Kota Damansara's Kampunglah is the place for family style Malay food with a Negeri Sembilan slant

Malay Mail

4 days ago

PETALING JAYA, June 4 — If you bring a friend visiting from overseas to eat at Kampunglah, he or she may give you a death stare, wondering what they have got themselves into.
Brightly coloured dishes that shine yellow or even red while glossy dark dishes are served, where one cannot distinguish what's inside.
It doesn't look appetising to the naked eye, especially where food is drowning in gravy or submerged by crunchy fried ikan bilis.
Believe me, it's all about a collision of flavours — turmeric scented coconut milk curry with a hint of spiciness and smokiness — mingling with sweetness from the thick dark soy sauce or even the well tempered sambal mixed with stinky petai.
Diners are usually big groups as the food is served family style just like it's done in a 'kampung'. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
That's why you find it packed with families, couples with their young ones and even a group of friends who just finished a round of golf at the nearby golf course.
Everyone knows the drill here, as the portions are unapologetically designed for three to four people.
What do you do if you aren't able to rustle up friends from your shrinking phone contact list? Just tapau-lah!
That's why you see after every meal, people walking out with bags filled with their signature Masak Lomak Cili Api Nogori, like a badge of honour.
I don't blame them as the vibrant yellow curry is superb, walking that tight line of spiciness that will be easy on any foreigner's virgin tastebuds yet beloved by locals.
Select either the Daging Batang Pinang Salai (RM45), Itek Salai (RM42) or get some mouth exercise with the Siput Sedut & Batang Keladi (RM40).
There's also chicken, ikan keli or catfish, udang harimau or tiger prawns and seasonal ketam nipah (mud crabs).
The beef tenderloin used for the Daging Batang Pinang Salai is smokey enough to tickle your nostrils, infusing the vibrant yellow curry.
It's definitely the star dish here as even if you don't order it, the curry is served plain for you to drown out your rice, making you yearn for a second helping of rice.
Using that Negeri Sembilan curry as a base, the other dish from Muar acts in unison to give one a different flavour like the Asam Pedas with its sour, spicy flavours using fish or beef.
Ayam Masak Itam Labu Labi is a different type of soy sauce dish, using a glossy dark soy sauce that is not overpoweringly sweet. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
There's also the soy sauce based Ayam Masak Itam Labu Labi (RM35).
Most places tend to water down their soy sauce dishes but not here, as the dark soy sauce is bold and present, yet not overpowering sweet, mingling with the curry leaves and onions.
Be warned though as there's a tendency to fry their chicken making it a harder bite, as found with the chopped pieces inside this dish, requiring that glossy sauce to soften it.
The chicken like this Ayam Kampung Goreng tends to be fried until its a little hard to bite. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
It's the same story for their golden brown Ayam Kampung Goreng (RM13 per piece) that turns out to be harder to chew and lacking a much needed juiciness in its meat.
Portions for the chicken tend to be skint though as it's more bones rather than meat, requiring a bulk up with potatoes instead.
Maybe the choice will be better with ikan tenggiri, ekor lembu (oxtail) or sotong, for this type of dish.
Sambal Tumis Merah Petai Menora Udang Harimau marries bouncy, fresh prawns with a mellow red 'chilli sambal' with 'petai'. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Sambal Tumis Merah Petai Menora Udang Harimau (RM60) features bouncy, fresh prawns cooked in a mellow red chilli sambal, sliced onions for sweetness and those pick-me-up jade green stink beans.
If red chilli sambal isn't your thing, there's also Sambal Hijau Petai Bidin, where various types of fish, oxtail and ayam kampung is cooked with the milder tasting gravy.
For those seeking greens in your diet, it's either an assortment of fresh ulam with dips or their Sayur Ibu Mertua selection, where each dish is RM18.
Sayur Ibu Mertua with lady's fingers (left) and string beans (right) are packed with flavour, thanks to the generous topping of fried 'ikan bilis'. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Most Malay eateries tend to just serve stir-fried vegetables with very little else but Kampunglah's version incorporates interesting elements to make it unique.
Whether it's a choice of string beans, lady fingers or eggplant, it's liberally crowned with fried ikan bilis, adding crunch and boosting its sweet flavours.
The lady's fingers are said to be fried in egg, that ends up being more like a scrambled sauce, which still makes it a dish one would order again.
Even the string beans dish incorporates minced chicken in a sauce, reminiscent of home-style Chinese dishes.
Dessert is Sagu Gula Melaka with eye-popping red sago pearls doused in 'gula Melaka' syrup (left) which pairs well with the coconut milk (right). — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
A sweet ending is much needed after that meal and their Sagu Gula Melaka (RM8) comes to the rescue with its bright red sago pearls, mixed with coconut milk and gula Melaka.
Look out for their board specials too like an unusual Kerabu Kerang Pucuk Paku and Labu Masak Lemak.
The restaurant also has an outlet in Jalan Raja Laut, housed in a picturesque double-storey lot, decorated with vintage homewares to evoke that Malay village feel.
Look for the restaurant at The Strand area in Kota Damansara. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Kampunglah
No. 43, Ground Floor
Jalan PJU 5/20E, The Strand
Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya
Open daily: 11.30am to 5pm, 6pm to 10pm.
Tel :[phone]
Facebook: @kampunglah.my
Instagram: @kampunglah.my
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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