If you were growing
up in Malaysia during the 70s and 80s, chances are you would have heard of
Khadijah Ibrahim and her songs. Khadijah was a very popular singer back then but
she left for New Zealand to pursue a course in interior design where she also ran
a Malaysian restaurant there for several years.
Following her return to Malaysia, the legendary songstress opened Khadijah’s Kitchen in Section 11, Petaling Jaya. I’ve always wanted to visit this place since I’ve heard rave reviews about her signature dishes such as Laksa Johor and Assam Pedas Melaka. Khadijah prepares all the pastes and does most of the cooking herself and I couldn’t wait to try her dishes.
The restaurant is not very big and can only seat about 30 people at any one time. I found out that Khadijah purposely planned it this way to make her customers feel at home. The cosy setting also meant her customers can practically see each other from across the room and perhaps even be friends the next time they dine at her restaurant.
The place was packed when we arrived so we had to wait a few minutes before we were seated. There was a jovial and happy atmosphere; people were talking and laughing while enjoying the food and Khadijah herself was seen mingling and chatting with her customers, treating everyone as if they’re part of a close-knit family. Most of the furniture is made of solid wood and the walls were lined with framed photos of VIPs and local celebrities who had visited the restaurant.
Following her return to Malaysia, the legendary songstress opened Khadijah’s Kitchen in Section 11, Petaling Jaya. I’ve always wanted to visit this place since I’ve heard rave reviews about her signature dishes such as Laksa Johor and Assam Pedas Melaka. Khadijah prepares all the pastes and does most of the cooking herself and I couldn’t wait to try her dishes.
The restaurant is not very big and can only seat about 30 people at any one time. I found out that Khadijah purposely planned it this way to make her customers feel at home. The cosy setting also meant her customers can practically see each other from across the room and perhaps even be friends the next time they dine at her restaurant.
The place was packed when we arrived so we had to wait a few minutes before we were seated. There was a jovial and happy atmosphere; people were talking and laughing while enjoying the food and Khadijah herself was seen mingling and chatting with her customers, treating everyone as if they’re part of a close-knit family. Most of the furniture is made of solid wood and the walls were lined with framed photos of VIPs and local celebrities who had visited the restaurant.
The menu is pretty extensive with a wide variety of Malaysian delights covering favorites from the state of Johor right up to Terengganu. Beside the main dishes that would go well with rice, there are sections devoted solely to all kinds of laksa (laksa Johor, laksa Terengganu, laksa Penang) and rice sets (nasi bryani, nasi tomato, nasi ayam, nasi kerabu). The rice set consists of a starter, main rice dish, ice lemon tea and dessert of the day. There is also a Kid’s Menu for 10 year-olds and below and the Afternoon Tea Set (available 3pm-6pm) which offers tea-time favorites such as cucur udang and pengat durian with pulut.
Most
of the dishes on the menu are from Khadijah’s own recipes but she sometimes
uses her friends’ or relatives’ recipes and credits the dishes with their
names. I guess that’s how Nasi Goreng (FBI) Datin Paduka Faridah Sedap Gila and
Ubi Kayu Goreng (Ramli Sarip) got their names!
We
spent some time looking at the menu after which we settled on these 4 dishes
from the Starters and Main Dishes sections, to eat with white rice:
 |
| Sotong Masak Hitam
(Ibrahim Family Favourites) (recipe from
Masria) RM10.80 (S), RM23.00 (L) |
This
is pan-fried squid with tamarind, ginger, onions and chillies and is a popular
dish among Johoreans. The squid ink is used as an ingredient which lends the
dish its dark color. Not many restaurants serve this and I was really excited
to see it in the menu. However, I was disappointed when our order arrived. There
was very little squid meat in the dish and the jet-black gravy was a bit too
watery for my liking.
 |
| Kari Ikan Jenahak
(Kak Mas) RM11.80 (S), RM24.80 (L) |
The
thick gravy of the curry was bursting with flavor although we felt like we were
eating reheated, day-old curry since the fish wasn’t very fresh. However,
taste-wise, this dish would appeal to any curry lover out there.
The
tauhu telur (Chinese egg tofu) garnished with shredded carrot and bean sprouts,
was cooked to perfection. It was simply crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth
soft on the inside. What also makes this dish outstanding is the cili padi dipping
sauce - a fiery sweet combo of light soy sauce with cili padi (bird’s eye
chillies).
The
Gado-gado was another big disappointment for me. The taste of the peanut sauce was
a bit off and it was way too oily.
 |
| Tauhu Telur RM9.80 |
 |
| Gado-gado RM9.80 |
At
the end of our meal, we were already full and there’s no way we could make room
for dessert or even the Laksa Johor, which I was dying to try. So we decided to
take away these 3 dishes and enjoy them at home.
 |
| Laksa Johor RM15.80
The
secret of a good laksa lies in its gravy and Khadijah Kitchen’s version was
superb. The spicy fish broth was full of flavor and the sambal belacan (chilli
paste) provided a nice kick to this yummy dish. I wished there was a bit more
garnishing though – some fresh mint leaves and ‘daun kesum’ (Vietnamese
coriander) would have been nice.
|
 |
| Kway Teow Goreng RM9.80 |
The fried kwayteow with chicken was really delicious and I liked that it
wasn’t dripping with oil.
Forgot to take a photo of the Bubur Kacang Hijau (RM7.80) but I loved the creaminess of this dessert which wasn't overwhelmingly sweet and the beans were boiled just long enough to make them tender but not mushy soft.
Overall, our meal at Khadijah’s Kitchen fell short of my expectations. Apart from a few dishes that stood out such as the Tauhu Telur, Laksa Johor and Kuay Teow Goreng, I felt the other dishes were mediocre. I’m guessing it’s because these dishes were pre-cooked and not prepared on order so they have somehow lost their freshness along the way. I certainly hope that Khadijah looks into the quality of the food served because Khadijah’s Kitchen used to be THE place to bring your visiting foreign friends for a taste of authentic Malaysian cuisine.
Overall, our meal at Khadijah’s Kitchen fell short of my expectations. Apart from a few dishes that stood out such as the Tauhu Telur, Laksa Johor and Kuay Teow Goreng, I felt the other dishes were mediocre. I’m guessing it’s because these dishes were pre-cooked and not prepared on order so they have somehow lost their freshness along the way. I certainly hope that Khadijah looks into the quality of the food served because Khadijah’s Kitchen used to be THE place to bring your visiting foreign friends for a taste of authentic Malaysian cuisine.
Apart
from operating her restaurants (there are 2 more outlets in Setapak and Shah
Alam), Khadijah also produces a range of cooking sauces.
My Overall Verdict:
Taste: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Presentation: 6/10
Value for Money: 5/10
Address and contact details:Taste: 6/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 7/10
Presentation: 6/10
Value for Money: 5/10
Khadijah's Kitchen
11, Jalan Bukit 11/2, Seksyen 11,
46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7960 1079
Website: https://www.facebook.com/khadijahskitchen
Operating hours:
Daily 12.00PM - 10.00PM
Lotsa Luv
