Has it been so long since i've had a proper indonesian meal? The thing about writing food beyond your comfort zone of the usuals italian and chinese cuisines, is that it is hard to elaborate my vocab when attempting to describe the food taste sparing generic words such as "good, delicious, salty.." ( how do you know how it's suppose to taste like to begin with? there's hardly any comparison) even my "list of desciptive words" won't be much help im afraid.
That being said, be glad of the presence of this indo-malay cuisine which has shine its presence in the buzzling food scene of bangsar shopping centre (BSC). A rather sizeable restaurant whom seem to have got the very element right- AFFORDABILITY. With price ranges from as low as RM10 up to RM30 per dish, it promises good food without you breaking your piggy bank.
During my visit there i've spied couple of well-known faces, so what is that saying about this restaurant?
During my visit there i've spied couple of well-known faces, so what is that saying about this restaurant?
The simplicity decor with spacious seatings create a friendly eating environment.
Chicken Satay 1/2 dozen (RM12.90)
The indo version tends to stray towards the sweet side.
They use mainly lean meat, which is lightly charred on the outside and surprisingly tender on the inside. Their satay dipping sauce also differ to our malaysian version. Spare you the description, you have to eat it to like it or hate it.
Sup Buntut aka Oxtail Soup (RM16.90) was a slight dissapointment. Came with a small portion of liquid filled with puny pieces of meat. The taste is not as thick as i would like it to be.
We enjoyed the Soft Shell Crab with Kerabu Mango (RM34.90) very much. A delicious combination of soft shell crab and tangy Kerabu Salad with hint of spiciness made it an addictive eat.
Cumi-Cumi Bakar (RM15.90) is another must have in most indonesian cuisine's menu. The squid has a nice biting texture while the caramelized marination was sweet.
Gulai Pucuk Paku (RM9.90) Definitely my favourite by far. Young shoots of a local jungle farm paired with turmeric, coconut milk and spices. I'm not a fan when it comes to sweet dishes but this is exceptional. A perfect marriage of flavours.
Cha Kangkung with Sambal Belacan (RM10.90). A safe order that goes well with rice.
Bebek Goreng Bali aka Crispy Duck (RM24) for half portion. I am no stranger to Bebek goreng after all you get to eat these everywhere in Bali. A particular restaurant i went to in Bali that serve decent compressed crispy fried duck is Bebek Bengil (Dirty Duck) in Ubud.
A long hours marination with indonesian herbs and spices makes the meat flavourful but the texture was dry, but with the help of dipping sauces, it still made it a delightful eat.
Daging Rendang (RM13.90) was unmemorable. Even the Australian Beef tenderloin they used did not make justice to this dish. The beef cut was smaller than bitesize, and is flavoured. rather bland i may add was marinated with local herbs, spice and coconut milk
Last but not least, the masterpiece that carries the restaurant name DANCING FISH (RM38) comes with a selection of sauce differently priced. The visual itself is entertaining with fins carefully prod up to resemble (what do you know..) a fish that dance. The fish was nicely fried, crispy skin while manage to capture tender flesh.
Can't recall what complement sauce we opt for but there are choices between sambal terasi and kicap, masam kedondong pedas, belimbing salad, mango kerabu, and tangy acar
Ending with a sweet note is the lemongrass jelly with assam balls. A very refreshing end indeed. We like it =)
All in all, Dancing Fish is an ideal restaurant if you crave for spicy offerings, there's certain hit and misses, but taking into account vast offerings and reasonable priced, i'm thinking this place will certainly be a crowd pleaser for all.
Ratings:
Food: 6.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambience: 7/10
Presentation of food: 6.5/10
Overall rating: 6.5/10
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Dancing Fish
3rd Floor,
Bangsar Shopping Centre
KL
Tel: 03-2095 6663
