Today I visited the Food Place food court, located at Pavilion Mall. The food court is located beside the Oriental Kopi Restaurant.
This time, I ordered Kau Yuk with Yam and rice set from the House of Hakka stall, which cost RM19.80 per plate.
The meal consists of steamed white rice, clear soup and Kau Yuk with Yam. Kau Yuk with Yam featuring layers of pork belly and sliced yam (taro), braised together in a savory-sweet sauce. The pork belly is cooked until tender, with alternating layers of meat and fat, giving it a melt-in-the-mouth texture. The yam absorbs the sauce and meat juices, becoming soft and slightly creamy, complementing the richness of the pork. The gravy is umami-rich, sweet, and aromatic, with hints of fermented bean paste, soy sauce, garlic, and sometimes five-spice powder. The dish is hearty, filling, and designed to be eaten with plain rice.
The Hakka people are a subgroup of the Han Chinese, known historically as migrants who settled across southern China and later Southeast Asia. Their food reflects frugality, resourcefulness, and preservation techniques.
Kau Yuk (扣肉) literally means “braised pork.” Traditionally, it refers to pork belly that is steamed or braised until tender. In Hakka cooking, yam (taro) is often paired with pork belly because it absorbs the sauce beautifully and adds a starchy contrast to the fatty meat. This combination is especially popular in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, and later spread to Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan through Hakka migrants.
Kau Yuk with Yam was often prepared for festivals, weddings, and ancestral worship ceremonies, as pork belly symbolised prosperity and yams represented abundance.
Today, it remains a comfort food and a staple in many Hakka restaurants across Malaysia, where it is enjoyed both as a daily meal and a celebratory dish.
