Kedai Makan

This was such a great experience!

Every dish was so flavorful and fresh! We started with roti jala and the pineapple salad, both of which were so good! The chickpea curry has that nice sweet and creamy touch from the coconut milk. We had nasi lemak which was sweet and nutty and not too spicy. The nasi goreng gave a good salty break. The laksa was nice and spicy but not overwhelming. The chili pan mee was more salty and spicy.

The service was so quick! I was surprised at how quickly the food came! I also liked the darker lighting which allowed for a more intimate vibe. Great for family, friends or even a date!

I never tried Malaysian food before, so I was excited that my friend and I were going to Kedai Makan. We were planning to make a reservation, but ended up just walking in Friday afternoon/evening. It was not busy at all. There was only one other group that was seated inside.

My friend had been here a few times before and gave me some suggestions on what to order. I ended up ordering the Nasi Lemak, known as Malaysia's national dish, which I opted for my protein of choice of chicken curry which was served with coconut rice, tea egg, roast peanuts, anchovies, lime leaf, cucumber, and nasi lemak sambal. My friend also recommended I get the Coconut Shake, as well. The food and the drink were both good! The Nasi Lemak didn't necessarily wow me, but it fulfilled my hunger. The Coconut Shake was very coconutty, which I liked a lot and I didn't think it was overly sweet!

Definitely keep in mind that Kedai Makan charges a service charge of 20% for dine-in orders, which is essentially automatic gratuity even though tips aren't accepted. You are able to view the menu via a QR code, but need to order with a server. You also have the ability to pay via the QR code and even split the bill with your group that way easily. The only con about that is there is a transaction fee for paying online, which I think is unnecessary. I'm not sure if you are able to pay with the server to save on that fee.

Don't waste your money here, go somewhere else! Came here with a high expectation because of a recommendation.
- minus 1 star because of mandatory 20% service charge (I was forced to give 20% for TERRIBLE SERVICE. Poured my own water. Water bottle wasn't refilled. The waiter never came to ask how we were doing with our food or check whether we needed anything else)
- minus another star because it's not authentic Malaysian food (the names are but not the flavor, especially for curry chicken. And the noodle used for pan mee isn't the same type of noodle used in real Malaysian pan mee)
- minus another star because they're inflexible with seating arrangement (came in without reservation for a party of 3 and was told to sit by the first corner table next to the door. On my way to the restroom saw a bunch of empty tables in the back and asked if we could change our table. Request was declined. Finished dinner and the tables were still empty. See pics and timestamp)
- minus another star because they put tax on the service charge as well! (Instead of charging tax on the subtotal for food and beverages, they charge tax on food+beverages+service charge. Why am I paying tax on service charge???)
- minus another star for making fake promise (the menu said to let them know if something is unsatisfying and they will try to address. Everything went wrong as stated above and they don't care)

Delicious Malaysian food! This Belltown location has a nice ambiance and friendly staff.

Recommend getting multiple dishes to share. Their egg noodle dishes are especially delicious!

I ordered the Nasi Lemak with chicken and Roti Jala with chickpea curry to share. The flavor of the curry was rich and tangy with just the right kick. I admittedly don't have Malaysian food very often, but I thought the plate was a tad off-kilter: I wanted more fresh elements, but there was only cucumber. The pile of red chili paste and the egg and the dried fish on top of the peanuts were all heavy. The roti tasted like a crepe and I loved ripping off a piece then dipping it in the curry.

Great drinks, good portions- i've gotten both the rotis and loved both, both pan mees are good but i prefer the mushroom and the nasi lemak and biryani are great rice dishes!

i will say the chicken curry for the roti jala is the same as the nasi lemak so probably order it with one or the other?

I visited this restaurant in 2017 when they first opened. At the time it was hot and new and they did not take reservations so I remember waiting over an hour at 5 PM for a party of 6. The dishes were flavorful and blow your head off spicy (but in a good way). The dishes were very memorable. (I remember the roti and the chicken wings) and the drinks were fantastic (also spicy).

This time around, we were a party of 5 and were seated right away at 7 PM on a Sunday night.

The front door is super heavy but the decor was nice with an open kitchen "window". The metal seats were terribly uncomfortable though.

The food was good but not spicy at all. They now serve the chili oil on the side of every dish.

We ordered:
1) Roti jala with chickpea curry
2) Kerabu Timun Nanas (funky pineapple and cucumber salad)
3) Nasi Lemak with Chicken
4) Nasi Goreng Kampung (fried rice with tofu and shrimp)
5) Mushroom pan mee
I liked the texture of the roti and curry was good but was very sweet. The chickpeas were at the bottom and impossible to fish out with the roti so I put the curry over rice from the Nasi Lemak dish.

Our favorite dishes were the mushroom pan mee without anchovies and the roti. The fried rice was good and tasty but not anything special. I wouldn't say I would crave it and order it again.

I did not like Malaysia's National Dish, the Nasi Lemak. I read a review that stated the beef was tough and chewy so we ordered the chicken. It was very underwhelming, lacking flavor and seemed overcooked.

The coconut shake was good but very sweet.

The 2024 Kedai Makan is very different from the 2017 Kedai Makan. None of the dishes were spicy (but the chili oil was served on the side and I admit I didn't use any this time around).

Would I come back? Only if I were in the neighborhood. I would not make a special trip to dine here again.

Service was good but they do charge an automatic 20% gratuity and the food came out quickly. I would give this a 3.5 rating if I could.

Overall not bad but would like to try other places before coming here again.

I'm no expert in Malaysian food, but I'd have to say this is probably the Seattle standard. We were lucky enough to walk in for a very early dinner (4:30pm) without a wait. I'd come back alone for the Roti Jala with chicken curry and Nasi Goreng Kampung (fried rice). Honorable mention def goes the Laksa Lemak which I preferred with a side of coconut rice. There's a large drink menu, but don't underestimate the coconut shake.

If ordering the popular Nasi Lemak, the beef rendang addition was pretty tough and chewy. The Chili Pan Mee def has an edge over the Mushroom Pan Mee, the latter being quite overpowered by green onions. The Sayap Ayam Pedas (chicken wings) were just average and quite cumbersome to thoroughly enjoy.

All the flavors were strong, punchy, and lived up to expectations. Overall the service was nice when needed. The ambiance is unique and colorful, but the space is cramped. Note to families this is definitely not the most toddler friendly set up.

I've come here for takeout and also dine in - both excellent! Service was prompt upon dining in, and I managed to snag a table for two. The food is excellent and it's so nice to have a spot for Malaysian food in the city. I'm excited to come back and try more menu items!

Not exactly thrilled about being charged such a high minimum gratuity charge when my service was borderline ok/good. At least The food to price ratio was the opposite... now I know this review is critical, but I don't want anyone to think the food wasn't good enough because it was plenty delicious. Take away the high gratuity and bland service and you have yourself a 5 star experience for the price point.

I tried two dishes and a drink. The drink was a passion fruit tea which was very delicious and almost tasted like lychee. For food I ordered the nasi lemak and the spicy fried chicken.... Saya something

Let's start with the fried chicken. It was tasty, extremely large, and juicy. The crust however looked a lot cooler than the actual experience trying to eat it actually was. It crumbled and fell apart everywhere and was kind of dry to the taste. I think it was supposed to have all the spice/seasoning flavor which probably explains why it wasn't very spicy. I didn't taste any spice until half way through my second wing. Still delicious. Especially the sweet side toppings the chicken came with. The toppings were a bit odd trying to use but tasted amazing when I turned my brain off and just ate.

The nasi lemak was just yummy. I thought it had too much rice but for some reason it was just right. I even wished the fried chicken had came with some rice. I guess the only thing I wanted from the nasi lemak was maybe one more item on the plate. The other dishes I've had like this had a bit more to it. Either way I'd for sure eat it again. The spice it came with was so darn spicy and addicting I used almost all of it.

Should I even talk about the parking? Well it's belltown so expect to park about it a block away if you drive. Maybe further depending on what time and day of week.

Surprisingly I did do my infamous water test and I had mixed feelings. I for sure had to pause and think about it, but I didn't see any weird micro floaties swirling around in the glass so I was able to down a few glasses just fine. It's summer so ice for sure would have helped. Also be ready, all the utensils are stored in bulk at the table. My partial germifobe imagination thought of a few interesting scenarios, but also decided to just go with it.

Last but not least, interior design. It was cool. Very belltown but with a Personal touch. Malaysian? Idk I haven't done enough research and I don't care to. All in all, I would recommend coming. If you're still reading this, understand my frustration only gets more interesting and worth your time. During the first part of our meal everything was great, but by the time the last dish came I didn't see them again until I was almost done eating. While I was dining and wishing the waiters would show us more love on their own, I watched them tend to everyone else multiple times.