KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Remember when David Chang first introduced his infamous Momofuku Pork Buns, what seems like an aeon ago? Suddenly there were all manner of copycat versions of these braised pork belly stuffed inside a halved steamed bao everywhere, from gastropubs to fine dining restaurants.
Except Chang’s Momofuku Pork Buns were themselves a nuanced take on a Chinese classic. Specifically héyè bǐng (“lotus leaf buns”), a type of steamed bao that was folded to hold fillings, that hailed from the Fujian province of China.
Its folded shape resembled lotus leaves, hence the name. Filled with a slice of hóngshāo ròu (“red cooked” pork belly), suān cài (pickled Chinese mustard greens), fresh coriander and ground peanuts, it transforms into guàbāo, one of my favourite snacks.
Now, I have enjoyed guàbāo in a diverse number of cities, from Taipei to Ipoh, but I never had lotus leaf buns with fried pork before.
That is, not until I discovered it at Chaos House Restaurant in Taman Taynton View, Cheras. If the name of the shop seems unusual, its Chinese name might be more revealing — 混食坊 (Hùn Shí Fāng) — can be loosely translated as “Mixed Foods House” which is a nod to its anything goes philosophy.
Anything goes so long as it’s comfort food, which its Homemade Fried Pork Lotus Leaf Buns definitely qualify as. The fried pork is essentially Hakka style fried pork patty, perfumed with a bit of salted fish.
Accompanied with the crunch of fresh lettuce leaves and the steamed-to-order folded bao, and you have a couple of quick bites of pure satisfaction. Chaos House Restaurant serves three buns per order and you might wish, as I might have, that you were dining alone so you can devour every single one!
The restaurant itself is easy to find. Located along the busy Jalan Dato Haji Harun in Taman Taynton View, one only needs to look out for the eclectic shop entrance festooned with tiny Chinese red lanterns and a Christmas tree.
(Given National Day was just a few days ago and Malaysia Day is about a fortnight away, there is a celebratory Jalur Gemilang too.)
It was swelteringly hot when we visited so we were grateful for the cool air-conditioning inside. Still, a quick order of their signature drinks — Passion Cooler (jasmine green tea with passion fruit, lemon and basil seeds) and Red Dates & Wolfberry Tea — was absolutely necessary.
The refreshing beverages helped with the wait as many of the dishes are not only cooked to order but made to order. This includes their popular Hakka yong tau foo.
Supposedly they only stuff the various yong tau foo ingredients with the filling after customers have made their order.
Unlike the typical yong tau foo filling which is made from minced fish paste, Chaos House Restaurant’s version is a blend of pork, fish paste and salted fish, which gives it a meatier and more umami flavour.
The wait, if any, is worth it as these are some of the most moreish yong tau foo that we have had in a long while. You can have them with your carbohydrates of choice — either rice or noodles — or just enjoy the freshly made yong tau foo as is.
We had the stuffed eggplant, egg, tofu puff and beancurd sheet; other yong tau foo ingredients include chillies, okra, tofu and a bonus of fried dumplings (which contains shrimp).
None of the diners seemed to mind waiting for their lunch orders, perhaps in part due to the shop’s long opening hours; one can drop by when peckish anytime between seven in the morning and midnight!
One word of advice: don’t skip the carbs — not if your choice happens to be noodles. Their homemade noodles have a lovely springiness and elevated the otherwise straightforward dish of Lemongrass Dry Curry Chicken.
Perhaps the only letdown was Chaos House Restaurant’s rojak. Homemade crackers, cucumber, jicama, pineapple and crushed peanuts are tossed with a homemade rojak sauce but it all tasted a bit flat.
For snacking, it might be safer to stick with the fried chicken wings, available in two flavours — shrimp paste or fermented bean curd.
Chaos House does live up to its name — a veritable mix of different comfort foods. Nearly all of the dishes we ordered hit the spot and that’s a rarity nowadays.
Chaos House Restaurant 混食坊
67, Jalan Dato Haji Harun, Taman Taynton View, Cheras
Chaos House Restaurant 混食坊
Open Thu-Tue 7am-12am (Wed closed)
Phone: 03-9521 7266
Facebook:@chaoshouse
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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