Lee made this “lively” bricks-and-mortar debut in Clapton in November 2023, having established a glowing reputation for her Chinese-Malaysian cooking at pop-ups and a stint in Peckham Market. You may have to queue and “it’s a laid-back setting with service likewise”. But her food is the biz: “a riot of colours and great fiery flavours on your plate”, with many dishes seldom seen elsewhere (which channel her Peranakan heritage and Nyonya cuisine). The signature dish is Sambal served with Calamansi Kerabu (a kind of citrus-fruit salad).

“God those rotis are heaven!” – they make it “worth joining the inevitable queue” (including “lots of Malaysian students and Asian visitors enjoying a taste of home”) for this “small Malaysian street-food cafe” in a packed little basement near Euston station. “A lot of patience is required lining up outside”: the queue here is such a regular fixture that the council have allowed the installation of a long decked area in the parking bays on the street to accommodate it. “The fluffy roti canai itself is amazing: you watch chef swirling and stretching paper thin dough”. But the “rich and aromatic” noodles and curries also on the menu can be just as rewarding. Don’t expect a long foodie religious experience. The “functional” service will get you in and out in no time. There are also now a growing number of spin-offs, of which the most high-profile is in Battersea Power Station, whose shiny vibe could not be more at odds with the grungy original; and where there’s “more of a feeling of a fast-food joint”. Even so, it comes “highly recommended for anyone looking to try some authentic and tasty Malaysian cuisine”: “it’s good to find such a reasonable place near Battersea Power Station. You can sit outside if weather permits. But it’s very popular and no booking, so go early to get a table”. Also in Waterloo and – since this year – in Spitalfields. Top Tip in NW1 – takeaway lunch is easier than queueing and amazing value too.

2023 Review: Mano Muthu worked at Euston’s legendary Roti King for many years, and opened this simple shop-conversion caff, north of King’s Cross, in mid 2021. The cooking here has more of a south Indian spin than its rival, with the inclusion of a selection of dosas, and fans (who include the Evening Standard’s Jimi Famurewa) feel its “exceptional dishes potentially beat Roti King for the title of best rotis in London!”

This “tasty and lively” Malaysian ‘kopitiam’ makes a “fantastic local restaurant” and has been a “good addition to Queen’s Park” since opening two years ago. It’s a ‘second-gen’ operation from siblings Fatizah and Irqam Shawal, whose parents opened Satay House in Paddington more than 50 years ago.

“God those rotis are heaven!” – they make it “worth joining the inevitable queue” (including “lots of Malaysian students and Asian visitors enjoying a taste of home”) for this “small Malaysian street-food cafe” in a packed little basement near Euston station. “A lot of patience is required lining up outside”: the queue here is such a regular fixture that the council have allowed the installation of a long decked area in the parking bays on the street to accommodate it. “The fluffy roti canai itself is amazing: you watch chef swirling and stretching paper thin dough”. But the “rich and aromatic” noodles and curries also on the menu can be just as rewarding. Don’t expect a long foodie religious experience. The “functional” service will get you in and out in no time. There are also now a growing number of spin-offs, of which the most high-profile is in Battersea Power Station, whose shiny vibe could not be more at odds with the grungy original; and where there’s “more of a feeling of a fast-food joint”. Even so, it comes “highly recommended for anyone looking to try some authentic and tasty Malaysian cuisine”: “it’s good to find such a reasonable place near Battersea Power Station. You can sit outside if weather permits. But it’s very popular and no booking, so go early to get a table”. Also in Waterloo and – since this year – in Spitalfields. Top Tip in NW1 – takeaway lunch is easier than queueing and amazing value too.

“Great Malaysian cooking at very low prices” has won a fair following for Med Pang and Koi Lee’s street-food operation in the ground-floor restaurant of a hotel just off Queensway. “Although not a meat-free restaurant, there is an extensive veggie selection of Malaysian street food”, plus “very good satay and roti chennai, good laksa” all “clean-tasting”. “It can get very busy and a little chaotic (part of its charm?)”.