Pondhy Port Restaurant and Cafe, which opened its doors in April this year, is owned by husband-and-wife team Kevan Raj Manokaran, 34, and Kamalavaashnee Pandiyarajan, 31.
Located in Taman Klang Jaya, the eatery is cosy and tastefully decorated, and one can’t help but feel at home upon entering.
“We named the establishment after Pondicherry, a city in India, where my grandparents came from,” Kevan told FMT, adding that he even uses the recipes of his grandmother and mother.
For breakfast, which is served till noon, customers can enjoy a variety of traditional Indian breakfast staples such as poori, thosai, and roti canai.
“For lunch, we have approximately 25 dishes that customers can enjoy with their rice, and we rotate these dishes daily,” Kevan explained, adding that no MSG or preservatives are used in their cooking.
There is also vegetarian biryani every Friday, chicken biryani (Saturday) and mutton biryani (Sunday).
In addition to catering services, a function hall above the restaurant that can seat approximately 50 people, is available for rent.
“We hope that our customers will feel at home at our establishment and leave feeling happy after enjoying good food that reminds them of their mother or grandmother’s cooking,” shared Kamalavaashnee with a smile.
Tasting notes
The fish of the day, a barramundi marinated with cumin powder and fennel powder, was delightfully tender on the inside and perfectly complemented by its crispy exterior. A squeeze of lime enhanced the flavours even more, making this simple dish rather exquisite.
The chicken chilli varuval meanwhile was delicious, its tender chunks of meat coated with a thick, spice-laden gravy bursting with flavour. Despite its name and rather “fiery” appearance, the dish had just the right balance of spice that went easy on the tongue.
Alternatively, give the chicken peratal a go! Moist and juicy, the dish is perfect with rice and rasam. Dig in and it will be worth getting your hands messy for!
If you love mutton, try their mutton masala. The meat is soft and cooked with a variety of spices like star anise and cloves that give it a pleasing and rather unforgettable aroma. Absolutely delicious!
If you’re feeling especially ravenous, serve up some egg sambal. Here, the sambal is piquant, and the combination of rice, meat, and egg is hearty and comforting.
The vegetables of the day include cabbage and pumpkin, with the latter being a delicious dish from Kevan’s grandmother.
The pumpkin was sweet yet savoury and tasty after soaking up the spices it was cooked in. Beware as one serving may not be enough!
Alternatively, tuck into the fried French beans and cauliflower. These were dipped in batter, then deep-fried with curry leaves, making them crispy and tasty enough to be enjoyed on their own.
Of note is the coconut mint chutney, a refreshing condiment that is a great way to balance the heavier dishes.
To wash down all this good food, the masala tea with fresh cow’s milk is a good choice as is the iced spiced buttermilk known as “mooru” – a delicious way to cool down on a hot day!
End the meal on a sweet note with some creamy milk payasam, a popular Indian dessert. The eatery serves a variety of payasam daily such as with moong lentils or green bananas.
Ready to feast? Head over to Pondhy Port Restaurant and Cafe or check them out on Facebook and Instagram.
Pondhy Port Restaurant and Cafe
No 4, Jalan Selampit 21
Taman Klang Jaya
41200 Klang
Selangor
Contact number: 019-256 9566
Business hours: 7.30am to 4.00pm (closed on Monday)