Address - Suginami-ku, Amanuma 2-3-7 Sakai Bldg B1 Opening hours - 11:30 to 14:30 (only weekdays) and 18:00 to 11:0. Closed on Mondays Map - See directions Telephone - 5938-8633 Menu - In Japanese and English Credit Cards - No Site Yes (in Japanese)

At last a good Malaysian restaurant! I had been disappointed so many times before that when my only true love found Malaifu Kobishoku's review on the Net I was skeptical, but in the end we went.

First of all, let me warn you: the sign is small and only in Japanese, so be on the lookout. You can easily miss it. Take the narrow stairs to the basement and you're there. The dark hole on the right is what you're looking for.

The room is so small that if you order a beer the owner must go to the bar next door to get it: she has no tap of her own. Obviously opened on a shoestring, Malaifu Kobishoku is run by a minuscule and cute Malaysian woman of Chinese descent who calls herself Helen, who is an excellent cook and who is one of the attractions of the place. Friendly and kind, when she has the time to relax she is a very enjoyable companion.

But the food is what we are here for, because at long last I have found a good Lakhsa (spicy Malaysian noodles) in Japan. If you go, don't forget to order it, because it's a rarity and it's excellent. Everything else is either good or excellent. The curries, the kushinsai, the nasi goreng, and the rest more than compensate for the lack of light, the small restaurant and untidiness of the place. Highly recommended.

Getting there:

Get out of Ogikubo station's North exit, cross the Ome-Kaido and turn right. Malaifu Kobishoku is almost on top of the bridge, on the left side of the street. Again, be careful: the sign is in Japanese.