In a sea-lebrated gastronomic hotspot teeming with massive schools of seafood restaurants, how does a diner choose which culinary bait to take? Well, if you’re fishing for mountain summit-high quality fare, still-wriggling-fresh ingredients, applause-worthy preparation methods, and wallet-compassionate affordable prices, then the spot to dive into is famed Restaurant Kang Guan.
One of the ‘big fishes’ of Malaysian seafood sanctum Pulau Carey, Restoran Kang Guan has been hooking marine life-loving gourmands for almost 60 years now. And though it’s anchored on an island off the coast of Selangor – roughly an hour’s drive from KL’s ocean of suburbs – famished foodies continue to stream towards Restoran Kang Guan and flood its premises. The eatery brims to overflowing with patrons on almost any given day – patrons who feast as much on the delicious view of the Strait of Malacca afforded by most sections of the restaurant, as they do on its fabled offerings. The service is shark-swift and cleaner fish-efficient, and dishes (no fool orders just ONE dish at Restoran Kang Guan) begin washing up on tables within 20 minutes of an order being placed.
The food
Before plunging into the seafood proper, I decided to first dip my toes in a noodle dish – and settled on the eatery’s Fried Tong Fun. Priced at just RM8, the portion of Tong Fun that made its way to my table was mountainous, burgeoning with mounds of squid, prawns and slices of fish cake. The glass noodles were remarkably springy and moist, and the wonderfully-prepared and eminently fresh seafood were tender, juicy and toe-curlingly flavourful. Rating: 9.5/10.
Next, I doggy-paddled towards the Deep Fried Squid, which was preposterously priced at a paltry RM12 (a similar serving would cost RM25 in most KL restaurants). Coated in uniquely flavoursome batter, the large, golden brown squid were satisfyingly crispy, succulent and singularly delicious – and the freshness of the main ingredient was not lost on the palate. Rating: 9.7/10.
The next dish to float my way was the restaurant’s signature Assam Fish, priced at RM42. The monstrously-large saltwater prize was the mother lode of seafood delights – and was accompanied by slices of fresh tomatoes, onions and okra, and a luxurious, fragrant gravy which popped with sour and spicy flavours. The spotlight-grabber of the dish was the fish itself, whose steamed flesh was so tender and luscious, it behaved in the clichéd way that food writers tend to describe excellent fish meat: it practically melted in my mouth. Rating: 10/10.
Next to surf onto my plate was the Butter Prawns – or, rather, a unique, Kang Guan twist on the seafood favourite: Butter Nestum Prawns, priced, again, at an uproarious RM23. Featuring 14 mammoth prawns, plucked fresh from the ocean, the dish appeared embroidered with golden crumb clusters and curry leaves. The sensationally-luscious and sweet prawns, and butter/Nestum powder combination delivered a culinary K.O. to my palate, and had me committing another dining cliché: I licked my fingers clean.
My final dish of Sweet and Sour Crab, priced at RM52, was the toothsome, gastronomic tidal wave which wiped me out. Forgoing my favourite preparations of Salted Duck Egg and Kam Heong, my foray into Sweet and Sour paid off tremendously – the honeyed gravy was magnificent, and the superbly-prepared crabs were sublime. Rarely have I encountered a crab dish so expertly-prepared and flavourful in my years of eating my way through Malaysia. This was another winner, hands (or, rather, claws) down. Rating: 10/10
Restoran Kang Guan
No.3, Batu 1 1/2, Jalan Bandar Lama
Teluk Panglima Garang, Kuala Langat, Selangor
Hours: Mon–Fri, 12noon to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm; Sat, 12noon to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm; Sun, 12pm to 3pm
Tel: +603 3122 7737
Based on an article published by militant foodie, omnipresent shutter bug, indefatigable traveler and bionic blogger, Venoth Nathan, in Venoth’s Culinary Adventure. Images are courtesy of http://venoth.blogspot.my/.