SUBANG JAYA, April 24 — If you’ve ever been curious about what it might be like to eat banquet-style Cantonese dishes beneath a pickleball court, look no further.
Even if you’ve never had that oddly specific thought, Restoran Sfeng in USJ 25 now grants that possibility.
Located in the far-off depths of Subang Jaya that border Shah Alam — about five to 10 minutes from both Main Place and One City — the restaurant is the only other tenant in a mixed-use development still under completion, aside from the aptly named “Dink Avenue.”
The proliferation of restaurant brands from China in the Klang Valley is such old news at this point that it would be truly newsworthy, frankly, if it stopped altogether.
Yet we, the voracious Malaysian public, continue to lap it up.
And it’s not just the big players; small, relatively unknown names like Sfeng have been steadily expanding their footprint beyond the city proper.
The restaurant states that it has existed since 1995 in Guangzhou, but I couldn’t find anything to verify the claim, even after searching the Mandarin name 顺峰 (shun feng), from which its decidedly succinct name comes.
But unlike the dozens upon dozens of Sichuan and Hunan restaurants, Sfeng offers something much closer to home: Cantonese cuisine.
Despite what the proliferation of hotpot joints across Kuala Lumpur may suggest, Cantonese roasted meats and banquet dishes were the first to capture our hearts and minds.
So of course, the first thing we tried was Sfeng’s signature offering: roast goose (RM148 for half).
While geese used to be something of a rarity — truly fat, plump specimens were hard to come by — many now fly in from the same country of origin as the restaurants serving them.
And this was a truly fat specimen, with plenty of thin, crisp-as-glass skin. But once the globs of fat and the last of the rich, savoury roasting juices had dribbled down my chin, I was left with meat that was quite tough and, dare I say, dry.
It was not an ideal start to the meal, particularly for a dish the restaurant prides itself on.
Thankfully, the other signature item — bawang roast chicken (RM68 for one) — made up for it, with juicy flesh, crisp skin, and a slightly spicy dipping salt.
Aside from the roasted meats, banquet dishes form the bulk of Sfeng’s menu, even though the restaurant’s interior feels more like one long prefabricated room than a lavish banquet hall.
Shunde pan-fried hand-beaten cuttlefish cakes (RM28) were light, bouncy patties that are best enjoyed on their own to fully appreciate their delicate sweetness.
Equally moreish, the salt-baked tiger prawns (RM58) were crispy, salted to the hilt and an absolute delight to wolf down with rice.
Ignore the English description on the menu, though — this is very clearly a classic Cantonese-style salt-and-pepper wok-fried dish.
But the two contenders for dish of the night came from opposite ends of the spectrum.
First, a rather run-of-the-mill-looking braised tofu in abalone sauce (RM38), which proved deceptively good, with incredibly smooth tofu and a thick, robust abalone sauce.
Then, finally, a dish that both looked and tasted like it belonged in a banquet: Maggi-style savoury pork (RM58).
A strange name, considering the thin wafers of heavily marbled pork belly were coated in a sweet, sticky sauce.
They were presented like Peking duck, meant to be enjoyed in a thin pancake, revealing a brittle, almost caramelised texture reminiscent of hard candy.
This dish was a clear winner, though it ended up being so sweet that I couldn’t quite place the connection to Maggi. Maybe it’s a rogue bit of product placement — these days, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Restoran Sfeng Sdn Bhd 顺峰壹號
1, Jalan USJ 25,
Jalan Makmur,
Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Open daily, 11am-3pm, 5-10pm
Facebook: 順峰壹号特色廣州菜
Instagram: @shunfengno.1
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and occasionally self-deprecating humour.
