We were supposed to drop by Dapurku Café & Studio in Setia Alam in the late afternoon for a short visit. It was mainly to sample the rendang Faridah had cooked for us (we had just had a full Chinese lunch!) But we stayed till closing time.
Chicken rendang
The food kept rolling out, first the must-eat Nasi Ulam Goreng, then the Ikan Bilis Aglio Olio, the Nyonya Salad with watermelon, Mee Siam and Ayam Rendang. Only the last two dishes were “ordinary” and expectedly good.
Nasi Ulam Goreng
The rest had a little twist here and there. I would have turned my nose up at Nasi Goreng Ulam (what a travesty to my favourite Nyonya dish) but it turned out so well, that I kept picking at the aromatic rice. It was topped with a fried chicken thigh, salted egg, fish crackers, cucumber and sambal.
Ikan Bilis Aglio Olio
The Ikan Bilis Aglio Olio was delicious with crispy bites of fried ikan bilis, shrimps, cherry tomatoes and a little spice.
Nyonya Salad with watermelon and cincalok dressing
The Nyonya Salad was of watermelon, some pineapple on a bed of lettuce, brought together with a dressing with cincalok in it. I would have preferred more cincalok so that a little saltiness would balance out the sweet fruit.
Mee Siam, expectedly good
Lastly, the Rendang Ayam we came to Dapurku for was excellent, with all the right nuances, and “pedas” into the bargain.
From the cakes, sourdough and pastries counter we picked up some old-fashioned doughnuts, with just a dusting of sugar, a treat that’s hard to come by these days.
Dapurku holds cooking classes on Saturday and Sunday or when requested. It could be rendang ayam, nasi briyani or special cakes (for the adults). The young ones may go for classes on cookies and cupcakes déco for birthday parties and the like.
Dapurku is at VC-G-05 Jalan Setia Murni, U13/51, Setia Alam, Shah Alam. Contact: 011-3311-3305.