Baba Nyonya by Sambal Chilli @ AvenueK

Delectable Nyonya Food with Local Touches

After a successful first outlet in Atria Damansara, Baba Nyonya by Sambal Chilli opened their second outlet in Avenue K in the city recently. Serving Nyonya cuisine as well as some other local classic dishes, there are certainly plenty of dishes to cater to everyone who enjoys spice laden dishes.

We paid a visit to their latest outlet and was immediately pleased to see how lovely the interior of the restaurant was. Bright and bold with lots of colors backed with wood furniture, there are also plenty of greenery incorporated into the ambiance to bring a sense of nature and comfort.

The restaurant has dining areas sectioned with panels to offer more privacy in dining. A mural of young Nyonya girls added a nice charming touch to the place. There is also a counter at the entrance of the restaurant where packets of Nasi Lemak and Asam Beehoon as well as some Nyonya kuihs are displayed to tempt diners.

The menu is also very pretty in design with its color. Filled with lots of Nyonya dishes as well as some other dishes, we notice that the price is very affordable for the cuisine.

Drinks came first and Baba Nyonya by Sambal Chilli has some lovely mocktail concoctions like Markisa (RM10.90), Pandan Kasturi (RM10.90) and Iced Honey Lemon (RM4.50). These were great thirst-quenchers.

We just couldn’t resist having a packet of the Asam Beehoon (RM2.50). It was so good, we ended up having a second packet before our dishes came. The thin rice noodle is very tasty and has a piquant tang of heat to it, making it delicious with every bite.

From the Small Bites list, we decided to order some dishes as starters. The Tom Yam Popcorn Chicken (RM9.90) fared well. Nuggets of tom yam flavored chicken popcorn was crispy and tender. It’s tasty enough even without any sauce.

The Fruit Rojak (RM9.90) was yummy. Sufficient prawn paste sauce with hints of heat, generously drenched on to the mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables. Crushed peanuts added a lovely nutty aroma and texture to the rojak. Pretty decent version here that I wouldn’t mind ordering again.

The Fried Belachan Chicken Wings (RM9.90) was mediocre as I thought it was a bit too battered and not flavorful enough. It is still juicy and tender. If they can pump up the belachan flavor, the wings would definitely be better.

We were surprise to find a few Thai dishes in the menu as well. From the Daily Plates – Rice, we tried the Green Curry Chicken Rice (RM14.90). This was surprisingly very tasty. A generous portion, the green curry was creamy and beautifully redolent of a lovely balance of spices and herbs. It has a chockful of tender pieces of boneless chicken, soft eggplant and other vegetables. The curry was so good I kept piling on my rice.

Luscious bouncy bites of prawns cooked in an unctuous sweet and spicy sambal sauce with stink beans summed up Sambal Petai Prawn (RM29.00). Another dish that had just the right balance of sambal flavors that I enjoyed a lot.

If I have to pick a favorite dish that evening, it would be the Curry Prawn Claypot (RM36.00). The curry was very creamy with a nice burst of spices. Not spicy in heat at all, the curry was also not like those thick ones but rather more drinkable. The prawns were really fresh and a good size with sweetness that goes so well with the extra creamy curry. There’s also lady fingers, eggplant and other vegetables in the curry.

Crispy Fish with Sambal Sauce (RM56.90) had a whole siakap fish fried till crispy and drenched with the house signature sambal sauce. The fish was fresh and had a sweetness in the soft flesh. The sauce was generous and went well with the fish, beckoning us to pile this onto more steamed rice.

The Salted Fish Chicken in Claypot (RM22.90) is also very tasty. Served in claypot, the sizzling dish was wondrously aromatic and I can definitely smell the salted fish distinctive aroma wafting as the dish was placed on our table. The unctuous salty flavor was nicely balanced with the sweetness of the dark soy sauce. Boneless chicken cubes were tender, just right with rice.

Cincalok Omelette (RM12.90) is a crowd pleaser. We dug into fluffy egg omelette punched up with the salty pungent cincalok. Another dish that calls rice due to its rich savory flavors.

A rather simple vegetable dish that relies heavily on the sambal, the Steamed Ladies Finger with Sambal (RM12.70) was pretty decent. I enjoyed the lady fingers with the sambal very much.

Nyonya Chap Chye (RM16.90) was also yummy. A medley of vegetables sautéed with taucheo, this one had more sauce than the one I am used too. It’s good for young ones as my son enjoyed the sauce of this dish on his rice.

Baba Nyonya by Sambal Chilli also has a kid’s menu on their list and my little one had Under The Sea (RM12.90). A cute thoughtfulness for little ones because it made my son very happy to see the bears under the egg blanket. He polished off the whole dish happily.

Desserts is a must in a Nyonya meal as there are classic favorites that end the meal with sweetness. Opt for the Cendol (RM3.90) or ABC (RM9.90). Both icy concoctions of dessert that is really lovely and delicious after the rich Nyonya dishes.

There is also a very good Sago Pandan Gula Melaka (RM4.90) that is worthy of an order with its luscious syrupy Gula Melaka over sago and creamy coconut cream.

If you prefer hot dessert, try the Bo Bo Cha Cha (RM4.50). This one has Gula Melaka in the coconut sweet soup. There’s also plenty of sweet potatoes, yam and other stuff in the dessert.

If there is one dessert that is a must-try, it’s the Banana Fritters (RM11.90). Golden and crispy banana fritters served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a side of black spicy sauce. The flavor is unique with its sweet and spicy sauce.

It’s a decent place for Nyonya cuisine and the price is value-for-money indeed. Baba Nyonya by Sambal Chilli has more to offer with their long list of dishes and I would certainly go back there to try their other dishes. Expect hearty classics that will please everyone of all ages.

BABA NYONYA BY SAMBAL CHILI

Lot UC-1, Upper Concourse

Avenue K, Jalan Ampang

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2181-5544

Website: www.babanyonya.co

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sambalchillirestaurant/

Business Hours AvenueK:

8:00am to 10:00pm