Ara Damansara’s Lontong & Co is the perfect spot to feed your cravings for ‘lontong’ and laksa Johor 

PETALING JAYA, Oct 15 — Each time I think of lontong darat, I am reminded of a trip to Labis to help deliver aid to flood victims, where I first experienced this dry version. 

What a game changer it was, when served without the usual sayur lodeh, the soft compressed rice was singing with flavour, just like this version at Lontong & Co. 

A mark of a great lontong is when they make their own rice cakes, wrapped in a cylinder shaped from banana leaf that is boiled until the compressed rice is soft. 

This deconstructed dish has separate piles of the rice cakes liberally dusted with serunding kelapa or toasted grated coconut mixed with turmeric and a variety of spices and herbs, sambal goreng Jawa or stir fried vegetables with tempeh and glass noodles, accompanied with kuah kacang or peanut sauce and sambal. 

When mixed together, it plays a soulful tune of spiciness, mingling with the creamy, chunky peanut sauce with just a hint of toasted coconut, together with the soft rice cakes and a crunch from the stir fried vegetables. 

For a creamy version, Lontong Lodeh is ideal with a 'sayur lodeh' base topped with 'serunding kelapa' and 'kuah kacang' — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

For RM10, this Lontong Darat makes a great start to the day and if you prefer a protein boost, there are variations with Rendang Ayam, Rendang Daging or Paru Berempah from RM16 to RM17. 

On days you prefer a more comforting touch, the Lontong Lodeh (RM9) is your answer. 

Using the same rice cakes, this time it’s drowning in a big bowl filled with the cheery, sunshine yellow coloured sayur lodeh. 

Mix in the kuah kacang and serunding kelapa, to add another layer of flavour that is meek since the coconut milk dominates as the textures of everything in the bowl is soft especially the assortment of vegetables like yam bean, cabbage and even creamy tempeh. 

Rendang Daging (left) has beef cooked till tender and coated in a coconut rich gravy while the Paru Berempah (right) uses tender pieces of cow's lungs. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

For add-ons to further enhance your lontong experience, look for Rendang Daging (RM6) with its soft, pull-apart meat covered with a rich coconut sauce redolent with spices or Paru Berempah (RM5) with its glistening midnight black colour that hides soft well cooked cow’s lungs, which you don’t need to break a sweat chewing. 

Laksa Johor Tenggiri Bunga is eaten Johorean style with a thick coconut milk gravy of fish pulp and spaghetti. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Of course, one must order the Laksa Johor Tenggiri Bunga (RM15) with its rich santan gravy thick with ground fish pulp and kerisik eaten with spaghetti with your hands, like how every Johorean does.

A bright red sambal belacan with a squeeze of calamansi lime, dials up the heat for the mild laksa sprinkled with pickled radish, bean sprouts, onions, cucumber and Thai basil leaves and Vietnamese mint leaves. 

For lunch, there’s a spread of dishes tempting you to add it to your plate of white rice or biryani rice. 

Other goodies earmarked for the next visit include the Kacang Pol, Soto Ayam Begedil and their Kuih Lopes.   

The space is airy with its double volume ceiling that also makes the restaurant feel larger, making it a pleasant dining experience. 

Located right next door is their sister cafe that offers baked goods like bread and cookies. 

A lunch spread of various dishes (left) is popular with their regulars at this coffee shop located inside NZX Commercial Centre (right). — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Lontong & Co

M-G-08, NZX Commercial Centre

Jalan PJU 1A/41, 

Ara Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Open: 8am to 4pm. Closed on Friday.

Tel: 012-3791011

Facebook: @lontongandcoaradamansara

Instagram: @lontongandcoaradamansara

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

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