Website: http://www.ggmsc.com/
Address: 4466 Sheppard Ave. E, Unit 101, Toronto, ON
When I visited: Jan. 2014, dinner, 8 adults
Cuisine: Malaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian
Rating: $$, 4
My Malaysian-Chinese friend who has lived in Malaysia mentioned the dishes at this restaurant were closest to “home” for him in Toronto. Being authentic was a big draw for me, as I have had so-called ‘Malaysian food’ in the past, but the dishes were noticeably Thai dishes. In my head, I puzzled together “Scarborough and authentic Malaysian” and totally assumed the place would be a dive. Sorry, if I offended any Scarborough peeps.
OH, was I wrong!
We were there for a family birthday celebration and were comfortably seated at a round table with chair covers. The place was clean and spacious at 6000 square feet. The dark walls were covered with drawings of places in Malaysia and they even sold imported snacks at the front. First impressions count, and I was already impressed. Of course, the food would ultimately sway my perception.
After speaking with the owners, Amy and Yummy Tan (yes Yummy), they informed me that their Gourmet Garden Restaurant across the street was opened for about 20 years, which was a fast food joint, and Gourmet Malaysia restaurant/banquet hall was only opened for 2 years. The main room holds up to 150 people and the private room holds 20 to 50 people. The main dining room also has a stage, which gave me instant flashbacks of attending Chinese weddings in the 80s and 90s, when karaoke with the hottest thing ever!
Now, on to the ordering. Luckily my husband had been here several times to help us narrow down our choices since their menu is massive.
I highly recommend everything that we ordered. We had a great balance of meat, seafood, veggies, rice, and noodles. I have left the menu number below, so you can order the same thing!
#6 -Crispy Boxing Chicken
#33 -Beef Roti Cannai
#72- Ikan Bakar Grilled Stingray with Banana Leaf –Needs 25 minutes to cook, so we ordered this first.
#101 Ikan Nillis Crispy Kin
#132 Nonya Chicken Curry
#160 Beef Rendang
#139 Sour and Spicy Assam Chicken
#172 Fried Eggplant with Sambal Sauce
#192 Mee Goreng Yellow Noodles with Seafood in Sambal Sauce
#212 Penang Assam Laksa
#213 Singapore Laksa
#231 Hainanese Chicken on Rice
And also, we ordered ‘The Talik’, both hot and cold (Malaysian tea).
It’s hard to lose weight in my family, you should see how much we order when we go to dim sum! I hope that the food pictures were enough to convince you to go. If you need more convincing, see my top 6 reasons why you should go to Gourmet Malaysia.
As for improvements, they need to make sure all their servers are comfortable with explaining the dishes. One of our servers was noticeably shy and would drop the dishes and walk away. I know this happens at many Chinese restaurants, but when someone at our table has a food allergy, it is crucial for us to know what’s in our dishes.
We had a great experience overall and I would highly recommend this restaurant for a large group.
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5 Comments
maryshappybelly
February 3, 2014 at 6:47 pmHi James, thanks for leaving a comment. Some of their servers are more knowledgeable on their menu items than others, so I hope get a good server. Yes, there are SO many items on their menu, which can be a bit overwhelming. I hope that my review was helpful in narrowing down some choices. Tell me how your experience is when you go. Happy eating!
sarnerjamie
February 3, 2014 at 2:56 pmI don’t think I have ever come across a menu with 279 dishes. One better studies it before heading out for a meal! However, it is reassuring that the staff and Mr. Yummy know their dishes and explain whatever is needed concerning the ingredients. Even though I like surprises, I am not too fond of not knowing what I am ordering. I might stick to some of your suggestions when I decide to go. Those Crispy King Prawns look very appetizing! Thanks for the review!
maryshappybelly
January 31, 2014 at 2:47 pmHi Kat, thanks for the compliments and the support! I have been to Restoran Malaysia a couple of times years ago and I would love to go back to do a true comparison. My memory is a bit blurred as to what I ate there. From my two Malaysian friends, they said that Gourmet Malaysia was more authentic for them, and I take their word for it. Hope this helps!
Kat
January 30, 2014 at 9:37 pmHey Mary!
Absolutely loved your post! Ever since I had authentic Malaysian in Vancouver I’ve been dying to find a decent restaurant in Toronto. Would love to try this place. I came across a great restaurant called Restoran Malaysia on the corner of Major Mackenzie and Bayview. Im curious to get your perspective on a comparison between these two restaurants. Thanks for the pics and menu number. This will make ordering much easier!
6 Reasons to eat at Gourmet Malaysia in Toronto | Mary's Happy Belly
January 30, 2014 at 3:15 pm[…] I visited in January 2014 and had a very pleasant experience. Check out what I rated this restaurant and see all the mouth-watering pictures of the food I order… […]