It’s always a mystery to us why Malaccan food is not more available in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. After all, the sprawling metropolis of Greater Kuala Lumpur has a population of 8.8 million, with most of the country’s biggest spenders as well as its highest concentration of gourmands and gourmets. And Malacca is a mere 90-mile/2-hour drive from KL.
Like many quirks in Malaysia - small distances does not breed familiarity. Malaysia is a young, 68-year-old country, whereas Malacca is a 625-year-old city-state which was once an old sultanate, conquered by various Western powers (Portuguese, Dutch and, finally, British) through the centuries. Malacca, culturally and even culinary-wise, share a more common history with its fellow British Straits Settlement colonies, Penang and Singapore, for the past two centuries, than with the other disparate states which made up the federation of Malaysia. The centuries-old inter-state borders in Malaysia seem alive and well nowadays, and Malaysian states’ characteristics “transform” culturally, linguistically and culinary-wise, even as one drives seamlessly from one state to another.
But we’re not terribly fond of driving 2 hours to Malacca from Kuala Lumpur each time we yearned for Malaccan food - what with Malacca’s jam-packed narrow streets, especially on weekends - so any discovery of new Malaccan food places in KL was always cause for a mild celebration of sorts for us.
Auntie Ling Nyonya Cendol, owned by a true-blue septuagenarian Malaccan, and his young, China-born wife, opened last year at the neighborhood Medan Selera Wawasan foodcourt at Petaling Jaya SS 3, and boasts of some of the best Malaccan cendol in its small, but very well-executed, offerings.
Our breakfast today consisted of:
Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang - Malaccan-style nasi lemak, where the inclusion of sauteed kangkung (water spinach) is a must! The set comes with a very good chicken rendang, crisp-fried anchovies and peanuts. an onion sambal, fresh cucumber slices, and half a hard-boiled egg.
Nyonya Laksa - the Malaccan-Nyonya version, with a richly-spiced, shrimp-flavored, coconut milky broth. It comes garnished with prawns, shredded chicken, fish-balls, tofu puffs, blanched beansprouts and a halved hard-boiled egg, topped with shredded cucumber and fresh mint leaves.
Karipap - crisp empanada-like golden, crusty pastries filled with curried potato-and-chicken. Best snack ever!
A wedge of hard-boiled egg is embedded within the spiced chicken-and-potato filling - a fairly recent Singaporean-influenced addition.
Otak-otak - my fave kind of otak-otak (spiced fish custard), ranging in textures from the Penang-Nyonya sort - mousse-like, and more akin with Thai hor mok or Cambodian amok, to the firm, flat Johore-Muar version.
Taste-wise and texture-wise, the mildly-spiced, firm pudding-like Malaccan-Nyonya otak-otak is sheer perfection for me.
Cendol - the version here was very good, in fact, better than those in 90% of other places in KL. Very finely-shaved ice, pandan-scented rice noodles, boiled red beans, drenched with super-fresh coconut milk and Gula Melaka (liquid palm sugar). Superb.
This place is a keeper.
Address
Auntie Ling’s Nyonya Cendol
Stall 1, Medan Selera Wawasan, 1, Jalan SS 3/33, Taman Universiti, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: +6012-366 3555
Opening hours: 9am-4.30pm, Tue to Sun. Closed on Mondays.
