Reviews Been there? Add a review!

cityweekend

With its older sister in London, the second Awana infuses a bit of understated Malaysian charm amid the massive neon placards that have come to define Nuren Jie’s New Bar Street. A two-story space consists of an odd nook of a bar downstairs that leads to a wide-open dining room upstairs.

In Beijing where a well-made drink is synonymous with a well-padded wallet, Awana’s moderately priced concoctions are deserving of a medal. The Dato’s Special (¥40) was a frothy blend of five fruit juices. Although it is normally non-alcoholic, the waiters are happy to oblige to put in a splash of vodka for that extra edge. “This is sooooo good,” sighed my dinner partner, a man who is normally strictly of the Tsingdao and whiskey set. Also, be sure to order up an Iced Lemon Tea (one of the best we’ve tasted so far in Beijing) as Malay dishes contain a spiciness level comparable to the Mala shock in Sichuan food.

Well worth trying is the Appetizer Sampler for two (¥65) which came with a medley of tangy mango and pomello salad, queen scallops capped with a crisp, buttery crust, lamb satay with a chunky peanut dunking sauce, puffy, fried chicken wings and spring rolls. Don’t bother with the Murtabakl Sayur (¥25), a limp pancake stuffed with a bland puree of vegetables. Instead skip straight to the crisp Roti Canai (¥18) or better yet, the Stir Fries. The Sambal Ayam’s (¥38) chicken came glazed in the sweet and spicy chili sauce that is signature amongst Malaysian dishes.

The impeccable waitstaff seamlessly guided the meal from start to finish. A bit too bright and airy for a romantic date, the atmosphere of Awana makes it ideal to take business partners, a group of friends or perhaps, a double date.

 

pizzamilk

i like the dishes such as murtabak, recreated from a traditional family recipe, with Malaysian filled bread is the perfect light lunch; Ikan Bakar awana is made of grilled fillet sea bass served with lime and lemongrass butter; Nasi Lemak is a special malaysian dish combination of beef rendang, deep fried prawns, crispy anchovy, acar, egg and coconut rice; Ayam Berisi Udang is made of tiger prawns stuffed with corn fed chicken, sambal belacan and stir fried pak choy; Teh Tarik, literally meaning 'pulled tea', is sweetened using condensed milk, and is a well-loved drink among Malaysians.

1 year, 4 months ago

duncanshaunsmith

Thought this was a little disappointing. Had high expectations considering the owners, but the food we had was a little bland. Nyonya Kitchen is a better option.

1 year, 3 months ago

ricksk

I have similar thoughts as well. A little disappointing because the food doesn't seemed to taste Malaysian.. considering the owners. Laksa and Otar Otar is quite tasty but definitely not the Hokkien Noodle which is similar in way of coloring.

1 year, 2 months ago

adidasxk

Two-thumbs up! This is a perfect perfect South-east Asian cuisine. Service - 5 star. Food - 9 star, no pause in between meals, we were full full, as in not even a room for dessert, taste soooooo good. Well done!

10 months, 2 weeks ago

rictownsend

A pleasant restaurant with a nice array of Malaysian dishes. I to found the food a little bland however that is probably a reflection of having lived in Malaysia for five years and having a Nonya wife who cooks spicy by tradition.

We had the free range chicken satays (RMB15) which were very nice and true to the original however our other chicken dish "ayam masak merah" (RMB 38), which I enjoyed was not so much appreciated by my Singaporean companions as they didn't much like the flavour of the sauce. The roti canai (RMB 15) was not quite as 'fluffed' as I would have liked and the following fruit rojak (RMB 50) was fine however the sauce was a little thin and overly sweet. The beef rendang (50) was tender and well prepared and the sambal kangkung (vegetable) (15) was also nicely cooked. Again both to my taste could have been a little spicier.

The nicest dish was the fish "ikan bakar" (40) which was delicious. The Kangaroo Hills Semmilion Chardonnay at RMB 188 was good value.

The manager and staff where very pleasant and the service and attention was excellent. One final thing, I understand the food comes via "dumb waiter" from the kitchen on another level however it needs to be served hot, many of the dishes were luke warm. I will go back.

 

8 months, 2 weeks ago

elsiecakes

Came here and everyone liked it. The rendang, tohu sayur, and mortabak were done well, though the roti canai could have been fluffier and the laksa was a bit bland. Also have to agree that food came only lukewarm instead of hot. Desserts that have pandan flavour are always a plus, and we loved the pudding with sago. All in all, I would say not bad, and will definitely be back.

 

8 months, 2 weeks ago

luminouzity

as an indonesian, i dont have much option left if i want to eat indonesian in town. so i go with malaysian food which has a lot of similarity with indonesian food. if there are friends who want to taste indonesian food and i have no time or lazy to cook them by myself, i will just gather them all here.

ive been coming here since they were still little penang until they renovated the place and changed the name to awana. the manager and waitresses are really nice and friendly. the manager is malaysian and she is very attentive. the waitresses even understand the dishes' names in bahasa. just simple thing that makes me put one more heart to the restaurant.

the food are excellent. rendang, mi goreng, ayam goreng, nasi goreng, kangkung belacan, murtabak, curry and satays are just some dishes that i usually order for my guests. dont forget to order their pisang goreng (fried banana/banana fritters). really close to what i have in indonesia. cocktails are good as well. teh tarik (la cha) also not to be missed.

its always nice to see my guests finished their meal looking satisfied.

 

4 months, 2 weeks ago

chrisbert

I don't know too much about Malaysian food, so i cant really tell how authentic the dishes at Awana are, but for sure they are delicious. Everything was very fresh and tasty. The dishes we had were only little spicy, but complex in flavor and not bland at all. According to their menu no MSG is used, maybe thats the reason for people above saying the food was a bit bland?! The prices are very fair for the quality served. The ambiance is simple and elegant, not too comfortable. Service was friendly and helpful.

I will definitely be back.

 

2 months, 3 weeks ago

baobabs

Oh my god, this place makes Beef rendang like my Peranakan grandmother! Sambal kangkung, satay, teh tarik and the whole menu reminds me of home. The Char Kueh Teow was good, but quite different from what I know it, without the sweet black sauce and "see hum" (mussels). Little known to many, this restaurant is actually Halal and does not serve pork nor use MSG. Muslims would be pleased with the Ramandan special menu this month. Sedap sekali!! Cuba sekali, pasti mahu lagi! (my malay came back to me via osmosis) And don't forget that custard sago dessert bursting with Pandan flavour topped with gula melaka (brown sugar). Yum.

 

2 months, 1 week ago