Last week, it was known as Deli Portofino. Today the little eatery at the entrance of Hero Market in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) is known as Abah Deli.
Why Abah Deli?
“Tak tau lah,” said the worker behind the counter as he smiled.
The change of name has raised eyebrows of those who noticed it.
However, the eatery remains a hit among those living and working in TTDI with its reasonably priced Malaysian delights.
While one would argue they could get better deals in other parts of Kuala Lumpur, the food served at Abah Deli is a bargain in TTDI – an area where you have to fork out RM40 if you park your vehicle beyond four hours at the wet market.
Even during its ‘Italian’ days as Portofino, the eatery only had two Italian dishes on its menu – spaghetti alfredo and spaghetti bolognese.
Malaysians, especially those who returned from abroad, say they make it a point to head to Portofino for its nasi lemak rendang ayam or nasi lemak ayam goreng berempah.

Earlier this week, Portofino’s signage was brought down and Abah Deli emerged. There was, however, no sight of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s image or a rotan (cane).
Why Muhyiddin? Because the prime minister often refers to himself as ‘abah‘ (father) during his televised speeches.
Why rotan? In his latest televised speech, Muhyiddin said that he will be forced to use the cane on those who defied the standard operating procedures.
While prices have gone up slightly after the Movement Control Order, Abah Deli remains a good option compared to many other eateries whose set lunch menus start from RM10.90.
The curry mee is not bad (it’s RM7.70) and if you are really on a tight budget, a plate of fried mee hoon is just RM4.90. On days when you feel under the weather, a bowl of soup noodles, also priced at RM7.70 or mee rebus (RM7.10) will do you good.
As for the spaghetti alfredo – let’s put it this way, there are many better options elsewhere for a couple of ringgit more.
It remains unclear why the name was changed. In fact, the original name, Portofino, was mind-boggling as the eatery prides itself “in serving big boy-sized portions of favourable local delights and affordable prices” (we didn’t write that, it’s on their website).
If you are looking for a decent meal that does not cost as much as the parking rates in TTDI, Abah Deli would be the natural choice.
Abah Deli
Address: Plaza TTDI, Jalan Wan Kadir 3, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000, Kuala Lumpur.
Hours: 8am-7.30pm