Dining Out @ Subak, Bukit Lanjan, Kuala Lumpur

enjoy nature at its best here

Finally, we got to visit Subak last weekend. In fact I made it a point of my weekend to drop by to sample the food. Having heard good things through the blogs and our friend, SMI who is the PR there, we were very curious about the food prepared by a former chef of Avillion, Port Dickson. We had spotted Subak quite some time back even before my Italy trip but never got round to trying it since we have been busy. Even though, we were warned off the mosquitoes (that only seem to come out at dusk) by Sean, we ended up arriving just before the sun went down. It became a blessing in disguise as I managed to capture Subak in the bright light and the candlelight glow, hence the contrast in the pictures.

start off with gado gado and the addictive peanut sauce

Getting here is not too tough (especially if you use the Country Heights Damansara entrance from Damansara Perdana). First you pass by kampung houses and car workshops selling half cars, go up and down some seriously steep roads and you will find Subak perched on a the side of a hill surrounded by greenery. There seems to be 2 levels to Subak; a lower level where the restaurant is located with a wooden deck and an upper level where it looks like someone's personal residence. The place is popular for private parties - we saw birthday party balloons all set up when we got there and people trickling in for a dinner party.

excellent rich tasting soto, braised lamb shank masala that wowed us with the delish sweet potato mash, es teler and candle

The menu here is a mix of Asian and Western items. Occasionally there are specials depending on the availability of items. For instance they had a durian dessert for the weekend. While we were given a list of what is good from my friend, I did venture away and ordered the Ibu Yati's gado gado (RM10) and Pak Ajelan's Balinese Style Chicken "Soto" (RM10). Served in a long white plate, the shredded yambean, tender potato leaves shoots, tofu cubes and half a hard boiled egg were placed in a popiah skin cup with the bumbu peanut sauce in a bowl. Next to the salad was a tangy relish of jackfruit and long beans tossed with chopped bird eye's chillies. We absolutely loved the peanut sauce, which was mildly spicy but rich with peanut taste from the chopped nuts. The soto or chicken soup was very tummy satisfying down to the last spoonful. We also found nasi impit (compressed rice cube), chicken shreds and bergedil (potato cutlet) within the soup. I especially liked the spicy soy sauce dip that came with it, as it added oomph to the whole ensemble.

grilled cod with prawn served on top of baby potatoes and vegetables

For the mains, we took our friend's recommendation and went for the braised lamb shank masala (RM40) and the pan-fried medallion of cod fish and butterflied prawns (RM45). When we were enjoying our appetisers, there was still light hence snapping pictures was pretty easy but by the time the mains came, it became so dark, I had to snap a few shots to make sure it wasn't blur. The lamb shank was a generous portion that was served with yummy sweet potato mash, vegetables and a tangy green apple salad. We loved the fork tender lamb shank with the tomato based masala sauce. The sauce tends to be more on the mild side though so those expecting a fiery red hotness will be dissapointed. My pan-fried cod was a better alternative, if you're watching your waistline but they were very generous with the baby potatoes and vegetables on the side. I liked the sweet taste of the cod fish with the grilled prawn on the side.

For desserts, I was very tempted to try the tapai with ice cream (an all time fav of mine) but went for the kuta es teler (RM8) - a refreshing assorted fruits concoction with icy cold coconut milk. What I loved about this simple dessert was the quality of the fruits added in it - just ripe avocado, tender jackfruit and sweet young coconut flesh. In fact, that theme seems to be redolent in all their dishes, as the chef definitely picks the best for his dishes like the tender sweet potato leaves in the gado gado and the fruits in even the simple dessert (usually people just dump unripe and hard avocadoes and etc!).

In terms of atmosphere, Subak definitely enthralls when night falls as it is breezy especially when you dine on the wooden deck and you get to hear the crickets. Don't worry about mosquitoes though as at night, there's none but be warned if you go at dusk. During the day, I found the place to be a little sparse of decoration. What I found most interesting, was their collection of traditional kitchen items - the batu giling, rice grinder and a wooden pounder for rice. Do give Subak a try for a special occasion or even a party but go at night and discover nature (far from the crazy rat race city life we all lead!). More pictures of Subak are available in the Flickr set.

Subak

Lot 3213
Jalan Penchala Indah
Bukit Lanjan
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - -77299030 or 77299031

(Halal. For detailed directions, refer to Subak's website for the map. The place is open from 11am to 12 midnight, making it ideal for those who love to party all night or enjoy a late night dinner. For menu details and other reviews, please check their website.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.

Tagged with: Subak + Bukit Lanjan