A Passion For Good Food

By HELEN ONG

WHAT started as a passion and hobby for Jane Phung has now become a full-time occupation.

“I love cooking, and my husband used to bring friends home to eat, so we were always having parties,” the 44-year-old restaurateur said.

Luckily, for the rest of us who weren’t fortunate enough to have been invited to her home, Jane finally decided to put her considerable skills to even better use by starting a restaurant with her son Tomy Yeoh, 23.

Six months ago, the Summer Garden Food Bistro, located at the corner of Jalan Lembah Permai and Lorong Lembah Permai 3 in the Vale of Tempe, Tanjung Bungah, was opened to the public.

There is no signboard in front, but the place lives up to its name – the relaxing and serene garden abounds with greens all grown by Phung like bamboos and ferns.

Inside, a mesmerising water feature tinkles merrily and more green plants dotted about the place add to the cool, calm feel.

“There are a lot of restaurants out there, so we try doubly hard to make customers feel welcomed.

“The first thing we impress on our service staff is the importance of a smile,” explained Phung, herself beaming.

With four well-qualified chefs, each with his or her own speciality, strutting their stuff in the clean open kitchen, the menu offers a good spread of not just Western and Japanese food but also some local favourites.

Try the laksa (the lemak version was thick and yummy, although they also have the assam), Mee Jawa, personally made by Jane herself, and Nasi Lemak.


Bursting with flavour: The Lemak Laksa is thick and yummy.

The Sashimi Moriawase, a colourful platter of various cuts of fresh seafood eaten with wasabi and soya sauce, makes an excellent starter for a few people.

If you have a hearty appetite, try the Japanese Curry Set of rice and fried chicken (or fish), different to our local curries and quite tasty.

One of their most popular items is Lamb Shank served with Pasta. Another appealing choice is the Duck Breast with Black Cherry Sauce, but the Wagyu Beef Steak, although pricey, was really superb, tender and succulent.


Succulent: Duck Breast with Black Cherry Sauce.

There are also succulent large king prawns or lobster cooked in a variety of styles including Thermidor or baked in grilled cheese. If you can’t decide, their well-trained staff will be able to advise.

Indulge your sweet tooth and choose from a selection of six to ten freshly-baked cakes – all made by the talented lady – with such delicious-sounding names like Kahlua Moist, Tiramisu and Chocolate Cheese.

You will be hard-pushed to decide which one to go for. The Chocolate Cheese Cake was absolutely delightful, light but full of flavour, and went perfectly with one of their aromatic, full-bodied coffees.

Summer Garden is open from 11am to 10.30pm every day. For details, call 04-890 0977.