Cafe Asean

Low key, cozy spot with great food and friendly service. Loved the green curry, chicken satay, and spicy chicken with eggplant.

Wonderfully delicious food! Very friendly staff! Would absolutely come back and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a taste of Southeast Asia.

Best Malaysian food EVER. Funky, cool romantic, little spot. Nuf said! FYI cash only

Well my experience with this restaurant was an exceptional. Portion, price and taste was the one I will highly recommend. I loved their back patio with all rustic décor. I will come back for sure… keep up the good work.

This place is so great, where do I even start? I’ve only ever had delivery, but it’s quick, comes piping hot, and everything I’ve ordered is completely delicious. The green curry and bee hoon are particular standouts, but that’s only because I crave those two items so often that I rarely branch out! I could eat this food every day.
EDIT: Just read on Eater this place is closing!!! Say it isn’t so! Love this place!

We came here on a Sunday noon. The restaurant had one big party and a couple of smaller ones and only one waitress. We got seated right away and ordered right away. However, it took 30+ minutes for the food to come out. The food is pretty decent I would have to say.
We tried to get the check but that took another 20 minutes for some reason. I would recommend this place if the service is faster.

Been dreaming about that clay pot rice for a real long time. AYYEE those Peking duck spring rolls were great too and we came out feeling super saiyan. Man, it’s been a while since I felt this way from eating Asian food. I promise to bring some fellas to share the love next time!

This is 5 star no brainer
First time here and loved it
Tiny and kooky inside dark and cozy
Great staff
Food is exceptional
We had two appetizers — samosa and a stuffed tofu… size of entre
Stirred chicken and vegetable entre was amazing…-all kinds of interesting veggies
I really like this place and can’t wait to bring people here

Had better experience the first time I went. This time wasn’t the case. The noodle was way too greasy. Both dishes (the other one being nasi goreng) were way too salty. It might have been a three starred review, had the waiter at least smiled.

Pretty much just stumbled on this little cash-​only, Malaysian-​style place. I think we both have pretty high standards for these types of restaurants (note: one of us was born and raised in Malaysia) so we weren’t expecting much. But the fact that we were starving probably didn’t hurt.
I was immediately turned on by the ambiance here. Kinda small, dark, and intimate– so unlike most Malaysian places, but a welcome contrast. The service seemed kinda spotty to start so then we started to worry. But luckily the food started coming out… and quickly. And in this respect they didn’t disappoint.
Against our better judgement we had the duck bun appetizer special (chefs use left-​over ingredients for specials). Pretty interesting… pretty tasty. The highlight, at least for me, was the Mee Goreng. Not overly authentic, but still really, really good. We also had the Kari Kapitan which I also immensely enjoyed.
Nice find in the West Village area…

I came in around 3:30 PM. Quite empty.
My brother and his girlfriend ordered the Sangria. I didn’t taste it, but they liked it! Happy hour special (kinda?).
I forget what I ordered, but it was cheap and yummy! Would definitely come back here if it wasn’t so far out of my way.

Ended up in west village tonight to meet my old college roommate. She recommended this place, after I said no to Italian.
I was immediately happy with her choice when we stepped into the cute backyard patio. Twinkle lights and great ambiance.
We decided to share the duck lettuce wrap appetizer, the mixed greens side dish and the chicken and lotus entrée (sorry, can’t remember name).
I also got the shrimp and chive dumpling appetizer because the lime ginger soy dipping sauce sounded great. And it was. Big chunks of ginger and lime in the sauce and the dumplings were packed with shrimp. My friend is allergic to shellfish so I didn’t have to share, which was perfect because there was definite double and triple dipping in the sauce.
The duck lettuce wrap was also good but you mainly just tastes the fresh herb. So if you are ordering for the duck, find a different dish.
The mixed greens were good. They themselves didn’t have much flavor but the sauce was spicy and flavorful.
The chicken and lotus root was good. Nice ginger taste.
The service was impeccable. My water glass was never below half and they were very polite and never did anything without asking.
Warning: cash only

My friend and I stumbled upon this place while on the way to lunch at another place. The cozy and Romantic feel immediately made us happy (along with the totally reasonable prices)! The inside is filled with hanging lanterns and colors.
My friend ordered a green curry and I a chicken noodle dish. Both were very delicious and well-​portioned!
The waiter was attentive and friendly. We felt like we were in someone’s home!

I have eaten here twice and one experience was totally different from the other.
I was alone the first time I ate here. I wanted a nice quiet place to enjoy an Asian meal and the warm and friendly atmosphere of the place drew me in. I had Chinese fried rice and it was delicious, quite authentic for my taste. The service was great too — the waitress always had a smile on her face and paid full attention to me.
I was so glad about my dining experience that I invited my friends to eat there — we were about 20 people total. This is my second time to eat here but my sweet first impression turned sour before we even began the meal.
First, I asked the manager if we would split up the bill into smaller groups so it will be easier to pay since we were going dutch. The manager (asian) was unaccommodating and refused to accept my proposal. After an awkward discussion, he eventually agreed to split it into two but noted in a condescending voice that they will have to charge gratuity as if to say that we weren’t going to tip them. I felt that was uncalled for and was just downright rude.
Second, the waitress (caucasian, maybe mid-​40s) was so unfriendly in taking our orders and bringing the food to our table. For example, she mistakenly mixed up giving the dishes to our group and when one of my friends asked why her order was different, the waitress blamed my other friend for eating a dish that was hers! She did not even apologize.
I thought that I was the only one who was having a bad impression on the service but when I asked my friends later on, all of them thought the same way! One person could be wrong but not 20 people. I wonder if they’re not used to handling such a big party. I called in advance to make a reservation though so they were expecting us.
Oh well, it’s such a pity that Café Asean ruined the positive experience they left with me. I brought 20 people to their restaurant but I don’t think I will ever do that again. I don’t think I will even return to that resto ever. They really know how to make a positive impression and they’re equally good at making a bad one. The food though was still good, as good as my first time to eat there, but the service was just awful. There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement.

Small and cute place decorated with lots of east asian lanterns. A reservation wasn’t required to dine here at about 10PM on a saturday evening, but that was because we were lucky. The green curry entrée was excellent and it went together very nicely with their egg noodles.
The fried dumplings were a nice way to start off the meal, but I didn’t care much for the sauce.
Cash Only. No Roti Canai served here.

First, if it’s warm, sit out back. Very nice and chill spot for being in cramped lower manhattan. I recommend a reservation of you know you’re going the day before, as it’s a small place and the patio fills up quickly.
Staff are nice and pretty quick. The Thai iced tea loves up to hype and is awesome (tho small). The food is high quality and tasty, tho lacks an «other worldly» quality that would bring a five star rating.
A solid, decent, above-​average experience to be had here. The clay pot rice stole the show as a classic done right with a flare. Repleat with Chinese sausage, chicken, and plenty of fixings make it far from standard. But beware, prep time is thirty minutes and you’ll end up starting when everyone else is done.
The noodle dishes are good, but lack a sizeable quantity of sauce, leaving a lot of uncovered noodles. I feel like I’ve had better pretty consistently, tho it looks great in the dish.
The curry we tried was solid. I had had Curry Ya in the morning, and this was not as good, but it was solid.
Price lands at about $ 20 with a Thai iced tea and a main. And again, the back patio steals the show with its ambiance.

3.5 Stars
A quaint Malaysian restaurant in West Village, Café Asean is a great lunch spot for a warm, sunny day. The door was propped open for a nice gentle breeze and the sunlight was streaming in through the windows. They have an open backyard seating so don’t forget to ask about that if you want.
Mee Goreng: Stir-​fried egg noodles with shrimp, tofu and bean sprouts was delicious. It packed a good flavor, but it’s not an unfamiliar taste. I’d say it’s a safe dish if you’re trying something new but not really different.
Laksa Lemak: Egg noodles in a spicy coconut broth was my favorite of the meal. It was savory and satisfying. It really had deep flavors that just hit the spot.
Kari Kapitan: Coconut curry chicken that was good, but not anything special. Try something else.
Overall, the portions were a good size and I had a good experience. I did like that the one server (who was working the whole restaurant alone) left us alone to just enjoy our meal, but it would have been nice if she checked in once to refill our water cups at least.

I went for lunch on a Sunday and I had a great experience!
The place looks a little small but they have outdoor seating in the back which makes it so much better. It’s located conveniently on W 10^th St and 6^th Ave, very easy to find. We were greeted immediately by our nice waiter. Because it was a slow Sunday, there was only one server, but he did a wonderful job in making sure we were enjoying our lunch.
To start, we ordered the «satay» — chicken skewers with peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was a bit disappointing but the skewers were on point. The sauce was not too overpowering and the chicken was perfectly cooked. It came within 5 mins after ordering our food — great for two starving stomachs.
For my entrée, I ordered the pork belly dish that was on the special menu. It came with mix vegetables and rice on the side. It was delicious! Although some pieces were a little burnt, it was really good. The pork belly was not too fatty — perfect for someone who can enjoy a little fat. The portion is huge though, was very satisfied.
My cousin and I also ordered the Lychee Limenade, it was refreshing after a hot day but it wasn’t that special.
I’d recommend people to try this place if you like fusion foods!

When we want Malaysian food, we usually head over to Chinatown to either Nyonya (if we want roti) or New Malaysian (if we want Haianese Chicken). But since we were already in the West Village, a quick Unilocal search led us to Café Asean. We arrived around 1:00pm and had our pick of tables. It was raining that day so we decided to sit inside instead of the garden.
We started off with the Sotong, or salt & pepper calamari with spicy mango salsa ($ 7.75). The calamari was crunchy and pretty tasty on its own. But the mango salsa really made them pop. The Boyfriend said the salsa makes him think of Thailand because it was so fresh and light.
The Boyfriend went with the Nasi Goreng, or Malay-​style fried rice with shrimp ($ 9.00). This was super good! They used a stickier rice, which when fried, has a crunchy texture. It’s kind of like the bottom layer of rice when you cook it with a clay pot. It was flavorful and very delicious.
I decided on the Kari Kapitan, or Malay coconut curry chicken with potatoes and steamed veggies ($ 8.25). Boy, was that chicken fragrant! It was a bit spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. I dislike when curry is so spicy that you can’t taste what you’re eating. They definitely do not skimp on the coconut milk here and that’s exactly my favorite way to have curry. The serving size was generous — I actually had to take half of it home with me!
The prices are higher here than it is in Chinatown — but prices are always higher outside of Chinatown. The food here is super delicious and I think it’s worth the price difference. I’m more partial to the fragrant coconut flavors so the Malay curry here is more to my tastes than the Chinese-​Malay curry in Chinatown restaurants. I can’t wait to be back to try out the laksa!

Pros:
— great Asian fusion food
— cute date spot (dark lighting and small little seats, outdoor seating in the greenhouse)
— friendly service
— diced monkfish — super tasty!!!
— duck + udon — duck was good, left me wanting more, udon was ok
— flan with fresh mangoes — also very good
Cons:
— overpriced
— may be too dark in there (can’t see what I’m eating)
— cash only
Also ordered the seafood cake, which was just ok.
I got the prosecco with rambutan — sounds interesting doesn’t it? It’s really just prosecco… with a rambutan in it.

Eine meiner Top-​Gastro-​Entdeckungen in New York (wir sprechen hier über einen Low-​Budget-​Urlaub ;))
Das Asean ist leicht zu übersehen und geht in dem reichhaltigen Angebot an Bars, Coffeshops und Restaurants in der W10th Street leicht unter.
Das sollte euch aber nicht passieren, denn hier bekommt man wunderbare Asian-​Fusion-​Kost zu beinahe unglaublich vernünftigen Preisen. Man muss wissen, dass das West-​Village eine absolute Nobel-​Gegend ist. Hier ein Hauptgericht unter 15 Dollar zu finden, was auch noch gut schmeckt ist gar nicht einfach.
Das Asean bringt Ideen aus der malaiischen, thailändischen und vietnamesischen Küche zusammen und präsentiert das Essen in einem wunderbar gemütlichen, unpretentiösen aber kreativen Umfeld. Das Publikum ist bunt gemischt, ziemlich cool und sich bewusst, dass gutes Essen auch hier im West Village kein Vermögen kosten muss.
Dabei bekommt man auch noch super Service geliefert
Unbedingt ausprobieren!

Es un restaurante especializado en comida asiática (tailandesa, vietnamita, malasia…). La comida riquísima, sabores diferentes y platos muy bien preparados.
Muy recomendables las gambas con salsa de lima (ghaw chee), el filete marinado (bo nuong xa) y el pollo a la parrilla con verduras, lemongrass y chilies (xao xa ot ga).
El local es pequeño pero muy acogedor. Con luz tenue y lámparas de colores en el interior y además cuenta con una bonita terraza, mi sitio preferido para cenar.
El trato al cliente es excelente.

Pequeño local, muy acogedor donde se come genial! Recomiendo pedir mesa en la parte de atrás, que es un patio con cristales en el techo donde se puede ver el cielo, precioso por la noche!
La comida está muy buena y a precio medio. Los calamares con salsa de mango son ideales para picar antes del plato principal.
Las carnes están muy bien hechas y muy sabrosas. De postre, el flan de mango está exquisito.
Servicio muy atento, te rellenan el agua a menudo. Solo se puede pagar en efectivo y ya incluyen la propina en el precio (sobre un 17%), aunque seas un grupo pequeño, en mi caso éramos dos personas.
Muy recomendado!