Walking under the illuminated signboard and stepping into the bright restaurant, you’re immediately treated to a pleasant blend of scents: spicy chili, sweet coconut and rich shrimp paste. The spacious and comfy dining space has 50 seats and its VIP room looked perfect for a birthday party or a gathering of friends. The staff greeted me with a big smile and paused for a moment to figure out whether to start a conversation in Japanese, Mandarin, English or Bahasa.
Shibuya’s popular Malaysian restaurant, Malay Asian Cuisine opened its second shop in Yokohama in July of this year. The restaurant is always bustling with Malaysians who miss the taste of home and regulars who simply love the taste of Malaysia. To cater to the needs of Muslim customers, the chef uses Halal chicken and beef with no pork in any of the dishes. Instead of serving Bak Kut Teh, a pork entrée popular among Chinese-Malaysians, customers can enjoy its chicken version, Cik Kut Teh. Though pork is excluded, the restaurant does serve alcohol.
Looking at the wide variety of food on the menu influenced by Malay, Chinese, Indian and Baba-Nyonya cultures, you may feel like you’re traveling all around the Malay Peninsula. Mee Laksa (¥1000), their signature noodle dish with coconut milk, spice and seafood paste soup, is a must-try. Kangkung Belacan (¥980), the Chinese water spinach stirred with shrimp paste, Roti Canai with curry sauce (¥400) and Butter Prawn (¥1980) are all very authentic. “We don’t localize the taste, but as we use fresh ingredients, we’ve been told that what we serve here tastes better than what’s served in Malaysia,” the director, Mr. Cheah Khai Shin said with pride. If the food is too spicy, order another Tiger beer (¥600) or Coriander Mojito (¥600) to tone down the heat. Soon, you’ll be ready for another great journey through Malaysian flavors.