by KL Lifestyle "Feature/Dining June 2019",
June, 2019
By Sara Yeoh
Dining in Naughty Babe Dirty Duck reminded me of the feasts I would have during my days in Europe – hearty, carnivorous mains, some alcohol (of course), and overall, a good time. Having been around town for five years, NBDD is a staple for locals to hunt down European pork dishes. And it is no wonder that the restaurant could capture some essence of casual European dining, as the owners love to travel and bring home influences from all across that region.
SMALL PLATES
What could be more exciting than choosing your tapas? Each of their selection of tapas is good to pair with wine, and you can find Spanish tapas staples such as Jamón Serrano and garlic shrimp. A personal favourite was the Garlic Chilli Pork Belly that was perfectly garlicky and spicy. Another highlight was the Smoky Octopus, which was a quite a sight when it arrived, as smoke escaped the dish when the glass lid was uncovered to reveal a big, juicy tentacle.
CARNIVOROUS MAINS
With an extensive menu filled with pork dishes, you’d trust that NBDD knows their pork. NBDD insists on cooking theirs to medium or medium-rare, which is how people should only enjoy pork. Medium pork is not only safe, contrary to popular opinion, but makes the meat incredibly juicy, tender, and rich too. This is exactly how the Pork Tomahawk tastes like – chunky, succulent meat that brings a whole new level of sensation, aroma and taste to your mouth. It is also worth noting that they use only Sakura pork for this dish. You’d know that a dish is really good when the owners are willing to name the restaurant after it. Their signature Dirty Duck is immersed in hot lard every night and then fried to crispiness, resulting in the most flavourful duck confit. The dish is complete with a breadcrumb-coated fried duck egg, which is seductively runny when you cut open the yolk. We think it is poultry perfection!
PIGGING PORTIONS
What doubles the joy of these dishes is the fact that the portions are made for sharing. The tempting NBDD BBQ Pork Ribs is lacquered to glossiness with a sweet, homemade barbeque sauce and then grilled. Malaysians with a penchant for spiciness would love to take the pork ribs with their aptly named Hot Stuff chilli dipping sauce. But for those who can’t take the heat, you are good to go with their tomato salsa, or just savour it on its own with a dash of lime. A full slab would be sufficient for four, but it is so good you might want to have all to yourself – we won’t judge!
Their Oven Roasted Iberico Spare Ribs are a crisp and savoury contrast to the NBDD BBQ Pork Ribs. This dish is flavour orgasm indeed, thanks to the use of Iberico meat for its quality fats and nutty aftertaste, and the marinating in the house’s special blend of aromatic herbs. The tangy pineapple and rocket salad that comes with it is a refreshing forkful in between meaty bites.
Pork knuckle lovers have to try the Babe’s Ham Knuckle, or “Berliner Eisbein”, a Berlin specialty NBDD brings to their tables. It is prepared traditionally – curing the meat in salt brine for days, and then lightly boiled to tenderness. It is topped with bacon bits, and complete with a side of mashed potatoes and tomatoes, and sauerkraut. Each bite is gluttonously indulgent. We have NBDD to thank for the instantaneous transportation to Germany.
NBDD is definitely a haven for meat eaters and pork lovers, as it can be a challenge to hunt down pork dishes in a Muslim-dominated country such as Malaysia. So, come here to release your porky inhibitions, and get ready to pig out!
Address: 42, Jalan 25/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +6 03-6211 9966