The exterior- take Exit 2 at Leicester Square station and turn left. Walk up Charing Cross Road (past Cafe de Hong Kong, Corean Chilli etc) and you will see it on your left
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Malaysia Kopi Tiam
67 Charing Cross Road,
London, WC2H 0NE
Tel: 0207 287 1113
Read my initial review in November 2008 here
Malaysia Kopi Tiam has opened and shut down in several different locations over the years, but I'm glad to say it is now doing a bustling business on Charing Cross Road and is dishing up amazing authentic food up to the standards of critical Malaysians like myself :)
I have been numerous times and love so many of its dishes: Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, handmade Hakka Mee, Hokkien Mee and Cantonese Style Hor Fun are all well-executed and come highly recommended. Yong Tau Foo is also decent, and I have been told by friends that the Bak Kut Teh is up to scratch (I personally have not tried it as I'm not a fan, but from what I've seen on nearby tables it certainly looks the part). However, two dishes I would say are not quite as impressive are the Prawn Mee and Ipoh chicken hor fun, both which have prawn-based soups which are far too clear and bland. The manager actually agreed when I mentioned this to him, saying they are unable to get enough prawn shells to make the stocks rich and thick enough! Also whilst the Curry Mee is tasty, it was not really to my personal taste (too little soup in my opinion, and I prefer shredded poached Hainan chicken not actual Curry Chicken portions).
At the moment desserts are limited (only ice kacang) but I've been told they will expand it in future. In any case I am happy enough that grass jelly ("cincau" or "leong fun" in Chinese) is on the drinks menu. At about £5.50 per dish, it's definitely a place for cheap authentic robust Malaysian food to satisfy those cravings!