What's a Roti Canai Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

[Jeremy Iggers]

Stopped in for lunch at Zake, the new Japanese restaurant that recently replaced Musashi at Sixth and Hennepin in downtown Minneapolis. My shrimp tempura bento ($9) box was nothing to write home about, or come back for: a couple of halved strips of breaded shrimp, plus somewhat greasy slices of onion ring, yam and taro fried in tempura batter, served with white rice, vegetarian egg roll and a few skimpy slices of California roll, plus the usual green salad with ginger dressing and bowl of miso soup. I didn't sample my companion's sushi lunch special ($10), but it looked like the standard selection you find in supermarkets and all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants: tuna, salmon, shrimp, California roll, etc. Zake, incidentally, does offer all-you-can-eat sushi and steak for $25, nightly from 5-9 p.m.
But I did spot one dish on the menu that piqued my interest: an appetizer of roti canai, a flaky flat bread served with a spicy dark chicken curry ($4). Roti canai has Indian origins, but it's very popular in Singapore and Malaysia - you can also find a pretty good version of it at Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine on Eat Street.

I was curious enough to ask why a Japanese restaurant with Chinese owners was serving Malaysian cuisine, and learned that one of the owners, May, (at least, I think she is one of the owners) is originally from Malaysia. Could she prepare other Malaysian dishes, like curry laksa or beef rendang? Yes, she could, May told me, but she would want to have a party of at least $10 people, and a day's notice, and she would charge $15 per person. (It's not clear how many dishes that would include, but it sounded like several.)

That sounds like it might be worth a try - if you are interested, drop me a note, and one of these days, I'll see if I can round up a party. ([e-mail].) Of course, if the owners read what I wrote about their bento box, the whole deal might fall through.

Zake also offers a Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 1 p.m. Sushi for $20 a piece and maki for $4, domestic beers for $2 and martinis for $4.

Zake Japanese Restaurant, 533 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, [phone].

[Dave B]

Jeremy, I'm assuming you liked the roti canai? You didn't say in the article. Was it better then Peninsula's?

[Jeremy Iggers]

I liked it. It was pretty comparable to the roti canai at Peninsula, though I can't say for sure whether it was made by hand. (At Peninsula, you can watch the cooks toss and stretch the roti dough.)

[Paul Boyum]

Mr. Iggers, I know you and have respected your written word for over two decades. Thank you.
With that said, Chef Chang Tung Xu , as well as I, were very interested in your review of Zake. We were a bit stunned that May, Seong C. Cheah, was offering the Chef’s menu items at Zake. It is my understanding that Seong C. Cheah prepared sushi at one point in her life, but she was never involved in menu development at Peninsula Malaysian Cuisine. I have been blessed to work with many of the great chef’s in the Minneapolis metropolitan area and I will tell you that a title or nametag does not make you a great chef. A true Chef has a passion and inspiration that drives them not just for their own ego( wow! I can’t believe I just wrote that), but to create joy in everybody’s life who crosses their path or doorway. I have never worked with a Chef who was so committed to his art. He runs a great kitchen, in fact you can see for yourself, because the kitchen is open to the dining room. After the Chef and I read the article we decided that imitation is the best form of flattery and that made us feel that all of the hard work and unending hours we put into Peninsula day after day is worth the reward.
With warm regards,
Paul