Okay so now we were down to the last private dining meal of 2018 and every time we finish one we claim it will be the last and turned out, it led to another and another and then The Ampang Kitchen (TAK). TAK, aptly named because the Chef's humble abode is along Jalan Ampang!
We were given a tour of his open concept kitchen and I saw my dinner grilled.
Each stick carries 50g worth of pork belly, so beautifully charred and I could not wait to sink my teeth into one of these already!
I got sold on homemade belachan.
Satay Bohong
Two sticks each meant 100g of pork belly and hardly do I ever ever ever eat pork belly if it ain't shabu shabu or barbequed and here I was almost eating the satay stick even. So tender with moments of extra bite but the best of all had to be the fragrance that whacks so hard.
Yum, we were definitely in for a massive treat tonight.
Bakwan Kepiting
I have tried so many variations of this crab and pork ball soup, Uncle Raymond's steals the storm literally with a robust prawn head pork bone broth and meat balls so succulent.
Here's umami looking at you. I love how he went beyond the usual soup recipe and added straw mushrooms and for a moment I could have mistaken this for tom yum goong, sans the spice.
Kueh Pie Ti
These hats are mighty delicious and I'm not sure was it the kueh pie ti cups or the filling or well, it was just so beautifully executed. I definitely ate more than my allocated share.
Penang Rojak is quite unlike the rojaks I've eaten, Uncle Raymond's comes with water apples, pineapples, cucumber, turnip, mango and a generous dollop of prawn paste amongst all the other goodies. Very refreshing and vegetables hardly take center stage yet here I was relishing every bite.
Chap Chye perfected with fermented beancurd.
Ayam Buah Keluak is a must at any peranakan meal and whilst his version was pleasant, this went great with rice. Great for lazy bones like me who prefers the buah keluak nuts deshelled though the traditionalists would frown upon that.
Beef Rendang just because it's Peranakan and more spice would have worked for me. Nothing to fault with the tender beef.
Assam Fish with Lady's Finger
Spot them generous slices. This course alone with rice is sufficient as a meal even and here we were having our minds blown with so many others! Piquant gravy that had sweetness from the pineapples, tang from the assam and tomatoes.
Here's Uncle Raymond showing us his prized assam from Tekka Market. For this reason, leave it to the experts when it comes to dabbling in Peranakan cuisine.
Banana Flower Kechai is considered one of the best kept secrets in Peranakan cuisine and few know of it. I've never heard of it and google says its used in Thai cuisines as well. So banana flowers are tear shaped flowers found at the end of a banana cluster and Uncle Raymond very brilliantly incorporates them into this salad made for carnivores. It comes with coconut cream, prawns, cucumbers and even pork!.
Just looking at this photo makes me full, to think we consumed way more than this in a single seating!
Chendol as our final course. Homemade pandan jellies that pack such a bite in this ice cold dessert. Having all things fresh in a bowl definitely makes a difference and from the gula melaka to the coconut milk, we should have had dessert first!
Uncle Raymond our jovial host who was gave us huge insights into Peranakan cooking, considering he is Cantonese too!
For $120 a head, we ate the best homecooked Peranakan meal. And guess what? My 2019 private dining is starting with TAK! Can't wait!
Comments
Post a Comment