PETALING JAYA, Oct 5 — Kenneth Teoh had just returned from Vietnam last year with his Vietnamese wife and son when he discovered that there weren’t many places that served good Vietnamese food.
Teoh and his wife Hoa then decided to capitalise on the “underground” supper club trend and launched theirs called Cute Ball Kitchen, named after their three-year-old son’s nickname.
The couple started in January, serving authentic cuisine from Hoa’s hometown. From family recipes to Vietnamese staples, Hoa also does French desserts.
Hosting two sessions per month, the couple spend up to two days preparing for each dinner which is usually held on the weekends. Teoh gets ingredients from Vietnam whenever he travels there so you can be assured that everything is authentic.
He also sources his seafood from Sekinchan and nearby markets as well. As a full-time banker, Teoh doesn’t have time to just focus on the supper club but there are other plans for Cute Ball Kitchen.
“We are just starting. Our plan is to focus more on our desserts, selling them online and at bazaars as well. In the future, we hope to host bigger groups and expand. Right now, the maximum number we can serve at each supper club session is 12,” says Teoh.
There has been a steady increase in demand as word of mouth spread. Cute Ball Kitchen is mentioned frequently on Facebook and has been featured in various media.
“What makes us special is that we serve Vietnamese food instead of the usual fare like Western or local cuisine. Also, we serve different things each time. We may repeat one or two dishes but most of the time, you will find new dishes. Compared to other supper clubs, I find that we are probably underpriced. The amount of food that we give as well as the quality is actually value for money,” says Teoh.
Customers come back for more after trying out Hoa’s cooking. According to Teoh, all of the customers are locals.
Although the couple only serves Vietnamese food currently, there is a possibility that they will explore other types of cuisines.
“The food that we serve is actually food that we eat at home. Except maybe for the supper club, we make it look more presentable,” explains Teoh. If things go according to plan, there might be a chance of a restaurant in the future.
Some of Hoa’s popular dishes are Braised pork belly, Vietnamese salad and pork wrapped in wild betel leaves. Each session features seven dishes including appetizers and desserts.
At one dinner, Cute Ball Kitchen served bahn mi with pork liver pate, a type of Vietnamese sandwich. They also had clams with Thai basil and chili sauce, fried chicken wings in fish sauce, gourd soup with prawns, pork wrapped in wild betel leaves and caramelised catfish with pork belly.
For dessert, Hoa made Opera cake. The guests were also served either Vietnamese coffee or tea.
Find out more about Cute Ball Kitchen at https://www.facebook.com/CuteBallKitchen
