Bandar Puteri Puchong houses hundreds of eateries in its maze-like neighbourhood but none is as unique as BibiWok. Opened some 8 years ago, BibiWok is considered one of the “pioneer” pork-free restaurants in this thriving sprawling township. One of the main reasons for BibiWok’s staying power in the challenging F&B scene is due to the passion of its owner-cum-chef, Richie Yeo. The gregarious yet humble Richie always maintains “I’m just a cook” and it is precisely this warm humility and love of cooking that has kept BibiWok in the F&B radar all these years.
Having picked up the love of cooking from his nyonya aunt and grandmother, Richie loves his spices and drew inspiration from his family’s secret recipes. That, together with his love for Thai food, which is similar yet so different from nyonya food, inspired him to offer both cuisines in his restaurant. So, in a nutshell, you get the best of two cuisines under one roof at BibiWok.
Touches of Peranakan influences are evident in the restaurant. From the traditional Peranakan lanterns hanging at the main door to the lovely nyonya baskets and intricately carved wooden pieces (mostly from Melaka) the warm tones of the restaurant are immediately welcoming.
When you open the menu at BibiWok, you would need some time to go through the endless number of delicious-sounding and looking dishes and then to make your selection. It is also very easy to over-order and over-indulge when one is dining in BibiWok, trust me. On my first visit there, the two of us had 7 main dishes and 3 desserts. Oh, that’s not completely true because we had Ritchie (thank goodness!) joining us to share some of the guilt.
The Thai BBQ Boneless Wings (RM16 for 6pcs) already looked good even before we dug into those skewers. I love chicken wings and having them boneless and scrumptiously marinated was a super bonus. I didn’t need the dipping sauce actually (although it was pretty kickass) – the wings were so good on their own already.
Then the rice-drawing dishes came and our table almost groaned in protest at the relentless speed they were served. Each dish looked more spectacular than the one before it – we really had a hard time *wink*
I love their Pucuk Paku Belacan (RM13) as only tender shoots were used and I didn’t have to deal with fibrous stems. The sambal belacan in this dish had a nice balance of gentle heat tossed with the crunchy fern fronds.
Seafood Tomyum (RM24) here hit all the right spots with just the right level of “umami-ness” balanced with the spicy and tangy nuances. To me, tomyum is always the “test” for any Thai restaurant and this one here at BibiWok definitely passed.
More heat and spiciness came in the form of Thai Kerabu Squids (RM18) with an abundance of chopped chilli padi tossed into the salad. The boiled squids were fresh and bouncy – good fodder for the doses of chilli, lime juice, lemongrass and shallots. This dish is guaranteed to perk up your tongue and stomach, really – some may find it too explosive, so do inform them to go easy on the chilli padi.
It’s a good thing their Buah Keluak Chicken (RM22) and Dry Paprik Curry Duck (RM23) were more “lemak” than fiery. Ritchie explained how his assistants painstakingly dig out the nutty content of the buah keluak and mix it with some prawn paste before stuffing it back into the buah keluak just to add on a unique and tasty twist to this Peranakan favourite. The prawn paste also tones down the “special” taste of buah keluak, which some swear is an acquired taste.
The Dry Paprik Curry Duck was served with a generous portion of crunchy long beans and cooked in a thick rich creamy sauce redolent with Thai spices. I could eat this alone with just plain rice and ask for more. The roast duck pieces still maintained their smokey gamey flavours in this delectable dish.
Then came the piece de resistance – Nyonya Chilli-Garam Fried Fish (RM40 upwards depending on choice of fish: garoupa, senangin, siakap, snapper). It’s impossible to resist, so don’t even try. Just get more rice onto your plate and top up with this super-aromatic fried fish and indulge. The mixed chilli topping was absolutely addictive and so was the flaky sweet garoupa. Definitely a must-order item in BibiWok.
Of the 3 desserts we tried, Cendol Gula Melaka (RM4.90), Nyonya Tapioca Kuih RM9) and Steamed Banana Gula Melaka (RM7), my favourite was the steamed bananas. The steaming process had actually enhanced the natural fragrance of the bananas and it was heavenly pairing these with gula melaka and fresh creamy coconut milk.
We only tried a small fraction of the dishes available in BibiWok, so a revisit is definitely on the cards!
BibiWok Nyonya Thai Cuisine
16 Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1
Bandar Puteri Puchong
47100 Puchong
Tel: 03-8068-6284
Open:
11.00am-4.00pm & 5.30pm-11.00pm
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