HEARTY and comforting, each spoonful of the Taiping Herbal Seafood Porridge (RM23.80) turns up fish, black mussels, clams, squid and prawns.

Ordered as a takeaway from Meatology in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, this dish boasts a broth fragrant with herbs and spices, making it an immunity booster during the Covid-19 movement-control order (MCO), according to chef-owner Yenni Law.

Law, who hails from Taiping, prepares the Perak town’s famous porridge according to her mother’s recipe.

I caught a whiff of dong quai, which has been ground into a powder with cloves, star anise and cinnamon. A pinch goes a long way, adding so much flavour.

The porridge has a great texture; the rice grains stay intact in the sweet, runny stock. It’s made complete with strips of fresh ginger.

Intrigued by the name, I also ordered the Nasi Lemak Sedap Gila Barbie (RM17.80). A mound of fragrant coconut rice, tinged blue using butterfly pea flower, comes with a very spicy wild boar curry – the Sedap Gila Barbie – and the traditional nasi lemak accoutrements of sambal ikan bilis, a hard-boiled egg and peanuts.

The meat is marinated in yogurt and a house-made curry paste, and simmered for four hours till fork-tender.

These two dishes were specially created for Meatology’s takeaway and delivery menu during the MCO. If your palate leans towards finer flavours, some of the restaurant’s signature offerings are available as well, among them the Award-Winning Duck Breast, Rump Wagyu, Meatology Ribs, Spaghetti Ginger Bud Pesto with Scallops and Prawns, 15-Year Pork, Barbie Hutan Curry and Crackling Siew Yuk.

The Award-Winning Duck Breast has the meat brined with herbs and spices added over three days before it is smoked with apple wood chips and vacuum-packed. After an order is placed, it is seared, then oven-baked.

A sauce of lemon, orange and passion fruit complements the juicy duck.

The Rump Wagyu, with a marbling score of six, is pan-seared with sea salt, cracked pepper, rosemary and garlic cloves, and finished off in the oven. A pumpkin mash and sautéed mushrooms accompany the succulent meat.

“It’s a secondary cut that we get from the supplier at a very good price, and we pass it on to our customers at just RM98.80,” said Law.

The Meatology Ribs (RM48.80) are pork ribs coated in a house-made BBQ sauce. They are slow-baked in the oven before being roasted at high heat to caramelised perfection.

This comes with pumpkin mash and sautéed vegetables.

My next takeaway lunch will be the Spaghetti Ginger Bud Pesto with Scallops and Prawns (RM36.80). Forgoing the traditional green pesto made of basil, Law has created a sauce with bunga kantan, cashew nuts and a sprinkling of chilli flakes.

“Every mouthful is refreshing. You don’t feel stuffed like with other kinds of pasta,” she said.

Then, there’s the Crackling Siew Yuk (RM98 per kg), which I’ve enjoyed at the restaurant pre-MCO. The skin is scrumptiously crunchy, and the meat light and luscious.

This lovely roast pork must be ordered three days in advance.

The 15-Year Pork is so named because it has been on the menu for that long, since Meatology first opened its doors. The meat is roasted till caramelised, and stir-fried with cili padi, garlic cloves and bacon. Crispy pork crackling is added last.

It’s no wonder why this has been so popular for so long.

Takeaways and deliveries are available from 10am to 7pm daily except Tuesdays until the restriction order ends on April 14. Delivery within 7km is free for orders above RM30. For takeaways, there is a 10% discount if you bring your own containers.

To order, call 011-1603-3558 or visit here.

Meatology is located at 16, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14 in TTDI, Kuala Lumpur. – April 4, 2020.

* 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.