KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — Simple and humble as they come, yam rice is a dish that comprises — you guessed it — yam and rice; the latter is usually cooked with dark soy, while fried shallots and dried shrimp are common toppings.
Slices of pork and/or offal in a broth flavoured with pickled vegetables are the standard accompaniment, and just like that, you’ve got yourself a winner.
For most, yam rice is inextricably linked with the city of Bukit Mertajam, with the unassuming dish something of an unwitting culinary icon of the northern city.
The famed original BM Yam Rice on Jalan Murthy even received a nod in the Michelin guide last year!
Here in the Klang Valley, most options for yam rice sport the same name, but on a recent trip to Bandar Damai Perdana, Cheras I uncovered an outlier that may well be a new favourite.
Located across from a large badminton complex is Zheng Ji Famous Yam Rice, where yam rice, Teochew style braised pork and in particular, pork and pickled vegetable soup stand out.
The Yam Rice (RM2 for large) is a delightful bit of carb-on-carb action.
Light, fluffy chunks of yam nestle in the rice, which is cooked in a generous amount of dark soy sauce. Sprinkled over the top are paper-thin bits of crispy fried shallots and dried shrimp.
It's the real McCoy, and you will devour bowls of this stuff quicker than you can say "yam rice".
On the side is a small plate of sambal and dark soy sauce, rich in savouriness and a deep, intense caramel-like flavour that makes for the perfect dip for anything from braised tofu to sliced pork.
I inhaled this with great joy.
Braised Pork (RM22 for medium), Braised Tofu (RM2 per piece) and Braised Egg (RM1.80 per piece) are hallmarks of Teochew cuisine, and they all came bathed in the characteristic dark brown master stock, albeit in a shade that is a touch light.
Hints of clove and maybe cinnamon came through, but I felt it lacked the deep, intense flavour profile one might expect.
Pork Meat Soup (RM22 for medium) was so good we ordered seconds.
Truly, the highlight of the meal was the broth, spiked with crunchy slices of ham choy, or pickled vegetables.
The result is a tangy, piquant broth that reinvigorates with each spoonful, playing the perfect foil to the rest of the rich, sweet and sticky meal.
Slices of lean pork, belly and meatballs are ideal vessels for transporting more of that addictive sambal and dark soy sauce dip.
It’s the simple things in life, really, that pleases me so, and when the much-awaited second bowl arrived, we made short work of it at a concerning pace.
It is easy and almost natural to wonder whether there is any relation to the "other” famous yam rice in the Klang Valley.
I did inquire about it, but I’ve concluded that it doesn’t really matter.
Often, questions about these links are merely thinly veiled jabs at how good the food is, and far too often they serve only to confirm pre-existing biases.
Do the phrases "Oh it’s related to that famous one, must be good”, or "No good lah, must go to the famous one” ring a bell? At Zheng Ji Yam Rice, they answer the only question that matters: Is it good?
The answer is indubitably, yes.
Zheng Ji Famous Yam Rice
15, Jln Damai Perdana 6/1D, Bandar Damai Perdana, Kuala Lumpur
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-3pm, 5.30-8pm
Tel: 012-920 8877
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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