100 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
75200 Melaka
Coordinates: 2.196159, 102.245590
Since it was our last night in Melaka (we planned to leave
early the next morning to avoid the weekend traffic along the NKVE from the south headed to Kuala Lumpur) we
decided to pamper ourselves to a little upmarket Nyonya soul food.
Although nothing near the overpriced Nancy’s Kitchen a few
doors down, Kocik Kitchen does not quite fit the description of the everyday
food for the everyday man. Nonetheless it’s a welcomed, occasional distraction.
Cat says the name Kocik is derived from the Hokkien term for youngest aunty.
 |
| along the road adjacent to Jonker Walk |
 |
| it has a homely feel |
 |
| we stepped in with anticipation |
 |
| an ice shaving stall |
Scanning the menu, we decided to sample their signature
dish: the 1Ayam Buah Keluak. We added a large omelet together with
another Kocik speciality, the 2Otak-Otak and 3Ngo Hiang
Rolls.
1chicken cooked in curry consisting of the main
ingredient, the buah keluak (pangium edule?)
2grilled fish cake made of ground fish meat mixed
with tapioca starch and spices
3 chinese meat rolls also called loh bak, meaning
five-spice meat rolls
 |
| the (challenging) ayam buah keluak |
 |
| otak otak |
 |
| large omelet |
 |
| bendi masak sambal |
 |
| ngo hiang rolls |
Truth be told the Ayam Buah Keluak was not to our fancy, and something we believe to be more of an an acquired taste. Interestingly enough,
Timeout Kuala Lumpur says: “Malaysia’s
answer to the fugu fish, buah keluak (also known as pangium edule) is a deadly
ingredient that’s used in Malaccan Peranakan cooking, with the most notable
usage being in the ayam buah keluak dish. The unassuming large brown nuts (the
seeds of the Kepayang tree found in the swamps of Southeast Asia) contain
hydrogen cyanide, which can be lethal if ingested in large amounts.”
So in a way we felt vindicated. Other than then,
the other excellent dishes more than made up for the rather disconcerting taste
of Ayam Buah Keluak. Would we recommend Kocik Kitchen to anyone else? Of course we will, and if you have the acquired taste for Buah Keluak then it will be an added bonus.
No comments:
Post a Comment