So, we are back at Sharon Ann De Souza’s private supper club, a year later and almost to the day. We were last here on Jan 19, 2024. This time, it’s Jan 18, 2025.
There are 10 of us dinner guests this time.
Sharon Ann explaining her menu for the evening.
Sharon Ann then gave a short pre-dinner talk in her kitchen, introducing us to some of the ingredients that went into preparing our dinner this evening.
One of the rarer ingredients used in preparing one of the dishes we are having: the hairy eggplant.
Our dinner spread:
Heepeow soup, fish-maw with minced pork-prawn balls and rolled fish-paste in egg omelette.
Batter-fried otak-otak in wild betel leaves.
Iberico pork masak buah keluak.
Served with yellow, fragrant turmeric-tinged rice.
Tempoyak (fermented durian relish) with ulam (Malay selection of raw herbs and vegetables).
Lamb shank masak gerang asam.
Chili sumbat - pickled green chilis stuffed with shredded green papayas.
Ham hock curry with potatoes - this was the only non-Nyonya dish. Of Kristang/Malaccan-Portuguese origin, it uses delicious, smoky gammon ham and pairs that with spicy Kristang curry. To-die for.
Udang masak kuah kachang sama belimbi.
Cencaru (torpedo scad) with kiam chye (salted mustard leaves) curry.
Kerabu jantung (banana blossom).
Sharon Ann introducing us to a local Malaysian-made rum: RAKSASA by Cave & Cellar, crafted in a century-old distillery. Made from 100% rice wine and local botanicals. She served it on kueh bongkong - a local steamed sweet: mochi-like dumpling stuffed with grated coconut & palm sugar, smothered with coconut cream, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
Banana leaf-wrapped parcels of kueh bongkong
Kueh bongkong, unwrapped. The blue tinge comes from the extract of the butterfly pea flower. Malaccan-Nyonyas love the use of the butterfly pea extract, and Sharon Ann is half-Malaccan-Nyonya.
The dessert tasted divine, but a splash of RAKSASA rum lifted it to a whole new level altogether!
Best meal I’d had in a long, long time. I travelled 350 km (220 miles) for this supper club. Due to her popularity, we usually have to book at least 3 months in advance. I’d do it again in a jiffy!
