Mama Chow — Restaurant in Fairfield

Ok. This—THIS!—is how it's done. If Gordon Ramsey showed up here he'd say, "I got nothin'. You're already rockin' it."

Let's start with the staff: Friendly. Attentive. Passionate. Every one of them. The decor: Hip. Cozy. Clean. Unpretentious. The owner's daughter served us and, Man, does she get it. Her pride was palpable because she knows, when it comes to food, Mama don't play.

The menu: Refreshingly simple, wonderfully conservative and consistent. A place with clear boundaries that says, "This, we do well—all of it. Order with confidence."

And onto the food: Beautifully presented. Colorful. Generous portions. Sensible prices.

I've had pho elsewhere in Westport, on the very same stretch of road, in fact, that left a gaping hole in my culinary soul. We're talking food that hurts. This place, Mama Chow, presents food that heals, the very same way you would if you couldn't contain your passion for food as a platform for spreading joy.

From the tables to the plates to the temperature to the music—did they have music? Can't remember. Which is exactly as it should be—Mama Chow's is an object lesson on how to do things right.

Running a delightful affordable restaurant with perfect food ain't rocket science, everybody. It's much more complicated than that. Or is it? Beats me. What I know is that Mama Chow makes it look easy.

*I've downgraded my rating to 3 stars as I ordered a deluxe pho and a laksa to go. Although delicious, I only got half a quart container of broth for each soup. Total cost: $45. For that much money, I would think that, as with every other pho I've ordered across the country, I'd get a full container of broth. The taste is spot on, but I'd like some soup with my soup please. For $100, perhaps I could get a couple full quart containers of broth.

**Downgrading to one star. Why? I called them when they weren't busy to ask why they provide half an order of pho and laksa broth when you're into it for $45. Answer: For another $16, you'll get you'll full order, just as you would at any other restaurant in the country that serves pho and laksa. So now you're into it for, what?, 65-70 bucks? (Not $100 as I joked earlier, but we're getting there.) This for two orders of soup, mind you. We're fast approaching three-star Michelin star prices. The manager explained to me in snarky dismissive tones that inflation makes prices go up, hence the hefty prices. Thanks, kid. I grasp this "inflation" concept. But maybe I'll understand it even better when I bring home a $500 pizza—or should I say "$600," because, after consulting with my accountant, I ordered mine...

If you like authentic Asian food - especially Malaysian food, this is a place you cannot miss! We were driving from NY to Rhode Island with our kids and relatives from Bangkok. We decided to stop over for lunch along the way and was pleasantly surprised by this hidden gem! To be honest, I was skeptical as I did not find any good (and very pricey) Asian food in NY! Came into the restaurant and met Kim the owner/chef and his whole family who runs this place! Little did we know that Kim was previously an executive chef for large hotel chains and had travelled the world. His idea for Mama Chow is to introduce Asian cuisine to his restaurant focusing on fresh yet high quality ingredients to bring out the simple authentic flavours of Asia! We had Kon Loh Mee (KLM) - egg noodles with juicy BBQ pork and pork wonton dumplings, Lard Na (in Thai or in Cantonese they call it Wat-Tan-Hor) - fried flat rice noodles with silky smooth seafood sauce, seafood laksa (ramen noodles in coconut curry broth and fresh seafood with large Tiger prawns), char kway teow (fried flat rice noodle with a distinct Malaysian wok fried flavour), Nasi goreng - Malaysian/ Indonesian fried rice. Kim also served us his special dishes lor mai Kai (glutinous rice with steamed with chicken and mushrooms - a local dish usually served for breakfast in Malaysia) and steamed aubergine! Not only was the food delicious, the hosts were amazing! Such generous and friendly family! We had such a memorable meal here! Highly recommended to all to visit Mama Chow and experience it for yourself! Food taste so good, you have to try it to know it! P/s: ask for Sambal to go with your dishes and don’t miss out on the waffles and yam ice cream - if your tummy is still...

The Atmosphere: A very warm and welcoming interior. Bright colors, vibrant lights, and impeccable cleanliness. You can say a lot about a place by its bathroom, and this bathroom was clean, inviting, stocked with tooth flossers, and was well kept. The dinning room has large windows, with light pouring in, and providing a nice view. There was also a window into the kitchen to see your food being prepared. Every surface in the dinning room was clean, and there were even phone chargers installed on the window sill, which was a nice modern addition. There was moderate noise in the dinning room, but the contemporary music added to the fun vibrancy of the decor. The only complaint we have, if you could call it a complaint, was that the bathroom music volume was on the louder side.

The Food: Everything we tried (grilled beef pho, and bubble milk tea) was delicious. The flavors were so unique, they danced on your pallet, but still played nicely on the classic style. We only wished that we had ordered more food. The wings are AMAZING, you MUST try them. We've also never had edamame as tasty as Mama Chow's.

The Staff: Staff were extremely welcoming, friendly and inviting. They made us feel like family with their incredible hospitality. And even the chefs smiled at us.

Unfortunately, we’re not from around here, but often travel between New York and Massachusetts. This will be a welcomed rest stop between the two, where we’ll keep coming back for the warm, welcoming atmosphere and the warm,...