Chilli Padi Malaysian Cuisine

I love, love, loved this place -- It's been days since my visit and I'm still dreaming of that French onion soup. OMG. Light and savory, not-too-salty broth with the perfect balance of onions, and topped with the most gorgeous and thick layer of baked Gruyere cheese. I'd let the photo do the talking but I'm actually not convinced that it fully does it justice.

Chilli Padi serves excellent Malaysian cuisine, in a sea of Chinese restaurants in Oakland Chinatown. This place looks (and is) new compared to almost every other restaurant in Oakland Chinatown (except maybe Shooting Star Cafe on Webster St). Inside, the restaurant is very clean and looks new (because it is) and the atmosphere consists of several muted TVs usually showing HGTV/Food Network. I can safely assume Chilli Padi will stay in business for a while, as the food and service is top-notch. Just about every single dish here is fantastic, and the service is prompt--the servers are quick to take note of water glasses that need refilling, and if you need to box leftovers to take home (which they do for you). The manager is a very friendly dude, and can be helpful if you need help deciding what to try. As for the food itself...if you're wondering what Malaysian food is, it's basically a mix of Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisine with more of a flavorful (and sometimes spicy) side. My favorite dishes here are mango chicken, string beans belachan and singapore fried vermicelli. Note that while most dishes are designed to be ordered and eaten family-style (e.g. mango chicken is not a 'complete meal/comes with rice' dish, you'd have to order the rice separately), many fried rice and noodles dishes are pretty complete meals on their own as they often come with multiple meal ingredients such as chicken, shrimp and a variety of vegetables. They serve free dessert soup after your meal, usually a sweet tapioca and potato soup or my personal favorite, sweet black rice soup. Note that if you want a less spicy version of a dish, you can tell the waiter or waitress taking your order and they will ask the cooks to tone the spice down. Overall, an excellent restaurant in a rather run-down looking location (for now, at least). I say, at least give it a try if you're unsure--you probably won't regret it!