I’ve been a big fan of Malaysian food since my first trips to Singapore and Malaysia around ten years ago. As a cuisine it’s a beautiful mix of Indonesian, Indian, Thai, and Chinese food which results bold, rich, spicy flavours.
📝 You might be wondering why I’m grouping Malaysian and Singaporean together. Before 1965, Singapore was part of Malaysia, so although there are some variations to dishes, and regional differences, a lot of the food is the same. Whether you’re at a Malaysian or Singaporean restaurant there are handful of dishes you’ll most likely find on both. Also, in London there are several restaurants who advertise themselves as both Malaysian and Singaporean.
📝 Malaysia is a Muslim nation so almost all of the restaurants listed here serve halal meat and do not serve alcohol.
1. Normah’s
📍Bayswater. In my opinion, Normah’s make the best roti in town. Although Roti King and Tamil Prince make a very good doughy roti, there’s something about the buttery flakiness of Normah’s which is unmatched. Together with the beef rendang is the perfect combo. Normah’s is small, and they only serve a limited number of tables a night so book ahead via email on their website if you are going to visit, or be prepared to get takeaway. If you didn’t know, Normah’s is based in Queensway Market which is a bit of a mad place. You have to walk through a phone shop to enter the building, immediately turn left, and Normah’s is tucked away in a corner with not much signage. They don’t have a toilet so you have to use the market one which is located just past the barber shop next to the mosque entrance where people are washing their feet.
2. Tukdin
📍Paddington. A great Malaysian restaurant near Paddington Station. It also happened to be one of Ngolo Kante’s go-to restaurants when he lived in London. All the dishes were great but the standout one for me was the ayam goreng telur masin (fried chicken thigh in salted egg yolk). I don’t think l’ve seen it on a Malaysian menu before. The sauce was buttery but spicy, and I loved the flavour the curry leaves on it gave too. I love how laksa changes restaurant to restaurant – the broth here is creamy and the bowl loaded with giant mussels and a lot of prawns. Paddington is not a great area for food so this is great option if you’re looking for somewhere to eat.
3. Halia
📍Bayswater. You know I hate the overuse of the term “hidden gem” but this is a hidden gem. The restaurants is hidden at the back of the Park Plaza Hotel in Bayswater. I went for the seabass, nasi goreng, char kway teow, morning glory & cekdok pissang (banana fritters with syrup). All the dishes were great. The nasi goreng was a lot tastier than versions l’ve had other Malaysian restaurants. The char kway teow had that nice smokiness to it. Service is super friendly too.
4. Roti King
📍Multiple Locations. Probably the most famous Malaysian & Singaporean restaurant in London, now with multiple locations across the city. The most popular dish here is the roti canai which you watch being made fresh in front you as you would in a hawker market. I like to get mine with chicken curry. I still like to go to the original location in Euston rather than any of the new spots. It tastes better fresh so don’t get it takeout.
5. Singpulah
📍Soho. A beautiful modern Singaporean in Soho. If you didn’t know, Singapulah is from the owners of Rasa Sayang, a China Town favourite for Singaporean food. The place is beautiful inside. I loved the private hidden room below through what looks like a Singaporean convenient store. The chilli crab bao was probably my favourite dish but I was a big fan of both the noodle and rice dishes too. I also loved both of the desserts. I think I made the right call staying off the durian ice cream. They weren’t bad, but I didn’t love the cereal killer prawns. My heart was set on the chilli crab, which is probably my favourite dish to get whenever I’m in Singapore, but they were out of it due to limited crab numbers this time of year. I’ll have to go back for it. Except queues outside on weekends. Midweek lunch is probably your best bet.
6. Rasa Sayang
📍China Town. The older sister of Singpulah. Like most restaurants in China Town, it’s pretty cramped, but the food is great. The laksa is very popular here as well as the chilli crab which is one of my favourite dishes to get when I’m in Singapore. It comes served with those little fried dough balls.
7. Med Salleh
📍Bayswater. Another restaurant which is oddly attached to a hotel in Bayswater. The food here is inspired by kopitiam (Malaysian coffee shops). As well as a big iced and hot coffee menu, Med Salleh has a large food menu serving all the Malaysian classics. The laksa was big and loaded with prawns, baby squid, clams and chicken. Not as much heat as some others in town. The roti was nice and flakey, and the curry it came with had a good gradual heat to it. The beef rendang wasn’t quite as good as Normah’s, and I would have liked some roti with it too. I think more places should follow Tamil Prince menu where you can order individual roti, as we had to pay £9 for two more roti with the curry sauce, which felt like a lot. The mee goreng was ok but the portion was a very small for the price. The Hainanese chicken, their signature dish, was really delicious. Service is really friendly. If you want to use the bathroom you’ll have to enter the hotel and make your way down a narrow flight of stairs (but I guess it’s still a better set-up than Normah’s). You’re looking at around £30 for a starter, main and drink. I’ll probably head back soon for the £14 Malaysian breakfast buffet served 08:00-11:00. I heard the desserts are great here too.
8. Melur
📍Edgware Road. A basement restaurant on Edgeware Road. I’m not usually a fan of underground restaurants but the food is good here. I went for the nasi kandar. It’s a dish made up of rice topped with a deep fried prawn, boiled egg, cabbage, sambal, three different gravies (chicken gravy, daal, and something else), and a large piece of extra crispy fried chicken. It’s originates from the Tamil Indian community in Penang. Melur has a lot of other specials on the menu which I haven’t seen at other London Malaysian restaurants like fish head curry too.
9. C&R Cafe
📍China Town. A China Town institution of Malaysian food with a big menu. Although the food is good, I’m not a fan of the ugly black plates they’ve switched to and the fact they charge you .50p per plastic box if you want to take any of your food to go seems a bit cheap to me.
10. Laxsa Soho
📍Soho. A good spot for Malaysian food in Soho. I went for the traditional laksa (£13.80) as well as this hokkien mee (£12.50). The laksa was good but it definitely could have had a little more heat to it too. I was a big fan of the hokkien mee though – a popular KL dish made with thick yellow noodles in a smoky dark soya sauce, with prawns, pork, Chinese cabbage and fish cakes slices. Unlike a lot of Malaysian spots in town, Laxsa serve alcohol, and even have a happy hour.
11. Java Fusion
📍Acton. A popular Malaysian restaurant in Acton. They serve traditional Malaysian dishes as well as a few Thai, Chinese and a Hong Kong-style French toast for dessert (which is probably the fusion part). My favourite dishes were the laksa, nasi kerabu ayam percik (doesn’t it just roll off the tongue?) and Roti Canai. The laksa curry was rich and creamy, I loved the fried chicken with the nasi kerabu ayam percik and the roti, although more on the flaky than doughy side was very delicious. The only letdown were the curry puffs which were still cold inside (obviously cooked from frozen rather than fresh) and I’m not sure about the blue rice, but every other dish was great. The place is quite small and the tables are packed in so you can feel a little like you’re sharing the table with the people next to you (like at Roti King or Hawker’s Kitchen). It’s also BYOB which is also a big plus. Note that the closest off license has a drinks selection so plan ahead. The people working there are super friendly. I’ll definitely be back anyway.
12. Makan
📍Notting Hill. A very popular Malaysian canteen-style restaurant on Portobello Road. For lunch it’s canteen-style – similar to Dapur in Holborn. You pick rice or noodles then select the dishes you’d like on top. It was £10.50 for rice and three dishes. I went for the lamb curry, fried fish and aubergine. All were great choices. You can also order all the Malaysian classics. We went for the chicken satay, char kway teow and laksa, as well as banana balls to finish. Iced teh tarik to drink.
13. Dapur
This Holborn Malaysian restaurant is open for lunch weekday lunches only 11:00-15:00. The menu is simple – you choose your rice then choose one, two or three meat/fish/veggie dishes from the large pots to accompany it. There’s plenty of outdoor seating (but no toilet). It’s a good spot for weekday summer lunches if you work in the area.
14. Singapore Garden
📍Hampstead. This is the kind of place you’d come with your family for every special occasion if you lived in the area. Singapore Garden serve a mix of Singaporean dishes, as well as some Chinese and Thai. Two of their most popular items are the chilli crab and black pepper butter crab.
15. Laksamania
📍Fitzrovia. A great spot for laksa in Fitzrovia. I like the one which comes topped with crispy pork belly – non-traditional but a great addition.
16. Hawker’s Kitchen
📍Kings Cross. A good spot for a cheap meal near Kings Cross station. It’s another restaurant where the head chef is ex-Roti King. As well as Malaysian food, they have a number of Indian dishes on the menu like dosas, biryani & chaat. The roti isn’t quite on the same level at Roti King or Normah’s in my opinion but still hits the spot. You’re looking at around £16pp for dinner and it’s BYOB too.
17. Sudu
📍Queen’s Park. The younger sister restaurant of Satay House. I only tried the laksa but it was delicious. Loaded with prawns and chicken with strong lemon grass flavour, although I prefer it when it’s got two types of noodles. The menu is similar to Satay House with a few different dishes.
18. Satay House
📍Edgware Road. The older sister restaurant of Sudu with a similar menu. It’s a clean and modern restaurant, serving some nice dishes but the prices are quite a lot more expensive than other Malaysian restaurants in the area (Tukdin, Melur). Some dishes were priced fine but £4.50 for a teh tarick (tea), £15.60 for a nasi goreng kampung (fried rice), and a very small portion of prawns for £17 seemed excessive to me.
19. 7 Floor Malaysian Tea Room
📍Holborn. Another popular Holborn lunch spot for Malaysian food. This place is tucked away at the back of Holborn Food Hub with two other vendors. They’re known for serving regional Penang dishes like asam laksa which is made with a fishy broth instead of coconut milk. The prawn mee includes two types of noodles (yellow wheat & vermicelli), prawns, egg, and slices of pork.
20. Old Chang Kee
📍Multiple Locations. A Singaporean chain famous for their curry puffs. Other than the curry puffs I’d pass on the other food though. The laksa is especially disappointing.
21. Putera Puteri
📍Bayswater. They have a nice outdoor space and it’s great they are open for breakfast although the beef rendang was a little dry and the roti didn’t seem freshly made.
James Dimitri 