Stopped by for a solo Saturday lunch recently around 1pm -- the ground floor was really busy then, but there were still a handful of tables available on the relatively-peaceful upper level. My friend had recommended trying the singapore laksa, and I'm grateful that I did -- it was fantastic! The portion size was sooo big, with a huge helping of yummy rice noodles. (I didn't know laksa came with rice noodles sometimes -- think I've only had it with egg noodles before.) The variety of ingredients -- shrimp, fish cakes, tofu puffs, chicken, and more -- were all delicious, and the healthy level of spice added more of a kick than i expected. I also ordered a teh tarik, which was nice. Nothing too remarkable; it tasted very authentic. Overall price point was very reasonable, and the service was prompt and friendly. I really like the feeling of this restaurant being somewhat tucked-away in a side alley -- makes it feel like a small escape from the relative bustle of the central Chinatown neighbourhood. I will definitely be back to try some of their other dishes. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Teh tarik - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

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So, I've been coming here for many years, but frankly with a large gap of years in between. Was really hankering for some Malay Cuisine, and this was feeling like a nostalgia trip. The restaurant has been around since the late 80's and somewhat hidden down an alleyway off Chinatown/Leicester Sq. I ordered the Hainanese Chicken Rice, that I had there many times before, in what now feels like a former lifetime. Unfortunately on this occasion it was a little bit disappointing. Perhaps because I'm not of the origin of food that they serve, they palmed me off with 2 pieces of chicken breast meat, with a fork and spoon of course in order to add to the debacle. For those who know this dish swill understand that the best part is the leg meat, on the bone, that becomes somewhat gelatinous, and somewhat undercooked when it is immersed in ice quickly after cooking. Unfortunately I didn't get any of this, and the breast meat a little overdone. Service was a bit dull and rather unenthusiastic. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Hainanese Chicken Rice - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

Laksa was too coconutty and watery for my taste. Still good but rasa sayang is still the best! Their curry had a very delicious taste, chicken was very dry though. Appreciated that they didn't add extra sugar to my Watermelon drink. Papaya salad was absolutely not worth ordering because the portion you're paying for is sad. The portion is way too small for 9£. You barely got any papaya. But the sauce was really good. Would have been a banger if the portion and the papaya was more generous! read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

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Food and service was good! Shoutout to Nigel for being a thoughtful server. Because of him, I want to come back.

Had the worst Hai Nan chicken noodle today! I used to think this shop is decent, but I'm surprised they can serve me try chicken, plain noodles, that doesn't even looked semi appealing. Go Rasa Sayang around the corner if you wanted Malaysian food. This is not as good. read more

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Best Malaysian food outside of Malaysia and in London.... It's located in Chinatown in an alley.... Ambiance is great.... Service is awesome... Malaysian's run the place.... read more

Good food, quick, and centrally located in a cute alley inside Chinatown. It was recommended by a few folks FB. It's a small tight space. I would be concern to bring my elderly parents here during the pandemic, because of lack of social distancing. Other than that, it's great! read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Nice sketch on the white tiles wall at C&R Cafe - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

Highly recommend the hainanese chicken rice here! They use the thigh and they definitely do the rice correctly by cooking in chicken stock. The chicken was juicy and filled with taste, love it. Missing it now! Do not recommend getting the fried tofu with peanuts and shrimp paste sauce. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

A pleasant surprise!! The family and I wanted simple Chinese food and this restaurant delivered. With over 100 items on the menu, it was difficult to choose an entree. We all picked something different and we all enjoyed our meal. The freshly squeezed fruit drinks were fabulous. read more

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Being from Malaysia, I'm obviously biased towards Malaysian food but I feel that if Thai food can so successfully penetrate the British food scene, Malaysian food should also be able to do the same. Malaysia is a cosmopolitan melting pot of culture, ethnicity and religion and its diversity is reflected in its food with influences from its main 3 races - Chinese, Indian and Malay (Arabic) with nods also to our time as Portugese, Dutch and British colonies. I will always be eternally grateful to C&R for blazing the trail for Malaysian food in Chinatown. It was the first decent restaurant to which I could take friends for a proper Malaysian meal and not be embarrassed. I'm glad to report that business remains brisk and they've been successful enough to open a second branch in Bayswater, which I haven't eaten at yet. The menu consists mainly of Malaysian hawker food favourites. Hawker food is street food where street stalls compete fiercely for custom with their delicious smell and sights. If you ever visit Malaysia, ignore the guidebooks, take some simple precautions, stick to the cooked food and you'll be in foodie heaven when you explore the hawker food scene. You'll be really missing out if you don't try this aspect of Malaysian food. Well, in C&R cafe, you can try these dishes in safe hygienic surroundings! For Malaysian food virgins, perhaps have the satay (meat or seafood skewers served with peanut sauce) or ketoprak (mixture of vegetables with slightly spicy peanut sauce). The Hainanese chicken rice taste belies its simple poaching cooking technique. Char koay teow is my personal favourite - wok fried broad rice sticks with meat and seafood. I am very fussy about my char koay teow and there are better versions to be had in London these days but this delivers a good idea of the best of hawker food. Nasi lemak is a good combination on a plate option - coconut rice with curry chicken, crispy anchovies, boiled egg, spicy vegetable sambal and peanuts. Ice kacang or chendol will close out the meal with something cool and sweet. It's down a little side street off Wardour St but it's a little gem. read more

I came. I saw. I crammed my belly full of delightful morsels which I don't expect to ever be able to pronounce. I'll be honest: I haven't the foggiest clue to the names of the dishes that I consumed (en masse) here. All I can say is that I walked in a Malaysian food n00b and walked out a convert. In particular, the heavily spiced beef rendang (thanks for the assist, Yee Gan) was a favourite at the table, along with the char kway teow. I found the latter to be very similar to your typical Chinese ho fun, but with oodles of extra bean sprouts (a common ingredient in Malaysian cuisine, apparently...). Having now sampled a wide variety of the offerings here, I feel comfortable making a return journey with or without a translator. It seems like one can't really go wrong by creatively pointing at menu options. read more

If you want to visit this place, please be advised that this is the rudest Malaysian restaurant I have ever been in London. However, I have to say having tried both Rasa Sayang and here, this is the better restaurant food wise. Like most Asian restaurant I have been to anyway, do not expect customer service at all (even though it is added to the bill). I have been here watching a customer complain about the delay of the food, just to get whacked by the woman manager that they are not cooking it by microwave so have to cook it from scratch so it takes longer and not that ding ding ding sound by microwave. So unprofessional and makes the whole area uncomfortable when the manager scolded back the customer. That said I am here for the food and not the service. Its cheap and hearty meal so I can overlook that a bit. My favourite food here are the classic Nasi Lemak, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Okra Belacan, Kang Kung Belacan and Wat Tan Hor. The others are ok but obviously not as good as these few. Maybe they just can't cook it as good as back in Malaysia. read more

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I've been to C&R many times and it's always a good experience food-wise, especially if you want something very filling for a decent price and for something that you can eat in under 40 minutes - it's a cafe after all but probably the most fancy Malaysian Cafe you'll ever go to in China Town. There is upstairs seating which houses parties over 6 but given the relatively small area, it's not advisable to stay here any longer. The customers are all very quick to eat and go. This time I ordered the legendary Malaysian Lamb Curry at £8.50. Unfortunately, this does not come with the rice like the other curry dishes (e.g. Chicken) so you do have to ask for it. The lamb is nicely cooked and tender. The dish also comes with large chunks of potatoes which have been spiced with star aniseed so there's a lot of taste which promises to be more than your average takeaway curry. The service was very quick although, and whilst my order was completely fine, the staff did manage to get my friend's order wrong (both drinks and dish) even when apparently shown the number on the menu. This may be a cause for concern but they did offer to recook the dish so points for admitting their mistaken. To be fair, this is the first time in many times that something like this has happened that I'd still recommending going. read more

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What's not to love about this alleyway Malaysian restaurant? It's cheap, fast and delicious. Best of all, every time I go in here, it brings up fond memories of Asia. Food: I always go for the Singapore Laksa when I'm here. You can never go wrong with a laksa, and the portion is massive. The broth is packed with coconut and curry flavours that goes great with all the seafood and noodles in it. Every bite is heaven to me. That being said, I think the menu provides a great selection of south east Asian cuisine and it's worth to try out as many other yelpers have. Atmosphere: Typical Asian "canteen" style. Wooden chairs and tables and cramming as many people in as possible. It's just all part of experience.... if you can't go to Malaysia, go to C&R Cafe. Service: Don't expect 5 star service when you're here. It is, after all, in China Town. They are consistent and simple in their service. They'll seat you, take your order, and the food arrives in a very prompt manner. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Singapore Laksa - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

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Finally got to visit this cafe as recommended by super-foodie Yee Gan. The char keoy teow certainly did not disappoint, it was absolutely delicious and the nasi goreng hit the spot as well. Main dishes are about £7 and they are huge - great value for money. We even took out leftovers home in a plastic carton, it was like being in America! Knowing how big the portions are next time I'd probably skip the starter but then again the satay was so good... I also ordered some pearl bubble red bean ice tea - ridiculous to say and incredibly enjoyable to drink. That in itself was a delicious little meal. I will definitely return when I'm next in the area and I'd recommend it as a perfect midweek stop off. read more

A malaysian restaurant that is always full of customers no matter what time of the day it is so prepared to wait if you come at rush hour. Decor is simple, a good representation of restaurants in China with rows of tables and chair that can be pushed together to accommodate groups. Comfortable lighting and efficient staff. Food is surprising quick yet tasty and large portions too. Reasonable pricing and a recent refurbish of their menu adding a few new dishes. What is not to like? We started with a glass of Teh Tarik, Malaysian tea, delivered hot and foamy like they poured it from a height which is how it's suppose to done. It was incredibly rich and milky from the condensed milk. It was a bit strong like they've left the tea bag in it although I like my tea strong so it worked out well for me. Lo Mee My sort of comfort food. Egg noodles in a lovely thick starchy broth. It was flavoured beautifully with soy, vinegar and the pork, mushrooms, carrots and other vegetables that had been braising in there helping to deliver complexity in sweetness as well as savouriness. The noodles did soften a little, being left to cool whilst we enjoy the other dishes but it didn't ruin the dish for me. The thick soup kept in the heat throughout and excellent at clinging on every strand of noodle as I mopped up the dish. Pork was a cheap cut being a bit chewy but that was reflected on the price and the type of restaurant. But with a little extra chewing it was very edible. Hainanese chicken rice A lovely home comfort dish of a poached chicken and then using the stock to cook the rice. Don't expect the highest grade of rice as we were served long grain but it was lovely, subtle in sweetness and fragrant from the chicken and somewhat peppery too. The corn fed chicken of course stole the show being incredibly tender and succulent, packed full of flavour from being poached in the salted water, ginger and onions. Serve with a spicy chilli dip if you like it hot. Rice cakes. Lovely steamed cubes of rice cakes made with rice flour then stir fried with beansprouts, spring onions, fried shrimps and soy sauce. They were beautifully charred around the edges conveying good wok energy, seasoned perfectly and great textures coming together from the soft sticky rice cakes to the crunchy beansprouts. Gado gado. This was very disappointing. The tofu was hard and rough as if it's been frozen and they refried. The peanut sauce on top was mediocre, very sweetened although I did enjoy the nuttiness. It was mainly the peanut sauce that gave this dish flavour as all the tofu, boiled eggs, cucumbers and beansprouts underneath came unseasoned and were terribly bland. Kind of wish they gave us more sauce now. As the prawn crackers were the only part that delivered its own flavour, we demolished them first. This dish should not have cost us £7.00. Other than that last dish that let us down C&R has always been very reliable choice. I would recommend skipping the starters which are usually lazily made beforehand, bland and uninspiring. Just go straight into the main meal, especially their one bowl dishes which are all generously portioned. I have never had a problem with their seasoning. Menu is very extensive which can be overwhelming but at the same I find it an advantage as it caters for everyone and I know I can return often without being bored of the menu. Probably my most visited restaurant in London. read more

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C&R cafe & restaurant locates in a dodgy alleyway in China Town. It is such a tiny store but always crowded due to it's low piece. I tried a few dishes here, flavours are strong - like how Malay dishes should be, but lots of salt and MSG as the food here always make you want to drink plenty of water afterwards. Overall, average food for cheap price, nothing more. read more

Summary based on one dinner: --immediate seating for one upstairs --good service --better than average food, not terribly Westernized. Sambal (hot sauce) available on request. --good prices for area --cash preferred I knew this place was going to be good when two Westerners sat down at an adjoining table, but left before ordering because they couldn't find anything sufficiently tame. read more

Tucked away down a side street in the heart of London MCR does not have the benefit of being in plain sight but it needn't be because it packs a punch and is packed to the brim with customers already. Tables are tightly packed and seating isn't particularly comfortable but the service is quick and the food piping hot and delicious. So if you want good Malaysian food served well and are not too fussed about the surroundings then this place does the trick just fine. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

One star all the way. Food was alright and tasty. However, I found a dead fly at the bottom of the rice with the soy sauce. I told the waitress quietly at the end of the meal, asking if she can make the kitchen to be aware of this. And the waitress response "the fly must have landed on my dish after being out of the kitchen". Not to mention, my friend soup has human hair in it. To add salt to the wound, the same waitress rushed us to pay our bill. Even though my friend drink was 80% full, she handed us our bill which after 30 seconds, she brought the card machine and asked if we want to pay cash or card. Wow, what an attitude, I know you have customers waiting outside the restaurant, but still, this is not the way things should have done. I am not going back unless they start teaching their employees some proper manner. read more

To echo what others have said this place is actually one restaurant split into two premises. They fill up the main restaurant where all the food is cooked, then put the remaining people in the shop opposite which is also owned by them. Requiring them to carry your food out into the street, into the alleyway onto you table. Quite funny to watch in practice. The portions here were gigantic but the quality was a mixed bag. We ordered a curry laksa, which was extremely authentic and had plenty of seafood, prawns, chicken etc... However the Char Kway Teow, which also tasted authentic had lots of fishcake but only a single, sad lonely prawn on it's own in the whole dish. Consistency seemed to be lacking. The Nasi Lemak didn't taste authentic, but all the ingredients were there and they made a fair go with their DIY Sambal chilli sauce which was pretty good (but not authentic). The Hokkien Mee was huge, but swimming in way too much sauce/broth, plus was a little salty. In essence, the food is quite good, but not uniform in quality. If you're Malaysian, you're probably initially be quick appreciative of the food, then afterward criticise things that were not up to scratch. Probably a place to try again, but it's fills up quickly and they don't take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait. read more

Just came back here from eating dinner tonight. I had the Tom Yum starter soup which was pretty bland for me. I also had the tofu skewers (not happy they were fried) but loved they were doused in chunky peanut sauce with red pepper flakes. Still there were some pop of flavour missing. Also unimpressed the mains are not served with rice and that has to be ordered separately. My husband enjoyed his beef randang though. And I have to admit my husband's order of Malaysian roti was delicious: buttery and crisp at the same time. And my friends their huge soup noodle bowls. So maybe I'm the odd one out. Huge menu but not a ton of veg options. read more

Made a return to C & R and ordered the following: - Char kway teow A smoky and salty dish with nicely cooked if a limited number of prawns, this is everything you'd expect it to be. No frills and fairly unspectacular but tasty enough. read more

Amazing food for the price! The service was excellent, everytime I needed someone, they were not hard to find and they were very kind and happy to fulfill what I asked. The price is also reasonable considering the great food you get. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

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Good food horrible service. Kangkung n nasi lemak was good. singapore laksa was bad. read more

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As with any other country-specific foods, I suppose, where there is a 'correct' taste to these dishes, it was the authenticity of the vibrant Malaysian flavours which I was eager to judge during my dining experience at C&R in Chinatown. C&R boasts an extensive menu of all the Malaysian/Singaporean favourites, from *real* Singapore Fried Noodles to nasi lemak, from chendol to ice kacang. And they just had to, had to, had to throw in the Asian-dining-in-Europe quintessential: Pad Thai. The portions are exceptionally huge for some reason, but it makes me feel alright about spending £6.50 on my mountain of mee siam which is SG$3.50 (£1.75) in Singapore for a more sensible portion. It's a little unfair, but my mum makes the best mee siam in the world, so I can't say that this dish was brilliant. Unlike the version served in a milky, spicy soup back home, this is the original 'dry' version which is truly Malaysian. These noodles were surprisingly spicy for my standards, let alone for the poor tongues of the British. I downed the iced Milo in the background quickly, but the spiciness lingered. Before the chilli became torturous, I did enjoy the noodles, which were tasty enough with a fragrance of bean-paste, and came with prawns, tried tofu, beansprouts, fried egg and some veggies. If I'm not wrong, the lemon wedge should have been a lime instead. Char kway teow is also another extremely popular dish of Malaysia and Singapore. It is described as 'broad rice noodles stir-fried with egg, prawn, fishcake and bean sprouts.' This dish was actually of the average Singaporean standard, but then again, with black sauce, everything usually comes out okay. I'm glad they added in the chives, which are necessary for a great taste and texture contrast, together with the crunchy bean sprouts, an added yay-factor. I definitely recommend sharing one dish between two diners, (unless you're a big guy/not having dessert/skipped breakfast/trying to gain weight) or taking away the leftovers. (Additional cost of 50p) Singaporeans and Malaysians will rejoice at this eatery which serves all our authentic local favourites at a good value. read more

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This is THE Malaysian place to hit up if you're in W1, if you can get a table. Service is pretty brusque and hands-off, but that's okay. The food tastes like a combo of homemade and canteen, firmly hitting that 'student comfort food' spot. I feel like Rasa Sayang tries to go there but ends up falling flat, while C & R nails it. Portions are big, prices are okay (you're paying for location), but the food is great. Nasi lemak is really solid and sambals are burningly delicious. While some stuff is gently Westernised, it really is gentle; if you don't have a clue what you're looking at on the menu, you're on your own. Spices are spicy, dried pungent fish is plentiful, and you're not going to leave hungry. read more

On an alleyway, we were brought in by the incredible (great) smell. Ignored the low health dept rating. Our introduction to Singapore Laksa -- we were converted. Don't mess with their chilis! read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

Very good home style Malaysian food. The staff may keep you away from authentic dishes with 'odd to the western tongue' flavors, but if you are looking for the real deal insist on ordering those gems. The chicken curry is really good, thick and flavorful. The Archer Awak is a great pickle salad with complex fermentation and spicy flavors and the Plum and Lime drink is a salty sweet refreshing and unusual beverage. There are also more familiar dishes including Thai classics, but I prefer Malaysian in Malaysian restaurants. 5 stars for being authentic and tasty. read more

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Popped in solo on a quiet enough Sunday night on the recommendation of an Aussie friend. I was trying to get some carbs for a long run the next day, so I just got water with roti canai and the Singapore laksa. Everything hit the spot. The laksa was better than what I've tried to far stateside. Service was efficient and quick. I got a table to myself but assume there's more sharing at busier times. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Roti canai and laksa - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL

I would have to say that my favorite Malaysian restaurant outside of any hawker stand in Kuala Lumpur would have to be C & R. The laksa is so delicious and flavorful. The bakuteh (pork cooked in herbal broth) is so warm and comforting on a cold fall day. The wah tan ho (wet chow fun noodles) is creamy and hearty. Best comfort food. Wash it down with a nice teh tarik. Quick and friendly service. Highly recommend. read more

Walking down the skinny passageway that is Rupert Court one bitterly cold January morning, I passed a café with an enormous bubble tea menu plastered along its façade. And I thought to myself, 'What better time for a cold, refreshing beverage than now?' So I went in. And it smelled. It smelled stagnant and bad. I saw one man behind the counter wearing washing-up gloves, dismembering chicken carcasses with a meat cleaver. He looked at me. I looked at him. Against my better judgment, the words, 'I'd like a regular bubble tea, please', came out of my mouth. I'd interrupted this man as he was hacking apart chickens with a rather sizeable knife. I'd come this far; there was no backing out now. He looked at me. I looked at him. He put down the cleaver and chicken leg. He removed his washing-up gloves. He paced around for a moment, bemused, and then asked me to wait. He left the disused café that smelled of dead chickens. And entered the restaurant of the same name across the small alleyway. I stood. I didn't know what do to. I saw him speaking with a woman working behind a small bar in the restaurant who was not covered in salmonella. I was relieved. I left the café and entered the restaurant. Apologised for the mix-up (although, to be fair, the café did have an enorous bubble tea menu plastered across its window). Waited for the lovely, non-chicken-cutting woman to make me my bubble tea. I paid my money (a lot of it, from what I recall) and left with my wonderfully appropriate winter-time drink. The tea tasted all right, although it was a bit on the sickly sweet side. But the tapioca pearls were simply too big for the straw provided. They continually got stuck, which required great concentration on my part not to suck up one of these pearls in my great haste to consume it, which would ultimately end in the pearl's lodgment it in my oesophagus (and my subsequent death) due to the force of the suckage required to release the pearl causing great momentum. It was a minefield. In short: I probably wouldn't go back for the bubble tea. read more

C&R is my usual haunt to satisfy those Malaysian food cravings that go a bit cray-cray every now and then. What I love about C&R is that it doesn't try to be anything that it's not. It's got an extensive menu of authentic food and drink, whole portions (as supposed to half-sized) and the food is quite satisfying. It does the job. My usual orders are the curry laksa, roti, nasi lemak, chicken curry, hainanese chicken rice, wat dan ho (no idea what this is in English it's flat noodles in a thick sauce with fishball slices, meat and veg, it's got it all). The curry laksa - for me, this is always spot on, the flavours are wonderul and the bowl is filled to be brim. The curry laksa at C&R is the best curry laksa I've had anywhere, if it's a cold winter evening, this is the only place for laksa. Massive fan. I'm gonna show my cards and admit I've never had roti canai in Malaysia, but if I were to, I'd want it to taste like it does at C&R. Just on the laksa and roti I'd happily give it 5 stars, although the roti is slightly overpriced - I've also heard rumours that they're ridiculous over at Makan on Portobello road, more on this another time? The nasi lemak here is good too, the fish is toasted until it's flavourful and crunchy - just how I like it, there's never enough sauce, but that's probably cos I'm a sauce guy. The chicken curry experiences the reverse problem, too much curry to rice ratio, it also varies sometimes and I've had it a bit flat at times, the curry doesn't have enough kick and that's always sad. I probably get the hainanese chicken rice the most. I always end up getting it when I'm torn because of the massive menu. The rice could be more fragrant although both the soya sauce in the rice and the chili dipping sauce are exceptionally well made. The chicken also varies in quality, although I think they've switched to organic, which is the only way to have your hainanese chicken. I'm a massive fan of coriander, so no complaints on this front either. second qualm is the quantity of chicken - for £7.50, I like to think I deserve a whole chicken - is that wrong? Wat dan ho is spot on if you know what you're getting yourself into, it's like a slimey plate of noodles and everything else they could find in the fridge. It's a typical Malaysian / Hong Kong dish. It's massive here at C&R and capable of filling a young family - good thing too because I'm starting to think I've got one growing inside of me. Quick note on the drinks - they're authentic but probably not to everyone's palate, try them all! Summary of the things that docked stars: The nasi lemak is a tad too dry, not enough chicken in the Hainanese Chicken Rice, roti canai's a bit expensive, and MINIMUM CHARGE of £7.50 per head, why? just... why? read more

Iced Kacang. I went here with my friend who had been before with another Asian friend of hers to sample the delights of this dessert. At first, I was a little put off, all those artificial colours, and red bean jelly at the bottom just sounded a bit weird, especially the sweetcorn bit. That sounded really weird despite my acquired taste for other things. I nearly chickened out and said I would order my own dessert, but once the spoon hit that shaved ice and syrup, I was a convert. This stuff is amazing. Forget how it looks, it tastes wonderful despite it being a cold November evening, we ate the whole thing. Sweetcorn and all. Well, my French friend did, rather than me! She's a massive fan. Desserts aside, the mains were huge and tasted really authentic and the service was friendly and efficient. I had the Nasi goreng and she had chicken with a sauce of some sort. I would come here again for sure, good value for money, good service, excellent food. read more

Two of my friends, both Malaysian, took me here on two seperate occasions, promising the best Malaysian food in London.... well they should know! So when we were looking for an alternative emergency laksa location (having been cruelly moved away from the beloved banana tree by work), I took two new visitors here. Things to love: the sweet condensed milk coffee and tea. I love the stuff, and I've yet to find it anywhere else nearly as good, frothy on top and hideously bad for you. Yum yum. Roti Canai. Dear god this bread is good. Again, hideously bad for you, but perfectly flaky and pastry-like with a sauce that has the perfect amount of kick. The satay is the best you'll have anywhere, in particular the prawn and noodle satay dish - can't remember its name - is superb. Sadly, I found the laksa too fishy for my taste - it's probably more authentic, but I prefer banana tree's pure coconutty version. However, it was good and tasty, with nice fat prawns, and could easily have fed two people. My advice is to stick with the malaysian dishes - the pad thai looked a very strange colour though got a good review from its eater - and watch out for those little chilis on the menu that mean 'hot'. They MEAN hot! Service was friendly and fast, though let us linger over some Tigers even in the canteen quick-turnaround atmosphere. Perfect place for a quick and tasty dinner - I was full for under a tenner if you don't count the beers! It's tucked away down an alley but don't overlook it in favour of some hit n' miss Chinese places in this part of town. read more

Simple, basic no nonsense place..... as it should be for this kind of food....Eat the 'bone in' chicken curry.....absolutely great. I always go for it after a late night out. I crave it. With essential freshly squeezed watermelon juice. Lovely. Nice staff too. read more

I used to frequent Melati on Peter St but when it closed, I tried C&R and it has become my Msian spot in London on my trips there. Service is friendly, menu is highly varied with the most typical Msian dishes. My favourite is the Nasi Lemak (although the acar that comes as a side isn't that good), the Char Kway Teow, the Prawn Sambal, kangkung belacan. The Mee Siam is pretty good, too, although I prefer stronger flavours. The satay is a little weak, as itsn't barbecued on a grill, it is made from breast meat hence it isnt as juicy and tender, and the seasoning is not the best. We were 5 and the bill came to about 80£ for 6 dishes. A good deal either ways! read more

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Authentic Malaysian and Singaporean food. Big portion, really filling. read more

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After 5 days in Geneva starving, my next stop is london. At this point, after the culinary tundra of the Geneva region, even chopped liver would have been heavenly. I was walking around Chinatown east of picadillly circus and saw this restaurant crowded with chinese students so,I thought its worth a visit. Perhaps it was just bad luck, but the Sayor Assam (vegetable soup with spicy tamarind) was sub par, the cabbage was undercooked and bitter when it really should have a natural sweetness. The sambal taucho (shrimps in soy bean with chili and green beans) was palatable but was very different from the ones I tried in Singapore, perhaps the chef opened the wrong packet of premixed spices?. To be fair, the other tables with laksa looked reasonable, so it could just be I ordered the chef's weakest items in his repertoire. London really needs better south East Asian food, when I was done, there was a long queue of people, which means tis is likely one of the best places for this type of cooking. If this is the case, food in London is not much better than Geneva. read more

Tucked away on a side street in Chinatown, this was my little secret place for ages, a tip given to me by a friend years back. The secrets obviously out of the bag now as there are now queues out of the door! This place has never failed me in all the years that I have been coming here. My absolute favourite is Nasi Lemak. Crispy fried anchovies, curry, and super hot sambal. Super tasty food, Gigantic portions, reasonable prices - what's not to love? Usually it's pretty efficient service but recently I've been and they've been a bit slow. Although not as cheap as it was, I'd still class it as a cheap eat. Definitely worth the wait. read more

C & R Cafe & Restaurant - Nasi Lemak aka the Shizz from C&R - Malaysian Near Me - London, XGL