Nyonya food just like Mum made it!

Luscious assam prawns glistening with the tangy sauce.

The Ju Hu Char had all the right flavour nuances.PETALING JAYA, Feb 19 Walking into The Wok Caf in Kota Damansara is like going into an old Peranakan home filled with antique treasures.The filigree wood carvings, the marble tables, lamps with curly edges, the old radio, the Nyonya tableware, even the coronation plaque with Queen Elizabeths picture on it flanked by the British and Malaysian flags zip you back to the Fifties.Penang Nyonya food is served here, such as the classic Ju Hu Char, Hong Bak, Gulai Tumis Black Pomfret, Assam Prawns, Cincalok Roast Pork and Perut Ikan which we ordered. The food came to the table quickly, but before we had even finished taking pictures of it, the hungry teenager in our midst was on to his second plate of rice!

Cincalok with roast pork... a marvellous combination.The stirring aromas of the Gulai Tumis Black Pomfret and the Perut Ikan, as well as the Hong Bak on a sizzling platter must have done it. The Gulai Tumis was hot and sour enough, and fragrant with the bunga kantan and other fresh herbs in it, as well as lots of fresh mint.Black pomfret is perfect for this gulai, and the ladies fingers, long beans and tomatoes in it mean you dont have to order a separate vegetable dish.But you cant have a meal here without the Ju Hu Char. Its one of the best I have tasted in a while. You get a delicious whiff of the fried cuttlefish strips amidst the shredded yam bean that also has pork, black mushrooms and carrots in it. All the sweetness from these burst out from the lettuce parcel we made with it, touched with sambal.The Assam Prawns were of a good size and glistened with the thick assam gravy, that had ! the righ t sweet and sour notes. They were scrumptious, done just the way my mum used to do it. She was a wonderful Nyonya cook. We also used to have these prawns with nasi lemak.

Wok Cafe feels like the home of a favourite Nyonya aunt.

Sago Durian... I want this again!Everything on our table enticed us to eat more rice, including the Perut Ikan. I love all the finely shredded aromatic leaves in it including the kadok and kaffir lime leaves and bunga kantan. Pineapple tempered the assam in it with its fruity sweetness; there were long beans, eggplant, shrimps and small blobs of pickled fish stomach and fish roe. Its a curry that you can never cook at home as its such a complex one.Roast Pork in Cincalok Sauce who could resist the meat in the fermented shrimp sauce with assam and lots of onion and chilli.

Note the Queen Elizabeth coronation plaque... one of the "treasures" found in Wok Cafe.Only the Hong Bak, which came on a sizzling platter, was disappointing. I remember this braised pork as being redolent with coriander (freshly roasted and ground) and cekur, with just a bit of taucheo in it. In this case, the taucheo dominated.We got a complimentary red bean soup for dessert but we added to that with ice kacang and cendol. Then restaurant owner Mervyn Yeoh asked whether we would like to have Durian Sago. It was not the durian season, he said, but he had ordered 30 durians to be sent from Pahang. It was wow at first gulp and unforgettable. The cendol, though delightful, couldnt compete with this.On another trip to the restaurant, I had a taste of the Penang Chee Cheong Fun and loved it. My last experience with this in Penang had left a sickly sweet aftertaste of prawn paste in my mouth. At ! The Wok Caf, the shrimp paste was nicely balanced with a little chilli sauce, and topped with lots of fried shallots.I would like to try its Penang Lam Mee next, the Curry Laksa, Loh Bak, Prawn Mee and definitely the Durian Sago now that the durian season is here again.The Durian Sago is RM7.50, cendol RM3.50, ice kacang RM6. Assam Big Prawns are RM30, Hong Bak RM20, Gulai Tumis Black Pomfret RM44, Roast Pork Cincaluk RM 22 and Perut Ikan RM14. The food portions are enough for at least five people.The Wok Caf is located at 26, Jalan PJU 5/21, The Strand, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Tel: 03 -6142 7388. Its on the road behind the CIMB Bank.