As a half-Kelantanese who has had the honour of tasting authentic Kelantanese food since young, I can honestly say that it is quite difficult to find good Kelantanese food in the Klang Valley. My mum, especially, is very picky about food from her hometown, and usually prefers to cook it herself despite the tedious preparations required. ^^;;

Kelantan Delights @ Sooka Sentral

Nevertheless, sometimes we just need an off day to just enjoy good, authentic food without slaving away in the kitchen half the day. This is when the discovery of Kelantan Delights comes in - no more hours of preparations for mum! :D

Gorgeously decorated interior of the restaurant

I recently had the opportunity to organize a gathering for the Nuffnang Tastebuddies, and join them for a food review session at Kelantan Delights' Sooka Sentral branch. The place is decorated beautifully with elements of traditional Kelantanese art and design, yet with a modern vibe that will appeal to urbanites.

We were introduced to Kelantan Delights by Mr Saify, the managing director of Kelantan Delights. Subsequent introductions and explanations of dishes were made my Mr Hatta, the manager of the Sooka Sentral branch. :) All the staff at Kelantan Delights were very friendly and courteous, which definitely made a good impression on the bloggers.

'Well, what about the food?' you must be wondering. Here's what we tried out that day:

Tomyam Kelapa Muda

This was one of the appetisers of the day - Tomyum Kelapa Muda (coconut tomyum soup). They were served in tiny shot glasses for us to sample, but the actual a la carte one is served in a whole coconut shell, which makes the soup extra fragrant and flavourful. The prawns were fresh, and the tomyum soup had a good spicy kick to whet our appetites.

Sirih Daun Kaduk

The second appetiser was the Sirih Daun Kaduk, which is a 'salad' of sorts with betel leaf as its main ingredient. The edible fried 'wan ton' skins acted as a holder for the betel leaf and condiments inside. Definitely something to tickle your tastebuds before the main course.

Nasi Dagang Gulai Ikan

For the main course, I chose the Nasi Dagang Gulai Ikan. Nasi dagang has always been my favourite Kelantanese dish, so I definitely to try this. The fish was cooked to perfection and seasoned with enough salt to my liking, but the nasi dagang was a little dry, perhaps due to less amount of santan (yes, gotta eat healthy, haha!). The gravy was good too, but might not be spicy enough for those who enjoy a little more ooomph to their curries.

Nasi Kerabu Ayam Percik

This is another choice for the main course - Nasi Kerabu Ayam Percik. Nasi kerabu is essentially a rice dish with lots of vegetables, but this version has ayam percik (another Kelantan specialty) included. The rice gets it blue tinge from a type of flower, so it's natural colouring. I was lucky enough to try some of the chicken, and it was very good indeed, tender and juicy and packed with flavour, especially when consumed with the special gravy.

Laksam

After the rice dishes, everybody was feeling pretty full (the portions were extremely generous) so most of us ordered to share. This is Laksam, which consists of rice flour rolls and fish+santan gravy. They also have a different version of laksam which uses eel blended with the coconut milk, which makes for a stronger tasting gravy. Sounds interesting, eh?

Nasi Tumpang with Ayam Goreng

This is one of the most interesting dishes of the day, called Nasi Tumpang. Traditionally, it is a full-day meal brought by the fishermen/farmers. Alternating layers of rice and condiments are placed inside a banana leaf roll, and they will eat each layer at different times of day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Pretty ingenious. ;)

Nasi Tumpang (unwrapped)

Once unwrapped, you can see the 3 different layers inside. You start by eating the wide end, and finish with the narrow end. :D This dish is produced in limited quantities each day at Kelantan Delights (only 15 per day), so it's recommended to order in advance if you don't want to miss it. The fried chicken is optional. It tasted pretty good too, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Lompat Tikam and Ketupat Sotong

Last but not least, we finally reached the dessert course. The green square and red pulut ball make up Lompat Tikam, while the Ketupat Sotong is the one served in the spoon. The Lompat Tikam is eaten with santan and gula melaka, while the Ketupat Sotong is squid stuffed with glutinous rice and boiled in gula melaka. Both were sweet but not overly so, and were definitely an interesting end to a sumptuous meal.

Thank you so much to Kelantan Delights for the feast, and thanks to the Nuffnang Tastebuddies for making this event a successful one! :)