Even Houston’s suburbs have their own Asiatown enclave. Set in an Asiatown 2.0 strip mall in the mega-suburb of Katy, Phat Eatery has emerged as a beacon of Malaysian cuisine, converting Texans to Malay flavors since 2018. It’s the brainchild of late founder and chef Alex Au-Yeung, a James Beard Award Semi-Finalist.
The menu here highlights the diversity and complexity of traditional Malaysian cooking. Highlights include the roti canai, an irresistible flatbread paired with curry dipping sauce, the beef rendang, known for its rich blend of spices and coconut curry, and the sizzling tofu. Malaysia’s various historic Chinese influences can be seen in a popular house dim sum platter with one-biters like har gau and siu mai.
The main attraction, however, is Au-Yeung’s pitch perfect rendition of nasi lemak, Malaysia’s aromatic national dish which features rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan, accompanied by chicken curry, crispy anchovies, peanuts, cucumber, and a fried egg, all served on a banana leaf.
In 2024, Houston’s culinary world mourned the loss of Chef Alex Au-Yeung, who passed away at the age of 52 after a private battle with cancer. His culinary vision and dedication to introducing Houstonians to Malaysian cuisine live on through Phat Eatery.
