BAKAR STATION,
L4-56,
4th Floor, Selera Street,
Sunway Putra Mall,
100 Jalan Putra,
Chow Kit,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 0123822422
Business hours: 10am to 10pm.
Pork free.
SEAFOOD lovers looking for classic kampung flavours should drop by Bakar Station in Sunway Putra Mall for their fix of grilled seafood.
With “The Original Kampung BBQ Taste!” as their slogan, Bakar Station welcomes customers to their village-styled restaurant in the heart of the city.
Its wooden panelled flooring and small bamboo fence separates the dining area from the kitchen while the cashier’s station resembles a small hut with a nipah roof.
Customers can experience the nostalgic kampung environment and order from the restaurant’s nine set meal options.
The restaurant’s decor has an authentic kampung feel to it.
Since its establishment a year and three months ago, Bakar Station co-founders Lim Lea Cu, Sofia Leo and Lua Seh Kiat have always aimed to deliver authentic kampung flavours to those craving for grilled seafood.
“We hope to cater to local palates as we serve an array of grilled favourites which Malaysians are familiar with,” said Lim.
Bakar Station’s recommended dishes include signature grilled dishes of kampung fish (RM13.90), stingray (RM13.90) (top pic) and Chicken Bamboo Rice (RM12.90).
The combination of sweet, sour and spicy flavours of the Nyonya asam pedas sauce served with slices of tomatoes and okra complements the fish well.
As for the stingray, the asam curry sauce held a tangy sweetness along with the usual hint of spiciness.
One thing which stood out is how Bakar Station prefers baby stingray to the usual-sized ones, often seen at seafood restaurants or ikan bakar stalls.
Leo said that the stingrays used are carefully selected from Sekinchan to ensure only the freshest product is selected.
“We prefer to use baby stingray as the meat is tender compared to mature stingrays” said Leo.
Leo’s words rang true when I tried the baby stingray and found that the succulent meat had a delicate sweetness that is often missing in regular-sized stingrays.
The highlight of the Chicken Bamboo Rice was the ayam bakar berempah marinated in herbs, spices and lemongrass.
The fragrant bamboo-steamed rice and chicken goes well with Bakar Station’s homemade sambal belacan.
“The sauces and condiments here, such as the asam pedas and sambal belacan are original recipes and these are prepared fresh daily,” said Lim who uses her mother’s recipe for the Kampung Fish Nyonya Asam Pedas which is a hit at Bakar Station.
The sate, which is available in chicken, beef and mutton, is served with a tasty peanut dipping sauce.
“All of our sauces are also homemade to preserve local flavours and there are no preservatives,” she added.
Another must-try is the chicken satay (RM13.90 for 12 pieces) as well as beef or mutton (RM16.90 for 12 pieces) options.
The flavourful and slightly sweet peanut sauce complements the barbecued meat rather nicely.
The delectable homemade Otak-otak Fish Cake (RM12.90) with chunky fish pieces is rich with herbs and spices and bursting with flavours.
Customers may quench their thirst after their hot and spicy meal with kedongdong juice (RM6.90) and asam jawa pineapple juice (RM5.90).
Cool off with some asam jawa pineapple juice and kedongdong juice.
The asam jawa pineapple juice is presented with roasted peanuts giving the sweet and sour drink a nutty flavour whereas the tartness of the kedongdong juice helps cleanse the palate.
Lim and Leo plan to add more kampung delights to their menu soon and aim to take their business to other areas as well.
The restaurant provides free delivery service within Sunway Putra Mall.
This is the writer’s personal observation and not an endorsement by StarMetro.