Malaysia Grill, 104th just east of Broadway

Malaysia Grill offers a melding of Thai, Chinese, and Indian cuisines. What draws us back is the coconut rice -- and the variety of dishes served that go with or complement the rice. On our first visit we ordered beef with eggplant, green beans, red and yellow peppers and okra cooked in coconut milk. We also ordered roti canai, a thin, soft, crisp pancake served with moist dark meat of chicken, a hot orangy sauce, and thinly sliced onions. The combination of soft and crisp divine. Even the leftovers reheated in a microwave are still good.

We first encountered Malasian Grill in its former location on Broadway and 87th. Shortly after I tried to return and the restaurant had closed. My daughter and I had walked up from 42nd Street hoping for the coconut rice, the wonderful flavors. We ended up in a less satisfying Greek restaurant.  Now, we can walk (since we moved) down 4 short blocks to Malaysia Grill's new iteration.

On a recent visit with our daughters, we each, not realizing the others were ordering almost the same thing, ordered a coconut-curry stew or either vegetables with tofu or vegetables with chicken, or vegetables with seafood.  All came in ceramic bowls filled to the brim.  While we had looked forward to a variety of flavors and textures -- and eyes the passing plates heaped with green beans, shrimp, chunks of chicken and more -- we dove into the tasty, spicy broths of our respective bowls.   There was plenty to take home for a second and third meal.

Our meal had started with delicious steamed dumplings.  Inside the sealed al dente rice flour package was aromatic, minced vegetables.   We also shared an order of roti canai -- scooping up the chunks of chicken in torn corners of a Malaysian version of pita or naan bread -- moist on the inside, buttery crisp on the outside.