KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Food in the Klang Valley is often a fun adventure, allowing you to explore cuisine from a certain country or even a different state in Malaysia.

Think of it as a preview; if you like it, perhaps you can plan a holiday there to deep dive into the food and culture.

Like any adventure, one needs to shake things up a little rather than stick to familiar, conventional food choices. 

Malay fare tends to be rather one-dimensional; if it’s not nasi lemak, nasi kerabu and perhaps nasi dagang, other dishes seem to find little space in our stomachs. 

We’re not to blame as there’s an obvious skew for East Coast eats, probably because the ladies who often hold the F&B reins are more enterprising, expanding everywhere.

With their stronger flavours, it’s also no surprise they are everyone’s pick as seen by the long queues. 

However, once in a while, it’s good to break away from that comfort zone, like exploring Kedah eats found in Restoran Langgaq, near the KL East area.

Since I was new to the place, I sneakily observed everyone’s orders to gauge the top favourites. 

A family of four was seen sharing plate of Nasi Daging and the Bihun Sup Daging between their two young sons. 

Some ordered the Mee Goreng or Pek Nga Kelapa, which are coconut pancakes, eaten dipped in sambal or gulai termenun — a kembung fish curry made famous in Kuala Kedah where fresh catch is cooked in a spicy curry. 

Their pancakes aren’t the pale-looking lempeng usually found in the area; instead, they are aggressively pan-fried in a smoky pan until the edges brown. 

And the must-try item is their Cucur Udang Biasa, known as Coq Udang in Kedah dialect, served piping hot. 

Limited stomach space meant a leaner meal this round: just two dishes and a snack but each item was satisfying enough to warrant a return visit to explore more items like their packets of nasi kuning, Kedah’s colourful answer to nasi lemak with different gulai, mee rebus, mee goreng and laksa. 

Nasi Daging (RM13) arrives on a stainless steel plate: brown-coloured rice topped with boiled beef slices, served with three small bowls containing beef broth, dalca tetel and ayaq asam kerisek. 

The rice is cooked in beef stock with spices like star anise, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks, and layered with fresh coriander leaves on top. 

The meat is quite lean but still pulls apart easily, while the dalca tetel adds a layer of curry flavour too.  

On its own, the rice and beef have a mild beefy flavour but once you eat it with the ayaq asam kerisek, a dip with tamarind, chopped chilies, and onions, it’s an appetising combination that will have you cleaning up every rice grain from the plate. 

Depending on your budget, you can order a more decadent tulang rusuk (a long beef rib) and those who enjoy offal can also add beef tripe and cow lungs.  

Bihun Sup Daging (RM13) arrives with an impressive blanket of beef slices in a small bowl. 

As you dig underneath it, there’s yellow-tinged vermicelli and piping hot beef broth that calls immediately to be enjoyed before the temperature drops. 

It’s a lighter meal that balances out the more substantial Nasi Daging, giving you much needed space for their famous Cucur Udang (RM13). 

This is prepared from noon onwards at the cooking station in front, allowing you to view the theatrics of making the prawn fritters. 

A scoop of the yellow tinged batter, mixed with matchsticks of cucumber and yam bean is topped with small raw prawns still in their shells. 

Rather than frying it in the ladle to create a saucer shaped fritter, they quickly tilt the batter into the hot oil at the edge of the wok, allowing the batter to feather out into a larger, thinner, and crunchier piece. 

As the fritter clings to the side of the wok, they slowly scrape it out once it’s partially fried, allowing the entire piece to hit the hot oil. 

They continue frying it on both sides until it becomes golden brown, ensuring the fritter is crispy. 

Any excess oil is shaken away and the fritter is placed on a metal rack for any extra oil to drip out. 

Once cooled, the huge fritter is chopped into smaller, manageable pieces, to be dipped not in chili sauce but in a thick, chunky peanut sauce. 

On the side, there are also cubes of cucumber, yam bean and fried beancurd. 

It’s best eaten on the spot otherwise its texture will be compromised. 

Restoran Langgaq

6, Jalan 4/4C, Desa Melawati, 

Kuala Lumpur

Open: 8am to 11pm. Closed on Mondays. 

Tel: 014-9302423

Facebook: @langgaq

Instagram: @langgaq_kl

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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