When it comes to Southeast Asian cuisine, Filipino fare isn't as popular in Malaysia as Thai, Indonesian & Vietnamese cooking, but a fresh batch of restaurants is rising to bring the flavours of Manila to the Klang Valley: The Narra is fast becoming a magnet for Filipino families & friends, with a spacious venue appealingly flooded with natural light & agreeably located in PJ.
The extensive menu spans dozens of recipes, with potential highlights like sisig (RM12; chopped pig's face sauteed with onion & garlic, served on a sizzling plate), bellychon (RM18; herb-seasoned roast rolled pork belly) & a garlic rice platter with a longaniza ground pork sausage & egg (RM8). This selection also includes famed Filipino desserts such as brazo de mercedes (RM8; a very sweet soft meringue cake with a custard centre) & halo halo (RM7; shaved ice in a tall glass with jelly, fruits & ice cream). If you need a crash course in Filipino food, particularly pork specialities, The Narra seems a budget-friendly choice.
The Narra Filipino Restaurant
Ground Floor, Dataran Millennium, Jalan 14/1, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tues-Sun, 1130am-10pm. Tel: 018-246-4844
Sun Kitchen's version of the famous Jollibee Spaghetti, inspired by the Philippines' largest fast food chain, is a highlight here, blanketed with a sweet-savoury, meaty sauce of minced pork & sausage, bolstered with a fried chicken drumstick - it's a satisfyingly tasty choice for RM15.90 (inclusive of a beverage). But the Filipino-style chop suey could benefit from fresher chicken liver, quail eggs, prawns & mixed vegetables (RM13.90). The menu is nonetheless extensive - grilled stuffed milkfish, laing (pork belly with taro leaves cooked in coconut milk), kare kare (pork ribs with eggplant in peanut sauce) & much more.
Sun Kitchen
G-03-G, Block G, Setiawalk, Puchong. Daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: 03-5879-9555
Truffles is a small, discreet spot in Telawi that's suitable for fans of Filipino food who can't consume pork. The menu comprises the intensely savoury likes of soy sauce-based chicken adobo, as well as eggplant made pungent with shrimp paste, coconut milk & chillies, plus garlic rice platters with beef & egg. A set meal with one of these homey signatures costs around RM15.
Truffles Bangsar
46 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Daily, 10am-10pm. Tel: 03-2202-1688
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