Ah, it's so hard to find a Malaysian restaurant in town. And when you do, it hardly lasts long enough until the next one pops up. You can't blame the quality of food here as they were pretty good. And it seems like they all have the ingredients to last. It just hasn't been a successful venture in Houston.
Welcome to Cafe Malay. Great menu, good service. The food is tasty and the menu may not be a familiar sight for everybody so here's a short hit list for the first timer:
Roti Canai - Similar to Indian pratha
Nasi Lemak - Coconut Rice with dry curry chicken/beef, peanuts, cucumbers and chilies
Bak Kut Teh - Herbal soup with Pork and Tofu
Mee Goreng - Malay Fried noodles
Hokkien Mee - Thick noodle with dark sauce
For those familiar with the previous Malaysian offerings, you might say that the menu looks the same as the other doomed ones. That's pretty much where the similarities end. Cafe Malay shows, what was not apparent at first, what the others were lacking. Good hot food, knowledgeable staff that knows what's on the menu, location right in the middle of the action on Westheimer/Beltway, some simple yet trendy decorations and cool ambient lighting, plenty of parking, generous extras like the occasional free desserts, a website that can eventually take orders online..
Maybe I'm just optimistic after the previous disappointments. And for all that it offers for a small restaurant, it's a decent place to grab a quick lunch or to sit down and sample some authentic South East Asian cuisine. At least while it lasts.
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