Coming to Malaysia has always been an exciting trip for most foreign tourists. With its rich culture, diversity and preservation of its old world charm amidst rapid developing cities like Georgetown and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is truly a one-of-a-kind destination that’ll make you crave for another dose of it sooner than expected.
While Singapore’s glamour and Thailand’s raw beauty attracts the majority, Malaysia’s unique flavour palate and simple offerings delight the foodie in you. Of course, the most ideal way to have the full Malaysian experience is by going about like a local.
However, dining in small stalls and dingy restaurants, although they offer the most authentic of dishes, both in taste and presentation, but you cannot take the risk of having a stomach flu and ruining your vacation here!
Malaysia is no Delhi, but once you get the bug, it still requires you to rest and drink lots of fluids. So, what other options you have?
Where Traditional and Modern Converges
At ground level of the KLCC Twin Towers, we found a quaint little restaurant that features delicious traditional Asian cuisine that is served simple yet made to perfection in order to give you the best dining experience you can ever have in the city.
Warm, cozy and private; those are the three words that came to mind when you first enter the restaurant. With its soft lighting and simple decor, it reminds us of a long overdue homecoming. True to its name, Mama San definitely showcases the warm Malaysian hospitality that you can only get in private homes.
Mama San Recommended!
When dining at Mama San, there are several dishes that you absolutely must try! It would be a waste if you don’t take the opportunity to order them.
Since Mama-San is all about creating fond memories, all the dishes are made for sharing. After all, food tastes much better when there’s company to eat it with, don’t you think?
1.Pomelo Salad
When it comes to choice of salad, you’d normally go for a kerabu or an ulam platter or even the conventional Western-style salads like a Caesar or a Nicoise, but in Mama San, if you do not try the Pomelo Salad, you, my dear, have not yet lived.
Pomelo is known for its bitter tartness and not many prefer it especially as an appetizer. However, in Mama San, you might see pomelo in a new light.
The sweetness of the coral mushroom and fried shallots balanced out the bitterness that makes your eyes widen with both surprise and pleasure. Made fresh, this salad will just whet your appetite for the next course.
2. Crispy Sotong with Chilli Jam Ginger Flower Lemongrass
If you love anything crispy, this is your go-to order! It’s just a simple dish with simple flavours that works well together. It’s heavy enough to keep you full til your next meal is being served but light enough to not make you feel nauseous and bloated.
However, I’d like to remind you to keep yourself in check because conversations aside, you might find yourself finishing the whole dish by yourself within minutes because it is that good!
3. Garlic Naan and Butter Chicken
Nothing beats a good fluffy naan and creamy butter chicken for dinner (or lunch, if you like). Mama San really put up a high standard for butter chicken because we just can’t have enough of it, In fact, we had two servings of the butter chicken, once with fragrant Jasmine rice and another with piping hot naan, fresh from the oven.
There’s nothing much to say except for you to just go there and try it for yourself. No words can even go close in describing this dish. Definitely a must try!
4. Lontong
I don’t normally like Lontong but the one served in Mama San changed my mind. For those who doesn’t know what Lontong is, it is a turmeric-based creamy broth cooked with vegetables and tofu. The Malays usually eat it with rice cubes called ‘nasi impit’ while the Indians know it as ‘Sodhi’.
Whatever you may call it, one thing for sure that you’ll be saying after taking one spoonful of this dish is home. Yes, I am not kidding when I say this. Lontong is a comforting, warm dish that is best enjoyed during cold, rainy weathers when you just want to Netflix and chill. The vegetables are well-cooked and the tofu’s creamy texture is full with flavour as it soaked up the broth nicely,
5. Sichuan Braised Eggplant with Capsicum Ginger and Dark Soy
Mama San offers a wide array of vegetable dishes but this one is a clear winner for me. In many households here in Malaysia, this eggplant dish is a common fare enjoyed by families for dinner. Usually, eaten with rice, it has all the flavours you need to make a tummy-satisfying dish. You have the umami flavour from the soy sauce, the bitter taste of the eggplant masked by the heat from the chilli and ginger. If you ask me which Mama San dish is wholesome, this would be it.
Nobody is going to miss not having meat in a meal when ordering this dish!
6. Bite-Sized Banana Fritter Balls
Desserts cannot be missed when dining at Mama San especially this adorable mini cekodok or banana fritters. It’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The best thing about order this mini cekodok is it being served in a sizable bowl, filled to the brim. You can share around without having to fight over it.
You know what? Forget what I said, the price is super affordable that if you’re done with the bowl, you can always order another one!
7. Musang King Crepe Cake
Durian lovers don’t be sad because Mama San hasn’t forgotten about you, After a lovely meal, you’d want to end it on a sweet note and this Musang King Crepe Cake will do the trick. Made of layers after layers of thin, fluffy french crepes, every alternating layer is a spread of rich, creamy flesh of the Musang King Durian fruit!
When Mama San goes full on durian mode, they don’t scrimp at all. So, this is indeed the ultimate durian lover treat.
Drive, Run, Ride to Mama San KLCC Now!
There are many more note-worthy dishes there in Mama-San but there is no fun in reading about the dishes, seeing me repeating the same old adjectives to describe all the dishes.
So, why don’t you do yourself a favour and take whatever transport you have available, at your earliest convenience, and head to KLCC right now to experience what I had earlier at Mama San. Enough chit-chat and let’s go now or book a table by clicking the button below!
The post Mama San KLCC: Revamping Well-Loved Malaysian Flavours appeared first on Butterkicap.