'C & R Cafe Restaurant' - It's Worth the Wait
This wonderful Malaysian eatery is tucked away in London's Chinatown and is worth a detour for locals and tourists alike.
I traveled to London this past November to visit my good friend Ryan and to meet his partner, Jade, and their new son for the first time. I had zero intention of turning any facet of this trip into “work.” I brought my favorite little travel camera with me to record memories of time well-spent with friends.
Yet here I am, five months later, still thinking about two very special and very different restaurants. I could go back to the UK today and eat exclusively at these two places again and again.
The first of these two tremendous restaurant is ‘C & R Cafe Restaurant,’ a Malaysian eatery that aims to recreate iconic street food dishes from the owner’s homeland. It is located in Chinatown, a central London area near Soho and walkable from Leicester Square or Piccadilly Circus subway stations.
There is no Malaysian restaurant in Louisville that I am aware of and there was one place in Seattle, Kedai Makan, near my old apartment that I miss terribly. Ryan and Jade gave me a few other options to choose from in Chinatown, and I dismissed them immediately when I learned C & R’s specialty was Malaysian street food.
London’s Chinatown is charming, even when packed with tourists. The increased tourism has come with social and economic costs as its popularity has increased property values, driving out smaller businesses and restaurants. However, there is still much to see, eat, and experience that does not feel like Disney World.
C & R Cafe is one such restaurant that has survived this economic gentrification, despite its location off the main roads (click here for directions). It is tucked into a small lane with less foot traffic than other areas, but locals in the know make the extra effort.
Rosa, the owner, immigrated to London from Malaysia in the 1980’s. She yearned for food from back home and knew other Malaysian immigrants who felt the same way. She opened her doors in 1998 wanting to bring her family’s recipes to all. The word got out and I am so glad it did.
C & R does not accept reservations and there were no empty tables. Patrons joined the queue, others left unable to fight their hunger pains any longer. We waited, waited some more, but were not deterred. Fortunately, we had a small child and they are powerful bargaining chips.
The host offered to put some tables together in the small Asian grocery store they operated in the building across from the restaurant. We gladly accepted and took our seats next to jars of spices and snack brands I had never heard of.
We ordered a round of Tiger beers while we perused the menu. At first glance, it appeared they had…everything. This was going to be tough. Prices were affordable with entrées primarily between £11.50 and £13.50. This is an incredible value given the quality of the food and its location in central London.
We were three adults (and a small sleeping child who preferred milk) all committed to sharing their plates, yet with conflicting ideas on what dishes would best combine into a cohesive meal. Would our friendship survive this test?
It did.
Our discussions and compromises led us to choose the Beef Rendang from the ‘Chef’s Specialty’ section (believe the chef if they say something is their specialty), Singapore Laksa from ‘Soup Noodles,’ and Wat Tan Ho from ‘Sauce Based Noodle Dishes.’ Other menu categories include soup, stir fried noodles, rice, curry, and side dishes.
I lived in Indonesia as a child and tried many different dishes, including Beef Rendang, and wanted to try it again as an adult. Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra are very close to one another, and it was only a matter of time before it made its way from Sumatra to southern Malaysia.
I scooped white rice into a small bowl and dished some of the Beef Rendang on top, and took a big bite of both. The menu describes the dish as “Malaysian dry beef curry,” but this simple description doesn’t do it justice.
Beef Rendang recipes are plentiful and their ingredients vary, including cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, tamarind, and more. There is one common ingredient that unites them all: coconut.
There are two forms of the fruit included in beef rendang recipes. The first is a rich thick coconut milk or cream and the second is toasted coconut, or kerisik. The dish may include one of the forms, or both. I am not a coconut connoisseur, so I am not sure if one or both was included in this dish. I was also too busy stuffing my face to ask.
Beef Rendang is an easy recommendation, with its mild heat and sweet richness from the coconut. The rice at ‘C & R’ is well prepared and is a nice compliment in a big mouthful as it does double duty a sauce absorber.
Beef Rendang is a hard act to follow, but Wat Tan Ho gave a valiant effort. It is a Cantonese-style dish consisting of wide rice noodles and king prawns, pork, and squid. So far, so good. Yet, this dish was the biggest gamble for me as it also contained fish cake and fish balls, and topped with an ‘egg gravy.’ I have mixed feelings about those last ingredients, but I’m always willing to try something new.
The dish is well executed and if those ingredients and style of saucy noodles appeal to you, then I say go for it. I applaud your sophisticated palate, but those textures are not my cup of tea.
And finally, by unanimous degree, everyone’s favorite dish was the Singapore Laksa.
A delicious noodle soup with a spicy creamy coconut broth to die for with thin rice vermicelli noodles cooked beautifully. The soup included fish cakes and fish balls, and both had a nice firmness without being overcooked despite being cooked and soaked in hot broth. There was mention of chicken on the menu, but I wasn’t sure if this was small diced pieces or if chicken stock was used in the broth’s construction to help concentrate flavors. I didn’t lose sleep over it because despite the inclusion of both fish and chicken, neither flavor jumped out at me as it was wonderfully well-balanced.
The dish contained dried beancurd and fresh bean sprouts, and was topped with beautiful king prawns. They were devoured instantly, long before anyone said, “maybe we should take a photo.” Oops, maybe next time.
Yet it’s not the king prawns I remember most about this dish, it is the broth. I am drawn immediately to anything that mentions a spicy coconut broth. It is my elixir of life. I will eat and love every bite of noodles, veggies, and proteins, but the real joy comes from big spoonfuls of spicy sweet coconut broth.
And finally, at the end, it is pure ecstasy to lift the bowl to your lips and drink the broth like a Culinary Conqueror. The meal is done and there is nothing more satisfying than knowing you made the right decision, creamy spicy coconut broth once again reigns supreme.
Until Next Time
I’ll include C & R’s contact info below and keep scrolling down for the full menu. I will also follow this up with another post about the great restaurant I visited while in Winchester.
Thank you so much for reading. I’m in Culinary School right now and you may read all about that experience as the most recent post brought me to the halfway point. I’m also on YouTube and other platforms (those links are HERE).
Connect with C & R
Hours: Tues-Thurs and Sunday, 12pm - 10pm; Friday and Saturday, 12pm - 11pm
Reservations are not accepted.
Address: 4-5 Rupert Ct, London W1D 6DY, United Kingdom (Google Maps)
Website: https://www.cnrcaferestaurant.com/
Instagram: @cnr.cafe.restaurant
Full C & R Menu
Check their website for their wine and beverage list. Thanks again and please consider sharing and subscribing!