I like London but I think it has been a while since I’ve been there for longer than a day and not being rushed off my feet to get back up north as soon as. I was there late last year for a few nights, and decided to try out a few recently-opened/never been to’s that serve Malaysian food.
Putera Puteri Café Bistro
This little bistro’s entrance is actually on Inverness Place despite its Queensway address, a short lane connecting Queensway with Inverness Terrace in Bayswater. I came to know about it from a Facebook news feed and since I was staying in a hotel nearby, I thought this would be an alternative to the Malaysia Hall café as it opens at 7 AM, an hour earlier.
The breakfast menu included a halal full English but I opted for roti canai. The café has a tiny kitchenette, and the friendly café staff who attended to me prepared my roti canai on small flat pan. A serving comprises two fluffy freshly-made roti canai with some lamb curry.
Hits the spot, especially when they also do a fairly decent teh tarek to boot. The bistro is opened in the evenings until late, should you wanna try their other offerings like mee rebus or the nasi campur.
56A Queensway
Bayswater
London W2 3RY
Nearest tube: Bayswater, Queensway
Roti King
I guess it can’t be helped that this post is a tad roti canai-centric. I’ve heard so much about this place near Euston Station that I had to give it a go. As expected, there was a queue (it was lunch time) and it took us 20-odd minutes before we could get a seat.
By the time we got in, I told myself that this better be bloody worth the wait. Due to the limited space, sharing a table is somewhat expected. I ordered the lamb murtabak and my nephew the nasi lemak ayam goreng berempah, to be washed down with teh ais and teh tarek, respectively.
The murtabak was great, which was served with dhal, as was the nasi lemak and the crispy ayam berempah. Might not be much of a surprise to the tastebuds of the average Malaysian, but having it like this in London, and at this price[1], is just fantastic. If a Malaysian expat wanna introduce a local to Malaysian food, this is one of the few places in London to do it. I’d come back if I’m really peckish, but looking at the rate I fly to KUL annually, I should be fine missing out on the fine dishes served here. Hopefully.
40 Doric Way
Camden
London NW1 1LH
http://rotiking.info/
Nearest tube: Euston
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[1]Please don’t click on xe.com.