Ma-Makan

I came to this restaurant with high expectations, especially for the elusive Laksa, which everyone claims is delicious. Upon arrival, we were greeted with cheerful smiles, which initially made us feel welcome. We ordered the Laksa and "fried chicken." When the Laksa arrived, I tried it, and to my surprise — as someone who is native to Southeast Asia — it was completely bland, though the shrimp broth was noticeable. Naturally, I asked the waitress, who had greeted us so warmly, for extra salt and sugar. Her reaction? A look of complete bewilderment, almost as if I had asked her to solve a math problem on the spot. Keep in mind, I wasn’t complaining or angry, just simply asking for a seasoning adjustment. Next, the “fried chicken” was essentially battered chicken wings, thickly coated with flour. My expectation was a drumstick, but I suppose my standards were too high. While we were still eating, the same waitress came up to us and asked, “Are you ready to pay?” Perhaps she was having a rough day, having just dropped a bunch of glasses and plates, but this question — blunt and without any pretense of politeness — was uncalled for. What really struck me, though, was how she then approached the table next to us — a non-Asian group — and, with a warm smile, asked, “Would you like to have dessert?” I kept my cool, paid my bill, and thought that would be the end of it. But no, the waitress came back with the card reader and casually mentioned, “You can leave a tip: 10%, 15%, etc.” And instead of turning her face away or offering any semblance of warmth, she stood there, staring at me as if monitoring whether or not I’d leave a tip. Spoiler: I didn’t. Would you tip for flavorless food and service like this? After I paid, she turned her back and snatched the machine without so much as a “thank you” or “goodbye.” I wasn’t angry, just disappointed. Then I looked up reviews on Google and discovered I wasn’t alone. Other native Asians reported receiving the same treatment, feeling like they were being treated differently from locals. Quite ironic, considering this is an "Asian" restaurant, right? One last surprise: I found out through Instagram that this very waitress holds a position at the restaurant and has been there since its pop-up store days. Hopefully, my experience was an isolated incident, and no one else will have to endure such indifferent service. But, if anything, this makes me wonder: if we want Asian cuisine to be appreciated by a wider audience, shouldn’t the hospitality reflect that too?

We wanted to try something new and “hawker style Malaysian and Singaporean cuisine” definitely was new to us. 😆 The menu kept things simple with about a few appetizers, about 4 main dishes and a few desserts plus whatever is the special. So we could pretty much try it all. 😁 While this was a plus, I have to admit that we were rather underwhelmed by some of the dishes. For some rice with simple sides, the pricing didn’t appear quite appropriate to us… I do however recommend their pandan and rum cocktail/ longdrink. That was delicious! 😄

I have been here multiple times and at this point have tried all the veggie options they have! The curry is usually spicyyy, the crispy tofu is delicious and if you like congee this is the best and most delicious one I’ve found in Berlin. Make sure you have space for the sago pudding at the end. I’m rating it 4stars as I find the food a bit overpriced, but worth it for me personally as the cuisine has unique flavors and it’s a one of a kind in Berlin.

A must visit place that's gotta be on your list if you are craving from Chicken Rice. This place literally brought back all my memories from the time I was in Singapore. One additional thing I was amazed by was the memory of our waitress. We were six people and she took our order without a pen or paper and got it right to the last dish. Overall, really amazing food served by people with a smile!

This place serves the best laksa in Berlin—absolutely worth the wait, even if it's just once a month. The anticipation makes it even more special. The staff here are always incredibly friendly, which adds to the overall great experience.

Wonderful experience at Ma-Makan! I have many of the top allergies and it’s not always the easiest to dine out, especially when traveling into a foreign country. However I am so glad google reviews led me to this restaurant. The service was amazing and the hostess, server, chef and even the owner came out to double check with my allergies to make sure I am able to dine at their restaurant. Since it was laksa week, they didn’t have their hainanese chicken but made a special rice dish that had everything I could eat, which I am SO grateful for. This type of care for their patrons and people is what makes this restaurant stand out. Thank you!

Very cute spot with nice food - the haianese chicken rice was good as well as the crispy tofu dish. The dessert was an unexpected taste with a mix of sweet and savoury that paired together really well

We had the Kaya Toast with butter, Sago Pudding, Nasi Goreng and Hainanese Chicken Rice. There is not much to say. Every dish was really good. The people working in the restaurant clearly care about the dishes served and it’s reflected in the taste. Doubt you can go wrong with anything in the menu.