Food Review: Homst Restaurant

Sometimes we find ourselves going back to a place we used to love but had forgotten over the busy years filled with work, friends, family and events. For me, Homst Restaurant is one of these places.

As I stepped onto the blue tiles, a flood of memories washed the cobwebs in my brain away and I remembered the many occasions my dad, my brother and I had eaten here. Perhaps, one of the reasons I stopped coming to Homst was due to my now-estranged father but re-visiting the place made me remember why I liked eating there in the first place; the food!!

[caption id="attachment_1533" align="alignleft" width="253" caption="The first and original Homst Restaurant"][/caption]

A Chinese Muslim restaurant, Homst is not much for the eyes but the menu is a whole lot for the stomach. Located at 48, Persiaran Za'aba, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur (my area, woohoo!!!), it is one of the few restaurants that had withstood the many changes TTDI has seen over the years.

They serve Chinese-style food, not unlike the menu at Muhibbah (another well-established restaurant in TTDI) and is, as my dear companion for the day said, "Not bad, although I think the taste is slightly different because of some missing ingredients which I don't they can use since it's a Muslim shop."

[caption id="attachment_1539" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Wet Buttered Chicken"][/caption]

I have to admit that I didn't exactly knew what I wanted to order since I haven't been there in ages so I decided to go with what my cousin always ordered when she eats there; Wet Buttered Chicken (around RM12 for a small size, which is more than enough for two people). The sauce is amazing, although some people might get 'muak' (fed up) with the buttery taste. Just like my cousin, I highly recommend this dish but don't order it all the time unless you want to gain weight. It's sinfully delicious. ;-)

[caption id="attachment_1546" align="alignleft" width="238" caption="Kung Po Chicken"][/caption]

My companion ordered the Kung Po Chicken with rice (which is, I think, around RM10). You can really taste the chilli in the dark sauce, giving it a combination of salty soy sauce and slight spicyness. Amazingly, it offsets the buttery gravy of the Wet Buttered Chicken so I think we made some good selections. I like the fact that both the chicken dishes didn't have bones in them, except for very small pieces. I hate biting into a piece of chicken and cracking my teeth on a stray bone. :razzmad:

[caption id="attachment_1549" align="alignright" width="238" caption="Kangkong Belacan in Oyster Sauce"][/caption]

Of course, whenever I eat rice, I must have veggies. So I ordered one of my favourites, Kangkong Belacan in Oyster Sauce (less than RM10 for a small size). My companion really loved this dish. I was surprised because to me, it was just one of the most common dishes ever but I guess the taste must have really struck his core.

There are other dishes that you can try such as the Sharkfin Soup (if you're okay with eating an endangered species) which is mixed with crab meat or chicken (these dishes are expensive though, with the smallest size priced at RM22) and any of the fish dishes. One of my absolute favourite, which I can't find elsewhere, is the Yam Basket. It used to be on Homst menu but they took it out years ago, saying that the item wasn't popular at all. However, my cousin told me that they still have it. I guess we have to special order it.

Let's move on to service and environment. The service is not bad. The moment you sit down, someone will attend to you, handing over the menu and taking your drink orders. The food is served quite fast too, unless there's a crowd or you order way too much for the cooks to handle.

[caption id="attachment_1557" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="Inside Homst"][/caption]

Don't expect too much for the interior though. Like every other mamak and local middle-class restaurants, the furniture and fittings are common and normal. If they really do up the restaurant, I doubt the menu would be as affordable as it is now (it costs the two of us RM30.50 for 3 main dishes, 3 rice and 2 drinks). But to me, as long as it's clean and I don't find insects in my food or crawling around my table and chair, I'm fine with it. The restaurant is open-spaced though so do expect the next table to start puffing on their cigarettes.

Apparently, you can call them up at 03-7728 0760 and order some dishes for take-away. However, some people said that Homst is opened daily until 11pm but is closed from 3pm to 6pm so maybe it's best to use the number to check on their opening times.

If you can't come all the way to TTDI to taste their food, you can try their second branch at Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara. They have the same menu there but there are some additional stalls inside it so you have other food choices to fulfill your tastebud's needs. Enjoy!!