Yummy food. Recommend the soft shell crab with chili sauce. It tasted amazing. Curry chicken was super tender with mild flavor which is a good balance to the crab. read more

Sambal Chef - C3. Curry Chicken Soft shell crab with chili sauce Snow pea leaf with garlic sauce - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Had an unfortunate experience when we came on a Sunday a few months ago. Service was extremely poor because they would run out of items but tell us 20 mins after the fact. So the whole dinner took an extremely long time from start to end because they came up to tell us 3 different occasions that they ran out of the dish we wanted. Towards the end we wanted to just leave but was checking on our last dish. Pretty sure they didn't even start on the dish when we wanted to cancel but they told us it was coming right up so we had to wait even longer. Service was extremely unorganized and frustrating. read more

So good. Very attentive waiters, even on a Saturday evening. Food was so good. Huge portions. We should have shared but we wanted to try a noodle and rice dish. Clean restaurants, no complaints there. Overall, a good experience. I'll go back. read more

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I had been trying new dishes that I ate growing up in Malaysia and so far it had surprisingly awesome. Even in kuala Lumpur it is not easy to find a genuine good har mee(prawn noodles) place and this place met the standard. The only Malaysian restaurant i would go for some hometown taste in Houston. read more

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As a big fan of Malay cuisine and having lived in Kuala Lumpur briefly, I was excited to see another Malaysian restaurant in HTX! Love Houston's diverse vibrant food scene. We stopped by Sambal Chef for comforting bowl of chicken laksa and prawn mee The restaurant is conveniently located near Gerry's and Denny's, with plenty of parking available. We were seated right away upon entering. There were two friendly servers and a helpful busser attending as she refilled our drinks frequently. . Our orders of chicken laksa and prawn mee arrived within 5 minutes. The prawn mee came with a generous portion of char siu and four shrimp; the broth was piping hot, though I personally would've loved a deeper, richer flavor. The laksa had a good portion of noodles and tender chicken, but I found myself wishing for a touch more coconut milk and heat to really bring out that signature laksa warmth. The green beans were tough and stringy (not edible, IMO). While I still prefer the laksa at Paparich and Uncle Chin in Katy, our visit was ok overall. We're looking forward to coming back to try the bak kut teh and perhaps the chili crab next time read more

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Drove straight from the house in San Antonio (with a minor stop at Praesk's, avoid Buc-ee's madness) to try some Malayasian flavor. Which sadly our "city" lacks, various foods of the world, Houston is a food heaven. We had a mix of various dishes to sample but the gem was curry laksa . I even got served extra broth to take home which I devoured the next day. The service was fantastic, they were very proud about their food in the clean resturant. I will have to make another trip just to sample more plates. Highly recommend to check out this place and enjoy Malayasian mouthwatering fate. read more

Come here for the crab and water spinach. These two were our favorites and be ordering again and probably double the amount to feast on this delicious seafood. Service and atmosphere is great. Super busy and lively. The waiter who served us was giving his 150 % working table after table. read more

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We came here on a Friday night and weren't many people dining there so we picked a seat by the window. The food here was delicious. Roti with curry was good but we found the sauce to be a little light. The chow kueh teow was excellent, so was the fried rice and egg yolk tofu. We will come back to try more. read more

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They have great lunch special for $8.95. You can't beat this deal for lunch nowadays. And the foods is just good with ice tea or Malaysian milk tea...what a combinations. I drank so fast couldnt take a picture lol. read more

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Was craving Malaysian food having just visited KL and Penang recently. We ordered the beef rendang, char kway teow, and prawn mee/noodles. I must admit I'm not the most familiar with beef rendang as a dish, but I thought it was just a little too sweet and oily but the texture was good. For the prawn mee, the dish itself is flavorful and good. Having char siu in the soup threw me off as I was expecting non-BBQ pork for this dish, but that aside, the char siu was actually pretty good. Overall, if you're looking for something similar to the prawn mee/Hokkien mee from KL/Penang, this did not hit the mark. The char kway teow is probably one of the better ones in Houston and my favorite out of the 3 dishes. The service was great and friendly, they even helped us pack up our leftovers without us asking them to! I also enjoyed the Chinese music they were playing, it made me feel like I was back in SEA. Will be back to try the other dishes! read more

We ordered a bit of everything but they were out of some of the things were really looking forward to trying- mainly the hainanese chicken, chili crab (not soft shell, though these are good too) The salted egg prawns really blew us away with how fresh and juicy the prawns were- and the fried curry leaves were a plus! Chili soft shell crab was a bit of a disappointment, though chili crab is mostly a go to for us, this wasn't our favorite dish. The lobster was cooked and seasoned to perfection! Would be back for that. Beef rendang was probably the safest choice of everything we ordered. If you haven't had roti canai before- picture something of a love child between a croissant and a crepe. Flaky, buttery, soft goodness! Yummm and dipped in the curry sauce- it's like a comforting hug. lol always welcoming! The wait here wasn't too bad- packed (and slippery, be careful!) still fairly new so in terms of the staff and hospitality- I'm sure it'll improve as they find their rhythm at this location. read more

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Authentic Malaysian food. I usually get my food from Sambal Chef delivered, during Lunar New Year I dined in and had a great experience. Service is great, there were special dishes available in conjunction with the new year. The space is clean and organized. Ample parking available at the front of the restaurant. read more

Good malaysian place. Great curry chicken with roti. Fried chicken wings malay style, chicken satay, char kway teow (seafood flat rice noodles). beef randan and hainan chicken were ok. would skip the egg yolk fried calamari. Place is located behind strip mall before chinatown, bit ghetto for night time. read more

Sambal Chef - From left: chkn satay, calamari, beef rangdang, char kway teow, malay wings, roti+chkn curry on plate - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Amazing food! It reminded me of my time spend in Singapore and Malaysia! The hubby decided to take me for our anniversary and we both loved it! Our first time here but not our last time! Absolutely delicious! High praise to the chef and owners too! Wow wow wow! Ambiance was great too! Really relaxed. There were also plenty of pictures for the dishes. read more

Server was arrogant. He looks like he was the owner. When ask what is some of the popular dishes here because it was my first time. His response was "Everything is good here" with a cocky laugh. Yet, never suggested any dish. Food was just mediocre. I won't be back. Can't speak for all servers as one of the servers came towards the end of our meal and he was very nice. read more

Such a treat to taste such wonderful dishes and delectable selections. You must really try the crab. We were so full that we could barely walk! As an extra incentive, screenshot this post and receive 10% off your dining adventure. read more

Sambal Chef - The crab - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Been searching for a good Malaysian spot! I see they have one in Pearland but that's a little ways from me. This popped up and I was so excited to try! The place is spacious and clean. The staff is super friendly and sweet. They checked on us multiple times and kept refilling our waters. Everything we ordered was so good and flavorful! The salted egg calamari was SO good. They have a very extensive menu, can't wait to try more of their dishes. Will def be back! read more

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The food was amazing and the service was great! All of the dishes came out fresh and the staff were so nice to us. We started with the Roti Canai which was so soft and delicious. Also ordered the slow cook soup which was a recommendation from our waiter. The meat in the soup was super tender from the slow cook. We wanted to try a bit of everything so we ordered a couple of their signature salted egg dishes and a sizzling black pepper steak. My favorite was the tofu because it was crispy on the outside but still soft and plump on the inside. The texture was a nice surprise. If you're ever looking for good authentic Malaysian food, I'd recommended giving Sambal Chef a try read more

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The food is really good. Very unique favoring where you can enjoy. The portions are very reasonable. The restaurant was very busy but the staff are very attentive to your needs. Highly recommended read more

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It was good before when they just had opened in Pearland. After, Sambal Chef moved to Bellaire, the portion getting smaller and pricey, The salted egg chicken wings tasted different now. You can't taste the salted eggs anymore, just the bread crumbs! Very disappointed read more

Great food and service! Everyone on the staff team was friendly and had great suggestions. Definitely the Hai Nan chicken was amazing as well as the flat beef stir fry noodles. read more

Very authentic Malaysian food. The Hainanese chicken is a must try. The Char Kway Teow was excellent too. If you like authentic Malaysian food this is the place for you. Service was better than your typical Asian restaurant. read more

We ordered the sambal fried rice , sizzling tofu and a noodle dish (N10). Our favorite was the sizzling tofu. One of the best I've had! I also got a Malaysian milk tea, which was also very good. It tastes similar to a Hong Kong style milk tea. The portions are large and you'll definitely have leftovers read more

Went there for lunch , everything was delicious. I'd recommend translating the lunch menu with descriptions in English for patrons to order. Great service and beautiful restaurant. read more

Sambal Chef - Nasi Lemak - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Saw this place on Instagram and was very intrigued by their dishes. For our first dish we tried the roti with curry dipping sauce. The roti was very delicious and buttery but I thought the curry was a bit watery and bland for my tastes. As for the calamari, it looked amazing on camera but I was honestly a bit underwhelmed! It was good but I thought the "salted egg" was going to have more of a punch. I thought it could've been crispier and more flavorful as well. The crispy Hainanese chicken had a nice texture and flavor but the meat was a bit dry. The rice that came with it was disappointing. Lacking in flavor from chicken broth and other aromatics. As for the flounder, it was cooked well and a very generous portion. However, I thought it was a bit bland. The soy sauce flavor wasn't pronounced enough and it felt like I was just eating plain fish. There was a lot of fish eggs which I personally didn't enjoy the texture of but someone else might. Overall, I feel like the flavors of the dishes here are lacking which is a bit shocking for a Malaysian restaurant. read more

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I had no idea what I was going into as I've never had Malaysian food before but man was I pleasantly surprised! My favorite has to be both the Roti with Curry Chicken and the Kam Heong Clams. The roti is some of the best prepared I've ever tasted and the Kam Heong Clams had an addictingly spicy sauce I couldn't get enough of. Everything came with a serving of white rice. My only complaint is that the Salted egg fried chicken was a little too salty for my liking, but the salted is in the name so I just think it wasn't for me! The dining room was very clean and the restrooms are some of the biggest and cleanest I've been in a while at a restaurant in the area. The service was also pleasant, and when we asked for a side of cucumbers for my partner's elderly mother they were very accommodating. Overall, I'd recommend this place to friends and family and it was a nice way to spend Mother's Day! read more

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Food is great but had to knock off one star because the crispy hainanese chicken was so dry. Definitely order the veggie dish. It had a lot of flavor and was our favorite. Sizzling tofu was on the firm side but the flavor was there. read more

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First time trying hokkien mee after seeing it on social media for years and i am so happy this place had it! It was stacked with proteins and they were not stingy with the noodles either. IT WAS SO GOOD . The menu overall had many choices for every food palate that i need to return and try new dishes! I recommended this place to all my friends because not only was the food AMAZING, the service was great and the food was so affordable. read more

Sambal Chef - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Yummy Malaysian Food Food came out fast. Service was good until they got busy... Spacious place. read more

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The food is amazing. My husband and I have returned back several times with friends after experiencing Sambal Chef a couple of months ago. Here are some of the fabulous dishes we have ordered: Roti Canai, Chicken Satay, Soft Shell Crab, Beef Rendang, Char Kway Teow, Pork Fried Rice, Green Beans, Mango Chicken, Beef Scallion. If you have not been, please try this restaurant. We love it. read more

Would give this place a 3.5/5! The flavors were solid, more fragrant than other malaysian restaurants I've been too. The charred taste for the char koay teow could have been more prominent. The sizzling egg tofu sauce was a little bland. The curry laksa was okay too, wish it had a stronger punch with the curry flavor. Would come again to try their signature dishes to see how those taste! read more

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Good space for large group. Food and service was excellent. Highly recommend the salted egg tofu and wings as well as the sizzling plates. Everything was tasty and fairly priced. Will be back again. read more

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It's a place I've been going lately ever since Banana Leaf changed ownership. I like the fact that the owner seemed to be there all the time and they have good customer service and their food is spot on read more

Food was great! A little expensive but it's expected for a place in this area. Restrooms are clean, not too cramped on the inside. Service can be called w/ a button on near the table. Due to how popular this place is they can run out of more popular items. Wait times are abyssmal. read more

Sambal Chef - Curry chicken, mee goreng - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

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5 stars all around! I came to the old location in Pearland and now they've to Chinatown ( new address pictures below) with friends of mine yesterday and absolutely loved it! The atmosphere was cozy, food are good portions family style. All of the servers were on their A game. Our server (forgot his name ) was amazing! Great recommendations, he was very patient and attentive the entire time. We never ran out of water, and he always made sure we were satisfied with our food. The Roti Canai, Calamari, Singapore Crabs, Tofu are to die for .! There were many others dishes we ordered but can't remember all the fancy (Asian name ) were really good.! Highly recommend..! I will definitely come back for dinner with my family..! Thank you Samba Chef for moved your restaurant to Chinatown.! That made my drive so much better. read more

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We have been to many restaurants in Bellaire area, this time we try at newly opened Sambal chef restaurant, we did not expect the food is amazing but reality is otherwise every dishes we ordered is delicious. Specially the chilli crab . The restaurant space is spacious and airy. The price is reasonable and affordable. The waiter and waitress is cheerful, friendly and polite. We will coming back again to try the rest items on the menu of Sambal chef restaurant. We strongly recommend to you who loves oriental food. Hope you are not disappointed!. read more

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Came for lunch with some friends. Great foods, excellent service, and good location. Spacious place for big family. Lunch menu has many variety and great price for this economy. Give it a try. For sure I will come back. read more

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Went here again and this time we ordered the Chicken Herbal Soup and it was delicious. We also ordered Golden Sand Pork Ribs and it was delicious . And so was the snow pea leaf with Sambal Belacan sauce. Definitely be back . The staff was extremely friendly and pleasant . Atmosphere was family oriented . Nice , they had some other party in the private room singing Karoake . read more

Sambal Chef - Golden Sand Ribs - Malaysian Near Me - Houston, Texas

Ate there today. Disappointing experience. Requested for chicken curry and server said its not available. Requested for beef rendang and the server said its not available. Requested for roti canai with any kind of curry and basically got finally told that they do not have any curry dishes available. This is supposed to be a malaysian restaurant. Finally ordered fried fish, sizzling tofu, seafood soup and chicken eggrolls. The fried fish was ok but they have a better and cheaper version at Fufu Restaurant. The sizzling tofu was ok but the Banana Leaf and Papa Rich's versions are way better. The seafood soup was ok. Had two pieces of shrimp. The only really good thing was the chicken eggrolls. The place has a middling ambience. Bathroom was clean. Alltogether, points not enough to merit a recurring visit. I think i will stick with Papa Rich and Banana Leaf when my friends and I want some malaysian food. read more

I'm so glad to see Sambal Chef in Bellaire with more options on the menu. They just opened and the chilli stone crabs are a great deal to must try, very flavorful not spicy at all. You get two stone crabs for $25 with an awesome sauce to mix your rice or noodles with. So yummy! Get them before the deal is over. Very friendly service by the staff, always feel welcome there. Very spacious to dine in. Will be back with family soon! read more

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