Anggerik Kuring
August 2012
I’m perpetually in search of good sop buntut. Whenever I visit a new Indonesian restaurant in town, I always look for the dish that contains chunks of beef tails served in a vegetable and beef broth. My quest has yielded a fair share…
Full Description
August 2012
I’m perpetually in search of good sop buntut. Whenever I visit a new Indonesian restaurant in town, I always look for the dish that contains chunks of beef tails served in a vegetable and beef broth. My quest has yielded a fair share of hits and misses over the years, with nothing coming close to replicating the tenderness of the oxtail and tastiness of the soup at the famed Dahapati Restaurant in Bandung. Therefore, upon my first visit to the much-vaunted Anggerik Kuring at Bandar Puteri Puchong, I couldn’t help but order the oxtail soup. This five-year-old authentic Sundanese eatery, which is located above Hainan Tea Kopitiam, has gained quite a favourable reputation since word spread that it provides catering to the Indonesian embassy in KL.
Although the waitresses were helpful in offering me suggestions on where to find affordable Indonesian condiments around the city, the dishes took more than 15 minutes to arrive, which was lamentable considering the lunch crowd had yet to arrive. When the sop buntut did belatedly make an appearance at our table, it certainly looked the part. So it came as quite a surprise when the soup was disappointingly on the salty side; the balance just didn’t feel right. The oxtail didn’t fare any better either, as the few beef tail chunks were bony. My companion, though, had better luck with her nasi tumpeng mini, a variation of the traditional celebratory Indonesian delicacy. The fried chicken that came with the cone-shaped pile of rice was juicy and appetising, especially when paired with the sambal on the side that packed a punch without being overbearingly spicy.
The quaint and spacious Anggerik Kuring is also home to a wide array of other Indonesian culinary favourites, including gado-gado (boiled vegetable salad with peanut dressing), the signature ayam presto (soft-boned fried chicken) and ikan berdiri kerapu (deep fried standing fish). Perhaps it would be wise to try the restaurant’s other dishes if you do decide to pay them a visit, but until then, my search continues. Wong Boon Ken
