The closing of Merlion restaurant in Southern Village in 2015 reduced the number of Malaysian restaurants in the Triangle to zero. But just three months after Merlion was shuttered, Rasa Malaysia opened in the same space in Chapel Hill’s Southern Village. The place got a modest makeover – new carpet, a fresh coat of paint, a breezy mural of butterflies and kites spanning one wall – but for the most part the dining room remained unchanged.
Returning regulars were pleased to see that Simon Leong, Merlion’s affable host and manager, was back at his post. New owner/chef Winnie Leong, who worked alongside her husband at Merlion, has also retained a few of that restaurant’s contemporary fusion favorites: coconut shrimp, green tea fried rice and roast duck wrap, served on a plate artfully decorated with zigzag squiggles of plum sauce.
Yu Sheng Prosperity Toss
Visitors and locals love this Maylayisan menu. Says Jay Johnson, Raleigh: “Phenomenal food. The Mee Goreng (chicken, tofu, udon noodles) was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Wonderful restaurant with great 70’s music and exceptional servers/service. A must if you are in the area.”
The menu at Rasa Malaysia offers an assortment of dishes whose exotic names belie their easy-to-like flavors. Stuffed you tiao, savory shrimp-stuffed “crullers” – a little like miniature spring rolls, but in a deep-fried wheat dough crust – arrive buried under a salad of julienne vegetables and mango in a creamy-sweet dressing.
Rasa Malaysia Fortune Sampler
Nasi kuning serves up jumbo shrimp, scallops and turmeric-scented rice beneath a shower of slivered almonds, dried cherries, raisins, scallions and crispy threads of fried shallot.
Kari ayam, a Malaysian chicken curry redolent of star anise and other spices, is served with roti canai, a flatbread that traces its roots to India.
Rasa Malaysia is a fun, tasty place to try in the Triangle’s local dining scene.
Rasa Malaysia Dish
Rasa Malaysia
410 Market St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(984) 234-0256
Hours:
Monday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Monday – Thursday: 2:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Friday – Sunday: 2:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Closed Sunday
