STRAITS OF MALACCA
Location: 202 W. Main St. in Mason
Hours of operation: Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone number: (513) 492-7656
More information, visit www.straitsmalacca.com
Straits of Malacca is closer than you think.
Travel little more than 30 minutes south of downtown Dayton and you will find the flavors of Malaysia in the eatery owned by chef Paul Liew, his twin brother Alvin and sisters Mary and Susan.
As a dinner companion and I learned, the downtown Mason eatery at 202 W. Main St. is a world away from the ordinary.
A foodie friend who lives in the Lebanon area has been raving about the restaurant — named after a waterway between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra — since the restaurant opened in September 2012.
Straits of Malacca’s location in an art deco-style building that once was the city’s municipal building seemed almost as intriguing as the cuisine.
But trust me, you go for the food — a fusion of Malay, Indian, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese cooking — and not just the interesting and beautiful architecture.
There are three dining areas: Tioman, a cafe that sells Malaysian street food; the Blue Intan, a jazz and tapas bar for adults and the Langkawi Spice, the modern dining room.
My dinner companion and I were seated in the Langkawi Spice and were immediately greeted by Straits of Malacca’s attentive and helpful staff.
Newbies to Malaysian fare, we asked for suggestions.
Our waitress ran down a list of her favorites from the sharable, family-style section of the menu: shrimp & tofu in egg drop sauce ($19); Hokkien Mee, udon noodles braised in oyster sauce with chicken, shrimp and baby bok choy ($13); and Sambal Udang Terong, a spicy eggplant and shrimp dish ($18).
After munching down calamari served with a spicy remoulade sauce ($6), we ordered the Sambal Udang Terong and a barbecue mixed meat plate featuring BBQ pork, roasted duck and some delicious crispy pork belly ($20).
Of the three, my companion favored the tender duck and its crispy skin. I cannot say enough about that pork belly.
Other BBQ meat options include whole roasted chicken and poached chicken.
The Sambal Udang Terong came with healthy sides of steamed rice. The mildly spicy chili dish was packed with juicy shrimps and chunks of eggplant, onion and tomato.
We finished our trip to the Straits of Malacca with Ondeh Ondeh, a pandan leaf infused glutinous rice ball rolled in coconut flakes and filled with palm sugar ($5)
The whimsical treats came out warm and put the icing on a delightful evening.
Amelia Robinson is one of Dayton Daily News' Dining Divas.
Contact this blogger at arobinson@DaytonDailyNews.com or Twitter.com/DDNSmartMouth
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