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The Globe's Ellen Bhang Shares Royal East's Secret: Excellent Malaysian Food

With so many American-Chinese favorites on the menu, it's easy to overlook the growing number of Malaysian offerings.

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Royal EastThis week, the Boston Globe's Ellen Bhang spills a secret in the area's dining scene: There's a growing and wonderful section of Royal East's menu devoted to Malaysian dishes. With more than 150 dishes on its menu, with many being American-Chinese, Sichuan, and Cantonese favorites, it may be hard to know where to begin with the Mayalsian offerings. Bhang recommends roti canai, a fried pancake with a red curry dipping sauce, and poh piah, Malaysian-style fresh rolls. She finds "delightfully rustic" dishes, like a scallop special that serves the shellfish with gills and organs intact, which "[rewards] with true-to-the-ocean flavor." Other dishes, like char kueh teow, a stir-fried noodle dish with soy sauce, are "straightforward and satisfying." Owner Karen Yee's mother's beef rendang curry recipe is "filling and fragrant" and "excellent" coupled with a side dish of rice flavored with chicken stock.

[Photo: YELP]

Royal East Restaurant

792 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 661-1660 Visit Website