PETALING JAYA, July 26 — I'm a big fan of pasta. It's versatile, depending on what ingredients you pair it with.
Of course if the budget permits, you can also get the ultimate pasta — silky handmade ones paired with decadent ingredients.
But what if your budget is just RM15?
With clever cooking, powerful ingredients like Chinese waxed sausages and lard fritters, it's hard to beat the Sinful Aglio Olio pasta served at Ernie's Western Food.
It may just be a food stall located inside a coffee shop, but I reckon this pasta is as good as those served in any cafe.
I couldn't stop thinking about that pasta, after I had packed it home one night.
Just to ensure it wasn't a one-off wonder, I ordered it again and it was just as delicious as I remembered.
The base is a classic aglio olio. Fruity olive oil, minced garlic and black pepper coat al dente spaghetti strands.
The topping of minced pork with lap cheong diced in chunky pieces, adds another layer of deliciousness.
Fluffy crispy lard fritters tossed in the pasta, makes you happy with its sinfulness.
This Western food stall housed inside Restoran Sum Sum is manned by Ernie Tan and his wife Crissie.
It may have just started in June but Tan used to own his own restaurant in Section 17's Happy Mansion.
The place served fusion food with Thai, Filipino, Japanese and Korean influences from his culinary career. In an interview with Free Malaysia Today, he said he attended the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Thailand.
Looking through the pictorial menu plastered on the stall, you spy the usual must-eats in any Western food place of this genre, like Grilled Chicken Chop (RM16), NZ Lamb Shoulder Chop (RM24) and Fish & Chips (RM16) using perch.
There's also Chargrilled Pork Chop (RM20), said to be a juicy rendition, thanks to Tan's extra step to brine the meat first, locking in the moisture.
The pasta offerings are a varied selection. There's Spam Carbonara (RM13) with a thick, white creamy sauce and Porky Bolognese (RM15) with a tomato base and minced pork. You have a simple Mexican Aglio Olio (RM10) that looks like it is served with black olives. And the latest to join his line-up is Salted Egg Prawn Spaghetti for RM15.
I couldn't try all the dishes but I picked the ones that interested me. Some of the dishes are creations Tan used to serve in his restaurant.
On his off-menu special, there's the hefty Pork Tomahawk. Again, Tan brines the meat for three days and marinates it for two days, making it moist and tasty just on its own.
As it's chargrilled on a hot griddle, there's delicious fatty bits too.
If you like to drench your meat with sauce, there's their homemade hot sauce that is like their tomato sauce with a mild spiciness. You also have black pepper sauce and a cream sauce. This is paired with a mix of fries and wedges plus coleslaw, which thankfully is not drowning in mayonnaise.
It's an item that has to be shared, since it's a hefty 1.2 to 1.3 kilograms of meat and a long bone.
Should you still be on the track for pork, go for the Babi-cue Pork Ribs (RM33). These are marinated and slow cooked in an oven for five hours. The meat is fall-off-the-bone and slathered with a sauce that is a balanced sweetness.
And if you're looking for the classic must-eat, Hainanese Chicken Chop (RM18), this stall's version is different with a crunchy light fried batter coating the chicken and paired with a tomato sauce with mixed vegetables.
Occasionally the stall will close, if they are busy with a catering job. Just call ahead to double check if they are open before heading over.
The coffee shop is now bustling with diners who flock there since the stalls from Taman Megah's Restoran Gembira have migrated there. It may not be an air-conditioned space but they use huge fans to keep you cool.
Ernie Western Food, Restoran Sum Sum, No. 1, Jalan SS26/9, Taman Mayang Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Open: 5.30pm to 9pm (Monday), 11.30am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 9pm (Tuesday to Sunday) Tel: 012-5076626
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