C & R Cafe & Restaurant

Seating is more comfortable than Rasa Sayang, the other malaysian restaurant I have tried in Chinatown, but their chow quay teow has way less ingredients and therefore less flavoursome than Rasa Sayang. Other dishes are pretty comparable though, if not better, and price is also cheaper than Rasa’s.

As a Malaysian, I give 3.5 stars to C&R, mainly because I’ve sampled the same dishes with better tastes back in Malaysia. To be fair, I think this is almost as good as one can get– a lot of Chinese Malaysian dishes taste different when they are not cooked with charcoal. I’ve sampled Char Kuey Teow, Wat Dan Hor, Lo Bak, and three-​layered coffee from C&R. Char Kuey Teow and Wat Dan Hor lack «wok hei», or the aroma you get from great frying skill and preferably fried with charcoal. I like Lo Bak, though– very crispy and succulent. The coffee was fine. C&R is almost always packed, but their customers usually don’t linger long after eating so you can get a table very rapidly (within 5 min). Service was OK, though I would prefer if the servers smile a lot more.

Fantastic food, fun staff, and a great buzz. We were able to get a seat quickly but a few minutes later there was quite a queue so if there is, be sure to wait because if you do you’ll be able to try the amazing Laksa and sublime beef rendang.
The former was wonderfully coconutty with just the right amount of heat for us. Loaded with tofu noodles and prawns with a light film of chilli oil. Good comfort food.
The rendang was thick and full of cinnamon and other spices. The beef fell apart with ease.
We felt the side dishes were variable quality. The roti canai (fried flat bread with curry sauce) was crispy and light but left your fingers covered in oil — don’t let that put you off though because it’s delicious. The dumplings were much less successful being puffy and full of air instead of vegetable filling.
The food we ordered was more than enough for two with big appetites.
Will definitely go again and so should you.

A malaysian restaurant that is always full of customers no matter what time of the day it is so prepared to wait if you come at rush hour. Décor is simple, a good representation of restaurants in China with rows of tables and chair that can be pushed together to accommodate groups. Comfortable lighting and efficient staff. Food is surprising quick yet tasty and large portions too. Reasonable pricing and a recent refurbish of their menu adding a few new dishes. What is not to like?
We started with a glass of Teh Tarik, Malaysian tea, delivered hot and foamy like they poured it from a height which is how it’s suppose to done. It was incredibly rich and milky from the condensed milk. It was a bit strong like they’ve left the tea bag in it although I like my tea strong so it worked out well for me.
Lo Mee
My sort of comfort food. Egg noodles in a lovely thick starchy broth. It was flavoured beautifully with soy, vinegar and the pork, mushrooms, carrots and other vegetables that had been braising in there helping to deliver complexity in sweetness as well as savouriness. The noodles did soften a little, being left to cool whilst we enjoy the other dishes but it didn’t ruin the dish for me. The thick soup kept in the heat throughout and excellent at clinging on every strand of noodle as I mopped up the dish. Pork was a cheap cut being a bit chewy but that was reflected on the price and the type of restaurant. But with a little extra chewing it was very edible.
Hainanese chicken rice
A lovely home comfort dish of a poached chicken and then using the stock to cook the rice. Don’t expect the highest grade of rice as we were served long grain but it was lovely, subtle in sweetness and fragrant from the chicken and somewhat peppery too. The corn fed chicken of course stole the show being incredibly tender and succulent, packed full of flavour from being poached in the salted water, ginger and onions. Serve with a spicy chilli dip if you like it hot.
Rice cakes.
Lovely steamed cubes of rice cakes made with rice flour then stir fried with beansprouts, spring onions, fried shrimps and soy sauce. They were beautifully charred around the edges conveying good wok energy, seasoned perfectly and great textures coming together from the soft sticky rice cakes to the crunchy beansprouts.
Gado gado.
This was very disappointing. The tofu was hard and rough as if it’s been frozen and they refried. The peanut sauce on top was mediocre, very sweetened although I did enjoy the nuttiness. It was mainly the peanut sauce that gave this dish flavour as all the tofu, boiled eggs, cucumbers and beansprouts underneath came unseasoned and were terribly bland. Kind of wish they gave us more sauce now. As the prawn crackers were the only part that delivered its own flavour, we demolished them first. This dish should not have cost us £7.00.
Other than that last dish that let us down C&R has always been very reliable choice. I would recommend skipping the starters which are usually lazily made beforehand, bland and uninspiring. Just go straight into the main meal, especially their one bowl dishes which are all generously portioned. I have never had a problem with their seasoning. Menu is very extensive which can be overwhelming but at the same I find it an advantage as it caters for everyone and I know I can return often without being bored of the menu. Probably my most visited restaurant in London.

I used to frequent Melati on Peter St but when it closed, I tried C&R and it has become my Msian spot in London on my trips there. Service is friendly, menu is highly varied with the most typical Msian dishes. My favourite is the Nasi Lemak (although the acar that comes as a side isn’t that good), the Char Kway Teow, the Prawn Sambal, kangkung belacan. The Mee Siam is pretty good, too, although I prefer stronger flavours. The satay is a little weak, as itsn’t barbecued on a grill, it is made from breast meat hence it isnt as juicy and tender, and the seasoning is not the best. We were 5 and the bill came to about 80£ for 6 dishes. A good deal either ways!

First Unilocal review to the new year!
This place is pretty decent for an Asian restaurant and plenty of space to sit.
We had several dishes here that i tried which were tasty but oily of course — it’s Asian!
Spicy fried rice with egg was really good.
Hainan chicken with rice is pretty far from it. More like a soy sauce chicken with no ginger. Boo :(
Flat noodles with veggies (bean sprouts) — yum!
Roti canai — oily pancake. The dip was good though
Fresh squeezed juice — delicious. Had the apple, carrot, pear juice I think.
Overall, I would come back as it had an extensive menu and reasonable prices along with a clean environment.

Quite decent Malay food, but of course like all other restaurants around, it is certainly westernised already.
That said, it’s quite some nice food. Clean space, and quite reasonably priced! It’s a little annoying that they sneakily charged boil rice on my friend when he asked and they made it sound like its included. Minor things though.
The Lo Mee tasted quite nice, and the Bak Kut Teh apparently tasted quite medicinal which is good (my mate had it).
The drinks are well portioned!

First time trying out C&R. We ordered the Nasi Lemak and Chicken rice with bean sprouts.
I should start by saying I’m Malaysian and know the food well.
Nasi Lemak arrived cold — cold chicken, cold curry, cold rice. Was not impressed and promptly sent this back to be reheated. Cold curry is a sure way to get funny tummy. The chicken curry was a sickly yellow colour, not very appetising and certainly not authentic.
Chicken rice was also cold but other than that, it was OK.
Pros — large serving portion.
Cons — Serving cold food is just not acceptable. Taste wise, not very authentic. This would probably only bother those who are looking for the real McCoy.

Popped in solo on a quiet enough Sunday night on the recommendation of an Aussie friend. I was trying to get some carbs for a long run the next day, so I just got water with roti canai and the Singapore laksa. Everything hit the spot. The laksa was better than what I’ve tried to far stateside. Service was efficient and quick. I got a table to myself but assume there’s more sharing at busier times.

I’ve been to C&R many times and it’s always a good experience food-​wise, especially if you want something very filling for a decent price and for something that you can eat in under 40 minutes — it’s a café after all but probably the most fancy Malaysian Café you’ll ever go to in China Town. There is upstairs seating which houses parties over 6 but given the relatively small area, it’s not advisable to stay here any longer. The customers are all very quick to eat and go.
This time I ordered the legendary Malaysian Lamb Curry at £8.50. Unfortunately, this does not come with the rice like the other curry dishes (e.g. Chicken) so you do have to ask for it. The lamb is nicely cooked and tender. The dish also comes with large chunks of potatoes which have been spiced with star aniseed so there’s a lot of taste which promises to be more than your average takeaway curry. The service was very quick although, and whilst my order was completely fine, the staff did manage to get my friend’s order wrong (both drinks and dish) even when apparently shown the number on the menu. This may be a cause for concern but they did offer to recook the dish so points for admitting their mistaken. To be fair, this is the first time in many times that something like this has happened that I’d still recommending going.

This place is great for a quick bite when out in soho. Authentic Malaysian food that I always over order but always manage to eat. The service is not always the best by the food is fresh, tasty and good value

Holy wow this place was spectacular. So many delicious noodley, brothy dishes with loads of flavor. This was my first time having Malaysian food and it most certainly won’t be my last. I have had dreams about the Malaysian pancakes with the curry sauce (Roti Canai) the crisp yet gooey buttery texture was out of this world and I wish I could eat them every day.

What’s not to love about this alleyway Malaysian restaurant? It’s cheap, fast and delicious. Best of all, every time I go in here, it brings up fond memories of Asia.
Food: I always go for the Singapore Laksa when I’m here. You can never go wrong with a laksa, and the portion is massive. The broth is packed with coconut and curry flavours that goes great with all the seafood and noodles in it. Every bite is heaven to me. That being said, I think the menu provides a great selection of south east Asian cuisine and it’s worth to try out as many other Unilocalers have.
Atmosphere: Typical Asian «canteen» style. Wooden chairs and tables and cramming as many people in as possible. It’s just all part of experience… if you can’t go to Malaysia, go to C&R Café.
Service: Don’t expect 5 star service when you’re here. It is, after all, in China Town. They are consistent and simple in their service. They’ll seat you, take your order, and the food arrives in a very prompt manner.

Tucked away down a side street in the heart of London MCR does not have the benefit of being in plain sight but it needn’t be because it packs a punch and is packed to the brim with customers already. Tables are tightly packed and seating isn’t particularly comfortable but the service is quick and the food piping hot and delicious. So if you want good Malaysian food served well and are not too fussed about the surroundings then this place does the trick just fine.

Hidden away in an alley in Chinatown, C&R claims to be the first authentic Malay restaurant there. The menu and food is definitely authentic and I was excited to see some of my favourite dishes like rojak, beef rendang, and nasi goreng. I ended up getting the rendang, which definitely cleared my sinuses (not for the faint of heart) and a pot of Jasmine tea. I’m giving it only 3 stars because parts of the beef were quite fatty and the service was mediocre. Good for a Malay fix though.

This is probably my number one place in London. Have the chicken curry it is fantastic. Next time go for megoreng just so you have had more than one thing (it is good) but you’ll always return to the curry. Been going here 7 years never disappointed regularly get take out too for the freezer. Seriously try it soon worth it.

You know… I really hate to do this, but since C&R renovated, I think the food’s gone downhill. And it’s really disappointing because I don’t know any other place in London that does the nonya laksa. I brought some Chinese friends here to introduce them to Singaporean food, and they left with a subpar impression of it.
C&R has been lowered in status, from a place I would go anytime, with anyone, to a place I’ll only go when I’m really craving some small reminder of hawker food.
Pro tip: still stick to the Singaporean and Malaysian items on the menu. I once tried a Thai style dish, and, just, no.

Food here is pretty decent for London standard. I always get the wat tan ho, something in between a dry and soup based noodle dish. So much food for a decent price. Only downside is that since it is usually busy that service speed suffers.

Good food horrible service.
Kangkung n nasi lemak was good. singapore laksa was bad.

To echo what others have said this place is actually one restaurant split into two premises. They fill up the main restaurant where all the food is cooked, then put the remaining people in the shop opposite which is also owned by them. Requiring them to carry your food out into the street, into the alleyway onto you table. Quite funny to watch in practice.
The portions here were gigantic but the quality was a mixed bag. We ordered a curry laksa, which was extremely authentic and had plenty of seafood, prawns, chicken etc… However the Char Kway Teow, which also tasted authentic had lots of fishcake but only a single, sad lonely prawn on it’s own in the whole dish. Consistency seemed to be lacking.
The Nasi Lemak didn’t taste authentic, but all the ingredients were there and they made a fair go with their DIY Sambal chilli sauce which was pretty good (but not authentic). The Hokkien Mee was huge, but swimming in way too much sauce/​broth, plus was a little salty.
In essence, the food is quite good, but not uniform in quality. If you’re Malaysian, you’re probably initially be quick appreciative of the food, then afterward criticise things that were not up to scratch. Probably a place to try again, but it’s fills up quickly and they don’t take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait.