On the way back to Kuala Lumpur from Penang, we pulled into Tanjong Malim in Perak and lunched at Rumah Makan Sri Muallim. It's one of best traditional Malay meals I have tasted and in a charming rustic kampung style ambiance. I can't wait to share it with you.
The restaurant is converted from a traditional two storey Malay house.
The kitchen at the back of the house is extended to serve as the buffet line and dining hall.
There are also private rooms inside the house where guests eat the traditional way - on the floor, sitting on straw mats cross legged, eating with hands together as a group.
We can choose to eat in the open dinning hall or in the private rooms in the house.
Rizal's family runs Rumah Makan Sri Muallin at this location (conveniently at the intersection of the old trunk road and Tanjung Malim's Jalan Besar) since March last year (2017). The family previously ran a stall at the Slim River for 15 years.
Rizal's family does all the cooking so we are assured of quality and consistency. All the usual traditional Malay dishes were on display and there is more.
Customers scoop their own food on to plates and pay at the cashier's counter. Prices are clearly displayed on a banner and they are reasonable.
Signature dishes include rendang duck. As with any rendang, it is not very photogenic - the pieces of duck are smothered in a blend of coconut milk, herbs and mildly hot spices. But, they were delicious. It's a dish not commonly found in other Malay restaurants - it's worth a try.
Another must try is their Gulai Salai - a beef jerky in curry. Again, not much to look at but it is quite addictive. The dried lean beef slices soften a bit from soaking in the sweet spicy coconut and spice concoction. The softened beef fibres took on the sweet spicy flavours of the mild curry which it releases along with a bit of underlying beefiness when we chewed on it.
Kerabu, the Malay garden salad. Not very pretty but this is literally a salad made out of whatever is in the family's garden dressed with spices and coconut milk. Sri Muallim's kerabu tastes wonderful, full of sweet, savoury and spicy flavours with plenty of juicy crunch from fresh herbs and vegetables.
Every dish has strong robust flavours but they are all well balanced, never overly spicy, salty or sweet, and still leave room for us to taste a bit of the meat's natural flavours.
Rizal's family hailing from Negri Sembilan is very proud of Sri Muallim's sambal chilli dips. There are several different blends for different dishes, all with their own taste profile, all well balanced, all appetisingly delicious, makes everything tastes better.
4-Star (out of 5). If you are traveling between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Rumah Makan Sri Muallim in Tanjung Malim is definitely a worthy stopover.
Acknowledgement: Thank you Tourism Malaysia for showcasing Rumah Makan Sri Muallim.
Restaurant name: Rumah Makan Sri Muallim
Address: Lot 4620, Jalan Slim Lama, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia (intersection of old trunk road Hwy 1 & Jalan Besar)
GPS: 3°41'26.2"N 101°31'25.2"E | 3.690617, 101.523672
Waze: "Rumah Makan Sri Muallim"
Tel: 012 5828 087 (Rizal)
Hours: 8:00am - 8:00pm
Halal
Date visited: 19 Jan 2018
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