KLANG: The Bakuteh ice-cream launched by a local café is a hit among its patrons.

Play Klang Café is surprised that its Bakuteh ice-cream has received overwhelming response, according to a post on its Facebook.

“Since launching creative menus such as Bakuteh sauce, Bakuteh spaghetti, and Bakuteh risotto, some started to suggest a Bakuteh ice-cream,’’ it said.

The café took some time to come up with an ice-cream with Bakuteh sauce and garnished with shredded spring onion.

On the menu, a note “a good try but not everyone can accept” is printed next to Bakuteh ice-cream for fear patrons may not be able to accept the innovation.

But it turns out that many patrons have given the new product a big thumbs-up, reversing the café’s earlier worries of Malaysians’ acceptance for a new food item.

Staff working at the café told Sin Chew Daily they were taken aback by the fact that many had visited the café just for the ice-cream.

One thing for sure, Bakuteh ice-cream will be a permanent item on the dessert menu.

Bakuteh is a pork-rib dish cooked in spices and herbal broth popularly served in Malaysia.

The dish is claimed to have been invented in Klang for labourers working at the port to supplement their meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health in early 20th century.

Today, Bakuteh is no longer confined to pork ribs only, and can be cooked with chicken, seafood, and can even have a vegetarian version.

Last year, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, was caught in a controversy for instructing ministry officials to explore recognising Bakuteh as a traditional Malaysian heritage food to reflect the country’s cultural diversity, as the halal version of the dish is popular among Malaysians.