** I really hate writing bad experiences but I guess it’s bound to happen. And on a rare occasion, I actually agree with TimeOut’s rating (2/5 stars) on Dancing Fish. Disclaimer: This is my blog and views expressed are my personal opinion.
After having a not-so-cheap dinner here, I can safely conclude that Dancing Fish must be catering to tourists and expats because none of the food we had was authentic in terms of seasoning and flavour.
Most of the dishes we had was sweet and the heat level of their supposingly ‘spicy dishes’ is quite frankly, toddler’s level? I don’t know which planet their Malaysian and Indonesian recipes are from, because they are definitely not ‘unadulterated and uncompromised’.
Personally, I think their signature Dancing Fish @ RM45.45 is just a novelty – they are focusing too much on the presentation rather than the taste. The fish itself was passable, deep-fried to such a crisp that you can actually eat the bones too if you want – but I wouldn’t.
We opted for their most popular sauce which was the sambal terasi and kicap, and it tasted even milder than Old Town White Coffee’s nasi lemak sambal. The entire dish just felt dry and boring. It’s quite a shame really considering the Dancing Fish seemed so promising.
The Prawns in Coconut Soup @ RM18.95 is described as “Fresh tiger prawns in a spicy sour soup using young coconut juice stock”, except that the prawns weren’t that fresh and the soup tasted like it was prepared with sugar, and only with sugar. So where’s the spicy and sour flavor? We stopped at one small bowl because we felt too ‘jelak’ after that.
Despite being tender and all, the Ayam Panggang (1/4 chicken) @ RM16.85 was also sweet and the star anise’ strong flavour was a tad over-powering.
Among all, the Terong Belado @ RM14.75 might be the only dish that could sit well with us. But that doesn’t take away the fact that it was still unauthentic because once again, heat is non-existant. It’s more like Terong, without Belado. #ineedtheLAT, man.
With everything said, I can’t deny that restaurant looks great and the service team did well attending to us throughout the meal. My only qualm with Dancing Fish lies in the food, which was, in all honesty, a huge disappointment.
Dancing Fish Malay-Indo CuisineT-120, T-122 & TK-3
3rd Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre
Tel: 03-2095 6663
I’m sorry but I beg to differ & pretty surprised to come across this bad review. Each time I go to Dancing Fish, I only come out satisfied. Last I went with 15 people and everyone was raving about the food… One even did a take away for his family after our meal. Perhaps everyone has different taste buds but I’m certainly confident my taste in food can’t be that far wrong. I’ve only ordered the coconut once (I usually order my other favs like their satay, ox tail, egg toufoo, brinjal) but I recall them telling my it’s cooked with 100% natural coconut juice, so I suspect the ‘sweetness’ comes from there. The fish, being my favourite, needs to be dipped into their specially prepared sauce that accompanies it to complete the taste.
All in all, I must say their service is most commendable (given the standards of this country) as they are always attentive and ready to serve, that helps make my experience even more satisfying.
My parents love it (and it’s not easy to please mom) and it’s good to know that they do not use msg in their food. I will definitely continue to patronize ~ in fact, just thinking of the food now makes me salivate 😋
Oh I am surprised to read this comment since its one of my family’s favourite dining place! And we are 100% (foodie) Malaysians !
Their food is not spicy hot pedas but very very tasty and does not need an overdose of heat to override any lack of flavor. But I know some of their dishes can be quite spicy . Like the starfruit salad, which is my favourite !
Chatted once with their manager who told me they do not use msg in their food and so they place a lot of emphasis on cooking methods.
Because of your article I Googled DF and found that they have lots of blogs raving about their food ( by locals) and the Timeout write up was when they had just open. So maybe it’s not fair to say they serve tourists and expats.
But I suppose to each his own.
It still rates very highly on my family’s list of a good restaurant to eat at.
It is rare to find a place like Dancing Fish in Malaysia. Good quality food and competent serving staff, consistent and improving since its opening.
I find the cuisine quite unique – blending the best of Indonesian and Malaysian but not necessary the most spicy. Funnily for that, we enjoy the food. No need to suffer numbed senses!
I suppose when it comes to describing the dishes at Dancing Fish, the names of these 2 countries are the closest we can adopt. Given the wide variety and vast range of tastes these cuisines cover, pinpointing a description is almost impossible. So it boils down to the quality of ingredients and how much care goes into producing the dishes. Never mind the name!
I find the restaurant a very reliable venue whether with family, friends, clients, company functions, restricted diets, etc. Even in big groups we always find a dish suitable for everyone.
Last weekend (our group age range was 22 to 84), we enjoyed the sumptuous satay, perfectly grilled cumi2 bakar, skillfully executed tahu telur, beef rendang, ayam panggang, oxtail belado and freshly stir fried vegetables to balance our meal. We will have to return for the kerabu and more. Frankly, many other places use the “same sauce” to dollop over different meat dishes and label them “variety”. I am so impressed that the variety at Dancing Fish is genuine, honestly.
I suppose if a diner is looking for very spicy chilli-hot food, he could politely request to see how it can be customised. Then again, it might be a hit-or-miss; this is not a private kitchen.
In Malaysia, nasi lemak alone differs all over – you may wish to fly all over the country to taste them all! Try MAS, AirAsia, Shangrila Hotel, roadside stalls – everyone finds their favourite, or otherwise….
Actually I enjoy the food here since the heat does not overpowering the taste. I personally love the karedok and the yellow rice