Lulu, Leelee, Lala Chong

Lala Chong is a casual family style Chinese restaurant in Kuala Lumpur famous for their Lala, also known as clams. Their signature dish is a pile of steaming clams swimming in a platter of Chinese wine broth.  The little morsels are tender but retain that satisfying chewy bite. Delicious, yes, but outshined by the magical elixir that dwells beneath their oval shells. The generous lake of perfectly balanced broth provides the ideal environment to gently enhance the delicate flavours of the clam meat without overpowering them. Drinking the liquid straight provides a whole other delectable sensory experience.

The thin broth is light and smooth, a stark contrast to the bite of the clam. The levels of flavour spread across your palette like a scrumptious seafood zephyr. Infused with the briny fragrance of the clams, the Chinese wine creates a strong platform to support and unify the garlic and chilli which often take the lead whenever they partake in a dish.  You will want a second order, but be warned, the richness of the broth is quite latent and will likely rear its head by the time the second platter reaches the table.

Another dish featuring their namesake Lala is the fried mee hoon. At first glance this noodle dish appears quite ordinary. You’ll find similar looking creations on the streets of Bangkok and in the tightly packed restaurants lining the cobblestone streets of Chinatown in London. You will have to looks closer to see what really makes this unique (not figuratively speaking, if your eyes aren’t great then you probably have to shove your face in and nose your way around some noodles. Please do this at your own risk of complete and utter public etiquette-suicide). Whatever your method of investigation, be it a la Ace Ventura or come CSI, you will realise that the pile of noodles is dotted with dozens of little –really little- tiny baby clams only a few millimetres in size.

Adorable when viewed individually, mildly terrifying when you look at the greater picture and see your noodle platter speckled with yellow and black spots (if you too have a mild fear of swarms or tadpoles or black spots in general. Argh me hearties, ye pirates be warned). But seriously, a good quality fried mee hoon with plenty of toppings and too many miniature clams to count.

I love a fresh steamed fish. Something about the clean light flavours that echo the gently soft texture of the flesh that is to die for. In this case we had a sea bass cleft in twain and steamed in a savoury ginger puree. The prospect of dousing a white fish in copious amounts of pungent ginger may alarm some people. But the culinary alchemy that occurs results in a soft and juicy white fish that works hand in hand with the fragrant warm hum of the ginger sauce. It reminded me a lot of the ginger and sesame dipping sauce that accompanies steamed chicken. Simplicity can do wonders.

This saucy selection is a delicious double whammy. Much like the Lala and its wine broth, these crabs are paired with an equally (or more) coveted sweet and sour gravy. The crabs themselves have been cooked through just enough to firm up their silky meat whilst retaining the precious juices within. When done right, crabs are worth their weight in gold. Just as bikini wrestling is jazzed up by the addition of a jello pool or the humble apple pie is elevated to couture titling with the addition of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, these crabs have been sauced with sweet and sour steroids.

 The bright orange gravy is as vivid in taste as it is in colour. The strength of the sweet, sour and spicy flavours and the smooth viscosity make the sauce ideal for being sucked up and tamed by the adorably fluffy mantou (Chinese buns) that accompany the dish.

The steamed variety is the mantou in its natural pure white form: a clean fluffy bread cloud that acts as a great vehicle for wilder flavours. Its brown counterpart started life the same as the steamed bun but received its golden coat from a quick fry in oil to crisp its exterior giving it an indulgent flavour and additional crunch in the mantou experience.