KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Now you can savour the East Coast of Malaysia, which covers states like Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, at Rumoh Mekda.

It’s a special opportunity to relish refined, tradition-rich dishes — usually reserved for families — without waiting for an invitation.

Once called Dapur Mekda, this catering service — my go-to for daging tumbuk belado and rendang ayam — has now magically transformed into a full-fledged restaurant in Bangsar.

Now your table can have the best of the East Coast: a centrepiece Patin Goreng Sambal Tempoyak (RM78) rubbing shoulders with Pahang’s Sambal Hitam, or Nasi Kerabu Lemak Bakar (RM30) from Kelantan.

The possibilities are endless here, limited only by your stomach space.

Work your way around their menu where the nasi kerabu takes centrestage, accompanied by various dishes designed for sharing between three to four hungry diners.

Don’t just focus on that menu but open your eyes to their counter where daily dishes, which includes various gulai, kerabu and other bites are good for sharing between two diners.

Some dishes are mainstays, while others rotate, allowing one to deep dive into the East Coast cuisine.

You know you’re in good hands when you can smell the Patin Goreng Sambal Tempoyak the moment it hits the table.

A whole patin fish is deep-fried and swathed with fermented durian, glorious in its creaminess and pungency.

The melt-in-your-mouth flesh of Pahang’s river fish transforms this humble kampung offering into an epic dish that calls for copious bowls of rice.

A popular order is their Nasi Kerabu, available here in three variations: Ayam Percik, Lemak Bakar or Daging Bakar for RM30 to RM34.

Slowly add the side ingredients served on a tray bit by bit to the yellow-tinged rice; there’s thinly sliced cucumber, long beans, bean sprouts, torch ginger flower and laksa leaf.

For flavour, sprinkle the potent budu (fermented fish) and the sambal belacan, adding a little of the gulai tumis and serunding ikan.

Pinch a bit of the salted egg, your lemak bakar and fish crackers, mixing it with the rice to enjoy all the elements together.

This version tends to have a refined air with lighter flavours.

Here, the lemak bakar or cubed pieces of beef fat are well charred on the grill.

Pair it with an assortment of salads from the counter: Kerabu Perut Pucuk Paku (RM15) and Sambal Nyor Mangga Ikan (RM12), which will whet your appetite.

Using tender fern fiddleheads from which woody stems have been painstakingly removed, and tossed in serunding, an assortment of herbs plus thick slices of cleaned and slightly chewy beef tripe, the Kerabu Perut Pucuk Paku is amazing.

Unlike at other places, you may find a small piece of lime or even a halved piece mixed inside, which gives a tangy bite when combined in the salad.

Sambal Nyor Mangga Ikan is a refreshing mixture of thin strips of young mango, fish and grated fresh coconut.

Everyone’s favourite order is the Daging Tumbok Berlada (RM48), a toothsome bite mixed with spices that will hook you once you taste it.

Prepping this dish requires many steps from boiling the meat with spices to soften it. Then, pound the meat with a pestle to shred it, deep-fry the shreds with various spices, and serve the resulting dish with ketupat or rice.

Rumoh Mekda’s version still retains its juiciness and is packed with flavour from the spices, making it a great accompaniment to a bowl of rice eaten on-the-go or right in front of your television.

It’s my first time encountering Masak Lemak Tulang Ikan Merah Kering Nanas (RM15) often found in the kampung and favoured by the older folks.

The deep fried bones are best eaten slowly to extract the fine flesh that mixes with the rich coconut milk gravy lightly sweetened with pineapples.

It’s not often you find singgang dishes on a menu and this Singgang Oxtail (RM56) is superb, featuring a gentle sourness and spiciness from the use of onions, chilies and asam gelugor.

Slowly relish each piece of the tail with its soft meat and slight chewiness in the clear, refreshing soup.

From the menu, Lala Sambal (RM45) sits nestled between choices like prawns and siput sedut.

The clams fried in a mild sambal make a good dish paired with white rice and contrasted with the mellow, soupy vegetable dish like Sayur Labu Masak Lemak Putih (RM32), which uses coconut milk with a little spiciness.

Pahang’s Sambal Hitam (RM22) made with dried belimbing buluh has a rich depth and Daging Goreng Berlengas (RM20) where stir fried tender beef is given a sweet flavor using kicap manis and the savoury oyster sauce, are both great rice killers.

Bring over a huge contingent of friends to relish all the food, which is best eaten in abundance, and enjoy the varying textures and tastes to complete your East Coast experience.

The catering business is currently on hold but will resume once the restaurant operations are on track.

Rumoh Mekda

LG10, Bangsar Village 1,

Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar.

Open daily: 12pm to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm.

Reservations can be made online via Umai using a link on their Instagram page.

Tel: 011-28095014

Instagram: @rumohmekda

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

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