Welcome back to another installment of Ethnic Eating Adventures, in which we travel across this fine city in search of unknown pleasures from lands far, far away. Today, inspired by the recent arrival of the sun, we're feeling a little tropical, so for this week's Adventure we present Taste Good Malaysian Cuisine.
Nestled between giant Asian supermarkets in a strip mall in Elmhurst, Taste Good is easy to miss. But if your nose works even slightly, follow the smells of curry, fish sauce, and chilies straight into the sparsely-decorated restaurant, and don't be offended when the waitstaff barks orders at you. (On one particularly memorable group trip, a waitress banned us from ordering any more food, telling us, "You eat too much.") Anyhow, bring a friend so you can order a few things—portions are not stingy—like roti canai, a flaky, rich flatbread that's served alongside a bowl of curry-chicken dipping sauce.
After you've thoroughly slicked your fingertips with roti grease, move on to a giant bowl of assam laksa, a spicy-sour noodle soup with a tamarind-laced fish broth. It comes topped with a small mountain of shredded onions, cucumbers and sardines, so bring a pack of Altoids. But don't eat them yet, because you still need to order beef rendang, a whopping hunk of meat slow-cooked in coconut milk and spices until most of the liquid is gone and all that remains is a quivering heap of tender, aromatic beef that falls apart at the faintest touch of a chopstick.
Then pop your Altoids (and maybe some Tums) and wobble on home.
8218 45th Avenue, Elmhurst; 718-898-8001
