LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Borneo Eatery
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No matter how many new streaming series pop up on Netflix each week, almost everybody has a show they watch over and over again. You’ve memorized the jokes, know every punch line, and have charted each crucial plot point from season to season. And yet, it’s impossible to get tired of it, because it simply makes you feel good. We have a similar relationship with Borneo Eatery.
The casual Indonesian/Singaporean restaurant in Alhambra serves the kind of rich, decadent food that, in just a few bites, makes even the worst stretches of the week feel manageable. Call it comfort food if you will, but it’s the reason we return to this spot again and again.
Now, Borneo's space is by no means a remarkable dining environment. Save for a wall of brightly colored doors that don’t open, the dining room is fairly sparse and straightforward. There’s gray linoleum flooring and scattered tables you can push together if you come with a big group. Old fluorescent lights flicker overhead. Servers promptly take your order and are rarely seen or heard from again. These are just quirks that don’t matter in the long haul. What does matter is the incredible food coming out of the kitchen.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Boneo's menu is large and you’ll find memorable, rich and savory dishes on almost every page. If you’re looking for a true center of gravity to build your meal around, go for the Singapore laksa mee. This glorious bowl of spicy coconut curry soup has a vibrant bright orange broth and comes filled with plump shrimp, fish cakes, fried tofu, and a marinated egg. This isn’t just the best thing here, it’s one of the best things you can eat in the city of Alhambra (or maybe anywhere in LA). From there, add smaller dishes like the meaty, peanut-covered satay or the flaky roti prata served with chicken curry, so that everyone at your table can tear and dunk to their heart's content.
If you’re alone and not looking to order like you’re a family of four, the nasi lemak, known as the national dish of Malaysia, is a complete meal on a single plate: crispy fried chicken, curried vegetables, spicy anchovies, toasted peanuts, and a marinated egg surrounded by a beautiful mountain of rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan. This dish is particularly good for takeout, because as everything accidentally mixes together in the box on the drive home, it tastes even better.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Singapore Laksa Mee
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Roti Prata
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Chicken Satay
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Hakka Noodles
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Kwe Tiau Goreng
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Nasi Lemak