You may know them as Smatra Curry House, a family-run affair that has built a loyal following for its Malaysian-Indian cooking, particularly its banana leaf feasts, flaky roti and richly spiced curries.
Now, that same food has found a permanent home, with MalayaLane opening its first restaurant in Edinburgh in Adelaide’s north.
Run by husband-and-wife team Geetha and Nithyaraj, MalayaLane is shaped by generations of Malaysian cooking.
“MalayaLane reflects the idea of a journey into the roots of Malaysian food culture, bringing traditional flavours into a modern setting,” Geetha said.
“Malaya” is the historical name of Malaysia, while “Lane” represents the small food streets where some of the most authentic and flavourful dishes are found.
“Our concept is rooted in Malaysian home-style cooking, which is generous, flavour-driven and comforting,” she said. “At MalayaLane, we want every guest to feel a sense of warmth and familiarity through food.”
MalayaLane represents the next chapter of their journey, which began with operating through shared kitchens, preorders and food festivals.
“Many people ask why we chose Edinburgh Central; it’s a growing area with a brand-new precinct and ample free parking.”
“We believe that good food is always worth the journey, and we’re confident people will support us.”
At the centre of the menu is banana leaf rice, a traditional Malaysian-Indian way of eating that remains surprisingly rare in Adelaide.
“It is one of our signature offerings, available every weekend and inspired by traditional Malaysian-Indian dining styles from Kuala Lumpur, PJ, and Klang.”
“It’s a combination of mixed curries like sambar, vegetable curry and fish curry,” Geetha explains. “You’ve got two types of curry, three types of vegetables, papadum, pickles and rasam, which is like a palate-cleansing soup.”
Some more must try street food inspired dishes include the Nasi Lemak Pandan, Mee Goreng Mamak, Curry puffs (sweet potato & sardine), freshly pulled Teh Tarik and a Bru Coffee.
Drinks follow the same cultural cues, with non-alcoholic options designed to cool and balance the meal, and India’s Bru coffee at the centre of it all. Dessert is none other than sweet ponggal, a traditional sweet dish made with rice, moong dal, ghee, nuts and raisins.
As a halal kitchen, MalayaLane is completely beef and pork-free, with plenty of vegetarian options available.
MalayaLane
When: Grand Opening will take place on 11 April, from 11am
Where: T05 Edinburgh Central 1–5 Sturton Road, Edinburgh SA 5111
For more info, click here.
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