Nyonya
1/2
I've only ever eaten at the Nyonya in Chinatown where the service has that
odd Asian curtness (like the waitress telling my sister and her friend
visiting from England they couldn't have two orders of the same stuffed
tofu. "Too much food," "order another one if you're still hungry.") Being in
Brooklyn, perhaps the Sunset Park branch would be more relaxed. It was
Chinatown bustling at 10pm on a weeknight, but not harried.
We ordered the requisite roti canai, then a smoky char kway teow and
house special shrimp, which were mammoth and in a totally rich, almost black
sauce, heavy on the shrimp paste, which I love. After toasting shrimp paste
for a homemade curry, James declared I'd finally achieved that Asian store
smell in the privacy of my own apt. Yeah, it's pungent, but it always
bothers me how cookbooks will substitute anchovy paste instead…and ginger
for galangal. Bah. I got my Malaysian fix without a hitch. The only dilemma
is squelching my perpetual laksa craving in favor of food that can be
shared. I prefer variety, and laksa will plain fill you up. Maybe the
gluttonous solution would be to get the laksa to go? Coconut milk overdose
all around.
Nyonya* 5323 Eighth Ave., Brooklyn, NY
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