KUALA LUMPUR- The question of what to eat for lunch is one most working people dread on weekdays. Conversations would go something like this: “Chicken rice? We ate that two days ago” or “How about sushi? Too expensive lah.”
If that sounds familiar to you, why not go easy on the meat and opt for vegetarian food for a change? The Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery Canteen, located near Suria KLCC, has been serving simple but tasty vegetarian dishes for more than 20 years.
If you go there around noon on a weekday, you’re bound to see dozens of office workers and tourists holding their plates and queueing for the cashier. Don’t let that deter you because the food is worth it.
On a normal day, one can expect up to 30 dishes spread out buffet-style for patrons to choose from. With a setup reminiscent of a school canteen, long metallic tables are filled with trays of freshly cooked dishes such as fried fuchuk (beancurd skin), vegetarian char siew, curry vegetables, marmite sauce potatoes, vegetarian fried fish and so on.
The staple is “mixed rice”, a local reference to rice and all the side dishes on the same plate.
A FMT Lifestyle reporter went to the spot on a Friday, and the special item on the menu was lei cha, a popular Hakka dish.
Lei cha is a healthy dish typically made with tea leaves and usually taken for breakfast. It’s eaten with rice with side dishes such as tofu, diced green veggies, roasted nuts, sesame seeds and pickled radish.
The version served at the canteen looked a little too green, but it was flavourful and worth a try for those who might be a bit skittish when it comes to eating their veggies.
Since the main point of service at the canteen is to provide healthy meals, the dishes are cooked with less oil and salt than normal, making them perfect for those on a diet.
There are special dishes other than mixed rice on every working day: fried rice and black bean soup on Monday, bitter gourd soup and potato noodles on Tuesday, herbal soup and tomato soup noodles on Wednesday, curry noodles on Thursday and, of course, lei cha on Friday.
Visitors will also be able to try out nasi lemak and Hainan rice on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.
If you feel like a snack after the main meal, light bites such as fried sesame balls, radish cake among others, are available.
One friendly reminder: since the place is self-service, do remember to clear out the plates after your meal. Dump leftover food into the bin provided and place the utensils at the designated spot to ease the burden of the workers and volunteers at the temple.
Since the canteen has such a long history, it’s no wonder that patrons go there from near and far for the fare it serves.
Andrew Tan, 35, told FMT Lifestyle he would eat there at least twice a week since he works nearby.
“I’ve been coming here for more than 10 years,” he said.
Ravinderjit Singh hails from Seremban. He happened to be in town for official business. Remembering the place fondly from years ago, the 50-year-old brought his family along to let them try the dishes.
“I like the temple environment here as it has a very calming aura,” he said. “I was glad to see that the food here tastes just as good as I remember.”
Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery Food Centre
Lorong Binjai (Off Jalan Ampang),
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Business hours:
• Monday-Friday: 11.00am-2.30pm
• First and 15th day of the lunar month: 7.30am-2.30pm
Contact: 03-216 37118