aly's wonderland

Loong Grill Fish @ Niu Xe Zui (NZX)

*THE RESTAURANT HAS JUST CLOSED FOR RELOCATION. WILL UPDATE ON THE NEW ADDRESS WHEN I KNOW.

Ara Damansara used to be a place, that when you mentioned it, people went, “Where’s that?”

The whole story of where it was would follow and before you knew it, you’d lost 10 minutes of your life. “Oh!” they would say. “It’s there!” Yes, it is there, tucked between the old Subang Airport road/Saujana, and the now one-way tunnel from the LDP.

When I moved back from London, and my parents moved here, I was like, “There’s nothing here but palm trees and a Petronas!”

Almost a year after, there was a glimmer hope. The birth Niu Xe Zui (NZX) Malaysia’s Largest Street Covered Boulevard, as acclaimed by the Malaysia  Book of Records. Promises of fantastic boutiques, exotic restaurants, and Kopitiam’s galore! There was even a nightclub at one point, I recall. And a Starbucks.

“Ah,” I said to my sister. “When the Starbucks comes, so will the rest.”

But alas, I was wrong, and slowly witnessed the demise of NZX everytime I drove back to visit my parents. One by one, shops disappeared, restaurants and coffee shops that never really took off pulled down the shutters, and it was once again, vacant.

But one restaurant remained, and I’m not talking about Station One Café. I’m talking about Loong Grill Fish. Tucked away at the back of NZX, you’ll see a gleaming beacon of light.

And I say to you, head towards it. Contrary to what the name suggests, the place serves a whole lot more than just grilled fish.

Our family has been going there since it opened, since the first few sheets of home-printed un-laminated menu. Now, the menu is snazzy, it’s colourful, and tantalising.

Yes, if you’re in Ara Damansara, go to Loong Grill Fish. If you’re not, put some petrol in your car and get out there!

They say the family that eats together stays together right? Well, our family… we eat together a lot. And we like Loong Grill Fish. In fact, Lil’ Chef and I had to drive all the way over for dinner because, well, that’s what you do for good food. Plus, my mother really wanted us to try the Pigs Trotters. My mother, who is opposed to eating out, cooks every single day for the entire family, and does not approve of restaurant food because, “You can get so much better at home,” wanted to eat out.

It’s a rare occasion when she says let’s go out for dinner, so we jumped into the car, canceled all our plans, and showed up on time. I’m not going to write about the history of the restaurant, or how it came about, because I think the TV shows/newspaper/magazine clippings and other bloggers can tell you about that.

I want to show you the FOOD.

PORK – Prices vary for each dish.

Choose from Black Fungus Sparerib, Meng Ku Trotter, Crispy Trotter, Marmite Sparerib, Cik Kong Sparerib & Sweet & Sour Pork.

We were there for the succulent Crispy Trotter (RM 45), with a crusty batter.

Worth the journey, and you must eat it with the chili mayo dip. Lil’ Chef did the honours and showed us his carving skills.

PRAWN – RM20 (2-3 pax) RM 40 (5-6 pax) RM 60 (8-10 pax)

Choose from Butter Prawn, Coconut Prawn, Macau Prawn, Kam Heung Prawn, Special Salad Prawn, Nen Nen Prawn, Sweet and Sour Mantis Prawn and Special Salad Mantis Prawn.

We choose the Macau Prawn, because we’d had it before.

The prawns were fresh, the sauce sweet and savoury with a hint of spiciness.

SQUID – RM 15 (2-3 pax) RM 25 (5-6 pax) RM 35 (8-10 pax)

Choose from Nian Nian Squid, Garlic Squid, Sambla Squid, Kam Heong Squid, Hot plate Assam Squid, and Hot Plate Vietnamese Squid.

Our choice for the evening was the Vietnamese Squid, served piping hot on a hot plate.

It sizzled and it popped, releasing all the wonderful aromatic herbs and spices. Tender squid rings doused in a fragrant, tangy gravy.

FISH DISHES (prices range depending on weight)

Choose from Pari fish, Garoupa, Cod, and Jenak.

We opted for the Grilled Pari (Ray) Fish – RM 15 (2-3 pax) RM 30 (8-10 pax).

Three different sauces are available, and you can opt for Tom Yum, Assam, or Vietnamese. Since we already had the squid Vietnamese style, we went for the Assam Grilled Pari.

The fish arrived grilled in foil, and it was tender and succulent. The sauce was a lovely combination of sweet and sour, and was the most spicy dish of the evening.

LA LA – RM 10 (2-3 pax) RM 20 (5-6 pax) RM 30 (8-10 pax)

Choose from La La Soup, Kam Heong La La, Cili Padi La La

Mmm… for me, the only way to have La La is when its wok fried with a sticky, strong Kam Heong sauce. So that’s what we ordered, the Kam Heong La La.

With oodles of dried prawn, shopped garlic, and chilis, the shells were brimming with luscious little clams. Every shell was licked clean.

I saw CRAB on the menu, and of course, had to have it.

CRAB – RM 13.80 (EACH, minimum 2)

Choose from BBQ Crab, Hong Kong Crab, Curry Golden Sauce Crab, White Pepper Crab in Claypot, Kam Heong Crab, Sweet & Sour Crab

What a steal. What sauce to choose? We already had everything! The waitress recommended the Hong Kong Style, which was a very dry version of their Butter Crab.

The meat was limited, and I will go as far as to say this was the most lackluster dish of the evening. However, for that price, you get what you pay for (in terms of crab, not taste. Taste was good.)

BEANCURD – Prices range from RM 6 – RM 50

Handmade Claypot Beancurd – RM 10 (2-3 pax) RM 15 (5-6 pax) RM 20 (8-10 pax).

A savoury, thick sauce coated the soft, handmade beancurd. Loaded with vegetables and mushrooms.

Finally some greens to add a little vitamins, and colour.

VEGETABLES – Prices range from RM 8 – RM 30

Choose from familiar favourites like Butter Baby Kailan, Kangkong Belacan, Four Season Vege or Sambal Petai with Prawn.

It was a unanimous decision to go for something with crunch, so we ordered the Stir Fried Spicy Assorted Bean.

Yes, it was crunchy indeed, spicy, and very tasty.

The kids had what was probably the best thing on the menu! The XO Fried Rice (RM8) was so addictive that if I had to return for only one thing, it would be that.

The charming presentation was demolished in seconds as we shamelessly finished off the kids leftovers.

Loong Grill Fish really is hidden gem that’s worth a trip.

No matter how much food we order, we always manage to finish everything. I’m sitting by my phone, just waiting for another once in a blue moon invitation from my mum. If it doesn’t come soon, I might have to take matters into my own hands…

CONTACT

Loong Grill Fish (NON-HALAL)

69G, Jalan 1A/41B,
Pusat Dagang NZX PJU 1A,
Petaling Jaya 47301 Selangor M,sia
Tel: 603- 7885 0252
Fax: 603- 7885 0252
Web: http://www.loonggrillfish.blogspot.com