De.Wan 1958

Darting in and out of the kitchen and popping round tables to greet familiar faces, sexagenarian Datuk Chef Wan could fool anyone about his age, but isn’t embarrassed to bare it; his restaurant’s very name states his birthyear. Sprightly of step and seasoned of palate, the celebrity chef lends traditional Malay cuisine a modern slant without stepping on purists’ toes. Take, for instance, the vibrant pucuk paku; fiddlehead ferns are enlivened by torch ginger, fleshy cockles and a mouth-puckering kerabu sauce. Similarly, the mixed satay sees better cuts of meat than at your usual ‘gerai,’ but still comes with the traditional accompaniments. As far as mains go, we prefer this to that: the stodgy Kambing Kuzi to the golden-hued Gulai Udang Lemak and the slow-cooked Daging Rendang to the charcoal grilled Ikan Siakap Bakar. Libations are non-alcoholic but plenteous, ranging from Kaffir Lime Passion Cooler to Rose Bandung.

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Offering bang for your buck, De.Wan’s Family Set Menus include fish served in an asam pedas broth or grilled whole.