Review: Luen Fong, Tanjung Tualang

19, Jalan Pasar,
Tanjung Tualang,
31800 Tanjung Tualang,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel# +60 5-360 9267

For a place that is almost neither here nor there, Tanjung Tualang has gained a reputation as a destination for fresh but cheap seafood. A lazy town that you can most easily explore in under an hour, there is no mistaking. This place is all about seafood. There isn't much other else. Even there is only that much of old shops to whet your appetite for the golden era. 

These mini pineapples hailing from our northern neighbour aka Thailand has been all the rage in the past few months. Everyone's been peddling them and it's not difficult to understand the pull factor with its petite size (compared to our version which is like a godzilla beside these), they do taste sweet. Or at least the ones I've had the chance to taste so far are.

Deep fried squid. Unlike the Klang version that is heavily battered like victims of domestic violence, these come without so much of flour. Thus, you get a nice crunchy outside with slightly chewy seafood inside. Rather addictive.

Stir fried cabbage with dried shrimp. Strangely enough, cabbage is one of the rare veggies I ever cook at home.

Deep fried mantou which can never go wrong. Good on its own, it tastes better when dipped into some thick gravy.

Such as this; sweet and sour crab. Anyone worth their (crab) claws would usually start off with this. A crowd pleaser from the young to the old. Although the crabs are smaller than their Klang counterpart, they still hold to their ground in terms of freshness.

Steamed fish in soy sauce.
I don't know but this dish in general has been a hit-and-miss in my books. Most times, people would be praising the freshness of the fish but my taste buds tell me otherwise. Sure, it tasted fresh but still slightly fishy. But then again, you shouldn't trust someone who enjoys grilled ikan kempong over steamed fish.

Steamed prawn.
If you come here and don't order this, you have definitely not been here. If anything, this is the only reason that Tanjung Tualang actually exists on Google Search. Most (if not each) restaurants in this neighborhood would have tanks and tanks of prawns swimming about, waiting for their death. The best way to make their short lives worthy would be to steam it plain or with egg white and Chinese wine to enhance the sweet freshness of the prawns out more.

For the love of God, if you want to deep fry them or pour in some egg butter or even (God forbid) curry them, odn't bother to make the drive over. Unless if you stay less than 20km away.

Look at all that roe. Forget about your cholesterol.

I YOLO for food.