Malay House (CLOSED)

Judging by the flattering scrawls in the guestbook at this family-run restaurant, Malay House is a well-loved local that has served plenty of happy customers over the years. We were soon seduced by the whole operation – from the welcoming decor, with warm wood accents and beautiful batik prints, to the broad smiles that came with our food. Chicken and lamb satay were grilled to perfection, with a proper sauce heaving with crushed peanuts; less successful were spicy fish cakes, unpleasantly heavy and with a greasy exterior. Mains, beautifully presented, were agreeably authentic: a rich, coconutty beef rendang was mopped up with fluffy rice, while Penang char kway teow had an impressive smoky wok flavour, and was further improved by the addition of spicy-sweet sambal.