Kickin' It Kampung Style

It defies logic, really, but great Malay food is nowhere near as thick on the ground here in Kuala Lumpur as is, say, scrumptious Chinese or ambrosial Indian. Oh, we know that there's boatloads of delicious Malay grub out there (we have fond memories of our best Malay meal ever), it's just that, we suspect, most of it is prepared in private homes, out of the reach of trolling grub seekers like ourselves. (We haven't yet stooped to knocking on the doors of perfect strangers to ask for a taste of whatever it is we've just whiffed outside their kitchen window. Never say never.)

So, a place serving memorable Malay fare is something to get on a soapbox about.

Fatimah Selera has been dishing up killer kampung kuisine (kampung means 'village' in Malay, so what we're talking about here is true 'mom'-style cooking) to its lucky Kampung Baru kustomers for several years. Since making our acquaintance with its mouthwatering offerings last December we've made a few return pilgramages. The pattern: head over for a full - I mean really full - lunch and leave with numerous plastic bags of goodies to stash in the freezer for a rainy day.

There's always a groaning sideboard-type display of dishes at the back of this modest, open-air restaurant. Affable Pakcik Nordin, Fatimah's proprietor, will happily describe every single one of them, if that's what it takes.

It's all good, but we think Fatimah Selera really shines when it comes to fish. Take, for instance, the beauty up top - ikan kembung (a smallish mackerel-y fish) stuffed with grated coconut, turmeric, chilies, and lemongrass and grilled to crackly-skinned perfection. Ikan kembung is oily and strong-flavored, making it both barbeque-friendly (crispy outside, moist within) and the perfect foil for the assertively-flavored stuffing. Served with a dipping sauce of kecap manis and chopped chilies.

Fatimah Selera also does a mean assam fish. Chunks of a meaty, firm-fleshed variety (sea bass?) are stewed in a sweet-tamarind sour, dried chili gravy. Lime leaves are in evidence on the plate and lemongrass and galangal announce themselves on the tongue. The sauce is neither so sour nor so spicy as to preclude spooning it up on its own after the fish is gone. 

The house 'relish' brings to mind claims that Malaysian is the first 'fusion' (how I hate that word) cuisine. Here we have large, more-fishy-than-salty ikan bilis (dried anchovies), chilies, onions, a green leafy vegetable of some sort ... and preserved mustard, an ingredient more often associated with Chinese than Malay food. Everything is fried together, resulting in an irresistible salty, fishy, spicy, pickley-sour, sweet (note that the onions are lightly caramelized) side dish. 

In true 'home cooking' style, it varies day to day. Long green chilies may be substituted for red, preserved mustard may be privileged over fresh greens, shallots may find their way into the mix. But two things are constant: those irresistably crunchy ikan bilis and the fact that this relish will be MIA from the table at the back of the shop by 2pm.

To say that Fatimah Selera does fish well is not to say that other items are second-best. We just happen to love seafood. The chicken curry is sublime, with (again) plenty of chilies, a rich essence of dried aromatics, and blessedly less coconut milk than your average version. It's always a ta pao (takeaway).

Pergedel (fritters) are expertly deep-fried, flavorful potato and vegetable nuggets nestled in a lacy egg jacket. Fatimah Selera's pecel jawa (blanched veggies and tofu doused in peanut sauce) satisfying and not too sweet, and the sambal belacan served with ulam (vegetables) is fresh, fishy, and hurts-so-good fiery.

Skip dessert, after a meal like that? Not with the likes of the restaurant's towering air jagung (literally, corn juice) - shaved ice, corn, and condensed milk - on the menu. This treat is tantalizing enough to silence any and all corn-for-dessert? naysayers.

Fatimah Selera Kampung, 5 Jalan Haji Yahya Sheikh Ahmad, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel. 03-2692-1073.

Comments

[bayi]

Fatimah Selera, what a name! "Selera" is the Malay word for appetite.

Looking at the pictures brings out the digestive juices in my tummy. I love the stuffed ikan kembong. I used to eat this occasionally at the canteen next to the Jalan Duta squash courts years ago, downing two fish each time I went there. But I heard the proprietor had a stroke and I wonder if the food is still as good. But Fatimah's other dishes are equally mouth-watering... Ah..those angle beans and okra (eaten raw or cooked in boiling water first?) dipped in sambal. There is only one word for all these. Heavenly!

[Nasir]

Now, you're making me hungry...

[Penny]

I'm an expat Indonesian woman who has lived in the US for the past 18 years. I love you blog, but sometimes I think I must be a masochist for reading it. Sheer torture, reminding me of all the good stuff I can't get here. *sniff*

[Cynthia]

Envy and jealously mixed in with lots of thanks and love for sharing it with us.

[E]

Robyn,
There's a whole world of malay (and chinese, indian etc) food stalls that serve excellent dishes during lunch on weekdays in various canteens inside those high-rise buildings in the golden triangle of KL. Where do you think all those office workers go to during lunch - those air-con food courts in the shopping malls? they couldn't afford to every single day. Those canteens have lots of food stalls and are only open for lunch and on working days.

When i was working there i used to visit a different canteen every day and not come back to the same one for days later! One example I can remember is in the basement of the kenanga international bldg, Jln Sultan Ismail. Another is the 8th floor of the multi-storey car park next to menara boustead, Jln Raja Chulan. there's a canteen in almost every office bldg. Go during lunch and ask the guards or office workers that are passing by where they're going. Or just follow the crowd. It's a whole new world.

[Robyn]

bayi - have not checked that canteen out. Thanks.

Nasir and Penny - sorry! We'll have an extra fish for you next time. ;-)

Cynthia - you must be a masochist bec you keep coming back for more!

E - of course, it's easy to find Malay food, there's lots out there, but it's not all great (just as not all char kuey teow or appam are created equal). The trick is finding the really wonderful stall, or the one or two wonderful dishes at each stall. Lacking the time to troll every office bldg in KL for that one excellent chicken rendang, we are happy to receive recommendations! (We also most of our blog eating on the wknds, which keeps us away from the office worker traffic, unfortunately).

[Iza]

Ohhh, I have been there and I agree with you. The ikan sumbat, the daging masak lemak and the air jagung is to die for! You are making my mouth water!!!

[tanya]

oh wow! I'm going nuts over the pictures! if only i could reach over and taste every single one!

[rasa malaysia]

Oh no, I hate to think that Malaysian food is "fusion" (yep, I cringe at the very thought). It could be a fusion of ingredients, but it's not like "Sambal seared pigeon satay with sake tamarind sauce and lotus-leaf wrapped sweet rice gratin...LOL. Plus, it's not that Malaysians wanted to be cosmo, it's just a natural culinary development. :)

[Cynthia]

Robyn, I can't help myself, I have to come back for more and more! (lo)

[Ted]

Robyn, I really like your work. In fact whenever I travel within the country, I make it a point to sample the food and visit the places you have featured. I'm being picky here but the fish in the first pic is not ikan kembong bit ikan cincaru.

[Pepy]

Robyn,
That pecel with wings leaves (daun kecipir in Indonesian)is one of my favourite. Good things, I still can find those wing leaves here.

[heidileon]

saved the address in my to go list for future trip to KL...

ps i loved the kustomers part ;-)