Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia｜Sarang Cookery

It was a truly eye-opening experience for us. We could see and taste the tremendous effort that was put into making the home-cooked Peranakan dishes. The flavours were so rich and well blended with each other. We started off with the platter with the Kueh Pie Tee, Fried Tofu, Boknee and Lobak. Each item had their own individual unique flavours as a start to slowly open up your taste buds in preparation for the main dishes. We had the Nasi Ulam, Ayam Sioh, Ayam Kapitan, Ayam Pongteh, Udang Galah Masak Lemak Cili Api, Ikan Assam Pedas, Pucuk Paku and the Kangkung Belacan over 2 different dinner sessions in 3 days. The Nasi Ulam was beautifully plated with the various herbs lined up, surrounding the rice in the middle. Once mixed together, there were so many flavours in each spoonful of rice that it could even be enjoyed by itself. Every flavour complemented each other so well that you could just take your time to savour each serving. My top favourite dish was the Udang Galah Masak Lemak Cili Api. The flavour of the gravy was so fragrant that I scooped it down to the last drop. The pineapple, with it's original sweetness and juiciness, oozed out the coconut gravy with every bite and filled the mouth with its rich, yet not-overpowering, fragrance. The next favourite dish was the Ayam Pongteh. While it was a bit disappointing that we could not have it with pork as the restaurant was halal-certified, the chicken did not disappoint. The gravy was the highlight of the dish and when put together with the Nasi Ulam, the combination was so flavourful. Also worth mentioning is the mushroom that was cooked together with the dish, and on the first bite, the gravy that was soaked into the mushroom burst out and once again, brought the taste buds to a whole new level. The Pucuk Paku, a local fern type of vegetable, that was cleverly cooked with coconut milk and sambal, is a must-try. The combination of these 3 items, with a slight crunchiness from the vegetable, was truly enjoyable. Just when we thought the dinner was over, we were served with an extremely delightful dessert, the Cincau Sarang. It was served in a small bowl filled with small green leaf jellies that is actually made from a particular type of leaf, served with Gula Melaka. The jelly was so soft that it gave a melt-in-the-mouth sensation. The jelly had preserved its original leaf taste as there were zero added flavourings or chemicals, and was beautifully accompanied with the sweet Gula Melaka. It is guaranteed that anyone who have tried it would finish the dessert till its last drop. Lastly, I would like to make a special mention to the Lady Boss, Lily, who was a fantastic host throughout our 2 visits to the restaurant. She was able to customise the quantity and the spiciness level of the dishes according to the number of guests and our threshold for spiciness. She also shared with us the stories behind each dish, and how she and her family managed to preserve most of the flavours of the dishes till date, by growing the herbs and spices in their own farm, as many of the herbs were not commonly available today. What me and my friends had on these 2 dinner sessions was not just a meal, but an unforgettable experience, filled with flavours and stories. While the place did not have any modern decor nor look very eye-catching, it certainly had a homely feel to it with lots of Peranakan elements. When combined with Lily and her mother's dishes served at our table, it felt like having a home-cooked fine dining meal.

Amazing food. If you are looking for authentic nyonya food with natural ingredient with No preservatives or msg, then this is the place. You will get to taste the real umami taste of the food itself. Not only it is healthy but very tasty as well. They have their own little herbs garden which they use their own grown herbs for the cooking…

Hidden Gem with Generations-Old Family Recipes. This is a truly unique dining experience. The owner is working to preserve these peranakan recipes that are often made with ingredients that you can no longer even buy in the local markets so the owner either grows them herself or forages them from the local forest. The ingredients are all very fresh and healthy and clearly hand made with love. You can't get this food anywhere else in the world. Make sure to ask about the dishes so you can get the whole story behind them.