PETALING JAYA, June 11 — I’ve always been fascinated by places that occupy the grey area between dai chow and banquet restaurant status.

Free from the fuss of tablecloth and smartly dressed waitstaff, but with intriguing dishes on a menu that points to a chef with vision, Restaurant Wun Nam is a sleeper spot deep inside Damansara Perdana that promises an interesting meal.

Hailing from Tanjung Malim, the family-run establishment has been around since 1975 and is now run by the two sons.

Walking up to the door, you’re faced with a cardboard cutout of the OG of Chinese cooking, Martin Yan, posing with the head chef, who’s one of the sons now running the business.

On the inside, it’s done up more than your usual dai chow place, but it’s still highly casual.

There’s an upper floor, but I find the ground floor more fun because you might get a glimpse of a Hulk-like catfish in the tank.

The menu is expansive, consisting mostly of classics with a few more peculiar signatures.

One of these was the Stir-fried Sea Cucumber With Pig's Stomach (RM40).

Considering the sum of its parts, it may not seem that off-kilter, but on the whole, it’s not an exceedingly common iteration of the storied combination.

A more common preparation would be braised pork trotter and sea cucumber, which makes full use of the rich, gelatinous texture in both components.

This is not the case at Wun Nam.

Instead, the thinly sliced pieces of stomach and sea cucumber are pleasantly chewy instead of rubbery, and bits of dried shrimps provide lots of crunchiness in between.

Wok hei comes through in every bite, complemented by the velvety dark soy concoction that’s a little sweet and salty.

Keeping with the trend of bridging the land and sea, Stewed Chicken With Clams (RM34) arrived in a clay pot, sharp and peppery on the nose and looking like a much lighter-coloured version of three cups chicken.

While the dish is mostly sweet, it isn’t flat or one-dimensional.

Multiple layers of flavouring are at work: onions, cooking wine and clams come together to create a flavour tapestry on which the meaty pieces of chicken are the threads.

Simple yet surprisingly tasty, Stir-fried Lady's Fingers With Lime Sauce (RM16) are a refreshing interlude in between other dishes.

The sauce is decidedly tart, while the slimy texture of okra provides an interesting mouth feel with crunchy dried shrimps featuring once again.

Homemade Taufu (RM16) is perfectly fried, crispy on the outside, soft and smooth on the inside and topped with a mixture of minced pork and preserved radish that’s spicier than most.

All the dishes above practically beg to be eaten with rice, and the only correct choice is Clay Pot Pork Lard Rice (RM10 per person). No ifs, no buts. Even better, it is still just as good after a couple of days in the fridge.

A repeat visit beckons to me, especially after spotting a rather large promotional banner that mentioned the words "dinner” and "sturgeon” in the same sentence.

Restaurant Wun Nam

23-1, Jalan PJU 8/5f, Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Open daily, 11am-2.30pm; 5pm-10pm.

Tel: 011-6332 3889

https://www.facebook.com/RestaurantWunNam/

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