Sambal simply explodes with flavours! It brings an authentic dining experience in Manchester, where the menu is chock-full of Malaysian crowd favourites that taste true to tradition, like ayam goreng, nasi lemak, nasi goreng, and teh tarik.

It’s a humble space for a relaxing time, but don’t be fooled, because the food will take you on a nosh-up adventure that even our Malaysian friends praised for a cracking job. The meals are flavourful and spicy—exactly how Malay cuisine should be!

Additionally, the portions here are generous that you might need to roll yourself out the door! We don’t want that, though, since the place is small and gets crowded quickly—it can feel chaotic at times.

The dishes at Sambal are a few quid higher than others in the area, and you’ll probably need over £40 for two people. We can’t fault it, honestly, because, if you consider the portions, you’re getting what you’re paying for.

The best Malaysian food in Manchester

“The best Malaysian food in Manchester! Most authentic one I have found so far. Absolutely love this place, I would eat here everyday if I could”

Bakhtavar Ahmed, Google Review

Absolute treat of a place

“What an absolute treat of a place. If you’ve been to Malaysia then you will know this is really authentic food. The food is so delicious, we ordered nasi lemak fried chicken & butter king prawn. Many thanks to our sweet lovely server with hijab, Aina (she’s Malaysian) and she did very well-explained all the foods to us and being so friendly 🥰 We can’t wait to come back and try all the other dishes! Highly recommended”

Nur Arina, Google Review

One of our usual haunts for Malaysian (and Thai) cuisine in Manchester is GOSSIP, and it’s not because we fancy a chinwag. This family-owned restaurant feels like a genuine Malaysian eatery—simple and warm with bits and bobs of traditional decor.

Although sometimes, there’s a bit of waiting time, the menu is worth every minute. We love the variety of Malaysian street food we found, including roti canai, nasi goreng, char kway teow, and satay.

Taste-wise, the rich flavours and decent portions do the job brilliantly. The ingredients are fresh and the flavours are authentic—they’re not stingy on spices here!

It’s a bummer they’re closed on Mondays and orders sometimes come a little late. Thankfully, that’s not a regular occurrence.

Honestly, eating at GOSSIP is a good value for money because you’re getting a taste of Malaysian cuisine with good helpings for a reasonable price. You can get by with only £15 for a starter and a main.

Food tasted like eating on the streets of Malaysia

“Wow what a find, the food tasted liking eating in the streets of Malaysia. Everything is halal and the menu could be adjusted to accommodate your personal preferences. I’ll be going here again.”

Ahamed Raazi, Google Review

Consistently great

“I absolutely love this place. We have visited over 6 times and they are consistently great. I always order the beef rendang!!! and then try other things on the menu too. The noodle dishes, Curry’s, rice dishes and starters are all great. Wish they sold chips lol but appart from that one thing it’s full marks. The restaurant is on a big road with free street parking on the side. Always plenty spaces. Seems family run which is cute. Food can take a while sometimes but you know it’s fresh so worth it. Plenty of seating inside. Nice, warm and clean inside. Friendly staff very helpful. Price is decent we paid around £40 for 2 mains, 3 starters and drinks. Halal food ( they do sell alcohol drinks ) . Worth a visit.”

Jahina Begum, Google Review

Malay Malay Home has a very inviting and fun ambience. The design of the place gives it a buzzing vibe, which adds to the overall positive dining experience.

The menu is equally exciting, with a variety of noodles and rice dishes, like satay skewers, nasi goreng, and laksa. They do taste a bit like what we ordered on a Malaysian holiday once, with rich flavours!

Judging by our experience, the dishes were delicious, but we noticed there were a few inconsistencies.

Some customers reported this as well, as one dish was hot and the other was… not so much (probably because it was so cold inside).

Nevertheless, it’s clear they use fresh ingredients (which they do!). The vegetables had the right textures and the sauces were flavourful.

Dining at Malay Malay Home won’t set you back. The prices are fair, and they frequently offer weekend specials, where you can eat crowd favourites at discounted prices!

10/10 for the amazing Malay plates

“Been here 3 or 4 times on different occasions. This place is worth visiting for sure! 10/10 for the amazing Malay style plates. First of all, the Malaysian Bak Kut Tuh is a signature and extraordinary must try plate, relatively big portion made for 2 ppl. Have also tried the below plates, as shown in the photos: Homemade Prawn Cakes, Penang Hokklen Prawn Noodles, Curry Laksa noodles with Prawns, Malaysian Honey Grilled Chicken Wings, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Fish and noodles in tomato soup, Nasi Lemak Beef Rendang Coconut Rice. Thank you for the fantastic quality of food served by Malay Malay Home. Truly appreciate the effort and authenticity of Malay style plates that can be found here in Manchester, at this restaurant.”

Trevi Yeung, Google Review

Tastes authentic with lots of flavours

“1st time visit. They introduced the weekly lunch special with is £9.99+10% service charge. Lunch set included drinks and the portion is large. I tried the Malay style Curry with rice (cooked with padan leaves). Tastes authentic with lots of favour with spices, curry and coconut milk as well. Beef is tender and fresh. After taste is strong as well. Definitely will visit again and try something new.”

Saman To, Google Review

What we admire about Kaya is how they can dish up authentic cuisine that will take you on a flavourful journey to Malaysia! The rice is fragrant, the noodles are soft, the spices are rich, and the service is quick.

There’s something for everyone in this Chinatown eatery since the menu has a variety, albeit small. Although there aren’t loads of choices, it actually makes deciding on a meal a doddle.

Famous Malaysian dishes are available, too. The beloved classics are consistently delicious, such as pandan kaya toast and nasi lemak, which are best paired with either teh tarik or Milo dinosaur.

Although small and easy to get crowded, eating at Kaya feels like you aren’t in Manchester. The no-fuss interior has a slightly hawker centre vibe but is more modern, which adds an authentic dining experience.

The prices are fair if you consider the portion sizes. Something extra we won’t say no to is the 5% discount when you pay in cash!

Service was excellent, friendly, and quick

“SO delicious! Could have easily eaten a double portion it was so good! I had the hainanese chicken and rice and particularly loved the garlic and chili sauces. My husband had the butter chicken special which he really enjoyed. We also had a coffee with condensed milk, it was really good and not too sweet. The service was excellent, very friendly and quick. Wish we lived in town, we’d be here all the time!”

Sam Jones, Google Review

The food was amazing

“The food was amazing!!!! We ordered the Nasi Lemak with fried chicken and the Curry Laksa which both tasted fantastic. The laksa soup was well seasoned, and the shrimps and chicken were juicy and perfectly cooked. The Nasi Lamek was served with a fragrant paste, roasted peanuts and anchovies, which really complemented the juicy fried chicken. The staff was also really nice and forthcoming. I couldn’t recommend this place enough! We were in Manchester only for a layover but we‘ll definitely visit again when we‘re back!”

Marcel Wagner, Google Review

While Tampopo doesn’t exactly focus solely on Malaysian food, our dining experience here was still good fun. The place has a casual environment but is elevated with a bit of flair.

Their nasi goreng ought to be on the centre stage, shared with their slow-cooked beef rendang. The presentation’s a bit posh (which isn’t a bad thing), and the taste is authentically Malaysian.

There aren’t loads of Malaysian food choices on the menu, though, but there’s enough for you to relish in the classics. With every bite, you can taste the spiciness, but not overwhelmingly so.

Tampopo is fancier than the usual Malaysian restaurants we tried in Manchester, and you can see that in the prices—the nasi goreng is £15.50! That said, we did enjoy our time here because of the generous servings and lingering flavours.

This spot is also very accessible, given its several locations in the city. All places are in good spots: Albert Square, Trafford Centre, and Corn Exchange.

Had such a wonderful experience

“it was our first time visiting but it definitely won’t be our last, we had such a wonderful experience at Tampopo! we came for bottomless brunch, the food was amazing, much bigger portions than most other bottomless brunches which I loved, and a nice mix of drinks options too. Marie & Hollie were so attentive and friendly, they made sure we had a great experience and were so so helpful, 10/10 highly recommend ❤️”

Heather Macfarlane, Google Review

Fantastic food and great portions

“Great find walking about Manchester. Staff very friendly and helpful. Alyssa helped with one of the parties allergies. Fantastic food and great portions. The 3 of us all went for small plates with few sides glad we did as we were all full!”

Linzie Ellis, Google Review