Famous Steamed Tilapia @ Lan Je, Rawang

A restaurant so famous for its steamed tilapia (Fei Zhou Yue or African fish, anyone?), one has to endure the horrendous traffic at peak hours (a good half an hour from the toll exit in Rawang), brace the heat (the restaurant ain't air-conditioned nor shielded from the sweltering heat fully, aside from the misty air blown from the many fans with vapours), and patience tested to the limit from the 15 minutes stand-by mode at the sidewalk waiting for a seat, AND roughly 20 minutes cooking time. Phew.

Astro AEC fans would recognize this show, Taste With Jason on every Sunday 10.00pm that introduces a lot of Chinese food from all over Malaysia

But when such simple and unassuming outlet has got the legendary boo_licious and so many others singing praises, you know it's gotta be good!

Blink and you'll miss this restaurant by the roadside .....

The intimidating crowd .... do NOT expect a comfortable tete-a-tete or a relaxing yumcha session with your pals here.

Refrain from arriving during peak hours. The shop's opened for lunch and dinner, but come public holidays/weekends, the queue for a table can be a rather .... unforgiving ordeal. Fortunately, the staff are helpful, and thankfully remember who's first, and who's last, and who's the impatient in-betweener who's trying to sneak up and play dirty. =P

Steamed Tilapia with Ginger, Bird's Eye Chillies (yup, potent ones!), and Garlic (RM12.50 onwards)

If you're wondering, Lan Je refers to the lady owner who's been manning this restaurant for a good many years. She does help out running the place, especially during peak times, when the place looks like helter-skelter, but instead rather systematic.

Ordering your food here is a breeze. No menus, no daily specials. Steamed Tilapia is a MUST, hence if you're bringing one who doesn't value his/her seafood, tough luck. Choose from mild, spicy, or extra spicy. Go for normal spicy, as you wouldn't want the excessive ginger+chilli padi to burn your tongue and risk tasting none of those firm, sweet flesh. Most patrons order a fish each, to fully savour his/her own fish, without the need to fight over the best parts.

Kung Pao Chicken

They do not serve pork, so for your other carnivorous needs, you have chicken cooked either Kung Pao style (with onions and dried chillies) or Sweet and Sour style.

Without much expectation, the Kung Pao Chicken was nearly mind-blowingly good. Really thick, sweet, spicy and glistening gravy coating the slightly fried cuts of chicken. The difference between Lan Je's version and the average out there lies in the sauce definitely. With a lot of chopped garlic, for that special flavour. Minor gripe? The cuts of chicken should be deboned 100%, so that every bite is a bliss.

Stir-fried Four Angle Beans with Dried Shrimps

Not much choices when it comes to the greens, with many ordering their famed "4 Dim Dau", or Four-Angle Beans fried with Dried Shrimps. Crunchy, tasty, and not spicy at all, the vege was pleasing to the palate, as well as the wallet. Hahaha ....

The meal was cheap, with dishes ranging from RM6-RM7 per plate, and the fish at about RM13 each. Another one of their specialty includes the deep-fried prawns, which we did not order that day, at RM19 per serving.

Location : Kedai Makan Lan Je Steamed Fish @ 27-28, Block C, Jalan Rawang, Gerai MPS, Batu 16 Rawang.
Tel No: 012-227 0037

Directions : From Rawang toll exit, go straight until the traffic lights. Turn right and go straight along the long and winding road, which I believe is Jalan Batu Arang. You'll pass over the railway beneath you, and KTM station on the left. Turn right at the traffic lights at the intersection, then go straight along Jalan Rawang, the main road. You'll pass by the mosque on your left, and Maybank on your left further down the road. Lan Je is situated on your left, a single-storey shoplot tucked between some Malay shops and such.

Rawang's Famous Steamed Tilapia Wantan Mee

Rawang has always been perceived as an industrial area, a small town with dirt, dust, and debris (hey, 3D's!) and with a KTM station. Oh, and the last town before reaching KL, as when we were kids, we used to anticipate with glee and much anxiety before the sight of skyscrapers greeted us in their shiny armour .... aka Welcome to the (Concrete) Jungle !!!

And Rawang town was somewhat of a Happy Ending ... or something.

With 8TV's Ho Chak's logo sticker emblazed on the walls, and patrons from all over, the rather secluded restaurant holds its ground amidst the rapid development of Rawang

Locating this restaurant was not too hard, with directions from the rather reliable Food Guide. Instead, I was surprised we managed to reach this place without much hassle or jam.

In the middle of a residential area in Kampong Dato Lee Kim Sai, the restaurant has ONLY Chinese characters, which I'm of course, much-illiterate to. Named Restoran Tang Wan Cheng, the seating area may not be sufficient for a large crowd, with roughly 10 tables placed within the compartment of the house.

Fried Stuffed Mantou with Meat Paste (RM1 each)

To start off with, we ordered some fried mantou (buns) with meat stuffings, an awkward combination, considering the mantou was chocolate/coffee-flavoured and the stuffings was made from minced pork, giving a contrasting flavour of sweet and savoury, deep-fried until the outer crust was crispy, and the filling's delicious when dipped into the sweet chilli sauce. Minor gripe though, they could've been more generous with the fillings. But a good snack as a prelude of things to come.

To wash everything down, the lady recommended their house special drink, chrysanthemum tea with grass jelly (cincau). Such simple combination, yet was a soothing and sweet herbal drink for the parched throats.

Steamed 'Nai Pak' (Radish?) with Fried Small Anchovies (RM6)

The vegetables came highly recommended, not only by the proprietress (I presumed), but tried-and-tested by Motormouth. =P

Very sweet, and juicy (yup, sounds like a fruit, yet it's a vege I'm talkin bout), the ingenious method of cooking managed to preserve the original flavour and sweetness of the radish, and biting into the coarsely-cut chunks of fibre-goodness was pure bliss. I've learnt to appreciate such a simple dish. I'm amazed. Or maybe .....

I must be growing old.

Fei Zhou Yu (Tilapia) steamed with Wantan Noodles (RM2.80/100g)

But the STAR of the evening had to be their most raved about dish, the steamed tilapia with wantan noodles. Pick from a choice of 3 gravy, either steamed with ginger, or "Cheong Ching" (spicy/savoury sauce), or another with simple soy sauce.

The lady recommended the 1st choice, as the fish steamed with lots of ginger was the most popular, at least for newcomers. And the dish did not disappoint at all, save for those who are allergic (doubtful) or tend to stay away from ginger .... like the love-hate relationship I'm having with lemongrass. =P

Their signature bouncy, springy, QQ egg noodles

The noodles was excellent, without alkaline taste, and lightly laden with pepper, and garnished with chopped scallions and julienned carrots. But when steamed together with the fish, the noodles absorbed much of the light yet pungent/fiery sauce, owing its numbingly-tingling taste to the abundance of ginger used in this dish.

Ginger's known to be a good carminative, perfect to calm that dyspepsic gut, but bear in mind the flatulent-finale. LOL.

The tilapia may be a 'poor man's fish' to most, but the freshness of the fish shone through, with absolutely no hint of fishiness, or unpleasant 'muddy' taste commonly lamented when it comes to freshwater fishes. The tender and sweet flesh practically fell off the bones, and the fish at 650gm was more than enough for two. And that seemed to be the smallest available.

Walloped before I rmbred to snap. Whoopsie.

We were mighty full after the whole ordeal. Ravaging, scavenging and wrestling for the best parts of the fish.

And the complimentary dessert of simple and very sweet orange could not have come at a better time. No fancy jellies/puddings, nor souffle or cheese platter, for sure. But some fibre + that overdosage of ginger = A stinkin' good time, y'all !!!

Look for this board. That was the only visible sign from afar this restaurant.

Location : RESTORAN TANG WAN CHENG @ No E-13, Jalan LKS 5, Kampong Dato Lee Kim Sai, 48000 Rawang, Selangor. Tel No : 603-6091 8671. H/P : 6012- 304 5671.

Got MAP !!!

But better yet, let me explain the directions a little ....

Exiting Rawang toll, turn right towards Rawang town's direction. Go straight for a while, until passing by KTM Komuter railways beneath you, and you'll reach a crossroad. Rawang town centre's on your left. But turn right instead, and go straight until you see a Shell petrol station on your right. The small road leading to Kampong Dato Lee Kim Sai is in fact, right after the Shell station. But you've gotta make a U-turn further down the main road, at the traffic lights.