KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Lontong isn’t pretty food that will help an influencer get more likes but once you look deeply at each element in the dish, that perceived ugliness becomes sought after. 

Inside Uncle D Seafood & Grill, you will find this stall that serves the true Javanese version of lontong, completely unlike those that use hard pieces of compressed rice (nasi impit). 

It’s not pretty food but keen eaters can pick out the crispy wafer thin ‘paru’ eaten like crisps with this ‘lontong’ topped with a dark red ‘sambal’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
It’s not pretty food but keen eaters can pick out the crispy wafer thin ‘paru’ eaten like crisps with this ‘lontong’ topped with a dark red ‘sambal’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Your first clue that you’re in the right place is their glutinous rice, which is cut into large pieces from a cylinder and tinged green from the chlorophyll leaked from the banana leaf wrapper. 

The grains are softer from the steaming, allowing them to absorb some of the coconut milk broth which is tinged with just the right amount of turmeric to a light yellow hue rather than a Pikachu-yellow. 

Cooked vegetables and glass noodles are also included. 

Under the blanket of ‘serunding’ and ‘sambal’, there’s ‘rendang daging’, ‘tempeh’ and ‘begedil’ with the ‘lontong’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Under the blanket of ‘serunding’ and ‘sambal’, there’s ‘rendang daging’, ‘tempeh’ and ‘begedil’ with the ‘lontong’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Lontong Biasa (RM5) comes with half a hard-boiled egg and is heaped with their serunding kelapa and a scoop of sambal. 

The grated coconut, toasted longer to an almost blackened colour, adds more depth to the light coconut milk gravy. 

Even their sambal is a deep red, slowly sautéed over low heat until the paste is thick with enough flavour to colour the gravy a deep orange. 

You can stop at just the basic version but where’s the fun in that? 

Black crisps of deep fried cow’s lungs (left). ‘Rendang daging’ (right) is slow cooked to a semi-tender texture with a rich coconut gravy. — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Black crisps of deep fried cow’s lungs (left). ‘Rendang daging’ (right) is slow cooked to a semi-tender texture with a rich coconut gravy. — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi

Offal-crazy fanatics will die for their Paru Goreng Crispy (RM3) — deep-fried cow’s lung cut wafer-thin — which are like addictive potato crisps.  

This isn’t the place for chewy, rubbery paru or cow’s lungs so please exit to the nearest nasi lemak stall. 

Once you try these phenomenal crunchy bits, the Rendang Daging (RM5) feels ordinary in your lontong but the cut pieces of beef are semi-tender and coated with a rich, coconut gravy, which provides a contrast of textures.  

Triangular shaped ‘kuih lopes’ are wrapped in banana leaf and boiled (left). The glutinous rice (right) has a slight chewy texture, thanks to a light alkaline water bath. — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Triangular shaped ‘kuih lopes’ are wrapped in banana leaf and boiled (left). The glutinous rice (right) has a slight chewy texture, thanks to a light alkaline water bath. — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi

Sambal Sotong (RM5) is definitely their best seller; by 9am all that’s left in the tray is the janggut, or the thin, spindly tentacles. The gravy packs a spicy punch, almost blowing up my nose. 

Other bits to level up the lontong include the deep fried tempeh and bergedil (RM1). 

Sambal Goreng (RM4) or fried vegetables with glass noodles are also offered. 

It is the typical pairing with lontong for a pure Javanese palate, but it is ignored here since most diners have more localised tastes. 

Comfortable air-conditioned surroundings make your breakfast a pleasant one (left). The stall takes over the daytime session at this grilled seafood restaurant (right). — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Comfortable air-conditioned surroundings make your breakfast a pleasant one (left). The stall takes over the daytime session at this grilled seafood restaurant (right). — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi

Typically, lontong stalls seem to offer Kuih Lopes (RM1.20 a piece, minimum order of 2 pieces), perhaps because it also uses glutinous rice but the rice grains get a light bath in air kapur (alkaline water). 

The triangular kuih, wrapped in banana leaf, has a dense, slightly chewy texture and is drenched in a light gula Melaka syrup and freshly grated coconut. 

It’s one of the better versions of this boiled kuih, as all the grains are cooked through without any hard ones. 

Nasi lemak is also offered for those misled to this lontong stall, and features the same toppings. 

Alfiyah Lontong Jawa Asli @ Uncle D Seafood & Grill

20, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, 

Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.

Open: 7am to 1pm. Closed on Mondays. 

Tel:011-12381585

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

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