A restaurant in Taman Tun Dr Ismail serves authentic heirloom dishes in true muhibbah spirit of the 60s, writes Gabriel Martin
“MORE sambal please!” hollers an elderly man for an extra serving of the must-have condiment in that favourite Malaysian staple, nasi lemak (coconut milk rice). It’s endearing to watch people enjoying their food, especially when what you’re serving has been cooked from the heart. And this has always been the Peranakan (Straits-born) way of sharing the rich and unique taste of Baba Nyonya cuisine.
And this is also Abdul Bari Hsiung Abdullah’s attitude when it comes to his cooking and food. Better known as Bari, he is the man behind Kukus, a new restaurant in leafy Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL.
Kukus (which means steam in Malay), hints at the restaurant’s “hero” on the menu — steamed rice.
Bari was born and raised in a Baba household in Malacca’s Heeren Street before relocating to Petaling Jaya at age 10. Bari has always had a love of Peranakan-style of cooking. Serving heirloom recipes from the matriarchs of the family, he goes to great lengths to ensure that the dishes remain as authentic as possible.
As a result of his travels and work in the islands of the East Coast as a professional diving instructor, Bari is well versed in northern spreads too, known as Masakan Utara, having learnt much from the locals in Terengganu.
ART OF RICE
Peranakans are spoilt when it comes to food. Each generation of the Nyonyas treasures their ancestor’s and family’s secret recipes, which are passed down from mother to daughter. Most of these are taught hands-on and not through recipe books. Like my grandmother used to say: “Semua pakeh agak-agak” (Always use your instincts).
The genial Bari learnt the art of steaming rice at 16. The experience in the kitchen with his mother was the beginning of his love affair with food. Kukus pays homage to the same steamed nasi lemak recipe, handed down to him from his mother, who also comes by regularly for “quality control” checks on her son’s food venture.
The 44-year old F&B consultant opines that steamed rice has a different taste and texture when compared to rice cooked the normal way. He explains the many processes of steaming rice, in particular, Kukus’s signature Triple Steamed Basmathi Rice.
“The first steaming process begins after washing the rice. Once the rice is half cooked, we need to soak the grains in water and coconut milk for at least six hours for the rice to elongate naturally.”
The soaked rice is steamed again for the second time until it’s fluffy and cooked thoroughly. Then, Bari will coat the rice with coconut milk and salt. Pandan leaves, ginger and shallots are added to impart fragrance to the rice.
“Finally, we’ll steam the rice for the third time for the mixture to marry together. This is a shorter steaming process, just enough time for the coconut milk to drip off the grains,” Bari elaborates in detail as he lifts up the cover of the wooden steamed rice barrel, releasing a waft of fragrance that tantalises the palate.
In addition to the popular Nasi Lemak Kukus, the restaurant also serves Nasi Dagang Ganu which is cooked the Terengganu way, Nasi Minyak Behwah, and Nasi Kerabu Tulen.
SPICE WORLD
Every family has a unique recipe for sambal, a hot sauce typically made from a mixture of chillies, shallots and tamarind juice. The condiment is usually thick or watery, and sometimes dry depending on the way it’s cooked. Some families add belacan (shrimp paste), gula Melaka (palm sugar) and kaffir lime leaves to enrich it further.
There’s no specific way to judge an authentic sambal but Peranakans instinctively know when they’re having a good one. Every spoonful should be delightful and balanced. The sambal shouldn’t be too spicy, too sweet or too watered down. The taste is usually piquant enough and the texture goes very well when mixed with rice. The flavour is complex but distinctive when different ingredients are paired with the basic chilli paste.
Cooking sambal requires patience. Constant stirring is needed until the spices pecah minyak (solids separate from the oil). Then, other spices and ingredients are added to make your desired type of sambal.
“There are no shortcuts,” Bari stresses. “We tumis (saute) the rempah (spice mixture) until it’s nice and thick, using the traditional way of cooking. This takes time.” Kukus cooks 16kg of sambal daily.
Customers can select from four types of sambal at Kukus. Sambal Adek is a child-friendly version that’s less spicy and slightly sweet. Sambal Tebaboh is the exact opposite with more “kick” and tanginess. For something slightly saucy, try Sambal Mambang, a coconut milk-based sambal that’s perfect for vegetarians. Sambal Al Forfo is typically an elevated sambal ikan bilis.
My favourite is Sambal Tebaboh. Since young, I’ve been taught that a good sambal is the ultimate criteria when it comes to judging a good plate of nasi lemak. Peranakans are very meticulous in the preparation of and how the sambal looks and tastes. A thick but smooth paste with a nice shiny texture reflects the culinary artistry and experience of the maker.
SIXTIES SPIN
“La forfo! Watakongsi! Landing time!” exclaim the three main leads in the evergreen movie, Laksamana Do Re Mi. From Set Ayam Kasim Selamat to Set Pak Belalang, Bari has created names inspired by the glorious era of the silver screen.
“My first P. Ramlee movie was Bujang Lapuk,” Bari reminisces, chuckling. His choice of names for the food items on the menu is testament to his fond memories and love of the good old days.
One of the bestsellers here is the Ayam Goreng Alakazam (Alakazam Fried Chicken). The marinated whole chicken leg, lightly coated and fried to perfection, is definitely different from the typical Ayam Goreng Berempah (Fried Chicken With Spices). The skin is light, thin and crispy because it’s not battered. The meat is tender and juicy.
For first timers, it’s always great to start with Set Alakazam that comes with Triple Steamed Fragrant Basmathi Rice, hardboiled egg, steamed kangkung, cucumber, fried anchovies, roasted ground nuts, Ayam Goreng Alakazam and a choice of Sambal Tebaboh or Sambal Adek.
If you have a big appetite, order the Set Kukus Master Dulang (also known as Set Lapar Nak Mampos), which is similar to Set Alakazam but comes with more rice, all four types of sambal and an extra egg. This is the perfect platter for sharing and to sample the taste of each sambal.
BIG PLANS
“I realised that people nowadays eat with their eyes,” says Bari, as he elaborates on the importance of presentation. He even has had customers telling him that the exterior of the shop looks like a kampung (village) house while the inside feels like a kopitiam (coffee shop) and yet serves like an Indian restaurant. So Malaysian, kan?
The concept of Kukus centres around the muhibah spirit of Malaysia in the 60s. From its simple decor that’s centred around Adnan Othman, the Jimmy Hendricks of Malaysia in the old days, to the warong-style layout design, a visit to Kukus is definitely a walk down memory lane.
It recently introduced a new menu consisting of noodle dishes like Nyonya Laksa and Mee Siam. The team is currently working on the Devil Curry, a popular Kristang dish, which will be available soon at the restaurant.
Excitedly, Bari shares that he’s also working closely with his business partners and chefs to take the brand global beginning next year. In fact, they’ll be setting up Kukus in Perth, Australia next year. “We believe that we’re different. We want to bring a truly Malaysian gastronomic experience to the world!,” concludes Bari, eyes shining.
NASI DAGANG GANU RECIPE
4 cups of plain rice grains (we recommend Jasmine’s Green Local grain)
1 cup glutinous rice (Jasmine’s Pulut Rice)
3 cups of light santan + salt and sugar for taste
1-1 ½ cups of heavy santan + a little salt for taste
1 tbsp biji halba (fenugreek seeds)
2 red onions julienned
½ inch of ginger julienned
Method
1. Mix plain rice with glutinous rice and soak overnight or at least eight hours after washing.
2. Steam rice mixture for at least 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked (it will have a dry texture).
3. After steaming, coat rice with plain water (1-2 cups) until rice absorbs the water. Let it rest for 5-8 minutes. Repeat the process with 1 1/2 cups of light santan and allow the rice to absorb the santan. Let it rest before adding the rest of the light santan. Do the same coating process.
4. Steam again for 20 minutes.
5. Add halba, julienned onions and ginger to the rice mix after the second steaming process. Coat with the heavy santan and let it rest for 8 minutes.
6. Serve rice with pickled vegetables and Gulai Ikan Tongkol.
Restoran Kukus Stim Habis, 26, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL