PETALING JAYA, May 17 — In the city, we’re often deprived of out-of-town specialties like ikan patin from the Pahang river.
The legendary fish is highly sought after for its fine sweet flesh. Luckily, Puteri Nur Azureen came up with the idea to open Ana Patin House at Mutiara Damansara, about a year ago.
It specialises in Pahang delights all cooked by her mother, Datin Rohana Ismail (better known as Datin Ana). Now there’s no need to hit the town of Temerloh for your ikan patin fix.
The interior designer is making a case for her heritage; traditional kampung dishes cooked in accordance to her mother’s hand-me-down family recipes.
According to the social-media savvy entrepeneur, her aim is to expose the younger generation to the taste of their hometown. On a daily basis, there’s a spread of around 40 dishes at Ana Patin House to select from.
Ana Patin House sources its freshwater fish and prawns from Temerloh to maintain its freshness and taste. The eatery serves two types of ikan patin: Temerloh and buah.
The ikan patin buah is prized since it’s caught wild versus the Temerloh variant that is reared in sangkar or cages placed in the Pahang river.
It differs in terms of texture, colour and taste. The difference arises from their diet — ikan patin buah feeds on wild fruits that gives it a sweeter taste with a flabbier texture, while those kept in cages are given fish pellets.
In addition, the eatery also sells all kinds of freshwater fish variants like kelah, jelawat, tenggalan, kerai, graham and baung. Udang galah or freshwater prawns are also available.
The ikan patin is traditionally cooked with tempoyak or a creamy spicy sour gravy made from durian paste, tamarind and chillies. Ana Patin House’s version is incredibly delectable as the gravy has a nice thick texture, which pairs well with a plate of white rice and the slightly fat fish with a silky smooth flesh.
You can also ask for the ikan patin to be cooked asam pedas style, if you prefer a more appetising version. As the fish is extremely fresh, the best way to relish its sweet taste unadulterated is to order it deep fried.
We also sampled ikan kerai, another freshwater fish that is deep fried till it’s crispy. It’s best to take your time to enjoy this delight, since the fish has tiny pin-like bones.
You will be rewarded with a sweet taste of the fish that is unbeatable. For a simple healthy meal, pair this with a selection of ulam raja, cashew leaves, four-angled beans and cucumber with their signature sambals.
The trio of dips include a light tasting mango belacan, a traditional Pahang favourite of sambal hitam and sambal tempoyak with its pungent durian aromas. The sambal hitam is cooked daily for a whopping 5-7 hours, as the belimbing buluh, a main ingredient in the sambal needs to be slowly cooked and reduced. The sambal also includes a lot of ikan bilis that makes it aromatic.
Other good eats include the udang galah berlada or fried with a slightly spicy sprinkling of chopped chillies. You can also enjoy the prawns cooked masak lemak or in a creamy sauce. There is also a selection of vegetable dishes, like creamy pumpkin (labu) and pucuk paku (ferntops) cooked in creamy coconut milk.
For desserts, look for the puding raja. We weren’t able to score the much sought after dessert but its description by Puteri Nur Azureen was enough to make us drool. The rich sweet is essentially pisang lemak manis, a locally grown banana with a distinct sweet taste, which is eaten with a custard sauce. It’s jazzed up with prunes, maraschino cherries, cashew nuts, and jala mas or golden strands made from duck egg yolks.
The dessert’s scarcity (sometimes available twice a week) is because Datin Ana insists on using only a trusted supplier for the bananas to ensure its quality is maintained.
If the puding raja is not available, go for the simple tapai made from fermented glutinous rice, all wrapped up in bunches of rubber leaves. Available for the weekdays, the dessert makes a lovely refreshing end to a satisfying meal here.
According to Puteri Nur Azureen, they will be also introducing special dishes like Ayam Pahang and Laksa Pahang during Ramadan.
I’m already plotting my next visit here and dreaming of what I’ll be ordering. I reckon the smooth gelatinous flesh of the ikan patin buah will taste superb when it’s deep-fried with nothing to distract from its sweet taste. So who’s up for a feast of Pahang goodies?
Ana Patin House,
No.50-1, Jalan PJU 7/16, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7733 7377.
Open: 11am to 7pm.
Closed on Sundays.
https://www.facebook.com/anapatinhousepage
