Food Cuisines Malaysian

Normah’s

September 4, 2019May 21, 2021 by HGAT No Comments

On HGAT, I’ve always gone on about how I love finding hidden halal gems in London. Nowadays, and although it has been a while since my last find, I have to tell you guys about the best Malaysian restaurant in London, Normah’s Cafe in Queensway market.

Wow, bold claim there – best Malaysian restaurant in London. But there is something about Normah’s, besides the fantastic food, that gets me going back each time.

Perhaps it is the aunty-nephew duo that run the whole restaurant between the two of them, or maybe it is the fact that it is one of the best value for money meals you can get in London!

Whatever it is, I’m glad I found them and I cannot wait to keep returning.

Right, let me tell you about the best Malaysian restaurant in London.

The Food at Normah’s Cafe

Crisp roti with fluffy layers that just melt upon eating, served with a bowl of dark, rich beef rendang. The rotis were fantastic and on par with the famous Roti King in Euston, and although some of the beef pieces were not as soft as I had anticipated, the aromatic and rich spices of the rendang were great.

Incredibly creamy and rich coconut-based soup filled with bouncy noodles, crunchy fried onions, perfectly boiled egg, big king prawns, and other assortment of goodies. The base had a great fiery kick to it and was not overtly fishy, which can be the case in most laksas where the shrimp paste is bought as opposed to being made fresh.

SECOND VISIT TO NORMAH’S

When we visited the other night, they had run out of everything except the fried chicken meaning only the nasi lemak and chicken wings were available. Well, we couldn’t not eat there so we ordered them both.

Two pieces of garlic fried chicken wings served with a mound of coconut rice, spicy sambal, crunchy peanuts, eggs, and cucumber. Whilst I kept the sambal on the side for dipping each spoonful of rice and chicken into, BW went straight in and mixed it all up in the rice – brave.

The chicken wings were fantastic; fat, juicy, and certainly crunchy. Each piece of fried chicken has been marinated with a simple pinch of turmeric and garlic for 24 hours before being steamed and kept ready for frying. This allows the marinade to permeate the chicken just before it is dipped in potato flour and deep-fried to a lovely golden colour.

Fantastic, fantastic, and fantastic.

I do love Normah’s and even though it isn’t perfect, it is the kind of place you can go with a date or close friend to enjoy good, homely food. I suggest making a reservation and booking an early evening slot so that you do not miss out on all the food – they ran out of most dishes when I went last! The assam pedas tends to be on every table there and worth an order if you enjoy fish in a spicy, tangy broth.

Don’t expect the food to come out swiftly as it is currently a one-person kitchen with Normah doing the cooking and her nephew taking care of the front of house and drinks. It’s all part of the charm I guess.

DIRECTIONS: As you enter Queensway Market, you will want to go all the way to the left and then keep walking all the way to the end of the strip of shops. You will see Normah’s tucked away in the corner on the left.

For Normah’s facebook page, click here.

For other halal Malaysian restaurants in London, see below: