CHASING FOOD DREAMS: June 2018

Tasty Peranakan Cuisine

Peranakan cuisine has such complex and rich flavour that many finds it hard to cook these days. The nyonyas and babas of yesteryears spent so much time and effort in the kitchen just to prepare a meal for the family. These days, finding a good Peranakan restaurant to enjoy this cuisine is also quite a task.

One of the latest new eatery in TTDI, Alibaba & Nyonya hopes to satisfy the palates of Peranakan fans with their signatures of the cuisine. Locating this eatery is rather easy as it is located next to Secret Recipe.

The restaurant has a bright and casual vibe that makes dining comfortable. From the eye-catching hawker stall-on-wheels at the entrance to the street art mural that is bound to be a hotspot for some social media ops, the restaurant is also designed with pretty and colorful tiles and old fashion furniture.

The menu is well filled with lots of Peranakan classics and familiar favorites. There’s plenty of appetizers, main courses of seafood and meat as well as vegetables and dessert to cater to diners of all ages.

Apple Juice with Chia Seed (RM9.91), Calamansi Asam Boi (RM8.02), Cincau Lychee Juice (RM8.02), Fresh Lime Juice (RM8.96), Cincau Watermelon Juice (RM8.02) & Fresh Coconut Lychee (RM8.96)

We couldn’t resist ordering an order of Acar Rampai (RM6.51) to whet our appetite. The dish requires a lot of preparation and the version here is decent and yummy. Lots of crunchy vegetables with spicy and nutty sauce certain makes good starter…

Mains started to arrive and the first one was this delicious Kerabu Udang (RM27.26). Large plump prawns dressed in piquant spicy and tangy dressing along with crisp red onion makes a delicious kerabu salad.

The Chicken Pongteh (Small – RM20.66, Medium – RM39.43) here is a solid dish with a good balance of salty and sweet with a lingering note of moreishness. The chicken and potatoes are tender and has been well-braised to absorb all the flavours of bean sauce. It’s a dish that goes perfect with fluffy rice.

At sight, the Ayam Dara Goreng (Small – RM18.77, Medium- RM33.87) looked golden and delicious. The deep-fried kampung chicken is a tad dry but the flavours are good. A heavier salty note, the chicken goes well with Nasi Ulam and sambal belachan. We feedback on this dish so hopefully the chef can consider making this fried chicken a bit juicier.

Ask for the Sambal Belachan for extra yummy flavours…

For something a bit more unusual than our all-time-favorite Asam Pedas, we savored the King’s Curry Fish Head (RM70.75). The garoupa fish is fresh with a firm and sweet flesh. Paired with the thick and creamy curry well-spiced up, the fish and vegetable is deliciously delectable. The curry was so yummy that I even find myself spooning the gravy and drenching my rice with it.

The Sambal Petai Sotong (Small – RM25.38, Medium – RM36.70) had good flavours too but I personally felt that there was something missing from the overall flavours. The sambal was a tad too watery and the flavours were good but not a dish that is memorable for me. Still, the dish was generous with tender squid pieces and petai.

The Mutton Curry (Small – RM27.26, Medium- RM51.70) is superb! Faultless an utterly delicious, it was a plate of gorgeous spicy flavours that is well balanced and sublime. The mutton is also fork-tender and very aromatic from all the slow cooked spices and curry leaves. A must-order if you love thick and rich meaty curry…

I have tasted quite a few Telur Belanda (RM10.19) and most of them seemed to be on the sweeter side. The version here is one of the best I have had. Fried egg drenched in tamarind sauce, the version here has a lovely vibrant tang and is not overly sweet. Cooked well, the egg had that slightly crisp edges while the yolk is still soft.

We also tried their Sambal Fried Pucuk Paku (RM13.68) which is also delicious and faultless.

While all the dishes go well with steamed rice, the Nasi Ulam (RM6.13) is still worthy of an order. The rice is full of fresh herb flavours as well as spices. It really doesn’t need any dishes except for the sambal belachan because the rice is already so tasty.

Alibaba & Nyonya also offers some tea time specials. One can opt for various choices from Nyonya Kuih to Crispy Popiah, Mee Siam and Mee Goreng that comes with a hot beverage.

Nyonya Kuih 2pcs with Teh Tarik/Hot Coffee (Tea Time Treats Set 1 – RM5.50)

Mee Siam with Teh Tarik/Hot Coffee (Tea Time Treats Set 3 - RM9.50)

Crispy Popiah with Teh Tarik/Hot Coffee (Tea Time Treats Set 4 – RM5.50)

Our lovely Peranakan meal ended with sweet and icy desserts of Cendol Gula Melaka (RM6.13), Sago Gula Melaka (RM5.19) and Signature ABC (RM7.08).