10 restaurants for pongteh pleasure in KL & Selangor

The beloved Peranakan stew is soul food at its most comforting, featuring meat tenderly braised in fermented bean paste and palm sugar with potatoes. Here are 10 restaurants across the Klang Valley that take pride in their pongteh.

1. Little Mums

Order the chicken pongteh, creamy with potatoes, black mushrooms and gravy – it does justice to one of our most cherished hometown recipes from the southern state of Malacca.

Read review: Little Mums at Damansara Uptown

Find: Contact details and map for Little Mums

2. Sarang Cookery

Sarang is mainly a cafe, but it tries to offer cooking classes too, so customers can learn to prepare crowd-pleasing fare like Pongteh Chicken, packed with potatoes and flavoured as per tradition with tau chew and gula Melaka.

Read review: Sarang Cookery at Galloway

Find: Contact details and map for Sarang Cookery

3. Straits Food Company

Ayam pongteh is well-prepared here, made with the benefit of experience, excellent for a heart-warming lunch.

Read review: Straits Food Company at Bangsar

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4. Simply Mel’s

Auntie Mel wisely reminds us that no two families’ interpretation of this stew ever tastes exactly the same – hers showcases her own inimitable way of cooking, honed in a family that has been passionate about the kitchen for generations.

Find: Contact details and map for Simply Mel’s

5. Limapulo

Fragrant and flavourful, certainly ranking among KL’s most satisfying.

Read review: Limapulo: Baba Can Cook at Doraisamy

Find: Contact details and map for Limapulo: Baba Can Cook

6. Wondermama

The folks at Wondermama have a soft spot for Nyonya cuisine, reflected in their pongteh chicken, served with steamed rice and a fried egg, which makes for a decent lunch.

Find: Contact details and map for Wondermama

7. The Food Parlor

The parents of the outlet’s co-founder reputedly run an eatery in Malacca’s Portuguese Settlement, so it’s natural that this casual venue specialises in cherished family recipes that Malaccans know well. You’ll find fairly priced, fuss-free rice sets that include chicken pongteh.

Read review: The Food Parlor at Kelana Jaya

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8. Big Baba

This is the food of Uncle Wee’s family – he cooks here every weekday, lunch and dinner, helping out his sister’s son who owns Big Baba. Everything is made fresh – in Uncle Wee’s words, for the chicken pongteh, “itu jam masak, itu jam kena makan. Kalau tak de, dia semua kembang, ubi kentang kembang.”

Read review: Big Baba at Taman Desa

Find: Contact details and map for Big Baba