Review Of Bib Gourmand Restaurants On The Michelin Guide Of Malaysia
The food scene in Malaysia is undeniably impressive. From Chinese to Malay, Indian and all fusions in between, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a melting pot of flavors. Food exploration in Malaysia promises a gastronomical journey filled with excitement and discovery. You will have so many choices that you’ll be overwhelmed on where to eat; everything look so good! This time, on my second visit to Malaysia, I decided to focus on the Bib Gourmand restaurants of the MICHELIN guide, and try as much as I can. The Bib Gourmand is a prestigious rating acknowledging restaurants/eateries that offer a refined cuisine and excellent food at affordable prices, falling just below the Michelin star level.
1. Anak Baba
My first stop of this adventure was Anak Baba. After exploring Kuala Lumpur’s Botanical Garden, I headed straight to Anak Baba as it is not so far. The place already distinguishes it self from other eateries around it. A bit morecolourful, clean and has some greenery. They serve authentic Malaccan Peranakan dishes. I knew from the moment I stepped my foot in that the food was about to be bomb, as I saw a kid doing his homework in one of the tables. That was a sign.
Sambal Udang
I visited around 4 pm, so it wasn’t busy at all. Ordered a Pai Tee, Sambal Udang, Milo Ais and Cendol. The atmosphere is relaxed and the service was fast. I was surprised to see how small was the main dish I ordered, Sambal Udang, which is my first time trying it. It’s prawns cooked with their signature sambal. It was such a small portion so I would recommend getting an additional bowl of rice with that. Other than that, the Sambal Udang was a delicious dish, full of flavours and spices. Just perfectly spicy.
Pai Tee
The snack/appetizer I ordered was Pai Tee and it was my first time trying it as well. It is a traditional peranakan snack. Pai Tee is a crispy ‘top hat’ filled with turnip stuffing, egg strips and fried shallots. When you bite into it, it’s juicy, which creates a surprising contrast with it crispiness. I also added some of the Sambal from my main dish and it made it even more delicious! Did I just create a new fusion snack? Try it!
Milo Ais
For the drink, I went with something simple that I love: Milo Ais. Cold chocolate drink. Maybe not the best option for this meal but I can never say no to a cold Milo drink. Ever.
Cendol
To conclud and finish this culinary experience, I got a Cendol. Cendol is a Southeast Asian dessert featuring green rice flour jelly noodles flavored with pandan leaf extract, served with coconut milk, palm sugar, and shaved ice. I have seen places serving it with durian (which should be illegal- anything with durian in it should be illegal actually), but here, they serve it without it. It was a sweet and refreshing treat, but I wish they had put more jelly noodles; they’re my favorites.
The bill came to a total of 38.3 rm for an almost full course and a drink (as I said, the Sambal Udang was quite small). They also have full course combos options on their menu ranging between 30 to 50 rm. I was definitely satisfied with my experience here in terms of taste, quality and service; so I highly recommend. 90/100
2. Nam Eof
My second stop of this adventure was x. It’s located in Penang. I decided to visit Penang during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year of 2024, since it is the province with the highest population of Chinese Malaysians in Malaysia. I figured the celebration there would be bigger and better than in Kuala Lumpur, even if that is the capital. Going there, I had a whoooole list of places to test but… bad timing. I only realized on the way there that most restaurants on the list were Chinese cuisine… and I was going there during the biggest celebration of the year for Chinese decents… LOL fail! Still got to try a few!