Authentic Melaka claypot asam pedas from S$9

Although I’m not a huge fan of fish-related dishes, I love asam pedas (a sour and spicy fish stew dish). And for some reason, dishes in claypot always taste so much better. That’s probably why when I heard of Warisan Kampung, I knew I had to make my way down! 

A quick chat with the owners, a husband and wife duo, revealed that they’ve only been around for a year and the original asam pedas recipe was handed down by the husband’s late grandmother. Immediately I felt a surge of excitement. I believe anything that’s based on an age-old recipe is bound to be exceptional. 

After the pandemic hit, the couple, with no experience in running a food business, decided to throw caution to the wind (and their savings to the stall) to open a stall solely focussed on authentic cuisines. Well, a couple who cooks together, stays together right?

It’s also advisable to pre-order your dish the day before as only a limited amount of claypots are sold in a day due to the number of fresh ingredients. So much so, when I arrived at 4pm, they were already sold out for the day! 

What I tried

Each dish is cooked-to-order. Hence, do expect a waiting time of about 15 minutes. 

My tummy was already rumbling, but patience is a virtue, right? After 15 minutes of waiting, my makan kakis and I were served 3 bubbling pots of asam pedas. The fresh aromatics of blended spices will instantly hit your nose before diving in, that I assure you. We had 3 claypot dishes: Stingray Set Meal (S$12 for one pax), Snapper Set Meal (S$15 for one pax) and Chicken Set Meal (S$9 for one pax).

Each set meal comes with a plate of rice, vegetables, half-cut telur masin, and a serving of sambal. It may not look like much, but a special mention goes to the telur masin for being absolutely soft and fresh. 

One look at the gravy and it didn’t strike me as the usual semi-liquidy asam pedas gravy I’m used to seeing; it had a thick consistency. I’ve not had any claypot dishes in Malacca, but I suppose this is how it’s served there?

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The gravy was exceptionally hearty, though, and I loved the rich aroma of spices and tomatoes.

One of their speciality asam pedas claypot dish is the Chicken Set Meal. I, for one, have never heard of using anything other than fish to create an asam pedas dish, so I was really looking forward to trying it. 

Warisan Kampung certainly isn’t stingy with their portions, as a claypot set for 1 pax can easily feed about 2 people (3, if you’re all small eaters like me). I took a piece and started to attempt to cut a bite. The meat slid off its bone so easily, and I was impressed. 

It was a satisfactory piece of chicken, one I never expected to work so well with asam pedas. The gravy managed to retain its tamarind-soaked flavours while exuding subtle hints of spiciness. I may start requesting for asam pedas ayam from my neighbourhood nasi padang makcik now. 

Next up— the Stingray Set Meal. The fish was meaty, soft, and well-cooked. Come to think of it, I’ve never had a badly-cooked stingray before, have you? It soaked up the tangy gravy— similar to the previous asam pedas claypot dish, but slightly spicier. 

Lastly, the Snapper Set Meal. I’ll be honest. The only reason I didn’t fancy this dish as much as the other 2 was solely because snappers have unforgivable amounts of bones in them. So, if you’re fussy like me, I Suggest that you opt for the Stingray Set Meal instead. 

After 2 miserable minutes of whining while removing the bones from the fish, like the stingray, it was well-cooked and fresh-tasting. The only thing that stands out is that this claypot dish comes with an addition of okra. Relieved! 

Final thoughts

Warisan Kampung impressed me with their homely and authentic Malay asam pedas cooked in claypot dishes. Apart from that, they are also really affordable. It’s always heartwarming to have dishes that have been passed down for generations. 

If you’re ever in the area, or you live nearby, head on over to Warisan Kampung for a soothing and comforting bowl of claypot asam pedas. I’ve also heard that their spice level can be tweaked, so if you love for your asam pedas to be extra pedas you can also inform the friendly couple of your preference! 

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