Restaurants I want to visit: FW: Rasa Sayang (Straits)

Feed: World Foodie Guide
Posted on: 08 July 2009 00:00
Author: admin
Subject: Rasa Sayang (Straits) - London, England (7.5/10)

Background:

My ex-Chinese language teacher and I meet to eat on a regular basis. As she grew up in Indonesia, I thought she might like to try some Straits cuisine with me at Chinatown eaterie Rasa Sayang and give me her expert opinion on the dishes there. I duly booked a table, but when I turned up, realised that it didn't make any difference as it's a very casual restaurant, canteen-style, and because I was earlier than my teacher, I wasn't shown to a table. Instead I was offered a seat and the photo menu. We were seated immediately though, as soon as my teacher arrived.

First impressions:

There are two floors, the ground floor where there is more hustle and bustle (otherwise known as atmosphere) and the basement, which is quieter. It was a hot evening and I could almost imagine being back in Malaysia or Singapore (except that it's much hotter and stickier there than here). The service was really efficient and friendly despite the fact that they were packed and turning over tables fast. We had a nice table by the wall and so were more tucked away. It's not a place to linger over your meal, although we ended up doing so, simply due to the nature of our order…

The menu:

The menu, with large colourful photos, looked rather enticing, starting off with 'The Nibbles' such as crispy chicken wings in Rasa Sayang marinade, gado gado (cooked mixed vegetables tossed in peanut sauce) and Straits curry puff (fresh pastry filled with a rich chicken and potato curry sauce). In 'The Heat Zone' are dishes like kangkong flashed fried in belachan (water morning glory flash fried in shrimp paste) and stir-fried sambal cluster beans (cluster beans or petai stir-fried in spicy sambal paste, which comes with a warning). The largest section of the menu, 'Straits Culinary Favourites' includes classics such as nasi lemak, beef rendang and char kuay teow. I also liked the sound of pan-fried carrot cake, 'crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and bursting with flavours from the east'.

However, I let my teacher take charge of the ordering.

What we ordered:

stir-fried sambal ladyfingers - okra stir-fried in spicy sambal sauce (£5.80). I'm not a fan of okra, which I find too viscous, but this was delicious with just the right amount of spiciness. We both thought quite highly of this dish

Hainanese chicken rice - chicken slow-cooked in superior broth and served with fragrant rice (£6.90). To my inexperienced taste buds, the chicken tasted tender and succulent, while the rice had also been cooked in the chicken stock giving it a lovely flavour. My teacher didn't think there was anything wrong with it, however she also didn't think it spectacular and declared the C&R version round the corner to be far superior

black pepper crab (£14.80 I think, as it was a special summer promotion). This was the star dish of the meal. There was a choice of this or spicy crab and came wok-fried in a rich dark sauce. It was very fresh and worth the forty or so minutes we spent picking the flesh out of every crevice and leg using our fingers, pick and cracker. Not a 'date' dish, but one to enjoy with relish with a good friend!

The verdict:

This was a good first meal, and hopefully the first of many. So the Hainanese chicken rice wasn't as good as the one at C&R, but the crab was fantastic, as was the okra. There are quite a few dishes on the menu that I'd like to try over a series of lunches and dinners. Dinner for two without service charge or alcohol cost £30.00 (it would have cost far less without the crab).

Other restaurants serving 'Straits' cuisine that I'd like to try are C&R in Rupert Court around the corner (which apparently is better than the one on Westbourne Grove), Sedap on Old Street and The Satay House in Paddington. I went to Kiasu a couple of years ago, but I'm not sure what the quality is like now.

10 - Perfection, 9.5 - Sensational, 9 - Outstanding, 8.5 - Superb,
8 - Excellent, 7.5 - Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 - Average