We enter Ning at 7pm on a Wednesday night and I?m immediately surprised ? it?s busy. Nicely busy, bustling busy, not oppressively busy, something one could easily attribute to the relaxed, spacious layout (cramming you in like the proverbial sardines they are not). Granted, it is coming up to Christmas, but I?m informed that such mid-week patronage has not been unusual in the two years, almost to the day of our visit, that the restaurant has been open. Two years very well spent, it seems.

We?re shown to our table and left with menus to peruse. Looking around, they use the space well ? large, floaty drapes hang over most of the windows, reducing the ?animals in a zoo? feel that you might otherwise get from the large expanse of glass looking straight out onto the street. The lighting is subtle but adequate and the colour scheme, a dark pink (nicer than it sounds) and black, provides a chic but friendly ambience.

We decide to experiment and order a bottle of Monsoon Valley (?15.50), a Thai white wine, neither of us having tried Thai wine before. It is brought promptly and is surprisingly palatable ? light, citrusy, slightly floral, well chilled. The menu is helpfully laid out with South East Asian cuisine novices in mind, the Malaysian dishes separated from Thai and others. Malay seems to be their forte and this is confirmed when we ask the waiter for recommendations (which come knowledgably) and after a light grilling of one of the proprietors, who spends the evening on the restaurant floor subtly making sure everything is running smoothly. Their head chef and joint proprietor is Malaysian, the staff are Malaysian and their food speciality is Malaysian. They will be focussing the restaurant more in the future, away from Thai. Keep it simple, do what you?re good at ? this is one of the things they?ve learnt in the last two years.

I start with spring rolls (?4.95), a good indicator dish, and my dining partner chooses Roti Canai from the specials menu (?4.75). The rolls are hot, crispy on the outside, moist in the middle, and come conveniently halved to allow a good dip in the accompanying tangy but well matched sauce. The Roti Canai is ?unlike anything I?ve ever had before,? my companion informs me. ?I can?t decide if it?s a dessert or a starter,? she says, tearing off chunks of the slightly sweet, pancake-style flat bread and dipping them into the generous bowl of curry sauce they come with. ?No, definitely a starter, once you add the sauce,? she concludes. The sauce is so good and flavoursome that I finish the second half of my spring rolls via the bowl.



Roti Canai and its bowl of heaven


Spring Rolls

Service continues to be attentive, with fresh cutlery being produced and us being asked whether we were ready for the main course. Not something you?d normally get but convenient this time as toilet breaks were required and it was actually a nice touch.

My main of Kori Kapitan (?9.50) came from the specials board and was a spicy but fully flavoured chicken dish, fresh green beans and carrot adding nicely to the mixture, with soft jasmine rice needed to cool the tongue slightly ? just about right for me but certainly be cautious if you?re not a fan of the spice. The sea bass (?12.95) similarly lived up to high expectations, being perfectly cooked and accompanied by spinach and a light sauce.



Kori Kapitan


Sea Bass

We were stuffed but managed to sample a trio of desserts ? a mini Christmas pudding specially sourced for the season, a small pineapple tart and Seri Caya, a traditional Malaysian sweet cake made with sticky rice. The Christmas pudding, while obviously not a traditional Malaysian delicacy, is surprisingly light and worthy of the waiter?s recommendation. The pineapple tart is tangy and crunchy, finished with a scoop of wonderful vanilla ice cream, and the Seri Caya a sort of custardy, Blancmange style creation in bright green (yes, bright green). Not as unashamedly sweet as the others, and perhaps not best eaten with such sugary friends, but a nice finisher for the meal nonetheless.



Trio of desserts

Our meal came in at around ?60 for two, including wine, which we would consider well worth it, but there are cheaper options in the form of a rather good two courses for ?10 promotion, as well as set menu options. Relaxed and friendly with fresh, authentic, flavoursome dishes, Ning is quite a gem and adds a touch of class to the Northern Quarter?s dining options.



Ning

Ning also run Malaysian cookery classes on Saturdays, with small groups joining the head chef in the Ning kitchen, and also provide bespoke catering services for parties and special occasions. For more details see their website here.