At Bibi and Baba in Wan Chai, a modest menu is packed with delicious Malaysian favourites and more

The buzz over Bibi and Baba probably has raised expectations about this restaurant. The layout maintains what was at Ham & Sherry, with the open kitchen in the middle. Bar seating was a little odd for Peranakan food, given that it is mainly a sharing cuisine; tables were small, not helped by the plastic dividers necessary for social distancing.

From a modest menu, we chose the kueh pai tee (HK$78), the otah (HK$88), and the ngor hiang (HK$78). The kueh pai tee, little pastry “top hats” filled with cooked jicama and prawns, and the otah (steamed fish mousse) tasted refreshingly authentic (HK$88). The ngor hiang – five spices minced pork wrapped in bean curd sheets and fried – was unmemorable except for the soft texture of the meat (HK$78).

We ordered the laksa (HK$102), and for that price the serving size was sadly lacking, with hardly a few mouthfuls of noodles. By itself, the broth was a little watery but was hugely improved with extra chilli to become one of our best dishes of the night.

The ayam goreng istimewa, special fried chicken marinated in spices (HK$128), was excellent. The assam pedas, steamed fish in spicy broth (HK$288), was flavoursome but tasted more of tomato than tamarind and torch ginger flower.

The prawn sambal petai (HK$148) was both a delight and a disappointment: the sambal was excellent and the prawns were fresh and succulent but what happened with the miserly serving of petai (bitter beans)?

The chendol (HK$58) was overpowered by the overdose of palm sugar syrup after the first spoonful and the kueh platter (HK$58) could also do with some improvement in both taste and texture.