Mamak Asian Street Food expanding
Six years ago, Mamak Asian Street Food brought Malaysian cuisine to a chic, sleek space in Mills 50. This week it announced its expansion.
The family- owned restaurant will be opening a second location next month in East Orlando — an 80-seat, 3,000-square foot space — near UCF at 3402 Technological Ave. A former Pei Wei, the location is adjacent to World of Beer on University Boulevard.
“My family was homesick for Malaysian food, and the home-cooked meals my grandparents used to make for us as kids,” co-founder Alex Lo said in a press release. “After living in New York and Cincinnati, we recognized the lack of Malaysian cuisine in Orlando, and my Mom, Dad, and I came together to open up the first Mamak.”
Signature dishes at Mamak include Southeast Asian street cart favorites as
well as Malaysian specialties. (Editorial aside, I love the original location’s kari mee soup, one of the reasons it earned its own special honor in this year’s Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards. )
Managing partner Jurel Serrana, an 18-year veteran of the Orlando-based Bento
group, will oversee the location, which will take a fastcasual approach due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an array of alternative, lowand no-contact options including a carryout entrance and mobile text-to-order system. Delivery via UberEats, Doordash, Postmates and GrubHub will also be available.
An official Grand Opening (look for specials and giveaways) will be announced once dining capacity restrictions have opened up further.
“[Mamak] is one of the very few places in Orlando to get Malaysian-influenced street food, and we hope expanding the concept will help enrich the local food scene even further, especially in East Orlando,” Serrana said in a press release. “Opening a restaurant during a pandemic is tricky, but we’ve adjusted to cater to the overwhelming demand for quick, off-premises options without compromising quality or service.”