Kampung Contemporary Dining, Petaling Jaya
Nyonya food is hard to come by. Authentic, delicious nyonya food is even more of a rarity. But from the people who brought you Alison Soup House, comes Kampung Contemporary Dining, which hits the nail on the head with its Nyonya offerings.
Giving you a very airy, canteen feel, the Kampung Contemporary Dining experience is meant to be homely and casual. Come with friends and family to enjoy a hearty meal or come in a pair to get an introduction to nyonya cuisine.
Of course, any good Peranakan meal is enjoyed with lots of dishes and people. So thankfully we came in a nice big group to be able to sample all these dishes.
We started off with a Lobak and acar combination. Those who are familiar with Alison Soup House will recognise the acar (RM5) from there. The lobak (RM10) is deep fried and generously stuffed with meat. It was a nice crunchy start to the meal with these two dishes.
Next we had the pie tee (RM8 for 5 hats) and a signature soup from Alison Soup House - the Bak Kut Teh (RM10). The pie tee is one of my favourite dishes here because of the chilli sauce. Kampung’s garlic chilli sauce is the perfect blend of spicy, salty and sour. The bak kut teh was a hit at our table - each spoonful provided a burst of herbal flavours. It was pure comfort in a dish.
No Nyonya meal is complete without its curries. We sampled two types of curries here - the chicken rendang (RM19) as well as the Assam fish (RM28). You can choose to have your curry with normal rice or like us, go for the chicken rice balls.
Both curries were delicious and thick in flavour. The meats on both the fish and chicken were tender and packed with the right amount of spice.
If you’re a fan of pork satay then Kampung’s pork satay (5 sticks for RM16) is a must-try. Tender, fatty pieces of pork skewered and barbecued to perfection!
Another porky dish worth trying is their charcoal grilled herbal teriyaki pork tenderloin (RM20). This got glowing reviews from around the table and unanimous consensus that it was the best dish of the night.
Just to balance out our meal a little, we had a side of charred seasonal vegetables (RM12). We loved the smokey taste of the dish and the generous portion of vegetables given.
But nothing beats having Ipoh bean sprouts (RM7). The classic dish is the perfect accompaniment to chicken rice balls and the heavy, meaty dishes.
Though not very Nyonya, we liked the addition of their Tonkotsu Ramen (RM24). This huge bowl of ramen is good for two to share. Of course, soups being their specialty, this did not disappoint. The broth was creamy and well seasoned. It comes with char siu pieces and it definitely won us over.
For desserts, we tried their banana cekodok with ice cream (RM8). I love the balance between banana and batter in the mix. This is easily one of the best cekodok variations I’ve tried. It went so well with the ice cream, I did not hesitate to finish up the dish.
Bubur chacha (RM7) is a staple dessert in Nyonya cuisine so we had to give this hot sweet soup a try. It’s quite a big portion that two can share and is actually not too sweet - which is something we all agreed on.
Finally, we also tried their homemade ice cream potong (RM2). If you’re looking for a personal dessert to try, then this will be your best bet. Again, the dessert was not too sweet and had a good blend of flavours.
Kampung Contemporary Dining
11, Jalan 17/45, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Open daily 11:30AM - 3:30PM; 6PM - 10PM
Closed on Wednesdays