KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — You drive past Plaza Damansara and see a place called Cekik The Food Chapter and you wonder, if that’s a promise that you’ll choke on their food. 

That unusual name sticks in your head, making you curious to find out what this new restaurant promises. 

Once you get there, you find out the reason for selecting that name as it is explained in their menu.

Cekik means “to eat” in the Chetti community of Melaka, also known as the Peranakan Indians. 

It’s a nod towards one of the owner’s Melaka Chetti heritage and selected as the restaurant’s name, to capture the joy of food. 

While you won’t find classic Melaka Chetti dishes like Sambal Belimbing Telur Ikan or Pindang Ikan Parang at this moment on the menu, the food served here celebrates a mix of cultures from Indian, Malay, Chinese and even Thai, which is the cornerstone of Melaka Chetti cuisine.

With the promise for round the clock service, the offerings change with different time slots, while some items overlap. 

From 7pm to 11.30am, it’s nasi lemak, curry mee, roti canai, thosai and roti bakar one can enjoy for breakfast, dinner or supper.

Once the clock strikes 11.30am, their Banana Leaf Set takes the stage until 7pm, making it ideal for those who like late lunches stretching up to teatime. 

After 3pm onwards, Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng, Maggi Goreng and even one with Indomie, are served until 7am, allowing late night revelers from nearby drinking holes to stave off their hunger pangs. 

These dishes come with a choice of fried chicken, lamb varuval and even plant based items like vegetarian chicken or mutton. 

The highlight is their Banana Leaf Set for RM14.90, which makes them the only eatery offering this set within the Plaza Damansara area, as other places offer nasi kandar and thali sets instead for lunch. 

Once the banana leaf hits the table, it’s an onslaught of food, starting with a whopping six items that are refillable, rather than just the typical four vegetables all lined up in a row.

Acar is a mainstay of the lunch, freshening your tongue with the zingy flavour of the lightly pickled pineapple, cucumber and carrots with chopped red chillies, as you enjoy the comforting flavours of long beans cooked with grated coconut. 

Eye-openers are the unusual Tempeh Cili Padi, where fresh sliced tempeh in its creamy form is cooked with a mild green chilli paste, in contrast with the simple sweet mashed Pumpkin. Even the Tauhu Sambal is a not often seen item on the banana leaf. 

Crunch is found with the Peria Goreng; you will find yourself nibbling each piece of battered bitter gourd until it’s all gone.

You won’t get the typical white rice for lunch; it’s a healthier slant with fluffy basmati rice or good-for-you parboiled rice with less calories and more fibre. 

Flood those rice grains with a choice of creamy Sothi, Dhal Sambar and tangy Vendhaya Curry. There’s also onion curry for vegetarians. 

Don’t forget the crunchy papadam that you can eat on its own or crunch into small pieces and mix with the rice. 

Mooru Chili may look deceptively spicy as it’s a whole chilli but it’s got a nice tangy taste that goes a long way to perk up your lunch as you end the meal with a soothing sip of their rasam.  

Various dishes from different cultures can be ordered too, like Aunty Lim’s Ginger Spring Onion Chicken or Opah’s Mutton Rendang. 

Or stick to the traditional accompaniments like Mutton Varuval (RM19.90), Chicken 65 (RM9.90) and Fried Tenggiri Fish (RM12.90). 

All of the dishes didn’t disappoint as the mutton was cooked to a pull-apart texture with fragrant spices and a hint of spiciness. 

Kitchen skills are top notch, as the marinated chicken pieces plus the piece of fish, still retained their juiciness. 

Breakfast here can be a leisurely affair as you sit at the front terrace under billowing fans to watch the world go by while enjoying their Roti Sarang Burung (RM7) with a jiggly egg in the middle of a nest of pulled dough. 

When the heat is dialled up, go inside for the cool comfort as you try their Thosai Telur (RM6.50) with its slightly tangy flavour with a coconut chutney, dhal and two types of tangy curries with chicken and fish.

Prices here are roughly around the same as other places nearby or even popular Indian restaurants, with a small increase for the air conditioning and pleasant surroundings, making it ideal for entertaining clients.  

The restaurant is operated by The Chapter Group, well known for their KL cocktail bars, The First Chapter and Benang The Second Chapter. 

Their latest speakeasy Scubar The Third Chapter on Thailand’s Koh Phi Phi Island is their first overseas outlet. 

Cekik The Food Chapter

9G, Plaza Damansara, 

Jalan Medan Setia 1,

Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.

Open: 24 hours

Tel:017-9956921

Facebook: @Cekik-The-Food-Chapter

Instagram: @cekikthefoodchapter

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.