CHERAS, Aug 18 — Tucked away in one of Cheras’ many residential areas is Restoran Shuan Loong. Operating out of a converted house, it’s one of three restaurants in a row that faces the community basketball court, which happened to be the busiest place that Saturday night.
The whole neighbourhood seemed to be out, with many cycling to the court. Some watched the intense game on one side, while the other court played host to a large group of children being put through their paces by a rather grouchy-looking coach barking orders in Mandarin: “Touch the line, or everybody starts over!”
It was a cool night, so the outdoor patio — and it's a really makeshift one, with plastic chairs and tables squeezed under a retractable tarp structure — filled up quickly.
I had called earlier in the day to book a table but was told it wasn’t necessary. I started to think that might not be true, but for latecomers, the mostly empty interior dining room remained an option.
We took our seats outside, charmed by the white glow of fluorescent lights and the cool breeze of electric wall fans.
By day, Shuan Loong is known for its variety of steamed fish heads. By night, their full repertoire of dai chow dishes becomes available.
A cursory glance at other tables revealed that most had at least one, but more often two, clay pots. Most of these contained Shuan Loong’s signature dish: claypot stir-fried grouper fish head (RM48).
We dug into the pot, unearthing gnarly hunks of fish head with its delicate, slightly sweet flesh still attached. Slices of siew yoke, bits of tofu, mushrooms and mellow cloves of garlic were scattered throughout, bathed in a subtle and slightly tangy sauce.
Many restaurants will have their own versions of this very popular dish, and Shuan Loong’s flavours balance subtlety over bold, robust and intensely savoury flavours.
A pair of dishes from the menu’s signature section also impressed. Beancurd otak rolls (RM18) were a great snacking option that epitomised the delicious marriage that is Chinese Malaysian cooking.
These deep-fried blocks of tofu, which open to reveal a custard-like paste of otak-otak, offered a surprisingly familiar flavour, with notes of lemongrass and turmeric coming through.
The stir-fried winged beans with squid slices (RM18) feature the titular vegetable, also known as kacang botol, stir-fried with strips of dried squid, infusing the dish with an intense ocean flavour.
Slices of lotus root added plenty of crunch, which dovetailed with the natural texture of the sliced beans, making it a perfect accompaniment to steamed rice.
A dai chow staple, tofu with minced meat and preserved radish (RM16) is a dish I like to order as a rough gauge of a restaurant’s quality. Also known as choy heong tofu, the version at Shuan Loong delivered with blocks of crisp-on-the-outside, smooth-on-the-inside tofu smothered in a savoury mixture of minced pork and preserved radish, the latter of which they definitely did not skimp on.
It ticked all the boxes for me: sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, and was the perfect reason for shovelling more rice into my mouth.
Restoran Shuan Loong - 双龙48餐馆
266, Jalan Indah 1/6, Batu 11 Cheras, 43200 Cheras, Selangor
Open daily, 9am-10pm.
Tel: 012-624 4438
Facebook: @ShuanLoong48
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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