Meet a Malaysian anytime and the topic’s always on one thing: Food. “You have to try this restaurant!” seems like a common conversation opener everytime
In an increasingly urbanized town like my town, Subang Jaya, finding authentic local Malaysian flavours proved to be a hefty task. Picky residents who were born in other areas will find “Ipoh Chicken Rice” or “Penang Asam Laksa” that were manufactured by hawkers in this town less than satisfying as the ones made from home.
But urbanization has also made some restaurateurs creative to fit the palate of the Subang Jaya residents. Thus it was a surprise to find The Hungry Hog, a restaurant that serves only pork dishes, beneath the labyrinth of SS15.
Pork-exclusive restaurants are rare in a country like Malaysia, as the majority populations are Muslims. Even though I lived here as a non-Muslim, it felt a little surreal entering the quaint, minimalistic restaurant.
The restaurant was lightly decorated with sturdy white shelves, counter, and some framed quotes about pork and the love for pork. (“Lardcore”, anyone?) The menu only serves a few selections of pork dishes, but my friend, who has eaten here many times, told me he guarantees I’ll enjoy the selections.
The menu presented a collection of fusion of Western and Oriental dishes. You can choose to first munch into crunchy Keroporks, the crunchy, crispy fried pork skin, best eaten when dipped with vinegar. The vinegar brought out a certain musky taste out of the Keroporks, but it’s certainly a very delightful kick to it.
Or, you can always try something Oriental and sink your teeth on “siew yoke” or in its English equivalent, Roast Pork. Two slabs of it and it’s ascension into fatty heaven. Try dipping it with Hungry Hog’s homemade chilli and it’s guaranteed that you’ll need more than one gulps of water, so proceed with caution!
Now, moving on to the main dishes, I’ve ordered a plate of spaghetti aglio olio with bacon, while my friends go for their specialty pork burgers: Three Little Pigs and iPork. I begin to sense regret as my dish turned out tasting just like any other pastas I’ve tried before, with the exception of leaving an oilier residue at the corner of my lips no thanks to the mixture of olive oil and bacon. Nonetheless, a must try for pasta lovers out there!
Three Little Pigs, like its namesake, is abundant with porky delights, with bacon, ham and pork patty piling on top of one another, with caramelized onions and melted cheese. It was a mouthful even as we tried very hard to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Three Little Pigs is a very filling starter meal for those who are first-timers in restaurant.
When I first heard about the iPork, my mind straightaway says “Okay, there’s definitely something that has to do with an apple ingredient”, and true enough, it does. The Pork burger was drenched with apple cinnamon sauce and crunchy apple mayonnaise, which brings out a certain mixture of sweet and savoury taste to the burger. I find it very appetizing for a change, even if the idea of having apple sauce on my burger left me hesitating at first.
Dessert was simple yet heavenly. It’s ice cream, but of course, ice cream with a slight twist. The vanilla ice cream was decorated with candied bacon bits and honey. The ice-cream itself was a refreshing change to the usual desserts you try outside. Also, the bacon bits were rather chewy, which allows you to exercise your jaw for satisfying the sweet tooth in you perhaps!
All in all, the little sneak peek of the range of food they have to offer left me wanting more, and I’m still waiting for another lover of pork to stop by my town to sample a little bit of Subang Jaya before they set their sights on other restaurants.
Do let me know if you’re stopping by, I’m always happy to show a little bit of Malaysian hospitality to my friends, local or abroad!
Address:
71, Jalan SS15/4C, 47500 Subang Jaya
Email: thehungryhog@gmail.com
Hours:
Lunch: 12pm – 2:30pm
Dinner: 6pm – 10pm
Closed on Mondays
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