It was one of those days where we have one too many holidays over the CNY that we decided to drive 40 minutes away from town to a place famous for their seafood, Kuala Selangor. This is mainly because they are located near the Selangor River and we were able to get one of the freshest catch of the day at a very reasonable price. This area has somewhat became commercialized with city people commuting down here to get those out of city experiences to enjoy a cheap seafood feast on the stilts along the river bank. Further with the development of Latar highway provided even more convenient access to us City Folks
Kuan Hwa Seafood Restaurant should be no stranger for most locals. Simple and casual dining where you can work your hands dirty, slurping noisily and all that. Overlooking the riverbanks already gives an impression that you’re in for some fresh seafood especially when fishermen’s boat seems to pass by every 5 minutes. But it is no illusion because overall the seafood was indeed very fresh, some with flesh that’s so sweet, that you can just steam it and eat it with some spicy sauce by the side. Best part is, this is a pork free restaurant so it’s quite friendly to all racial groups.
There were only few of us that day but we wasted no expense to order as much as our tummy can carry because hey-after all we’ve drove so far for them right?
Started with Steam See Hum and 螺 (some form of snail) cooked in the most simplistic manner- Steam. When the plate of See Hum was served I was quite skeptical of those closed shell which almost occupies half the plates since I’ve always had the perception that closed seafood shell equates to not fresh! But fear not with these, it was perfectly fresh, each and every one of them. The best part is their killer spicy sauce.
Lala Fried Mee Hoon is a must order. Forget those white rice now you Chinese!! because this would be a good alternative for carbs! Not overly heavy so you can focus more on seafood. Now- Be good.
Salt & Pepper Mantis Prawns 椒盐濑尿虾was definitely worth the order, and possibly one of my favourite of the day. Came in a good size, the flesh was succulent, easy to fall off the shell with some really nice bite to it. The fact that it was nicely coated with spice seasoning on the outer shell later while manage to maintain the fresh prawn taste on its flesh without overpowering it deserves a plus point to this dish.
Sambal Sotong was equally good. The sambal sauce was tasty without being too strong that you can still taste the freshness of the squid which was cook perfectly. Neither too soft nor too cooked.
Clam Soup in Superior Broth 上汤啦啦 using a thicker shell version called the “Kapar”, the superior broth is comparatively lighter than the ones served in KL that likes to sometimes overdose on the cooking wine and ginger. The ones served here has minimal of those seasoning, almost mocking us with the “I don’t need anything because I am THAT fresh” attitude. Pff!
Steam pomfret in soya sauce like this also prove that simplicity can also be a delight, it totally won me over.
Kam Heong Crab 甘香螃蟹 focuses predominantly on the sauce which can get finger licking good (or messy) but in this case, although flavourful on its own way, the sauce was slightly different from the ones I’ve eaten in the City. It was nevertheless an enjoyment though I still preferred my regular kam heong in town!
You know what’s best to eat these with? Pop me a couple of beers and I’m ready to sing hallelujah. Our bill came up to approximately RM400 with good portion for 10pax. But we’ve only have 6 of us I think. (there’s 2 more dishes that I’ve not taken photos of) Greedy Much?
P/S a little of sightseeing and shopping facts: Go check out the fresh seafood market and bring home some fresh river catch. Otherwise, you can also visit the firefly park located not too far off from the seafood restaurants.
Pasir Penembang