Cempaka
London
Bewertungen
Outstanding food & service … it’s so difficult to find authentic Malaysian food but if that’s what you want you need to come to Cempaka. Dylan our server was very knowledgeable and helpful. This meal was such a treat, customer service was a 10/10. We were personally greeted by the chef & owner Shahri who took time to talk to us and even gave us complimentary drinks which will be a new feature possibly at their new location once it’s open on High Street Kensington! We will definitely be back with friends and family. Being a vegetarian I was super happy they had plenty of choices for me as well as for meat eaters. Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Located within the Park City Grand plaza hotel, just a short walk from Gloucester Road Underground Station, this Malaysian restaurant offers both indoor seating with an additional pleasant glass-roofed conservatory area seating. On a sunny day, the enclosed glass section is particularly enjoyable and provides a bright, relaxed setting. I visited on a Monday between 11:30am and 12:45pm and was the only diner for all of the meal. Walking through the hotel, you pass the breakfast buffet, which looked extensive with a good selection of Malaysian dishes. The restaurant does not serve alcohol, but diners are welcome to bring their own beer or wine without any corkage charge, which is an excellent policy and adds good value. I started with a teh tarik. Despite requesting less condensed milk, it was still overly sweet for my taste. The chicken satay consisted of four skewers served with peanut sauce, onions and cucumber. It was acceptable but lacked the smoky, charcoal-grilled flavour that good satay should have. As a result, the chicken tasted somewhat dry and one-dimensional saved by the peanut sauce. The roti canai was better. Two pieces arrived nicely crisp and flaky, accompanied by a chicken curry. The curry was enjoyable although slightly sweet, and the chicken portion consisted mainly of a leg bone with very little meat attached. The char kway teow was the weakest dish. Although ordered with prawns, it arrived with chicken instead. The noodles were clumped together and lacked the characteristic wok hei flavour, while the chicken was dry. Overall, it was below average and disappointing. Service throughout was friendly and welcoming. Overall: The pleasant setting, friendly service and generous BYOB policy are definite positives. However, the food was inconsistent, with the roti canai being the standout dish while the satay and char kway teow fell short of expectations. A reasonable option if you’re in the area and looking for Malaysian food, but there is room for improvement, particularly in the execution of the main dishes.
Ordered nasi lemak, the aroma from the rice was amazing, you could smell the coconut milk and aromatics.The fried anchovies was good quality too. The sambal was very little for the rice portion.Asked for more sambal but wasnt told until after I was given the extra portion, that there would be a charge (£2).Would have appreciated this info beforehand.Nescafe tarik was good .
Craving for some Malaysian delicacy before I leave London and came across Cempaka restaurant located in this beautiful neighbourhood. I have always loved Malaysia’s buttermilk chicken and the taste reminds me of home. It is not as spicy as you expected but you can request for additional 🌶️ if you have high spicy tolerance. But the overall blend of buttermilk and 🌶️ is pretty balanced. Ordered a Malaysian teh tarik and satay for appetiser. It comes in 5 skews of chicken and peanut sauce.
Friendly service, authentic food and worth the price! Did a large group booking for 50 pax for the Ramadan Buffet. From the getgo, it was easy communication with the owners, about food menus, payment options and reservation arrangements. He even placed our big group in a nice private room with access to the patio which was very nice!! The food- incredible! My guests took multiple rounds and many texted me that they were so happy it tasted like home (we are all Singaporean and can vouch the food was authentic!) definitely one of the more consistent and better malaysian restaurants in the area/ london. service was top tier, the team kept replenishing the food to ensure nothing was out of stock and was always kept warm. it was a lovely experience and we are already planning on coming back for their Eid buffet. May all the success be blessed upon you Cempaka! Thank you for our wonderful meal!
