One of my travel pet peeves is to pick a restaurant from a local guidebook only to walk in and find a roomful of tourists eating food devoid of character.
If you are exploring NYC’s Chinatown and want to enjoy a delicious, adventurous, authentic and inexpensive meal, skip Joe’s Shanghai and head over to Sanur Restaurant, located in the basement at 18 Doyer Street (between Bowery and Pell Street).
If Indonesian and Malaysian food is an unfamiliar cuisine for you, you’re in for a delicious treat. Rob Hollander, our Chinatown expert, describes it this way: “If you can imagine the edge of Thai spice mellowed with the full richness of Indian, you’ve got Malaysian.”
I recommend the Roti Canai. This thin pancake like bread (Indonesian poori bread) is folded into a cone shape then served along side a mild curry sauce. A piece of potato or chicken in the sauce soaks up the flavor and adds to the joy of the eating. Begin by pulling off a piece of the pancake, dip it in the sauce and savor the flavor that makes you feel as warm and snugly as that childhood security blanket. Order two because at $2.25 per order, one is just not enough.
When Rob Hollander, John Caballero and I visited Sanur last February, Leng, the owner/manager of Sanur, proudly showed off some of Sanur’s most popular dishes.
If Malaysian food is new to your palate, Leng will be happy to help find dishes that best reward your taste buds.
Breakfast: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Dinner: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Closed Mondays
18 Doyer Street (in the basement) Between Bowery and Pell Street
Not being one to venture too far from the old south’s chicken and gravy the idea of a $2.25 adventure seems reasonable. Looking at the menu, if the first taste test passes, I’m going for a soup and then a dessert. Maybe I’ll just start with the dessert, and work my way back to the $2.25 pancake.
Thanks, for the tip on an inexpensive adventure with new foods and different tastes.
Chinatown continues to grow in its diversity. I will definitely include Sanur in my next trip to NYC.
i rarely reply in blogs, but there is a few that i follow a lot.
thank you for your postings, love them. קידום אתרים
Thank you Josh. We have some new posts on the way.