NEWCASTLE'S highly rated Malaysian restaurant, visited by Geordie Hollywood star Charlie Hunnam, has been hailed as 'unbelievable' by reviewers.
Since opening in 2015, Chilli Padi, on Leazes Park Road, has quickly established itself at the forefront of Newcastle's Asian cuisine scene.
Serving up authentic Malaysian food, Chilli Padi Bistro & Asian Kitchen has quickly shot to fame; so much so, it was recently visited in January by Charlie Hunnam, star of Netflix's Sons of Anarchy, The Gentlemen and Monster: The Ed Gein Story.
Its best‑known dishes are takes on the Malaysian classics, especially nasi lemak, laksa and rendang, and the famed smoked chicken.
The eatery has a solid 4.4/5 rating on TripAdvisor (532 reviews) and a strong 4.5/5 rating on Google Reviews (1.4k reviews).
One person labelled the food "amazing" and said it "always exceeds expectations". They also complimented the "friendly" and "warm" waiting staff.
"Incredible value for money! The food was super tasty, and the staff were lovely, warm and welcoming," added someone else.
It's a "proper Malaysian gem", said a happy customer who tucked into the "excellent" salt and pepper prawns, "impressive" kung pao chicken and the "brilliant" black chicken. They noted that the atmosphere is "lovely" and "busy" and the staff are "wonderfully helpful".
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Another visitor said, "This is probably the best Malaysian food I’ve ever tried! The staff were excellent with our allergy requirements too. I would highly recommend giving this place a try."
A different person gave Chilli Padi high compliments, exclaiming that the Malaysian eatery serves the "best food".
"Everything is just cooked so so well. It’s a super casual restaurant, and I definitely think most would be surprised by the quality of the food, but you honestly can’t fault it. Everything is served super fresh and piping hot.
"The food comes out as it's ready, but there is rarely much wait time in between dishes. The standard is just unbelievable. I have been multiple times and always can't wait until I have an excuse to go back."
Chilli Padi has also expanded beyond Newcastle, opening a second restaurant at Aykley Heads House in Durham in March 2025.
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