Kampong Ah Lee

We absolutely love this place. It's small and casual. The staff are friendly and efficient and the food is delicious. The roti is excellent, served with spicy curry sauce for dipping. Our other favourites are the nasi goreng and the char kway teow. Great value for money.

I've visited in the past and loved their food so popped in for lunch when we were in the area recently. Same vibes, casual dining and staff were very efficient. Pretty sure the roti was frozen paratha but I can understand why they used that. Really liked the sweet and sour (with a hint of spice) sauce on the crispy wontons. Char sui sauce was a little too sweet for our taste. Other than that it was overall a nice lunch and will definitely keep coming here when I crave malay food.

This is my go to comfort food in Edinburgh. It’s always a lovely meal. It’s very affordable and reliable, consistently delivering good food. Love the staff! Also would highly recommend getting the milo!!

We dropped in for dinner & ordered roti, soft shell crab, char kway teow & beef rendang. All delicious! Good portions and well priced. Clean & tidy place with good service & a good atmosphere. Loved it!

Food is delicious and portions are generous. The place is casual and unpretentious. Food arrives rather quickly and is delivered with no fuss. It's open until late, which is a huge plus in a city where most kitchens close at 9pm.

Fantastic atmosphere and wonderful food. The nasi goreng was amazing, and the fried fish in the fish soup was the best fish I’ve had in a LONG time. Absolutely delicious. I didn’t really like the noodles in the fish soup, but the fish and soup itself were so good that I’d still order it again.

authentic malaysian food and at a pretty good price as well!! the char kway teow had a really nice wok hei to it, very reminiscent of kopitiams!

Food is unreal, we try to visit whenever we're in Edinburgh. Couldn't stay this time so got it delivered - chicken satay, nasi lemak, beef rendang & noodles - so good

We enjoyed an early dinner of Malaysian food while we stayed in Edinburgh. Service was quick. Ambiance was compact with colorful wall of food and characters. We ordered the beef rendang which was fork tender and delicious. The sauce was rich but contained a bit too much onions for my liking. The hainese rice was a good side to soak up all the sauce. It was the same price as regular bowl of boiled rice. The char kway teow was served with a good mix of seafood, chicken and veggies. The noodles had a nice chew and overall a nice smoky flavor. It was cooked perfectly without much oil. Would consider coming back if we're in this area of Edinburgh again.

This time I dine in & bought some takeaway from the restaurant. The curry laksa was super delicious. The place is very cute and small. Service was great. Definitely recommend this place to anyone.

Amazing Malaysian food and this was the best dinner that we had during our trip to London and Edinburgh - despite having gone to some upscale places to compare to. This place is a short walk away from the historic old town, it is near the university so we saw a lot more students around. We did not have a reservation so we did have to wait for about 45 minutes but we were allowed to come back around the time our table would have been ready. The food was delicious! We ended up getting three dishes - we originally ordered two, but as soon as we finished the first dish and were receiving the second, we knew we had to get one more. We had noodles and beef rendang which were both fantastic, with great flavors and tender beef. What stood out to me the most was the combination laksa! I've never had laksa that was this good anywhere in the world. Amazing creamy soup flavor and texture, it was loaded up, and the spice level was just right. I wish I could have it again!

Pleasantly surprised to find a Malaysian place in Edinburgh. Came here on a weekday night, was pretty busy, had to wait a few minutes for a table. Got the laksa with wide rice noodles, and the food came out quickly. The noodles themselves were good, soup was watered down though. Too much chicken, squid wasn't fresh, shrimp was alright. Wish there were more pieces of tofu. Good amount of food for £10.90.

Great little hidden gem near the tourist attractions. Food is very authentic and waiters were very helpful. I got a beef noodle soup and it was delicious.

I think this is the best Malaysian/Singaporean food I've had outside of Singapore. I visited Kampong Ah Lee twice in my five days in Edinburgh so you know it's good! I heard it had recently been renovated and it's now quite a pretty restaurant. The first time I came we shared two dishes, the spicy chicken and the duck breast, which we supplemented with vegetables and oil rice. I really enjoyed both dishes. The duck was my favorite, and it tasted really delicious with the oil rice, but I also enjoyed the chicken. I also had teh tarik which is always a favorite, and it didn't disappoint here! The second time I came, I couldn't resist the Hainan chicken rice. I'm used to eating chicken rice from an old shop in Singapore, so I wasn't sure how a Scottish restaurant could compare, but I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken was moist and flavorful, with a nice sauce. Of course the rice was delicious and tasted great mixed with the sauce and the chicken too! This time I got the Nestlo (coffee + Milo) which was a nice refreshing drink for late morning. I wish I could come here every day, but alas, it's far away (though less far than actual Malaysia). If you live near Kampong Ah Lee, consider yourself lucky.

It was a great day out with my Mum. All the noodles are freshly made in house. We got two main courses which are amazing with the fresh noodles. We also had the sea-weed which was nice and fresh. My favorite thing was the fresh in house pork dumplings they where super. My mum and I totally enjoyed this dinning experience . And the next time am Home back in Edinburgh this will be my first stop. The severe and staff where wonderful. I love this place it is also very cheap in price!!!

If this place gave frequent flyer miles, I'd be well on my way to a round the world trip. I've eaten my body weight in their tasty Malaysian treats a few times over since discovering Kampong Ah Lee 5 or so years ago. The flavours that await you inside are just as bold as the red and yellow exterior that brightens up Nicolson Street. This isn't michelin dining, but neither are the prices. It's authentic, hearty food served up in a cafe style setting. Service is usually straight to the point rather than overtly warm but that suits me just fine. I'm here for the eats, not the small talk. For the uninitiated, Malaysian food is a bit of a melting point of asian cuisines - Indian meets Chinese, meets Thai, meets my mouth. I've slowly worked my way through the menu and there aren't many dishes I wouldn't recommend. Personal highlights are: Roti canai - Flaky, buttery roti with a Malaysian curry sauce for dipping. Beef belly curry - slow cooked and melts in the mouth every time. Sweet & spicy prawns - prawns bigger than your finger in a sticky (but not gloopy) sweet sauce. These are served up in their shells, so avoid if you're not a fan having to get your hands dirty before you can tuck in. Curry Laksa - a big huge curry noodle soup bowl. More than enough for two if you can cope with sharing. It's so good in fact, that at least a couple of times a year I go into panic mode fearing that someday it may close and cut off my fix. Not that this seems likely as they are going from strength to strength and building something of a monopoly in the Malaysian eatery scene in Edinburgh. From this small cafe they've now grown to 3 locations across the city. But better safe than sorry though - get along or I'll hold you all personally responsible if there's a big Kampong Ah Lee shaped hole in my future.

You have to be greatful for people to suggest places you would never dream of going. Kampong Ah Lee is one of them. It looks pretty rundown from the outside which for me would be an instant no-no. I've watched too many 'pest ain't best' kind of showsand lack of maintenance to the establishment tends to be one of the key indicators. But, thankfully for an unofficial Yelp gathering last night and the reviews that had been posted prior to my visit I had the chance to tickle my tastebuds at a place I would never have ordinarily picked for myself. It's a well known secret - every table was full last night - on a Tuesday! The Roti Cenai starts you off as the meal intends to go on - full of fire - but my only wish would be that the delicious curry sauce was slightly thicker to dip my chapatti-like flatbread into. The boy discovered oil cooked rice is delicious (I felt every delicious bit of cholesterol through every bite of rice) and I don't think anyone escaped the chilli-fire that breathed it's way through every dish. For me, the sea bass (complete with head, for those of a sensitive nature) with tom yum sauce was stunning - the sauce was fantastic and the fish beautifully cooked. For what we ate, the price was pretty reasonable and you can see why the place is so popular. The downfalls - not too many to be honest - one would be that I had no idea what half the meals were (there was one along the lines of King Kang....chortle) which without having the staff go through the menu line by line made it a bit harder to choose - although google helped me when I checked the online menu in advance. But take the plunge, you might find you will like it. The other was that staff were pretty abrupt, so wasn't ever quite sure they had my order (they did, I'm just paranoid). But overall, it is definitely a gem, and glad Joe A. introduced us to it!

It was with great joy and laughter that I came to experience Kampong Ah Lee with some of Edinburgh's finest a couple of weeks ago at an "all welcome Yelp meet up for dinner" - note to self; think of a snappier title. Whilst I was at first surprised (and perhaps a little concerned) by the cafe stylings of Kampong, the food more than made up for it. I feel the need to repeat that last sentence. The food MORE than made up for it. Joe A highyl recommended the roti to start with, and Jurgen D and I weren't arguing! Now I've had roti before, and I mean loads of times - and for me it's never really had the same draw as any other kind of accompanying bread; always just... plain and boring. The roti at Kampong though was enough to completely change my opinion of asia's favourite unleavened bread - it was fresh, delicious and served with a side of curry dipping sauce that had just the right mix of spice and flavour to accompany bread that would have been good enough to eat on its own. Whilst most others round the table went for exotic named and looking dishes, I (being full of a cold) plumped for the rather unimaginative chicken curry noodles. Of all the dishes, this was perhaps the most ronseal of the lot - it did exactly what it said on the tin. The chicken wasn't flavourless pieces of breast meat, but chunks of chicken akin to those seen in any number of asian chop shops around the world; full of fatty bits and bones yes - but all the tastier for it. A good sized portion was offered and the noodles and dry sauce were just right for this (what would be considered in other places to be) boring dish to be something that I'd order again. It didn't matter all too much that it was just before pay day either as the menu ranged from £7 for my chicken curry noodles to Jenny L and Catriona C's £12+ fish - something for everyone then; providing of course that you can figure out what it is you're ordering off the menu!

Tried to find the location in the arcade on 8/22/2018, but based on not being able to find it and the most recent reviews being a couple of years old, we believe that that location is closed. Walked to this one about 0.6 miles away, and waiting for food now -- looks promising so far. Update: the food here was delicious and reasonably priced. My partner doesn't generally like pickled (SE) Asian vegetables, but said that the achar was the best pickle he'd ever had. Pretty delicious, tasted like a peanut sauce with sweet rice wine vinegar and sambal olek. My anise and ginger duck was great as was his pork belly and noodles. Wish there was a Malaysian restaurant like this back home.

This Malaysian take away on Clerk Street is a welcome change from the slew of Indian and Chinese take aways surrounding it! It's evening got a raving review in a newpaper stuck in the display window. The menu is not as easy to decipher as I would have liked, and some of the dishes are so foreign to the westerners palate you can tell they've maintained a lot of the authenticity of Malaysian cuisine. I was adviced to order some Roti Cenai, basically a flat bread with came with an awesome curry sauce. I'm also a big fan of coconut rice in any cuisine, and had that with a delicious chicken curry, which I think was called Kari Ayam. It was a great food experience all over, I just hope I'll be lucky with the menu again next time!

Perfect taste. Much like the fried chicken with coconut rice. The waitress is very nice.

I've heard tales of Malaysian Delight. I've heard Chinese whispers that have made it all the way west to Glasgow, that this place could rival the infamous Asia Style. Could it be true, I thought? Having walked past this joint numerous times I never once realised it was in fact a restaurant. From the outside it just looks like a bog standard take away. But you'd be a fool (as I am) for thinking so. Its a pretty basic, canteen style restaurant, but its clean with a homely feel. We opted for the classic Malaysian Roti and Chicken Wings to start. Followed by an aubergine and minced pork stir fry with coconut rice. It was all pretty delicious, roti wasn't as light and fluffy as I would have thought, and the chicken wings we ordered were not the ones that arrived, although they were great all the same, so no drama. Grub was washed down with a big pot of tea for a quid and the final bill was delightfully cheap. Another visit will help me establish if its any better than it's western foe, but I certainly won't be walking by this place again without diving in for a good nosh.

I haven't eaten this good Malaysian food outside of Malaysia ever. I had the char kway teow, absolutely wonderful. My boyfriend had the chicken curry mee, also very very satisfying. It's a small restaurant and very nice staff.

I just ate at this place last night but will definitely be returning in hopes of eating every item on the menu. it was that good. I had the laksa with the big noodles, spicy. it was my first laksa experience after hearing that this is THE laksa place in edinburgh. DELISH. hugggeeee portion, more than one shrimp, scallop, mystery meat, crab inside. it was never ending and the noodle portion was nuts. it took me an hour to eat it and i have picked up on the scottish speed eating habits, so that says something. it was full when we got there- so you may want to opt for takeaway if you live nearby. attentive staff. huge menu and literally everything looks amazing

Adore this place. Truly, absolutely adore this place! We made a visit to Kampong Ah Lee last night to celebrate our first wedding anniversary with full intentions of having a feast. Definitely not disappointed! For under 30 quid, we had more than enough tasty food to stuff ourselves full. And the food was delicious. I have two pet peeves concerning Asian foods in general in the UK: 1) the flavors are often a bit muted, and 2) from dish to dish, there tends to be a lack of variety in tastes. The food at Kampong Ah Lee easily cleared both of these hurdles of mine--not only was the food very well-spiced, but each dish also had its own, distinct flavor. YES. So refreshing to eat here. I especially recommend the roti canai here--I could honestly sit down with just four servings of it for myself. The waitstaff were courteous and helpful (and prompt!), but not at all overbearing like how I feel it they can be in a lot of restaurants around here. Honestly, we have no complaints at all about this place, and plan on visiting again over and over again. Great value for great food! PS: If you live further west in Edinburgh, you can opt to go to Kampong Ali (on Fountainbridge), instead! It's their sister restaurant, and we loved it there, too, the one time we went.

One of my favourite questions I get asked about my travels is 'what was your favourite meal?'. Hands down, the answer to this is Beef Rendang; a Malaysian dry curry I discovered, funnily enough, in an Asian food court in Sydney of all places! And as testament to the dish, if I was blown away by a $4 food court hot plate version of this dish.... boy, I had NO idea what was coming to me from an authentic Malaysian kitchen! I have to say I'm disappointed by the lack of Malaysian restaurants in Edinburgh. Old Penang closed down recently, which leaves only 2.... and I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever even remember the name of the other one because Kampong Ahlee is deeeelightful!! Stopped by for lunch yesterday, ready to have my first authentic Rendang, and if disappointment is London, my reaction is Tokyo! Absolutely stunning food. I clearly made the right choice as both my eating partners ended up resenting their own selection after tasting my exquisite Beef Rendang! I also had a starter of Roti breads with curry dipping sauce... a little heavy, one would've been enough but that's hardly a complaint is it? Honestly I couldn't see how I was ever going to try anything else off the menu, until the table next to ours was presented with a dish of Malaysian Spicy Fish.... the WHOLE fish! Looked amazing... my next visit is decided! Quaint little place, low on frills and high on quality food. As for staff, well you get what you give.... we had some good banter and the waiter was happy to join in. Decent prices considering the standard of the food. Another of those little Edinburgh secrets as it really is a case of blink and you'll miss it if you're passing (pretty much opposite the old Odeon) as it's flanked by Newington's vast selection of off-the-wall trinket shops. Find it. Try it. Love it.

I am so glad there is a good place for Malaysian food in this city. We have come in twice now and both times, I have really enjoyed my dishes. First time I had the curry laksa which was plenty spicy even for me, and I love spicy! Their roti was also very nice though I wished there were more roti in each serving. The second time we came here, I ordered the prawn noodle. Yes I do love my soup noodles. And this was delicious. The soup was so full of prawn flavor. Yum and they were quite generous with the prawns too. And all the prices are reasonable too. Definitely will be going back soon!

Oh Ma Po tofu how I love thee. So... is it me or is Edinburgh finally getting it? At this fine little establishment there's heaps and heaps of tofu deliciousness filled dishes for me to enjoy. Now don't get me wrong there's plenty of veggie goodness all over the 'burgh... but what self respecting date of mine wouldn't love some hearty beef meat? Ill tell you. None. I like me some cavemen-lumberjack types... so I can't help but want to be the dainty animal-loving lady accompanying m'lord who obviously hunts and eats his own food... preferably with his bare hands. This place allows for that. I can have a perfectly heaping plate of bean curd and vegetation while he knaws at some gristle. (Can Scottish East Asians PLEASE start calling it tofu? Bean curd and fermented bean curd sounds so - gross.) And... they're both delicious. And they give me chopsticks. 'Cause just 'cause I'm a nerdy white girl doesn't mean I don't know how to use chopsticks - thank you for understanding that. And the rice dishes come with - What now? What's that you say? Oh, yes... rice (no charging extra!). I will be back early and often for all sorts of curd-y delights. Happy belly.

Deciding to try Kampong Ah Lee under the advice of a Malaysian friend I was confident I would be in for some authentic cuisine. I chose to ignore the shoddy toilet facilities, lack of music, and incomprehensible waitress as the food was all top notch. I tried the Malaysian Roti for starters (a light fluffy bread with a spicy, coconut dipping sauce) and then followed that with the Beef Sambal (fried beef in a hot pepper and onion sauce). All tasty stuff and atypical to many other Asian cuisine restaurants. The restaurant is tiny and often busy. The food is inexpensive and I can assure once you've fathomed the menu and necked a few Tiger beers, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I've only ever been to Kampong Ah Lee once and it was delicious. I'd heard rumours of their laksa (I love coconut milk in food very much), but never managed to get there until after going to a massive poetry event at Queen's Hall. I was starving, so that probably helped (since we all know hunger is the best ingredient), but getting handed a massive bowl of laksa (and I'm talking HUGE) that I only paid 6 pounds for, was definitely a highlight of my year. That might be an overstatement. It's a teensy restaurant, and it's quite popular, so sometimes you might find that you won't get a seat. We were lucky since there were only two of us. The service was really quick, and even though I managed to spill water and lassi everywhere (over the table and myself), they didn't ridicule me or make me feel guilty, which is always a plus. I definitely recommend going. Give yourself some time to look through the whole menu (it's overwhelming how much tasty stuff they have on it). And maybe go with a smaller group so that you're guaranteed a seat.

Ate here last night with a selection of Yelp Elite and friendly alcoholics :) This was my first jaunt to a Malaysian restaurant in Edinburgh and im please to say it was a happy one. This places delivers simple food that is packed full on flavour I started with the roti with curry sauce, roti is as simple a bread as you can imagine served with a small pot of sauce that initially blows your head off then you adjust to the hot, sweet and powerful taste of the chili's. Very nice! I then had a dish from the Malay specials, aubergine with salted fish and minced pork. Cracker of a dish, beautiful soft aubergine with flakes of fish and pieces of octopus, with the pork in the sauce was reallya great dish. For me could have used just a touch of sunbal but really very nice. The service was pretty good, you have who I presume is the owner out front serving everyone with his wife and daughter manning the bar. If I had to criticise..... would this woman please smile!!! She has a look on her like you wouldn't believe! But really im all about the food and it was good, not unreal outstanding but really good meal at a good price. Jd = happy man!

I not sure what to make of this place - Kampong Ah Lee is a very traditional Malasian take aways and diner which serves big portions of what I can only assume are traditional Malasian dishes - they are very tasty and more than something different if you seem to always be eating Chinese take away and need something different, I cant remember the name of what I had to eat, but it was full of prawns and possibly even chicken and had lots of noodels cooked into it and spices. Yum! The trouble is though that even with the big portions of good food, the price of this place is expensive. Also, staff are a bit on the grumpy side, but that is just a minor annoyance.

The Char Kweh Tieu was quite good. Nice wok flavor. Was more chicken than seafood though. Would order again. The roti canai was okay. It resembled onion pancakes more than the puffier and lighter roti canai that I've had in before in other restaurants in Singapore and California. Curry sauce was nice though. Nasi Lemak was also just OK. It was supposed to be coconut rice, but it just seemed like regular long grain to me. Did not notice any coconut flavor. It came with some fried anchovies, peanuts, a bit of pickled veg, 1/2 a boiled egg and some chicken curry.

Hidden away up in Newington behind an unassuming shop front, this little gem of a restaurant could easily be described as buried treasure. It's the sort of place you can easily walk past without going in; the interior isn't pretty, and it doesn't look much from the inside, but once you're in there you're in for a treat! I would recommend the rendang beef. My best friend from high school was very annoyed when he read my review of Kampong Ah Lee and realised I'd been without inviting him, and without ordering Rendang Beef. Their noodles can be a bit greasy, but I do love greasy noodles. It's perfect for some late night soul food.

Kampong Ah Lee is my favourite lunch time restaurant in the university area. The food is Malaysian cafe style. The room is tiny and maybe a little cramped. If your new to this type of food try the Nasi Lemak or Nasi Goreng. The food is on the spicy side but not killer. Wash your food down with chinese tea or one of the sweet gloopy fruit concoctions.

Having never had Malaysian food before, I was a tad reluctant to try this place out. Thankfully, my Malaysian friend convinced me otherwise! You may be tempted to turn on your heel and leave as soon as you enter this establishment, but persevere and you should be happily surprised! A definite must have is the Roti Cenai...2 very puffy, and tasty Roti bread served with a curry dip. I would suggest sharing this with a friend with your main meal as its quite filling. After deliberating over the extensive menu, filled with chicken, meat, veggie, rice and noodley dishes, I decided on chicken curry rice. Doesn't sound too exciting, but was mega tasty. Big chunks of chicken sat on an abundance of rice, onion and carrot, covered in a dry curry sauce. Noms. It's worthwhile to note that the chicken comes on the bone in big chunks, you won't know what part of the chicken you're eating, but the taste is worth it. The pearl tea is also pretty cute :) Price wise, not too expensive at all. Worth a wee look,

Nothing brings as much delight as Kampong Ah Lee Malaysian Delight! Nice starter of roti followed by very flavorful beef rendang. Oddly, I had to order rice separate for it. The wife had the laksa noodle soup with a nice kick to it. Definitely winners for these Malaysian specialties!

I loved this place. I had rendang beef and my husband had drunken chicken, and we shared roti cenai. Everything was amazing. The rendang was pleasantly spicy without being too hot. We also had pearl milk tea and it was some of the best I've had in Edinburgh. Service was great and very quick. Will definitely try to return soon.

I was craving Malaysian food while in Edinburgh, and this place did not disappoint! The laksa curry and nasi lemak were delicious and authentic. It's a tiny place being ran by a family. Please give it a try if you want to get a homecook style Malaysian food.

I was glad to be able to visit this place on my short trip to Edinburgh. We really enjoyed the roti chennai. I was really excited to see teh tarik on the menu but sadly it didn't taste much like the real thing. On the whole it was pretty tasty, but just didn't quite taste like home (maybe I'm asking too much?)

When I first went over a year ago, the prices were reasonable. Prices have been going up quite a lot and food standards have been dropping. Their noodle soups are still reasonably priced, but of poor value -- the meat and ingredients are typically of very poor quality, e.g., rough, dry, tiny. Satay chicken are dry, hard, and very pricey. Meats in dishes are quite sparing in amount. I wish there was a good Malaysian restaurant in Edinburgh. There is another with a very very limited menu, but higher quality. We will visit Kampong Ah Lee now only if I am very desperate now. If they could improve their quality or lower their prices back to a reasonable level, we would come back.

Really great Malaysian restaurant/ cafe. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food is great with a good range of choices and well priced. More of a cafe/ snack place rather than an smart evening restaurant, but still a great place to try some different food.

flavorful "spicy chicken fried with coconut rice"-not too spicy-- an excellent dish. the "teh o ice limau" drink tastes like orange marmalade in water-a bit bitter... the drink was not cold. the hakka pork noodles was tasty but too salty

Absolutely smashing and very flavourful beef rendang and traditional roti. Took it for takeaway.

Delicious food! The cafe atmosphere is perfect for a pre theatre/festival show meal. The dry curries are amazing and really different. best noodles in town and lots of interesting choices. Some of the coconut soup base dishes are a little heavy and sickly. I recommend having the bubble milk tea which is a really interesting treat.