Malay vibes at MAMAK Hulhumale’

For this week’s feature article we head to Hulhumale’ for the Malay themed MAMAK Hulhumale’. The restaurant is at Huvandhumaa Hingun, in the vicinity of the Manhattan Fish Market and Barcelos; opposite side actually, and a bit to the left.

The restaurant’s on the first floor and we climb a rather industrial looking staircase to get there. Inside, it’s cosy with pops of yellow and red, very unlike the usual Malaysian mamak experience where things are usually more bare bones.

We take our seats to the sound of hip-hop music flowing gently through some speakers. Then we have a look at the menu. It is not that extensive, but on it are items like roti canai, teh tarik, chicken rendang, nasi paprik; things that get us nostalgic about our times in Malaysia.

My friend and I both order teh tariks. I opt for a nasi lemak and my friend orders a roti canai meal from a special menu for rotis.

The waiter heads off with our order and Shaggy’s ‘Wasn’t me’ comes up on the playlist. We sit around, particularly enjoying the fact that we can watch the roti canai being made outside through the restaurant’s glass wall.

The waiter brings us our teh tariks. They are good we decide.

Then comes the roti canai meal. The roti comes with a chicken curry and a dhal curry. My friend tells me he likes it, and we talk about how if we were eating at a mamak in Malaysia we’d just get the chicken curry gravy, unlike here, where we also get pieces of chicken.

Then finally comes my nasi lemak. This too is a bit fancier than what you get at Malay mamaks. For one thing there’s chicken rendang, or more precisely chicken in a rendang sauce. Then there’s the usual portion of peanuts, boiled eggs and sprats. I quite enjoy it.

Our bill is MVR 190 something. It’s quite affordable compared to other places in Male’ and Hulhumale’, though having the same stuff from a mamak from Malaysia would obviously be cheaper. We’ll definitely see you again MAMAK Hulhumale’, the next time the Malay feels hits us.