My favourite restaurants: Abby Lee

Abby Lee’s food story starts on a stool behind the counter of her family’s bakery. ‘Pretty much as soon as I could stand, I was slicing bread in the bakery,’ she laughs. ‘They tried to put me in nursery and I was screaming to get out. I was like, “I have to be in the bakery!”’

That bread-slicing toddler grew up to run Mambow, the Clapton restaurant that has done as much as any in London to change how the city eats Malaysian food. The cooking is rooted in her family’s Peranakan - or Chinese-Malaysian - heritage, with a hibachi grill lending smoke to recipes she learnt at her aunt’s side.

The road there was anything but direct. Born in Singapore and raised in Malaysia, Lee moved to London for school at 15, a punk-rock fan desperate to fit in. ‘When I left, I forgot about food at home - I just wanted to assimilate into London,’ she says. Three unhappy years of an economics degree followed before baking gave her a sense of purpose again, steering her to Le Cordon Bleu and on to seven-day weeks in the kitchens of Puglia, including Michelin-starred Pashà Ristorante near Bari.

In early 2020 she opened the first Mambow in Spitalfields; two months later, the pandemic shut it down. ‘That was my lowest point mentally,’ she says. ‘I didn’t even know what I was cooking anymore… I hadn’t found my voice.’ She returned, dispirited, to Malaysia, where she shadowed her aunt through kitchens and markets, writing down every technique, and returned with a clear plan: Mambow would be Malaysian through and through.

The 2022 relaunch at Peckham’s Market Stalls stuck faithfully to family recipes and quickly won over critics and diners. By the time Mambow moved to a larger permanent home in Clapton in November 2023, Lee had loosened the rules, cooking with as much London instinct as Malaysian heritage. Its tables became some of the hottest in the city, and in 2025 she was the first chef interviewed for the SquareMeal AYALA Female Chef of the Year series.

Her favourite restaurants say a lot about how she eats on her days off. Plenty scratch a very particular itch: Penang-style assam laksa from a market stall in Holborn, nasi campur piled high before the lunch rush, and a husband-and-wife team putting their own spin on Malaysian classics. Away from the food she grew up with, there’s Hainanese chicken, lamb karahi, claypot dishes in a railway arch and a seat facing the kitchen at one of east London’s most sought-after trattorias.

Three Bowls, Clapton

Abby says: ‘It’s rare to find good Hainanese food in London, and this place doesn’t disappoint. It's real high-quality home cooking - I typically get half Hainan chicken, the Buddha vegan pot, Hainan fish pot, cucumber fungus salad and Hainanese rice.’
Where: 68 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN
Book now: Three Bowls

Yuki Bar, London Fields

Abby says: ‘Another spot that feels like comforting home cooking but in a more polished, chic setting, it still manages to feel cosy even though it’s in a modern archway. People might go for the extensive wine list but I’m there for whatever dishes are on the board that day. Especially for one of their claypot dishes.’
Where: 426 Reading Lane, E8 1DS
Book now: Yuki Bar

Afghan Grill, Bethnal Green

Abby says: ‘No frills, always hits the spot when I’m craving Afghan food, which is often. I would get the lamb karahi, kabuli pilau and chapli kebab.’
Where: 339 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6LG
Book now: Afghan Grill

Yun Gui Chuan, Brick Lane

Abby says: ‘The broth and customisable bowls is great, and I feel like I’m having a mini hot pot, it’s hard not to add every topping each time. The base I would go for is the green pepper. Japanese sausage is a must-have ingredient.’
Where: 76 Brick Lane, E1 6RL
Book now: Yun Gui Chuan Brick Lane

Tiella, Bethnal Green

Abby says: ‘Dara’s spot is just a warm hug, and I love that I’m able to roll in and sit in front of the kitchen. The ricotta with Calabrian chilli and honey with some bread, and the seasonal pasta would be my pick.’
Where: 109 Columbia Road, E2 7RL
Book now: Tiella

Dapur, Holborn

Abby says: ‘One of the few spots that can do a Malay curry to the depths of flavour I’m looking for. You do need to get there early before the lunch rush cleans out the options. You basically go for nasi campur, which is rice as the base and pick as many dishes you want with it. I would pick a fish, meat and vegetable for a good variety.’
Where: 13 Lamb’s Conduit Passage, WC1R 4RH
Book now: Dapur

7 Floor Malaysia Tea Room, Holborn

Abby says: ‘The only place in London doing a good Penang-style assam laksa. There’s also something nostalgic for me being able to order and eat from a market stall, especially if I’m feeling homesick. The prawn mee is a must too.’
Where: 78 Southampton Row, WC1B 4AR
Book now: 7 Floor Malaysia Tea Room

Duda Diner, Paddington

Abby says: ‘It’s nice to see others doing their own take on Malaysian cuisine, instead of just the classic dishes. Owners Hakeem and Zura give it its own energy too and create a vibe. I love the Duda Burger and ikan bakar!’
Where: The Pilgrm, 25 London Street, W2 1HH. Residency runs Wednesday-Saturday, 5.30-9.30pm, until the end of December
Book now: Duda Diner

For more chefs’ picks, see where Judy Joo goes for Korean food in London, or check out our interview with Farang chef Sebby Holmes as he picks his top five restaurants in the country. If you want to browse all our chef interviews and profiles, just hit the link.