The Art of Eat

Jaya Malaysian
90 Baxter St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-3331‎

Finding a good Chinese or South East Asian restaurant is the most difficult thing a person can do in America and I’m not kidding one bit. Besides the obvious Thai and Japanese Sushi restaurants which are plentiful in quantity and quality, a good Chinese, Malay, or Vietnamese restaurant is hard to come by. Even in areas where Asians predominate the neighboorhood like the Chinatowns in most major American cities, the restaurants have pitiful flavour, lack in authenticity, and rely heavily on MSG to spice things up. To find great, authentic Asian food one must travel into the non-touristy areas of the major cities where Asians predominate such as Monterey Park in Los Angeles or Flushing in New York and avoid the Chinatowns almost completely. But once in a while a good restaurant will sneak into the touristy areas and desperately deserves some good recognition.

Jaya is one such restaurant located on a back street in Chinatown a little ways off the beaten tourist track, but it is well worth discovering. Jaya has some of the most authentic food I’ve ever tasted outside of Malaysia, excellent service, and a nice ambiance to boot. Unlike most of the Chinatown restaurants which look like they were decorated by a moving company in a hurry and the floor hasn’t been swept since opening day, Jaya is filled with old antiques from South East Asia and is clean and tidy. The staff and service has always been particularly exceptional at Jaya, again unlike most other Chinatown restaurants.

The food at Jaya is by far the best thing going for it and is amazingly authentic. My last visit was a smorgasbord of appetizers and entrees of all the classics. For those unfamiliar with Malaysian cuisine, the food is a blend of South East Asian ingredients with Chinese, Middle Eastern, and South Asian accents. Malaysia’s religious population is comprised of 60% Muslims and the Western influence is apparent in the flavours and spices used in the cooking. For appetizers we feasted on Roti Chani, an Indian style flatbread, Martabak Mamak, a beef filled pancake with a sweet spicy curry sauce, and pork belly pepper soup which was to die for. For the entrees we started with the quintessential Malaysian dish Laksa, a spicy curry noodle dish with roots in both Chinese and Indian/Malay cultures. Following the rather excellent Laksa we moved on to Hainanese Chicken, Penang Chow Kueh Teow, Eggplant with Belachan, and Water Spinach prepared Malaysian style. Everything was done just right with as authentic flavours as you could get only in Malaysia. It was fantastic and I loved it all except the Belachan which I’ve never become accustomed to even after years of living in South East Asia.

So despite its location in a Chinatown, Jaya is really one of the best restaurants in New York. And a major plus to its location is the prices which are on par with Chinese or Thai restaurants in the city. If you’re looking for something authentic, exotic, and a hidden gem amongst armies of mundane Chinese dives, Jaya is the place.