A
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llow me to let you in on a little
secret: I’ve lived in Kuching for the past 22 years, and even studied in St.
Teresa’s and St. Joseph’s school for a collective total of 13 years – but I
only knew about Ammah Curry House at Atelier just last week. I distinctly
remember asking my parents what Atelier was when I was younger, and they
answered, “Art gallery”. I did not ask any further.
"If you like stronger flavours, this won't be a masala (problem) for you."
When Hilary mentioned that it currently
houses an eatery serving Indian cuisine, my curiosity was piqued. I honestly never
thought I would hear the words “Indian food” and “art gallery” in the same sentence.
I stand corrected.
Upon arrival, Julian and I were warmly
greeted by a tall Indian man who later introduced himself as Uncle Gopal, an
ex-soldier hailing from Ipoh. He had come to take our orders, but he was
empty-handed. I was puzzled. Where was the menu? How was I going to know what
to order? All we knew was that we wanted to order the banana leaf rice, which
we heard was the most popular dish there. We told Uncle Gopal this, and he
recited the menu from his memory, “Banana leaf rice with either nasi lemak or
biryani rice, with a side of either fried fish, fish curry, fried chicken,
chicken curry, chicken masala, or lamb curry.” Phew, try saying that five times
fast.
Because of Kuching’s relatively small
Indian food scene, I haven’t had the opportunity to taste an array of Indian
food, so what I know is loosely based on my previous experiences with other
Indian shops in Kuching. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like your typical
Indian eatery—in fact, it gives off the “Rumah Hijau” vibe. Kuching never fails
to surprise.
When the food arrived, Julian taught me
how to properly eat papadum that usually comes with Indian dishes—break it up into
small pieces and mix it with your rice.
Being the rebel that I am, I decided to eat the papadum on its own as well, and I was pleasantly surprised. Although not as crispy as I had hoped, it is lightly salted and not drenched in oil, much to my delight.
Being the rebel that I am, I decided to eat the papadum on its own as well, and I was pleasantly surprised. Although not as crispy as I had hoped, it is lightly salted and not drenched in oil, much to my delight.
The biryani rice is neither too dry nor
too sticky, and is nicely spiced with only a slight hint of chilli and fried
onions. The raisins are also a nice touch, and they add a different flavour to
an otherwise slightly spicy rice. Each grain of rice has a firmness to it that
I like, which we later find out is attributed to the fact that Pusa Golden
Basmati rice is used, and the flavours are balanced nicely.
To add on to that balance, you may add a touch of spicy protein to that in the form of the lamb curry, which brings
tears to my eyes. It is that spicy.
If you like spicy food, then this is recommended. The lamb is tender enough
to avoid a limbo of endless chewing, but at
the same time manages to maintain its flavour, which comes as a pleasant
surprise since not many eateries can pull off both tenderness of the meat and
flavour at the same time.
Another addition is the the chicken
masala, which unfortunately is a tad too salty for my liking, as my palate
is accustomed to less salty flavours. If you like stronger flavours, this won’t
be a masala (problem) for you. However,
the saving grace is that the chicken is tender, but then again, it is difficult
to go wrong with thigh meat.
The side dishes that come with it are
potatoes, dhal, vegetables, peppers and a soup that reminds me of the kiam chai (salted vegetable) soup that
Chinese mothers love to cook. Individually, each dish tastes very ordinary, but
together, they complement the rice and curry/masala well. However, the amount
of biryani rice served did not do the copious amounts of side dishes justice as
we found ourselves with no rice left and still a lot of side dishes remaining.
...
I had my Teh Tarik at the end of the
meal, but there were still generous amounts of froth remaining. Despite that, I
still find that there is a little too much milk in it with only a slight hint
of tea in the aftertaste. I love milk as much as the next person does, but the
Teh Tarik fell a little flat for me.
Although on the pricier side (Total Damage = RM48 and approx RM18 per banana leaf rice), Ammah
Curry House is worth a try especially for those who want to break free from the
common, lacklustre Indian flavours that we normally get in Kuching. The
ingredients used here are undoubtedly fresh, and Uncle Gopal has reassured many
times that only he and his wife are allowed to man the kitchen as a way to
maintain the quality of dishes produced. As for the menu, Uncle Gopal affirms
that they are working on a fixed list, which will be out soon.
Ammah Curry House opens on Tuesdays to
Sundays, from 8am-7pm. They are closed on Mondays.
About the author:
Hi
there! I’m Natalie, 22, a full-time student and part-time writer. Each person
envisions a future for themselves, and in my case, my dreams have always
revolved around writing. Today, I am working towards achieving that goal, and I
hope to inspire many and reach out to audiences of all demographics through my
writing.
My
foray into the food world began only recently, and with the help of Hilary and
Julian, I have learnt invaluable lessons about how to better expand my
portfolio and help bring tastes and flavours alive through my words.
I
also write more serious posts at http://natalieeeha.wordpress.com.
I love the fact that the teh tarik was served in that cup! Adds to the overall Indian feel :D
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