KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 27 — A little over two years ago, Malay Mail’s Lee Khang Yi wrote about Mama Lek, a small, family-run stall in Setapak that serves excellent Thai beef noodles.
The family hails from Kelantan, and Mama Lek herself is originally from the Isan region in northeastern Thailand.
It was a humble operation, but the noodles were a hit — “a home run” for my colleague — and in 2024, Mama Lek was recognised with a Thai Select Award by the Malaysian office of Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP).
They announced plans to relocate in October last year, and earlier this week, Mama Lek debuted as a full-fledged restaurant on the ground floor of Wisma Cosway.
Here, they face stiff competition from the many eateries offering affordable, hulking portions (like a chicken chop for RM8) to the hordes of office workers pouring through the building at lunch hour.
It’s only been a week, but Mama Lek has already proven to be a hit with the office lunch crowd. — Picture by Ethan Lau
But when I visited at half past one on a weekday, Mama Lek was bouncing like a club on Friday night.
Thankfully, unlike a club, the wait was much shorter, not even five minutes, and inside, the place smelled far better: eau de boeuf over vapes and bad BO.
Aside from the obvious shift in atmosphere (namely air conditioning), there are now a few branding flourishes: printed bowls, messages on the chopstick holders, and a card on “how to enjoy Thai beef noodles like a Thai,” with instructions for seasoning using the condiment caddy, which includes fish sauce, chilli flakes, chilli oil and chilli vinegar, and for making your own nam jim with the latter two.
Not sure what to do with the condiments? The card has you covered. — Picture by Ethan Lau
You now order via a QR code, and the options span the gamut: beef ball noodles (RM16.90 for 5 balls), braised beef and balls (RM23.90), fresh beef and balls (RM21.50), beef tripe and tendon (RM25.80), and the signature beef mix (RM33.50) with a little bit of everything: braised beef, fresh sliced beef, tripe, tendon, tongue, and beef balls.
There’s also a tom yum variation on the beef noodles, and, staying true to their pork-free roots, the only non-beef alternative is chicken noodle soup.
Understandably, prices are higher than at the old location, but that’s expected when you move into a city-centre building.
I settled for the mix, though they had run out of tongue when I visited and made up the difference with other parts of the cow.
The broth is every bit as magical as promised: a thick, heavyset, beefcake of a broth, teeming with depth and collagen for a luscious mouthfeel.
It gets even better with a touch of fish sauce and chilli vinegar — the beefy flavours are bedded in, and the acidity lifts everything just a bit.
Make sure to make your own ‘nam jim’ with the chilli oil and vinegar. — Picture by Ethan Lau It’s perfect for dipping. — Picture by Ethan Lau
The thin slices of just-cooked beef are best dipped into a nam jim of chilli oil and vinegar, spicy and savoury with just the right amount of tang.
The brisket is impressively tender, and so are the soft and slippery tendons. Magic in a bowl.
It’s heartening to see a humble family-run stall make the leap into a proper restaurant without losing the soul of what made them great in the first place.
The bowls may be branded now, and the air-conditioning much appreciated, but the essence is still the same: rich broth, tender beef, and a mother’s love and care in every detail.
It can be hard to snap a discreet photo of the front when the family running it is as friendly as they are — Eric, in particular, is very warm and approachable. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Mama Lek
G-37, Cosway Guesthouse,
Jalan Raja Chulan,
Kuala Lumpur.
Open Monday to Satuday, 11am-6pm
Tel: 010-988 8995
Facebook: Mama Lek
Instagram: @mamalek.my
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
