Today there are many places that serve wholesome vegan and vegetarian meals at reasonable prices, one of them being Daily Greens & Grains by Clean Eating.
Located in SS22, Damansara Jaya, the restaurant was opened in August this year by Yee Zhi Wye, 32, and her husband Leong Tat Chen, 43, both vegetarians for over 20 years.
Raised by her father and late grandmother, Yee said she remembered being just six years old when she used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen helping her grandmother cook.
“I remember standing on a stool so I could reach the kitchen counter to chop onions and garlic,” she told FMT, adding that her late grandmother was an amazing cook.
Although heartbroken by her recent passing, Yee went ahead to open the restaurant as a way of honouring her grandmother’s spirit.
The eatery serves a vast array of Chinese and local dishes, of which, 85% are vegan, and the rest, vegetarian. That would explain the 30-page menu, with the promise of even more dishes to come.
All sauces, pastes and soup bases are prepared from scratch instead of resorting to store-bought alternatives that are often laden with additives and preservatives.
And although the food here is tasty, absolutely no MSG, garlic or onions are used in the cooking process. Instead they use pink Himalayan salt which is rich in minerals, brown sugar instead of white and watch the oil.
According to Yee, they make their own organic ramen, yee mee and vermicelli, which are also sold at their organic grocery store, “Clean Eating Grocer” located a few doors away.
“Customers can make special requests at least two hours before coming, and we’ll do our best to cater,” she said, adding that they have quite a number of patrons with serious illnesses.
Apart from being a passionate cook, Yee is adamant on keeping prices affordable so that more people can enjoy her wholesome meals.
The vegan economy rice set is served from 9.00am till about 2.00pm and costs just RM8.80 on average for three side dishes, multigrain rice and a bowl of soup.
Some of the other popular dishes include the absolutely delicious claypot herbal hericium mushroom rice with salted “fish” made from preserved beancurd; the mouth-watering Portuguese “prawn” dish made from konjac – a type of root vegetable, as well as the flavourful curry rendang mushroom served with fried man tou or steamed buns.
Those looking for something that tastes “meaty” should try the addictive fried hericium mushroom in Nan Yu or fermented bean curd sauce. But if you prefer something milder and flavourful, the herbal hericium mushroom dish fits the bill.
Egg lovers on the other hand can try one of their many ‘ma cao’ egg dishes. Yee said these dishes use eggs produced from hens fed highly nutritious Napier grass.
“Besides the spinach fried rice, mapo tofu, nasi lemak, hokkein mee, bak kut teh and asam laksa, many customers like our eggplant dishes, as they say that it is a lot less oily than the ones they get at other places,” she said.
The drinks served here are good too. There’s organic coffee; apple fungus sweetened with red dates and molasses, and honey lemon, which is made by boiling lemon rind.
In the future, Yee hopes to introduce organic vegan sourdough pizzas, vegan sushi as well as vegan cakes.
According to Yee, her customers are a mix of vegans, vegetarians and meat-eaters, and she usually recommends them dishes according to their personal tastes and dietary preferences.
“If someone is transitioning into a vegan lifestyle, I will recommend ‘meatier’ dishes that taste similar to the non-vegan versions, as opposed to dishes that they might not be used to yet.”
At the end of the day, the restaurant more than lives up to its name – it’s a great place to get your daily fix of wholesome, delicious food, especially given its wide menu and affordable prices.
Check out Daily Greens & Grains by Clean Eating on Facebook and Instagram.
Daily Greens & Grains by Clean Eating
51, Jalan SS 22/11
Damansara Jaya
47400 Petaling Jaya
Business Hours:
8.30am- 3pm; 5.30pm- 9pm (Tuesday-Sunday)
Closed on Monday, except during Buddhist celebrations