SEMENYIH, Feb 15 — The name of the restaurant might refer to its location on the second floor of a neighbourhood mall, around a hidden corner. Or it could be the proprietor’s hope to remain below the radar, from throngs of food influencers.
One can only guess at the reason behind the name Anonymous Restaurant, but this Chinese restaurant in Setia Ecohill, Semenyih deserves to draw customers from all over the Klang Valley and beyond.
Don’t get me wrong; there are no fusion dishes or one-hit viral wonders. Instead, what you have are plenty of home-style Chinese dishes executed with care and craft.
Take the restaurant’s Signature Braised Pork Rice. This is a humble person’s meal; the sunny side up atop the plate of steamed white rice is an easy way to bulk up the protein content of the dish.
But it really doesn’t require it. The coarsely sliced pieces of pork belly that have been braised slowly will perk up even the weariest appetites.
Savoury, meaty with morsels of tender fat full of flavour, this dish manages to be both unpretentious and indulgent at the same time.
The interior of the restaurant. — Picture by CK Lim
This sense of contrasts is perfectly set up by the restaurant’s ambience, something you’d notice when you first enter.
The interior of the restaurant is simple and sunlit. Cosy but not cluttered, with diner-style tables (that evoke the ambience of a sleeker cha chaan teng) against one wall and more traditional round tables across the floorspace.
Long horizontal Chinese paintings are hung high, leading towards the rear of the restaurant where a well-supplied bar is located. Random leafy vines drape the rafters of the exposed ceiling.
The décor is, in a single word, eclectic. Eclectic but comforting, like a favourite restaurant in your hometown you never knew existed.
Ginseng Root Baby Chrysanthemum Cooling Tea. — Picture by CK Lim
You might be surprised, as we were, by the extensive menu. Take your time to peruse it, or ask for recommendations, as we did.
Given the sweltering weather, we began with some iced liong cha (herbal tea). The Ginseng Root Baby Chrysanthemum Cooling Tea promised immediate relief from the heat, alongside some welcome health benefits.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the ginseng root is believed to help lower blood sugar and reduce inflammation whilst the delicate baby chrysanthemums — young buds harvested right before they blossom — is supposed to help cool the liver.
The chilled herbal tea is lightly sweet with a subtle fragrance; not sure about our livers but we, as a whole, do feel much cooler so it’s already a winner.
Cordyceps Chicken Soup. — Picture by CK Lim
Anonymous Restaurant also has a varied Chinese double boiled soup menu, running the gamut from familiar favourites such as their Ginseng Root Chicken Soup and Lotus Root Soup with Peanuts to the less common Coconut Chicken Soup and Ficus Hirta with Silky Fowl Soup.
We decided to share a bowl of their Cordyceps Chicken Soup. Cordyceps is a powerful ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine; it contains polyphenols which can increase antioxidant levels in our bodies and help fight cell damage.
The chicken soup is dark and heady, deep in flavour after being simmered for hours. The herbal taste is soothing rather than off-putting, and we agreed we did feel less fatigued after a few sips.
We are nourished by the soup’s simple goodness.
Black Vinegar Pork Trotters. — Picture by CK Lim
For our mains, one of us had the aforementioned Braised Pork Rice, of course. The other had another recommended dish, the restaurant’s home style Black Vinegar Pork Trotters.
Served in a black claypot, the home cooked pork trotters are soft to the bite, rich in collagen and oh so appetising thanks to the acidity of the black vinegar. There is a touch of sweetness thanks to a judicious use of brown sugar.
Be it the braised pork or the black vinegar pork trotters, both dishes call for a second bowl of steamed white rice in order to soak up all the rich, molasses-dark gravy.
Make sure to leave some space for dessert. Any reputable Chinese restaurant ought to have a decent sweet menu.
Red Bean Pancake with Sesame Seeds. — Picture by CK Lim
We are impressed by their not-too-sweet Red Bean Pancake with Sesame Seeds. These crispy, wafer-thin pancakes shatter exquisitely with every bite to reveal the finely mashed adzuki beans within. Lovely.
Anonymous Restaurant might have an unusual name, one might call it an eclectic branding decision, but the food they served was heavenly and homey, comforting like the nostalgic flavours of your hometown.
Anonymous Restaurant 匿名餐厅
F-01-L2, Block F,
Pusat Komersial Dataran Ecohill,
Jalan Ecohill ½, Setia Ecohill,
Semenyih, Selangor
Open daily 8:30am-6pm
Phone: 016-626 9739
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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