The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah

When I clicked into this restaurant named The Bubur Cha Kitchen @ Taman Cheras Indah on Shopee Food, I was expecting it to be selling some kind of sweet (dessert) soups (or tong sui).  Turns out it was nothing like that...but selling bubur (or porridge) instead of bubur cha cha...lol.

Hmmm, porridge isn't something I'd associate the Malays with selling as they're more known for their fare of nasi lemak or nasi campur, for example.  But they have been known to copy some of our Chinese fare like char kway teow, fried yau char kwai (Chinese crullers), steamed pau (steamed buns) and chee cheong fun to name a few although I can't say they've been very successful at it.  It's the same when we copy their nasi lemak but our Chinese version of nasi lemak just isn't the same, especially since our sambal is not quite of the standard of a Malay sambal.

The only Malay-style porridge I've tasted so far is Bubur Lambuk, a porridge cooked with spices and santan (coconut milk) from the Ramadan bazaar.  It's so different from our Chinese porridge that I think it needs a bit of getting used to with all the spices and santan in the mix.

So, you can understand my apprehension when I saw this porridge offered by a Malay vendor but decided to give it a go since it had a 4.9 rating on Shopee Food.  I ordered the Bubur Ayam + Cendawan Goreng (or Combo B of Porridge with Fried Chicken + Mushrooms) @ RM14 for my first taste test.

Let's start with the porridge.  First thing I saw when I opened the box was that the porridge had toppings of crispy batter bits, fried shallots, kacang (nuts) and chopped spring onions....all I like! ;)  But would have liked it even more if they had packed this separately for us to pour into the porridge ourselves when it arrives.  The porridge had the right consistency and was nicely savoury.

My initial apprehension of a Malay-style porridge was not warranted.  I thought it wouldn't be as good as a Chinese-style porridge but I was proven wrong.  I've not had anything remotely this good (from past experience) with Chinese-inspired food from a Malay vendor.

I was pleasantly surprised that the enoki mushrooms were still super crispy even though it had been steaming together with the hot porridge in the box.  This could partly be due to the fact that I'm staying nearby the seller and the food got to me within 10 - 15 minutes.

Encouraged by the good taste of the first combo, I just had to have it again and ordered their other combo of Bubur Udang + Sotong Goreng (or Combo A of Porridge with Fried Prawns + Squid) @ RM14 so that I can try their two other proteins to see which ones I liked better.

The udang goreng was another winner.  The batter that coated the prawns was probably the same one as the earlier mushrooms but somehow this one felt a little bit thicker and fried to adequate crispiness.  I don't know what prawns they used but it had this rather intense prawn flavour to it.

But I can't say the same for the sotong goreng as the texture was very chewy...not something I would want to have again.

Now that I've tasted all four proteins, it was time to order what I enjoyed the most here.....starting with the Bubur Cendawan Goreng (or Porridge with Mushrooms) @ RM8.  When the porridge arrived, I realised that they used the same (compartmentalised) packaging as before...meaning a two-protein combo would share the same (box) space as one protein.

As you can see, there seemed to be a lot more cendawan goreng that can fit into the smaller compartment of the box...hehehe! ;)  This was so good...the fried mushrooms were super crispy and the batter so crisp and light.

Based on this observation alone, it would probably be safe to say that it's more worth it to order the porridge with a single protein (as an additional RM4 can get you a second box of porridge already).  The portion size isn't very big, so those with a bigger appetite can definitely chow down two boxes of porridge...and that's what I did with this order.  I got another Bubur Ayam Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Chicken) @ RM9.

That said, these little cubes of ayam goreng were fairly tender and crispy (but not super crispy as one would expect or want fried chicken to be) but, at least, these little bites of chicken are the freshly made and fried kind (and not the frozen nuggets kind).

And no, I couldn't finish eat the second box of porridge (kept all of it for another meal) but have no problem polishing off the second protein if I really wanted to (but purposely kept some so that I have something to eat my balance porridge with later).  Wish they would just sell the proteins separately as a side dish so that we can choose to have two proteins with one porridge.  Yes, they have the combo for that but it's not quite the same.....just imagine two proteins sharing the same (box) space as a single protein (you get less...haha!). >.<

Next was the Bubur Udang Goreng (or Porridge with Fried Prawns) @ RM9 on its own as I had taken a keen liking to the prawns.  The same number of prawns were given (as in the combo with udang + sotong)...which was three.  They can't very well give anything less since we can count the number of prawns...lol!

The prawn bodies are deshelled (with just the tail intact), so eating it is super easy but you do get some with prawn heads intact occasionally (I think this happens when the prawns are smaller)...but no worries since they're fried to crispy perfection, you can chomp down the heads (and tails) as well.

I mentioned earlier that their prawns have this intensified prawn flavour to them, so much so that there was once I could even taste it in the cendawan goreng.  They must have fried the mushrooms in the same oil as the prawns...hah..hah! ;P

Initially, I was very tempted to drizzle light soy sauce over the porridge (as I would always do with any Chinese-style porridge) but luckily did not as it would change the taste of this Malay-style version.

I once ordered a side of Telur Masin (Salted Egg) @ RM2 (for half) as this is something we've always paired with our Chinese porridge so that it wouldn't be so bland.  Actually, it wasn't needed as the porridge itself had a nice savoury taste already.

There's also a side order of Sambal Bilis Lobak Asin @ RM2 which I initially thought would be a strange combo to eat porridge with a sambal but I remembered that I thought it strange also to eat porridge with something spicy like kung po-style frog (cooked with dried chillies) which turned out to be a revelation as it was so good eaten together! :O

So I gave this sambal bilis lobak asin (as in lobak masin or salted preserved radish) a try and it was a dynamite combination!  This sambal lobak asin is like a spicy sambal cooked with salty-sweet preserved radish (choy poh) though I didn't detect much of the ikan bilis taste.  Who knew a spicy sambal (the taste is unlike those sambal you get in nasi lemak) would go so well with porridge.  It was very good...but too small a portion given (some might think it's not worth paying RM2 for)! O_o

My Personal Opinion

The success and taste of this Malay-inspired porridge took me by surprise.  It's now one of my most ordered food delivery through ShopeeFood.  My favourite is the Cendawan Goreng followed by the Udang Goreng.  A new revelation would be eating porridge with a sambal...and it turned out to be an excellent combination (only a Malay vendor would think of pairing it with a sambal, after all, sambal is a mainstay of their cuisine).

Now, why didn't any Chinese food operators think of pairing something fried and crispy with porridge?  Our Chinese-style version always usually offers something braised.  Well, if you like something crispy with your porridge, this is it...but obviously not a porridge to have if you're feeling under the weather.

This Malay-style porridge has changed my perspective that porridge need not always be paired with something braised or boiled like duck, peanuts, pork innards or minced meat but can be with something crisply delicious...and you can enjoy it with a sambal too.

The Bubur Cha Kitchen

No 22 Jalan Indah 33

Taman Cheras Indah

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Mother Porridge @ Pandan Perdana

I first tried Mother Porridge @ Pandan Perdana through the delivery platform.  So, herein lies the beauty of ShopeeFood as you can check what exactly the restaurants offer by scrolling their menu on the app.  This is ideal especially when you have family members who are not open to eating some things...and you can check out the menu beforehand or do a taste test first before deciding if they're good enough to be explored further for a dine-in.

Obviously, Mother Porridge passed the taste test with flying colours when I tried out their mixed pork, fish and salted chicken porridge previously via delivery.  If you eat their porridge on-site, they're served in claypots which is even better since they can retain heat and keep the porridge hot for longer.

Having had a positive taste test, I decided to come for a dine-in with family since I noted (from their delivery menu) that they do offer some other things besides porridge that my family can partake in since they're not fans of porridge (of any kind)! >.<

The very thing I wanted to eat here was their Frog in Claypot @ RM18.50 which isn't the most suitable thing to order via delivery (I guess anything claypot isn't...as claypot dishes are revered for being hot when served and best eaten that way too).

This claypot frog was cooked in a thick and spicy sauce much like kung po style with the heat of dried chillies and flavours of oyster + dark + soy sauce.  It was really, really tasty. ^o^  Even my son who doesn't eat frogs scooped the sauce over his rice.

The frog thighs (actually hind legs lah) were meaty and super tender (they taste better than chicken if you ask me).  Just like chicken thighs, I love the thigh part the most coz it's the meatiest and there's only one centre bone to contend with.  It goes without saying that the bigger and meatier the frogs, the tastier and sweeter the meat is coz skinny/small frogs are just too bony with little meat (these you'd usually find cooked in the porridge itself, not separately). 

I've eaten frogs in porridge before (as in the frog is cooked together in the congee)...but not frog with porridge! ;P  I didn't know that a dish with frog (cooked in sauce) would work so well with porridge until I was recommended it years ago by a porridge specialist...and I've loved it ever since although this dish is not commonly found other than in porridge specialist shops (and some dai chow places).

The Plain Porridge in Claypot @ RM5 was of the right consistency and the spicy sauce tasted really good with the porridge.  You can get 3 Chinese rice bowls out of this serving (I had two and my husband helped finish the third).

I ordered the Claypot Stewed Pork Belly with Mui Choy @ RM18.50 for my family who chose to eat rice, of course.  The pork belly was tender and the mui choy (or preserved mustard) was nicely soft.  Another great dish to go with rice.

The meaty Deep-Fried Spring Rolls @ RM12.50 with a filling of chicken and seafood (as stated in the menu) were rather tasty.  The thin and light batter coating the rolls, probably from a combo of a rice flour and cornflour slurry (I'm making a guess here), was super crispy to the bite.

If there's a vegetable dish that's a must-order (for me) when eating porridge is certainly the Braised Salted Vegetables (or Ham Choy) @ RM6...and these were excellent, super soft and not overly salty.  We could have eaten a few more plates of this.

I also placed an order for Oyster Sauce Lettuce (or Sang Choy) @ RM10 to go with rice.  Great to see it topped with plentiful of fried (but unfortunately limp) shallots.

I remember that the Fried Dough Sticks (Chinese Crullers or Yau Char Kwai) @ RM2.50 (which I ordered through delivery) were light, airy and crispy (like they were freshly fried or house-made), so I got that as well.  Again, it didn't disappoint and certainly one of the better ones I've had with porridge.

There are also a number of dishes on the menu which are not in their delivery menu.  Although porridge is their speciality (with a choice of various ingredients), they also have Teochew braised dishes like pork belly, innards of pig ears and intestines, tofu and egg.  Besides frog in claypot, they also offer fish, eel, prawn, lala, pork, chicken, abalone and Japanese snails in claypot.

My Personal Opinion

As expected, this porridge is even better eaten on-site since it's served in a claypot which is ideal for retaining heat and help keep the congee hot for longer...and they have an endless variety of porridge you can choose from (that I've yet to try)....my favourite for the time being is their chee chap chuk (porridge with pork innards).

Prices are affordable although portions can be a little small for some of the dishes.  It may not be the best porridge out there but it's one of very few places where I can find this dish of dried chillies frog (near me) that I can eat with porridge, so it'll be a place I'd keep in mind when I want to have porridge. ^_~

Mother Porridge

61-G Jalan Pandan Perdana 4/6

Pandan Perdana

55300 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9284 9226

Fong Wah Teochew Porridge @ Pudu

You know I love all forms of chuk (porridge).....from a clean tasting fish porridge to a naughty bowl of pork innards porridge as among my favourites.  But I also really enjoy Teochew porridge as it's like a tai chow meal to me (with a myriad of small dishes to choose from) except I have it with porridge instead of rice.

When I'm not super hungry and hankering for a lighter meal, porridge is what I turn to.  I found Fong Wah Teochew Porridge @ Pudu while scrolling through ShopeeFood on such a day.  Since my family is not into porridge, I seldom have the chance to dine out at speciality porridge shops, so I resort to delivery (which is perfect for this type of meal).  The dishes travel well, you don't need them to be piping hot (only the porridge needs to be), you can order them ahead of time and many can be reheated without the taste being compromised.

Although I love to eat chuk and it's the one thing I can never get tired of eating, my family (unfortunately) doesn't share the same sentiments.  My son wouldn't go near it while my husband wouldn't choose it if he has a choice.

In the past, Teochew porridge places really only serve chuk with their array of small dishes as this type of food usually appeals to old-timers more but luckily times have changed and they now serve these dishes with rice.  That's probably because they know the younger generation nowadays don't fancy porridge all that much.

So, after finding this place on ShopeeFood, I made my first order starting with the Assam Stingray @ RM10 cooked with garlic slices, ginger shreds and fresh red chillies.  I'm glad to say that the stingray was fresh (without reeking of that unwanted ammonia smell) and the assam sauce was really tasty and well balanced between spicy and sour.  Wonderful! ^.^

The Stewed Chicken Feet with Mushrooms @ RM6 had good garlic flavours as I could see bits of softened garlic as well as garlic skins floating in the sauce.  You can also taste the distinctive flavour of star anise in the sauce.  The chicken feet was cooked till soft but I found only two pieces of mushroom though.

When it comes to vegetables that pair best with porridge, it has to be all those salted preserved vegetables, so an order of Stewed Preserved Vegetable with Minced Pork @ RM5.50 is a must.  This preserved vegetable of mui choy was cooked with minced pork (very little of it though).

I absolutely love to eat Stir-Fried Potato Leaves @RM5.50 of late.  It's a simple veggie dish but this one happens to be saltier and much tastier.  I also added my own salted egg since I had one in my pantry that needs to be finished.

I also got a Red Bean Soup with Sago @ RM3.50 for tea time later.  When it comes to tong sui, red bean wouldn't be among my top picks but the words sago pulled me in but when it came I was disappointed that there was hardly any sago.  You might want to give this a miss as the red bean dessert was a letdown.

This was Meal 1.....appetising!

For my second round of food from this place, I started with an order of Sour & Spicy Clam (Sihum) @ RM9.50 after enjoying something similar with the assam stingray.  The sihum size I'd say is small to medium though there were some really small ones too.  It's difficult to get large ones these days due to unstable and insufficient supply.  That's why even our go-to curry laksa or char kway teow stalls can come without cockles on some days.  The sauce is a bit similar to the asam stingray except it's thicker, not as sourish and spicier.  I used to think eating chuk with something sourish or spicy is weird but surprisingly it's not...it brightens the palate actually.  You should try it sometime.  Loved it! ^o^

What attracted me to this dish of Tofu with Chinese Chives @ RM6 was the use of Chinese chives (gau choy instead of the usual spring onions) although it's listed as leeks in their menu (luckily they have photos for all their dishes and I could clearly see that they were chives, not leeks).  Another difference was the minced pork used.  Instead of just stir-fried minced pork, I think they used the meat mix they prepared for their steamed minced pork with preserved vegetables (tung choy) as it tasted similar to that which gave it that extra savouriness.  This was then stir-fried with fried tofu, carrot strips and chives.

The Pumpkin with Ikan Bilis @ RM5.50 was sweet and cooked till very soft.  I wasn't expecting this consistency as I had hoped that it would be soft but not too soft until it's almost mushy.  It was supposed to be cooked with ikan bilis but I could hardly detect the savoury taste of ikan bilis in it.  Fortunately the taste of sweetish pumpkin still made it pleasurable even with its overly soft texture.

When it comes to Teochew porridge, the one thing I must have is this dish of Pickled Vegetables (ham choy) @ RM5.50 with its tangy, salty flavours that go so well with plain congee.  Now this I want it super soft.....and it was.  Not the best one I've had (that still belongs to the one in Sun Fatt Kee Teochew Porridge in Seapark) but still respectable nonetheless.

This Fried Mackerel in Bean Paste Sauce @ RM9.50 got my attention when I saw the photo on their menu. The photo showed it cooked in bean sauce but the fish is not pre-fried first...and the bean sauce looked like salted black beans (in the photo).  I really like salted black beans but what came in the actual dish was taucheo (salted fermented soybeans) instead.  And what was even more surprising was that the sauce was packed separately (I mean I do like sambals and sauces to be packed separately but this was one occasion that didn't call for that).  This meant the fish was not infused with the saltiness of the taucheo during cooking and you kinda end up eating bland fried fish with a salty sauce...separately! >.<

This was Meal 2.....flavoursome!

As with many Teochew porridge places, Teochew stewed duck is a mainstay in their menu and many are judged on just how good their Teochew duck is.  So, for my third order, I wanted to try their Stewed Duck with Soy Sauce @ RM16 (for a 1/4 duck)...and this one I'm happy to report was more than decent.  The stewed duck was well-flavoured and tender, accompanied by a soy sauce (they even gave an extra packet of sauce).  

They were also proud to proclaim that their stewed duck comes with their house-made chilli sauce made with red chillies, green (+ probably red) bird's eye chillies and chopped garlic, it was not the usual blended chilli paste but one with a chunkier bite.  It was very spicy but very good indeed and addictive.

I did try to request for duck breast but since the portion given was listed as a quarter duck, it was not possible.  I got the drumstick/leg portion.  The duck leg may be a little fatty around the thigh region (which isn't a big problem, I just tear off the fatty skin though some would welcome the fatty skin).

I got Fried Picked Vegetables @ RM5.50 this round.  This ham choy is pretty much similar to the earlier pickled vegetables except that one was braised/boiled on its own until very soft while this one is stir-fried with minced pork and have more leaves than stems.  It's also cooked till soft but a little sourish in taste. Surprising, you'd think ham choy will be salty but this one was not.  And the best thing about cooked pickled vegetables...they keep so well that reheating doesn't compromise its taste.

As for the Stir-Fried Vegetable Gall @ RM6, I wasn't sure what vegetable gall was at first but (from the photo in their menu) I thought it looked like choy tam.  I've seen it referred to online with different names like baby kailan, cabbage shoots, Chinese brussels sprouts, Chinese broccoli and baby kale which makes it very obvious we aren't quite sure what to call it in English.  If I'm not wrong, I think it's called Chinese brussels sprouts (I used to think brussels sprouts and Chinese brussels sprouts were the same, so I didn't order it at tai chow places coz brussels sprouts are a bit hard if stir-fried because of their shape and how compact they're + I've always associated them with western cuisine as they're best roasted, halved).

The Vegetarian Goose @ RM3 arrived, to my delight, still quite crispy.  They had good flavours too without that unpleasant overused oil taste that some have.

The Salted Egg @ RM2.50 was the only minor blip (as you can clearly see) in a series of successful dishes from here.  If I were to cut open the salted egg and found that it looked like that, I wouldn't have served it.  My own salted eggs (inset) was much better in quality.

This was Meal 3.....delicious!

You can order porridge (RM2 a portion) or rice (RM2 also) to go with your dishes but I'd rather cook my own porridge.  That way I can cook the porridge to my desired consistency and exactly the way I love to eat it.

Prices are reasonable and portions here are really substantial.  Each order of between 4 - 5 dishes is good enough to feed two people (in fact it was enough for 3 meals for me on days when I want something lighter....I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner).

My Personal Opinion

Overall, the food in general here is saltier than the norm but that's because it's supposed to be eaten with porridge that's bland tasting, so it needs something more savoury to lift up its flavours.  If you're not into saltier flavours (or having it with chuk), then this might not be for you.  Even though I'm not for robust flavours myself, it does lighten up when you eat it with porridge (but I can definitely taste the saltier flavours when I pair it with rice).

Most of the dishes I've tried here are either good or decent.  Nothing that were overly unsuccessful except maybe for the red bean dessert.  Although it has a low Google rating, mostly for reasons that the food is expensive, I didn't feel the same way since the portions I got were rather substantial (lone diners may not realise that the orders come in standardised portions per dish ordered which can be easily shared by two or more).  You know what, I'm not done yet.  There are still loads on the menu I want to try.

Some of the dishes I've tried that are good, I've ordered them for my family (to eat with rice, of course) and the saltier flavours were met with approval...would there be any other outcome?  Some were still salty (even my son thinks so like those preserved salted vegetables), so (with that in mind) order the right dishes for your palate if you've a low sodium threshold.  I'm just happy to have found a very decent old-school Teochew porridge near me that'll see future orders from me for sure.

Fong Wah Teochew Porridge

61 Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah

Off Jalan Pudu

Pudu

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-200 4832