Kajang is honored to be the location of the first Rumah Makan Cibiuk franchise restaurant in Malaysia. Originally from the Cibiuk district in the Garut region of Java, the restaurant has expanded to over 40 franchise restaurants all over Indonesia. From their website, the story goes that the Malaysian entrepreneur who opened the restaurant in Kajang, first ate at Cibiuk's Bandung outlet during a shopping trip there and was so enamored by the food, inspiring the set-up of the franchise here in Malaysia.
Cibiuk has the tagline
"Rajanya Sambal" which can be translated as The King of Sambal or The Sambal is King (you decide). And the sambal literally takes center stage, placed on a pedestal in the middle of the restaurant, where you can help yourself to a variety of
sambal and fresh salad (
lalapan or
ulam). Be warned that some of the
sambal really pack a punch - think tongue numbing pungency and profuse sweating; you get the picture.
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| Varieties of sambal with some fresh salad |
Various rice sets are available for single diners, two or four persons. There are also a-la carte options which we have not explored yet. First up was the
Nasi Liwet Kastrol (for 2 persons). The menu really could do with a translation of the unfamiliar Indonesian terms in English or Malay as I had no idea what
Nasi Liwet or
Kastrol was when I first ordered this.
Nasi Liwet turned out to be rice cooked in chicken stock and coconut milk and topped with fried shallots,
cili padi (birds eye chilli) and some fresh basil leaves. It may be close cousin to our own
nasi lemak and the rice was tasty enough to be eaten on its own.
Kastrol is actually the pot in which the rice is served in.
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| The nasi liwet served in a kastrol |
The set came with fried chicken,
tempe, tauhu, salted fish
(although the
tempe was missing in our set), lalapan and more
sambal. The fried chicken is done perfectly in true Indonesian style, piping hot and crispy on the outside and moist and juicy inside. The chicken is not the broiler variety and has a nice texture and bite, possibly a
kampong (free range) variety. This was a great choice for us to begin your journey into Cibiuk's Sundanese cuisine and is highly recommended.
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| The nasi liwet set for 2 persons |
On another visit, we had the
Nasi Bakar Pulen Komplit set. The nasi bakar is actually cooked rice rolled in a banana leaf wrap and then grilled. The grilling imparts the aroma of the banana leaf into the rice. The rice was nice and tasty too, almost like the tasty
nasi liwet we had before. The grilled chicken had a nice caramelized outer skin, partly due to a sweetish sauce the chicken had apparently been dipped in. The
tempe, tauhoo and
lalapan made an appearance here too. This too is a good set which we highly recommend.
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| The nasi timbel ayam bakar set |
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Another rice set that we have tried is the
Nasi Timbel Komplit Lele Goreng. I was told that
nasi timbel means rice wrapped into a packet. And that was just what it was, plain white rice wrapped into a packet with banana leaf.
Lele goreng is the ubiquitous Indonesian favorite
ikan keli deep fried until crispy. Accompanied again by the
tempe, tauhoo and
lalapan. It was good but not particularly outstanding.
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| Nasi timbel komplit lele goreng |
If you like some soup to
accompany your meal, you could try the
Sop Buntut literally translated as Backside Soup. Don't worry though, it is actually a flavorful Oxtail Soup served with several thick slices of fried emping floating on the top. Good but not outstanding.
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| Sop Buntut |
A really good antidote after all the fiery sambals is the
Jus Alpukat which is Avocado Juice. This is dependent on the availability of avocado which I was told is shipped in regularly from Indonesia. Do check if it is available as the creamy avocado really soothes the burning tongue after the pungency of the sambal takes effect.
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| Jus Alpukat |
Prices are pretty reasonable and Teh-O is served
gratis (free). The new restaurant is open sided and is thus airy, cool and comfortable at dinner time. Low tables are available for those who prefer to sit on the floor (on a raised platform) for a more authentic
kampong feel.
Overall, this is one of our best finds for 2012 and I'm sure it's a place we will be returning to more often in 2013, especially to try their a-la carte menu.
Location : No 1G Kajang Putra, Jalan Putra 6, 43000 Kajang (it is located near the Sg Ramal Toll booth off the Silk Highway. Easiest way to get here is via the Silk Highway from Jalan Bukit, Jalan Reko or Sg Chua heading towards Putrajaya, exit just before the Sg Ramal Toll and the restaurant is just on the left side of the highway).
Contact : 012-4570061 / 012-3617348
Website :
http://cibiuk.my/
Facebook :
http://www.facebook.com/RumahMakanCibiukMalaysia
