On a warm summer-weekend night, there’s something rather magical about waiting outside Kedai Makan for your order, smelling the Malaysian spices wafting into the air as you hungrily anticipate your meal. My daughter and I practiced dance moves to bide the time until our name was called about 10 minutes later. Among the many things I ordered from the popular Capitol Hill takeout window was the lamb murtabak, essentially small square “sandwiches” of roti bread filled with minced lamb, mint, and spices. Alone they were delicious. Accompanied by a side of dhal curry, they were phenomenal—in part because the dhal itself is superior. Forget the thin, watery broths that come free with Indian takeout and claim to be dhal. This one is chunky—the lentils intact and spiced as they’re meant to be. It’s tempting to eat it on its own (it’s that good), but dip your lamb roti into it to get the full, flavor-packed effect.

nsprinkle@seattleweekly.com