Restoran LYJ (李雄记酒家) @ Kampung Baru, Sungai Buloh

With its fair share of celebrities customers local and oversea alike, Restoran LYJ can be considered as the most successful restaurant in Sungai Buloh. The head chef of LYJ has numerous culinary awards under his belt and he is proud to showcase them by plastering them all over the restaurant.
Pun Choy, a traditional village dish originating from Hong Kong can be found here too. But this post is not about the somewhat overrated and expensive Pun Choy. Instead, lets take a look at the other dishes they have that are more appealing especially in terms of price.

Standing Roast Chicken (Dong Duk Gai) @ RM38. This chicken is meant for you to rip it into pieces using your hands like a barbarian then eat it without using any utensils. Good thing is they provide plastic gloves so your hands would still be clean and oil free later.
But for those who still insist on being polite and eat it using chopsticks or fork and spoon, you are really missing a lot of fun and satisfaction here. As for the chicken, don’t expect too much because it is nothing spectacular and tastes quite dry actually. The main selling point is just because it comes standing, that’s all.

Pork Lard Rice (Zhu Yao Lou Fan) which is more commonly found in Taiwan and Hong Kong is available here too. It is nothing but steamed rice drizzled with a mixture of lard oil and soy sauce. I tried it out of curiosity and honestly I don’t really fancy it although it does smell fragrant and all.
Assuming we are from the same generation, I am sure your parents have told you stories about how they used to survive on nothing but this lard rice when food was expensive back in their days. Well, now you know where to look for it.

LYJ’s rendition of Char Siew @ RM15 is lean, topped with garlic bits with a flavor that is more similar to Chinese meat jerky (Bakkwa) The unique taste of the Char Siew alone warrants a try.

Braised Pork Ribs @ RM48 – Very standard stuff and it tastes just as expected. The only notable difference would be the pork ribs used, extra large and a lot meatier than usual.

Roast Duck @ RM26 tastes fair at best because I felt it was kind of dry. But at least the dipping sauce is really good.

One of their signature fish dish is the Claypot Grass Carp @ RM38. Since this is a bottom feeder kind of fish, sometimes a slight muddy taste is inevitable despite being fresh. I have tried this dish a few times and so far the portion has always been generous.

What seems like an odd combination of Bitter Gourd and Lala (RM40) turn out surprisingly good. The bitter flavor is present but not very overpowering until you couldn’t taste the sweetness of the clams.

Minced Meat Bean Curd @ RM14 – I swear I could taste lard in it, very nice.

If there is anything that I truly dislike it would be the Paku vegetable cooked with what seemed like lemon sauce. For me, the taste is just wrong and what is worse is that the sauce is cold when served. I would avoid ordering at all cost if I were you, or at least have it cooked in another more suitable style like belacan or something.

After two lunches and a dinner at LYJ, I could honestly say that I am not particularly impressed with the food here. You might wonder why I say so since I did mention that some dishes are good. Well, simply because it is only fair given the reputation of LYJ in Sungai Buloh and even outside Sungai Buloh. And let’s not forget the number of culinary awards they have won too. I would be damned if the chef could not prepare a decent bean curd dish lol. Besides, when I look at the food served at LYJ I can’t help but feel it is sloppily done with little care for presentation. So, my appetite is just not there.

Restoran LYJ Sdn Bhd
PT11, Jalan Perkhidmatan, Kampung Baru
47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor
GPS Coordinate: N3 11.696 E101 34.188
Tel/Fax: 03 61402678
Business hours: 11.30am – 3pm / 6pm – 11pm