Excellent, Inexpensive New Malaysian Restaurant Opens In The East Village

Scott Lynch

Published Jan 12, 2021

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all of the dishes from above

Scott Lynch / Gothamist

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Scott Lynch

Published Jan 12, 2021

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The East Village has been hit pretty hard recently with a slew of restaurant closures and hibernations (most painfully, Superiority Burger), but as has been the case throughout the entire pandemic, new spots keep opening up to ease some of the sting. The latest arrival worth getting excited over: Medan Pasar, a terrific Malaysian restaurant on East 7th Street.

The chef and owner here is Chuan Tan, who was born in Kuala Lumpur, grew up in Singapore, and has been living in America for about 20 years, currently in Elmhurst. Tan has experience running restaurants — in fact, he currently manages three other spots in New Jersey — but Medan Pasar is his first in the city, and the first that serves the cuisine of his birthplace. Tran signed the lease for the space last February, but COVID-related construction delays, plus the usual permit difficulties, meant it took almost an entire year before he could open.

Medan Pasar serves what Tan calls "authentic Malaysian cooking." There's not a ton of options here — we made our way through pretty much everything at one go — but it's all really great. There's Nasi Lemak, as you might expect, a large mound of rice infused with coconut milk and surrounded by chewy anchovies, peanuts, cucumbers, pandan leaf, and a fried egg. We ordered ours with some fiery Beef Rendang, which added both heft and an even greater depth of flavor to the dish.

I also heartily recommend Tan's Curry Chicken, which is delightfully tender, drenched in thick sauce, and served in a clever contraption that holds an entire bowls-worth of wonton noodles and pickled green chillies, called cili jeruk, underneath. You also get a small portion of wonton soup on the side with this dish, a rich and warming treat.

There's some good seafood available here too, including a lovely, spicy Barbecue Sambal Stingray, served on the bone and covered in a sticky sambal paste (this may have been my favorite dish overall), and a pair of crisp Cucur Udang, or Prawn Fritters.

Bubur Cha Cha ($6 for a large)

Scott Lynch / Gothamist

For something tart and fruity to cleanse the palate, try the Rojak salad, which tosses pineapple and mango with jicama, crispy tofu, and fried strip dough. Or just get a cup of sweet Bubur Cha Cha, a coconut milk dessert thick with tiny chunks of yam and purple potato, as well as pearled sago, which eat like tapioca.

Medan Pasar is only offering takeout and delivery right now — there are no plans for outdoor seating, though Tan is ready to welcome diners inside as soon as it's safe again. If you show up in person you can place your order at one of those electronic kiosks, and Tan will pack it all up while you wait. We brought our feast over to Tompkins Square Park, where we set up a standing picnic in the cold and dark at that concrete ping pong table near the dog run, and gleefully wolfed it all down. Very fun, very delicious.

Scott Lynch / Gothamist

Medan Pasar is located at 102 East 7th Street, between First Avenue andAvenue A, and is currently open from noon to 11:59 p.m. every day (646-756-4022; medanpasar.com)

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Medan Pasar