Nostalgic Comfort

First Published in Options, The Edge Malaysia, April 3. 2017

Familiar, comfort food in an unpretentious setting in one of KL’s old, upmarket neighbourhoods.

If you want to try the Roast Duck or Chicken at Kenny Hills Bistro, go early for lunch, or reserve one for dinner, as they’re both wildly popular and only available for lunch.  I endured a leisurely wait one lunchtime.

It’s a nice place to wait, small and rather tight with space. Large exposed filament bulbs dangle from the ceiling, providing a fuzzy warm light, there are plants in planter boxes, with the rest of the space somehow squeezing in a few tables, a cramped kitchen, payment counter and dessert display. 

There’s outside seating in the corridor, and a couple of doors away is the sister establishment, Kenny Hills Bakers.  The location, in an old apartment block in lush Kenny Hills, now called Bukit Tunku, is relaxing and upmarket without being pretentious – reminders of a gentler time when KL was greener, quieter and more civil.

The single-sheet menu offers bistro fare, light and informal, dipping broadly into local and Western cuisine for familiar favourites.  There’s a good selection of beverages featuring cold pressed juices, hot drinks, beers and a separate wine list.

My Wenchang Organic Hainanese Chicken (Rm25) looked unremarkable, although it was nicely presented with garlic, chili and dark soya sauce in the traditional manner.  But the bistro isn’t about fancy presentations, but plain, good old fashioned food at good value.

The chicken breast was tender, wasn’t dry and was nicely done, but the rice was lovely, being fluffy and fragrant and not at all oily.  With fresh, lively sauces, this was a genteel, authentic Chicken rice, without the sweat and grime of your favourite hawker stall.

On a separate occasion, at dinner, I was able to sample a broader range of the bistro’s offerings, starting off with the newly rediscovered elixir, salted egg yolk, in the Salted Egg Yolk Calamari Rings (Rm20). Golden and crispy looking, they were a treat, with a crunchy, bouncy texture, and a deep flavor from the salted egg yolk, without an overdose of sodium.

The house Yam Cake (Rm18) was also superb, with a slightly crusty exterior yielding to a soft and richly luxurious texture when you bit in. The traditional accompanying sweet and chili sauce heighted the contrasting tastes.

The Duck and Pear Salad (Rm25) won points for originality, with pieces of shredded duck meat and slices of pear in mesclun salad, but was actually one of the plainer offerings for the night, compared to what was to come.

The day’s Mushroom Soup (Rm15) was straightforward, thick and almost granularly dense, being a blend of fresh mushrooms in thick stock, but I remember the garlic bread as the show-stealer for its crisp, yet meltingly tender texture and heady flavor.

The Daily Special, a Crab Sauce Pasta with Prawns (Rm45), was beguilingly simple, yet disguising a beautifully convincing, deep-flavoured crab sauce, with pasta and fresh medium-sized prawns, topped with buffalo cheese for that bit of luxurious smoothness.

Still on the Western theme, the Prime Cheese Burger (Rm35) upheld the high standards. It was small, but the brioche bun was softly luxurious, the beef patty dense and moist with a good, beefy bite, with melted cheese and a small gherkin for added flavor. The side fries were small, but they were spectacularly good, dry and friable under a delicately crispy skin.

For contrast, we tried some Oriental favourites, starting with the main-meal size Sup Buntut (Rm38, only for dinner), served with a hearty portion of rice and some chili sauce that turned out to be eye-wateringly hot. The aroma of pungent spices wafted from the thick, brown stew, with pieces of stewed vegetables and garnished with coriander.  There was a hefty chunk of oxtail, with dark pieces of meat clinging onto the bone, in the stew, which was comfortingly familiar with its exotic blend of spices. It was worthy of any nightly mamak stall serving the stuff, but this was more refined and fuller bodied, with a balanced flavor, sans the oil.  The flood of nostalgia associated with late night movies and supper at small dimly lit stalls came free of charge. The meat was tender, yet retained enough bite to make this a substantial meal.

Something equally hefty, the Spiced Lamb Shank with Biryani Rice (Rm38), was a browned piece of meat on the bone, with a scoop of biryani rice and a small portion of achar.  Sweet, meaty lamb, beautifully tender, yet retaining its bite, was stewed in a rich, spicy sauce, and well paired to dry, fluffy biryani rice with the achar adding that little bit of zing.

The dessert choices would drive someone with a sweet tooth to distraction, but after some humming and hawing, we settled for a wedge of Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake (Rm15) which lived up entirely to the promise of its name, a Chocolate Éclair (Rm9) and a Crumble Cheesecake (Rm15), my personal favourite for the chocolate chips embedded in the soft, rich, yet mild cheese. All the cakes had that fresh flavor, so distinct from lesser preservative-laden cakes you encounter in some cake shops.

Kenny Hills Bistro hits a note that’s both nostalgic and hip at the same time. The menu offers comfort food that’s excellently and honestly done, with fresh ingredients and an empathy for what diners look for – fresh, authentic and familiar, and at very good value at that.

Kenny Hills Bistro,

Lot H1, Taman Tunku, off Langgak Tunku,

50480 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-62018111

Business Hours: 11.30am – 3pm, 6.30pm – 10pm daily. Closed on Mondays.