KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Hakka lui cha is everywhere these days, it seems.
But what makes Big Big Bowl Hakka Kitchen's version unique is its Hulk green broth isn't grassy or too mint flavoured. Sharp tongues can pick up a slight ginseng tinge too.
That green broth — packed with goodness from an assortment of herbs — is simply addictive. In fact, I was happily slurping it down on its own, a true testament to its deliciousness.
Most times, we tend to opt for lui cha for its health benefits so it's transformative to find a version that stands heads above the rest.
They may not hand grind the paste for the broth but what I appreciated was the creamy consistency that didn't split when mixed with water. This signals proper emulsification of the herbs, peanuts and sesame seeds.
Once you pair it with rice (white or brown) and their generous toppings, it becomes a huge bowl of happiness for RM12, especially for those who love their greens.
You can also omit the rice, if you're avoiding carbohydrates. I spied chopped long beans, choy sum, sweet potato leaves, two types of cabbage (white and purple) and carrots. There's also toasted peanuts and beancurd.
If rice is not your preference for lui cha, how about a twist... with handmade pan mee? Their Ka Heong Lui Cha Pan Mee (RM12) is like a love child of bouncy handmade noodles and the goodness from the green herbs broth.
You still have the pan mee elements of crunchy ikan bilis, minced meat, wood ear fungus and deep fried beancurd skin. For a spicy hum to your noodles, there's their homemade dried shrimp chilli that gives it an umami lift.
You can also order the traditional pan mee with soup or the dry version.
The lui cha is unique with the inclusion of some secret herbs with anti-inflammatory benefits, plucked from Nancy Chong's garden.
The 70-year-old contributed her recipes to Big Big Bowl Hakka Kitchen. These are dishes she had cooked throughout her life.
Previously a tailor, she switched to the F&B industry when work dried up as many favoured cheaper Chinese imported clothes.
Since she was renowned for her cooking skills, she started selling yong tau foo. About 14 years ago, she joined hands with her daughter Angie Lim to open this restaurant.
Chong is instrumental in maintaining the quality of the food here. As their lui cha is their headline dish, lots of care is personally taken to select the vegetables to ensure only the freshest is served.
That care is extended to every ingredient used in their cooking too.
Hence, they scrape the fish paste themselves to make their yong tau foo. You won't find them using store bought fish paste.
Or, for instance, they adhere to the proper brewing time for their rice wine to ensure it has the requisite sweetness true blue Hakkas love.
Even their pan mee has an element of goodness, thanks to the inclusion of spinach, pumpkin and their special seven vegetable mix.
The eatery located at Desa Aman Puri also caters to family meals with an assortment of homestyle Hakka dishes for sharing.
Solo diners are not forgotten too with items like vinegar trotters or their bean sauce braised pork ribs accompanied with rice.
The true test of any Hakka family is their Rice Wine Chicken (RM23). This one passed with flying colours as their home brewed rice wine was sweet and tasty, indicating that the proper brewing times were followed.
You get pieces of chicken and crunchy wood ear fungus coddled in that comforting broth served in a claypot.
What's interesting is you find that yellow rice wine in their fish noodles too. That slight sweet taste elevates the milky broth of the noodles, making it another winning dish.
Select from fish head (RM14) or if you hate fiddly bones like me, go for the fish fillet (RM15). Accompany it with their chilli sauce that has a tangy flavour laced with belacan.
Other choices include their Claypot Vinegar Trotters (RM21) and Claypot Braised Pork Ribs (RM21). Their version of the trotters dish is a lighter one that will be ideal for children.
You get gelatinous fats mixed with meat with the trotters and chopped ginger bits. The braised pork ribs is a delectable one with tender pork doused with a sauce that is given richness from the use of soybean paste and nam yue.
It's a balanced one without that sharp saltiness if one uses too much of the soybean.
Another delectable dish is their Ginger Duck. It's off menu but just ask for it. The duck pieces are tender and well marinated with the savoury sauce with ginger slices.
It's incredibly hard to get a good version of Hakka Yam Abacus (RM20) but this one was a good rendition.
The "seeds" have the chewiness without too much flour in the mixture. What uplifts their flavour is the accompaniment ingredients it is stir fried with that includes proper caramelised minced pork, dried prawns, dried cuttlefish, shiitake mushrooms and wood ear fungus.
You can also accompany your meal with their Hakka Yong Tau Foo, which is served in a set of five pieces. Select from the soup version or the fried set for RM11.
The stuffed vegetables and beancurd have a homestyle air with their fish paste and pork stuffing.
Big Big Bowl Hakka Kitchen, 5, Jalan Desa 2/7, Desa Aman Puri, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:+6012-2115564. Open: 9am to 7.30pm (last call is 7pm). Closed alternate Tuesday of the month. Facebook: @BigBigBowlHakkaKitchen
