Best of Selangor - Favorite things to eat in Shah Alam

I've been living in Shah Alam since the age of 6 months old and as far as I'm concerned, I love this city. I know I don't spend much time around anymore, and I'm missing out on a lot of new developments and new things in Shah Alam, I still think it's a great place to raise a family or retire simply because you're still living near the main city but there's rarely any traffic jam around (unless there's occasions such as the Ramadhan Bazaar or Jom Heboh Carnival). Aside from the abundance of Mat Rempits (who aren't Shah Alam native, and that's a fact) and roundabouts (they divide sections to four areas), Shah Alam is known as the melting pot of the Malay culture from different states and therefore, you can find all kinds of authentic local Malay cuisine almost anywhere! In this post I will talk bout my favorite spots in Shah Alam to get food =)

By the way, one of my favorite spots to hangout in Shah Alam would be the Extreme Park in section 13. Not just cause point8cam gets to skate, but I could also put on some music, read a book/study while watching beautiful clouds such as the one below! ;)

1. Ayam Kampung Goreng
Ayam Kampung A. Hassan, Shah Alam

Situated in Section 13, this isn't only my favorite place for some sambal belacan fix. As much as I love fancy food, there's always something comforting about simple food. In this case, I always go for deep fried kampung chicken (free range chicken) with plain rice, salted eggs and their special belacan or tempoyak as your condiment. I'm not sure if the belacan has an abundant amount of lime or budu but it's not your average belacan. It's more watery and salty thus when you dip the chicken with it, it's the right combo of salty and spicy for the plain rice. 

You can find other Kelantanese dishes to complement your rice in this restaurant too. There's gulai rebung, masak lemak biasa and cili api, siput sedut and more. It is advisable for you to arrive early as tables get snatched pretty fast, and not to mention the chicken too! It get pretty packed on weekdays lunchtime due to the working crowd and also university students nearby. 

Restoran A. Hassan
Jalan Lawan Pedang 13/27
Section 13
Shah Alam

(Halal. Closed on Fridays. Open for breakfast and lunch. Facing the back of Laman Seri housing, same row as Rafi mamak).






2. Lemon Chicken Rice 
Pak Li Kopitiam, Shah Alam.

In the recent years, the Kopitiam culture boomed into the Malaysian market and well, of course, Pak Li Kopitiam isn't much different than that concept. However, being the favorites among university students in the area, Pak Li kopitiam definitely stood out from the crowd with their super delicious specialty, Lemon Chicken Rice - a mix of buttered rice, fried battered chicken with lemon sauce and their chill paste sauce to complement the sweet and sour taste of the lemon sauce. The restaurant also serves other kopitiam favorites and point8cam loves their cendol as it is not the usual watery cendol served with ice cubes, it's a block of frozen cendol ice on its own!

Pak Li Kopitiam
Jalan Kristal K7/K  Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor
03-5511-3608




3. Pisang Goreng Azmi
Section 19, Shah Alam

This original pisang goreng Azmi has been my favorite since the day my mother brought them home for tea time once. Using 'pisang awak' as their main banana, the banana fritters are lightly battered, not sweetened and thinly sliced. It's almost like eating a fleshy, crunchy sweet crackers as pisang awak is known as one of the sweeter kind of bananas. It's not your average thick banana fritters, and you have got to try it once, at least. There's always a queue that starts as early as 4pm at this outdoor stall erected by MBSA near the section 19 KTM station and they run out very fast, replenishing on the spot with big woks frying them at an impressive speed. The light, crunchy batter is also a hit among the crowd as they will usually have a scoop extra for each brown bag. F.Y.I, the fritters goes great with honey or maple syrup. However, just a note - be prepared to spend up to 40 minutes queuing for these little fritters on a good day. 

photo source

Azmi Pisang Goreng
Stall on Jalan Gembala 19/9
Section 19
Shah Alam




4. Sashimi set
Sakura Fuji, Plaza Masalam

I'm not really a fussy Japanese food person but when it comes to wanting a proper sashimi meal, my favorite would be this Sashimi set from Sakura Fuji, a little restaurant tucked in the Lower Ground level corner of Plaza Masalam in Section 9. Not only that the sashimi is one of the freshest compared to most places I've tried, the portion itself is worth my every sen. For this set, RM40 will give you a cold tofu with miso paste, some ginger slices, salad with dressing of choice, Miso Soup, Chawanmushi, Rice, A plate of Sashimi (They have a few kinds and you can change it to another sashimi if you don't fancy something. I skipped the squid so they added one slice of butterfish and salmon each) and of course, ice cream for dessert. I really do not have anything to complain about the sashimi as each slice is super thick, fresh and cold, eaten with the steaming hot rice and soy sauce with wasabi forming an outburst of joyful chorus with each bite. If you're not a fan of sashimi, there's always other Japanese dishes served at its freshest for lunch and dinner. Who needs a Japanese fast food chain when you can have an almost authentic experience right in your housing area?

Sakura Fuji Restaurant, Lot LB 4&5, Shah Alam Mall,
Lot. 2, Jalan Tengku Ampuan Zabedah E9-E, Seksyen 9, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor

Tel: 03-5880-8866

5. Butter Prawns
Serai Restaurant, Section 3.

You might have been to the Serai Empire, but it wouldn't be a complete experience if you've never tried the original outlet in Section 3 Shah Alam. This butter prawn has been the resident favorite among the patrons which usually consists of families in the neighboring areas and the crowd is always full during dinner time. Serai Restaurant offers a higher end authentic Thai cuisine so you can find all the crowd favorites in their menu such as Tom Yum, lime and chilli steamed fish, deep fried squid, stir-fried veggies, kerabu mangga and more. Cool down with a glass of iced barley while you tuck into a plate of rice and all these dishes for dinner. It's a pretty small and quaint restaurant so it's best if you make a booking or come early as it's always filled with big families for get-togethers or their weekly dinners. 

photo source: Vkeong

Serai Thai Restaurant
No.5, Jalan Sena,
3/13A, 40000 Shah Alam
Tel: 5510 5729
Business Hour: 11.30am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm

Have you got any favorite places to eat in Shah Alam that is non-chain 
or franchises?

Share it in the comment box, maybe I'd try it out someday!