Uncle Lim's Kitchen in Croydon

This is a little gem among the many eateries in South Croydon. Went there with the wife and son, had laksa, rendan beef, nasi goreng and rice, wash down with a mug of Malaysian milk tea. Authentic street food and price, wonderful, worth going back again and again.

Went to visit my son in Sourh Croydon and chose this Malaysian Restaurant for a pre-Chinese New Year lunch together with a friend. Wow! What a find. The food was delicious cooked just like the food in Penang. Best Malaysian food ever. Just as we like it. Not too salty, everything just right. Freshly cook and very tasty. Thourougly enjoyed every dish we ordered. For starter we ordered spring rolls and chicken satay. For mains, we ordered prawns and French beans in sambal sauce, red dates and fried tofu with sauce, Fried Singapore Noodles with chicken. For drinks we have tea Tarik and Tiger beer and for pudding, we have bubur cha cha. We enjoyed the food to us is value for money. I am a very fuzzy when it comes to food. It has to tasty with quality and I do recommend this restaurant without any doubt if you fancy an authentic Malaysian food. Very friendly and accommodating. Will definitely visit again whenever we are in South Croydon.

Note they have moved to South Croydon, food as good as before. We generally visit on a monthly basis. Spicy Nasi Goreng Seafood.

Uncle Lima is a quite and quaint place that is just starting out. The menu is very limited at present but the owner and chef is going to expand once he can. The food we had was the nasi lemak and chicken noodle soup. I have to say these dishes were definitely homely, fresh and piping hot. The soup had a lovely broth albeit a little salty but I like salt so I didn't complain. The nasi lemak we asked for it to have no prawns and an extra egg, which they were happy to cater for. The nasi lemak was flavoursome and once again homely. It was a little samey after a while and could have done with a sauce. Maybe a peanut sauce to change it up a little. I do highly recommend this place as authentic and good for a quick meal at the end of a cold and annoying day.

I enjoyed going to Uncle Kim’s Kitchen. Food is delicious. Never disappoint. This is my normal meeting place with my friends. Most of my friends like to eat malaysian food.

I was with my Malay wife in Croydon to visit the UK govt visa/residency offices. Afterwards we strolled about to look for somewhere to have lunch and were really surprised to find this place in the Whitgift Centre. It's laid out like a genuine Malay/Singapore food court/coffee-shop. A counter area and then tables and chairs in front. I had a fried chicken kuay teow and my wife fried prawn mee siam. She also had a freshly made hot lemongrass drink which was nice a refreshing. All very authentic indeed and good amounts of chicken, prawns, tofu and so on so filling. They weren't serving from pre-cooked tureens at the counter but instead cooking to order. So the counter looks pretty bare. Also, not serving on plates within the premises but take away and also served up in the same containers to diners at the 6 or so tables in front on the quiet shopping centre walkway. My wife knows the cuisine inside-out and I lived out there for years too and I can say the cooking is very well done. We'd ordered 'spicy' dishes and it enough spice for us both for lunchtime. Another nice point, it was cooked to be quite low-salt. Salt can always be added so low-salt is a better starting point in these most health conscious days. They also do fresh made 'cook in' sauces to take home. We bought three, 1) curry, for the classic Malay chicken curry with potato. 2) rendang (for beef or chicken) and 3) sambal (chicken mostly IME, but fish etc also, it's versatile). We ordered those while having lunch and they were ready and packed within 10 or so minutes. ps. You might want to take some bag/container to carry the packs upright as they were in lidded plastic tubs, not screw-cap or similarly secure. Friendly service. Quite quiet while there at c2.30pm. The shopping centre was so much quieter than I recall from years ago but this retaurant deserves to fully re-open and thrive again as it's the real deal and with each main about £7-7.50 good value as the portions were deceptively big in their tubs! I suprised myself my totally cleaning up with hardly a pause. Point#2 re: healthier style it was nice to see there was zero sign of any residual frying oil in the pot. I nearly bought the laksa noodle soup, another favourite. I saw a bowl being taken to the adjacent table and that looked spot on, from the big bowl used to the chunks of tofu and garnish on top. Almost worth visiting again from central London just to give that one a go.

I Visited this lovely place when they were doing takeaways , just after lockdown, and i really hoped this restauraunt wasnt going to close , when the resturaunts opened up again, i took two old friends there as I missed my Laksa so much. I went there the first thing i could when the restauraunts opened . My Brother firstly introduced me to Laksa soup ,and I always have the prawn less spicy one , but its the most delicious soup ive ever tasted, and im hooked ! In Uncle Lims Kitchen which has mostly Malaysian diners, the food is absolutley delicious , and its out of the way on the top of the whitgift centre. The best Laksa soup ive ever had , I thouroughly reccomend this lovely out of the way place .

My first bowl of Laksa was at Katong Laksa, I have been addicted ever since even though it can be too spicy at some times to be tolerated. If Laksa is on the menu, it has to be ordered. Since then I have been compiling a singamalay series on my blog and openrice but after a few, you get to know what a good one is from the presentation and taste. I got a fair share of Singaporean and Malaysian Laksa in Hong Kong even though some places may have closed for good and new ones have popped up but in the UK I have not tried many. Before I go, I usually check their menu and photos to see if its the real deal. The laksa at Uncle Lim's looked the part with thin rice vermicelli, tofu puffs in a strong looking broth. On the menu they also had mee siam and prawn mee which show they serve truly Singmalay dishes. Visited Uncle Lim's and ordered the Laksa. When it came, it looked consistent just like the photos with that strong looking broth and lots of tofu puffs. The rice vermicelli was not too spicy followed by an aromatic broth, taking a sip of the broth I realized it was quite spicy. Overall, it was really good and tasted how it should be so next time I will be trying another noodle for comparison. On a side note, as I was paying through card, I had to use the order from table thing but I didn't have the internet so it was helpful that they helped me through with ordering and then I entered my details. The only scary thing is the card payment so hopefully their phone didn't get hacked or I'm in trouble. Anyway time will tell, so next time I will have some cash ready to pay.

Pros: Cheap Lots of food Comes with a drink Good service Food on demand (since 2020, before the food was pre-made like in a school cafeteria/ canteen) Cons: Food takes a while to be made (since 2020 and the ban on seating at a restaurant) Too much food per portion Food quality has declined since 2020 due to lockdowns and ban on restaurant seating No where to sit because the seating area is shut No toilets so you have to use the shopping centre toilets on the 2rd floor The location of the restaurant isn’t easy to notice if you’ve never been there before (it’s on floor 1 of the shopping centre)

Stopped here while out in Croydon. We actually thought it was closed but no definitely open. Freshly made and tasted amazing. It is very authentic and the staff very friendly. We would definitely come again and I recommend. There are a few tables outside or they do take away.

Love Uncle Lim's I wish more people knew about it. NASI LAMAK is absolutely delicious. I loved it. I have spent a lot of time in Malaysia and it is just as good. GOGOGO

Only open when the Whitgift Centre is open so no good for an evening out. But if you want authentic, good quality, reasonably priced food at lunch time this place can't be beaten. Strongly recommend.

The food here is DELICIOUS. I've been here about seven times, and I usually get the seafood mee goreng, which is so flippin' good. It costs £7.30 for one bowl of seafood mee goreng.

Being on holiday in Malaysia before, that is why I am the perfect person to give a review on this Malaysian food court style cafe on the 1st floor of Whitgift Centre So I have tried their Wat Tan Hor & Curry Laksa, and also ordered Teh Tarik a famous Malaysian drink. I can confirm if you want to eat traditional Malaysian dishes and you live nearby Croydon, Uncle Lim is a Malaysian Cafe that you definitely need to pay a visit.

Food is generally good here although on my last visit, I asked for spicy and it was non spicy. And there was too many spring onions in the dish. But others dishes I have tried are nice. The service needs improvement. On my last visit, my dish came out and I'd eaten 3/4 of it and then my wife's dish came out. Can't understand why they didn't come out at the same times as they were both noodle dishes.

On the afternoon I was here, a man-fan was eager and emphatic that he wanted laksa, a lady, was finishing and saying goodbye to staff on first name terms, a delivery biker seemed to be ordering his own lunch of choice between gigs. There is no ground level sign-posting which is a bad deal for all the rent paid to the Whitgift landlord. Be a pioneer , locate the ground level escalator between Clarks shoe shop and WH Smith, go up turn immediate left and left to the end, it will match the website photos. There is an Information desk, but it is even more hard work to give you that location All the banks are in the street, this is a cash diner.There is plenty of air and space, it is open to the sunny shopping mall glass roof on the inner balcony or you can relax inside in the calm shade. There is plenty of room to lay down your shopping acquisitions after cash ordering or have a rather informal meeting. My priority choice is a la carte, freshly hot wokk-ed to order any time between say 1.30 pm and 3pm. The only dish I order is Char Kway Tiaw, graded spicy with seafood. This plate of hot and tasty contains silky rice flat noodles ( shaped like gluten-free tagliatelle) spring onions, crunchy bean sprouts, a mix of prawns calamari and maybe the bouncy sliced deep fried fish cake/loaf. This taste , in my own opinion, rich complex and most importantly, complete, with the sambal made of chili confit garlic and hopefully dried shrimp. If you grew up with or love West African Shito, the umami of paella, incidentally vegan broad bean chili (dau ban jeung) or Thai and Pinoy shrimp paste, this is it. I have my groove here and I’ll stick with it. Second choice would be the canteen selection at bargainaiteous cash prices, see the website for current . I strongly suggest turning up around midday or even 11.30, as that is peak choice and peak freshness of all the vegetable selections, once it’s gone it’s gone. This is no all day buffet set up. It is pork free. Only soft drinks on sale. Whilst this is not certified halal, take a look at the Halalguy or Mr and Mrs Halal blogs for comments on national Malaysian flavours generallyFor me, I am relaxed about vegetables, no way will I eat sweet potato (except in Malay bur bur cha cha dessert or Pinoy Halo Halo), I like the canteen lunch green beans and aubergines here whether it is midday or 3pm, if they still have any. As for their lamb curry in this canteen set up, it is a rare gem to have fully marinated Malay style meat on the bone, it is best for me, later rather than at midday, so the curry gets more intense, and, working a full set of chop sticks fork and spoon will mean you grab every delicious meaty shred, you might hit the tiny bone marrow jackpot by pointing to choose on ordering if you know the anatomy.The Char Kway Tiow with dessert, a piping hot bur bur char char was a great sit-down lunch with some change for £10. This dessert is like a dairy free custard or very light rice pudding in texture, added bonus of fibre rich carbs and not heavy at all.I do not use take away from any eatery. So eco ! –end-

Visited here a few times whilst I was living in London in my search to have some rendang from everywhere in the country. Rendang was lovely and so were staff - I think I went during a quite quiet time. They gave me containers to take my food home & had a little joke about whether I thought meat in rendang should be crispy!

I absolutely love this place but disappointed they have stopped serving the prawns. Great value too. PS toilet is not out of order, the sign is simply to discourage passers by from using facilities only.

My family and I decided to go to eat at this place as we had just done a lot of shopping and were tired. We arrived and ordered the food on display. The food tasted horrible and was cold. The owner got annoyed when we asked for it to be re heated. I do not recommend this place as the radiator is hanging of the wall, the toilet is out of order and the staff are extremely disorganised.Plus the staff are very unfriendly towards their customers!

I went looking for this place... and it was still surprising to find it! It is open sided in a shopping centre near the doors leading to the pedestrian area outside... so warm in winter it isn't!The food though was terrific! Authentic nasi lemak, and I cannot wait to go through the rest of the menu!

Worst food in ages in a disorganised and uninspiring place. Avoid the pre-prepared food as it is horrid.

Authentic and delicious at such a good price. Had the prawn mee and mixed rice and all was very tasty and comparable to home. Would definitely come visit again!

On a business trip to Europe for months and want to have some Asian food. Found this little joint and was pleasantly surprised. Ordered the Hainanese Chicken Rice plus some curry - taste was great and more importantly, quite authentic. Price is reasonable and it was a joy on a Friday afternoon.

Highlight lunch of the day was what my husband ordered -hainan chicken. I had a taste of it, the chicken tasted freshly cooked the rice was also nicely cooked in broth. Twas lovely. Wish I ordered that.

We love going back to this place for its food & the value for money service. Definitely recommended!

This is our lunch canteen when we were in Croydon you can either go for food that is already prepared (like in a school canteen but hey what you see is what you get!) or go for the cook to order stuff like laksa / Singapore fried noodle (authentically spicy) or Lasi lemak etc.

We eat here sometimes. The food is very nice and reasonably priced you also get a drink. The restaurant is in the Whitgift Centre with a nice atmosphere.

Nunca he notado este maravilloso lugar ya está metido en la primera planta del centro whitgift. Justo detrás de la señal. Según mi hermano ha sido allí bastante tiempo. Pero él me convenció para probar una sopa de verduras laxa. . Él tenía la carne picante que es demasiado picante para mí, pero la sopa estaba deliciosa. Y una se presenta con un tazón de tallarines verduras muy grande de tofu y pescado y gambas en un líquido cremoso de coco. . Fue encantador. . Se lo recomendaría a mis amigos en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. . La única pena es que no está abierto por la noche como el centro whitgift está cerrado. . Toda la comida parecía bueno y todo el mundo parecía estar disfrutando de su comida.

Gran ubicación. Buena parada después de ir de compras. . . xx ya que este sitio es dentro de las instalaciones de Whitgift Centre. .

Probablemente uno de los mejores chuletones Koey Teow que he tenido. La única cosa que faltaba era el cheong olímpica (Salchicha china). Tuvimos el nasi lemak, así que también estaba bien, pero el arroz estaba un poco mojado. El tarik era buena pero demasiado hielo, así que siempre pide menos hielo. Ojalá se pudiese agregar en soya en su menú para completar la experiencia de Malasia riendly personal y, en general, una 7 / 10.

Este lugar es bastante impresionante para el Reino Unido, un montón de platos malayos estándar están en oferta y son muy buenos, mis favoritos son mee goreng, kway teow (ambas versiones) y nasi goreng. Sin duda el uno (y sólo) luz brillante en Croydon. Siempre voy para una comida del menú y no creo que la comida parece tan atractiva. contador

Buena comida. Me encanta el cordero al curry. amor de calabaza al curry. He disfrutado de reuniones aquí con mis amigos. El dueño es encantador y acogedor. la señora es un poco gracioso cuando pedimos a nuestro té de calentar en el microondas. Ella necesita atención al cliente utilidades.

Very good texture of chicken. Very tender. Fantastic, all for a decent price. Probably the best Hainan chicken rice in London.

They've not improved. Still like a prison canteen. Really horrible food. Really bad. Stale...rotten...sort of thing you'd avoid giving to a dog.

En mi experiencia las gambas Mee es maravilloso. Pide picante y un plato (gratis) lado de sambal.

Like the title says. Very poor quality Malaysian food. Just a bit rotten, old, stanky...putrid.Feels like you're in a Malaysian prison canteen. Not like a restaurant.Meat is all frozen first...just a bit dirty all round to be honest.If you know Malaysia and Malaysian food you will be shocked by this place.

Every time I visit Croydon during lunch time , I always make for here.Im a bit boring because i always have the same dish...Curry Laksa.Most asian restaurants I visit for lunch, i have similar. To me I alwayscompare against this dish and no one iI like better than Uncle Lims.Its placed in the whitgift shopping centre on the top floor.The down side to this place is that they don't seem to put heating on in cold weather and the service is basic but very clean.Looks like new table and chairs.It is clean and always busy so that says a lot.

I wanted a quick tasty lunch and as I'm off to Malaysia later this month I chose Uncle Lim's. My selection of salt & pepper squid and sambal prawns sounded great but this counted as a large meal, which came with rice or noodles and a soft drink for £7. The noodle serving was fairly large but a mean portion of squid and maybe 6 prawns. Nothing really had any flavour - maybe it was the anglisized version. I also found it very greasy and left most of it. No glass either to pour the can of coke into.

The Whitgift Centre has seen better days. A smart and efficient Thai with waitress service closed a year or two at the other end of this rather soulless complex. This self-service caff serving Malaysian food out of plastic troughs is no substitute. It's remarkably cheap. I don't think I paid more than £6 for my choice of lamb curry with rice, a vegetable and a can of Fanta orange juice. But the lamb comprised mainly of bones, the rice was adequate enough but there was hardly any choice of vegetable as one plastic trough only had half a green bean left, a second of potatoes which had completely disappeared, so I opted for a portion of yellow goo which was said to be lentils. There was also an absence of some cutlery, namely no knives. When I complained at the till I was told not that some more were being washed and would be with me shortly but that they had run out. Tough! Nor did a side plate for my prawn crackers which I therefore had to eat straight from their plastic bag. And of course no glass for my orange juice.

This is somewhere different to pop into for lunch when shopping in croydon. Interesting mix of Malay/Singaporean dishes on offer, however the menu is a little confusing, also doesn't actually list everything available!They have a number of pre prepared dishes displayed in the glass counter; these are the ones of offer as a 'small' or 'large' meal deal which comes with rice and a drink. They also have a number of cooked to order rice and noodle dishes, which is what I usually opt for. Most recently tried the nasi goreng, which was tasty however the rice to chicken ratio was too high. Also the chicken pieces had been chopped so small (literally the same size as the rice grains!) that they were undetectable in the dish!I think if they could improve on aspects such as these and reflect all their options on the menu this place would be so much better.

the food is bland with little choice. The tables and chairs are more like a "transport" café. No atmosphere. Ok for a quick meal if you are not fussy

I often work in Croydon and want something a bit different to the normal sandwich or wrap for lunch.Uncle Lim's has a buffet and an a la carte menu.The buffet menu is great if you fancy something hot and flavoursome for lunch.It's cracking value, the fish and meat dishes are absolutely bursting with flavour.My only advice is to avoid anything battered as it can get a bit dry in a buffet situation. But TBH you're much better off trying the more authentic dishes rather than the anglicised battered option.The teas are amazing, well worth trying something you've never had before.It's such good value that it gives an opportunity to try all sorts of food and tea without costing the earth.

I recommend laksa and nasi goreng ! Really big portions . The place is not quite a fancy restaurant (it's in the shopping mall) but you should go there and taste the good food of Malaysia !

When not at the home of Nasi Lemak - this is thw next best thing and the great thing about this is that it is situated in South West London and not in Chinatown, thereby being a very convenient non zone 1 location. The prices are reasonable and the taste will satisfy some more!There are a variety of Malaysian flavours on offer to accomodate varied tastes - perhaps missing tandoori style chicken, and possibly roti canai, however I wouldn't expect this within a Chinese Malaysian food outlet (Mamak). The Teh Tarikh & Nasi Lemak are a hit everytime. They even serve Milo Ais & Laksa!

My wife (who is Malaysian) and I visited this eatery twice over the Christmas / New Year period, though we don't live close by and have no other particular reason for visiting Croydon. She thinks it is authentic cuisine and loves the food. I prefer the food here to other Malaysian eateries I have visited in the London area. The portions are a good size and I like the beef rendang and chicken in back bean sauce. The two meat/one veg option for £6 is good value.Like most Malaysian eateries, this doesn't serve alcohol - soft drinks only.Also to note that the toilet here seems to be permanently out of order.

One of several Chinese restaurants in and around the Whitgift Centre. The food is authentic, but far from superior. But then the price is very reasonable, so why complain.

Good choice of food at good price. Ideally situated to pop into whilst shopping. Roomy and airy and you can watch the world go by below

Fantastic local Malaysian food. If you have ever tasted hainanese chicken rice in the Far East and miss it, this is the place to go . Uncle Lim cooks and serves this delicious place on the Friday I visited.

Tried the food from counter...Food is okTheir combo menu options are not very attractiveMy wife and daughter liked the food very much...I felt bit costly for me.

Tucked away in a mall, this no-frills restaurant provides a variety of dishes that are very close to the real traditional dishes that you would find in Malaysia. I have tasted the same food in Malaysia and at Uncle Lim. I'm very impressed. Whether you choose to have the laksa (curry soup dish) or mix and match from the display, it's not going to disappoint. Excellent value. Been there twice and I'll be going back there again.

This is one of my favourites places to eat in Croydon. In fact one of my colleagues had recommended this restaurant to me and I thought let's give it a try and from the onset I have been very impressed with the Malaysian food. As a result I regularly eat there or if I have very limited time during the lunch hour I will order a takeaway. It is a very cosy place with staff mingling with the customers which is a plus in my book .The staff are very friendly, warm, attentive, and willing to guide you on what is on offer and in my case has given me the incentive to try something else that is on the menu, I have already recommended this place to family, friends and colleagues.

A nice little cafe with a reasonable varied menu. Good value too,you can choose from the main a la Carte menu or the medium or large lunch meal deal. The medium meal deal is a choice of rice or noodles, a meat or vegetarian main dish, a vegetable side dish and a drink for £5.80. My Husband and I usually find this choice to be ample for us. The staff are friendly and the tables are clean. My only gripe is the toilet always seems out of order lately.

This great cafe tucked into a corner of the Whitgift centre is not to be missed. It offers authentic Malaysian food, reasonably priced in a Malaysian cafe style atmosphere. Service is quick and food is tasty.

No frills delicious Malaysian food. Option of ordering off specials menu or the buffet style and both looked good! We had mee Siam and nasi lemak. Tasty sambal! Also had teh Tarik and milo ping. Run by Malaysians and as good tasting as back home. Def my go to when in the area.

Best malay food i've had in ages, I took my Malay mother and she said that the chefs specials were just like home. The venue reminds me of a typical malaysian cafe, no frills just great food and service really friendly and child friendly

I went to Uncle Lim's for lunch for the first time and liked it a lot. It serves tasty authentic Malaysian food at reasonable prices in simple but pleasant surroundings. I chose food from the buffet but you can also order from the menu.

Honestly while eating the delicious Nasi Lemak at Uncle Lim's I couldn't tell if I was in a foodcourt in Kuala Lumpur or in Croydon. And this wasn't just me, my whole family felt the same way. The taste was in fact better than what's commonly available at the foodcourts in Singapore. Truly a hidden gem for Malay fast-food. Sadly Whitgift is apparently going to be torn down to be replaced by a Westfield. I hope Uncle Lim's stays on.

Uncle Lim's isn't a fancy meal out but a great spot if you are looking for a taste of SE Asia. Malaysia has some of the best food in the region and Uncle Lim's offers a nice taste of it.Situated in the Whitgift Centre in Croydon - it is in my opinion the best option for lunch in the area. I had a plate with noodles, beef rendang and Malay style aubergine. I like my food super spicy and sadly this was a bit toned down to the UK market it was still tasty and will prepared.There is tons of choice, portions are more than reasonable in size and the service is always with a smile.A great lunch spot in an area over saturated by chains.

While getting my chicken rice fix here at the weekend I noticed a sign on the counter saying that they were being excluded from the shopping center redevelopment plans. I really hope they don't get squeezed out in favor of the usual chain eateries. The food offered here makes a fantastic lunch and is so much more interesting than the other options. Eat here before it's too late and sign their petition to stay open while you're at it!

My wife and I went here for a quick bite on a Saturday afternoon and were very surprised.The food was great and the service basic, it was cheap but tasty and a place we will surely go back to very soon. Here's hoping they have a place in the new centre once complete.

The meat dishes were dried, so much so the diced fried poultry was hard and pieces got stuck between our teeth. The toilet facilities were less than basic.On the a sign written by hand stated: "OUT FOR ORDER", which has been there for 3 years and more. No doubt to deter customers from u it. Which works to deter, so that they use the facilites provided by the shopping centre! I ventured on this occasion to test the validity of the OUT OF ORDER statement since I have seen customers and staff in the pass ignore the scare tactic, (and even one person being permitted to use the toilet after pointing to the deterrence notuce.) After going through first door I entered room. In front was disabled toilet door. I entered, and switched on the light. There was a clean WC facility. But no toilet paper no hand towel! Their holders had no bottom part to keep any paper. They had been removed so nothing could be placed. WC frushed... I used my own tissue paper. The tap water bearly trickled out. Out of the Disabled Toilet to its left was what look like the 'ABLED' person toilet, a arrowed door, with now familiar hand written OUT OF ORDER scare... Is this what the staff use?

Yes - Malaysian food & not that many pure Malaysian eateries around - one up for Croydon as there are a few; friendly Malaysian or Malaysian like people - the chap ahead of me hadn't realised it was cash only when paying for his food - he was told to eat the food nevertheless and then go to a nearby cashpoint and bring the money when he was finished.Have used this place quite often over the years - location is central to the shopping area which is when I would use it. Cafe style - offering consistently good large platefuls of Malaysian standards for a more than reasonable price.

woke up wanting to taste laksa today and was suprised i had been walking past Uncle Lims for quite a while, have to say the location ( open fronted shop bit ) will be better suited when warmer weather comes along but the food more than made up for that.. large choice of dishes including my other fav chicken and rice.. of course had to go for the laksa and will be a regular here just for that... cash only but the dishes are very resonable so not a problem..

Went here for a lunch. Its a little bit out of the way tucked into a corner on the first floor of the Whitgift centre but well worth searching for. A big plate of Rendang beef curry, rice and vegetables in chili later I rolled out very happy with life. Why people eat in bland fast food, chain burger places when for a quid extra you can eat at Uncle Lim's is a mystery to me.

So far, I've been there a few times and every time was an enjoyable meal. They serve generous portion and authentic Malaysian cooking.First time, I tried their pre-cooked dishes - despite some of the choices look average, I was spoiled with many many options. All tasted good.Second time, I've ordered the Hainan chicken rice - slightly disappointed as I was expecting the style I was used to in Hong Kong (with three sauces and pickled). Their one mainly served with a sweet soy sauce. Nevertheless, it's still a tasty chicken rice.Third time, after watching program about Thai and Malaysian food on telly, I was craving for that intense prawn flavour - so, I ordered the Prawn Mee and was thoroughly satisfied. Despite I can tell the prawns were frozen, they still tasted alright and the soup base did offer that intense prawn flavour that I was craving for.Certainly will go back.

You cannot beat this for genuine Malay. Probably the only place in Croydon that does Malay food justice, and the only thing that they are missing is Roti Canai, which I hope one day they get, even if it is the packet ones.Kuey Teao is awesome here.. and good value for money. People from a particular Large company in this area eat here religiously, and this company has been here for nearly a century.Cant go wrong here, order off the a lacarte mentu to get the best food.Going for chicken rice!

Decided to try this place after reading about the chicken rice on some blogs. The place is tucked away in a quiet corner of the Whitgift mall. There is a selection of ready cook meat and vege dishes which reminds me of chap fan back home.Malaysian hawker food rice and noodle dishes are also available for order from the ala carte menu. The chicken rice was acceptable, it would be better if they provide a bowl of soup with it.The prawn noodle was not bad too, not quite as authentic and similar to what is served in Malaysia.

Croydon is not the gourmet capital of Surrey and the setting in the Whitgift Centre shopping mall does not inspire confidence. However, cheap and delicious Malaysian food makes this my favourite place in the area. The pork dishes are very tasty and the salty ribs are also praiseworthy. Be warned it is cash only

I've never tried the precooked dishes in trays but I have been working my way through the specials and I love them. To be able to get decent Malaysian dished like Nasi Lemak and Laksa for lunch at such reasonable prices and huge portions is fantastic. My wife also rates the Hainanese chicken rice - again cooked Malaysian style. They even do a decent Teh tarik cuppa.It may be informal canteen-style dining but the food here outshines the majority of overrated Chinese and Thai restaurants I’ve been to in London – which is a lot.

Terrific location on the first floor of the Whitgift Centre.Food is OK too.However, as others have said before, the service was a bit abrupt. Pity really.

Tout etait trop bon les plats sont a 5 pounds, le resto ferme a 18h30, on allait en prendre a emporter pour manger a notre hotel, il est situé au 1 er etage du centre whithgift centre, les parts sont généreuses. Ce sont des plats malaisiens, certains sont halal. Regalez vous

This is the best fast food Malaysian food place to eat in Croydon. Go here at least 3 times a month. It's not just made up for westerns to eat, it's the real Malaysian food, go hear with my Malaysian friends.have made good friends with the owner,she and her staff don't have to ask what I want to eat most of the time,very good value off the price and very good big helpings. Try it and you will be back again for sure.

I can’t fault it, its really superior food, so close to home it feels like it’s been cooked by my own mother. It has real authenticity, they are consistency and the staff arereally polite, I normally visit this restaurant when i go shopping in Croydon, i have gone there more than 10 times. I have no complaints whatsoever. I would recommend it to friends and family and will continue to go back.

Food was very tasty, will definitely be going back. Seemed really authentic.Only quibble I had was with the waitresses who seemed a bit huffy, didn't think it was anything personal but seemed a bit unprofessional.Would highly recommend the place. In relatively nice surroundings in the Whitgift Centre and very clean.

I visited this restaurant a year ago and loved it. Although on returning this month the service was appauling. The waitress was shouting and was huffing whilst we were choosin our food however we were the only ones in the line. My nan wanted the fish however there was no fish in the tray just the sauce and onion, the sweet and sour chicken was awful, the poor quality of chicken and the rice wasnt nice at all. When looking at the options none of them looked appealing. Even my two year old who would eat noodles for every meal, took two mouthfuls of them and spat them out. The value for the amount of food we had was spot on. However being up all night, and violently sick was not what I paid for. The three of us were very poorly.

This has been my go-to place for a taste of home for a long while, and I am definitely not alone, judging by the other customers. The set meals, with rice or noodles and a choice of meats and vegetables, are less than 7 pounds, and the dishes are made to order. I'm acquainted with the boss and chef, and their dedication deserves a mention; while bulk ingredients are purchased in the UK, they make trips back to Malaysia every half a year to stock up on authentic seasonings. That's what running a restaurant's about!

Simple cafe setting. Tasty authentic Malaysian food. Friendly staff and good choice of freshly cooked food.

There are two ways to a good lunch hereThe pick three dishes with rice or noodles, and a drink, eg Jasmine tea, for £6.99I chose the Rendang, very good, I disagree with an earlier reviewer, and this is very hard to make at home, green beans, and a malaysian chicken curry. With rice, slightly too much.The other option is to pick from 12 or so Malysian special dishesI have had their Laksa twice. Specified "Spicy" please, but its too mild for me. If you ask the owner lady for Sambal, that little dishful helps to pep it up, but still not quite spicy enough. But a nice lunch all the same. There are Nasi Goreng, Char Kway Teow, other options for next timeIn winter its a bit cold but you are on the upper floor in Whitgift Centre, Outside, West Croydon's North End only does fast food. The Malaysian owner lady is very nice and helpful. On my first visit I didnt go in because the Eastern European staff there that day were arguing witha customer and it was getting a little aggressive.

Admittedly Uncle Lim's is not a glamorous looking place, nor is it especially well run. This is especially the case when the 2 Eastern European ladies runs the show as opposed to the owner of the restaurant, they do come across brash sometimes.However, I go to Uncle Lim's for 2 special dishes whenever I feel the need for a fix of proper Asian specialty dishes. The first is the Hainan Chicken and 2nd is the Laksa noodles, both of which are hard to come by and usually can only be found in Central London. Those 2 dishes are all I eat and I personally would never eat their set menu/buffet, but I can safely say that these 2 dishes are excellent and generous in portion.The Hainan chicken is almost perfectly authentic, the chicken is well done and succulent and the taste is 'right'. The laksa is nice and cooked to order for level of spicyness, but it is tasty and full of goodies.See through the decor and buffet buckets, go for their specialties and enjoy the authentic Asian taste.

My brother and I came to eat here after shopping in the Whitgift Centre, and I have to say, it's probably one of the best restaurants there. We both had the Medium Meal Deal which was £5 for a carb, a veg and a meat/seafood of your choice. We were allowed to try some of the food before we ate it to see what we'd like, we both had the beef and coconut curry with noodles and the spicy yellow cabbage, and a bottle of water and it was all absolutely delicious! Because it wasn't very busy when we went, as well as being in a quiet part of the Centre, the atmosphere was so peaceful and my brother and I were able to just sit and talk and catch up with each other without having to leave in a hurry. An overall lovely experience and I will definitely be returning back soon

This is a great addition to Croydon as somewhere to eat. We were unsure what to try but the staff where so friendly and helpful, they even let us taste before we decided. Massive portions of very enjoyable food. Will definately have a return visit to try out different dishes.

This place looked like the food courts you get in Singapore etc. Good range of dishes and I chose the beef rendang and Malaysian lamb curry. Both were awful to be honest, greasy and not at all authentic. OK the portions are huge but if it's rubbish then that doesn't help. I left a fair bit and while I was sitting there finishing my drink I have to say the smell of what was left on my plate was making me feel a bit queasy. I wouldn't return.

I looked at the menu and it seemed promising but what turned up was not really worth the money paid. The beef rendang was pretty bland and the laksa was not much better.Having lived in Malaysia this was not a very good homage to Malaysian food.

This is the place for a view of WH Smiths accompanied by a taste of heaven. They have tables inside and on a covered walkway at first floor of Whitgift Centre. They provide Malaysian food in a buffet set up so that you can see the components of a dish before you select them and eat. Not "fine dining", but an excellent experience. Most dishes depend on some form of noodles or rice, with additional meat, fish, bean curd, vegetable as components selected by each customer. Some dishes are cooked fresh to order by the chef, behind the scenes. I will not go into the pedantic and debate whether it is Singapore Laksa or Pinang Laksa. Ask how they make it and which ingredients are used and decide for yourself. If you have eaten the same dish in the homes of a number of Malaysians you will have experienced a degree of variation in the appearance & taste of the dishes, the food here falls within the same parameters - tasty and seeming to be home cooked. It is an excetionally good, authentic, low priced buffet, in a shopping centre. It is like eating in so many food courts in the Far East.great for solo diners, couples, families, groups. It is not pretending to be a chique, romantic restaurant.