I still remember the days when I would get a good dose of nyonya food only if I travelled to Malacca or Penang. But if you ask me now, I would rather find one that’s near. Sure, there are tons of nyonya restaurants in the Klang Valley, but damn – they are so expensive! If the food tastes good, ok lah – but if it’s horrible, how to get a refund?.
Nyonya cuisine is loved by Malaysians for its rich flavours of traditional Chinese ingredients, like fermented beans and soy sauce, and explosive Southeast Asian spices like lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, and coriander (basically it’s Chinese kahwin Malay and you get nyonya!).
The fun fact is that nyonyas cook with their intuition and an ‘agak-agak’ notion, in which everything is estimated to some extent. Cooking a food that is balanced and has all the proper flavours takes a lot of precision, patience, and experience. You may expect spiciness, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness from their meals, which range from tamarind to belacan, chilli, and gula Melaka. The best of both world is what I would say.
Speaking of nyonya, a new restaurant has just opened its doors – and it’s definitely worth the try. Residents of the Klang Valley are invited to indulge in traditional, authentic nyonya dishes and sample a variety of local delicacies at Mountain Village Restaurant, located at SS2. Mountain Village not only provides an authentic nyonya experience for its customers, but is pocket-friendly too (you jimat a lot!).
The restaurant’s owner and chef grew up in Malacca, and was working as a chef of nyonya cuisine for more than 10 years (since 2011). He grew up loving nyonya dishes, but found that they’re quite pricey (which is so true). So, he and his wife decided to show their love of nyonya culture to people in the Klang Valley with delicious nyonya delights at affordable prices. And voila, that’s how Mountain Village Restaurant came to be.
Their opening was quite grand, complete with a Lion Dance. Since it was their first day, the restaurant allowed us to try anything from their menu. So we requested their signature dish, which is the Nyonya Kahwin. I’ve never really tried this dish (nor have I heard of it), but I’m glad we ordered it. Nyonya Kahwin is a combination of curry mee and asam laksa, that gives you both spicy and sour, with a hint of savouriness, all at one time (absolutely loved this combo).
They also offered their Signature 3 Layer Tea, which comes in a vibrant blue, made from butterfly pea flower, gula melaka and evaporated milk. It tastes sort of like soy milk with a hint of sweetness, which goes well with any meal. Personally, I ordered because of the colour 🙂
Apart from their specials, customers can enjoy meals such as nasi lemak, nyonya mee siam, nyonya mee pedas, penang kuey teow, claypot yee mee, fruit rojak, kaya toast butter and many more at prices as low as RM1.50 and drinks at RM1.30! How cool is that? You not only enjoy delicious food, but you spend less, too. They also serve nasi lemak special, and you can choose between rendang chicken or fried chicken. The sambal was spicy, unlike the sambal we get from hawker stalls, and the chicken rendang was tender and flavourful.
They also have soup with ingredients of your choice. The price of each item (per piece) is only RM1.30, so you can mix and match to create your own kind of soup. We tried the dumpling soup. The dumpling was moist and not too thick. They were super generous on the filling, which was minced pork and a prawn right in the center. The soup itself tasted so good. You could have this soup at any time of the day. Clear soup, but definitely full of flavours.
It’s important to note that this restaurant is non-halal (don’t say I didn’t warn y’all). Everything about Mountain Village is so quaint. I absolutely love the interior. It’s bright and gives you that homely feel as you indulge in your meal. And I love, love how they incorporate a bamboo concept into their furniture and decor, indoor plants, paintings… how very nyonya!
So, if you guys are ever in or around the SS2 area, visit Mountain Village Restaurant and get a taste of all their nyonya delicacies. For the time being, they can’t be found on social media, and locating them can be slightly confusing – but we’ve sorted that out for you. To visit, head to :
Mountain Village SS2 (Level 1)
No. 52, Jalan SS2/61, Petaling Jaya, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
(Right above Young Sanna Mee SS2)
More of food? Read this:
https://lipstiq.com/lifestyle-lifestyle/193297/honey-im-home-jungle-house-opens-cafe-concept-store-in-bangsar/
