MY friend was thrilled to encounter sotong hitam at Luth by Tumis, in Kuala Lumpur. This Johor dish was genuine stuff, with no dark sauce to disguise the squid ink that is used in the cooking. The sauce, laden with onions and chillies and yielding hints of ginger and lemongrass, even daun salam, grows on you. The squid was perfectly cooked, remaining tender and not chewy.

Nasi lemak raja was the special of the day when we went. Coloured with turmeric, the rice was rich with coconut milk and served with fried chicken, omelette, sambal, ikan bilis and peanuts. We asked for this deliciously fluffy and crispy omelette to replace the usual fried egg on top of the rice. The omelette opened up to lots of onions and some capsicum in the moist centre. The fried chicken was scrumptious, with flavourful crispy skin and edges, and a good bite. It sure beats that fried chicken at that nasi lemak place in Damansara Uptown that everyone is raving about. I wished though for better quality, not hard ikan bilis.

Nasi daging maut is a signature dish in Luth by Tumis, so we asked if we could have this “dead meat” (literally translated) without the rice. We had this chunk of dark glistening and tender beef that tasted hot and sweet. It certainly came alive on my palate. I liked it. And of course we should have had rice to go with that devilish gravy.

Mee bandung was recommended to us. It did not disappoint with its thick broth with deep, spicy flavours that embraced the noodles. I expected sweetness but there was just a mere hint. There were chicken, tomato, chilli and carrot in the broth.

In between we nibbled on a plate of fried tauhu, tempe and paru with a thick, spicy kicap manis dip. This was so addictive and if like me, you have never liked paru (lung) before, you will change your mind. This was so well fried and crispy. and the dip did it for me too. 

How would you like your mango salad turned into a pasta dish? This was exactly what happened in the Mango Tango. Fresh mango strips, lime juice, chopped bunga kantan, chilli flakes, cili padi, ikan bilis and crushed peanuts were all tossed together with spaghetti. It didn’t work at all. This was our least favourite dish at Luth.

Perhaps we should have gone for the less risky pasta choice – “Mak Kau Hijau” with prawns, mussel, green spicy sauce, basil, mushrooms, chilli and onions.

We thought the milky and creamy butter chicken could do with a lift from some fragrant herbs. It was also a little too salty.

My palate reawakened again with the cikodok pisang, served with ice cream. The fried banana balls were seriously good, the best I have ever had. They were all banana with very little flour. They were crispy on the outside with a soft centre inside.

The prices range from RM18 for the rice dishes nasi sotong hitam and nasi daging maut, while the Mango Tango costs RM20, cikodok RM12, mee bandung RM15, and fried tauhu, tempe and paru RM12.

Luth By Tumis is at 129, Jalan Aminuddin Baki, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur. The number to call is 03-7733 2326. It is open from 9am to 9pm and is closed on Friday. – March 15, 2019. 

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.