WE came by Jo’Tesha Northern Colours in the afternoon and just managed to grab a bowl of Penang asam laksa and nasi lemak with belacan fried chicken.

It was certainly not a good idea to visit this cafe in Ara Damansara this late in the day. The cafe, which opens at 8am, had run out of Penang white curry mee but we did get the last slice of the much-talked about yam cake.

I thought the asam laksa had the right Nyonya nuances of hot and sour tempered with sweet prawn paste.

The fragrances of bunga kantan, lemongrass and daun kesom were evident, the soup had visible bits of fish, and there were sweet bursts of chunky pineapple in each mouthful.

The rice in the nasi lemak with belacan fried chicken had a coconut aroma but it could do with a little salt.

What stood out more than the fried chicken was the fiery sambal and of course there were fried peanuts and ikan bilis, and some acar.

The yam cake had grown little dry, which affected its texture, but it had a generous topping of fried shallots, fried dried shrimps, spring onion and chilli, and you could taste the small chunks of yam.

I had the best cham, which had with the right balance of black coffee, tea and milk with the bitterness of the beans coming through.

A second visit to Jo’Tesha had me ordering the Penang white curry mee, asam laksa (again!), nasi kunyit with curry chicken and pai tee. The last was scrumptious and five of these delicate, crispy pastry top hats filled with shredded bangkuang were simply not enough to share.

I loved the thin shells that crumbled at the bite and the tasty bangkuang filling with the toasted cuttlefish and drizzle of chilli sauce.

I was bowled over by the brilliant yellow nasi kunyit done well, marvellously paired with a superb curry chicken.

The curry had oomph: it was rich with coconut milk and aromatic with herbs and spices. Even the potatoes had soaked up all the flavours of the curry.

The Penang white curry mee came up tops too, the curry turning a nice red when the sambal was stirred in.

There were fresh squid, prawn and long beans in the flavourful curry which also had crispy fuchuk added last.

Dessert was bubur cha cha for us but there was a range of Nyonya kuih for the picking at the counter.

Though the bubur cha cha had just purple and orange sweet potatoes and yam, it had a lovely aroma of lightly cooked fresh santan, a pandan flavour and a nice balance of sweet with salty.

We met Joey Low, the owner of Jo’Tesha, which name is a combination of hers and her rescue dog Tesha.

She still continues to rescue strays. If you would like to support her effort, visit Facebook@Tesha88 or Instagram@jotesha_n_frens.

Jo’Tesha Northern Colours is pork-free. It is open daily except Monday, at 61 Jalan PJU 1A/42A, Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Call 016 453 9434, for enquiries. – April 15, 2023.

* 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.