Dine on fresh seafood at PJ Damansara Jaya's Restaurant Kampung Seafood Parit Jawa

PETALING JAYA, April 10 — Long-time PJ residents would have come across New Peng Wah Restaurant in Damansara Jaya.

Back in the old days, the restaurant was one of the places my family would visit for Chinese restaurant-style dishes.

A few years ago, like a phoenix, they were reborn as Restaurant Kampung Seafood Parit Jawa.

In these new premises, a stone's throw away from their original location, the focus is a pork-free menu showcasing "live" seafood.

What's impressive about Sabak clams is they're plump, juicy specimens.

Pumpkin Tofu is best with rice as the smooth, silky beancurd is coated with a rich, not too sweet sauce.

There's of course the usual suspects like fish, crabs, clams, sotong and prawns but I was surprised to see octopus on the menu.

You can definitely hit a cooking style you like as the choices are vast, whether it's their signature spicy sour asam jawa to milder flavours.

While I would have liked to try the crabs, my dining companion wasn't the type to fiddle with those crustaceans so my next favourite was the Lala Soup. It's RM30 for a small portion, RM58 for a large one.

What stood out was the plump, juicy clams. Here, they use the thicker white clams or Sabak. The broth is lighter with just a hint of Chinese herbs and ginger slices to allow the fresh, sweet seafood to shine.

Salted Egg Sotong tends to be milder in flavour but it's well prepared with a not too thick coating of batter.

If soup isn't your preference, there are other cooking styles to consider. Select from Drunken Lala, Kam Heong Lala or Garlic Paste Lala to chase away any vampires.

The other recommended dish was the Pumpkin Tofu. An ex-colleague had highly recommended this dish which is her family's favourite.

I understood why once I tried it.

The soft deep fried beancurd was liberally coated with the golden pumpkin sauce. It's thankfully not too sweet.

Twin Style Kai Lan is more than just good-for-you greens since it's a little sinful with that frizzy "seaweed" topping which is deep fried.

The sauce adds a richness to the beancurd, making it a dish that paired supremely well with rice.

A small portion for RM18 was pretty generous for two people too. Larger parties can order the medium sized portion for RM28 or the large sized portion for RM38.

Salted Eggs Sotong (RM32 for a small portion) is also another of my standard go-to orders. Their version is not overly battered with a slick coating of salted egg yolk sauce.

The sotong is not overcooked but the salted egg yolk taste is rather mild. This makes it great for those who prefer lighter flavours.

It is mostly families that occupy the tables here at this restaurant that is located on one of the inner roads facing Atria Shopping Centre in Damansara Jaya.

For diners who prefer stronger plus spicier flavours, there's Sambal Petai Sotong, Kam Heong Sotong and an interesting Parit Jawa Spicy Sotong and Prawns.

If you like greens, you will be happy to know that their menu features various leafy vegetables like kangkong, baby spinach, sweet potato leaf and green dragon vegetables. For those who hate all things green, there's comforting Claypot Brinjal and Lo Hon Chai.

We tried out the Twin Style Kai Lan (RM20 for a small portion), the classic restaurant dish where you get two cooking styles in one dish.

The dark green leaves are finely sliced and deep fried till they frizz up to resemble seaweed. Here, they sprinkle tiny crunchy ikan bilis on top, which gives it an umami flavour to it.

It's all about seafood here as seen by the boat signage for the restaurant.

It's a play of textures, as the stalks are crunchy since it's deftly stir fried with sliced garlic. I always find it's a dish that tips between virtuous and sinful, since it's deep fried but it's technically a good-for-you dark green vegetable.

Solo diners can also find food here too. For RM13, there's rice and a choice of chicken dishes with pumpkin, spring onion ginger, kam heong or Marmite. Fried rice is also offered with three different flavours too.

Restaurant Kampung Seafood Parit Jawa, 27, 29 and 31, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya. Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 11.30pm. Closed on Monday. Tel:03-77327773/012-5123315. Facebook: @KampungSeafoodParitJawa Instagram: @kampungseafood_paritjawa

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

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