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Farragut North (Red)
Farragut West (Blue, Orange)
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The decor - your average church basement circa 1983.
The service - with a group of ten you'd think that service would be a priority. But alas, the service charge wiped out any incentive or any hope for real service. We had to flag the waitress down, in a 3/4th empty restaurant to get another beer.
The food - fair to average. The lamb curry was adequate, but you'd think they would remove the large inedible pieces of lemongrass before serving. You'd think incorrectly.
Price was fair for what we got.
Would I go back...I'm sure I can find lamb curry elsewhere.
Three and a half stars.
I used to really like Malaysia Kopitiam, but I think it has slipped as of late.
Located in a basement on M Street near Camelot, it manged to outlive the upstart Penang which opened in an airy corner location half a block away. One of the great things about this restaurant is that it has a picture menu for those not familiar with the cooking or can't visualize what the final product will look like.
While they do serve typical Malay dishes, Malaysia Kopitiam specializes in Nyonya cooking that originated with the Straits Chinese and blends Chinese, Malay, Indian influences. One of the greatest dishes of this type is Curry Laksa: noodles in a coconut-curry soup, and Malaysia Kopitiam does a solid version of this Straits classic (the menu is very noodle dish heavy actually). The Nyonya chicken is crispy fried boneless chicken with a garlic-citrus sauce that will leave you craving more. Another standout is the crispy squid salad with lemon grass dressing. Combining apple, mango and mint leaves all stopped with squid cooked to resemble onions, this dish is a stunner.
The real disappointment of my most recent visit was the fried rice (nasi goreng), a Malay/Indonesian staple. It was not very flavorful, and what was up with all the chopped lettuce on it? Go for the nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) instead.
Tiger Beer (from Singapore) is the beverage of choice here.
We are Malaysians, originally from Penang. Came here on a fried's recommendation.
We ordered Char Koay Teow, Nasi Lemak, and Prawn Mee Noodle. Every dish fell below our expectations. The Char Koay Teow was too greasy for us, we found it difficult to finish it. The Nasi Lemak was OK, nothing to rave about.
The waitress also complained aloud about another table leaving a small tip. She probably forgot many Chinese do understand Cantonese.
I've tried this place a few times and it seems like the food was frozen and reheated. The only saving grace seems to be the Roti Canai. I really wanted this place to be amazing, but the flavors aren't exceptional.
Yes, this place is a bit of a dive. It's set up in what one could call an English basement on M Street. But each time I've gone, I've enjoyed my meal. The roti canai is fantastic. I love the baby oyster omelet and always get the penang prawn mee soup. The broth is so rich and flavorful, but surprisingly not heavy. The dipping sauce for the baby oyster omelet is a nice combination of spicy and tangy, and makes the omelet oh-so-delicious! Prioces are reasonable and portions are pretty sizeable. I wish they had hainanese chicken...
Great food! This was a welcome change from more familiar Asian cuisines. The curry soup with egg noodles was amazing! Fun location off the beaten path.
Really love the Roti Kanai and the Curry Soup noodles here. Their spicy fish is also very tasty.
The one thing I dislike about this place is the vibe - it has a pretty gloomy atmosphere, perhaps because it's located underground, and it's usually been very quiet everytime I've been.
If you want good Malaysian food, go here. Don't go for the atmosphere, go for the food.
Got some food to go on a whim...
Po Pia appetizer (fresh soft roll with jicama, lettuce, eggs, dried shrimp, and crispy shallot wrap in thin soft crepe with hoi sin sauce) wasn't as good as it sounded on paper, and without sauce was lacking flavor.
Also tried two items from their specialty rice section...
The Hainanese Chicken Rice was...interesting. the steamed chicken was like 40% steamed fat, and the rice was plain, yet scented with spices and crispy scallions, with some sliced up tomato and zuccchini on the side. Not phenomenal, but edible.
The salty fish and chicken fried rice was the best item of the meal, and was filled with bold flavors.
I'd give this place another shot, but would definitely order differently. The Rembah Udang appetizer (sticky rice stuffed with spicy minced chicken and shrimp, grilled in a banana leaf), and Assam Sambal Shrimp sounded really good. The menu is far from boring.
They do serve good food. Whenever I come here (I've been here multiple times), my hubby and I always order the same dishes because they never dissapoint. The gway-tiao, Satay combination (go with chicken, the beef is hard), and nyonya's chicken are yummy and usually I don't find any other reason to order something else...
I think kopitiam's prices are decent considering quality and portion.
I'm not sure that I could vouch for truly authentic Malaysian cuisine, but this place satisfied my craving for near-late-night casual grub and for laksa. My partner-in-crime also introduced me to a delicious light beer which I think was called Tiger beer.
Would I recommend this place? Yup.
SO DISAPPOINTING!
I live in Fairfax, but drove all the way out to DC to try this place because of all the good reviews. What a disppointment!
We went during off hours at about 4pm on a weekend. We were the only customers during that time. We went into this place, and it had a very bad smell. It was dark and gloomy, and almost gave me the feeling of walking into a bat cave. The owner was reading her newspaper, and got up to give us menus. No hi or a smile from this lady. I almost felt like we weren't supposed to bother her or something.
We got some very standard dishes. Seafood noodle soup, beef roti, pork roti, and Char Kuih Teow, and Sweet Chili Shrimp.
Here are my ratings:
*The rotis were decent, but way tooooo overpriced. Two little pieces of roti wrapped in meat was $6.95. (3 out of 5 stars)
*Seafood Noodle soup tasted like a salt lake with uncooked vegetables. Again, way overpriced for $12.95 with a few seafood meatballs, veggies, and noodles?? Where is the rest of the seafood? (1 out of 5 stars)
*Char Kuih Teow was decent, but a tad greasy. The Chinese sausage was yummy, and the flat noodles were cooked at the right consistency. (3 out of 5 stars)
*Sweet Chili Shrimp was gawd awful. Have you ever smelled a dirty dish rag? That is exactly what it smells like. Seriously, how could they serve something that smells so horrific? I'm still getting goosebumps just thinking of that smell. They charged $15.95 for 6 pieces of shrimp that was overcooked, and must have been sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks. The shrimps were obviously spoiled rotten and they still had the audacity to serve it. I was nice, and didn't say anything, since I don't like to cause any problems. When I was about to leave after the meal, the waitress asked me twice why I didn't want to take the leftovers home. Hmmmm, I was about to give her a piece of my mind ... it would not have been a nice scene. (0 out of 5 stars)
The service deserves less than one star. The owner, other than coming over to give us our food never came and asked us once how the food was. She just sat there reading her newspaper and acted like we were invisible,
Food = 1 star
Service = 1 star
ENOUGH SAID!
If you like Malaysian food, you will most likely like this place. Broad menu with authentic flavor. I spent more than $20 per person, which I guess is normal for DC. There were a number of Malaysian families and couples eating here when I went, so I guess it must be pretty legit.
My husband and I are very fond of this place. It's where we had our pre-wedding rehearsal dinner. He grew up in Singapore and it's where we go when we have a yearning for a little home food. The Roti is great--they do a vegetarian version of the curry too. Also great marks on the Poh pia and the nasi lemak. I just had the assam shrimp and while not super spicy, it was flavorful and a good sized portion. They also have Tiger beer, which keeps us coming back.
Yeah, this place is in a basement, and yeah, it can smell sometimes, but the food is awesome. I've been here so many times and tried so many dishes, and have always had a great meal. I always recommend this place to friends and visitors, and am regularly rewarded with "thank you's."
That being said, try these dishes: roti canai, nyonya chicken, beef rendang, fish wrapped in banana leaf, u-choy, and curry puffs.
Bypass Penang and walk down the street to this little gem. You won't be disappointed.
This place DEFINITELY fits the definition of "hole-in-the-wall". If you go when it's raining or has just rained, the restaurant smells like the typical wet basement. All that said, the food is very good. Portions are quite large and the wait staff is pretty attentive with the drink refills, etc. Some suggestions, avoid the satay, we've ordered it a few times and they have always been very chewy (i.e. old). I would suggest getting the laksa (especially chicken with the egg noodles), it is a large bowl of curry noodle soup, very tasty and yummy. The otak otak is recommended as it's something that you can't get anywhere else and I would always go for the roti kanai as well (be warn that it is not the big airy puffy kind though).
Three stars for the food, one star for the service.
I started with the Malaysian hot tea, a strong black tea with condensed milk. I wish they had the teh tarik I've been craving, but this was good too. I'd get it again.
For an appetizer, we got the regular and vegetarian versions of roti canai. The roti (bread) was dry, oily and seemed pressed together, not light, flaky layers like you would expect from an authentic restaurant. The chicken curry dipping sauce that came with it was good, but the vegetarian dipping sauce was bland and greasy.
For our meal, we had the vegetarian laksa, black pepper chicken, and Malaysian curry chicken. The clear winner here was the Malaysian curry chicken. It was tangy and spicy and delicious. The black pepper chicken tasted like any ordinary dish you'd get at a Chinese restaurant, and the laksa was very bland. I wouldn't recommend this place for vegetarians.
Overall, the food was decent, like a watered-down, less exciting version of Malaysian food.
I was satisfied with my chicken curry and tea, but the service was horrible. The waitress was extremely rude, talked to us like we were stupid, got our order wrong, and only refilled the one water glass that was on the edge of the table when she came around. Eventually, we switched positions of our water glasses so we could all get a refill. Lunch came out to $20 a person, but we could have easily split dishes to lower the cost. It was extra annoying that 15% gratuity was included in the bill, because she definitely didn't earn it.
Two stars means I would only come here again if someone else was buying and really wanted to eat here.
Kopitiam is back in regular rotation now that I am working downtown again -- and it is one of the best things about being back in the neighborhood (along with the Greek Deli).
Good service here usually is only as good as not bad service -- and it isn't good very often -- though there is one waiter that is very nice....but overall, service is usually mediocre -- but I don't come for the service, but for the food...
I have ventured off my regular choices a couple of times and have not been rewarded -- but the stuff I have come to like is always satisfying. Char kui teow, beef hor fun, rendang and a few others are always on the short list. I also like the black pepper chicken and lamb -- though the sauce reminds me of penzoil with a lot of salt -- but when in the mood it is a guilty pleasure.......
Probably one of the best Asian places within 6-10 blocks if you leave Sushi out of consideration.
Will return.
Best Malaysian place in DC -- Penang is very good -- but this just seems more authentic and homey.… Read more »
I will admit that for about a year, Malaysia Kopitiam was nothing more to me than quite simply "the restaurant next to the nudie bar near my gym". This is however no longer the case, as I've had lunch here 3 times in the past month!
First time around, I had the lamb curry (~$15) and satay tofu. Both were delicious, particularly the curry; warm, spicy and comforting. Second time around I ordered the chef special: noodle soup with a whole duck leg! That was by far one of the most delightful dishes I've had in a while: the duck was cooked to perfection and the broth was soothing and zesty. Perfect on a cold January day in DC.
For those of you who are wondering if their laksa is any good, fear not for it is absolutely delicious! I will admit that MK is the only Malaysian restaurant I have ever been to and I am aware that well-made laksa is hard to come by. As a quasi-pretentious foodie, I think that MK's laksa tastes pretty darn authentic. Served in a huge bowl with a hearty amount of noodles, you will probably not be able to eat it all, but it is certainly worth the effort!
Almost forgot! You must have the Rembah Udang as an appetizer. This heavenly roll of sticky rice, chicken and shrimp wrapped in a banana leaf is responsible for one of the most memorable foodgasms I have ever enjoyed!
This place is a few doors down from Penang, which is also a Malaysian restaurant.
The Good: The food is great here, and they have the same dishes that you would get at Penang, except it's a buck or two cheaper and they bring it out faster. So, if you want something quick and good, but still a sit down place, this is the place to go.
The bad: This isn't what I would call a date place. It's in a basement, but unlike other basement restaurants, sometimes this place smells like a basement (especially after it rains). Also, the tiki torches and fake grass hut look looks ghetto, not kitchsy.
looking for indonesian foods, people said it's the closest thing you can get from this restaurant. However, I've experienced it better. Not here, but in CA. Very sad that it's very limited to where I can get authentic indonesian food with reasonable price, here in DC. Nasi lemak, they could use more coconut milk, probably they were too cheap to add more coconut milk? n the service is very disappointing, they werent very friendly at all, make me didnt want to tip them AT ALL.
I'm not returning. This was a favorite cheap eats stand by, but on my last visit I worried that this was a contender for Gordon Ramsey's "Kitchen Nightmares".
Appetizers were fine, but our Roti Canai was delivered with one plate (the curry) resting on the food (the bread) of another. Really? The bottom of a plate deliberately set upon our food? What else are we not seeing, what would Chef Ramsey find in the kitchen? I know I was alarmed by the bathroom. For the rest our meal, we found the main dishes sloppy (noodles falling off the plate) with dreary flavor.
Wait service was indifferent; we seemed to inconvenience the staff. Except for the busboy who was charming, he was attentive and played sweetly with our youngest diner.
This is a sad demise of a long time favorite. I can only guess that the owners and staff no longer care.
When I'm really craving food from back home, Malaysian Kopitiam is a second-to-last resort. The last resort is Penang. There are no other resorts.
The laksa is awful, the beef rendang and kangkong belacan are decent and service is slow, slow, slow.
Set in a dank basement space, it's dimly lit and has a nasty smell. The food is not that bad but however good it is, it's not enough to offset the unpleasant first impression it makes. Most of the dishes have a common problem of being too greasy and they seem to have been absent-mindedly cooked.
I went here a few weeks ago with some current/former classmates. As we hadn't hung out in a while, we wanted to take a few moments to catch up before ordering (just a few, I swear!). This did not sit well with our waitress, who made us feel rushed to order food and drinks, despite the fact that the place was near-empty on this dreary Sunday.
We settled on the (regular) roti canai appetizer to start (nice flavor--definitely the best thing we ordered), 2 of us ordered the vegetarian stir-fried mixed noodles (good, huge portion, but smelled a tad unpleasant/unappetizing to me. I don't want to suggest that the smell had anything to do with the quality of the ingredients--It very well may have been a "me" thing), and my other friend ordered a spicy chicken dish that I forget the name of (ok, but not as spicy as the suggested by the waitress and my least favorite dish we ordered). All in all, everything was just good, but nothing wowed us.
I would consider giving this place another try since this was my first time here, but I probably wouldn't order anything I ate during this meal.
Good and reliable Southeast Asian spot.
FOOD:
Satay juicy with subtle flavors. Every iteration is good.
Chicken Rendang (must-have!) -- we get this every time and sometimes I have a serious craving for it. The chicken version is quite different from the beef version. My favorite dish (chicken one) here.
Mee Siam noodles. I love vermicelli noodles in general and this is a great way to have it. Comes with lots of crunchy lettuce and crispy bits on top.
There is also a special curry fish that is very good, sour and light but chuck full of spices. Don't remember the name but will definitely get that dish again.
free-range chicken dish was okay. The waitress sometimes recommends against it because (I think) it takes a while to prepare.
I'm not well-versed in Malaysian cuisine but based on my Chinese palate, I too heartily endorse Malaysia Kopitiam as being "not bad.". In Chinese, the phrase for OK can be "bu cuo," which literally means "not bad.". And to this effect, I mean that Malaysia Kopitiam didn't prepare its dishes poorly. I'm willing to forgive some dishes for being slightly oily because most dishes were wonderfully seasoned with fragrant spices. Overall, I'm excited that the menu seems very unique (unlike other faux pan-Asian restaurants) but I concede its because I'm unfamiliar with the names of these dishes. For now, Malaysia Kopitiam is just A-OK but I look forward to conducting a follow-up review soon. [Last Visit: August 2008]
Malaysia Kopitiam... great great malaysia food. I always get the same thing there... asam laksa.. it is the best ever. Roti Canal is also really really good.
One bad thing abt this restaurant is the atmosphere.. i must say the basement restaurant kinda smells but the food is yummmy !
First let me make clear, I've never been to Malaysia, don't plan on going, don't know about "authentic" Malaysian food and don't really care. What I did want is an Asian restaurant that does something with tofu besides just deep fry a bunch of cubes and serve with generic dipping sauce, and that offers interesting things to eat besides noodle bowls and standard entrees. Near my work, there are at least four Georgetown restaurants of different Asian persuasions offering the same boring stuff so I decided to venture a little further and order from Malaysia Kopitiam even though the takeout fees are higher from there. It was good enough to make me a repeat customer.
The tofu satay is excellent - the cubes are actually marinated in a sweet honey sauce and textured. Could use a few more dishes like this, or a few more restaurants serving dishes like this. I've also tried the tofu, fish balls and watercress salad which was very good for lunch. The fake duck entree was decent though not as good as what I've had in NYC. Baby oyster omelet and po pia also tasty stuff. The appetizer sampler is big enough for a meal in itself if you're not sure what you want.
Although I usually get takeout, we "ate in" one weekend during a non-busy time. We were initially waited on by an older man who I suspect was the owner as the service was especially impeccable. He had to leave midway through and turned us over to a waitress, who understandably wasn't quite as "into it" as the first fellow but kept our water glasses full and did an adequate job on the level of what I expect from a moderate priced Asian restaurant. My companion did have to wait about a half hour extra for his entree and I had to ask for one of the appetizers twice as they forgot it the first time, but as we weren't in a rush and had ordered lots of other appetizers to eat while waiting, it was OK. Would have liked a refill on our hot tea too but decided not to bother asking. It was a good setting to have a leisurely meal, but I probably wouldn't go there if I was in a rush.
I had heard great things about Malaysia Kopitiam, and was impressed that it made Washingtonian's Cheap Eats list. I think I can honestly say I had the worst meal I've had in DC there today. I ordered the Chicken Rendang, which the waitress assured me was spicier than the popular Nyona Chicken. At least, I think it was chicken. What they brought me was chunks of something that was probably avian in nature, but had been fried beyond the point of being edible and then buried in a toxic, but only slightly spicy, sludge. The rice that accompanied the dish was amazingly flavorless, to the point that even soy sauce didn't help.
Desert was the high point of the meal, as the shaved ice dessert is a sweet and savory oddity. The dish consists of what appears to be shaved ice with chocolate syrup and condensed milk, and covered with an odd topping of peanuts, corn, kidney beans and what appeared to be diced chunks of black bean.
Not only was this a terrible meal, but at $23 including tax & tip it was a bad value, especially for lunch.
Good food, but nothing that stuck me as being different from other Asian food (not that I would know what real Malaysian food tastes like even if it came up and hit me on the head).
I went with a group for a business lunch and we (all 8) were promptly served and "watered" every so often.
I got the Singapore noodles. They came in a cute bowl and there were plenty, but nothing that tasted remarkably different from other Chinese/Thai food I've had. Should I have ordered something different?
The atmosphere was also nice.
However, although it's right across the street from me, I don't know if I'd go again... unless my company paid for it (hint, hint.)
I was in downtown DC getting my passport renewed and had some time to kill before heading to another destination. I didn't want to go to far because I didn't feel like finding parking again and it was soo damn cold! As I walked down 19th St. toward M St, I came upon two Malaysian restaurants! One was Penang and the other was Malaysia Kopitiam. Penang seemed more posh and modern so I went for this one because it just seemed more authentic to me. From the outside the restaurant looks pretty mom and pop-y. On the inside it looks nicer, with light wood malaysian/asian decorations. The first person to greet me was a gentleman who showed me to my table and brought me water and a menu. The menu was extensive! And I didn't know what to order. I asked him for suggestions. He recommended the currry laksa since it was such a cold day. I went with that. While I waited for my food I sipped on a hot tea sweetened with condensed milk (lactose intolerance be damned!) I have never had malaysian food and have learned that the laksa here is aight, but if this is just aight...I can not wait to try the real thing!
My curry laksa arrived in a huge blue and white porcelain bowl. Now imagine that pho and panang curry hooked up and had a baby, that offspring would be a curry laksa. It was beautiful to behold. The broth a spicy, coconut milk concoction topped with crispy fried shallots, bean sprouts, cilantro and fine, slivered ringlets of green onions. The taste was spicy, creamy, savory, so full of body and love. The chicken was dark meat on the bone and very tender. The noodles I chose were flat rice noodles. I think I fell in love that day. I enjoyed that soup like I've never enjoyed a soup before. I wish there was a malaysian restaurant out in VA, I would be it's #1 fan.
I could have eaten the whole huge bowl, but I wanted dessert. So I took the 3rd remaining portion home, no way I would let a single drop of that goodness go to waste! For dessert I ordered the mango and sticky rice. It came on a huge plate, the mango was cut into long, thin slices, it was perfectly ripe and fanned out on the plate. The sticky rice was in a mound on the side. The coconut milk seemed to have been ladled atop both of these and it was topped off with toasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts. It, too, was heavenly and a great end to this fine meal. Total charge for the 3 items was $19 and some change. I think I may have to come here again very soon, I can't stop thinking of that delicious broth!
My hostess was someone who lived in New Zeland for quite some time, and knew Malasian food well - this place gets both her and my thumbs up! You kind of feel like you're in a boat with all of the wood around you, but the decor is passive enough that it doesn't detract from the dining experience in the least. My friend got the Mee Siam and I ordered the Pearl Noodle - both HIGHLY recommended. Great flavors, neither too spicy (you can ask for spice on the side if you crave the heat), and a good stir-fry smokey flavor. Both meals were large enough to have leftovers for lunch the next day, and our whole meal (with a beer each) was under $15. I'll be back to dig back into the overwhelming choices on the menu!
The picture-book menu was extremely helpful. I was underwhelmed by both my boyfriend's and my food - both were basically noodles with various vegetables the only main difference was chinese sausage (which reminded me of jerky) versus chicken. His chicken was way better.
It was alright. Im not going to go back, I had a hankering for some Pad See Ew, or something along those lines. I should've just gone to Bangkok Bistro but I was too lazy to walk.
My review may be bad because of the poor dinner choices I made but at a good retaurant, a choice should never be poor!
I went here with 5 other people and two of us were Asian (yes this is germane to my review, see below). Some dishes we ordered were:
-Roti Cani (indian bread) The bread doesn't look like what I'm used to but this was the best part of the meal
-Beef Satay. The Beef was not flavorful and actually had a sour aftertaste.
-Tuna Laksa, Ok this was one of my wrong decisions! Im a big fan of Top Chef and during restaurant wars last season the Gorgon aka Lisa Hernades made this dish(and failed miserably when judged by the fabulous Anthony Bourdain) and I felt as if I HAD to try it. My fault for not ordering one of the curry laksas. The tuna in this dish is canned albacore tuna which made the dish taste incredibly fishy, in all uses of the word!
-Got the salty fish fried rice. This is poor choice number two because I should not have ordered 2 fishy fish dishes but what can I say? I was on a fish kick! The salty fish was REALLY salty. I know that's what I ordered but I have that dish all the time (at other restaurants) and it never tasted like that! The rice was a bit mushy too but I guess at chinese restaurants we all know that last night's white rice is tonight's fried rice...
-I did like that the water boy kepy our water glasses full for the night (probably the reason for the 2 stars).
Back to the whole I was in a party of 3 white people, 1 Argentinean and 2 Asians (me being one of them). The waiter thought I was Malaysian (which he said while we were walking out) and pretty much only acknowledged me for the night. If my white bf asked for hot sauce, the waiter would look at me and wait for me to reply after he asked "What kind of hot sauce?" or if someone asked for an extra bowl he'd look at me and ask "How many extra bowls?" I guess I would feel differently if he couldn't speak English and was reiterating to me in Chinese but he only spoke English to us or should I say, me? He seemed like a jolly man but I don't know why he wouldn't acknowledge the other people at the table. Well, hmm. I guess normally when white people ask me questions I have to find the nearest Asian person to ask them follow up questions. OK REALLY??
This is my first time having Malaysian however I've had plenty of asian cuisine in my lifetime.
I had Penang Prawn Mee Soup and Nasi Lemak. This was a nice change from Chinese which I'm used to although I couldn't give this place anymore than three stars. The soup seems to be similar to a bowl of Chinese noodles and shrimp with the added ingredients of watercress and sliced hard-boiled egg. The red spicy broth is a major difference though. Tasty.
The Nasi Lemak I had seemed like the chicken had been in cooking all day and was a bit overcooked.
Not much to say except that it was a nice change but wouldn't knock myself out by going back. Service seemed to be okay as compared with other feedback from others.
This place does not serve Malaysian food. I know, I'm Malaysian! It is sooo bad. I wish I could give it NO stars.
The roti canai (malaysian flat bread with curry) was dry, flat, non flaky. The ikan pangang (grilled fish in a banana leaf) came with one sliver of a filet, and it was salmon. WHAT? SALMON? Salmon is not Malaysian! Not only was it salmon, it was OVERCOOKED salmon.
We also ordered char kuay teow (stir fried rice noodles). It came bland and tasteless.
Don't eat here if you're looking for authentic Malaysian food. Go to Penang in Bethesda.
This place made me sad inside!
For my birthday five years ago I bought myself an All Access Asia Pass on Malaysian Airlines. The pass allowed me to fly all over Southeast Asia with the only stipulation that with every flight I had to connect through the capital city Kuala Lumpur. My frequent stops in KL meant I ate a lot of Malaysian food. On one stopover I made my way to Penang, the second smallest state in Malaysia and the one considered to be the food capital of the country. On another I was befriended by a Malaysian couple who took me to a posh restaurant and treated me to a feast of amazing food. On still another I ate my way through hawker stalls in KL's Chinatown.
All this is to say that during these adventures I picked up quite a love of Malaysian food. So, on my first rainy Sunday in DC I was overjoyed to try Malaysia Kopitiam. The curry laksa combated the cold weather outside, while the char kway teow and roti brought back many happy memories of my travels.
Service at Malaysia Kopitiam certainly didn't remind me of the abundant friendliness I experienced while traveling, as it is surly at best, but the food IS excellent and cheap. As such I chose to overlook it.
For a taste of Malaysia in DC, I heartily endorse Malaysia Kopitiam.
I read that this place doesn't serve Malaysian. Ok fine, I didn't eat good Malaysian food. I guess I ate some good Asian blend knock off. I don't have a problem with that. You probably won't either.
There is a chicken dish that you need to order 24 hours in advance. Someone should order it and let me know if it was worth it. I think it was like $24 for the dish. That comes out to $1 for every hour it takes to prepare. What a deal.
Not the classiest place in the world -- It's in a basement, the bathrooms can smell bleachy, and there's some client spillover from nearby gentlemen's clubs. (A particularly loud bunch sat next to us last week. They were like the ribald dudes in Knocked Up or 40-year-old Virgin -- funny, but after a while I wanted to rip their frikkin heads off).
Still, the food is good. My favorite is the vegetarian curry laksa: a richly spicy, reddish yellow broth with noodles, soft tofu, green and red peppers, onions, okra, eggplant, cabbage, tomato... The bowl is huge. I always say, "there's no way I can finish this," but then the broth is so tasty I sometimes surprise myself. They also do a decent fake duck, dark and tender, stir-fried with onions and peppers.
My husband likes a lot of dishes here -- "There's good variety." He especially recommends the "nyonya": boneless morsels of fried chicken. My friend recommends the po-pia: cold rolls filled with jicama, plus a touch of dried salty shrimp and hoisin sauce.
They have a delicious shaved ice dessert with sweet milk, red beans, sweet gelatin, corn... Yeah that sounds odd but it pleasantly reminds me of Filipino halo-halo.
Malaysia Kopitiam is one of my fave spots to hit when i'm just looking for some decent food atta decent price. Penang , for one is overrated.. although the atmosphere is better, if you're a true azn at heart, you always know that good food usually comes from a hole in the wall rather than some elaborate place that charges more for the same price. think p.f. changs.. man that place is a rip off... $15 for lunch that's fried rice with a cilantro to garnish it or something..
THE FOOD:
genuine and true to azn family style, it's like an azn maggiano's... everything dish comes out with a big bowl of rice, and a serving spoon to which you can go ahead, grab a bit, and chow down til your lil' belly is hangin over your pants. the beef chow fun is really one of the best i've had, and the curry chicken is spiced but a lil' sweet to add a different taste compared to other restaurants.
THE CROWD:
everytime i've been here it' s been a mix of people, mostly drunks from Happy hours who come in the restaurant screaming "this place is high class biotch!!"... and there are interesting conversations that you can catch such as 'would you rather have really good food or really bad sex??" and i find that to make the experience all the more memorable..
THE DRINKS:
come here after happy hour and you won't need a drink here.. and i guess that's why people prefer penang to this?
THE BILL:
thats the best part.. this place is decently priced so that after you share 4 dishes with 4 other folks, you're only $10-15 in (including tip) rather than 15-20 that penang charges. plus, there's soo much more of a variety when you get family style eating that you don't get when you go somehwere where you eat your own food.. (perfect for people like me that always want what others have on their plate)....
so if you're lookin' for a good place to eat, and a place to let your hair down, and really chow down.. you should come here rather than penang...
Neighborhood: Dupont Circle
Category: Vegetarian
Washington, DC
Category: Sushi Bars
Washington, DC
Category: Sushi Bars
Washington, DC
Category: Pizza
Washington, DC
Category: Latin American
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