Jibril: Halal speakeasy dishes up creamy salted egg butter delights
Butter chicken. No, I’m not talking about the tomato-laced Indian dish. Every Malaysian will know this version: crispy chunks of fried chicken drenched with a silky, creamy butter sauce with a hint of spiciness from the chilli. It’s comforting, easy on the wallet and loved by all.
And today, I find myself at the doorstep of the ‘shrine’ in Subang Jaya that devotes its menu to all things butter— Jibril. You’d have to push the brick wall in order to find your way in (reminded me of Harry Potter’s Platform 9¾). I chuckled at this.
The decor is definitely questionable— Charlie Chaplin reruns, a dark ambient atmosphere, the walls decorated with black and white pictures of famous personalities from Tesla to Einstein. It reminded me of a speakeasy but completely halal of course.
What I tried at Jibril
I started off with the signature, Salted Egg Butter Chicken (RM17.90). The chicken here is triple-fried to ensure crunchiness which is essential when doused with the delicious salted egg butter sauce. It comes with a bowl of butter sauce (yes, you read that right). This sauce is to be drenched on your rice for more buttery goodness.
A quick bite quickly affirmed why Jibril is known throughout Klang Valley (one of their other outlets) for their butter chicken. Crunchy, creamy, and a little on the sweet side, I felt like I was transported to my university days where Saturday night dinners were always a plate of budget-friendly salted egg butter chicken and rice. But do keep in mind, this is definitely a dish that should be eaten hot.
Next on the ‘buttery adventure’ was the Nasi Lemak Butter Combo (RM29.90). This was an impressive dish for the eyes by itself. Nasi lemak rice is served with three types of protein— chicken, squid, prawn all cooked in the signature salted egg butter sauce before cooking it in their signature sambal. The dish also comes with all the nasi lemak familiarities— half a boiled egg, anchovies, cucumbers, peanuts, and a small bowl of the signature sambal.
Their signature sambal was delicious and spicy. Something that I find myself constantly on the lookout for in Klang Valley with the many run-ins into sambals that often were sweet. However my joy quickly took a fall when I tasted the squid. By coating it with the salted egg butter sauce and in their sambal, it felt cloyingly thick. I believe I would have truly enjoyed the dish if it was cooked purely in their signature sambal instead.
So if you’re like me and wondering, does Jibril offer dishes that’s not butter-based? Give their Hot Chilli Clam (RM29.90) served with freshly fried Mantou Buns a whirl.
The mantou buns were a delight— crispy and golden and the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Eagerly, I dipped in the Hot Chilli Clam gravy. Verdict? Delicious! The sweetness of the clams and despite the ‘hot’ in its title, not hot at all. Light, creamy and perfect.
Jibril Lounge may be halal but they’re definitely not short on fascinating sounding drinks. I was looking forward to trying their Mango Cheesecake Mocktail (RM11.90) but unfortunately I was informed that they had run out of their signature mango cheesecake. So instead I curiously opted for an Onde-onde Mocktail (Malaysia’s favourite traditional kueh in a drink). And yes, it interestingly tasted like I was drinking an actual onde-onde, gula melaka and all!
Final thoughts
If you’re craving salted egg butter dishes, Jibril is definitely the place to be. And I will definitely return for their signature spicy sambal. But if you’re not in the mood for rice, take a walk to the Western side with the usuals: Carbonara Chicken Ham, Vegetarian Lasagna or Spicy Aglio Olio with Chicken.
There are two floors at Jibril and you’d have to walk up a really steep staircase (my companion was completely freaked out by this). But the atmosphere makes it the perfect place for date nights, especially for those looking for a restaurant that’s not too heavy on the wallet. Plus, the speakeasy-like decor and interesting selection of beverages is definitely charming.
Expected damage: RM20 – RM35 per pax
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