This Malaccan couple started a Nyonya restaurant in PJ 5 years ago & their babi is the star

Ask any Malaysian what the national dish is. If your answer is anything other than nasi lemak, turn in your IC now. Jokes aside, nasi lemak is such a beloved and versatile dish that it is unsurprising chefs all over the country have put their spin on it. In Petaling Jaya, one restaurant in particular has become a crowd favourite for making a twist with pork nasi lemak.

Welcome to Kampung Dining

Kampung Dining in PJ’s Section 17 has been operating since 2017. Run by a Malaccan Peranakan couple, the restaurant is famous for its authentic Nyonya cuisine. More than that though, as many of the dishes served here are served with pork. The restaurant’s speciality is undoubtedly the pork nasi lemak, but there are so many other dishes worth savouring. And that’s exactly what MFT did when we dropped by the restaurant recently.

3rd gen chef

Hailing from a family of chefs, Kampung Dining’s owner Derson Tan is the third generation of his family to be in the business of cooking. Speaking to MFT, he told us that pork nasi lemak is simply the best nasi lemak. “It is normal for Nyonya food traditionally to have babi incorporated into the food,” he said. He takes his craft seriously, with quite a few parts of the menu being made in-house and from scratch. A good meal is guaranteed here.

Different types of pork nasi lemak

What’s good to eat then? Well, several types of pork nasi lemak here must be on your must-try list. The first is the Crackling Skin Siuyuk Nasi Lemak (RM18.90), made with barbecued pork dried for a week and marinated with a homemade yakiniku sauce. The sauce sweetens the nasi lemak, balancing out the spicy sambal. And when we say spicy, we mean it. Tan said that the sambal is the soul of any nasi lemak, and this nasi lemak has a fiery soul indeed.

The other type of nasi lemak is the Deep Fried Pork Ribs Berempah Nasi Lemak (RM18.90), a delicacy for any meat lover out there. Here at Kampung Dining, the pork is carefully marinated to have a taste similar to ayam goreng berempah, with a texture to match too. The coating of kriuk-kriuk gives the pork ribs a delightful crunch, so you can enjoy both crispy skin and juicy meat in a single bite. Also worth mentioning is the Babi Cili Garam Nasi Lemak (RM16.90). This nasi lemak packs quite the kick, courtesy of the sambal made using Tan’s grandmother’s recipe.

Cendol & coffee

With your tongue on fire, now may be a good time to treat yourself to some cold, sweet dessert. The Gula Melaka Cendol should be your go-to, being an icy dessert perfect for any hot afternoon. Made with gula melaka imported from Melaka, the cendol jelly is also made in-house, creating a treat which should leave you high on sugar for a bit. And for one last thirst-quencher, the Melaka Hainam Kopi is worth trying out. The best part about this coffee is that every order comes with a complimentary Hap Seng biscuit, so you can enjoy your coffee the way your grandparents did.

Worth a try?

Whether you love all things pork or enjoy Peranakan cuisine, Kampung Dining should certainly be added to your travel list. Be warned that parking in the surrounding area can be limited, so might be advisable to carpool if you are planning to dine here. Either way, the journey here will be worth your time, if the good food is any indicator.