Madam Kwong's Kitchen

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If you live in Box Hill or Balwyn, chances are you know Jean Kwong who is a professional chef with many years of experience and more importantly, the inspiration behind Madam Kwong's Kitchen, situated at 1025 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Victoria 3128.

Cooking is Kwong's passion as painting is Picasso's. She lives in a pretty cottage surrounded by a garden lined with a cornucopia of herbs, spices and plants. Her fragrant garden is filled with pandan and curry leaves, mint, sage, lemongrass, kaffir lime, lemon, lime, three different types of basil, four types of chilli and endless vegetal treasures.

She started cooking at home for friends and family. When her delightful Nyonya (Straits Chinese – a fusion of Chinese and Malay influences born in Penang and Malacca, Malaysia) cuisine was introduced to Melburnians some 20 years ago, many fell in love with her authenticity and flavour. Not surprising when she started getting orders from restaurants and Asian grocers who could not get enough of her Nasi Lemak, curry puff, and Nyonya Kuih (an array of sweet delicacies) comprising of Ondeh Ondeh, Rempah Udang, Pulut Tai Tai, Kuih Kochi, Kuih Bingka and many more. All these little treasure are beautifully illustrated on her website .



Those in the know were impatient for her to open a restaurant and they were not disappointed. When the doors of opened less than a year ago, a barrage of customers streamed in. Till today, the blast of clientele has only grown exponentially making the rather modest-size joint perpetually crowded with hungry people. To keep up with demand, the kitchen is full of experienced chefs who are also mothers and housewives who love to cook with endless outpour of skill and devotion, harnessed and commandeered by Kwong herself. Even so, the hands-on Kwong is never far away from a wok or oven.



Although Kwong declares her specials every Saturday, to me all her daily dishes are special and will fulfil any appetite or craving. Nasi Lemak, wrapped in banana leaves with fragrant coconut rice, sambal anchovies and crunchy peanuts is $4.50, while the version with chicken or beef rendang, hard-boiled egg and fresh cucumber is $10.50. Penang Hokkien Mee is yellow noodles immersed in a prawn stock so rich and sweet that one would not hesitate to drink the soup from the bowl. This authentic dish is served with large prawns and slices of pork. The signature Penang Assam Laksa is rice noodles in tamarind fish soup and garnished with home-grown fresh mint, onion, pineapple, lettuce and chilli, topped with the optional prawn paste. The noodles are smooth and the tamarind soup is enriched by the fish and sweetened by the prawn paste, making it an irresistible combination.





While this is all good, I could write a whole chapter on the Chee Cheong Fun, Penang style, not the Hong Kong ones which is easily found in many Chinese or Hong Kong restaurants. No, this rare gem, I strongly believe, can only be found at in all of Melbourne and made by the loving hands of Jean Kwong, the Nyonya cuisine maestro. And I dare say her Chee Cheong Fun is better than any in Penang, the actual birthplace of the dish. The rice noodles blend so well in flavour and texture with the slightly sweet and spicy sauce, topped with sesame seeds and fried shallots. A simple dish but a peak of delight and nostalgia for those from Penang.

Another memory from home, the Nyonya Lor Bak is, in essence, strips of tender pork fillets with carrots and onions, marinated in five spice powder, wrapped in bean curd skin. The sausage like creation is then lightly fried to give a crisp perfection on the outside and tender juicy meat on the inside. The Poh Piah is a lovely and healthy meal made from braised shredded yam beans, bean curd, prawns (optional) with a dash of chilli and hoi sin sauce. The whole ensemble is wrapped in spring roll skin, not fried but taken fresh. This will be a winner with both 'vege' and 'flexi'-tarians.

Kwong is also especially proud of her Bak Chang, glutinous rice dumpling wrapped and steamed in lotus leaves with pork, dried prawns, chestnut and salted egg yolk stuffed inside. A substantial meal by itself, this also comes in a vegetarian version where a variety of beans make up for the filling.



I could go on and on in a reverie about Madam Kwong's menu, especially when her Ipoh Hor Fun, Char Koay Teow, Chicken Rice, Curry Mee, Kiam Chai Boey, Beef Rendang and Pig Trotters in Vinegar are all top notch creations comparable, if not better, than many reputable Penang and Malaysian food restaurants. Where other bigger eateries are slightly mired by large franchises with a central kitchen; lack of human resource, special ingredients and kitchen forte, Madam Kwong the lady, creates her dishes with a high level of passion and personal touch. Her refusal to compromise or substitute any ingredient makes the ultimate name in Nyonya cuisine.


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