SHAH ALAM, Oct 11 — Very often we have misconceptions about a type of food because of our own prejudices. We dismiss a place if it does not follow the standard operating procedure but who knows what you will discover if you break down that mental barrier and let your tongue be the guide.
Don’t be fooled in thinking that the food at Restaurant Bei Ping is any less authentic Chinese since they don’t serve pork. In fact, I can attest that it’s just as delicious as any dai chow or typical Chinese restaurant.
Located in a well hidden spot amidst the factories of Shah Alam, Restaurant Bei Ping caters to a niche crowd — Japanese factory workers, families from nearby housing estates or those seeking good honest Chinese fare at reasonable prices. The unassuming restaurant is run by an immigrant from China who is married to a local, hence the name Bei Ping, as it means Peking in Chinese.
Previously a chef at a golf club here, there are pictures of the owner with many local politicians when you flick through their menu.
Most of the people at the restaurant take orders in Mandarin. Fret not if you don’t converse in Mandarin, as you can always point at the menu which is peppered with photos of the dishes.
The menu features the usual Chinese restaurant fare like chicken, beef, mutton, prawns, squid and fish. As pork is omitted, you have some rarely seen items like ostrich meat and venison on the menu. You also find some banquet style dishes, as people often hold special events here since it’s near to their office. For those who have deep pockets, they also serve abalone and shark’s fin here.
You will find the food is well executed here, using less oil but still full of flavour showing good control of the wok. The best indication of a chef’s skill is the simplest dish. Take for instance the stir-fried spinach. Here it’s given a difference with omelette bits but the leaves and stalks are not too soft and still have a slight crunch.
One of my personal all-time favourites is the tomato and egg dish. Usually served at home, Bei Ping’s version goes well with plate of rice, as it has soft sweet tomatoes mingling with the omelette pieces. Similarly, their steamed red snapper fish with soy sauce is well prepared.
The stir-fried sliced lotus root dish is a common one found in most restaurants but I found Bei Ping’s version an excellent rendition. Here crunchy lotus root slices mingle with fresh lily bulbs, fresh water chestnuts and vegetables, all with the requisite crunch. Toasted almond flakes complete the dish. There’s just a hint of fried cuttlefish that does not overpower.
One of their must-eats is the honey prawns where the medium-sized prawns are deep fried with a light batter and coated with a delectable honey sauce. If you prefer, they also do a chicken version using well fried pieces of chicken. The thick dark honey sauce has a faint Chinese tea aroma which makes it more interesting.
If you are looking for something decadent, go for the butter fried squid — perfectly cooked squid rings topped with golden filigree strings of deep fried egg and curry leaves. Usually, restaurants tend to laden this dish with sugar or it’s a bit oily, but Bei Ping’s rendition is less sweet and does not have much traces of oil.
It’s Bei Ping’s dessert that takes the cake though. Don’t spoil the fun for your guests, if you’re entertaining and let them discover what fun is in store. You start off with an ordinary looking plate of orange coloured sweet potatoes placed on top of a mountain of fried beehoon strands. Using your chopsticks, pull the sweet potatoes coated with syrup and it’ll create strings of sugar threads.
Dip it in the bowl of ice water and it’ll harden to create a candy like layer. Each bite offers a nice contrast of textures — crunch from the candy layer followed by the soft sweet potato. You can also pinch pieces of the beehoon strands coated with the syrup to also create crunchy candy using the same way.
This method is common in China but relatively unknown here. Usually you use items that have a lower water content, like apples, yam and even bananas to be coated with the syrup. In PJ’s SS2 area, a Taiwanese restaurant also has a similar dish using yam pieces. However, they usually pull the sugar and dip the yam pieces for you. Here it is more fun, as you get to D-I-Y.
Restaurant Bei Ping
No. 6, Jalan Utas 15/D, Section 15, Shah Alam.
Tel: 03-55199291.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
