Jia Restaurant @ Kings Green Hotel, Melaka
We had lunch at Jia resturant before heading back to KL and we were recommended to try out some of their signature Nyonya dishes.
Our lunch feast.
3 types of chili dipping to jazz up your food.
Chicken Buah Keluak (RM45.00)
Buah Keluak, a type of black nut that is poisonous but made edible after being treated properly. The preparation works can be quite tedious so not many restaurants offer this dish. The nut has a very unique flavor, one will either like it or find it weird, I’m the latter, hehe 😛
The keluak paste is rich, creamy with an intense smoky and earthy flavor. The curry chicken was beautifully thick and enriched with loads of spices and herbs. The Buah Keluak provided a distinctive yet not too overpowering nutty taste to the curry.
Deep Fried Jenak Fish Chili Garam (RM88.00)
The whole Snapper fish fried till crispy and topped with the Chili Garam sauce. The sauce was moreish and spicy with hint of sourish from the calamansi lime, brilliantly paired with the crispy fried fish.
Udang Masak Lemak Nenas (RM55.00)
If I have to pick a favorite dish that afternoon, it would be this Udang Masak Lemak Nenas. It is cooked Masak Lemak style, the thick and creamy curry redolent of lots of coconut milk and good dose of spices. The pineapple chunks added a pleasant fruity and tangy flavor to the curry, I love it! The prawns were in good size and fresh, they went well with the creamy curry.
Bendi Kerabu (RM16.00)
A simple steamed okra drenched with Sambal Chili.
Nyonya Chap Chai (RM25.00)
A medley of assorted vegetables, mushrooms, bean curd sheets, prawns and glass noodles sautéed with savoury preserved bean paste sauce. This dish comes in many variations (vegetarian or this rendition with prawns or meat) and it’s a rather common Nyonya dish that is enjoyed by Peranakans and non-Peranakans alike.
Otak-Otak (RM22.00)
I love Otak-Otak, a grilled or steamed fish cake made of ground fish meat mixed with tapioca starch, coconut milk, spices and the essential Daun Kadok (Betel leaves). Jia’s version was decent in terms of flavors but the texture was a bit too dry for my liking. I would prefer the custard to be a more moist and creamy.
Cincalok Omelette (RM12.00)
Cooked to a prefect fluffy with slightly crispy edge, the omelette was fragrant with salty pungent Cincalok. The capsicum, onion and other vegetables studded in the omelette gave the dish a more textural bite.
Nyonya Fried Rice (RM25.00)
The fried rice was rather run-of-the-mill though, the wok hei wasn’t as pronounced and a bit under-seasoned.
Sago Gula Melaka (RM13.00/bowl)
Submerged in luscious and creamy coconut milk, the flavor of the sago further enhanced by the gorgeous Gula Melaka syrup. The addition of red bean definitely a welcome for that extra nutty taste and I’m happily dug in with gusto.
**Note: All prices shown is for portion of 4-5pax but our portion was specially order to cater our group of 12 persons.
Related post: Kings Green Hotel Review & Dinner at Jia Restaurant
Jia Restaurant 家
Kings Green Hotel
28, Jalan Tun Perak, 75300 Melaka.
Tel: +606-288 1091
Website: http://www.kingsgreenhotel.com.my/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kings-Green-Hotel-City-Centre-Melaka-701633139862812/
I swear that my mouth was salivating and drooling like tsunami when I saw all your photos. I love all the dishes, curries and the 3 dipping sauces too! Wow! I would be happiest to be able to feast them.
TM, oh no, you must be need a lot of tissue to wipe clean your saliva then, LOL
What a sumptuous feast! I did not have dinner tonight thinking that I won’t be hungry due to heavy lunch. But after see this, alamak, gotta call foodpanda liao. LOL!
PH, I will never can skip my dinner even though I had heavy lunch >_< Always get hungry at 9pm or 10pm, that's worse if eat at this hour ~>_<~
looks like they do justice to nyonya cooking – i love ayam buah keluak very much 🙂
Sean, you like the chicken or both the buah Keluak and chicken?
That is some spread you’ve got there…but almost everything is spicy! There’s not much choice for poor Sam. ^_~ My pick would have been the same as yours…udang masak lemak nenas (if got nenas, I like)! ^.^
Kris, Sam had that Cincalok omelette and, Chap Chai and some of the fish without tainted by the spicy sauce 😛
great effort!!huge collection,,though many of the dishes seemed new to me or different as I tasted before…🙂
Nayeem, a place worth a try if you happen to be at Melaka and you may order those dishes that you never try before. 🙂