A group of ten of us had a Friday lunch this week. We all used the Lunch Special's which were $13-16. I had the Pad Tai Noodles and they were fantastic. We all had various meals from the Specials menu (as I mention) and were...all very happy. The food came out very quickly and our server made sure we had water and checked in often. Loved it and highly recommend it for ASian idishes.More
Tried the nasi lemak, which is described as a general Malaysian dish to try for a "taste of everything". Fairly decent portion size-comes with a couple pieces of shrimp, some chicken and sides along with a big scoop of rice. Also had the drunk man...noodles which were good. The sweet tea was delicious, and the dude in chaps glass was a cute touch. Tables are tiny house living close to each other. Staff were friendly and quick.More
Born and raised in San Francisco, I've had my fair exposure to quality cuisine from other cultures. On a visit to New York in January, 2023, LAUT was recommended as a nearby eatery with good food. It's located at 15 E 17th Street, just off...Union Square. Two of us shared an appetizer of Satay Chicken ($11) chicken spiced on skewers (4 pieces) with peanut sauce and Nasi Lemak (the national dish of Malasia) lunch special ($16) coconut rice, schar, peanut & anchovy, broiled egg, rendang curry chicken, shrimp in sambal sauce. Out the door for under $50. We travel as much as we can, and find that lunch specials are usually where the value is, even for the finer restaurants. Service was prompt, cordial and attentive. It's a shame LAUT doesn't have a branch in San Francisco. If I was a New York native, I'd be a regular at LAUT. Summary: Good food, good value as a lunch spot.More
Starting with the appetizers/small plates we ordered (crunchy okra, veggie dumplings, crunchy calamari, roti) and on to the main (Rendang Curry tofu/veggie and Asam Pedas) we were disappointed. Parts of each dish were fine, but so dependent on sauces and the "crunch", nothing seemed otherwise...interconnected. Then to add to this, everything was SO SO rushed, we should probably have been actually eating at a food stall. Our main dish came before the apps were even half-way eaten. Tables are so close and tight, it's difficult not to hear parts of the adjacent diners' conversation. We went very early, to attempt to avoid this, but to no avail. I'd recommend eating outside instead of inside, because it seemed much quieter there. Our wine was poured out way too fast. Lots of hovering from the waitstaff seemed attentive at first and then overbearing. Had the distinct impression they were just wanting to turn tables, but had to ask for ours to be wiped down after plates were whisked away, while we finished out wine. Felt as if we were being "oversold" when we asked for recommendations (i.e. "just tell them to order the most expensive items"). We were not anticipating "fine dining" but geez. Won't return.More
Well, it wouldn't have to be. Friends and I went there for dinner, because other friends had recommended it. We dined early and sat outside. We had barely taken our last bites before a member of the wait staff (not our waitress) came to the...table and said we would have to leave in 5 minutes, because she had people waiting for the table. She was so rude, we just sat there, stunned. Since there's no reason to try it again (the food was fine, but the tables inside are jammed together, and the outside area has fans but no real ventilation), we'll cross this one off our list. There's just no excuse for such bad behavior.More
Laut is the best Malaysian restaurant in the USA that I have been to. Their Laksa has been featured in many blogs and reviews. The rice noodles are springy and slightly chewy instead of the sad limp rice noodles that is often featured. The broth...was amazing! I turned up at lunchtime and they kindly found me a seat and customized my meal to my liking and were so speedy that i fit my meal into my one hour lunch slot. Fabulous! I will definitely be backMore
I recently dined at this Malaysian restaurant, and while the food was certainly delicious, there is much to be desired in terms of customer service. The experience left me feeling a bit frustrated and bewildered. The lack of modern payment options like contactless Apple Pay...was truly disappointing. In 2023, after having gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, customers have come to expect seamless payment processes that prioritize safety and minimize contact. Ignoring such trends, this restaurant encourages cash transactions for reasons that don't feel right. Antoher major inconvenience was the restaurant's refusal to accept split payments. They offered an assortment of weird excuses, none of them realistic, leaving us puzzled. Despite the amazing cuisine, the substandard service and outdated payment methods left a sour taste in my mouth. I hope the restaurant reassesses these aspects in order to cater to their patrons better in the future.More
Having lived in Singapore and traveled extensively in Asia, I found the food to be "spot-on" authentic. We ordered the mixed platter with satay chicken, tandoori chicken, and tofu which was really good. Our all-time favorites are Mee Goreng and Nasi Goreng. The vegetarian version...of Laksa was tasty. Can't go wrong with food here. Unfortunately, it was a hot and humid day and the air conditioning was broken inside. Laut gave me a flashback for the tropical weather in Singapore/ Malaysia. Drinking Tiger beer after several years couldn't have been more appealing. I would definitely go back when the AC is fixed.More
Came here with a friend to have dinner. I ordered the Sambal Belacan and this dish has so much flavor layered in it. It's a dish that is highly recommended and I will have this dish again. I also took home an order of spicy...night market fried rice. This is an okay dish but still not bad.More
After a trip to Malaysia, I was craving that wonderful cuisine again. No need to jump into an airplane. This Union Square restaurant had me covered. Lively street market vibe with small tables, but attentive service. I ordered the Chili Crab served as soft shell...crab with a sweet chili sauce that was so delicious I wanted to go back a day later. Definitely recommended.More
Incredible Malaysian food. We started off with Roti telar which is like an egg pancake with coconut oil and curry - I thought this was exceptional. Curry puffs were a must and the pastry dough was so flaky. Papaya salad was refreshing and vinegary just...how I like it! The highlight was the Singaporean crispy soft shell chilli crab - so spicy sweet and tender. The Spicy night market noodles with mixed seafood had an incredible depth to the dish that I couldn’t get enough of. Come here for the food. Wednesday night it was crazy busy. Book a reservation ahead of time and don't be late!More
Authentic Malaysian food is tough to find in the USA, but Laut for sure has it. Chicken Satay was delicious, rending I would say was very good, laksa excellent. Its a small restaurant but for sure recommend! Prices were very good, service was very fast....Order taken promptly and food arrived very quickly.More
Visited as a group of 6 friends, all of us having lived in Singapore. Very good, authentic food that captures the atmosphere and ambience of Southeast Asia. Char Kway Teow was excellent, good curry puffs, great laksa. Beef rendang was good - not up with...the best I I’ve ever had, but I certainly had worse in Singapore. Pricing is not bad for New York and service was perfect. Highly recommended if you are missing some good Asian food.More
I was exploring the neighborhood and decided to stop into Laut for dinner. Wonderful restaurant with beautiful interior and authentic food. Highly recommend!
All I wanted was a chili crab - what I got was crab with a store-bought sauce. Just disgusting! Instead of soft rolls to accompany the crab, I got store-bought hard-like bricks bao. We also ordered the fried calamari for appetizer, but they were not...crispy, just blah. The only decent thing on the menu was the roti.More
