Tuesday 25 February 2014

Restoran Mungo Jerry Bak Kut Teh @ Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur

Restoran Mungo Jerry Bak Kut Teh is a name that is familiar to all Bak Kut Teh lovers in the Klang Valley. This restaurant was started by Mr. Jerry Sow when he was 21 years old sometime in the year 1978. His original stall was initially somewhere in Klang but then he moved his business to Kuala Lumpur and this was followed by the opening of the other branch then in Jalan Barat. To read more on the history, please do click on this link: http://mungojerrybkt.blogspot.com/ This is a blog that is maintained by his daughter which gives more information on the history of this establishment. 

Restaurant Mungo Jerry in Jalan Raja Laut

Interior of the Kitchen

Sample Dishes at the Entrance

Interior of the Restaurant

Cutlery
This restaurant is located along Jalan Raja Laut, just opposite the EON Bank building and is parallel to Lorong Haji Taib. They occupy two shop lots. One is used as the kitchen and another would be the dining hall. The restaurant is simple and acceptably clean. Until mid 1990's, you used to see Jerry here at the restaurant and he used to be quite a chatterbox but nowadays, the shop is run by his trusted two Bangladeshi employees who have been with him since the late 1980's. They are assisted by other foreign nationals.  At the entrance to the kitchen, sample dishes are cooked and placed for display. This from my observation is not quite for the locals as the locals are mostly familiar with their offerings but is specifically targeted for the foreigners. I do see quite a number of expatriates at the restaurant every time I am here. I believe besides the expatriates, his largest customer segment is Malaysian Indians. Just walk in at any time and you would see that most of the tables would be occupied by Malaysian Indians. You could place your orders at the kitchen and for those who are familiar with the offerings, orders could be placed at your table. 

Herbal Tea @ RM 1.00
The Herbal Tea is one of their signature drinks here. The tea is pure, thick with loads of herbs and is sweetened with rock sugar. A very hydrating drink. I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Sugar Cane Drink @ RM 1.00
The other famous homemade drink here is the above Sugar Cane drink. Mildly sweet, it is a good alternative to Tea. I would rate this drink at 8.5/10 .

Onion Rice with Pork Lard @ RM 1.50
Per serving of the above Onion Rice comes at RM 1.50 . The Onion Rice is absolutely delicious and being prepared with Pork Lard, it tends to be quite sticky but absolutely good. This is definitely something that I have not seen elsewhere. I would rate this at 9.7/10 .

Herbal Soup
All orders comes with the above complimentary Herbal Soup and you could ask for as many servings as you may want. The broth here is thick and dark and has a very sticky nature so much so even your lips tends to be sticky after consumption. Nevertheless, it is really good and has a very unique taste which is specific to this restaurant. I would rate the above soup at 9.8/10 .

Yau Char Kuey (Big) @ RM 4.00
I am not sure if they make this in house or get it from an external vendor. Anyway, this was not all that great. It was slightly hard and dry and that did not allow it to absorb the soup well when dipped in. I would only rate this at 5/10 .

Tau Poh @ RM 2.00
The Taufu was good and it once again tasted very unique. There was a slight saltiness in it and I am not sure if it came from the Tofu or the herbal soup. The soup itself was different compared to the one that was served separately. This soup was much lighter in colour and had different flavours. Nevertheless, I liked this dish very much and the taste was really distinctive from the others out there. I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Pokkari (Pork Curry) @ RM 12.00

Pokkari (Pork Curry) @ RM 12.00
Lean meat cooked in a very dark and thick herbal and spiced broth along with loads of dried chilies, this dish was a treat to Pork lovers. A unique dish that is only available here and is a special recipe of Mr Jerry. Definitely a taste to remember! I would rate this dish at 9.7/10 .

Kailan in Oyster Sauce @ RM 8.00

Kailan in Oyster Sauce @ RM 8.00
A delicious vegetable dish. Fresh Kailan sauteed with Oyster Sauce and topped with fried onions and Pork Lard. The greens were very fresh and the lavish amount of Oyster Sauce was a great combination. Loved this! I would rate this at 9.4/10 .

Fried Roasted Pork @ RM 12.00

Fried Roasted Pork @ RM 12.00
Roasted Pork stir fried in oil along with a secret sauce and honey. The meat was crispy at the top yet so juicy and soft on the inside. Wonderful preparation and I would rate this dish at 9.7/10 .

Bar-B-Q Ribs @ RM 12.00

Bar-B-Q Ribs @ RM 12.00
The above are juicy chunks of Pork Ribs fried with Sambal Belacan and onions. On first taste, this dish would taste like a typical Tamil dish and no doubt that this is a favourite among the Indian customers. Slightly spicy, this would definitely be a dish that you would not regret ordering. I would rate this dish at 9.3/10 . Previously, this dish used to be sold at RM 14.00 but they have reduced the price to RM 12.00 recently and I am not sure why. Nevertheless, the portion seems the same. 

Our Dinner for the Night
Overall, it was a very delightful meal for us and I am glad that the food has been consistent over the years. I first visited them in the year 1993 and have been a loyal customer ever since. The taste remains the same and the price has not gone up much over the years. Even today, our meal came to about RM 50+ and that is quite reasonable bearing in mind the number of dishes ordered. Cleanliness may not be up to the mark and definitely would not be suitable to fussy customers, otherwise it is a decent place to have a good meal. If the Jalan Raja Laut outlet may not be in easy reach, then you could visit their outlet in SS2, Petaling Jaya. 

Address: No. 292, Jalan Raja Laut, Chow Kit, 50350 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening Hours: 1700 - 0230 Daily

9 comments:

  1. U are long term customer of mungo jerry bkt?

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    Replies
    1. Since the 80's Scott :)

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    2. thats great.. im the owner son of mungo jerry... thanks for your support :)

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    3. It's a pleasure meeting you here Scott! Thanks for popping by my blogs!

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  2. Nice meeting you too :)

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  3. Nice meeting you too :)

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  4. Hi, May know Pj ss2 branch when will open?

    ReplyDelete