Tea n Bowl Malaysian and Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Cincinnati

Located on West Macmillan and next to the University of Cincinnati campus, Tea n Bowl is one of two restaurants in Cincinnati, the other one being Citrus & Sago (Sago Cincinnati) -- also reviewed by me -- in Mount Lookout where a Malaysian American like me can find authentic Malaysian food. Originally featuring Chinese American cuisine, Tea n Bowl added Malaysian cuisine when they brought in a chef, Ryan, from my hometown, Ipoh in Malaysia. Folks in the know would be aware that Ipoh is the unofficial food capital of Malaysia and Tea n Bowl features the diverse range of Malaysian cuisine, including Ipoh, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Southern Malaysian style dishes.

The menu does not separate the Malaysian cuisine from the broader Chinese American and fusion Asian American cuisine, but rather scattered across the menu. It would be nice to have a separate Malaysian menu for ease of ordering. Those of us who are Malaysians and Singaporeans would ask what is available that isn't listed in the menu.

During this visit -- see photos below -- I had the Malaysian teh tarik, the Hakka yong tau foo (or yong liu) -- which is not on the main menu and which you would have to check with the kitchen for availability, and the Ipoh-style kon loh (i.e., dry rather than the Hong Kong soup style) wonton noodles with char siu (Chinese barbeque pork).

The teh tarik, i.e., frothy Malaysian style black tea sweetened with condensed milk is just right and not too sweet. I love the yong liu, comprising yong tau foo, tau foo pok, fu pei, and stuffed red chilis. This is traditional Hakka street food and as a Hakka myself, I can attest to the authenticity and taste of the yong liu. If you are interested to try this, check with the kitchen since it is not listed on the menu. The kon lor wonton mee is served with seasoned soy sauce and wonton and char siu. I love the Malaysian style dry wonton noodles over the Hong Kong soup-based wonton noodles and this dish is...

This place is a gem! This restaurant is very small, try to make a reservation if you can but they do have walk in dine in service. They also have quick carry out bubble tea service. It's a small restaurant filled with cute toys, plushies, figures, etc available for purchase. Parking is street parking around campus and can be difficult to find. There are some neighborhood side streets that you can find and walk over.

We got a few dishes to try and they were all fantastic! I really liked the Curry Laksa, Nasi Lemak, and the Hong Kong chicken was crispy and seasoned very well. They offer so many different dishes and options and they're all made well. Their prices are affordable and their portions are quite big. I recommend trying dishes from each category, you can't go wrong. We also got a couple bobas and I get my usual, durian milk tea. They're one of the only places I know that has this flavor option and they make it well. Overall, the quality of food is great and tastes delicious.

Staff is super nice, kind, and patient. We took a little bit longer to order but our server was so nice. Our server recommended a few dishes and we got a couple and those were fantastic!

I would recommend this place for a casual date, small group, authentic dishes, and delicious boba. Overall, a very comfy, warm, and welcoming place for delicious food and I...

This place is a hidden gem. Amazing!! It’s so unassuming that when I walked in, I wasn’t sure if I was in the right place. But don’t let the decor fool you…the food is amazing, service is good and the place is clean. The menu is sooooo big and has so many different types of food (Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc) that I was worried the food would just be ok…because they can’t make everything good, right?? Well I was wrong. The food was absolutely delicious. I ordered eggplant in garlic sauce (served with white rice) and my husband ordered beef pho. Both dishes were amazing. Admittedly, the pho was a little different than Vietnamese pho, but I think I like tea and bubble’s version of pho better than the traditional pho. The eggplant in garlic sauce is also a little different than how the dish is traditionally served in China, but I had no complaints! Soooo good! My husband liked the eggplant in garlic sauce better than the traditional Chinese version. The serving sizes were very big and the total was $26. Please go check...