Malaysian Cuisine

First and foremost, sorry for the lack of updates. I entirely skipped out on last week's tasty adventure, but I'm sure I'll be back to that place to take photos. This week, I give you a little inside scoop on Malaysian food. Now, I've been to numerous Malaysian/Singaporean style places and this restaurant is one I would recommend. It's called Tamarind Hill. I can't stress enough how important is it for restaurants to be consistent and most of them aren't. I've been to Tamarind Hill a few times and at first, it was a great experience for my taste buds and now it seems as if it's going downhill a bit. Don't get me wrong, it's still good, but it's not the same anymore. The portion is smaller and there's less meat than before. Even some of the items were cooked differently. There's items marked with a chili beside it, meaning it's spicy. However, the items we did order with the chili sign beside it seemed a bit watered down. Despite their inconsistency, I would still go back to try their other items, but their menu is pretty limited. Overall, the ambiance is intimate and cozy and the interior is decorated with items from Malaysia. It's a very authentic looking place and the service have always been good. I would prefer if the lighting was a bit better; it's quite hard on the eyes to see in the semi-dark restaurant, but I doubt they'll change that. That's just my own wishful thinking.

We had ordered quite a few items, but I forgot to take photos for some of them before they were consumed.

As a starting appetizer, we always order the Malaysian Calamari. Again, it's still good, but it's not the same. However, I love the spicy house sauce that comes with it. I believe it has tamarind in it.

This is Hokkien Mee. I've had it numerous of times and the first time I've had it, I was surprised at how good it was. This time it's not bad, but it lacks a bit of flavor. It seemed a bit soggy and bland to me.

This is the remainder of what's left of the Roti Canai. The texture of this is very authentic and true to its natural roots. However, it wasn't sweet and I found it bitter. The curry sauce lacks heat.

We also ordered Red Snapper with Sambal and Curry Chicken. The red snapper was cooked totally different and the Curry Chicken just didn't seem authentic. It's okay for people who have never tried Malaysian food to have the Curry Chicken, but it just didn't taste like it. I mean it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the real deal. Next time, I'll order the Beef Rendang and hopefully, it'll be spicy.

If anyone's going to Richmond and interested in trying some Southeast Asian food, go to Ellie (Located in Continental Center). Be warned, their food packs a punch, but it's so good. I just hope it doesn't go out of business. It seems like they are losing business to the other restaurants around them, but their food has always been consistent. The service isn't great, but their food makes up for it. I suggest trying their Chicken Satays for starters. It's not authentic, but it's really good. Actually, a lot of places that have Satays aren't very close to being authentic. Ellie, Banana Leaf and of course, Tamarind Hill remains my top picks for Southeast Asian Food.



Location:

Tamarind Hill
103 - 628 6th Avenue
New Westminster, BC
1-604-526-3000