KK, Ellerslie

The Peking Duck (front) and oatmeal prawns (above centre). Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Herald rating: * * * *

Don't judge this Malaysian/Chinese beauty by its decor but by the food and you won't be disappointed.

A bonus is that you don't have to pre-order the Peking duck and pancakes.

This time we are dining with nephew Paul who has almost as big an appetite as his uncle, who is respected for his.

We quickly order a starter of lobak (minced pork in bean curd sheet) as I want to compare them to my mother's version; then a platter of roast duck and pancakes.

Our waitress recommends some Malay specialties, kang kong (water spinach or morning glory), which is available only in spring and summer; sambal chilli chicken; oatmeal prawns; and the KK special bean curd.

Other favourites are tofu with chicken and salted-fish casserole and copious amounts of steamed rice; stir-fried venison; ginger crab or the garlic chilli crab; hai nan chicken; deep-fried squid with salt and pepper; stir-fried round beans or the Malaysian sambal round beans.

They also do a delicious "not on menu" pork and watercress soup.

So getting back to what we ordered and the verdict: Mum's lobak are juicier and flavoured with garlic chives so "same same", but different. The generous portions of roast duck meat were succulent and capped with the all-impressive layer of crispy, burnished duck skin.

Taking a succession of steamed pancakes, we apply hoisin sauce, adding batons of cucumber, a few slivers of spring onion, the duck, and roll them up. Two to three bites with eyes closed and they were gone. It's best to avoid the prawn crackers that the duck sits on as this can lead to oil overload.

The Malay-style kang kong are spiked with sambal heebee — dried shrimps, shallots, ginger, garlic and chilli, so you may be wise to order more simply prepared greens if you are forgoing rice. This dish is also rather salty so you do need something less upfront to balance the meal.

The KK bean curd is such a dish. These deep-fried golden cubes of delicate, soft, bean curd burst in your mouth when you bite into them. Topped with spring onions and fried shallots and served with a special sauce which uses soy and eight secret flavourings, their custardy lightness elevates this to "top tofu dish" status.

Malay chef Ronald says the secret to the bean-curd dish is the sauce, but I say it is the bean curd — made from fresh soybean milk, eggs, a little salt and sugar and then steamed until just set. Combining Yin and Yang, that is the secret.

Our tender sambal chicken is wrapped under a blanket of rich, brick-red, hot, sweet and tangy sauce redolent of chilli, tamarind, tomato paste, ginger and lemongrass. You do need to order rice with this dish.

The suggested "very popular" oatmeal king prawns were rather odd. Although the boys seemed to enjoy them, they really didn't push my buttons. What I couldn't fathom was the bizarre crispy coating, which was a cross between cornflakes and sweet, toasted oats with dried chilli thrown in. Maybe the locals like it.

As a rule of thumb, if you are a fan of Cantonese food choose it to form the basis of your meal and then ask for guidance with the robustly flavoured Malay selection as you don't want every dish to be "in your face".

The wine list is limited so take advantage of the BYOW licence (corkage applies).

Do order the duck and pancakes to start with if you plan to win everyone over.

Overall: A reliably unpretentious restaurant serving large portions of tasty food.
Where: 28-34 Robert St, Ellerslie, Auckland.
Our meal: $139.30 for 3, including 1 bottle of wine; entrees $5-$8; noodles and rice $12-$18; mains $16-$45.
Our wine: by the glass $5-$8; by the bottle $20-$30.