Many are slowly but surely realising the greatness of Malaysian cuisine, I mean we’ve been in love with it since our trip to the country many years ago, but the cuisine’s popularity is there for all to see now. Numerous foodies and food bloggers alike are venturing out to try the food and to date, I haven’t found anyone that hasn’t fallen in love with it. There are a handful of Malaysian restaurants in London, certainly more than there was in years gone by. So, the ultimate question is who does it the best. Roti King are like the OGs, who have been around since the beginning before it became popular. Rasa Sayang in Chinatown can probably claim to have a big part to play in the cuisine’s popularity in London. Today, I’m going to suggest a spot that I think quite easily takes top spot in London and it ain’t either of these two. A little unassuming eatery inside the Queensway Market tucked away in a corner next to a place called Russian Films is Normah’s and I think it is the best Malaysian food I’ve tried in London. And I don’t even feel any shyness or remorse with that claim, that’s how good it is! Read on to find out more.
A little bit about Normah and Normah’s
Normah Abd Hamid is the founder and brains behind Normah’s. She is a Malaysian lady who comes from a big family (13 children) from Johor Malaysia. Sadly, her father passed away when she was at a tender age of just 13, but he did enough to leave a lasting impression and to basically be the inspiration behind this little hidden gem in London. He would show the children how to cook on the weekends and then name the dishes after each child’s favourite. And maybe that is why all of Normah’s dishes on the menu have her name attached to it? The father would take her to the market and show her how to choose the ingredients and then prepare them too. He learnt his cooking from his mother who had a small cafe, so in essence what you get to sample at Normah’s is authentic recipes coming down generations. As she got older, she would then cook for her siblings and she would get this wonderful satisfaction when she sees them enjoying the food and eating together. This shows true passion for food and cooking. And it was inevitable that this passion leads to something great…
And Normah’s is born. In 2015, she took the leap of faith and decided to bless the people of London with her lovely, authentic and traditional Malaysian dishes that are packed full of not only flavour but also family history. You can literally taste it in the dishes with every single bite. But we’ll talk more about the food shortly. Normah’s is situated in the area of Queensway London inside the Queensway Market. It is a unique market (like a random flea market for mobiles) that has one particular creepy part (palm readers/fortune tellers – do not visit!), but has some hidden gems in there too. From them is this. If you blink, you may miss it – it is in one of the corners of the market right next to random spot named Russian Films. Unassuming from the outside and not much fancier on the inside. But that’s the beauty of the place. It is rustic, charming, warm and welcoming. It’s like a small little cafe, where when full, very little moving space. But it is this compact charm that makes it so welcoming. It’s like something you’ll find in Malaysia itself. Love love love it!
Read more about her wonderful story here.
What we ordered
Let’s talk about the food. The menu is full of all the Malaysian classics such as Nasi Lemak, Laksa, Roti Canai, Beef Rendang, Nasi Goreng, Asam Pedas Seabass and Teh Tarik to drink. We decided to go for the Roti Canai (we got the one with Daal, you can also get it with Beef Rendang), King Prawn Curry Laksa (you can also get it with chicken) and Rose Bandung to drink.
Normah’s Roti with Dhall
You get 2 pieces of roti served with slow-cooked dhall lentils topped with crispy onions for £7.99. When I say this is the best roti canal we have ever tasted, please don’t take this statement lightly. Many food bloggers put out the “best ever” claim very loosely, and even I may have been guilty of this too at times, but with this I am seriously not overstating its greatness. We’ve had many roti / paratha dishes in our lives, but this one tasted different. There was this flaky, toasty, buttery taste to it that was very distinctive and delicious. Quite possibly the best roti we have ever tasted and we’ve been to Kuala Lumpur and Penang! It was so flaky and soft at the same time that you can literally see all the layers. The taste had a buttery moreishness to it as well as a smoky toasted flavour. I mean, this on its own was exquisite. I haven’t even started talking about what it came with. The Dhall was very homely – it tasted like something your mother would make, if she were an Indian/Bengali/Pakistani/Malay. It accompanied the roti perfectly, but in reality the roti was so good I think anything would’ve married up well with it.
Normah’s Curry Laksa King Prawn
This is egg noodles cooked with fresh king prawn, boiled egg, tofu, bean sprout, pak choi, coconut milk and Normah’s Curry paste topped with crispy onions. It’s priced at 12.99, may seem pricey, but king prawn dishes are usually expensive, so it’s understandable. Laksa is the national noodle dish of Malaysia with numerous varieties available in the country, but the most popular one is Curry Laksa, which is a noodle broth that is coconut milk based. I’m usually not a fan of coconut milk in the noodle broth as I prefer it spicy, so have never really enjoyed the Curry Laksa, but oh boy was I in for a surprise here. I absolutely loved it! It had creamy, coconutty, lemongrass flavours with numerous other spices, but none were overpowering. There was a nice prawn taste to the dish too. All the ingredients had their own taste, but didn’t overpower one another, in fact the blend of flavours were spot on. A bowl that could easily be finished. I liked that despite it being a coconut milk based broth, there was a refreshing citrusy zesty flavour from the lemongrass and also a slight spice kick too (you can ask for very spicy). Another dish we were blown away by. Bravo Normah, Bravo!
Rose Bandung
This is rose syrup with milk and it set us back £3.99. We had never had this before, but it sounded interesting so thought to give it a try. It was pretty good, not as good as Rooh Afza, but still a nice enjoyable drink.
Check the full menu here.
Mum’s cooking
Overall, you can really taste the story of Normah in her food and what a privilege that is. Both dishes were amazing and I don’t use that word lightly. Imagine getting your mum into a restaurant kitchen and getting her to cook some of her favourite dishes for hungry customers. How satisfied would those customers be? Nothing quite like mum’s food right? Well, this is exactly that. Normah is blessing the people of London with such food. If you’re reading this, I am telling you literally don’t walk… run!
Getting there:
Parking: Q-Park Queensway (just be wary of parking there, this doesn’t have the best of reputations – check Google Reviews)
Nearest Mosque: Queensway Market Mosque
Nearest station: Queensway
