Steamy affair

By ALICE CHING

Restoran Damansara Village
1067 Jalan Jenjarom
Kampung Sg Kayu Ara
Off Jalan SS23/10
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-78031832
Business hours: 5.30 pm to 11.30pm daily 

Pork-free 

Not all steamboats are created equal. Besides fresh ingredients, it is essential to have a nice, clear stock to cook them in. Many local steamboat lovers also prefer the accompanying sauces to be piquant enough to tickle the taste buds, but not so strong that they overwhelm everything else. 

Mouthwatering: A variety of fresh seafood from Pulau Ketam are used to spice up the steamboat.

Owned by radio personality and thespian Patrick Teoh, and friends, the outlet aims to raise the bar for seafood steamboat. Several thatch-roofed gazebos and an open-air dining area bordered by lots of greenery make Damansara Village a conducive spot for a steamboat feast. 

The shrewd owners have also put in place a small pond with bubbling ‘stream’ and fish, an enclosure with two tortoises and a display cage housing a monitor lizard and a pair of rabbits to lure the family-oriented crowd. 

According to co-owner Allan Poon, the idea for the outlet came about after he found it such a hassle to buy fresh, good quality seafood from different places to make steamboat at home. 

He said, “Most steamboat places serve mass-produced fish balls, fish cakes and other conveniently packed ingredients to keep prices low. Also some Malaysians think using prime seafood for steamboat is a waste. On the contrary, it is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural freshness and sweetness of seafood.” 

To prove their point, Damansara Village has gone to great lengths to procure a variety of freshly caught seafood from Pulau Ketam. “Thanks to my relatives there, we are assured of a steady supply of their freshest catch. Certain highly sought-after items like live flower crabs are hard to come by if one doesn’t have the necessary connections,” said Poon. 

Two types of soup base are offered here – a simple clear broth and the Village signature drunken broth which consists of superior stock flavoured with kei chee (wolfberries), yok chok (Solomon’s seal rhizome), tong kwai (Chinese angelica root), mok yee (wood ear’s fungus), ginger and cilantro, laced with Chinese wine and herbal essence. 

“We serve clear or delicately flavoured stock to let the inherent seafood flavours come through.” For a standard order (RM18.80 per person), you get a plate of fish slices, tiger prawns, scallops and mussels in addition to fish paste noodles, fish balls, seaweed fish balls, stuffed tow pok (beancurd puffs), stuffed beancurd sheet, soft beancurd, Chinese cabbage, yee mee (crispy egg noodles), mee hoon (rice vermicelli) and eggs. Additional dishes such as golden mushroom, sea cucumber, fish maw, giant clams, abalone slices, flower crabs and bamboo clams can be ordered separately. The flower crabs deserve special mention as they yield a surprising amount of sweet crabmeat inside each carapace. 

As a crunchy prelude to your steamboat meal, sample the crunchy deep-fried fresh prawn wantan or sui kow dumplings. Other irresistible treats to keep hunger pangs at bay include paper-wrapped fried chicken, and wat gai, a dish of succulent poached chicken served with fragrant soya sauce, fried shallot oil and chopped cili padi. 

Diners will be relieved to know the prices here won’t cause anyone to break out in cold sweat. For couples, the set meal costs merely RM59 whilst packages are available for groups. Prices of titbits hover around RM8 per plate and paper-wrapped chicken is RM3.80 a piece. Extra seafood items are chargeable at RM12 – RM15 per dish, mantis prawns at RM5.50 per person and giant clams RM10 per 500 gm. 

So if you’re game for a hot and steamy affair this weekend, take a drive to Damansara Village.