ASK Sunita Mahesan, the owner of Rumahku, what brings people together and she would say that it is a great meal.
The 42-year-old bachelorette, who has been running Rumahku for three and a half years, would certainly attest to the fact that the decor in her two restaurants would also fits the ‘muhibbah’ concept, too.
Crispy: Sunita Mahesan with the tuna cutlets, a favourite with Rumahku patrons. On entering the outlet in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, for instance, one would notice the colourful sarongs which she uses for tablecloths.
Then there is the other outlet in Petaling Jaya, located across the road from University Hospital, which is actually a house.
Diners here get to enjoy the different ambience of Chinese, Indian and Malay influences as the theme changes from one room to another within the charming single story bungalow.
But it is through the menu that the diner will really experience the multicultural facets of the Malaysian taste bud, as I found out during an afternoon at the Rumahku restaurant in Brickfields.
The meal began with some deep fried tuna cutlets (RM3.50 for three) which Sunita revealed were house favourites.
Spicy: Mixed seafood sambal Well-breaded on the outside, they were crisp to the bite and filled with tuna which had been mashed to a creamy consistency and flavoured with garam masala.
The filling was also embellished with chopped red chillies and coriander stalks, which gave it its colour.
Buried within the cutlets like hidden mine bombs were also green cili padi and this was where the accompanying cucumber and onion raita (yoghurt dip) would play its part in cooling down a fired-up tongue.
I also tried the mutton varuvel and it was an action I would not live to regret as it was a case of try-it-once-can’t-stop-going-for-more.
The tender, boneless mutton was temperate and not too spicy, a safe bet for sandwiches, as well as savoury pie fillings.
But the dish that made the most lasting impression was undoubtedly the fiery green chicken rendang.
Coated in a sauce which was a blend of green cili padi and onions, the chicken rendang was a chilli lover’s dream come true.
Irresistible: Mutton Varuvel The dish was a hit from beginning to end with its appetising hints of lemon grass. According to Sunita, this dish derived its origins from the Minangkabau in Negeri Sembilan which had been passed down from their Sumatran ancestors.
For those not used to such fiery chillies, have plenty of water at hand.
On seafood, there was the option of a prawn, fish and squid sambal with okra and four-angled beans.
This dish was reminiscent of the Portugese style of cooking, with strong influences of dried chillies, dried prawns, lemon grass and belacan.
If you prefer the Oriental taste, Sunita recommended the fried cod fish fillet in butter sauce.
What gave the cod a wonderful aromatic flavour was the infusion of curry leaves, cili padi and a small pinch of curry powder in its creamy butter sauce.
If you are looking for something more complete, try the nasi lemak with calamari sambal.
In this case, the calamari had a refreshing lilt due to the addition of green spring onion stalks and I loved the freshly ground chillies used in the calamari, a very Eurasian influence indeed.
Now, there must be a special mention of the rice in the nasi lemak.
It was white, unadorned and plain, but take a sniff and you’ll be rewarded with the fragrant aroma of screwpine leaves and a very rich coconut smell, with hints of ginger and black pepper.
Sunita also revealed that one of the secrets to making good nasi lemak does not solely lie in the ingredients but in the cooking method as well.
At Rumahku, the nasi lemak is steamed so that the rice will expand and each kernel would absorb the full richness of the coconut milk.
And speaking of rice, there was the chicken briyani, too, which had strong, lovely whiffs of ghee.
It was generously endowed with meat and, in addition to a rich chicken curry gravy which had been thickened with coconut milk and a vegetarian raita, it also came with a scrumptious raisin chutney, the first of its kind I have seen in the local eating scene.
The briyani was good. There was a lovely balance of cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon in the rice and the chicken was oh so tender.
But it is the raisin chutney which had come by the side of the briyani that would garner the most attention and prompt everyone to lick their fingers.
It was tempting to ask for more of this delectable condiment but modesty restrainedme.
Really, Sunita would make millions if she were to bottle her raisin chutney and offer it for sale!
But the proof, as we say, is always in the eating.
Let’s see if you will think the same of Rumahku’s raisin chutney as I did.
Rumahku is located at 202, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2260 3475. You can also visit the webpage at www.rumahkuonline.com.
Operation hours are from 11am to 10pm. They are closed on Sundays.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment