Restoran Anggrek Kuring

Puchong.. The name itself already sounded far fetch to me. What more when some of my Muslim colleagues ask me to bring them for some good food in Puchong. Stress!
As much as I love variety and food venture, I have limited experience to offer. So it was fortunate to bump into Anggrek Kuring when we came to Puchong for some work related matters.

Location: No.30-1, Jalan Puteri 1/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor.
Rating: Good

To tell the truth.. Even before the food came. I am already bought over by the soft ambience. I mean, can you imagine to walk in from the noisy environment outside, into a quiet soothing room like this..

We asked the waiter to recommend us on what drink to take. He said Kopi-O Kelapa. I was speechless... Kopi-O in malaysia means black coffee and Kelapa means coconut. black coffee with coconut??? Nah... It is actually Kopior Kelapa. A blended mixture of coconut flesh and its juice. Trust me... One glass is not enough.

My friend ordered Nasi Timbel. It is basically rice wrapped in banana leaf, served with deep fried chicken , fried beancurd, prawn crackers and skewered meat/prawn. In the olden days, people wrapped food in banana leaf because (1) there was no such thing as plastic/metal containers, and (2) banana leaf is a very effective preserver (food won't turn bad for a longer time). But for those who have tried a banana leaf wrapped nasi lemak (coconut milk rice), the aroma contributed by the banana leaf is unforgettable.

I ordered Nasi Ayam Panggang. It comes with a quarter roasted chicken, fried beancurd, skewered prawns, chilli/sambal prawns and prawn crackers. I can't say much about this. It is not particularly aromatic or tasty. But... the redemption comes in the sambal in the following pic.

Ah.. this is the one.... The sambal has a tinged of soybean in it. So I suspected this is not really Sambal Terasi (of Sundanese cuisine) but Sambal Taucho (of Sulawesi origin). One thing is for sure, the sambal is "endearingly" spicy. This is the center of attraction for all of us, as it pulls all the flavour and tecture togather and make our meal interesting.

While flipping through the menu, I came across an interesting side dish called Pepes Jamur. I guess anything wrapped and grilled in banana leaf is called pepes. Jamur stands for mushrooms. I'd expected strong aroma and taste from this side dish, but it came pretty bland. The good thing is you can still taste the flavour of mushrooms, despite many ingredients combined in this dish. On the other hand, it seemed kind of wasted that so many ingredients and it still came out bland. Maybe it is my expectation that needs adjustment. My mind is already fixed with the idea of otak-otak, which is stronger in flavour and aroma.

I got this map from its website. An interesting place to go, if you are bored with the usual Malay, Chinese & Indian fare.