I remember first reading about this place as one that apparently the Prime Minister of Malaysia used to come and eat at when visiting town. It also happens to feature quite frequently in the listings in Time Out magazine.

It looks small on the outside, and you can tell they’ve put in as many as tables as they could without making it too uncomfortable. The top floor entrance seemed buzzing with people, and with our 8:30pm booking, we ended up downstairs where it was a little bit less frenzied and a bit more relaxed. Large teardrop lightings fill the olive green painted walls with warmth with the dark brown square tables providing a sharp contrast to the dining atmosphere. They even had a more intimate dining ‘alcove’ downstairs which we saw one party fill, complete with mini teardrop downlights and black pseudo-leather couches.

Compared to a lot of other places, I have to say that their menu all looked really tempting and it was pretty hard to stay focused without being distracted by all they had to offer. Their menu is organised around rice, noodle, sides, chicken, beef, fish, prawn, vegetable and for those who can’t make up their minds, a series of different set menus matching both appetite and budget (£15.50 – £26.50)

All of their dishes really impressed me and I thought worth the little bit more that they charge. The very simple Nasi Aayam (steamed chicken with rice served with soy and chilli sauce) remained thoroughly moist and flavourful, even without the dipping sauces. The satay sticks had their perfect amount of smokiness, and also remained moist with the only downside being the peanut sauce not being as spicy as I would have liked it (and understanding that it typically isn’t that spicy). I also liked the fact that their mee goreng (friend noodles) contained plenty of flavour and not just soy sauce as evident from the heat given off from whatever chilli paste they used throughout it.

The only fault I can really give this restaurant was the rather lack lustre service that was never in your face yet, nor was it particularly attentive when you did want something.

TheKua.com Rating: 7 out of 10