Bonny's Kitchen at Plaza Damas - what is "pun choi"?

I am so excited. Just got back from family CNY dinner. My mum has been nagging us to bring her to a "pun choi" dinner for the longest time. So, finally my sister managed to find this place, Bonny's Kitchen at Plaza Damas, that specializes in Hong Kong cantonese cuisines. 

Bonny who is the owner and chef, runs the restaurant with her husband. She is a true blue entrepreneur - opens for business on first day of CNY and walks the floor personally to solicit feedback from her customers. It was obvious that she imports her top notch ingredients from Hong Kong. 

For those who do not know what "pun choi" is... It literally means "big bowl of food". Nowadays, pun choi is served in a claypot instead of a metal basin. It is really assorted food layered into a big claypot or a basin with some broth. Pui choi consist of seafood, meat piled in layers on the top and laced with vegetable at the bottom. Apparently in the olden days back in the New Territories in Hong Kong, out of convenience, pun choi is served during funerals, Ching Ming or any other special occasions like weddings, full moon party for new borns etc. Basically, any special occasions for relatives to get together and bond over a meal.



Well, Bonny does serve a pretty authentic pun choi. We ordered one for 5 person. You have battered prawns, scallop, drief oysters, chinese mushroom, sliced shitake mushrooms and fatt choi on the top. Next layer was the braised pork trotter, pork belly with yam, steamed chicken, sea cucumber, cuttlefish, fish maw, glutton and at the bottom crunchy lotus root with layers of chinese cabbage. Each ingredient probably had an auspicious meaning to beckon the new year. Even the price was so i.e. Rm338.

After the pun choi, we still had some room for dessert. So, we ordered the soya beancurd (made on the spot; Ready in 5 minutes), the sesame and peanut paste. 




This is definitely, a meal I would recommend, not only for the new year but for any special occasion. Just remember to book in advance for the pun choi as it requires at least 2 days of preparation.

Bonny's Kitchen
Lot J-G-1, Mayfair Service Apartments
Plaza Damas, no. 60, Jln Sri Hartamas 1
Sir Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03-6210 4652
E-mail: info@bonnykitchen.com

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