Jalan Alor

Although it is located in a shopping mall, the quality of food and welcoming feeling is really nice. Nasi Lemak reminded me the one I used to have at my favorite Malaysian restaurant in Singapore. Grilled chicken was also good especially with the sauce… tasted like sweet chili sauce+grind ginger. Yummy!

The first thing I noticed was how the owner was readily available to welcome you inside, show you to a seat, and make sure you are taken care of. He was constantly in motion in the dining room bouncing from table to table attentively. The owners wife was also there taking great care to make sure customers were happy. I pointed out how I liked the decorative flowers made from Chinese red envelopes which were mounted in the dining room. The owner told me proudly that it was made by his daughter. He was beaming and I thought that was lovely. The restaurant was packed at lunch time with customers many of whom were clearly regulars. There is certainly a small business warmth and hospitality. And they achieve this without compromising their attention to detail and quality of products. I tried several dishes and each one was better then the next. The baby cuttlefish was amazing, tender and crispy. The chicken skewers had the most amazing sauce, unlike any I’ve had before. Their expertise in seasoning and spices were uncanny. The Hainesse cold chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked with a tender melt in your mouth skin. The homemade noodles are a must try. Very special. Reminded me of my favorite homemade pasta dishes but with a new twist. Any Italian grandmother would be impressed! I loved the variety of unique Malasian drinks. There is a huge list to suit any palate. Very refreshing on a warm day. I personally like the sour/​salty drinks but those may be an acquired taste (recommended if you like umeboshi and salty drinks like micheladas). The prices are very affordable, especially for Melbourne. If I was from Melbourne this would a place I frequent often. It is the kind of establishment you can believe in, depend on and share with friends. I love that it is run by a family who genuinely cares about putting out food for other families. It’s touching really, and their food speaks for itself. Delicious. And filled with love.

— Love it! Really reminded me of my few visits to the real Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur, aswell as Malaysia in general
— Cheap and authentic. Great roti canai and hot teh terik (Malaysia’s famous pulled tea — they actually make this the real way here, not powered)
— Small dining space, but very comfy and relaxed. Love the Borneo jungle inspired décor too
— Unfortunately, two members of my dining party contracted mild food poisoning from one or more of the numerous syrupy sweet drinks ordered… take caution

Fantastic and authentic tasting Malay. Dishes are slightly higher priced than surrounding places and you can taste the difference. Kuay Teow had giant prawns, nicely dry and full of wok flavour. Hainanese chicken perfectly steamed, this a long term favourite.

Looking forward to excellent service and great Roti Chanai. Always excellent service from the manager who now knows us by sight! We love the Satay and the Roti Chanai. Everything is good, service is fast and the food is fresh

Came here once with some work colleagues and had the fried keow teow (rice noodles).
The food here tastes quite good with decent ingredients (real prawns for my dish). However, its overpriced with small serving size. Given that there are so many other Asian places around Chinatown with better value lunch deals, it’s hard to imagine why there are so many people trying to squeeze into this tiny shop. I’m highly unlikely to come back here for lunch on my own.

Jalan Alor is a street in Kuala Lumpur, famous for its hawker stalls selling the food that Malaysia is justifiably famous for. But Jalan Alor in Melbourne is a Malaysian restaurant, serving up many of the dishes you can expect to find on its namesake.
A fairly new restaurant, the menu is a catalogue of old Malaysian favourites (nasi lemak, fish-​head curry, satay. Hainam chicken rice) but also a selection of dishes not usually seen in Melbourne — in particular the Kon Loh noodle dishes.
The true test of a Malaysian restaurant (in my opinion) is the nasi lemak, and here it’s as good as you’re going to get outside Malaysia. The Kon Loh noodles are also great, as is the wonton and pork noodle soup. Service is fast and friendly, the décor is modern and clean. Get there early for lunch though, as the restaurant is not very large and a queue forms pretty quickly.