I had laksa for the first time at Taste Good in Elmurst (Queens) NY... and was hooked. It is such a unique soup, with wonderful flavors! I was in Chapel Hill for a conference and found this Malaysian restaurant. It has been over 10 years since I had laksa ... and I was excited to have a hot steaming bowl after a long drive from West Virginia. I wish I could give 5 stars. I can give 5 stars for service, our waitress was great, very attentive, nice, and the food came out pretty fast. We shared beef satay, roti canai w/ curry ayam, laksa, beef rendang, and eggplant & basil. The beef satay was excellent, this was the BEST dish. Tender and hot meat skewers (4 sticks) with a yummy red, nutty dipping sauce and slices of cucumber and red onion. The roti/chicken curry - roti was good (3 pieces) but there were HUGE potato chunks and HUGE pieces of PORK, I think. The potatoes were so big, some weren't cooked all the way, in the middle. And the pork (the menu said chicken, mind you) was also in HUGE chunks and tough - almost like an after thought (definitely not stewed for hours-tender, more of, boiled separately and added minutes to broth b4 serving). And the broth was lukewarm. The laksa was terrible. Lukewarm broth again. And there were thick udon noodles in it, which I did not expect (usually it's a thin rice noodle or rice vermicelli, something way thinner). And lukewarm, this was the worst part! It had half a boiled egg, some tofu bits and fish cake bits. I couldnt eat more than a small bowl of it, it was awful. The beef rendang - the flavors were OK, but again, the beef was not tender at all, huge chunks of tough meat. My first beef rendang experience (in Queens, NY) was so memorable bc of the flavors and TENDERNESS of the meat, I remember it so well. It comes with rice and a pickled mango salad. The eggplant and basil dish was good, but this is something I could have gotten at any chinese or Asian fusion place. Yummy, but not amazing. It had sliced white onion and sweet peppers in it. At the end, the waitress suggested a dish to try next time. She was told people say it is very authentic. But there wont be a next time. Their menu online says 'The Best Malaysian Cuisine in Town'.... but it is also the only one. I had a high bar, going in. It is hard to compete with asian food in Queens, but I was really hoping this might be an amazing jewel in North Carolina ..... but I suppose these flavors are wonderful, new, and unique to people who have never had Malaysian food before and prefer lukewarm food. Please dont put udon noodles in laksa. Try 'Taste Good' in Elmhurst Queens for legit Malay food. read more

See all

Nice ambience, plenty of space. Food was excellent, presentation was remarkable. We had the sampler appetizer, eggplant, pineapple fried rice and nasi kuning. Couldn't finish it all. Yan Li was our server. Friendly and attentive. All of this and a piano player, too! We will definitely be back! read more

Loved the Laksa and Popia. Friendly staff, high end feel. Not the lowest prices, but delicious.

It was my second time here. Honestly very average food. Not super authentic. The noodle dish I got was too oily. I was not impressed. Service was good for sure！ read more

Fun fact- AMEX is doing $5 back for spending $10 for smalls businesses and they qualify!!! Long term - multiple year customer here with an update. Its SO CLEAN and comforting! Feels like home every time we step in. Huge fan of the herbs grown on their patio. love supporting LOCAL ingredients and support family owned businesses. Huge fan of contactless payment and so is everyone these days! I was able to call them prior to arriving to the restaurant. They were very accommodating to my order. I actually prefer wide rice noodles over any kind of noodle so I modified my laksa order. Seriously love how they were cleaning the entire time and giving us the reassurance its ok to eat here! We sat outside on the patio and saw a few other families. Considering this is located in a neighborhood type shopping center the demographic reach would typically be older folks and small families in the past. The culinary experience was rich, satisfying, and still healthy! I have had almost everything on their menu and always been happy to be a repeat customer for life! read more

See all

Excellence all around. Tom kha soup. Satay curry all wonderful. Warmth. Good location. Great host.

It's good place. Good rodey kanai. I really liked ye big fat waitress she was very nice. I thought it was so cool how she served the food.

This place was BUSY! I definitely recommend reservations! Regardless of not having them, they sat us and we had great service. The food was served warm, the wine cold, and the service with a smile. I also thought it reasonable for dinner with 4 people. read more

I was excited to find that there was a Malaysian place just down the street from my new place, but alas... The only way I can describe the food is to say it's missing all of the nuance that is the reason Malaysian is one of my favorite cuisines in the world, and the reason I lingered in Malaysia so long when I took a year off and aimlessly wandered the world. The laksa just tasted like coconut milk and fish sauce. That's it. Not the herby explosion it should be (whether it's Penang style, Singapore style, or anything in between). No tamarind. No lemongrass. No galangal. No ginger. Nothing. Also, it said it came with fish cakes - one of my favorite things - and it just... didn't. There weren't any. Instead there were a million pieces of fried tofu that tasted like old oil. I actually did not finish this dish - I ended up throwing away the tofu and using the broth as a base to make my own soup the next day with more ingredients tossed in. The beef rendang had a similar problem. First of all, the texture is supposed to be kind of jerky-like, yes, but not overcooked and sinewy. Second of all, coconut milk and peppers. That was it. Whither the candlenut? Cardamom? Kerisik? Etc ad nauseum? I hope that nobody tries this food and uses it as a basis to judge the cuisine as a whole. read more

Excellent service and wonderful, fresh, perfectly spiced meals. Our waitress was so friendly and attentive, made perfect recommendations. Had the Tom Kha and was not disappointed. Highly recommend! read more

While riding our bikes along the Morgan Creek Trails, we took a detour into the Southern Village Green. We decided to stop for a late lunch at Rasa Malaysia. We were excited to see they have a nice outside patio with tables spaced safely apart. Their manager was serving as maitre d', waiter and bus boy, but soon had us seated and got us started with drinks. The menu choices are outstanding and we ordered a soup, an appetizer and a main course of duck. The food arrives quickly and was in takeout containers, but was steaming hot and delicious. We love finding places we can ride our bike to lunch and then dine outside. We will be back and try exploring more interesting menu choices. Please give it a try, and be patient, the poor owner is working as fast as he can. read more

See all

My family and I have been coming here for years. The food is amazing! I recommend the Laksa, vegetable samosas, Roti Canai, and my toddler loves the lomein. Truly one of my favorite restaurants, read more

Rasa Malaysia is consistently a great restaurant - the food is always fresh and well-plated, and the service is prompt. One of our favorite Asian restaurants. The sambal olek fish is incredible - there is nothing like it anywhere else in the area. read more

Stick to the classic/authentic dishes, like beef rendang and Hainanese chicken. Chicken (we got it steamed like the original version!, but you can choose roasted) was moist and tender. The rice was excellent. It's cooked with chicken stock and so it's a little yellowish in color, but so, so good. This is the Hainanese chicken rice I remember from Singapore! Beef rendang had a robust flavor, with a garnish of peppers, cucumbers and mangoes on the side. Get it. For appetizers, I liked their version of popiah. It's got a good plum sauce with crunchy bits on top, with fried tofu inside. The lettuce wrap is interesting - the filling is similar to other places, but they don't use the round lettuce that many other restaurants use - they use ones with a longer leaf (sorry, don't know the name lol), you can't really envelope the lettuce leaf around the filling. Couldn't give the final star because of the mediocre mixed vegetables (stir fried with chef's sauce) - this, to me, was like the regular americanized-chinese veggies with brown sauce. Thick, brown sauce is not my cup of tea. Good service too - our server came around several times to ask if we needed anything (which is super helpful because we ended up ordering another round of rice!) Seating is comfortable but functional - the tables are arranged in rows to maximize the amount of seating available. read more

See all

I have been here multiple times and I have to say, it's gotten better! Their curry laksa soup has so much flavor! I usually come here on Sunday afternoons, so I've never seen it get too busy but I can see that they're understaffed. Regardless, they do the best they can and the food is amazing. This is a great place to go if you're wanting to try some good Malaysian food! read more

Rasa Malaysia - Curry Laksa Soup - Malaysian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

FIVE STARS for the cleanliness, attentive service, fancy decor, and awesome food! It was a bit of a drive from my apartment in Durham, but I thought the food and dining experience were worth the half-hour drive. My parents shared one of the fried noodle dishes, whereas my brother and I both ordered the hainanese chicken rice. My parents really liked the noodle dish. Likewise, my brother and I were in love with how fresh and delicious our chicken and rice platters were. Considering how the chefs gave us heaping portions of chicken and rice, I'd say that the plates themselves could be generously shared along 3-4 people. Seriously - I received an entire pound or two or chicken! This restaurant is also great for larger parties. Can't wait to come back here again! You'll definitely get your money's worth at Rasa Malaysia. read more

Rasa Malaysia - Hainanese Chicken Rice - Malaysian Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The service was friendly and the food was good. The price to ratio was amazing and I left feeling full. What wasn't perfect was the "chicken", which made me think if it really was turkey. Other than that, I think I would come back. read more

A solid choice for Southeast Asian cuisine! I haven't tried much Malaysian cuisine but I've lived in Singapore and Thailand before and there were so many familiar dishes that I was so excited to see on the menu! Service was decent and friendly and food was good, although a bit too sweet for most dishes. Loved the menu! I came here in a party of 4 on a weeknight and we were seated right away. We started with the Sampler appetizer (Curry Samosa, Coconut Shrimp, 'Gold tael' Yuan Bao and Spring Roll). None of us liked the spring roll that much but I loved the coconut shrimp! For entrees, we shared the Roast Duck in a tangy fruit sauce, Green Curry Chicken, Mee Goreng, and Hainanese Chicken Rice. For me, the standouts were the duck and Mee Goreng! The duck was so juicy and fatty. However, both these dishes and the green curry were too sweet. I was very excited for the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the sauces did not disappoint, but we all wish the chicken had been dark meat. But the rice that came with this was ON POINT! It was actually perfectly prepared. Overall, good restaurant to satisfy your Southeast Asian cravings! read more

See all

Amazing!!! The food was delicious, it didn't disappoint at all. Our server, Pene, is magnificent. Glad she was there when we went again.

The interior is clean but not specific in style. Service is quick and efficient. The food is delighttful. Fresh and clean flavors. The potstickers were a little too fried - just too hard. The duck soup was very light with plenty of roasted duck. The chicken and rice was not as tender as I normally like but the chicken rice was a star. read more

We ordered pork dumplings, curry Laksa, Malaysian fried chicken and rasa fried rice. The food was terrific and the prices were excellent! The service was also perfect! This is our first time and we will happily return! read more

Merilon is indeed reborn! Our last meal at that restaurant was in late July of last year. We knew the restaurant would be closed awhile, but didn't know that there would be a name change, and were rather depressed when we saw that it was "permanently closed". By mid-November, the restaurant was opened as Rasa Malaysia, with the same fine people in charge, and today was our first chance to visit an old friend. Since we don't get here as often as we'd like, we always order enough so that we'll have plenty for at least one more meal. This visit we chose to start with The Sampler Appetizer (Curry Samosa, Coconut Shrimp, 'Gold tael' Yuan Bao (crispy dumpling with ground pork, carrot, shrimp, shiitake mushroom and green onion, though you don't get the texture of the individual ingredients) and Spring Rolls - there are 2 of each and comes with a nice Thai style dipping sauce). The Curry Samosa was exceptional with a full curry taste, the Coconut Shrimp and the Dumplings were nice, though each were somewhat overcooked, which diminished the overall flavors of both . The Spring Rolls are strictly vegetarian with a sharp sour taste, considerably mellowed by the dipping sauce. We ate half, boxed up the other half for later consideration. As entrees, we settled on Roti Canai with Curry Ayam, Nasi Lemak (coconut rice, a small portion of the same Chicken Curry in the first entree, half a hard boiled egg, some roasted peanuts, and anchovies in a sharp sauce or sambal), and finally, Beef with Basil (tender slices of beef with basil leaves, mushrooms, green onion and bell peppers). Roti Canai is a layered and flaky flat bread, and Ayam is chicken. The chunks of chicken, along with a hunk of potato or two, is in a nice, rich red curry sauce, that is spicier than most encountered in this cuisine, with little residual sweetness. This has been one of our favorite dishes here, and did not disappoint this time out, and the roti cani was simply perfect, and is at it very best when dipped vigorously, and often, in the curry sauce, and slowly savored. Very well played on this visit. The Beef with Basil, simply accompanied by a scoop of plain, white rice, was another excellent dish, There was not a huge amount of slice beef, but what was there was tender & flavorful, and married perfectly with the chopped green onion tops, and the semi-sweet sauce that had some character. Sweep everything together with a nice amount of rice, and you are good to go. Now to the Nasi Lemak which is an "interesting" dish, an "interesting" combination of tastes and textures, but perhaps I'm not familiar enough with the order, or within which combinations, these items should be paired and/or consumed - it felt disjointed, and disconnected, never a feeling of finding the right match. The chicken curry was excellent, as in the previous dish, and the rice cooked in coconut milk was delightfully sweet. The 1/2 boiled egg and the roasted peanuts were just there, like someone was cleaning out the fridge and the pantry. The anchovies were in a sauce that lacked a clear mission statement, the result was rather fishy, unappealing in taste and texture. Would pass on this food adventure next time out. A bump or two, but all in all a very pleasant dining experience. These are friendly, personable folks, working with a minimal staff, so from time to time, a bit of patience might be required, but it will almost certainly be worth it, as it was today. read more

See all

We absolutely love Rasa Malaysia. Their menu is extensive with plenty of choices for everyone (the best beef fried rice of my life) plus they are very accommodating with food allergies. The service was prompt and very friendly. Parking is a breeze. read more

Came here on a Tuesday night for a friend visiting in town. We were a group of four and came in at 6:30pm. We were able to get seated. Immediately felt the service was super nice. We started with an appetizer sampler that had curry samosa, coconut shrimp, Yuan Bao and spring roll. Didn't quite like the spring roll but liked everything else. For entree, we shared four dishes. Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roasted Duck, Mee Goreng and Chicken Green Curry. I had heard the Hainanese Chicken was really really good so had really high expectations. I think overall it was good but none of us liked white meat so it was only okay. But we really liked the Duck, Me Goreng and Chicken Green Curry. Although one thing with these three dishes were they were a bit too sweet in our opinion. The sauce for the duck, the curry base and the rice noodles. But regardless, this was our first time having Malaysian food and we liked it a lot! read more

Friendly service and fantastic flavors! It's a really big room with fantastic wood paneling and a big bar that faces the huge windows that looks out into the u-shaped parking lot read more

It has been months since I've been back from SE Asia and this is the first place that has brought back the memories of the delicious foods I've had overseas. What's great about Malaysian cuisine is it's diversity which stems from its ethnic influences : Malays, Chinese, and Indians... and Rasa does not disappoint. We had the money bags to start - perfectly crisp wontons filled with shrimp and calamari. Then moved on to the mee goreng and laksa. The mee goreng was the absolutely delicious and the coconut spiced broth of the laksa was just right and not too overpowering. The portions for the entrees were generous and we had to take almost half of our food to go. I definitely plan on coming back to try all other dishes on the menu (there are so many!) read more

See all

Lovely and very authentic food - most of them (as compared to my 7 years experience from Singapore). It's a pity that they don't have bak kut teh, lol read more

We are visiting to help my elderly mother. After a long day of cleaning, my Brother and I were looking for some takeout to take back to our hotel as we were in no shape to dine in anyplace. We were searching for some sort of Asian food and stumbled across Rasa Malaysia. Neither of us had ever had Malaysian food--wow!! What an amazing find. A wonderful mix of Asian and Indian cuisines with a unique twist. The ordering process was easy, the service was wonderful, and the food was amazing. I would come back here over and over. Please give them a try!! read more

Ok. Honestly it's my first time eating Malaysian food and let people know that there is lots of factors behind the rating. Taste: I really enjoyed the money bag which is a fried wonton wrapped shrimp. I give that 10 stars. And their flat bread is something special. Now all other food I've tried there was fresh but it was off taste as if there's no salt. They have Thai food so we went again and tried it and it was bland and had no flavor (seafood soup, curry, and some egg drop gravy dish). What made me really frustrated was that I can see the kitchen- my soup was made and was sat on the shelf for over 15 minutes. I was just fiddling with my fingers until I got someone's attention. Once the soup came it was cold. I asked the soup to be reheated and when I tasted it .. it was just not good. Price: Kind of pricey for Asian food and than I'm used to. Drinks prices are kind of high as well. Service: We went there three times and it slow( not busy). Slow service. The waiter disappears for a long time. I would go for those money bags when I'm not hungry. Other wise.. no read more

Food is excellent as are the service and atmosphere. It's in a charming neighborhood too. I'm read more

To be fair, we have only gotten food here once. I may update this after trying more items, which I fully intend to! We ordered 3 items to try. The items that I found pretty decent were: the roti canai and the Rasa Malaysia udon noodles. The roti itself was fantastic- I miss eating roti. The curry itself was flavorful, but I wish the chicken were not in large white meat chunks. That could just be me! The udon noodles were done with bok choy and shrimp. This was great as well (I only ate the leftovers the next day). However, the real star was the char kway teow noodles. Oh my gosh, this dish is going to be my staple. They had a great wok char on them, texture was perfect, beansprouts, egg, lots of shrimp, fish cakes, scallions. I already know I'll be craving this again sometime later this month. The lunch price wasn't bad at all for a decent portion! Can't wait until we have the opportunity to actually eat in here. Will return for sure. read more

You have to try their Mi Goreng! It's amazing!!! It's definitely pricey but there is a good reason why. It's got everything you want in a meal. It's full of flavors and will satisfy your noodle craving with the first bite. read more

Went for lunch and everyone really liked what they had. Rasa has a nice atmosphere and the service was very quick and courteous. You get a free small salad or soup with weekday lunch. I had the Roti Canai, a great flatbread, with Curry Ayam. My friends had veg Pad Thai and Beef & Basil. The salad on the plates had a nice sweet dressing. My bread and curry soup was excellent. read more

See all

I love Rasa! I haven't had enough of the menu items I love to give them a five star but the things I love I LOVE. The service is always great, the people are really nice and attentive. The ambiance is pretty and there is outside seating as well. RASA MALAYSIA MEE GORENG - is my favorite. It's loaded with food and flavor. I personally get mine without the tofu and chicken because it was "too much" for me but my husband likes it all. I would advise ordering as is and see what works for you. CURRY SAMOSAS are delicious. I have had both the vegetarian and beef and do not have a favorite. COCONUT SHRIMP - pretty good SPRING ROLLS - okay 'GOLD TAEL' YUAN BAO - okay but wouldn't order again. SATAY- flavorful and filling (chicken on a stick), can be a meal with a side in my opinion ROTI CANAI WITH CURRY AYAM - I wasn't a fan of the curry itself. The pieces of chicken and potatoes were too big to be enjoyable. The flavor did not knock me off my feet either but the CANAI IS AMAZING! It's soo buttery and crispy, we always order it alone, it's addictive. MISO SOUP - average but welcomed with the lunch portions PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE - really not that great, not bad but left a lot to be desired PAD THAI - is pretty good. I only order it at lunch because if I'm getting a dish like this at dinner is definitely going to be the Mee Goreng. CLAYPOT TOM KHA - the flavor is unique but I love it. The coconut broth with the lemongrass and lime just provide a totally different tasting experience. I like to pour the broth over rice and really savor the flavors. My only gripe is there isn't much seafood in the dish. I haven't had the desserts yet. My cocktail was REALLY good although I can't remember the name of it. It was cherry flavored. I will come here again and again for my favorite menu items. Maybe I will continue to venture out to other menu items but in the meantime I'll stick to what I know! read more

See all

Fantastic food and nice ambience. Was particularly impressed with the appetizers we got, which were the fried tofu w/ satay sauce and the poppiah. Char kway teow, beef rendang, and shrimp laksa were also great. Our server was happy to explain the different dishes as well- overall a great experience!! read more

See all

Dinner last night was fabulous! Lemon Fish, the best! And leftovers to repeat the tastes. Double pleasure for sure.

So much big shrimp delicious! A great variety of menu items. The drunken noodles are great for eating fresh out of the kitchen but did not enjoy sauce when heated up at home. Fish dishes, mild spice. Part of menu had to be explained as some offerings were delightfully Malaysian ( naturally) but The ingredients were explained? Good time to go there and sit in their large outdoor pavilion. read more

Been waiting to try this place for a long time and finally made it today. Yelp says it's closed but we are glad we called and they are open. Had the vegetable dumplings, vegetable potstickers and roti canai with tofu green curry. Everything was yum and most importantly my kids loved the food. I would have easily given them five stars if they had a vegetarian version of the potato curry that goes with roti canai. Hope the management hears and introduces a vegetarian version read more

See all

Recently the team that I work with gathered at Rasa Malaysia for a pre-Christmas team lunch before everyone headed out for the holiday. We did the "family style" meal where a series of appetizers and maybe eight different dishes were brought to the table. Overall the food and the service were great! My personal favorites were the Ginger Beef and the Mango Chicken, but everything I sampled was very good. Nice restaurant! read more

The servings were small and overpriced and the service was not good. We feel no need to go back. The ambience was fine but there were kids running around and yelling in the dining room. read more