salty egg & mustard green soup @ Mamak
As an occasionaly dutiful blogger, I keep lists of things. Post ideas. Dishes I really enjoyed. Food I want to cook. And restaurants I want to visit. It’s been harder to keep up with it all, but I still update the restaurant list and browse it when discussing the critical question, “where are we going to eat?”
After considering hitting Best BBQ, the dim sum stall at the Great Wall Super Market, I pictured my infant son screaming at other patrons with dumplings while we stood in line for half an hour, and decided Mamak would likely be a better fit. It seems there have been fewer exciting Buford Highway openings the last few years, at least those that I enjoy enough to regularly visit, save for the second location of Nam Phuong. Mamak has been written up all over the place, by many bloggers and by John Kessler at the AJC, and it appears many find the food to be excellent. I have little experience with Malaysian food, mainly just Penang, which is where most Atliens have been sampling the cuisine for decades.
With that caveat, I’m sure I won’t correctly portray “authenticity” of certain dishes, but I do know delicious (sort of like not knowing Karate, but knowing ) and this was just that – a crave-worthy amalgamation of Chinese, Malay, and Indian food served by super friendly but harried staff. The woman managing the whole front of the house by herself wouldn’t stop apologizing, but really our food arrived quickly, water was replenished regularly, and I’m always happy for a restaurant when they are that busy.
I definitely look forward to returning to try more, though it will be tough to not order a few of these.
chicken wings – crispy, savory dry seasoning, well done
roti canai
I’ve read reports of blandness and toughness, and I found none of either, though blandness could be interpreted by those who expect the Colonel’s eleven spices and crunch whenever they encounter chicken. This is slow simmered in stock, resulting in super tender and juicy chicken, chopped up (watch for bones) and served with very nice sauces. I was craving this for days.
The rice comes with some dishes, and it’s great. High quality rice, slick and rich from chicken stock and possibly some coconut milk.
Beef chow ho fun
beef rendang – Cue the jokes about the visual, it’s a tender pile of delicious beef, with a rich sauce reminiscent of mole
Mikey likes it!