Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

How does it feel to be dining in the compound of someone else’s house? If you think that’s awkward, well …. think again.

There’s this restaurant (or as close to a restaurant as this premise can be) in Taman Chi Liung of Klang, which was opened by a former cook from a restaurant (pardon me, but sources unknown and not verified). The name of the restaurant is Seafood Paradise, and I tell you, the array of dishes listed and pictured in their menu is not shabby at all. An impressive range of seafood, meats, vegetables, rice and noodle dishes numbering in the realm of 80-100 items, if my memory serves me right.

Which on most days, it does not. Oh well …….

Don’t let the miserable patronage deters you, for it was rather early on that evening we went for dinner ….. A second visit revealed the sheer number of customers Seafood Paradise usually has. Crowded to the max.

If you’re thinking, nah …. just another run-of-the-mill ‘Chu Char’ (Chinese style of serving dishes and rice) restaurant, you’re in for a surprise. The innovative dishes conjured up by the proprietor himself (fondly known as ‘Kong Tau Loh’ or Botak/Bald Guy) sounded very inviting, and you just have to browse the menu for vividly-coloured shots of the dishes, paired with descriptions in both Chinese and English, for a general idea on what they serve.

From crabs to prawns and fish, as well as chicken and pork, the manner of serving them is pratically endless, what’s more with the seldom available Crispy Yam Ring (‘Futt Poot’) with a variety of fillings, such as Marmite pork ribs, chicken, etc. Guaranteed you’ll find something for everyone – Sweet & Sour/Butter Cream dishehs for the younger ones, Spicy Assam and Curries for the adults, and softer Tofu (beancurd) and greens for the elderly.

Actually, those were MARMITE PORK RIBS in the picture above. Pardon the error, but Motormouth’s just a mere mortal. (RM16/USD4.50)

The crispy yam ring served atop a bed of crunchy deep-fried vermicelli, with the hollowed centre filled with glistening pieces of sweet and savoury boneless pork ribs smothered in Marmite sauce. Sounds fantastic eh? But this dish was not as impressive as I had imagined the ensemble to be. Not bad, but nothing that screamed for a second serving.

If your kids scurry away hurriedly from bitter gourd, serve them THIS. (RM7/USD2)

But the egg omelette stir-fried with slices of bitter gourd and chopped scallions was a most memorable dish, for its simplicity and taste excelled in areas that mattered most. Nothing too fancy, yet complemented the meal extremely well. I can imagine having this dish, and a small block of spicy ‘Fu Yee’ (fermented beancurd) for a complete meal with porridge. Yeah the simple, little wonders.

We stayed sober throughout the meal. None got tipsy, but everyone felt the warmth. Red Wine Chicken @ RM20/USD5.70

The claypot of red wine chicken reminded me of Taiwanese style dish of Three Cups Chicken, with a thick, dark and strongly-flavoured gravy with a faint hint of wine.  The portion was a little too much to handle for the three of us, and we ended up picking the fleshier parts only at the end of the meal. If you love soy sauce braised chicken, or tender chicken cooked in the most traditional manner, then this dish is for you.

Craving for a little heat, we initially wanted to order Curry Fish, but felt dejected when informed of its unavailability. Not sure the gravy was not ready, curry powder running out, or whatever excuses, but the Assam Fish (RM17/USD4.80) came in a most consoling manner. Thick chunks of grouper slices cooked in a tangy and slightly spicy sauce flavoured with tamarind juice, as well as with assorted vegetables such as ladies finger (okra), tomatoes and onions. Minor gripe? The earthy, muddy taste was evident, but slowly dissipated after a few bites.

Swear we were STILL sober !!! Guinness Stout Chicken (RM8/USD2.20)

What? ANOTHER chicken dish, cooked in alcohol-laden gravy?! Not too worry, it’s rather mild, much like the usual Honey Chicken, with a light, bitter-ish aftertaste. A little salty though, and definitely to go with white rice, else you might feel overwhelmed by the sticky, robust sauce.

And yeah ….. some crunchy, fibrous Siu Pak Choy (English please?) to complete the meal. (RM8/USD2.20)

And you know when the greens itself got more attention than the meats (least to me), the cook has to be really, REALLY good. Simply stir-fried with some chopped garlic for flavour, the Siu Pak Choy reeked of ‘wok hei’ (breath of the wok, or heat imparted from a really hot wok), and still maintaining that relished crunch, unlike most soggy renditions of stir-fried greens. Yeah, I sang praises for the greens. And NO, I’m not a Farmville fan. So there. 🙂

Address as stated above. GOOGLE MAP AVAILABLE HERE.

P/S : The dishes were ordered on TWO separate visits. Parking is not a problem, but you’ll have to park somewhat haphazardly by the roadside, for this is a residential area after all. Opens for dinner only.