I grew up not liking a lot of things, food included. In no particular order, brinjal, bitter gourd, petai, ladies' fingers and DURIANS. Recently though, bitter gourd and petai have slowly made its way into my tastebuds' acceptance list. At a ripe old age of 34, it's still not too late i hope, since we've received numerous e-mails from doctors and professors who swear by the benefits these 2 possess.
This restaurant is a branch from the one you've been to in Bandar Puteri, Puchong with its origins from Johor. Being first timers here, my wife and i ordered signature dishes recommended by the captain - bitter gourd soup, sweet potato leaves in belacan and fried pork belly.
This soup is definitely one of the better ones I’ve had, appearing very close to the “Bah Kao” soup you can order in most Hokkien noodle places. The bitter gourd was flavorsome, bitter (of course) and has a slight crunch to it. Quite clearly, the bitter gourd was not left to boil in the soup thus retaining its flavor and texture. The pork slices were thinly sliced with a lil’ fat left on top for that ideal balance in every bite.
The potato leaves stir fried with belacan was also up to par. Spicy and finished with tiny pieces of fried pork lard for that impeccable balance of sweetness, spiciness and smoothness. Serves up a great dish to go with the bitter gourd soup.
The fried pork belly was good, though the serving was not as much as I’d expect for a “small” bowl. It wasn’t even a bowl to begin with, more like a bigger saucer that you use in dim sum restaurants. Still, the pork was crispy and tender with no excessive fat. The aroma of the fermented bean curd isn't that strong, but just nice to most tastes.
This meal cost RM27, which I think is pretty good value considering that they use only small bitter gourds which are better in taste and texture and more expensive.
My tummy rating: 7.9/10
I guess coconut oil is added into the frying oil, as the aroma of the former was recognised, thankfully in a controlled dosage. Great texture, crispy and that coconut oil just wraps this piece of Chinese delicacy to another level.
