Wonderful service with excellent food. Staff members are friendly and the owner is an exceptionally friendly down to earth guy. Happy to see a fellow Malaysian doing well and promoting Malaysian cuisine to the west. A must go place!
Omg Malaysian and Singaporean food is my favorite. This did not disappoint!!! Kway teow and Hainan Chicken Rice flavors had me feeling nostalgic. Great authentic, tasty food. I found my new spot!!!
10/21/23 An off the beaten path gem of a restaurant. We ordered steam dumpling, Rangoon, rendang shrimp. Beef rendang, and panang beef curry. All dishes were exceptional. It's a Saturday night. The place was busy and the servers were busy. The restaurant could use a refresh but, I came here for the food and it did not disappoint. That's why I gave it a 5 stars.
Serai in Chicago offers an authentic Southeast Asian dining experience. The vibrant atmosphere complements the diverse menu, featuring well-executed dishes from Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Standouts include the fragrant rendang, flavorful serai curry laksa , and the perfectly balanced Indonesian fried rice. The attentive service and inviting decor make Serai a top choice for those seeking a culinary journey through Southeast Asia in the heart of Chicago.
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Quite enjoyed lunch here! Malaysian food options in the city are very limited sadly, but this does a pretty great job of satisfying this space. The service was good, though we were the only ones around I think at the time we went. The space is fine, but I don’t think you come here for the ambiance, you come here for the food! Looking forward to coming back and trying more options!
Highlights were the nasi lemak and roti paratha. Both the beef rendang and the ayam merah were delicious for the nasi lemak. The roti paratha is buttery and wonderful and the chicken curry it comes with was rich and flavorful—we really really liked that. I would probably go with the ayam merah or the chicken curry with my nasi lemak next time, both were delicious. The beef rendang is also a solid option for those who prefer beef. Be aware it is a little fatty.
Cumin lamb skewers were good but pretty straightforward in flavor. Also a small serving.
We enjoyed both the dessert options, but they weren’t exceptional. Pulut hitam is on the watery end of a rice pudding type of dish, but with a deeper rounder sweetness than a typical rice pudding. I had never had something like this before and glad I tried it. The coconut pudding had a lighter and sweet flavor, with a delicate consistency served inside a coconut. I’d recommend both, but if you’re in the mood for a more robust dessert option these may not fully satisfy.
Serai was a nice surprise. The menu covers many Asian cuisines. When I dined, there was a decent crowd for a Thursday night. Service was attentive. The food was very good. The Sersi martini had a nice Asian twist. I would definitely return.
Delicious Malaysian food. I’d go there just for the Roti Canai (Protha) alone. That curry gravy and bread was absolutely delicious.
All the entrees and meals were good too.
The outside patio has a really cool vibe.
Prices were quite reasonable.
I’m from Singapore and this place has such high quality, authentic-tasting Malaysian/Singapore dishes that rekindled my memories and made me homesick (in a good way)! The chicken satay, beef rendang, laksa and wonton noodles were so well-done, rich, generously portioned for the price and had the authentic local taste. Can’t believe I didn’t come here earlier. Great job, chef!
Serai has some homey food from where I come from! I’d say the kway teow was good although the noodles were over cooked. Flavor was there! Fried calamari was my personal fave. My non Asian friends enjoyed their laksa and mango chicken!!
Excellent curry laksa and pork char kway teow, a.k.a. char koay teow! Difficult to find parking, not easy to find restaurant on Google maps (drive slowly as you get close to the restaurant). The food is totally worth it. And they have ice Milo as well!! Excellent service. Relaxed, chill atmosphere. Highly recommended for the food. It's quite rare to find a place that has pork char kway teow as well as ice Milo, the two basic ingredients required to pass the Singaporean-Malaysian restaurant authenticity test. Highly recommended!!!
My friends from out of town wanted to check this place out so we came on a Saturday around 6:30pm. We were able to grab a table for 6 people outside. Sounds like the indoor seats are all reserved. We ordered the Serai Curry Laksa, beef rendang, nasi goreng, Hainanese chicken, sambal shrimp. We LOVED everything except the shrimp. I can’t eat spicy food and the curry laksa had a kick to it but it was tolerable for me. The bowl of rice that came out with the Hainanese chicken was also delicious! Will definitely come back to try the other dishes!
You don't know how good you had it until it's gone. Order this food anytime you can!
Serai was our go to takeout spot. Anything we ordered was absolutely delicious and delivered super fast. Anytime we had guests and ordered serai they would always praise it and always request it when they'd be back in the area. Now that we are out of the city we absolutely miss this place and cannot find anything even CLOSE to the flavors this place provides. Will be driving into the area just for a visit to Serai. It's worth it.
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