Authentic Malaysian Food in Korea, Little Asia Kitchen Daegu #리틀아시아키친 #대구
Photo credit: Little Asia Kitchen Daegu's InstagramNever would I have imagined I will crave Malaysian food so soon, after staying for only 6 months in Korea. And even so, never would I have imagined I would be able to find LEGIT LEGIT Malaysian food 4,493km away from home. I have heard about this place so many times, and I finally had the chance to try it for myself (thanks to the generosity of my sister). The restaurant is located in Daegu city and I heard that it is not the easiest place to get to, and thank god for the very advanced delivery system here in Korea, I was able to enjoy the food without physically traveling all the way to Daegu. The restaurant is called 리틀 아시아 키친 Little Asia Kitchen, they serve authentic Singaporean and Malaysian food. And according to their bio, their main chef has spent 15 years working in a 5-star hotel in Singapore.
Little Asia Kitchen serves many local favourite dishes such as Nasi Lemak, Satay, Bak Kut Teh, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Char Siew, Chilli Prawn, and a lot more. I did not get to try everything on the menu yet but I will get there one day. Below are my personal review of the dishes.
- A standing ovation from me. Easily one of the best tasting Nasi Lemak that I have ever had. The portion of the whole dish was very generous. Coconut milk rice was super fragrant and rice was neither too dry nor wet. Roasted peanuts and fried anchovies were crunchy as it is. The most important aspect of a Nasi Lemak dish, the sambal was perfection. The right balance between spiciness and sweetness. The only criticism from me for this dish would be that, a little more sambal could be provided, given the huge portion of rice.
+ Ayam Goreng (Fried Chicken) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Another standing ovation from me. A literal food orgasm. The chicken was very well-spiced, not overly oily yet super juicy (even the white meat!). I seriously could not get enough of this dish and p/s: everyone is welcome to bribe me with this for anything. (I can still taste this amazing fried chicken even while writing this blog)
+ Acar 300g 7,500KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- I have always loved the spicy-sour combination on food and this Nyonya Acar did not disappoint at all. The vegetables tasted fresh and crunchy, and of course, the star of this dish was definitely the peanut sauce. Again, very well spiced. Best served chilled. I could and would just nibble on this alone while I Netflix.
2. Hainanese Chicken Rice with Chili Sauce & Ginger Paste (Half Chicken) 12,000KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
+ Oil Rice 2,000KRW
- It is rare as Chicken Rice has never had been my first choice in food even when I was in Malaysia, but this one from Little Asia Kitchen is another standing ovation from me. The chicken was very juicy and conveniently cut into bite-size pieces. The dish came with a packet of soy sauce to be poured all over the chicken. Apart from the chicken, the co-stars of this dish were definitely the chili sauce and the ginger paste. They provided 2 packets each but still, I could not get enough of it! Also, it is a must to have oil rice to go with the chicken. The rice was well cooked, fluffy and flavourful on its own. Aandd prepared to end up with a serious anti-date garlic breath after this awesome meal (which I do not mind at all).
3. Wanton Noodle (Dry version) 3,000KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Egg noodles are not the easiest type of noodles to find in a normal Korean grocery mart. I do miss freshly made egg wonton noodles that we can find in every hawker stall in Malaysia. The dark sauce tasted exactly like back at home but I felt like they were a little heavy-handed with the pepper. I prefer noodles with a more bouncy texture but I guessed we overcooked it because it was too soft for my liking.
+ Char Siew (BBQ Pork) 15,000KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- It is not easy to find a good Char Siew here in Korea. This was nicely cooked and well-spiced. One criticism though, the pork cut was not fatty enough.
4. Sweet & Sour Pork 15,000KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- (Top left) Again, one taste of this brought me straight to a Chinese Restaurant/ 大炒 place back home. The presentation and taste were exactly like how I remembered. However, I wished the pork has a crispier exterior as the one I had was a little soggy. But the texture could be affected by the whole freeze and thaw process.
5. Char Siew Bao (BBQ Pork Bun) 6pcs 13,500KRW ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The buns were huge and the Char Siew filling has the right amount of sweetness. A good filling to bun ratio. I do wish the buns were a little fluffier but all and all, the best Char Siew Bao in Korea for sure.
For those of you who would like to give this a try but living outside of Daegu, fret not, Little Asia Kitchen can deliver it to your doorstep with a delivery fee of 7,000KRW. The price may look a little steep for a delivery fee but they are very cautious with packaging. Every component of the dishes is clearly labeled and with clear cooking/ heating instructions. See below for a full Meal Kit menu with prices.
p/s: There have been some changes in the prices of some of the items, effective February 2022.
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