Hainanese Chicken Rice is an iconic Malaysian/Singaporean meal which also happens to be one of my favorites. I like to judge (fairly or not) the authenticity of a Malaysian restaurant here in the United States by how good their Hainanese Chicken Rice is.
While I was in New York City for a day to do some business, I had a couple of hours to visit their Chinatown and stop in at New Malaysia, a Malaysian restaurant just off Bowery St. (in an alleyway). Of course, I ordered their Hainanese Chicken Rice dish (pictured above) and it was quite adequate. The food was good, their staff was efficient but I found the ambiance within the shop a little lacking. The lighting was dim, and the space was sparsely decorated. Also, whatever you do, try not to visit the restrooms as it was crampier than those on an airplane. In any case, go there for the food if you’re interested in introducing your taste buds to some Malaysian cooking.
