BluR LiKe SoToNg

Nope, I'm not "blur like sotong" but I could not resist that little quip about it since this posting is about sotong (Malay for squid). The term "blur like sotong" is from Singlish, a kind of Singapore English slang and means a person is clueless or completely dazed from the real world.

One of our regular makan (Malay for eat) places is Muhibbah Seafood in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. Originally a roadside stall, they have now expanded to two shop lots in this suburb. The food is enjoyed by everyone and is very muhibbah (Malay for unity among races). Recently, it was voted Best Halal Chinese Restaurant by the guidebook, Halal Food, Kuala Lumpur: A Guide to Good Eating.

Based on my tastebuds*, they serve the best deep fried sotong in town as the sotong is crispy with a light batter. It is completely different from the deep fried sotong you get at the Chinese restaurants which I find chewy and the batter to be too thick. Eat it piping hot with the dipping sauce (in the green bowls) that are slightly sourish with a smidgeon of chopped chillis.



Another popular dish is the kerabu paku pakis (Malay for fern shoots). The refreshing dish is paku pakis tossed in some coconut milk, chopped chilli padis (small fiery chilis with an extra kick) and chopped shallots. The paku pakis is not available in supermarkets but can be found occasionally in pasar malams (Malay for night markets) or pasar tani (Malay for agricultural markets).



The food is dissapearing from the plates faster than we can take the pictures! Another great dish is the fried lala (clams) in black bean sauce, onions and peppers.



In the background, is the steamed kampung chicken with blanched brussel sprouts. A kampung chicken is like a free range chicken as it is allowed to roam freely in the kampung (Malay for village). The chicken is served with oyster sauce and a sprinkling of fried garlic on top. In the foreground is the kangkong belacan, a dish where kangkong (Malay for water spinach) is fried with sambal belacan.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. At night, they serve grilled fish with banana leaf.

Muhibbah Seafood
60 & 62, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 03-7727 3153

* Disclaimer: Every individual has different tastes and views of the food they sample.
This is based on my own unique experience.