Mama Yu- A taste of Indonesia in the Lone Star State

Restaurant: Mama Yu
10815 Beechnut Street, Houston, Texas 77072
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 8/17/14

Photo Credit: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/40/9c/d8/getlstd-property-photo.jpg

UPDATE 1/31/16: I tried their Nasi Padang Rendang a few weeks ago, which is rendang beef with vegetable curry, boiled egg, anchovy sauce, and rice. It was fairly decent, but I thought the Nasi Goreng Jawa was better. This was a 7.5/10

The Nasi Padang Rendang

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Sorry I'm writing so late. I just got back from my vacation visiting family in Kansas (reviews coming). So my last review before the vacation took me to a place that I had really wanted to visit: Mama Yu. Why so? Because it serves Indonesian food. Despite what it says on the board, the restaurant's specialty is the Indonesian food, and it is a cuisine that I had yet to try until that visit. My craving for food from the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore triangle started when I found out that Banana Leaf, a Malaysian restaurant, was not halal. This made me upset because Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, and regardless of the religion of the restaurant owners, almost ALL restaurants that feature a cuisine from a Muslim majority country is halal, at least here in Houston. My craving for it increased dramatically when this place opened up. I wanted to go much earlier, but last minute decisions that I had no control of had forced me to delay it. The time to FINALLY try this place came when my friend and I planned to hang out before I left for Kansas. We decided to go here before heading for some frozen yogurt. After he arrived, we went in.

Let The Experience Begin!

Mama Yu is located in the same strip mall as a gas station at the intersection of Beechnut, and Wilcrest. Inside was like any other restaurant: there was a TV playing and there were tables. You go up there, order, eat, and then pay. The owner let us take our time, since we were new to Indonesian food. 

Let's Eat!

I decided to try the nasi goreng jawa beef. Nasi goreng is basically Indonesian fried rice, and it is generally considered to be one of the national dishes of Indonesia. Along with it is a sliced tomato and a piece of cucumber. My friend got the chicken satay, which is literally chicken on a skewer stick with peanut sauce. We paid around $21, and the waiting time was approximately 11 minutes. To pass the time, we talked.

Menu: 

Indonesian (click to view): Appetizers and Crackers, Soup, Salad, Rice, and Grill, Noodle and Rice dishes, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Fish, and Vegetables, and Desserts, Beverages, and Catering

Honestly, I am very impressed by the wide variety of Indonesian delicacies offered at this restaurant. There are pictures of their Chinese Menu on their Facebook page.

The nasi goreng jawa beef

The Verdict:

Now in Indonesian restaurants, you traditionally eat it with your hand. It was not a problem for us as we were Indians from the same city (Hyderabad), and in that city food there is also traditionally eaten with the hand. The owner was impressed when he found out that we eat with our hands. After taking the first bite, I realized that these delays had paid off! The fried rice was better than most of the Chinese fried rices that I had eaten. The beef was tender and tasty. The egg was also really good. I had a skewer of satay, and that was also excellent. My friend also liked both menu items. Overall, two thumbs up

The service was also great! The owner gave us ample time to determine what to get and even made conversation with us.

Conclusion:

If you want to try some authentic Indonesian food, then this is the right place to you! If you are new to Indonesian food, don't worry, the owner will let you take your time and help out what the terms mean. But when you take your first ever bite of Indonesian food, you will love it! I'd definitely be coming back here and trying out other menu items

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 9.5/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Overall: 28.5/30 = 95% (A)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information: 

Mama Yu
10815 Beechnut Street, Houston, Texas 77072
Phone: (281) 988-5470
Website: None
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MamaYuRestaurantHouston
Timings: Mon-Sun: 12 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

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Cheers!
Zain Mohammed