Good stir-fried noodles and a good grilled burger have a lot in common.
Each owes its aroma to an attentive chef cooking over high heat. In the case of the Indian-inspired Malaysian egg noodles called mee goreng ($9), the fragrance, flavor, and overall impression are characteristics of "wok hei," often colorfully translated as the "breath of the wok." Without peeking into Cafe Asean's kitchen, I couldn't compare the cook's stir-fry technique to the exertions I'd seen in Malaysia itself, but a few lightly charred tidbits were tokens of his effort. Overall, a nicely balanced ensemble of ingredients.
Cafe Asean
117 West 10th St. (Sixth-Greenwich Aves.), New York
212-633-0348
www.CafeAsean.com
I've walked past and wondered about stopping into this place at least two dozen times; so good to know now that it'd be worth a try.
Posted by: Meister @ The Nervous Cook | March 20, 2011 at 05:28 PM
A good time would be on a Wednesday evening, when the Malaysian chef-owner, Simpson Wong, steps behind the stove himself. (You might call ahead of time just to make sure.) Not that another evening would be a bad time: The chef who stir-fried my mee goreng is Malaysian, too, and he's no slouch.
Posted by: Dave Cook | March 20, 2011 at 08:37 PM
I too like the mee goreng at Cafe Asean. The lime really helps the flavors of the dish pull together too.
Posted by: LUNCH | March 22, 2011 at 10:59 AM