Make a bee-line here if you miss the hawker (street) food from the Straits, as this bustling café with its low prices reminds us of hot and humid days spent in Penang. We prefer to wait until a seat on the light ground floor becomes available, rather than eating in the dimly lit basement.
Friendly staff are on hand to help newcomers with the menu, which is a compilation of the greatest hits of Straits dishes. ‘Nibbles’ include satay, achar (spicy pickled vegetables in peanut sauce) and roti canai; char kway teow and nasi lemak are more substantial plates. We often order konloh mee – egg noodles served with a dark soy, oyster and mushroom sauce – accompanied by a separate bowl of prawn and chicken won ton. Another favourite is ipoh hor fun, flat noodles with shredded chicken and prawns in a clear chicken broth.
Drinks include teh tarik (‘pulled tea’) and bubble teas. Rasa Sayang translates literally as ‘loving feeling’, and we certainly left with fond thoughts towards this West End restaurant.