UWS Southeast Asian Eatery Named Among Hottest New Restaurants

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — The New York Times called Wau a "significant addition" to the Upper West Side's dining lineup in September, and Eater NY just added to the buzz around the neighborhood's new eatery this week by calling it one of the "hottest new restaurants in Manhattan.

Wau is the latest venture from acclaimed chef Salil Mehta, who also owns Laut and Laut Singapura in Lower Manhattan.

The recently opened restaurant at 434 Amsterdam, located at the corner of West 81st Street, offers southeast Asian cuisine that includes dishes from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Here's what the editors from Eater NY had to say about why they put the new UWS eatery on its list of the hottest new restaurants in the borough.

"Wau — from veteran Laut restaurateur Salil Mehta — debuted on the Upper West Side with a bounty of Southeast Asian comfort food, including claypot golden braised tofu, pineapple fried rice, and murtabak, a Malaysian-Indian savory pancake stuffed with minced chicken and laced with jalapeños. The accompanying cocktail bar is stocked with Malaysian white coffee martinis and wau-lahs, “a Singaporean version of a piña colada,” as Mehta puts it."

The name Wau is inspired by the "intricate Malaysian moon-kite" of the same name, according to the restaurant's website.

The eatery's menu is broken into eight sections: appetizers, soups/salads, signature dishes, legendary rice dishes, hawker noodles, sides/dessert, cocktails/wine/beer, and beverages.

Wau is open for lunch Monday through Friday from noon to 3:30 p.m. Its dinner hours vary by day, which you check out on its website.