Aneka Rasa

Have you ever tried Malaysian cuisine? It is a diverse cuisine, partially influenced by other Asian cuisines. You find plenty of rice and noodle dishes, curries, banana leaves, coconut milk, and exotic spices. There are dishes with chicken, pork, lamb, beef and seafood. There are a few Malaysian restaurants in the Boston area and I stopped by recently for dinner at Aneka Rasa.

Aneka Rasa has a more subdued decor, with wooden tables and chairs. This is intended to "create a comfortable but authentic village, or “Kampong”, fashion." The wall at the back of the restaurant has three paintings by Malaysian artist Eng Tay. "The paintings highlight themes deeply ingrained in Malaysian culture, which are family, culture, and food." It is a causal place and I was warmly greeted when I entered.

The menu is quite extensive and I am sure that everyone can find some dish that appeals to them. Prices are very reasonable with most dishes costing under $10. They have $6.95 Lunch Specials that look very enticing and that come with salad, soup, rice, appetizer and entree. That is plenty of food for the price.

I began my meal with the Kampong Roti Paratha appetizer ($3.25) with the curry chicken dipping sauce. This is essentially a pan-fried flatbread with a dipping sauce. The bread was delicious, flaky and light. The sauce included a piece of potato and a small piece of chicken on the bone. It was an excellent curry sauce, not too spicy, but very flavorful with hints of coconut. This is a good choice for an appetizer though I always wish I had more bread as there is always sauce remaining.

For my entree, I tried the Beef Rendang Rice dish ($7.25). This consists of several pieces of extremely tender, sliced beef that has simmered in coconut milk and spices. It is accompanied by a mound of white rice and some cucumber slices. The beef was delicious, with an intriguing brown sauce with a hint of spiciness. It just melted in my mouth. Another good choice, especially for the price.

Just based on my first visit, I definitely will be returning here to try more of their dishes. If you are in the Allston area, I recommend you check it out as well.

Aneka Rasa
122 Harvard Ave.
Allston, MA
Phone: 617-562-8989