Anson Food Company @ Section 17, PJ

Eating out with my parents is difficult and often predictable. Difficult because they don’t want fried food, fatty meat or overly spicy dishes. Predictable because they eat at the same restaurants over and over again.

Anson’s Jiu Hu Char

In an attempt to break their dining cycle, I suggested dinner at Anson Food Company, Section 17. They were sceptical at first, but I assured them I would order accordingly. I even called Jenifer (the lovely owner) a few days in advance to order a steamed pomfret for them.

Anson is relatively new in the neighbourhood and it serves Nyonya-inspired food that is prepared from scratch (no MSG added). Both Jenifer and her chef are from Teluk Intan. The decor is sparse with only a hand-drawn painting on the grey wall. I like how unpretentious the place is; you can walk in clad in shorts and t-shirt and no one will judge.

Dinner started with the seafood wat tan hor (RM13 per plate). Hearty and flavourful from the seafood, I enjoyed this. My parents found it a tad salty but I reckon it’s because the food we eat at home is bland. The Anson Braised Duck (RM26) was tender and well-seasoned with a blend of herbs. This was delicious and had no gamey smell of taste, as the clever balance of herbs and flavours masked the gaminess (if any) well.

Hakka Pork Belly with Yam (RM26) is one of my dad’s favourite dishes and he would eat it often if my mum doesn’t control his diet. “The fat is nice. It melts in my mouth.” Those were uttered by my father, who dug into the dish until there was no pork belly left. He left all the yam slices for me to eat.

I was initially worried about what my mum would say about the jiu hu char. I was worried for nothing; she enjoyed it. Even rif’s mother who was here a few days ago liked it – she herself makes good jiu hu char and is also from Teluk Intan! I didn’t get to eat this, as my siblings pounced on this faster than a girl would on a pair of massively discounted heels.

My parents loved the Steamed Deep Sea Pompret (RM110 – depending on weight). The fish was fresh and light seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. This was expensive, but the fact that it pleased both my fussy parents made it worthwhile.

The sticky spare ribs (RM21) was also very tasty. I liked how the sauce wasn’t overly sweet or thick, which complemented the juicy ribs. rif however found his piece of rib too tough. Oh well…tough luck! =P

The Singapore Fried Mee Hoon (RM9) was my mum’s order, and she requested for it to be cooked with less salt. It was too bland for me, but she liked it that way. The acar that came with the mee hoon packed a wallop of flavours – peanut-y, spicy, sweet and tangy.

rif is very fussy when it comes to Nyonya chicken curry (RM19), because his mum cooks it almost every week at home. We both agreed that this was one of the better ones around; thick, spicy and fragrant from the lemongrass and spices.

“Mum, can I try the tau eu bak pleaaaassseeeee…..??” I said, while giving my mum the biggest puppy eye stare I could. It was Jenifer who offered to let us try her tau eu bak (RM26) and I’m certain my mum only agreed because Jenifer was there. Else, she would have said no. *sniggers*

I enjoyed every bite of the braised pork chunks in thick gravy while my mum tried to coax me to remove the fat. She ‘punished’ me with a plate of boiled kangkung for lunch the next day. For Anson’s tau eu bak, it was worth it.

The stir-fried vegetables in egg gravy (RM15) was ordered to balance out the meat dishes. Despite the addition of egg, the gravy was lightly flavoured and paired well with the crunchy vegetables.

Dinner with some complimentary mille crepe from Food Foundry, Jenifer’s other outlet. Thank you for accommodating us and my parent’s special food requests, Jenifer!

Vanilla Mille Crepe

Chocolate Mille Crepe

Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Anson emphasises on good food and not on how fancy a restaurant is. I’ll definitely come back for more home-cooked delights.

619, Jalan 17/10
46400, Petaling Jaya
03- 7955 2336
Business hours :
Tues-Sunday, 12-3pm / 6-10pm.
Closed on Mondays
GPS Coordinates: N 3 07.335 E 101 38.136