Gourmet Garden
Scarborough is a suburb of Toronto with one of the largest Asian communities in the city. Gourmet Garden is a local favorite for spicy, Malay cuisine. They serve a unique dish of Malaysian Prawn Cakes, a crispy, pan-fried dish made with prawn and eggs. Like many Asian cultures, the shells are left on the prawns and can be eaten. Enjoy Poh Pia, the Malaysian style "burrito," a steamed bread wrap typically stuffed with pork belly, prawns, cabbage, bamboo shoots and shallots. Prices are reasonable; as of March 2010, most dishes were under C$10.
Gourmet Garden
4465 Sheppard Avenue East
Unit 45 & 46
Scarborough, ON M1S 5H9
Canada
416-332-8765
ggmsc.com/
Restoran Malaysia
Located in the Richmond Hill district is Restoran Malaysia, known for its curries, satays and rotis. Try some Pembuka Seleras, which are Malaysian appetizers. Start with a meat satay on a skewer, served with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. Then have Roti Canai with Curry, an Indian-influenced dish of unleavened griddle bread made with ghee, sugar, salt and unbleached flour; then dip the roti into a chicken curry for the full Malaysian effect. Prices are moderate; as of March 2010, main courses ranged from C$12-18.
Restoran Malaysia
815 Major Mackenzie Drive East
Richmond Hill, ON
905-508-1432
restoranmalaysia.com/car
South Asia Malaysian Cuisine
This tiny restaurant in Scarborough is almost always full. A 30-minute wait for a table is common if you want to have some of the best Malaysian curry as recommended by locals of the area. Chicken curry with roti can be seen on most every table. Besides curry, enjoy the lemongrass pork chops with a plate of Nasi Goreng, which is Malaysian fried rice. People of Chinese heritage come to South Asia Malaysian Cuisine for the Hainanese Chicken Rice, a dish slow-cooked in a chicken broth that makes the meat extremely moist, then served with rice that is soaked in the broth, along with a dish of finely minced ginger and garlic. Prices are very reasonable; as of March 2010, dishes start as low as C$5 for dinner.
South Asia Malaysian Cuisine
3380 Midland Avenue
Scarborough, ON
416-291-3892
