I will freely admit that I am no expert on Malaysian food. This is probably the first experience I've had with this type of food. I've had lots of similar flavors, but nothing else particularly identified as this. What I found wer generous portions, a casual dining experience with very little English being spoken, and food that tended towards being over cooked.
The nondescript business blends into a strip mall that sits back from SR 135. There is plenty of parking and the place looks dark from the outside.
Inside, the dining room is much brighter with a bit of ornamentation and television playing (volume on) in one corner. (It was playing some music video with a non-English wedding until one of the patrons turned it to something like MMA fighting.)
One woman was handling the front end of the business. She hadn't bused all the morning dining tables yet, but made sure she cleaned one before I was seated. She brought me a menu and a free glass of hot tea. Note that they don't use any kind of strainer vessel for their tea. The leaves float around and for someone who is used to NOT having tea leaves in my sips, it was a bit odd spinning my glass around to avoid leaves and stems.
I ordered a small Tom Yum Soup with noodles but wasn't asked if I wanted it chicken or vegetarian. Mine came with some tofu looking lumps and some shrimp with the tails still on. Again, maybe that's traditional, but I'm not a fan of it. The spice level was decent..not too hot, but enough to make my sinus react. And though it was the small version, this was a huge serving for a single person, probably well over a pint. I had expected something more like a breakfast bowl or smaller. This could be someone's meal.
The flavors were fine, but the soup was served steaming hot. The shrimp had become rubbery and it was a necessity to blow on each bite to make it cool. I liked that they included a fork and a large table spoon for grabbing the noodles and veggies. They also provided an Asian style spoon for the broth. Good flavor, just over cooked.
Before I could finish, my IMBI Beef arrived. Again, it was a large portion covering a 9" square plate. The beef was sliced to bite size and came with ginger, oyster sauce, and 3 inch pieces of green onion that were a bit chewy in texture. They offered chili peppers with it, but I passed. The flavor was good, but again, the beef was completely overcooked and took on what was becoming a familiar rubbery taste. Maybe that's the way the regular customers like it.
When I finished, I was stuffed and paid at the counter (I wasn't brought a bill but the woman was sitting at the order counter not recognizing I was done.)
As my rating shows, the food was okay, but nothing that I would rush back to try again.
One last note to the owners: For only being open just over a year, there is an unusual amount of discoloration on your carpet from foot traffic. It makes the place look dingy and should be replaced or at the very least, deep cleaned. That does not appeal to Hoosier patrons if you are looking to expand your clientele beyond those who currently stop by.
Review #2728 read more