KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — When I was growing up, family meals felt like a tug of war, since my parents tried to iron out their differences at the dining table. My father was used to robust flavours since he was of Hakka heritage. On the other side, my mother’s taste buds veered towards lighter, cleaner dishes, since she had a Cantonese and Hokkien lineage. Hence, Hakka food never found its way into our meals. That was my aunt’s domain since my father deemed her cooking worthy of his heritage. While I appreciated those hearty dishes with flavours dialled up to the top, my palate was tempered towards lighter flavours as a child. When I tried Restoran Eight Treasure’s Steamed Yam Pork (RM60 for large), it felt very much like a dish suited for my tastebuds. It had all the elements of a well-cooked Hakka dish yet it didn’t overwhelm my tongue. In fact, I happily ate the dish without rice. The textures were glorious; soft, creamy thick cut taro and fatty melt-in-the-mouth pork belly. This was drenched in a thick, brown sauce that wasn’t too salty but still retained a savoury taste to complement the dish. They also offer it with preserved vegetables or mui choy, another variation that I enjoy so this warrants another visit. Stewed Pork with Fungus in ‘Hakka Style’ was a triumph with soft, braised pork belly paired with crunchy wood ear fungus and a well-balanced sauce. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Even the Stewed Pork with Fungus in “Hakka Style” (RM30) or char yoke passed with flying colours. The marinated pork belly was well braised to softness while the black fungus gave the crunch. The important part is the sauce. Here, the fermented bean curd flavour is present, trickled down from the marinade used for the pork but it balances well between the salty and sweet flavours.Even my fussy mother approved it, a hallmark of its success. No meal at my Hakka aunties’ was complete without their handmade yong tau foo. I vaguely remember a lecture I got as a child, when I turned my nose up to bittergourd. Luckily I grew out of that phase. This place delivers with their famous Stuffed Thai Imported Green Chilli (RM4.50 per piece).Those jade green long chillies are packed with a fiery punch that is tempered with that lovely fish and pork filling. Stuffed Thai Imported Green Chilli (left) is glorious with that spiciness while the Stuff Tau Poh with Ku Chai and Minced Meat (right) is a huge bite of meat and chives that was a little salty. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi There’s also Stuff Tau Poh with Ku Chai and Minced Meat (6 pieces for RM22.80) or what some call the Bentong style tofu puffs. These were so stuffed that popping a whole one in my mouth was an effort. While I appreciated the chunky bite, it was a tad too salty for me. Maybe it was an off day for the person who prepared that item as the other dishes were well executed.With steamed dishes, cooking skills shine through since it’s hard to hide behind so few ingredients.Their Steamed Pork with Salted Shrimp Paste (RM30) has all the punchy flavours from the fermented shrimp paste to make you finish up everything on the plate. Timing was also on point as the sliced pork had a silky bite to it. What pushed it to greatness was that touch of finely chopped red chillies. That tickle of spiciness kept the palate refreshed, allowing one to keep diving into the dish as the fermented shrimp paste can get too rich after a few spoonfuls. Steamed Pork with Salted Shrimp Paste (left) is a total rice killer with the soft pork and the fermented flavours from the shrimp paste while the Poached Home-Bred ‘Farm Chicken’ (right) has firmer meat. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi The Hakkas love their chicken, as seen by the Poached Home-Bred “Farm Chicken” (RM75 for half chicken). Here the chicken is the type that was once running around, thus yielding a firmer bite.It would have been just an ordinary chicken dish but it was saved by the chunky, chopped ginger dip served on the side. While there are many treasures here, some dishes only pass muster like the Fried Fish (ikan kurau or garoupa) with Salted Vegetables. Fried Fish with Salted Vegetables (left) needed more braising time for a more cohesive flavour while Braised Spareribs (right) was lacking depth with its sauce. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Separately, the elements tasted fine but without a cohesiveness of flavours due to a short braising time, the fried fish fell flat.With the Braised Spareribs (RM55), it had the requisite wobbly bits of fat and meat but the braising sauce felt like an imposter, lacking the much needed balance between the soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine and sugar. Usually, restaurants treat the vegetable dish as a perfunctory item. Not here. Fried Bitter Gourd with Salted Vegetable may look very simple but the combination is a refreshing one that even anti-vegetable diners may enjoy. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Much care has been taken with the simple sounding Fried Bitter Gourd with Salted Vegetable (RM15), where the sliced bitter gourd has no traces of that dreaded bitterness. The bitter gourd is well cooked with a slight bite while the salted vegetables give it a hint of saltiness, making it a refreshing contrast. Now, when it comes to the Fried Hairy Cucumber with Vermicelli in Claypot (RM18), it’s one of my favourite childhood eats. Here, the melon is perfectly cooked and most importantly not mushy. What enhances this simple dish is the sprinkle of deep fried dried prawns, adding a burst of richness to the otherwise plain dish. Fried Hairy Cucumber with Vermicelli in Claypot (left) is cooked to perfection without the dreaded mushiness while the Cuttlefish Sambal with Petai (right) uses a mild ‘sambal’ to perk up the stink beans. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Petai has also found a home here as there’s three dishes featuring the stink beans. We settled for the Cuttlefish Sambal with Petai (RM25) with a mild sambal brightening the beans and perfectly cooked cuttlefish. The restaurant spans two shop lots, where one part is newer looking indicating it was an add-on. One can see they have a huge fanbase, as diners trickle in early for lunch and dinner. Booking is encouraged for peak times. Overheard at the next table, there were complaints about the challenge of getting a parking space but once they tasted the food, all was forgiven. No wonder, the retention rate of customers is so high. One definitely cannot just stop at one visit as I was already mentally planning what to order the next time I go, even as I was eating. And if you’re craving for hand pulled mee hun kueh, drop by during the weekends as they serve an assortment of noodles from 9am to 1pm. The restaurant attracts diners who often return for more (left) and it spans two shoplots (right) allowing it to accommodate large groups of diners. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi Restoran Eight Treasure 20, Jalan Waras 1, Taman Connaught, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Thursday to Friday), 9am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Saturday and Sunday). Closed on Wednesday. Tel:03-91301066. * This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.