Amsterdam

• Thai:
  • Bird
    location: Zeedijk
    atmosfere: tiny hole in the wall, you sit in the kitchen, so be prepared to reek of Thai food! No alcoholic beverages but I haven't found another Thai that cooks so lemak, and that's all we ask for! recommended dishes:
    -chicken, bamboo shoots and string beans in red curry, price NFL 17,-
    -beef salad, Laos style, price: NFL 18,-
    PS The prices I quoted are probably not precise, they might vary one or two guilders. - martin van der klooster
• Malaysian
  • Seasons, run by Malaysians, in Warmoestraat opposite the police station is small but serve pretty good Malaysian dishes. Only a few minutes from the Central Station.
  • Satay House, Zeedijk, just a few minutes from the Central Station. 25/- (aprox.) for 10 sticks!! sauce is not that great. - Johnny Lee
• Chinese
  • Oriental City is great for Tim sum wtih an interesting view of the busy Damstraat, short walk from the DAM, the palace. It's in the center of town - Johnny Lee
  • Hoi Tien in Zeedijk also serves good tim sum - Johnny Lee
  • Sea palace is nearby the central station floating in the water, rather expensive - Johnny Lee
  • SIN SIN Restaurant (the Cantonese name is "Siek Why Sin" = Eating is First) located in Zeedijk (near the Nieuwemarkt end) . It's one of those few restaurants that has chopsticks on its tables instead of forks and knives and have a big round table that can accomodate 10 people all at once. And of course it serves REAL Chinese food (not the type to con the ang-moh's). One thing for sure, it kept my stomach filled and happy while I was there for 3 months. - Lou
  • Golden Chopsticks
    location: Oude Doelenstraat, just off Damsquare
    atmosfere: fluerescent lighting, noisy and always full, fast service, everything I like, just queue up, it's worth it! recommended dishes:
    -steamed sole: ginger, garlic, fresh coriander, spring onions, light soy sauce and lots of dried mushrooms, the best! price: NFL 35,-
    -fried mussels: chillies, black bean sauce, price: NFL 16,-
    -wonton soup: their wonton and their soupstock are the best in Amsterdam, price: NFL 7,- (?)
    -char siew: you won't find better in this neighbourhood, price: NFL 16,-
    PS The prices I quoted are probably not precise, they might vary one or two guilders. - martin van der klooster
  • Nam Kee
    location: Nieuwmarkt, around the corner of the Gelderse kade
    atmosfere: fluerescent lighting, always full, lousy service but who cares!
    Only order their Fried Beef Kway Teow Cantonese style, lots of dried mushrooms, price NFL 16,-
    The rest of the menu stinks, go to Golden Chopsticks!
    PS The prices I quoted are probably not precise, they might vary one or two guilders. - martin van der klooster
• Surinam Hakka
  • Mok sam
    location: Albert Cuypstraat, in front of the tramstop for tram nr. 16. Around the corner of the biggest outdoor market of Amsterdam. atmosfere: fluerescent lighting, strange customers, the chinese are Hakka from Surinam, so their cuisine has been diluted, they also make terrible indian curries, but they do have one thing that's great:
    -Chow Mien special: fried egg noodles, bean sprouts, soy sauce, char siew, fou lam, and chinese sausage, hold the fried chicken, price: NFL 12,- (!!!!)
    PS The prices I quoted are probably not precise, they might vary one or two guilders. - martin van der klooster
• Vietnamese/Thai takeaway - Cambodja City, Marathonweg A Cupstr 58, (Tram number 16, 24 and 25 from Central Station) Tel : 6714930 [30 per person]. Very affordable and friendly staff. Food prepared with love - Johnny Lee
• Everything but Western - Soeterijn, in the Tropical Museum, Linnaeusstraat 2, tel: 568 8392 . A tram ride away. Non Western ranging from African to Indonesian at reasonable price. - Robert van Deijck
• Indonesian - restaurant Bojo, L. Leidsedwstr 51, tel: 622 7434. Right in the center of town. More a eat and go place than a restaurant. Despite some of its greasy food, is still a good and inexpensive place to eat. - Robert van Deijck.
• Korean - Restaurant Korea, Van Boshuizenstraat, Amsterdam; Korean food, especially an "at the table made" barbecue, including soup, Korean cookies, meat, different kind of vegetables, herbs, rice, for about NLG 42,- pp. Chula Thai Restaurant: Kleine Gartmanplantsoen, Amsterdam; Thai food. Very friendly atmosphere with a nice view towards the Leidseplein. Large groups can be easily accomodated. The food is good and can be adapted to one's taste. You can order dishes beyond the card. Prices are to normal standards, main dishes about NLG 35.- Marion Fahrenfort
• Japanese -
  • Japans Restaurant An, Weteringsschans [30pp] Affordable and up to standard (the only one I know meeting these 2 criteria). - Johnny Lee
  • Japanner Kushi-Tei, Scheldestr 1, 6790439, Japanse grill [40pp] a lot of businessman (salariman as they call in Japan) - Johnny Lee
  • LUNCH: Hosogawa, Max Euwepl, 6388086 [40pp] it's right in town. - Johnny Lee
  • Shizen Bento, macrobiotisch veg, Kerkstr 148, 6228627 [50pp] - it's right in town. Dutch staffed also vegetarian- Johnny Lee
  • Hosokawa, max Euweplein, 6388086 [120pp] - again, right in town. One of the best (the other one is of course Okura) and the most expensive- Johnny Lee

Hong Kong

• I always feel that one should be adventurous to try local food when overseas. HK is so similar to SIN and it is a food paradise like us. Too good to miss their food esp top favourites - roasted goose and pigeons. I know of some people who like to but them back. If anyone still dare to eat them with the 'bird flu' going around but do not know where to find, here are the best (I think they are) in HK:
  1. Yung Kee 32-40 Wellington Street, Central HK Tel: 2523 2343
     Noisy Chinese restaurant but serve good goose dishes. If you wish to buy the whole roasted goose, order a day before. You will be given a receipt or tag to collect so do not lose it.
  2. Lung Wah Hotel 22 Ha Wo Che Shatin NT Tel: 2691 1594
     Difficult to find but worth the effort cos you wil not be able to find this good roasted pigeon elsewhere in HK . I tried walking but end up in a different direction. Should walk straight from the station parallel to the railway track or highway. Pass by some old torn houses (look like slums actually) and you will see a hill where a sign says Lung Wah Hotel. Direct nearby is a pedestrian overhead bridge across the highway. Just walk up the hill passing by some cages and you will reach the restaurant. Eat it hot.
  3. Lo Poh Bang from Heng Heong
     There are many branches in HK Island and Kowloon, sells good Lo Poh Bang. Once came to Singapore during the Mooncake festival season but stillc anot match those made in HK which are not as sweet as those sold here. Try also the century egg pastry (Pei Dan Soh) and blindman cookies (Mang Gong Bang). - Kong Chin Choong
• This is a newly opened self-service restaurant called "The Open Kitchen" located at Hong Kong Arts Centre, 6/F, 2 Harbour Road, Wanchai. The laksa is pretty good (quite "lemak" but please skip the fishballs which taste kind of strange). Frankly after living here for more than 2 years, I still can't find anything really nice in Hong Kong. Still for someone craving for food from home, "The Open Kitchen" looks like a good bet!
  P.S. I wouldn't recommend the prawn noodle as it is quite tasteless. - Lynn Hutchinson
• Ah Yi Leng Tong is an okay place. The price and the quality are both middling, so it may be a good place for tourists to eat in. At least they won't get slaughtered, or end up leaving most of the food uneaten since they are inedible. Also, they can be found in most of the popular tourist haunts like Tsimshatsui, Causeay Bay, Central, etc. They have some good double-cooked ('dun') soup too. But for Singaporean tourists, I recommend hawker stalls. The ones above wet markets are reasonably clean, and cheap. And some of them produce very good quality food, a meal would come to about HK$30 per person. When friends drop by, we go out to little restaurants, but there are so many of them around, and they are uniformly of adequate quality, that I cannot find one that is special enough to remember and recommend. There are several more Chinese fast food restaurants like Maxim's, Cafe de Coral and Tai Fai Wut, and they are good places for tourists to get a quick and cheap meal, but I wouldn't recommend them as places to search out for a meal. - David
• My favourite restaurant in HK is undoubtedly the Nadaman at the Island Shangri-la, which serves Japanese cuisine. Ohashi-san is a very creative chef and you should try his eggplant with shark's fin (Japan meets Hong Kong!).
  Miyasako-san is the head teppanyaki chef and he cooks to perfection (thank goodness without the theatricals like flipping knives and food).
  My favourite Chinese restaurant is Yaik Sang (Lee Theatre Plaza), great value for money and a good wine list. - AH.

London

• If you are going to the theatre in London, dine at Magno's Brasserie before or after the theatre. It is a wonderful French brasserie at 65a Long Acre, Covent Garden. Go early to beat the rest of the theatre crowd. - Allie
• Coast on 26b Albermarle Street, Mayfair is a place where stars and models hang out for dinner. Ambience is very hollywoodish. Very chic restaurant. Careful of the main doors - they are made of 20 feet tall glass and very extremely HEAVY - good way to work out the biceps. - Allie
• The "Gourmet Garden", which specialises is S'porean and M'sian cuisine, is situated in London (on the A41 in Hendon). A decent Char Kuey Teow or Curry Laksa will set you back about Stg4. The Poh Piah here is also worth trying. - Gabriela Chong
• Bali Restaurant in Edgware Road, near Marble Arch. Although it implies Indonesian food, this is not the case. They serve wonderful laksa and you have the choice of Meehoon or Mee or a mixture of both. The food includes Tau Yew Bak, Hokkien mee - fried or soup form, Tau Foo Far, Gardo Gardo, and many items which I used to take for granted in the Hawkers' Center. - Philip
• Malaysia Hall in Marble Arch where, apart from being subsidised by the Malaysian Government to cater for its students and citizens, the dishes are authentic to its customs and culture - Philip.
• Someone mentioned that there is a new restaurant run by Singaporeans in Regent's Park off Marylebone Road. It is called, I think, the Singapore Gardens. I understand that they serve delicious Hainan chicken and other "prop-ups" hawkers' dishes. - Philip
• If you're ever in London there is a nice Thai restaurant next door to Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in Soho - Ian
• If you're in London and dying for some Laksa, try the one at the Singapore restaurant at Gloucester Hotel. Absolutely wonderful - thick gravy, spicy, lots of prawns, chicken, taupok etc. It also helps if you're in London in the thick of winter - nothing like a big bowl of laksa to warm up the stomach. - Sue
• Marwar : Edgware Road
  More Indonesian than Malaysian, but I think that the food is better than Malaysia Hall, though slightly pricier. They even have tempir... - Colin
• Belgo : Covent Gardens or Golders Green
  Belgian restaurant specialising in mussells. Those with big apetites should go for the kilo-pots. Their range of beers is also very extensive. The waiters are dressed like trappist monks, and the overall experience is great. - Colin
• Royal China : Queensway/Bayswater or Baker Street
  Probably the best dim-sum in London. Even serves duck's tongue... - Colin
• Four Seasons : Queensway/Bayswater
  Has the reputation of serving the best roast duck and char-siu outside HK. - Colin
• Bugis Street : Gloucester Road
  The Gloucester Hotel's very own Singaporean restaurant is better than most competition... - Colin
• Wagamama : Tottenham Court Road
  Trendy place to eat Japanese noodles, though the recipes are not totally traditional. - Colin

Perth

• Western Australia, where I now live is very different from most states throughout Australia. Perth, its city, is very sleepy, if not romantic for some. Eating is perhaps one of the favourite pastimes of most Aussies living here, apart from sunbathing, windsurfing, drinking, rugby, cricket and other sports. As for Asian food, it is very popular - especially fried rice, spring rolls for the less adventurous. Asian food in restaurants are consistently of high standard in terms of hygiene, quality and presentation. Unfortunately, food is pretty expensive here, even in food courts. A small Chinese combination would cost at least AUD$5.50. (almost equivalent to SIN$) For a single person, he/she needs to spend at least AUD$20 in a restaurant, ie one meat and one vegetable dish. BUT, the servings are usually catered to the Australian appetite, so it may be one HUGE soupbowl of noodles for one for instance. Of course, it is always cheaper to have dim sum with a group of friends, ie for one tray of dim sims, at least $3.50. There are only three to four dim sum houses here in Perth, but all are just as good, with chefs mainly from Hong Kong / Southern China. If one misses Singapore food, he/she can take a trip to Bibik Chan which specialises in nonya food, or simply visit the international food courts in the city or some suburbs. My favourite Asian dishes here in Perth are, admittedly, Chinese. Claypot combination, roast duck in plum sauce and dim sum are among my favourites! - karen mcgeorge
• A few good selections from my school day in Perth. For those who miss local food, try Tak Chee, along William St.,just before horse shoe bridge. The best dishes there are the chicken rice and the penang fried kway teow!!! For a unique of East meets West food, try the "Old Shanghai" food court along James St. The chinese food has an Aussie favour injected during cooking. A store to try there would be the Teppan/sushi store. The best Italian food is found in Perth. It is located in West Perth, in Oxford St. The name is Perugine (I hop the spelling is correct). Everything on the menu must be tried!!! Happy eating in Perth. - Bernard Yang
• Just found your website! As a Australian, who lived the first 15 yrs of her life in Singapore, I'd like to tell you people out there about Singaporean food in Western Australia! "Katong" restaurant in Murray Street, Perth, has the best Char Kway Teow, vey authentic and never disappoints. The best Chicken Rice is at "Ten Ten" Kitchen in Vic Park, which is fairly near the city. Perth has certainly improved immeasurably since we came here in 1980, in terms of availability of asian ingredients, and the quality of authentic Asian restaurants. As I read in a food magazine, authentic means is tastes good!! - Francoise

• 
  Forty One Restaurant
  Level 41, The Chifley Tower
  2 Chifley Square,
  Sydney NSW 2000
  Ph: 9221 2500
  Fax: 9221 5243
  
  Not only is the food second to none but...and I know this sounds strange....but you have to check out the bathrooms. You can see the entire Sydney city and Harbour! If you book try and get a window seat. You can see the whole Harbour and on New Years Eve, with the fireworks....well anything can happen. Many a marriage proposal has been made there. This place makes Compass Rose look pretty ordinary.
• The yum-chas are really good at Kam Fook Restaurant (in Chinatown) and Marigold (also in Chinatown). - Christen

US

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

Los Angeles Area

• I'm a S'porean came to LA in1952 to study FILM and stayed on , and working in Hollywood. Food has always been of interest to me especially S'porean food or Chinese food. Looking over food in LA I wish to introduce a few restaurants to travellers stopping in LA. One Chinese and one Malaysian.
  
  Golden City B B Q Restaurant
  108 N Garfield Avenue
  Montery Park
  CA 91754
  (626)288-3128
  
  If you want an excellent lunch you can select 23 dishes of $4.95 /each. 40 dishes of $3.95/each
  Every day between 10:00AM to 5:00PM . Believe me your dollar can stretch a long way

  Yazmin Malaysian Restaurant
  19 E. Main Street
  Alhambra CA 91801
  (818) 308-2036
  
  It is almost a meeting place for S'porean and Malaysian to have a authentic dish with some Nonya desserts.The rest of the other places were mentioned in the same article. - Sin Hock Gaw

• I'd like to add a L.A. restaurant to your list. It's called The Mandarin Deli and it's located both in Chinatown and Northridge. They have absolutely the best pan fried dumplings, cucumber salad, shredded Dofu, onion pancake and spicy noodle soup. I've been eating there for 18 years...you can eat til you die and not spend 20.00! - Meryl
• Hainan Chicken Restaurant Hong Kong Plaza 18406 Colima Road #B Rowland Heights, CA 91748 USA Tel: 818-854-0385
  Directions: From LA, go east on Freeway 60, exit Fullerton, go south and make a left of Colima and turn right into Hong Kong Plaza. The restaurant is almost next to the Hong Kong Supermarket.
  Comments: Mainly Malaysia Chinese food. They specialize in Hainan Chicken Rice (comes with either traditional steamed chicken or roasted chicken). The Laksa (curry noddles) and Beef Randang are great and highly recommended. On weekends, they serve Yong To-Fu with Laksa which is also highly recommended. - Joshua Lam
• Little Malaysia, North Peck Road Bldg 8 El Monte, CA 91732 (818) 401-3188
  Getting there: From LA take I-10 east and exit North Peck Road. The exit ram to North Peck Road can be kinda long and you will pass some car dealerships but keep looking out for North Peck Road. Little Malaysia is inside a plaza (forgot the name, might be called Victoria Plaza or something like that) on the right hand side of North Peck Road. I would recommend that you call the restaurant for directions.
  Comment: This restaurant serves delicious Penang style Malaysia food. I would highly recommend the Char Kuey Teow. Its the best I have tasted this side of the world. The curry dishes are very good too. They also serve very good local deserts especially the Pulut Hitam. - Joshua Lam
• Here are some capsule reviews of a few cheap restaurants I like. - John Kawakami
  1. L.A. Food Court, on Hollywood Blvd. east of the 101 freeway, has some good Thai food. There are numerous Thai restaurants in the Los Angeles area, but most don't prepare it in a style acceptable to my Thai-Chinese friend, Dave. The Food Court (which is housed above a Thai supermarket called Silom) meets with his approval. I think the various noodle broths are one dimensional, and often opt for something else. One funny thing I noticed is that you get larger quantities if you can order in Thai. If you appear to have no connection to the Thai community, you get smaller portions. Also, they charge extra for rice.
  2. Asian Noodle World, Valley and Atlantic, in Alhambra, is a truly American experience. It has the atmosphere of a local chain "family restaurant" like Denny's (in other words, tastelessly bland) but serves up a full menu of noodle dishes from all over Asia and South Asia. I have no complaints about Noodle World, except that there's always a long line for dinner. Also, if you drive, don't park in the neighboring parking lots. The owner, who is getting rich off this one restaurant, looks like a fashion model, stands arond 6 feet tall, and can't be over 25 years old -- some guys have all the luck.
  3. Luk Yue, Garvey and Atlantic, and Garvey and Garfield, in Monterey Park. There are numerous places in LA that have the same menu of egg noodles, duck, chow fun, and the like, but Luk Yue does it better, and late into the night.
  4. Tip - the eastern suburbs - Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Rosemead, etc. have better food than LA's Chinatown. Also, try the excellent Mexican food in the area; it's as good as the Asian foods.
  5. My sister's picks: Golden Deli (Vietnamese Deli), Vi Ky (Vietnamese Restaurant).
  6. Sam Woo Seafood Restaurant - Valley Bl. at Del Mar, in the mall, and also off the 60 Fwy in Hacienda Heights, just before the 55 freeway. Sam Woo runs two restaurants - one is an extensive chain of Chinese restaurants that serve up BBQ pork, chicken, and duck. This chain extends from Oregon to San Diego, and eastward to Las Vegas. I think it's greasy and overpriced. But there's another side to Sam. His Seafood Restaurants serve morning dim sum that's above average and reasonably priced. Expect to spend $8 to $10 for a long meal. What I liked most was the short wait to get a table, and the waitresses, many of whom are show-offs.
  7. NBC Seafood., in Chinatown and also on Atlantic south of Newmark, in Monterey Park. I haven't been to NBC in years, but people tell me it's still good. I imagine that their dim sum might be a little on the expensive side.
  8. Lunch Specials - if you have to eat lunch, eat it in Monterey Park, where there's intense competition for lunchtime business. There are $3.50 and $4 lunch specials at all the restaurants, and you can even get clams or shrimp for that price. Can you believe it? I can't! The shrimp must be stolen or something!
  9. Ocean Star, on Atlantic at Garvey, in Monterey Park. This restaurant has been reviewed extensively, and they have numerous reviews on the walls to prove it. If you have to take a friend to a restaurant, and you have to convince them that lobster sashimi or jellyfish is GOOD, take them to Ocean Star. They will be reassured by the reviews on the wall. Of course, this all comes at a price. The dishes are $1 to $2 more than at other restaurants. They do have a lunch special, however, so if you show up at the right time, you'll leave with a fat belly, and wallet. They also have dim sum on the weekends.
  10. Los Angeles, unlike some other cities in the US and the rest of the world, does not stay open late. Most restaurants stop serving food by 11 PM. Few are open until 2 PM. Many restaurants are open only until 9 or 10. Many don't open until lunch time. There are very few businesses that are open all night. No clothing stores, gift shops, or department stores are open past 9 at night. Some book stores and record stores are open until 11 or 12 pm. The only places open late are bars, night clubs and dance clubs, a few cafes, donut shops, and the drive through fast food places. NOTE: there nothing to do in Monterey Park at night, except eat food.
• Chicha's Cafe - 1040 West Katella, Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 520-9988
  For Singaporeans and Malaysians visiting Disneyland in Anaheim California good news! There is a restaurant serving authentic Malaysian food just next to it!
  Directions: From I5, exit Katella go west towards Disneyland. Stay on Katella. Chicha's Cafe is on the left hand side just before you hit the lights on Katella and West. (Need to do a U turn on Katella and West)
  In addition to serving Malaysian food, they also serve a lot of popular Chinese dishes. - Joshua Lam
• SANAMLUANG, Hollywood (cross street - Kingsly)
  They serve basically Thai food from 11am to about 4 am (or 3am) But they have dishes like Chicken rice, (black and white), Kway teow soup, Chicken Bryanni, Chok (!!!!), Salted egg (!!!).... - juliana
• I enjoyed reading your pages and have just a few comments:
  1. Joshua Lam's comments about Hainan Chicken Restaurant (Rowland Heights - a suburb of Los Angeles) is completely correct. They also have great "Nasi Lemak" on their weekend menu.
  2. Rowland Heights is becoming more popular for Asian restaurants, products and services, as more Asians are moving out of Metropolitan Los Angeles and heading towards the east or south of Southern Califonia.
  3. Little Malaysia is also great for Mee Goreng, and you can have them really spice it up. They have a greater variety of food than Hainan Chicken, and done mostly in the Penang style. They also make Kaya (the jam that you spread on bread) - periodically and you have to place your order ahead.
  4. If you are looking for atmosphere in Los Angeles, try "Old Town Pasadena". There are numerous great international restaurants that vary in price and ambience. This is the happening place on Friday and Saturday night. After or before dinner you may wish to check out the shops (The Gap, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Victoria Secrets, etc.) in the area. There are also street peddlers - singing, playing musical instruments, mimes, etc. It is well patrolled by the police force. You may want to dress up for a white linen restaurant or go in jeans to eat in one of the outside cafe restaurants. - Vivien Meleen
• I found this great restaurant on the west side of Los Angeles, California selling decent Peking duck. The restaurant is called "Joss" and is located along Sunset Boulevard.
  The price of the duck is US$38.00, served three ways. That is, the skin wrapped in crepe, shredded duck meat stir-fried and duck meat wrapped in wanton wrapper and served as a soup dish.
  This is the best duck I have tasted since settling in Los Angeles about 10 years ago. Other dishes worth trying are deer meat, ostrich meat, and pigeon meat. - S. Kua

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

New York

• I had some very good Malaysian-Singaporean food at New York City. The restaurant is called Sinma, and it is located at the NYC Chinatown, near the District Attorney's Building. The curry there is made with fresh coconut milk and so is the Nyonya Kueh. The nasi lemak and Bak Kut Teh are about as authentic as you can get 15,000 miles from home. - David
• There is another Malaysian restaurant in another part of NYC Chinatown that serves fried noodles hokkien style (KL version, not the S'pore version), and a very economical nasi lemak for breakfast (US$1.50). Both these places charge reasonable rates, and US$10 per person will be more than sufficient to cover costs of a big meal, including tips. - David
• A good Hongkong-style restaurant is Shing Kee on Bowery Street. A good old-time Chinatown place is Hong Ying on Mott Street -squid is their specialty. Some cafes in the city are nice places to gain weight :) Veneiros is an Italian bakery on Eleventh Street and First Avenue that is very popular. - J
• Last year I ate at a place called Penang here in New York which was okay, the appetizers were better than the main courses. I really liked the Sotong Goreng (though I never tasted a dish like it in Singapore) and the Sauteed Spinach (its like the sambal kangkong). The kway teow was not very good. There is also a place called Franklin Street Cafe which serves French/Malaysian food--none of the traditional dishes but I really like the rice because they sprinkle blachan on top. They do have a very good curry puff. - JC
• In NYC, Sweet 'N Tart in Chinatown off Canal on Mott Street is good for noodles and soup, and is very cheap, except you end up eating two desserts and then it's not so cheap anymore. :=D Chendol, red bean soup, etc. - Mark Miller
• Malaysia Restaurant a block away in an arcade is our favorite for ice kachang, but on hot summer days, everyone else thinks so too. Good for Malaysian dishes, which my wife and I are just beginning to explore. Jaya a couple blocks the other direction is very good also, with different versions of the shaved ice desserts. - Mark Miller
• Best Japanese I've found is Tatanyi 52, on 52nd west of 2nd. Though I must admit I haven't checked out very many yet - I've only been here for five months. Diverse menu, and they seem to do everything well. Love their pickled jellyfish, but the wife prefers the Chinese version. Maybe it's just the sake! - Mark Miller
• For those on business trips in Manhattan finding themselves cold and hungry for Asian food in the mid-town area, take a walk to MARUCHAN Japanese Restaurant (160 W. 54th St, tel 212-246-0955). I find this authentic little hole in the wall restaurant run by energetic "real" Japanese folks, offering more than the usual sushi standard fare. I love the broiled eggplant appetizer (smoking charred giant eggplant slices smothered in some kind of savory miso paste), the hot rice and noodle bowl entrees, and anything they barbecue. It is a favorite hangout for Japanese businessmen after work who chat over sake and endless rounds of steaming appetizers; the ambience sure beats other fake run-of-the-mill mid-town "Japanese" restaurants pandering to the inexperienced palette. After dinner, walk across the road for a movie at the historic Ziegfield cinema.

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San Francisco Remember to leave about 15% tips in the "better" restaurants, some Vietnamese places do not expect more than a dollar or 2. See what your neighbours are doing and do the same!

• Singaporean/Malaysian
  • Straits Cafe
    BBQ fish with sambal is great. Cosy interior of old chinatown complete with dirty laundry. It's not in the center but not too far out. - Thian
    We have been to Straits Cafe and it is okay but not quite up to Singapore standards. - Randolph Moeckli
  • There's another S'porean restaurant in Clement & 8th. The name of the restaurant is Singaporean Malaysian Restaurant. They have pretty good food and decent price. The other S'porean restaurant that I've tried is near Clement & Park Presidio, I think the name is Orchid. - dani
  • The Orchid Restaurant at Clement and Presidio that Dani mentioned is no longer in existence. Should also mention that the Singapore-Malaysian Restaurant is run by Penang people and, while they don't have the ambience of Chris Yeo's Straits Cafe, their prices are a lot more reasonable. Straits does a good job on the rojak sauce and some of the hot dishes but if you want more "local" Chinese dishes, Singapore-Malaysian is better. Enjoy! - Tony
• For Vietnamese, Burmese, laotian and of course Thai food, try the Tenderloin district in town. Some restaurants are rather inexpensive and you may even find Mee Pok in some restaurants (well ,close!). The beef noodle soup is what they're really good at!!
• Chinatown of course. Plenty of choices and I've never eten in one I really dislike. Here, they give you fortune cookies with your check, something that you'll not see in Singapore. - Thian
• Thai restaurants are all over the place in San Francisco, I used to eat at Thai Satay House (?) on Polk Street, (adress, 1400 something close to Pine Street) - Thian
• Little Joe (or Joe's) Italian place is really great, try the seafood stew. You'll probably have to wait in line, but you get to see a line of cooks preparing the food in the most entertaining way. Location: At the end of Grant (Chinatown) not far to the right. Do look it up in the phone book. Price - reasonable. Atmosphere : very cosy. I love that place !!
• There is a Greek (I think) restaurant on Van Ness 5, 6 blocks (a block is from one junction to the next) from the Museum of Modern Art away from Market Street. Lots of MEAT and inexpensive, Here I had my first BUFFALO meat, yes BUFFALO!! and it's great. You'll love the interior too !! It's also very casual and cosy, you may have to share a long table with some nice friendly strangers. - Thian
• For Dim Sum, Yang Seng opposite the end of Embacardero(?) Center away from the bay is worth a visit. Fook Yuen is not worth the visit if it's out of the way.
• Seafood at Fisherman's Wharf are very nice, pick a restaurant with a view .
• Food court could be found in San Francisco, ask the locals for their locations.
• Union Street (not Square) is a very nice and interesting street to visit, and you'll probably find a nice cafe and a restaurant that you like too.
• Marriot Hotel has a great view from the top, do go up there for tea.
• Boulevard By Nancy Oakes. Cosy and elegant atmosphere, great food. Good wine list. Rack of lamb, foie gras and sweetbread rank tops. Price $$$$ for California standard. Expect to spend US$50/- per person. Don't forget the 15 -- 20% tips. - Lau Seik Yee
• Hawthorne Lane Chefs : the Gingrass. Formerly chef at Postrio, Wolfgang Puck's SF branch. Beautiful food. Price, same as Boulevard. - Lau Seik Yee
• Ebisu(Japanese) At 9th Ave crosses Lincoln. Innovative sushi. Go either very early or late, or be prepared to wait forever. For sushi bar, it's good to go alone. They can usually squeeze in a single. Price: $$ - Lau Seik Yee
• Postrio's on Post Street - great ambience, nice bar to hang out before going down to the dining hall in the basement. It is a great place to pop over after the theatre on Geary. Food is great too. Try the Quail dish. - Allie
• Thai Sticks - Again along Post Street, there is a contemporary looking Thai restaurant with neon lights with great food. The fish is very well done and great Thai appetizers as well. The owner is a very nice Thai gentlemen. Once while packing away the food, I was caught by the cops for waiting in no waiting zone and was given a ticket. The owner came out and apologised and gave the whole takeaway meal to me and refuse to accept my payment. Even since, whenever I have friends visiting San Francisco, I will bring them to this restaurant. - Allie
• Hawthorne Lane - Love that place. The owners were formerly from Postrio's. The fish with clear noodles (vermicelli) is so delicately done - wonderful mix of East and West food. Like Postrios, reservations is a definitely MUST. Do not even bother to turn up without reservations. On a Monday night, even at 9:30 pm, the crowds would still stream in. - Allie
• Isobune - Japantown on Post Street. This is the mother of all boat sushi. Always crowded which is good because then you can be assured of fresh sushi. At least, you do not see the same sushi plate circling the centre island like in Genki and by the time, that sushi plate reaches you again, it will be all dried up and stale. You definitely would not get that at Isobune. The variety is tremendous, thanks to the creativity of the Japanese chefs. The kani (crab) sushi is the best. They use fresh crab meat and NOT the crab sticks that you find in Singapore sushi bars. Reservations will not be entertained. You just have to go there and wait and if you catch the usual peak lunch or dinner hours, you will have to wait 15 mins to 30 mins. However, it is worth the wait, especially when you down a few cups of hot sake while waiting in the chilly, foggy weather of San Francisco. - Allie

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

Seattle

• There is a Hakka restaurant in Seattle, Washington USA.
  Doong Kong Lau
  Hakka Cuisine and Seafood
  9710 Aurora Ave. North
  Seattle, WA USA
  (206) 526 8828
  The family owners are Hakkas from Hawaii. They serve authentic Hakka dishes like niang doufu (stuffed tofu in Mandarin). - Henry Lee

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

Minnesota

• Sorry it took me so long to reply but I keep forgeting to look up the Singapore restaurant in St Paul. It is actually in a suburb of St Paul.
  Singapore Chinese Cuisine
  1715 Beam Avenue
  Maplewood, MN
  (612) 777-7999
  I included the phone number anyone wants to call for directions or details. It really has quite a varied menu. Not just chinese food. A good variety of curries. It's been a while since I've been there but I remember they have chili prawns, Mee Goreng and Hokkien Mee. - San Wong

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

Boston

• While this isn't strictly a Singapore restaurant, the food here is great and they do have Singapore dishes and Penang/Malaysian dishes familiar to Singapore palates. Check it out at: http://www.boston.com/globe/calendar/dining/penang.htm Great food, hard to get a table at times. Prices range from US $5-15 for entrees. If in Boston, don't miss this place. - Ron and Angela Suen Oltmanns
• Boston's Chinatown, paltry by San Francisco standards, has one Singapore-Malaysian restaurant, PENANG. It's a restaurant chain, first started in Flushing NY, crept its way through Manhattan--Soho district, and all the way up the East Coast. They are famous for their ROTI CANAI (puffy thin crepey roti prathas, scrunched up into a pouf, served with chicken curry)--a sure pick-me-up for the homesick Singaporean. My other favorites are CURRY MEE YONG TAU FOO, POPIAH, BEEF RENDANG, NASI LEMAK, HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE, JUMBO SHRIMP WITH SPECIAL SAUCE (dry-fried big prawns in shell in a dark sweet garlicky sauce), ABC ("ice kachang"), PULUT HITAM. They also have all sorts of local favorites like satay, kangkung belachan, kway teow tng, etc. "Authenticity" varies; you might be surprised at how the restaurant intepretes the dishes you're familiar with, probably because it's supposed to be the Malaysian version. Still, better than nothing for the desparate connoisseur. (Directions: take subway to Chinatown or Downtown Crossing). - mpenney
• Japanese food lovers in Boston must visit the little enclave of Japanese makan stalls located in the Porter Square Shopping Center near Harvard's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts (who'd have guessed?). It's a little Japanese ghetto! Take the redline subway to Porter Square, it's right next to the station. There are about 5 inexpensive makan stalls run by Japanese youths who sure know how to cook; there is excellent sushi, egg hamburg curry, katsu curry, ramen. There are only 2 tables per stall sometimes so be prepared to queue; they shut promptly at 8 p.m. A small bakery counter and ice cream counter serves an pan buns and green tea mochi ice. There is no better deal for authentic food and cheap prices in this otherwise unfriendly-to-Asian-palette town.

Los Angeles Area / New York / San Francisco / Seattle / Minnesota / Boston / Texas

Texas

• Pad Thai at Belt Line and Walnut Hill in Irving, Texas, (Dallas) is excellent, bona fide Thai, with a fantastic buffet at lunch. It was my four-year-old's favorite restaurant. Smart kid - he only likes McD's and the like for the toys, but prefers noodles. - Mark Miller
• Speaking of noodles, First China BBQ is good for fried noodles, but we find the rest of their menu somewhat bland. There are two in the Dallas area - Richardson is better than Arlington. We like their peppery won ton soup. - Mark Miller

Vancouver

• Rasa Singapura Restaurant - Unit 2100, Richmond Public Market Richmond, B.C. V6X 3Y2 Tel: (604) 303-0196
  We serve authentic Singapore hawker food, desserts and fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices at very affordable prices from C$2.50 to C$6.50. Our customers (mostly from Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei & Indonesia), think our Roti Prata (Canai) "the best outside of Singapore or Malaysia". Please come and try us out if you are in Vancouver.- We are Carol & Mike Ko from Singapore.
• Kelong in Richmond, so-so. - cpii
• Banana Leaf - excellent with local and Asian - cpii
• there're only 2 insanely expensive and good restaurants in Vancouver!!! Tropica and Kelong. The funny thing is--- the OTAK fish here is actually a great big fish with curry sauce on it.. not our orange fishcake in it's banana leaf.. . I was like HUH?this is NOT otak?? By the way it's C$12 .. so I should have guessed... Zoe Ho
• Chicken On The Way
  It's a Malaysian/Singaporean restaurant that's situated in beautiful Downtown Vancouver (in West End).
  http://www.angelfire.com/biz/ChickenOnTheWay/index.html
  The name of this restaurant is a bit special; it's called Chicken On The Way. The current owner bought the place from its ex-owner who used to sell only fried chicken (they still sell outstanding tasty fried chicken). It's a family oriented restaurant that sell nothing, but excellent food. I visited all of the M'sian/S'porean restaurants (Canada) mentioned in you Makan Time in S'pore, and I found that Chicken On The Way serves the best food.
  The restaurant doesn't compromise the original taste of their food to accommodate non South East Asians' taste buds. So, when you order their mouth watering Laksa, you can expect the familiar kicking sensation in your stomach after you eat it. In addition, if you're familiar with Penang Laksa, you won't be disappointed by Chicken On The Way. The fish soup of the dish is so rich, sour and spicy that I bet you will conclude that the Penang Laksa sold by other restaurants in Vancouver is no Penang Laksa at all. Chicken On The Way's customers always travel from far away just to eat their genuine M'sian/S'porean food. Hey, what can I say? Who can resist excellent food?
  Of course, there's other specialties on their menu too, but for the sake of bandwidth, I'll just let you try it out yourself. Although the restaurant is situated in one of the busiest neighborhood of the city, it has the cheapest prices compared to all of the M'sian/S'porean restaurants in Vancouver.
  So, if you're visiting Vancouver and is visiting Downtown Vancouver, why not pay the good folks at Chicken On The Way a visit; you won't be disappointed. - Max.
• There is another Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant in Vancouver, it's called Singapore Restaurant (!) and it's a small shop with some good food. Always get the Chai Tow Kueh cause it's good even though it's sort of different, a cross between white and black style. The beef rendang is more like generic curry than anything else. The satay looks good, but never tried it as it's CA$1.20 per stick! Prices are standard for Vancouver restaurants (dishes around CA$5-$12)
  The address just in case anyone really wants to know is 546 W.Broadway and the phone number is (604)874-6161 - Enoch Ho

Regina

• My name's Eugene Kwek. Know of a Taiwanese restaurant in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, which serve authentic Taiwanese food. Name's Four Seas Restaurant. The food is awesome. Price ranges from SIN$4.00 to SIN$9.00. Give it a try!
  1779 Rose St. Regina, SK., Canada.
  Phone: 1 (306) 522-1818 / 522-1863

Paris

• If you love souffle, you must go to this restaurant in Paris, next to the Inter-Continental Hotel, close to Place Vendome. It is appropriately called Restaurant Le Souffle. For dessert, try the Souffle Rothschild - magnificent. Address is 36 Rue du Mont-Thabor. If you drive, you can park alongside the curb and if you take the Metro, get off at Metro Concorde out on to a major road, Rue de Rivoli. Cross that and Rue du Mont-Thabor runs just parallel to rue de rivoli. Reservations is a must. If you crave something Asian, then just next door is Restaurant Indochine on 38 Rue du Mont Thabor.
• For the best escargot and foie gras, go to L'Escargot Montorgueil at 38 Rue Montorgueil. This restaurant is known famously for its escargot. It even has a gold-gilded snail on the roof of the restaurant. Lovely, typically french restaurant.
• For a trip back to how the French in the 18th Century used to dine and wine, visit Nos Ancetres Les Gaulois on 39 rue Saint-Louis-en-I'lle. This place is always packed with locals and tourists. The dining area is like a dungeon - dark, musky walls and wooden chairs and tables. The table is laced with a basket of fresh vegetables that look like the plastic or wooden ones that you sometimes see on display BUT these are real and the diner can just pluck carrots, broccoli out from the basket to eat - salad a' la French style! There are 2 wine barrels at the back of the restaurant where the diners are to help themselves with them. Food is average but the ambience is extremely interesting and fun as there will be a couple of French men entertaining at the tables and the local diners will join them and sing at the top of their voices. - Allie