Killer Pokarri (Spicy Bakuteh)

stewed to perfection

It's been awhile since I did a food review, so here's one. And in case you're wondering, my weight-loss is just fine, thank you very much. :) Actually, Mae and I had this a couple of weeks back together with my sis and her hubby when we stayed at the Ascott.

Ba Kut Teh Liang Kee is a family-runned Bakuteh shop in downtown KL. You'll agree when you see them since the brothers that manage the place are carbon copies of each other. Anyway, aside from it's regular fare of Bakuteh, this shop's signature dish is its famous Pokarri.

If you don't know what a Pokkari is, don't be too hard on yourself. Not too many people are acquainted with this heavenly dish. However, the ones who have usually end up developing a lifelong affair with the dish. Some of these affairs are illicit, when grown men sneak out of the house to enjoy this sinful dish behind their wives backs. Yes, it's true. Many a good wife will disapprove of this delicious dish because prolonged exposure to Pokarri will definitely give you clogged arteries and cardiac arrest.

Pokarri is not unlike Bakuteh. It is a dish of braised pork ribs in herbal stew. However, while Bakuteh is tame and suitable for the whole family, Pokkari is ultra-hot and spicy. Stewed with dried chillis and garlic, Pokarri is the man-sized version of the sissy Bakuteh. At Liang Kee, you'll find choice cuts of Pork broiled in a thick, hot, brown stew. This shop serves the dish with its delicious Oil-Rice, which is white rice tossed in fried shallots. You can also order the standard side dishes you get with Bakuteh - the YauCharKuey, string mushrooms and TauFuPok.

Ba Kut Teh Liang Kee operates from 6pm to the wee hours of the morning. The place is a favourite of revellers and party animals who eat here after a night at the club. Situated right after Plaza Hotel and Wisma Cyclecarri on Jalan Raja Laut, this place has gotten its share of fame. One, the place serves up, a killer Pokarri. Two, the place once served a killer, Pokarri. Heh!

The notorious (and now expired) criminal of our time, Bentong Kali shot a man here. In fact it was the incident here at Liang Kee that sparked off a nationwide manhunt for the guy. So if you're a regular patron of Ba Kut Teh Liang Kee and wondered why the brothers look kinda stoned, now you know. The psychological effect of having some guy get shot in your shop is liable to take a toll on you.

Thankfully, however, it didn't diminish their skill at making one of the finest Pokarri on the planet.

Note: You can also find Pokkari at Mungo Jerry in SS2, PJ and that famous Bakuteh place along Jalan Kepong. But if you want the best, this is the place.