Also my husband's favorite Hainanses chicken place! Every time go there, we are so happy! Best boneless Hainan chicken in town! Ginger sauce is very good too! Chicken is very soft and juicy, in good temperature! Mouth watering meal! Roti canai is very good too! Good much with dipping curry taste sauce! We go there once in a while!
If you love hainanese chicken, you definitely have to come to Mamalee's and try it out. The restaurant is very small, and there is usually a line but the wait is never too long. We usually order a full chicken plate with a drink. The laksa is also quite good, but the real winner is the chicken, the best we have tried so far in the city. Prices are fair, service is average. We would recommend the chicken and we have been back a couple of times.
My favourite Hainanese Chicken Rice place....boneless, soft, tender, never overcooked pieces of dark meat chicken....soooooo yummy. Can't say the same for the rest of the menu, tho'.
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This place is my favourite place for hainanese chicken. It's flavourful, moist and is just really satisfying. The chicken here comes with a spicy sauce and ginger sauce, cucumbers, rice, and daily soup. This is what I always get, but this time we tried out a few other things as well. We got the roti canai and the chee cheong fun (original flavour). The roti was good, but it came with way too much sauce in my opinion. But I guess it night be good for those who really want to soak it in. The chee cheong fun was alright. Nothing too special about it, I just wanted it because I hadn't had it in a long time. Except I did think that it would have peanut sauce too but I didn't really taste any. I'm not an expert with this dish so I don't really know what the sauce should be like but I remember having one that had peanut sauce at a different place. So I guess it just made me assume, but the dish was still good.
The place here isn't big at all. Be prepared to write down your name and wait. Service was pretty good even though it was busy. This is definitely a place I'd come back to.
Went to check out this place to see what the hype was about. We were lucky to get a table for 2 when we arrived at around 1:30 pm. At around 2 pm there was a small wait out the door. The place is fairly small and when there is a wait, it gets fairly crammed as there is not much of a waiting space.
Hainanese Chicken with rice: the chicken is boneless which is great. The oil rice was a tad dry and felt they could have given more sauce, especially for a large order. The sauce is everything!!
Seafood Laksa: loved the combination of egg noodles and vermicelli. The soup base was a little disappointing as I felt it was a little watered down and could have been bolder in flavour. It came with 3 small prawns, 3-4 pieces of imitation crab meat and a tofu puff cut in half.. didn't feel 100% satisfied.
Beef brisket curry: tasted more like a tomato based stew. It came with 3 small pieces of brisket and the rest was potatoes. Was definitely not worth $13.
Overall it was OK.. a bit overrated...
One of the best places for Hainanese Chicken and Laksa. That is pretty much all that we order when we eat here (hence all the similar pictures taken on multiple visits).
The chicken is boneless, moist and juicy. Whether you have the seafood or chicken laksa, the broth is very clean with good flavour. I wish it were more spicier (but that's my own personal preference - spicier the better).
Mamalee has the best hainanese chicken rice and laksa in Vancouver. Their chicken is cooked perfectly and it's flavours go really well with the rice and sauces that they add to it. Their laksa has a kick, but the flavour of the soup is to die for. Keep in mind that the portions here are not the largest, but you can fill the gap by ordering other side dishes or ordering a large size for the chicken rice or extra noodles for the laksa.
Finally came here to try out the Hainanese chicken and laksa to see what the fuss was about. We were lucky to arrive before the lunch rush, meaning before 6:00pm when your luck to get a table is maybe after 30 min or up to an hour wait. Also, being another chinese restaurant, this place only accepts cash and interact transactions over $50.00. So bring your cash!
We stumbled upon this tiny Malaysian eatery on W Broadway one night. The place was very busy during dinner time, as there was an abundance of both eat-in patrons and takeout customers. They even had a sign acknowledging that they were short-staffed! Although the service wasn’t the fastest, the staff was still very friendly and welcoming.
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We stumbled across this tiny Malaysian eatery on W Broadway one night. The place was very busy during dinner time, as there was an abundance of both eat-in patrons and takeout customers. They even had a sign acknowledging that they were short-staffed! Although the service wasn’t the fastest, the staff was still very friendly and welcoming.
We decided the order two of the most iconic Southeast Asian dishes: Hainanese chicken rice, and laksa noodle soup.
Hainanese chicken rice + soup ($13.50 for large)
The chicken-oil-infused rice is a borderline guilty pleasure. Once you start eating, you will not want to stop. It was nice of them to de-bone all the chicken! However, it does make the portion size appear smaller. We liked the contrast of the two dipping sauces (red = sweet and sour chilli sauce; green = garlic, chives, and ginger?). As you can see in the photo, they also drizzled sweet soy sauce all over the chicken. As a small nitpick, we wished the sauces were separated and served in small dipping trays. That way, the customers can have full control over what and how much they want to dip!
Seafood Laksa Noodle Soup ($10.95)
Soup: A little bit less viscous/rich than expected. In terms of consistency, I would say it’s between a pho broth and a Japanese ramen soup. The laksa soup was packed with curry and coconut flavour. Very tropical!
Noodles: It isn’t show in the picture, but the bowl contained three types of noodles: egg noodles, rice noodles, and bean curd strands. We really liked the texture profile.
Toppings: Shrimps, imitation grabs, fried tofu, and bean sprouts. Not the most extravagant, but delicious nonetheless.
Compared to the Hainanese chicken rice, we felt the seafood laksa noodle soup was a better bang-for-the-buck.
Environment: good for dine in and the place looks clean.
Food: the chicken rice is yummy. If you are a chicken rice fan it's definitely a place to go to.
There are some dessert options but I did not try. Maybe next time 😉 they have the hainanese chicken laksa noodle option too , which is different so I would try on my next trip.
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I've been REALLY into chicken lately. The other day I went to Whole Foods and ate an entire rotisserie chicken (and a full sized bag of chips) by myself - for lunch! Yea, I got quite a few stares :D. It wasn't all that great but it was comforting to know that the chicken was antibiotic/hormone free, ethically raised and vegetarian fed (yea yea, cue the eye rolls.)
...hey, this stuff matters okay!! ;)
Anyways, I finally made it out to Mamalee's the other day during one of my lunch breaks!! I've been dying to come here since it's so close to UBC!
Mamalee's is run by the same folks who run Cafe D'Lite in Aberdeen!! The last time I tried coming here I was with a friend ~ we were on the 99 bus and we were planning on going to Mamalee's for an early dinner after class, but we canceled our plans after we realized we had to walk 10 mins (in the pouring rain!) from McDonald Street to Mamalee's...we ending up eating at Crystal Mall instead!
I mistakingly thought that ordering half a hainanese chicken (for $14.50) would suffice. Boy was I wrong!! The thing was tiny! So I ended up ordering a second plate hehe. The guy was like "Is that to go?" ...why do I always get asked that?
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Mamalee is a popular Malaysian joint in Kits, they don't have very many tables, service and ambiance is minimal, but the pricing is fair and the food is pretty good as well. I also like that we put in our orders via dry erase menus.
We started off with the roti canai ($5.95). This was one of the better roti canais I've had. The pastry was crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. It was flaky and wasn't greasy at all. They also got the consistency and the flavours of the dip right. It wasn't too thin, and it was creamy and flavourful, with just the right level of sweetness for my taste.
Of course, we had to order Mamalee's most famous Hainanese chicken rice (reg $9.95). This plate comes with a small bowl of simple but tasty clear bone soup. The best thing about this Hainanese chicken was that it's boneless. Not only did it require minimal effort to devour, every bite of it was juicy and tender. The seasoned oil rice was fragrant as well, I love eating it with the ginger green onion sauce so I wish I had more of that in comparison to the sweet and sour chili sauce,which I don't care so much for.
We also ordered a curry beef brisket with rice ($11.95). The beef brisket and potatoes were soft and tender, but the curry was thin and watery. The flavour was decent, but it could've been thicker and creamier. I was reluctant about this dish as I questioned whether that shiny orange-y stuff was oil. Maybe I don't want to know.
We ended our meal with sesame glutinous balls (5pc $ 5.99) for dessert. These were nice and chewy and had a good ratio of black sesame filling to skin. I love how they have a coating of crispy flakes for extra textural contrast. Yum.
Mamalee Malaysia Delight was Cafe DLite but underwent rebranding in 2013 as a tribute to the owner - Betty for her spirit and heritage. It represents Betty's continuing commitment to an authentic Malaysian dining experience that is second to none. I have been looking for the best Hainanese Chicken in Vancouver and a lot of people recommended Mamalee. Since I was in the area, M and I came here to have a quick dinner.
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I went to Mamalee tonight and I can say I wasn't wowed by my experience. I mean, don't get me wrong, its good. But it falls under the classification of it either hits or it misses and that's it. I mean, we don't say going out to eat pho, "This kind of tastes like pho..." or "This is a good interpretation of pho." Hianese chicken in relation to my pho reference here is, you either expect it to taste like Hianese chicken or its a bust. Now I am not bashing Mamalee because it hits the mark. In fact, it was a good meal. The only thing is I compare it to Prataman (in Richmond) and yet the dining room looks much better than the dump that is Prataman; just because its boneless doesn't mean its necessarily better (which a friend mentioned to me years ago about Mamalee) and for 28.50 for a full order, it definitely didnt seem as transcendent as the price made it out to be; or even worth it to sit and dine nicer, padded chairs that are clean (unlike Prataman). I also ordered gai lan, rice and roti. Roti was on point, I would definitely order it again. Unfortunately, I ventured quite a ways to get to Mamalee and I wouldn't bother making the venture again if the star of the show (the Hianese chicken) is only a B-list celebrity. And the ginger sauce was green... It was like a puree. Isn't it usually a pool of oil, minced ginger and sliced green onion? The red chili sauce was really good though, ill say. Finally, when we say pho, there's a certain expectation, just like Hianese chicken. I am going to go back to Prataman soon so i maybe eating my words... It did the trick, but I wanted more than just pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
I've been trying to find the best hainanese chicken in Vancouver and looks like I found it. It's so good!
M and I got our separate plates of Hainanese chicken and then shared the roti. Its a small restaurant and its quite packed during dinner time.
This is like one of the hidden gem, I love their hainanese chicken. The rice, the chicken and the sauce I am still craving it. The reason I give it a 3.5 is because the a little bit dirty, the utensils are dirty and the bathroom is a NO! (It's so dirty and smells like fish). I didn't mind that the restaurant is small and that I had to wait a while because the food is really good, just for the food I will give a 4. Lastly the staff is really nice I really recommend it maybe just don't use the restroom :P
Famous for their hainanese chicken, this one dish alone causes a huge lineup every day. Prices are a bit high compared to other restaurants that serve the same type of food. This place offers a variety of Malaysian dishes and good refreshing drinks.
Busy spot, looks old on the outside but is modern inside. Awesome menu, good price. 2 people can dine for 25$. Come and support this great family business. Noodles are soft and delicious! 5/5
Mamalee is a small restaurant along Broadway, fairly accessible to UBC, that I’ve had on my radar for a while. Over the last year several of my friends have gone to study in Singapore for a term, and all of them have posted drool-inducing photos to their social media. A few of my friends have been to Mamalee lately and told me its fairly good, and in combination with all the amazing food photos I’ve been seeing from Singapore it was time to pay it a visit!
Probably the best hainanese chicken I've had, super smooth and the rice was really tasty. Roti Canai is always a staple when ordering Malaysian food & it didn't fail to impress but the price to portion ratio was a little off :( there wasn't as much chicken as I hoped
Favourite Malaysian Restaurant. Amazing chicken
Hainese chicken rice is legit.. The chicken...so tender. The rice...so flavorful. The sauces...perfect accompaniment. Also had some gailan, also very good. If you are a fan of Hainese chicken, this is a must visit.
Portion not right. The staff was mediocre, not doing a great job on service, but not bad neither. Food was good though, but I would recommend people who wants to order a whole chicken, pass it, save the money and order 2 large rice+chicken. The whole chicken turned out to be like half chicken, everyone on the table was like... really?!? it's even cheaper to order two extra large portion of rice+chicken, and you save money on the rice. It's something I'd do next time I visit.
Simply the Best Chicken. I live in Toronto now but every time I come back to visit Vancouver I almost ALWAYS go for some Hainanese chicken here. Why? Like my title says, it's simply the best. The meat is good, the flavour is good and they debone it for you. The "oil" rice is yummy as well. I have been coming here since the 1990s! (They did move location down a few blocks but the chicken remained just as good!).
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I remember this place back when it was on Willingdon (Where #1 Noodle house is now) Back then their special was also the hainanese chicken rice. So it was a treat to come here and eat it again. They've trimmed the menu down to mostly laksa and hainanese chicken with a bunch of drinks. (hence the 'cafe' name) Went with a group of people and we all had hainanese chicken. For $9, the price I feel isn't bad, since when you go to a restaurant and order a burger its around this price point anyway. The meat comes in flat slabs with the skin still on , and a drizzle of soya sauce on it, a bowl of chicken rice, and a thick soup. Eating this, and using their cheap plastic utensils made it feel like i was eating this in malaysia, at the cheap hokker plazas. I would definitely recommend this place, especially for the chicken. Also suggested you head there early, as it filled up quite quickly and by the time we left there was a lineup. Yum! :)
Sidenote, this is a small place so getting more than 6 people in here at once might be a problem.
Great Hainanese Chicken. They really have good Hainanese chicken and deserve such a high popularity! Went there for a few times but I can never get tired of this place! One great place for lunch =D
Not bad : ). Will go back for sure
Loved the sauce for the Hai nan chicken
Love the Bak Ku Teh a lot - I would say the best one I had so far. The Hananese chicken with rice (large) is a good size and very tasty as well. We will definitely go back again!
Delicious and Deboned :). I love Cafe D'Lite, and of course my favorite dish is their signature Hainanese Chicken. My favorite part is their dipping sauce, it's one of the best in lower mainland. On top of that, their chicken is de-boned for easy consumption. Their rice is also very good, it's taste rich and flavorful without being oily. Their laksa is also pretty good, flavorful and fulfilling.
The only thing is pricing, it has gone up quite a bit over the past few years, now a single serve Hainanese chicken is close to $10, but I guess good food makes up for the higher price. In the end, I would recommend.
Aren't you hungry already just by looking at the cover photo ? It is as good as it looks. Growing up in Singapore gave me the opportunity to taste authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice all the time and I can say Mamalee is one of the most authentic Mayalsian cuisines in Vancouver. Mamalee doesn't take reservations and for such a small space, there's always a line up. They also close really early, at 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends, which makes it terribly difficult for me to eat there. In fact, I went there 3 times this month and only got to eat their food once, as take out. The first time I went, they were already closed. The second time I went, their chicken was sold out. And the third time I went, at 7:30pm, and they have stopped accepting table guests, so we ordered take out. The line outside Mamalee half an hour before closing Simple interior I always always order Roti whenever it's available and I love Mamalee's Roti with its dipping sauce. Speaking of Roti, Kaya Malay Bistro of
When I have a craving for Malaysian food, “Mamalee” is one of my solid go to’s. I have been a few times and have had varying experiences. So coming in 30 minutes to closing, I was highly curious to see if their cooking standards would be maintained. Would the food be just as good now, when they have a shorten time frame and the desire to leave work on time? I don’t know if it was just that we were extremely hungry, but today’s visit was enough to change my mine on the place.
The restaurant was full. We weren’t the only ones trying to make it in before closing. We ordered and were given the warning that if we wanted more we had to ask for it now. The kitchen’s cut off was in ten minutes. We made it count, three dishes and two drinks for two girls.
I first visited, what was once called “Café D’lite”, over a year ago. Since then they have changed their name and rebranded themselves to more closely call upon their rich Malaysian heritage. It is now “Mamalee”, still serving the same Malaysian cuisine as before, but with a name that is a nod to its founder. “Mama Lee”, a hard working Malaysian mother of three, who came to Canada in search for a better life for her and her family; definitely a respectable past that deserves calling attention to. Since its opening in 1990, this little shop of Malaysian delights, have found a fan base of Vancouverites, who speak highly of their comforting food. Dishes so good that satisfaction can be found at the bottom of every bowl. I am proud to be one such fan, who can attest to the authenticity of flavours, only found in Malaysian cuisine. Meals skillfully prepared by a chef who grew up on the food herself; who now serves the same dishes of love to her customers, that she was fed to by her mother
I first visited, what was once called “Café D’lite”, over a year ago. Since then they have changed their name and rebranded themselves to more closely call upon their rich Malaysian heritage. It is now “Mamalee”, still serving the same Malaysian cuisine as before, but with a name that is a nod to its founder. “Mama Lee”, a hard working Malaysian mother of three, who came to Canada in search for a better life for her and her family; definitely a respectable past that deserves calling attention to. Since its opening in 1990, this little shop of Malaysian delights, have found a fan base of Vancouverites, who speak highly of their comforting food. Dishes so good that satisfaction can be found at the bottom of every bowl. I am proud to be one such fan, who can attest to the authenticity of flavours, only found in Malaysian cuisine. Meals skillfully prepared by a chef who grew up on the food herself; who now serves the same dishes of love to her customers, that she was fed to by her mother
Cafe D’Lite has changed its name to Mamalee Malaysian Delight . After they have changed the name, I have dined there and the quality is just the same as before:) ...Cafe D’Lite is the most famous restaurant in Vancouver west that serves Hainanese Chicken Rice. Yeah, I know. It looks sketchy outside. Crowded during lunch time. Very popular. They have renewed the menu recently. Lots of updates yay!! Since the Kaya Butter Toast looks very unique on the menu, we ordered it without second thoughts. However, the true self looks quite different from the picture of the menu… The taste is good. The coconut flavor is pretty distinctive and nice. Kaya is coconut jam, which is made with coconut, duck eggs, eggs, sugar and butter. Soup of the Day It comes with Hainanese chicken rice. Nice:) Ta-da-da!! Hainanese Chicken Rice Looks super tempting>3< Tender, juicy and boneless!! Really!!! Incredibly tender!!!! I really love their chicken but the
regular hainanese chicken rice (also comes w/bowl of soup) ($8.95) tender and de-boned chicken drizzled with light soy sauce. keep in mind that a characteristic of hainanese chicken is that it’s served at room temperature.
it was pouring heavily on the 7th of may. thankfully, alex was driving us around so after a visit to the art exhibition at granville island, alex decided to bring us to cafe d'lite. this is like back to square 1, home sweet home ! the place was not very spacious and there were very little tables to cater to many customers. the server was very rude and didn't pay any attention to us until we call them to make an order. it is just like any other singaporean restaurants with bad service, sigh. cafe d' lite 3144 West Broadway Vancouver, BC V6K 2H3 (604) 733-8882 View Larger Map 1st picture - my previous maids used to cook bobo chacha when i brought many friends home. since then, i have developed a huge loving for bobo chacha and i will devour it whenever the opportunity arises. a lot of my friends love cold bobo chacha while i
This is actually one of my favorite restaurants, because they serve the 'best' Hainan chicken in my opinion.
Perhaps its relative geographic obscurity on the far west side of the city, the unassuming and some would say uninviting exterior facade or just the power of rumors, but it seems to me that Café D’Lite has a unique impression in the minds of many Vancouve
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