Soon Tong Restaurant. Southern Park, Klang. The Perfect Oyster Omelette.

Chinese "Dai Chows" are an ubiquitous and inseparable part of the Chinese Dining in Malaysia. Often located in housing estates, it serves as an economical alternative to dining at home and is usually busy at peak hours and offer fuss free dining, with no reservations required, in a casual and simple environment. Most of them serve perennial favourites like Sweet and Sour Pork, Steamed Fish (various styles) and stir-fried vegetables. Most of their menu hardly raises any eyebrows nor send an adrenaline rush of excitement that drives me to stratospheric frenzy, but Soon Tong's menu seem to be a different genre altogether.

Nestled in Southern Park, one of the small housing estates in Klang, it offers a refreshing difference to the usual Dai Chow menu. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical when I was invited to dine there. Their Sizzling Or-Chien or Chinese Oyster Omelette was supposed to be good. "So? It's just Or-Chien. I can get that anywhere", I thought to myself cynically. That is until I saw this.


A sizzling plate of still runny eggs and flour, topped with lots of luscious oysters which was in turn, topped with scallions, fried shallots, fresh chilli and onions. It smelled heavenly, and I greedily went for a piece of the action. The taste and consistency was perfect! A dash of chinese wine did wonders to get rid of the over briney smell of the oysters and the play of texture of the runny eggs and sticky flour based batter was transcendental. The peppery topping played beautifully and danced along with the prima donna. Those who complain about the lack of oysters in their Or-Chien should come here and stuff yourselves silly by ordering the "Tid-Pan-How Cheen" or Sizzling Oyster Omelette. The owners are Cantonese.


The Double Boiled Herbal Chicken Soup would have tasted better if they used free range chicken, but the soup itself was full of natural sweetness and enhanced with some Chinese herbs and wolfberries. There was a generous amount of fish maw and Godzilla sized mushrooms in this delicious soup which would not have felt out of place in any fancy Chinese restaurant in KL.


The Smoked Tea Duck was wonderful. The duck was cured and smoked with some imported wood and the result is a moist, tender, flavourful and aromatic duck that tasted slightly like ham, but with a more intense smokey flavour. The meat is almost devoid of fat and the dish literally screamed for a muscular, full bodied Pinot to accompany it. The Smoked Duck was so good, I packed some unchopped duck to keep in my freezer, ready to be thawed and enjoyed in a jiffy. I already have some ideas on how to dish out the duck at home. Blanch some cherry tomatoes, remove the skin and mash it up, add some chopped onions, argula leaves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, serve it on a toasted baguette and top it with the duck. If it tastes good, I'll let you guys know.


The Seafood Pot is a delectable pot of fish maw, abalone, dried oysters and some bak choy, simmered in chicken superior stock with whole garlic bulbs. It tasted lovely and rich and the collagen in fish maw may have given me an artificial face lift and lifted my saggy bum! Although this dish was good, conspicuously absent was the obligatory dried sea cucumber and large dried scallops which would have made made the dish spectacular which can be overlooked as well, bearing in mind that this is a dai chow and not some expensive fine dining Chinese. This would have probably driven the price up. Although lacking in expensive ingredients, the seafood pot did not falter because of the superb chicken stock.

The price for 3 diners, plus some stir fried vegetables and drinks (non-alcoholic) was only a miserly RM 110. This place was very clean but slightly shabby but fortunately the food made up for it. With some inventive twists and turns to make it stand out among the crowd, I'll be back for more. How often do I wax lyrical over dai chow food?

This place is a bit hard to find, for those who are not familiar with Klang. If you are exiting through Kesas, drive along Jalan Banting until you pass Aeon Jusco, Bukit Tinggi entrance and the General Hospital. Once you see a Shell Petrol Station on your right, be prepared to turn left at the next traffice light which is located opposite an Esso Station. Once you take the turn, you will notice a 7-11 store. Turn left again at the next junction and drive along the road till the end. Soon Tong is located n your right hand, opposite a bungalow.

Restoran Soon Tong
No. 1, Jalan Rengas
Taman Selatan
Klang
Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: +6.03.33.73.27.80

GPS: 3°01'34.37"N, 101°26'28.46"E