PUCHONG, Nov 25 — Whenever I mention going to Puchong for a meal, I can hear a collective groan from my friends. Sure, it’s far. Super jammed too. Especially when you pick the wrong timing. But once in a while, a place pops up that you don’t mind making a trip further away from your comfort zone for. Like this place that serves Matang-style seafood porridge.

Opened about nine years ago, this restaurant is run by the Beh family who hails from Matang, a village which is a stone’s throw away from Taiping town. People flock to the village to eat their famous seafood porridge, made with the freshest catch from the sea.

In Puchong, brothers Beh Lian Peng and Beh Liang Sing recreate that whole dining experience using the freshest seafood from their village. Back in their hometown, their family are fishermen, hence the best seafood is easily sourced.

Beh Lian Peng (left) and his brother, Beh Liang Seng (right), started this restaurant when he was just 20! (left). The steamed sotong is perfectly cooked with no rubbery bits (right).
Beh Lian Peng (left) and his brother, Beh Liang Seng (right), started this restaurant when he was just 20! (left). The steamed sotong is perfectly cooked with no rubbery bits (right).

The restaurant was started by Lian Peng when he was just 20! You’ll find that the whole Beh family start at a young age in the F&B industry. After finishing Form 2, they started working in a restaurant at Matang.

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Through hard work, they picked up the cooking skills. Even their current head chef, who is Beh’s cousin, is only 20 years old! For their first outlet, they selected Puchong, influenced by their former business partner. The place also made sense since there was little food choices back in those days.

When they first opened, they offered a buffet of seafood to their customers. That was enough to draw people’s attention without any advertisement. Since then, they have a steady stream of regular diners.

The steamed clams are perfectly cooked and accompanied with a sweet broth laced with Chinese wine.
The steamed clams are perfectly cooked and accompanied with a sweet broth laced with Chinese wine.

The rice is cooked ahead and added to the broth during the cooking session (left). The rice is added to the broth to make the porridge on high heat (right).
The rice is cooked ahead and added to the broth during the cooking session (left). The rice is added to the broth to make the porridge on high heat (right).

In their early days, they partnered with many investors to open outlets all over Malaysia and even Singapore. During their heyday, they had outlets in Ipoh, Johor and Melaka. They also opened places around the Jalan Kuchai Lama and Kota Kemuning area. Sadly, all these places aren’t operating anymore, leaving only this restaurant.

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Beh explained that they have slowly upgraded the restaurant to what it is now. Previously, it was just a simple set-up with fans, tables and chairs. Now the place sports an open kitchen, allowing you to see what is cooking. They also use marble tables since the food keeps warm on that surface.

Walk into the restaurant and you’ll find each table has a large claypot of seafood porridge. This is the Teochew version where cooked rice is added into a flavourful broth. The grains remain whole and have a nice fluffiness.

You get to relish fresh silver pomfret from Matang which have a sweeter taste (left). Once steamed, quickly eat the delicate pomfret fish especially the fins which is the best part (right).
You get to relish fresh silver pomfret from Matang which have a sweeter taste (left). Once steamed, quickly eat the delicate pomfret fish especially the fins which is the best part (right).

You also get more broth versus rice ratio with this type of porridge. Each spoonful of this dish is heartwarming since the broth is packed with flavour. The broth is made by boiling large pork bones and ikan bilis for four hours! They also add white radish to the broth and that lends a natural sweetness to it.

The menu offers a variety of combinations for your porridge. There’s a mix of prawns, fish slices, sotong and crabs, with the four treasure combination. If you prefer fish maw, try the four style king which is served with prawns and pomfret. Or go seafood-free, by ordering their minced meat porridge.

Select your preferred combination first and add on anything you like from their list of ingredients. It can be a luxurious choice like canned abalone clams or even mushrooms. The portions range from one person to 10 persons for large groups. As a hungry solo eater, I could easily polish off the single portion by myself.

The crabs with roes are prepped for steaming in their central steamer (left). These fried sole fish is perfect with the soupy porridge (right).
The crabs with roes are prepped for steaming in their central steamer (left). These fried sole fish is perfect with the soupy porridge (right).

During the weekends, you will find many families dining here.
During the weekends, you will find many families dining here.

When it comes to your choice of fish in the porridge, it depends on whether you’re challenged when it comes to handling fish bones. Should you hate dealing with pesky bones... go for the boneless siakap fish slices.

If you’re a true blue fish connoisseur, the must order is pomfret. The flat looking fish is the preferred choice for its delicate, sweet fish flesh. The restaurant offers two types of pomfret: silver and white.

It’s more than just porridge here. The restaurant also offers stand out seafood dishes. Go for their steamed clams. They use the bigger, harder shelled Manila clams here that is steamed to juicy perfection. It comes with a clear, sweet tasting broth laced with Chinese rice wine that you won’t be able to stop drinking.

The crabs are sourced from Matang (left). The siakap fish is kept chilled under a bed of ice (right).
The crabs are sourced from Matang (left). The siakap fish is kept chilled under a bed of ice (right).

Another must-eat here is the steamed sotong. Again, their steaming skills are perfect, as you won’t find any rubbery bits. It comes with the soft egg sacs. Even the steamed pomfret is good. They also offer patin fish and large sea grouper.

There is also smaller-sized crabs from Matang with softer shells. These smaller sized crustaceans require more work compared to their Indonesian cousins but you’ll be rewarded with sweet, delicate flesh.

And what goes really well with the soupy porridge... is their deep fried sole fish. Nibble on the golden brown fish with its crunchy bones. The fish flesh is also sweet and delicate. The restaurant also does salt baked dishes with ikan terubuk. Nothing is added except its salt crust, hence you get to taste the sweet, creamy flesh on its own. You can also order salt baked crabs too. For your greens, there’s the standard choices like choy sum and yau mak but try the sweet, crunchy French beans with dried shrimps.

The bigger portion of porridge with pomfret, fish maw, prawns and sotong is best shared with family or friends (left). Order this sweet, crunchy stir fried French beans with dried shrimps (right).
The bigger portion of porridge with pomfret, fish maw, prawns and sotong is best shared with family or friends (left). Order this sweet, crunchy stir fried French beans with dried shrimps (right).

Once the porridge is cooked in the pot, it is ladled into the claypot for the diners (left). Once it the salt crust is removed, you need to remove the skin and bones before serving the ikan terubuk (right).
Once the porridge is cooked in the pot, it is ladled into the claypot for the diners (left). Once it the salt crust is removed, you need to remove the skin and bones before serving the ikan terubuk (right).

Don’t miss out their desserts, which is made by Beh’s wife. The appeal here are desserts that leave you satisfied without that tooth aching sweetness. You have the traditional Teochew or nee which is essentially yam paste served with gingko nuts. Traditionally made from lard, this version tends to be less creamy. Instead, it has a stickier texture compared to others.

The highlight is their crystal peach gum dessert. According to Beh, the family discovered this product when they toured Hong Kong last year. Touted as the (hidden) secret to beautiful skin, it is essentially resin collected from wild peach trees. The hardened gum is rich in amino acids and collagen. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners also use these amber-like crystals to regulate cholesterol levels, reduce stress levels and protect the liver.

You can also order the herbal dessert with snow fungus, red dates and gingko nuts (left). As the Behs are Teochew, they also serve or nee made with taro and gingko nuts (right).
You can also order the herbal dessert with snow fungus, red dates and gingko nuts (left). As the Behs are Teochew, they also serve or nee made with taro and gingko nuts (right).

For a sweet and nutritional ending, go for their peach gum dessert with double boiled papaya.
For a sweet and nutritional ending, go for their peach gum dessert with double boiled papaya.

Once you soak and double boil the peach gum, it turns into something similar to jelly. Here, they serve it with a double boiled sweet broth with slices of papaya and wolf berries. They also have another Chinese herbal dessert. Again, this is not too sweet. This dessert is a treasure trove of snow fungus, gingko nuts and red dates.

The shop is one of the longest to survive in this row of shophouses.
The shop is one of the longest to survive in this row of shophouses.

If you love cooking at home, you can also pick up fish like pomfret from their standalone freezer. The seafood is sent from Matang every other day. Occasionally, some diners even select the special fish here, asking them to cook a meal out of it. Beh also tells us that when they score any special items, they will even offer it up to their regulars.

You’ll definitely leave here happy, with thoughts of returning with family and friends. Who knows... you may soon be making regular trips to Puchong!

Taiping Matang Seafood Porridge Restaurant
No. 35-G, Jalan Putera 4/7A
Bandar Puteri
Puchong, Selangor
Tel: 010-4300323/017-2800323
Open daily: 10am to 10pm
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TaipingSeafoodPorridgePuchong/