london
Sambal Shiok
• Malaysian• Highbury
About the restaurant
Founder Mandy Yin grew up between Kuala Lumpur and the UK. She was a lawyer before she opened Sambal Shiok as a street-food stall in 2013, and then as a North London restaurant in 2018. Yin is one of a relatively small number of Malaysian restaurateurs in London, and Sambal Shiok flies the flag for a cuisine that’s still unexplored by many British diners, especially in comparison to other East Asian countries.
Arguably the region’s most famous dish is the warming, spicy laksa the restaurant has become known for. Other standout dishes at Sambal Shiok include the Malaysian fried chicken and satay sauce, and the Gado Gado peanut salad.
The restaurant’s dining room is small and cosy, in the middle of a clutch of great restaurants including Berto, Zia Lucia and Provisions. In keeping with those, you might find you have to queue at peak times.
Reviews from the Web
Critic reviews
The Nudge
Sambal Siok actually started out life as a street food stall, before progressing into a a pop-up restaurant.
The Infatuation
Sambal Shiok is a casual Malaysian spot serving dishes like fried chicken, salads with peanuts, and rice dishes. But, the real star of the show is the laksa - a noodle soup, with fireworks of flavour.
Time Out
The strongest dishes are the mains, which Kuala Lumpur-born lawyer-turned-chef Mandy Yin has clearly honed.
The Guardian
Sambal Shiok is a small neighbourhood restaurant that’s about to be visited by people from every corner of country in search of the cooking of Kuala Lumpur with a Penang, Malaccan and Holloway Road twist
- 171 Holloway Rd
- N7 8LX
- London
- +44 20 7619 9888
- Visit website
