(Photo: Daniel Maurer)
Earlier this year Pasar Malam came to Williamsburg (maybe you saw their flower-festooned tent at our Bazaar this past weekend) and now the East Village is getting a Malaysian spot – one of the few varieties of ethnic food it doesn’t already have.
You might already know Mamak (not to be confused with the East Village’s shuttered Singaporean restaurant Malak): In 2013, its food cart was a finalist in the rookie category at the prestigious Vendy Awards. More recently, it has ditched the carts and taken up residence at the Brooklyn Flea. Now it’s opening not one but two brick and mortar spots. The first, which it will share with Super Dumpling at 251 East 45th Street, is a lunch takeout locale that soft-opened yesterday. The second, which it will share with dual operation Plump Dumpling and Pho Seng, is expected to open Thursday or Friday on the corner of Second Avenue and East 11th Street.
(Courtesy of Mamak)
At the East Village location, chef-owner Erik Cheah will serve not just the spicy rendang that he’s known for, but also the sort of Thai specialties he turned out at as the head chef of Rhong-Tiam when it surprised NYC foodies by earning a Michelin star. “Our pad thai is really good,” the Penang native assures. “I don’t skip any ingredients, so the flavor is very pungent, very flavorful.”
When Mamak takes over the dining room of the Plump Dumpling-Pho Seng space later this week, those two spots will become takeout-only. Here’s the menu. It’ll be served from 5:30 p.m. to midnight.
