Rasa Sayang in Chinatown London specialises in authentic Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine. Serving up classics like Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Rendang and Hainanese Chicken Rice. The restaurant isn’t very big, but it is usually very busy. You’ll most likely have to queue up for up to about half an hour before you get a seat. Is this the best halal restaurant in Chinatown? In our opinion, quite possibly.
The dishes we ordered: Roti Canai, BBQ chicken satay and Hainanese chicken rice.
Roti Canai
The Roti Canai here was delicious. A simple dish, but we’ve had some poor versions of it both here and abroad, thankfully this was one of the better ones. It comes with a couple of flaky pieces of roti and a small bowl of curry. The perfect starter. The curry was flavourful and the roti nice and flaky enough to have something about it too.
BBQ Chicken Satay
Satay is a Malaysian kebab dish that is basically meat on skewers and with a famous peanut sauce or dip. That slightly sweet and nutty peanut taste is the prominent distinction between it and other meat skewer / kebab dishes. This is a sure hit wherever you get to be honest and it was no different here. Definitely order this, they have a bigger platter option with different meats (we just got chicken), so depending on your hunger levels or group numbers order the bigger platter.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
A very simple dish with some simple components. Poached chicken, rice, chilli, raw garlic and ginger and some broth. All are crucial aspects. This famous Singaporean dish I had in the Kuala Lumpur airport (long story), but it was one of the best meals I have ever had. Delicious! Unfortunately, that was the only time I had this dish. It’s a dish that this is not that easy to find in England. So, when I saw this on the menu I had to try it. Also, seeing most people in there order this dish too, solidified this decision. How was it? Unfortunately, it didn’t hit the heights of what I had in Malaysia. The chicken was almost drenched in soy sauce and the garlic and ginger were just not strong enough. So, the search continues…
Getting there
Nearest station: Leicester Square
Nearest mosque: Muslim World League Goodge Street (10 minute walk)
Parking: Ossulston Street – free evenings and weekends – plenty of parking spaces on Sundays – about 20-30 min walk from Soho/Chinatown, but it is just outside congestion zone
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