As a village (kampung) boy who is nostalgic to the joys of childhood with friends, classmates and relatives in my small hometown up north of Peninsula, I am always longing to eat traditional Malaysian village cuisine. Kampung simply means “home”, so “balik kampung” is a common idiom used for Malaysian returning to their hometown villages for a festive occasion, like Hari Raya Idil Fitri and Hari Raya Haji or Chinese New Year or Deepavali or Hari Gawai.
The best part of “balik kampung” is also known locally indulging with “masakan kampung” or simply “kampung cooking”. It is cerebrated for the authentic, rustic, and bold flavors, and often featuring fresh herbs, spices, and coconut milk. I am always nostalgic with homemade dishes that are rich in local spices, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric & pandan leaves, many of which were traditionally harvested from backyard. I used to “balik kampung” three times a year.
Last weekend whilst driving from Putrajaya to the neighborhood of Bandar Baru Bangi, my wife, Zarina spotted a huge crowd of people queuing outside Mak Kimbong Restaurant. Even though it was still early for lunch but the crowd attracted us find out what is really the hidden gem of its tagline “citarasa kampung sebenar” which translates to “the true taste of the village” or “authentic village flavors” in English. It was worth the effort of joining the crowd.
The restaurant has 3 shop lots (one lot to display of its food spread) whilst the other two for customers to get a table to eat their lunch. I had its signature dish - the “pari (stingray) fish spicy curries”, served perfectly well with “ketam (crab) masak lemak” and variety of fresh & cooked vegetable & “ulam petai”. I found this restaurant offers a variety of traditional Malay dishes, with a focus on seafood specialties such as grilled squid & fish, including crispy chicken. (@makkimbong-Instagram)
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