KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — Sometimes another glance is all you need for a second chance at a first impression.

We had passed by the restaurant before, on our way to another eatery. Driving, the only words that leapt to our attention were bak kut teh. 

Not really what we were looking for. Too heavy for most meals on most days, honestly.

So when my erstwhile workout buddy — who doubles as my chicken rice whisperer, having recommended decent spots in the past, including in Taman Desa — told me he had found a new place, my attention snapped into focus.

Little did I know it would be the very bak kut teh shop that I had skipped before.

Which is how, in a roundabout sort of way, we came to enjoy a simple but satisfying chicken rice lunch at Restoran Toms Bak Kut Teh & Chicken Rice.

Located along a secluded row of shophouses at Taman Desa Business Park, the shop is pretty much nondescript. Some plants at each side of the entrance, framing an assortment of mismatched tables and chairs.

It’s this unassuming sense of décor that welcomes us, that promises us the menu will be unpretentious and as close to home cooked food as it gets.

Home style but also unexpectedly eclectic. Beyond bak kut teh and chicken rice, the shop also offers pork trotter vinegar and dim sum.

The latter finally triggered my memory; this same shop used to be in another part of the neighbourhood by another name. Then it went by Restoran Toms Dim Sum and it was in a busier part of Taman Danau Desa, notorious for limited parking space.

In fact, I had tried the dim sum at its previous outlet and I’m glad they have carried those offerings over to the new place. Who doesn’t love those bite-sized Cantonese breakfast treats?

Given the name change, however, it’s clear the focus has changed.

Judging by what every other table has ordered, it’s a good call to go for their chicken rice. Specifically their kampung chicken, leaner and firmer than the soft, plump birds from the supermarket.

Expect golden skin, shining with a thin gloss of sesame oil. The meat is arranged in thick, pale slices, tender and naturally sweet.

A bowl of rice, fragrant with ginger and chicken fat, is absolutely necessary; this is no time for any zero carb nonsense, please.

There is no strong aroma, nor should there be, beyond the comforting perfume of poaching liquid rising with the steam from the bowl of broth.

This is a reminder to eat quickly, while the rice and soup is hot. I happily ignore all the mindfulness gurus who tell us to chew slowly, experiencing each bite fully.

No, what you want to do is eat with vigour. 

That’s how you truly savour every grain of rice and morsel of meat. That’s how you prove you mean it when the proprietress asks you how you find the food and you say it is good, very good indeed.

Do note the sauces are self-service from the condiment station near the entrance. The chilli sauce is a must, of course, but the ginger sauce is on another level, thanks to a generous amount of garlic too.

Dip each piece in these sauces and your taste buds will wake up with the heat of chilli and the sharpness of ginger. Perfect pairing for meat with character.

For let’s not forget that this came from a bird that has lived a little longer and moved a little more. A happier chicken, hopefully; I’m a happier diner, certainly.

We barely need anything else aside a side of blanched bean sprouts — seems wrong not to have nga choy when you’re eating chicken rice, no?

As we pay our bill, we can’t help but notice most of the tables are taken up by families. The proprietress tells us they are mostly from the neighbourhood; Taman Desa residents who know where to find the best chicken rice here.

And now so do we.

Restoran Toms Bak Kut Teh & Chicken Rice  稻香肉骨茶小厨

55, Jalan 1/109E, 

Taman Desa Business Park, 

Taman Desa, KL.

Open daily (except Mon closed) 10:30am-8:30pm

Phone: 012-257 1139

For more food fables and café chronicles, visit Life for Beginners. 

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

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