Get a punch in the taste buds with the luxurious pork knuckle sandwich at The Willow in Taman Gembira

The Pork Knuckle Sourdough Sandwich at The Willow in Taman Gembira offers a luxurious and delectable taste experience with its velvety pork and crunchy onion rings.

The Willow, run by Gary and Katherine, is a cosy café providing fusion and local dishes like yuzu pork belly don and Hainanese chicken chops.

Refreshing drink options, including longan with watermelon and coffee with citrus, complement the menu's diverse offerings, enhancing The Willow's welcoming ambience.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — “Do you want a knuckle sandwich?”

Now that’s not a question you’d typically wish to be presented with. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s basically street slang for a punch in the face with a clenched fist (hence “knuckle sandwich”).

Unless the knuckle sandwich in question is a pork knuckle sandwich.

I’ve had braised pork trotter noodles in Cheras and Sitiawan-style Fook Chow red wine braised pork knuckle ( hongjiu lu zhushou ). From Thai braised pork knuckle ( kha mu ) in Melaka to Bavarian roasted ham hock ( Bayrischer Schweinshaxe ) in Munich.

And let’s not forget black vinegar pork trotters ( ju geok cho ), the ultimate comfort food when you’re feeling run down or battling a cold on rainy days.

All delicious. But a proper pork knuckle sandwich? I never even knew such a thing existed.

Which is why the Pork Knuckle Sourdough Sandwich at The Willow is such a pleasant surprise. The meat is velvety and gelatinous, an utterly luxurious mouth-feel with every bite.

Pair this with a side of crunchy, fried-to-order onion rings, and you have something more than just a meal: it’s an entire experience.

And the experience, if you’re wondering, is warm and welcoming. Run by the husband-and-wife team of Gary and Katherine, The Willow is a cosy café in Taman Gembira (better known to local residents as Happy Garden).

Their menu offers fuss-free fusion fare and local favourites; expect yuzu pork belly don and garlic shoyu beef pasta sharing the limelight with Hainanese chicken chops and nasi lemak with prawn petai sambal .

Given my lack of familiarity with it, I’m guessing the aforementioned pork knuckle sandwich falls under the former category.

To be fair, Gary didn’t ask “Do you want a knuckle sandwich?” but rather pointed it out on their menu to us.

With more social media friendly dishes such as their Porkynara (essentially a carbonara, albeit with more pork) and their oceanic Seafood Salada, it’s easy to overlook the somewhat ungainly sounding Pork Knuckle Sourdough Sandwich.

Which would be a pity, because it’s a showstopper; the savoury notes and decadent texture a pleasurable punch in the taste buds (rather than one in the face, thankfully!).

Given the hot, hazy weather recently, we quenched our thirst with refreshing drinks pairing longan with watermelon or coffee with citrus. Iced kombucha hit the spot too.

Another popular item is their Aloha Burger, with a house-made pork patty (not the frozen, pre-made variety), fresh orange wedge and tangy dressing. For beef lovers, their Steak Sourdough Sandwich will satisfy.

But given three of the four orders are variations on sandwiches and burgers, we’d be accused of being boring if we went for more bread or buns.

Instead our last pick is The Willow’s signature Mamak Pasta. Traditionally, our Malaysian mee goreng mamak uses yellow egg noodles; here they stir fried pasta with plenty of tofu and vegetables.

One of us remarked that the crunchy bits of fried mushrooms reminded him of tempura batter. That is, if tempura was tossed with a savoury, sweet and spicy sauce. A quick squeeze of calamansi ( limau kasturi ) brightens everything.

The Willow is the quintessential neighbourhood haven, a place for neighbours, families and friends to catch up over simple, good food. What more do we need, really?

Taman Gembira (Happy Garden), KL.

Open Mon-Fri (except Tue closed) 11am–9pm, Sat & Sun 11am–9:30pm

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewillow_happygarden/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/thewillowhappygarden/

For more food fables and café chronicles, visit Life for Beginners .

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.

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位于 Taman Gembira 的 The Willow 餐厅的猪肘酸面包三明治，以其柔滑的猪肉和酥脆的洋葱圈，带来奢华而美味的味觉体验。

The Willow 是一家温馨的咖啡馆，由 Gary 和 Katherine 经营，提供融合菜和当地特色菜，如柚子五花肉盖饭和海南鸡排。

清爽的饮品选择，例如龙眼西瓜汁和柑橘咖啡，与菜单上的多样化菜品相得益彰，提升了柳树餐厅温馨宜人的氛围。

吉隆坡，9月24日——“你想挨一记拳头吗？”

这可不是你通常想遇到的问题。对于那些不熟悉这个词的人来说，它基本上是街头俚语，指的是用紧握的拳头猛击脸部（因此有了“拳击三明治”的说法）。

除非这里说的“指关节三明治”指的是猪肘三明治。

我在蕉赖吃过卤猪蹄面，在实兆远吃过福州红酒卤猪蹄。从马六甲的泰式卤猪蹄到慕尼黑的巴伐利亚烤猪肘，我都尝过。

还有，别忘了黑醋猪脚（ju geok cho），当你感到疲惫或在雨天感冒时，它是最令人感到舒适的食物。

都很好吃。但是正宗的猪肘三明治？我以前都不知道还有这种东西。

正因如此，The Willow餐厅的猪肘酸面包三明治才如此令人惊喜。肉质如丝绒般柔滑，入口即化，每一口都带来极致奢华的口感。

再配上一份香脆可口的现炸洋葱圈，这不仅仅是一顿饭，而是一种完整的体验。

如果你好奇的话，这里的体验温馨舒适。The Willow咖啡馆由Gary和Katherine夫妇共同经营，位于Taman Gembira（当地居民更熟悉的名字是Happy Garden），是一家温馨的咖啡馆。

他们的菜单提供简单易做的融合菜肴和当地特色菜；柚子五花肉盖饭和蒜蓉酱油牛肉意面与海南鸡排和虾仁臭豆叁巴椰浆饭一起成为焦点。

鉴于我对它并不熟悉，我猜前面提到的猪肘三明治属于前一类。

公平地说，加里并没有问“你们想来点拳头三明治吗？”，而是指着菜单给我们看了。

他们还有更多适合在社交媒体上分享的菜肴，例如猪肉意面（本质上是卡邦尼意面，只是猪肉更多）和海鲜沙拉，很容易让人忽略听起来有点笨拙的猪肘酸面包三明治。

那将非常可惜，因为它是一款惊艳之作；其鲜美的味道和醇厚的口感，能给味蕾带来愉悦的冲击（谢天谢地，不是冲击脸部！）。

最近天气炎热潮湿，我们用龙眼西瓜汁或咖啡柑橘汁等清爽饮品来解渴。冰镇康普茶也十分合口味。

另一款人气单品是他们的夏威夷汉堡，汉堡里有自制的猪肉饼（不是冷冻预制肉饼），配上新鲜的橙子片和酸甜可口的酱汁。牛肉爱好者的话，他们的牛排酸面包三明治绝对能满足你的味蕾。

但考虑到四份订单中有三份都是三明治和汉堡的变种，如果我们再多加些面包或小圆面包，就会被指责无趣。

我们最后推荐的是The Willow的招牌菜——马来炒面（Mamak Pasta）。传统的马来炒面（mee goreng mamak）用的是黄鸡蛋面；而这家店的马来炒面则加入了大量的豆腐和蔬菜。

我们当中有人说，炸蘑菇的酥脆口感让他想起了天妇罗面糊。只不过，如果天妇罗面糊拌上咸甜辣的酱汁就更像了。最后挤上一些金桔汁，味道就更清新了。

The Willow餐厅是典型的社区休闲场所，邻里、家人和朋友们可以在这里享用简单美味的食物，叙叙旧。我们还需要什么呢？

吉隆坡 Taman Gembira（快乐花园）。

营业时间：周一至周五（周二休息）上午11点至晚上9点，周六及周日上午11点至晚上9点半

IG：https://www.instagram.com/thewillow_happygarden/

FB：https://www.facebook.com/thewillowhappygarden/

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