West New Malaysia Takes Over 80-Year-Old Restaurant

The long-vacant icon finally has a worthy successor.
Photo: Official

West New Malaysia, the popular Malaysian restaurant sequestered in a Chinatown arcade, is finally gearing up to open up a second location – this time at 69 Bayard Street.

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A cornerstone of the Chinatown community, West New Malaysia originally opened up at 46 Bowery Street many years ago. Since opening up to the public in 2005, West New Malaysia became something of a hidden gem among locals. Tucked away in an anonymous alleyway on Bowery, West New Malaysia was the kind of place you had to already know about to find. Rarely advertised, the restaurant thrived thanks to an impressive word-of-mouth reputation among locals.

Founded by Andy Chong, the new restaurant will be operated by Andy’s son Alvin Chong and will replace an iconic restaurant that served the neighborhood for over 80 years. 69 Bayard, the restaurant that West New Malaysia is slated to replace, was known for over 80 years for serving up hearty and inexpensive Chinese food late into the night.

Those same locals were devastated to learn in 2016 that 69 Bayard would be closing, but it was quickly replaced by a new restaurant – Wing Kee – that thankfully preserved most of the menu as well as the kitchen staff. Unfortunately for the community though, Wing Kee suffered the same fate when the pandemic hit last year and the space has remained vacant since.

Thankfully, the restaurant’s replacement is a worthy successor. Earning a rare Bib Gourmand from Michelin, West New Malaysia is known for its flaky roti canai, spicy-sour asam laksa, and crispy coconut shrimp. Despite its reputation for quality though, the restaurant maintains the fair pricing that attracts so many daily customers. While Alvin and his team are busy preparing the new location for its Grand Opening, the original restaurant on Bowery remains operational – just make sure you know where you’re going before you start wandering into random alleyways.

Jake Rogers

Jake Rogers

Jake Rogers is an author and playwright based out of Brooklyn, New York. A lively performer who is deeply passionate about history and literature, outside of his reporting he also produces short films and plays with his theatre troupe, the LSTC. He is currently producing a web series about a butterfly and moth who are roommates that will be released later in the year.
Jake Rogers

Jake Rogers

Jake Rogers is an author and playwright based out of Brooklyn, New York. A lively performer who is deeply passionate about history and literature, outside of his reporting he also produces short films and plays with his theatre troupe, the LSTC. He is currently producing a web series about a butterfly and moth who are roommates that will be released later in the year.

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