Ten Years at Sri Petaling: Review

Ten Years brings together a bounty of Malaysian street food in one colourful outlet, serving cherished recipes collected from respected stall owners & restaurateurs from across the country. Expect interpretations of everything from Penang’s T&T Prawn Mee to Sabah’s Nasi Kuning Kak Tum to KL’s Shun Fa Chicken Rice.

Tiger Char Kuey Teow

Ten Years offers a take on Tiger Char Kuey Teow, which remains fresh in our minds after our recent visit to George Town. This tries to capture Tiger’s spirit & essence – it’s two-thirds there. The resemblance to the original is obvious, with prawns presented prominently. It tastes respectable, though to nitpick, it lacks cockles, & the prawns in Penang seemed more naturally sweet & juicy. The price, RM15.90++, marks a hike over Penang’s, but that shouldn’t be a surprise – plus, Ten Years does offer several complimentary side dishes (Malaysian versions of Korean banchan, in a sense) to accompany every main meal. Note that the restaurant avoids pork & lard, in its bid to be a more inclusive & widely accepted commercial enterprise.

Nasi Dagang Kak Pah

From Terengganu, Nasi Dagang Kak Pah (RM18.90++) features rice with gulai ikan tongkol – Ten Years’ operators clearly thought of how to best showcase this in a contemporary restaurant setting; the result seems more at home in an upmarket mall food court than an old-school warung. The santan-steamed rice is fragrant & flavoursome but a bit hard & dry – easily rectified nonetheless with the fish gravy. And the tuna (if it was tuna) was meaty, though it reminded us of a canned sardine in both its taste & texture. It’s worth noting that for better or worse, the food is served really fast; our orders all arrived within five minutes.

Nancy’s Kitchen Nyonya Laksa

Our favourite order, the one we relished unequivocally, was from our hometown – Nancy’s Kitchen Nyonya Laksa (RM19.90++), a hearty Malaccan bowl of noodles, crisp cucumber strips, large prawns, fish cakes & tofu pok in robust coconut milk broth, aromatic with laksa leaves & spices. Good enough to make us consider returning for nasi lemak, pasembur & more.