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New Malaysia Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Restaurants [Edit]
48 Bowery(between Bayard St & Canal St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhood: Chinatown
(212) 964-0284
- Nearest Transit:
-
Grand St (B, D)
Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10:30 pm
Fri-Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
189 reviews for New Malaysia Restaurant
Review Highlights
"For appetizer, you have to try the Roti Canai."
(in 88 reviews)
"Hainanese Chicken - Wonderful."
(in 34 reviews)
"the Authentic Malaysian Spare Ribs are **heaven in a clay..."
(in 9 reviews)
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189 reviews in English
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Review from Sally W.
Updated - 1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
How do you know when food is slammin'?
When the waitress came by to take the bowl away from my boyfriend, a tiny bit too soon, he got gangsta' on her ass. My boyfriend scared the waitress by jumping down her throat...saying.....NOT DONE!!!!!!!!!!!! It even scared me. WOAH!
Waitress backed off... He was not done licking every drop of curry soup from his bowl! Ha! If he he had a weapon a fight would have broke out...it was a pretty strong reaction to the little bit of curry soup left in his bowl... But I get it because I was hovered over my bowl protecting it from being taken away too! God forbid someone from messin with my food cuz I would get gangsta on them too!
It's freezing now & the only thing I want is a bowl of soup noodles to warm the cockles of my heart...do I even understand where the cockles of my heart is located?Not really. All I know is my ass is friggin' frozen! Got me a big bowl of curry seafood noodle soup. I picked the broad wide noodles. The waitress was pretty helpful and explained any item on the menu for us.
Can't wait to go back to try some other things. Can I please have some more?
Right now I could use a big hot bowl of curry soup again.Listed in: Godmother of Chinatown's Best…, Godmother of Chinatown's all…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2011
On Saturday during lunch, I had the Mee Goreng. I liked the flavor but it should have been spicier.… Read more »
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Review from Vikki M.
1/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Literally a hidden gem since it's tucked away in an alley. I've been coming here for 10 years along with DeShaun C. and same as him have only ordered a few things.
I've never been disappointed here with the food or the portions especially when the bill comes and the total for the table is a total that you'd usually expect to see for one person's meal at most other NYC restaurants.
Everything else about this place has already said so I'll leave you with this: The slushy lemon iced tea is a must do. Order it. -
Review from Mark H.
West Lafayette, IN
1/1/2012
We had the char koay teow (quite authentic), assam laksa (very sour but fragrant), chicken curry noodles (not bad), nasi lemak (quite good but they use sticky rice which was weird), hainanese chicken rice (very good!), chicken satay (not perfect but commendable) n achat (so so).
For dessert we ordered cendul n singapore ice (a blasphemy that they didn't name it ais kacang n called it after our neighbouring country!). They were out of cendul so only had the kidney beans. The desserts were pretty bad n tasted weird. The syrup they used really spoilt the taste. I would skip the desserts. But the entrees are definitely FTW! -
Review from Olivia D.
Saint Louis, MO
1/24/2012
Delicious food and drinks. I especially like the Roti Canai, Char Kway Teow and Ayam Goreng.
Service is not all that, but I don't care. -
Review from Athena C.
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
New Malaysia is recommended by my Malaysian hairdresser and I came here to try her suggested dishes, asam laksa and Malaysian stir-fried noodles. I normally would go for the Prawn Mee noodle soup and Hainan Chicken but I am glad I took her advise.
The price is very reasonable and the Asam Laksa Fish Head comes in a giant clay pot with eggplant, okra, tomato, fish head and creamy coconut milk broth. It is sour, spicy and sweet all at the same time. The stir-fried noodles is also a surprise. I am used to eating that kind of noodles dried or in a soup but never stir-fried and it turns out to be delicious.
Can't wait to come back for more! -
Review from Tricia K.
11/27/2011 4 Check-ins Here
The first time I went here, I had family style dishes with a bunch of friends, and I didn't remember what anything was called, but everything tasted great. I figured I'd try it a second time a few months later and take a co-worker (a very very very picky co-worker) to what I remembered to be a really good Malaysisan place.
I was pleased to find that I was right - I even got a "good choice - this was great" from my curmudgeonly co-worker! We both got the beef and chicken curry lunch combo - the bill for 2 was $14.00 and the food was amazing.
The dish comes with about 5 large chunks of tender, cocunut curry flavored beef, well cooked and tasty chicken (with more of a tomato curry sauce) and a generous portion of white rice on each plate.
The staff were gracious, fast and helpful - this place is an all around winner. -
Review from Julia B.
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Situated in an alley off Bowery is New Malaysia. I didn't know what to expect when I came here to meet my friend but I was surprised by how busy it was! I've never been to a restaurant in Chinatown where there was a 10min wait for a table for two! I didn't know this place was such a hot spot.
The menu is extensive, each well explained. There's everything you can think of - Roti Canai, various curries, Fried Rice, Mee Goreng, Laksa, etc.
My friend and I started with Roti Canai and it was really good. Hard to mess up Roti Canai though! For entrees, I went with the Curry Chicken ($10.95), which came out as a big portion! It was full of flavor, a little less spicy that I wanted it to be but nevertheless, I liked it. My friend went with the Hainanese Chicken. When you order the Hainanese Chicken, you get the choice of with bone or without - my friend and I thought it meant just that. What they really mean is, without bone is the white meat and with bone, is the dark. We did not find this out til my friend ordered without bone and was disappointed that it was not the dark meat. She found it a little greasy but still enjoyable.
They have a great drink list, including Malaysian Ice Tea and several iced drinks. I went with the Coconut Read Bean Ice and it was delicious! I could've easily ordered another one.
The space itself is spacious, modern and sleek. They seem to have it well maintained.
I think the service here is disorganized when they're busy. When I came in, it took me a few seconds to realize there were two lines - one for take out, the other for dining in. When I got out of the take out line, I didn't know who to tell that we needed a table for two. But once we were seated, things moved fast.
Would I come back? Most probably. -
Review from Nur Y.
New York, NY
11/9/2011
I'm Malaysian and this restaurant is def one of the top 3 malaysian restaurants ive been to in the states - better than nyonya and penang..I usually bring my friends here if they want to taste malaysian food or have some good cheap asian food. Its authentic and not westernized..
Things to order:
1. Kangkung belacan - a must
2. Aromatic Crab - yummyy..so spicy and portion is huge compared to the price
3. Beef Brisket curry - its addicting..cant stop eating the sauce
4. Char Kuey Teow
4. Salted Fish and Chicken Fried rice
6. Whole Fish in Sweet and sour sauce
the roti canai isnt good tho..its like the instant ones they sell in the supermarkets...get the items above and ask the waiters for recommendation..they are very helpful! -
Review from David N.
11/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
The New Malaysian restaurant got a make-over. The dining area got some new updated furniture but it looks like it carried over to the food also. This is another one of a good stand by for Malaysian food. It was homey, and the food inviting from a delightful host but less home and now more restaurant. The service is still quick and friendly.
With the new décor attempts to present the food in semi-fancy presentation but has lost a bit on the food department. While certainly a nice touch, it sort of falls flat here. Here it is should be about the great food. We usually order our typical dishes Roti canai, Kang Kung Belacan, Curry seafood soup, Hainanese chicken and Beef Rendang.
There was some hits and misses with the food. The Roti canai was skimpy where it would be able to share for two is now barely for one. The Kang Kung Belacan is still done right, slightly crispy and they have lighten up on the shrimp paste. The Hainanese chicken is still flavorful, moist and the hint of ginger and chilli sauces. The disappointment here was the Beef rendang. Once a nice deep stew brown color with hints of chili flavor is now this drab yellowish brown color that lacked any of the complicated flavors of the turmeric, ginger, or even lemon grass which makes the dish delightful.
Overall, it still remains a good standby for Malaysian food in Chinatown. -
Review from bila k.
Bronx, NY
11/5/2011 4 photos
LOVE MALAYSIAN FOOD! for me its a mix between south and east asian food...idk if that makes sense lol but it tastes good to me! I've been here twice and both times I was pleased :) The hainanese chicken however is bland without the sauces but judging from these reviews, maybe it was an off day. LOVE THE NASI LEMAK! (check out the pictures that are attached!)
The service is good, they are very efficient with serving food/refilling water (something that is very important because some waiters do not understand the necessity of refilling ones water glass -_-). Some waiters are not very social but doesnt really matter as long as the food is good :)
Something that you MUST get is the pineapple ice!!!!! BEYOND amazing, sometimes I just crave this lol. Get it! -
Review from Bonnie T.
Manhattan, NY
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food and alright service.
Super busy during lunch hours.
Deserves all those stars :) -
Review from Sammy C.
New York, NY
Updated - 7/31/2011
Yesterday I went there with my buddy since he wanted to go somewhere near by. My regular waitress wasn't' there. I asked for a couple pieces of Lemon and the lady looked at me "lemon" - I replied "yes lemon for the water" Guess what was her reply to me. "Ok I will give it to you this time"
WTF ! I didn't know that was such a big job for you to slice some lemon.
oh yet. the famous $ 15.00 min for a credit card is not cool. Businesses are closed for violating their contract with the credit card term.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/20/2011
I got a friend that works there, I found out my accident. You will noticed that the manager/ owner… Read more »
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Review from Jonathan M.
Bronx, NY
10/3/2011
I come here every once in a while. Mostly with some friends. I usually have their mango chicken which is awesome. My girlfriend always tried different things, but the Mango Chicken they have is so tasty. If anyone knows anywhere else with Mango chicken let me know, because I am always looking for the best, and this here is the best.
They use real mango and serve the chicken inside the mango husk.AWESOME. I have never really had authentic food of this type, but I am hooked on this dish, and I always come back for more.
Since that is the only dish I have tried, it is the only thing I can review. -
Review from Sue W.
Cranford, NJ
1/16/2012
i love the indian pancake (roti canai). also the hainanese chicken with rice. i come here often with family but not as often as i used to. good food and kinda cheaper than most malaysian places ive gone to
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Review from Lily C.
Brooklyn, NY
12/1/2011
i've ordered take out here for lunch numerous times an it's always delicious. i love their roti and all their noodle dishes. I recommend the fried pearl noodles and the indian chow mein. lots of flavor and you can request them to alter the amount of spiceyness.
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Review from DeShaun C.
Brooklyn, NY
6/19/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I just realized that I have been coming here for 10 years and I'm only just now reviewing this place. Shame on me.
New Malaysia is a great spot, but you probably wouldn't notice unless someone who already knows of its greatness took you first. Why? It's in a alley between Bowery and Elizabeth. How many times have you said "hey, let's check out what's in this alley!"...that often, huh? Sorry.
The place has been renovated for quite some time now, and it's well lit, and very open. It does get crowded on weekends, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a bit.
The menu is rather large, and to tell you the truth, I've only ordered a select few items in the decade I've come. What I can say, is that in those 10 years, I've only been dissatisfied with something I ordered twice. If that's not consistency, I don't know what is.
My favorite thing of all is the rice they serve when you get Hainanese chicken. It tastes just like chicken soup! I love it so much that if I get another dish served over rice, I specifically request to have this rice instead. They charge $1 extra for it, but I gladly pay it.
The Hainanese chicken, any of the broad noodle dishes, roti canai, and chicken satay are all great. Also, the lemonade iced tea is amazing. It's served with shaved ice in it. You won't be sorry, just order it.
Portions have become a bit smaller over the years, but that doesn't even matter. I still get full from one plate, and I still spend less than $10 no matter what I order. There aren't many places left where you can do that, even in Chinatown.
New Malaysia has been my go-to restaurant in Chinatown for a long time, and I don't see that changing any time soon. -
Review from Timothy T.
New York, NY
Went here for Father's Day/Malaysian Restaurant Week. We initially wanted to go to Nyonya, but it was packed and didn't feel like waiting. That and some bee-yatch cut us on the queue... BLATANTLY. Anyways, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
So, what else but to turn to Yelp for help?! Saw this restaurant was well-rated and nearby and decided to give it a shot. What lay ahead was a hidden gem and a feast fit for kings.
This place is rather secluded, so you should look up the address before hand. You have to go inside a mall/tunnel to find it. In any case, when you enter, it doesn't seem like anything special. No outstanding decor or such. However, as you peruse the menu, you can see the servers bringing out food with gourmet presentations. Not only does the food look great, but you can see that it will taste good too! In fact, the Roti Canai here is probably the best I've had.
The menu is vast, with many options and styles. The best part is that everything is affordable. If I recall correctly, a whole fish is maybe $15. The portions are decent, but feel free to order an extra plate. I would suggest going with at least a few people and sharing dishes. If you need any help choosing, the waiters are knowledgeable and helpful.
For dessert, be sure to try the singapore ice. For Filipinos, it will be reminiscent of halo halo.
+1 service
+1 presentation
+1 options
+1 taste
+0.5 bang for the buck (seafood is relatively cheap, but other dishes a bit overpriced)
Must try: Roti Canai, Deep Fried Red Snapper.Listed in: My People's Food (and friendly…
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Review from Judy F.
7/18/2011
I have been eating here for 10 years. Within those 10 yrs, this place used to be called plain ol' "Malaysian Restaurant." Every time I come here, I wind up looking thru the menu and ordering the same dish - curry chicken with rice under the listing 'Rice Dishes'. It's the perfect portion size for one person. Though the price of this dish has increased (due to the economy), the quality and flavor have been not sacrificed. It's recipe is consistent thus the flavor is too. Tons of chili oil & beneath lies the curry sauce. Nowadays, there are fewer chunks of chicken on the bone and more potatoes in each serving. Same serving size of rice, the perfect amount for me to savor all that sauce. All this applies to the Curry Chicken & Beef Brisket Combo on rice. The beef is tender. Like the chicken, I wish there was more meat on my plate.
Another note, the Roti Cani along with the curry sauce hasn't changed in flavor and quality. Consistent, that's what I like except that the portion size is smaller. -
Review from Shing Yiing O.
New York, NY
Well.. I am a Malaysian craving for Malaysian food when I heard that NYC has a lot of good Malaysian food.. :)
My friend and I ordered the rendang chicken, belacan kangkung, & the Ipoh Rojak...
The highlight is definitely the rendang chicken.. It tasted just as if I am in Malaysia right now.. The texture was totally perfect..
As for the belacan kangnkung, it was just normal but it was my favorite vegetable. I keep eating it because I haven't had it for YEARS!!!!! it can be a little spicier.. :)
As for the Ipoh Rojak.. I don't really like it.. or maybe I am too picky about it... There were too many cucumbers and the sauce tasted like some weird sauce.. The cucumbers, pineapples in it are not really fresh.. Don't ever order it... -
Review from Caroline N.
Fountain Valley, CA
1/3/2012
I had the spicy beef curry soup and the roti canai. I thought this place would be just a regular asian joint, but I was surprisingly mistaken. This food was amazing!! The roti canai is a small appetizer. It was so gooood I was scraping the sides of the bowl with my piece of fluffy bread to get every last droplet of spicy goodness even after my entree arrived. I was thinking wow, that's so good, there is no way my entree will continue on the wave of bliss. It did!! The spicy beef curry soup was very flavorful, although probably very fatty. Well-cooked noodles and a generous helping of beef in a perfectly flavored curry soup! So yum. Will definitely be back!
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Review from Kendra T.
Jersey City, NJ
7/31/2011
Delicious! So good and hit the spot, I was so tempted to go back the following day for another meal.
A friend recommended New Malaysia after taking her friends here several times. This space is tucked away in a little passageway / alley that I must have passed a zillion times without recognition.
The place was jam packed, nothing fancy, it's all about the business of food. We were seated right away where upon we were served by just about every waitress / waiter in the place, which was pretty quirky to me.
We were a little to excited about our visit and ordered a ton of food (our eye's were definitely bigger than our stomachs. We started with the roti which was delicious; our other dishes which we split were: Curry noodles with seafood (yum), Tingy (yes tingy) chicken in Thai style (yum yum) and the stingray (yum yum yum). I have never had stingray in my life and was a little apprehensive to try it but I loved it the sauce was so good and the stingray was tender and juicy. My friend flipped over the tingy chicken seasonings which were a little more on the citrus side.
The most expensive dish we ordered was the stingray and our bill was still dirt cheap. Our variety of waitresses were very friendly, helpful and were very interested to learn if we enjoyed our meal. I'm sure they were marveling at the amount of food we put away.
I will definitely come back again I want to try the curry brisket another table ordered it and the waitress said it was sold out so it must be good.
Enjoy! -
Review from Russell M.
New York, NY
11/17/2011
For the main course, I ordered the curry chicken noodle, or Mee Kari, and Marlon had Chow Kueh Teow, a stir fried rice noodle dish with shrimp. My curry soup was pretty good, I'm a sucker for curry soups and usually enjoy them, but the New Malaysia version is no match for the incredibly delectable curry soup found at Cong Ly on Hester St. I'm not a fan of the thick egg noodles they use at New Malaysia- next time I'll have to ask about what some other noodle options are. Marlon enjoyed Chow Kueh Teow, I thought it was tasty, but when I'm going to order flat stir fried noodles with meat or seafood I usually prefer the Chinese preparation of Chow Fon. My favorite variant is Beef Chow Fon, and it's just about the only beef dish I'll order at a Chinese restaurant, barring beef with scallions at Joe's Shanghai. Why order beef when pork, chicken, duck and seafood are so excellently prepared in Chinese restaurants? But I digress...
For more of my post and pics check out my blog at
http://mylifeinnoodles... -
Review from Phil L.
Astoria, NY
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
New Malaysia Restaurant, not really sure if it's appropriately named since they served a sizeable amount of Chinese food. I ordered a peking pork chop with fried rice and it was 7 and change. A huge amount of rice was given and the pork chops were delicious. Who can't like fried pork chops anyways!? They have a large dining area and an A rating from the health inspectors so that's always a good sign. Another restaurant I'll add to my cheap dinner list!
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Review from Tina C.
4/13/2011 2 photos
After a long haul day, intellectually challenged by both Cantonese and Mandarin oral and written skills, my instructor/good friend plus fellow classmate for party of three dine the night away at New Malaysia.
New Malaysia Restaurant sits hidden in a alley between Bowery and Elizabeth Street near the Manhattan Bridge opposite Chinatown Arcade, which is easy to miss. My entree of home style combination on rice consists of Hainanese chicken, beef brisket draped in mild curry, fried egg at $5.95 was savory and plentiful. While the Nasi Lemak consisting of coconut flavored rice with belacan anchovy, chicken draped in mild curry, hard boiled egg and peanuts at $5.75 was also savory and plentiful. Lastly the bitter melon with vegetables in black bean sauce was also savory with an acquired taste, albeit plentiful.
"Uniquely Malaysian" indeed for close to authentic Malaysian entrees with coconut as the base ingredient, which entices me for a return visit to K.L. and Melaka once again! Prices are reasonable without leaky a whole in one's wallet. Decor is modern with slate floors and wall panels, albeit clean atmosphere. Service is attentive and without the typical curtness of the acrimonious snub and brush. Facilties are clean but limited to number of stalls. Be prepared for a wait on Saturday nights as tables are filled quickly.
N.B. Patrons note the bill's tally is "rounded up to the nearest dollar" which our party of three were completely baffled for the extra measly four cents. -
Review from Melissa M.
Matawan, NJ
Thank goodness for Chinatown and it's wide variety of cheap eats! And thank goodness I work downtown which is just a bus, a train stop, or a short brisk walk away from the yummy eats!
My home girl (Thanks Yu-Ching L. for taking me here!) and I came here on a nice Spring day for lunch one day last week. We decided to share the Roti Canai ($3) (Indian Pancake w/ Chicken Curry) which was absolutely delicious!! The pancake was fluffy and warm and the Chicken Curry was sooooooo good! I'm definitely ordering one for myself next time! I had the Hainanese Chicken On Rice ($5). You're given your choice of white or dark mean. I ordered White. It was a big portion, I couldn't even finish the whole thing. The chicken was succulent and juicy. The dipping sauces that came with the chicken were good complements too. I think one was ginger scallion and the other was something spicy, but it wasn't that spicy. I also had the Coconut Milk and Red Bean ice drink. So delicious and refreshing. Who would have thought to put those two things together?! It's great though!
Aside from the great, cheap food, service was great, staff was friendly, and the place was clean and didn't have that "Chinatown" feel to it. I'll definitely be returning! -
Review from Natalya R.
Brooklyn, NY
4/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have to admit I love yelp, most of the time you guys guide me where to go to eat. But not this time, this has to be the worst place I ever went in terms of food and customer service. Just by looking outside, I didnt even want to go but no I trusted you yelpers and went in with open mind.
As soon as we entered, the waiter didn't even gave us the menu, after 10 minutes of being annoyed I went and asked for a menu. Ok fine, its okay Im sure the food is good here, thats what was going through my head. It took forever for a guy to come get our order, on top of that one of the order was forgotten and we waited forever for our food. One by one, the food was coming and coming. I am thinking to myself, are you serious? Who bring entre and then appetizers, isnt that the whole point of the system to be in order?
Never again am i coming back here!!!
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Review from Yu-Ching L.
New York, NY
3/28/2011
Good cheap eats! The roti canai is so good but comes out piping hot which can be dangerous if you are hungry. Beware!
I had the house special vermicelli which had vegetables, pork and chicken kidney? (not even sure but it was good) and fish balls. Broth was delicious and the portion was huge if you decide to do family style.
Star of the night: Coconut milk and red bean ice drink. Yummmmmmmy! -
Review from Michelle W.
New York, NY
3/19/2011
Delicious food, each and every time. This is one of those places where you can rely on your meal being the same every time you order it. I've been eating here for years, and the service has been slowly declining, but I guess this review is a little biased, only because I know what to expect. I don't expect great service, but I do expect great food.
While service is generally a huge factor for me, the fact that I've "grown up" with this place, makes this restaurant a huge exception. Great food you can't deny, with questionable service...small price to pay.Listed in: Cheap Eats
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Review from Art L.
4/16/2011
In a city with a nice selection of Malaysian restaurants, one can quickly overlook Chinatown as a source for good Malaysian cuisine. What I know of Malaysian cuisine comes from a couple of trips to Singapore. Since it was my first time going to the New Malaysia Restaurant, I wanted to try something that will give me a benchmark for the restaurant.
I decided to try the Curry Stuffed Combination Noodle Soup and the Roti Canai. The thing that I noticed about that Roti Canai was that it was more "bready" than the roti canai that is found at Nonya and Penang. Usually this dish is prepared in a thin and flaky pancake. New Malaysia's tasted the same, however, the bread was noticeably thicker, a nice change of pace from the others. The notable aspect of this dish is absolutely thick and luscious sauce served with this dish. Usually this dish is served with a piece of chicken and a curry dipping sauce. What set it apart here is the thickness of the sauce, which literally clings to your roti canai, a very nice change of pace.
As for the Combination Noodle Soup, it was very affordable - most noodle dishes here are under $7 - and delicious. The calling card of Malaysian soup noodle dishes is their thick broth. It didn't disappoint, and surprisingly I didn't feel that it was loaded with salt. You could have your choice of noodles here and I chose the thick, yellow, lo mein type. I had originally wanted the ho fun noodles, be the waiter recommended the yellow type.
As for the location of New Malaysia, it is found in a tunnel between Bowery and Elizabeth Streets. Most diners enter through the 48 Bowery Tunnel. The decor is updated at New Malaysia and a nice touch to the dining room is a large flat panel screen which flashes a slideshow of common Malaysian dishes. Service was adequate and responsive. I look forward to trying more of the dishes at New Malaysia. Most entrees are below $13, family sizes. If my lunch here is indicative of what I will get with their other dishes, this will be promising. Updates pending! -
Review from Nancy H.
New York, NY
2/21/2011
My friend and I came to this restaurant knowing the curry soup noodles were going to be bad, but we wanted to try it to see if it was true.
It is true.
We had the roti appetizer with curry sauce which was alright. We had better roti at Nyonyo where it's thin and crispy. This one was thick, very buttery and not very crispy at all.
As for the soup noodles, I ordered the dish that the waitress suggested: curry noodle soup with squid with egg noodles. The curry soup was not great at all. It looked like coconut milk was poured all over without the coconut milk flavor. The curry was not too flavorful either, very subtle with the creamy soup. The squid was alright, nothing spectacular when dipping it in the not-so-flavorful soup. The egg noodles were the worst. I thought there were going to be thin egg noodles, but they just dunked in the thick chow mein noodles.
My friend had the beef curry noodles and it was also not that good. However, she did spot some other non-curry-looking noodle soup in the table next to us which did look good. -
Review from Lisa L.
Queens, NY
6/25/2011
I like how this place is hidden in Chinatown Arcade. This is the only place I go to eat Malaysian.
It's roomy- except for the restroom. I'm a bit disappointed it makes me feel claustrophobic... Plus the male restroom is the opposite side of the restaurant; without any signs pointing it out! Sorry, enough about the restroom.
The service is a hit & miss. But the food is always great. They really care about the presentation of their food, which makes me happier when I eat it. I'd rather eat something that looks nice than something the cook just decided to plop down on a plate.
I suggest having the Roti Canai to start off for an appetizer. I'm also a bit disappointed that it's just one piece though. Other than that, always crispy and fresh!
I like how they have a television now that displays the food. It's better for first-timers and people who want to try something new to visualize it, rather than having to imagine it.
Good food for the good price. ...Just gotta do something about that tiny restroom of theirs. -
Review from Suanne L.
3/3/2011
I've been coming here for years and the only two reasons I come back?
Roti Cani - crispy thin bread and delicious curry. bites of chicken and potato and just a tiny bit spicy!
Homemade Tofu - This is some of the best tofu in the city. I don't know if the tofu is actually made in-house, but it's perfectly silken and fried crispy on the outside. I'm not terribly crazy about the pork, mushroom, snow pea sauce, but I will fight you and your mama to the death for those little delicious cubes of soy!
Can be ridiculously crowded here for a nondescript restaurant in a skeevy tunnel. Wait staff also tend to rush you a little. The mo mo ja ja (taro coconut sweet soup) is also pretty good, but usually I'm stuffed.Listed in: Tofu I luff u!
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Review from Noel R.
Brooklyn, NY
4/3/2011
A slightly generous 4 stars.
If you're looking for sunlight it's not going to be on the menu in this place as it's hidden in a passage way under a building between two blocks in China town but sometimes sun is not required and on those occasions this place fits the bill. I tried the Asam Laksa after insisting to the waiter that despite my pale complection I did know what I was ordering. Fishy, sweet, sour and spicy which is exactly what I expected. It didn't taste as fresh as I'd hoped but for the $6.50 I paid it more than satisfied. The waiter had to ask me twice if I liked it and even the manager came and asked us how we liked the food! The Roti was hot and tasty with a chunk of meat in the curry.
Needless to say service and friendliness gets top marks. The place was full of people grabbing lunch and there was a good buzz about the place. I would certainly visit New Malaysia as an alternative to my mainstay Nyonya. -
Review from Jim D.
Marina del Rey, CA
4/10/2011
My wife and I ate dinner here on a rainy Friday evening. The reviews for this place are pretty much spot-on. The Roti Canai was so delicious, we ordered a second one. They were out of crab, so we also ordered the hot & spicy prawns and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.
So why 4 stars and not 5? The place could definitely be a little cleaner, and my beer could have been a little colder. Also, had the server been around more frequently I probably would've drank more beer, spent more money and left a bigger tip. All in all, though, a great hidden gem that I'll be returning to many more times. -
Review from Matthew L.
San Francisco, CA
11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
Anytime I go out to eat, I like to eat big and try lots of dishes. My boss, who is a regular here and from Malaysia, took me here to try out some Malay food. I wanted her to order some more traditional dishes, so she ordered a few, and I ordered a few that I've liked in the past, from other restaurants. The TWO of us shared (too much food... lol):
* Roti Canai - yum! flaky roti with curry sauce is pure awesomeness... nice appetizer :)
* Ipoh Rojak - this was the first time I had ipoh rojak. My boss used to have this when she grew up as a snack, so it brought her a lot of good fond memories. It's basically fruits and vegetables that are topped off with sweet shrimp paste (in Chinese, xia jiang)--so it was really interesting and pretty tasty. There wasn't that much fruit in it, but hey--we're not in Malaysia, where there's plenty of tropical fruits there. But still they managed to have some pineapple and mango...with cucumbers and bean sprouts...so still tasty and refreshing.
* Malaysia Style Curry Stuffed Combination - this was really tasty, almost like the Indonesian "laksa". They had different veggies (I remember the BIG eggplant in it) and stuffed fried bean curd (which was gigantic!) -- in a pleasant, creamy curry broth -- delish!
* Indian Mee Goreng - almost like a regular mee goreng, but it contains seafood, so it gave it a little different twist..but still good!
* Tong Choy in Belacan Sauce - I love tong choy, and it being stir-fried in belacan (fish paste) sauce was delicious... All the other tables got it, and it was nonetheless a hit.
* Malaysian "Pull" tea - pretty standard, but I wish I could see them pull the tea in front of us. In Malaysia, they mix the tea by pouring it in different coups at very far distances. Hence, Chinese-Malays call it *laai* cha ("pulled tea" in Chinese).
Overall my experience here was really good, although I kept on having to drink water/tea... so, there might have been MSG added. The food here is cheap, and in my opinion better than Nyonya. It's a bit hole-in-the-wallish (just as my boss had described), but it's really good. I'm glad my boss took me here! Another hidden hole-in-the-wall joint in the crevices of NYC Chinatown :)!! -
Review from Dorie L.
Alhambra, CA
3/31/2011 2 photos
This is a small Malaysian restaurant hidden in the heart of Chinatown in Manhattan. They don't only serve Malaysian, but Indian, and Chinese food - well because Malaysia is made up of all three of those Ethnic groups.
Being a resident of Philadelphia. This Malaysian restaurant reminds me of our South Philly (legit) Vietnamese places - food tasted local, un-Westernized, small sitting, fast and CHEAP!
Me and my friend shared a Roti Canai for appetizers, we ordered Nasi Lemak (curry flavored) Chicken/ Potatoes served with a boiled egg, some spicy onion side dish, coconut rice; and a Malaysian udon noodle which is udon served with fried salty fish, "soured" cabbage, slices of fish, shrimp and Chinese spinach. Our whole dinner only cost $17, most dishese were only $6.50.
For a Manhattan dinner, that's cheap! Portions were big and we had plenty to take home! -
Review from Anna L.
Manhattan, NY
10/8/2011 2 photos
The first time I've been to this place, I didn't really like the customer service there. It may be just be me but it wasn't good at all. The food there was okay. I don't really know how other food in the restaurant there taste like, despite the fact that I only had noodles in soup. The noodle soup had a distinct taste in it due to the herbs they added. I had a "Three ball noodle soup?" I think that was what it was called. It had a combination of beef ball, fish ball, and I recall pork ball(or was it squid?). My boyfriend had another dish. Which was spicy. I don't remember the name of the dish but he didn't like the taste of herbs in it.
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Review from Stefanos M.
Washington, DC
12/2/2010
I'm not going to go into a long rant on how great this place is, just need to tell everyone that is ever in the Manhattan area they need to go to this place.
#1 this place is uber cheap
#2 the aromatic crab is some of the best I have had outside of Singapore/Malaysia
#3 everything else on the menu is top notch
I'm hearing that Laut is better than this place, but I'll be the judge of that shortly. Its hard for me to imagine this place being beat. I see Laut just being a more expensive, less hole in the wall/home cooked food feeling version of New Malaysia. For me Asian food always tastes best the less fancy it is. -
Review from Karina L.
11/12/2010
A couple of months ago, a friend (Hey Eddie) called me from Chinatown asking for a place to eat. I told him to go to the Malaysian restaurant by turning into the dark tunnel between Elizabeth & Bowery. After convincing him that I wasn't trying to get him killed, he went and had great food.
This place is solid Malaysian cuisine -- they seat you quickly and service is pretty prompt. Best of all....you can get a fantastic meal for around $10-
Roti canai - $3
Home style combination on rice (under "Rice", consists of hainanese chicken, beef brisket and egg for indecisive people like me) - $6
YOUR HAPPINESS - PRICELESS
Definitely recommend for unglamorous, cheap meals. Pig out. -
Review from Ruby C.
Manhattan, NY
1/4/2011
I really like the food here. I haven't had too many, but I still really enjoy the food here. I love the Roti Canai here and its cheap, or cheaper than other places I ate at. I also love the Mee Goreng here and I can't seem to order anything but that. I guess that is why I haven't tried other goodies. My sister had the food here, but what she had was ok only, but sadly, I can't remember what she ordered. I haven't really tried the drinks, but I have had the red bean ice. It is a bit unusual as there is a medicine like flavor drizzed on top. I think i prefer it the regular way. I am not sure if its a
Malaysian style, but i think i would prefer it without that flavoring in it.
*I went back this week for takeout to bring home and I really like the "Sarang Burong" which is really good. It is described as " Sauteed chicken, shrimp, cashew nuts in crispy taro net." The chicken was a little saltier than I wanted, but it was still really good. I love the taro nest which is a ring of taro. Too bad by the time i brought it home, it was crispy, but i think it would taste even better if i ate it there. It costs about 12.50, or that is what the menu says. I would have liked for it to come with rice, but the price for it was alright.
