Appa marks a labour of love for Penang-born proprietor-chef Carolyn, paying tribute to her grandmother who once ran a food stall on the island. These are the homegrown recipes handed down in their family - bak kut teh with various cuts of pork, slowly simmered with aromatic Chinese herbs, served with onion rice and yu cha koi (RM18), blue-tinged nasi lemak with babi bakar, boiled egg and sambal (RM18; the babi bakar had run out when we visited, so we substituted it with wild boar masala) and dim sum fare like steamed pork dumplings spiked with salted egg (RM6), warmly served with heart and hospitality.
Trivia: Appa is a reference to the Malay phrase 'apa-apa' (whatever), the playful response that Carolyn (a former tax consultant-turned-restaurateur) would make whenever her grandmother asked her what she'd like to eat for their next meal.
Appa Bar & Bistro
8B, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Currently open Tues-Sun, 4pm till late (will launch lunch service soon). Tel: 016-557-9062