It’s rare to find Malaysian food in the Chicago area.
There are only one or two options in the city. That’s why NBC Chicago food expert Steve Dolinsky was pleasantly surprised to find a Malaysian family running a small restaurant in Wheeling.
Dolinsky recently paid HD Cuisine, HD Cuisine – HD stands for Hawkers Delight – a tour in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
His menu is based on the tradition of Hawker stalls, scattered throughout Malaysia, including Singapore, where he visited a few years ago.
Hawker stands are all over Singapore. In the US we would call them food courts, but in Malaysia they are basically street cart vendors moved indoors and regulated by the government. Dumplings, curry laksa and Hainanese chicken rice are some of the most popular dishes.
In Wheeling, the hard-to-spot restaurant is more kitchen than dining room, but the family behind it cooks brilliantly, just like at home.
“It’s a mix of Chinese and Malay. South Indian influenced a little bit of Thailand and a combination of Chinese together,” said owner Lin Randazzo.
A rendang, or stew, is the base of a plate of Nasi Lemak.
“Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia. The word “rendang” means stew…”
It can be chicken or fish, but here they offer chicken.
“…and there are five different spices in there: lemongrass, onions, fresh turmeric, star anise,” she said.
The butterfly pea flower, or blue tea leaf, gives the rice a beautiful hue. Then it is served with peanuts and anchovies.
Satay skewers are familiar, but they’re not like the Thai versions you’ve probably eaten because of the marinade.
“Malaysian satay is different. Our peanut sauce is also different from Thai sauce,” she said.
Noodles are obviously prevalent here; take Hokkien with me.
“Hokkien mee is a creation of the natives of Penang; in your mouth you feel the texture of two types of noodles.
It’s the result of egg noodles and rice, both submerged in a flavorful shrimp broth. Wider rice noodles are used in Char Kway Teow, a cousin of a Thai version, but cooked with egg, shrimp and pork.
“This rice noodle is very smoky, and it’s not sweet, it’s savory and salty,” Randazzo said.
For dessert, try a colorful kueh – steamed or baked – sweetened with coconut milk and sometimes served with aromatic pandan, a kind of Asian floral vanilla that’s hard to describe.
“I used to see my grandmother smoking kueh all the time. The rainbow layer we call kueh lapis. It’s like yum,” she said.
The HD Cuisine restaurant is so huge considering the small size of the space: only two tables. But the chef is constantly adding new dishes, so you’ll never have the same thing twice.
Here’s where you can go:
NBC Chicago
