The Bar at Kancil. Photo by Bobby Panza.
Kancil, a recent addition to the Upper West Side dining scene, is ending its run just five months in. The Malaysian restaurant, located at 434 Amsterdam Avenue at 81st Street, will serve its final meals on Saturday, April 13.
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The restaurant was opened in November 2024 by Salil Mehta, under his Fungi Hospitality Group, with chef Simpson Wong at the helm. The space had previously been home to Wau, another Southeast Asian concept from Mehta, before being rebranded as Kancil.
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The menu centered on Malaysian fare, including roti jala (lacy turmeric crepes), their Climbing Tree Farm pork shank, and whole fried branzino. “We decided to use local ingredients and make the food more approachable and lighter,” Metha told ILTUWS back in November. It also featured the “Kancil Box,” a build-your-own cocktail experience that let diners choose local Malaysian ingredients to inspire custom drinks.
Despite the unique offerings, it seems that the restaurant faced several hurdles. In addition to rising operating costs, which Mehta told Eater was the primary reason for the closure, scaffolding obscured the entrance of Kancil for much of its run, likely impacting foot traffic and visibility. Mehta also confirmed that he will not be keeping the lease this time around.
Kancil was one of several restaurants Mehta has launched in New York City, joining the likes of Kebab aur Sharab, also on the Upper West Side, Laut, and Kanyakumari, all of which focus on Southeast Asian and Indian cuisines. Chef Simpson Wong, known for earlier ventures like Café Asean and Wong in the West Village, had returned to the city’s dining scene with Kancil after some time away.
Though Kancil’s run was short, it brought another example of regional Malaysian cooking to the neighborhood. Its closure reflects the ongoing difficulties many establishments face in balancing creative concepts with the financial realities of running a restaurant in New York City.
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Too bad! The food was very good and the service and atmosphere excellent.
Perhaps the restaurant’s name was a prognostication of the future
Commercial leasses need to be capped at a certain per cent similiar to rent control.
Very sad to see Kancil closing. The scaffolding was a curse, but also I think the signage could’ve been better. Even back when it was Wau and I was meeting friends there, I walked right by it, not noticing it was a restaurant. Such a shame – Simpson Wong had great restaurants down in the West Village (Cafe Asean, Wong), and they were my go-to’s when I lived down there. Why can’t the UWS support good, diverse, upscale restaurants? Instead, the fast-food chains are thriving around our neighborhood. Sad.
WAU was great. As a result I gave this place two tries. That was one more than it deserved. Good riddance.