Chong Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant @ Batu Caves

For some people, the English breakfast is an ideal Sunday brunch. I love a huge English breakfast every once in a while, but my ideal Sunday brunch is curry laksa. There’s something about curry laksa that draws me in – creamy soup infused with coconut milk and flavoured with chilli and spices… *drools*Someone recommended the curry laksa at Chong Hwa Curry Laksa Restaurant at Batu Caves. rif saved the GPS coordinates and drove us all the way there to satisfy my craving. The restaurant is located near the Sri Gombak Market.
It was crowded when we got there around 1pm; we were lucky to get a table just as we walked in. I looked around the shop and saw people tucking into their piping hot bowls of curry laksa and nasi lemak. Chong Hwa also serve pan mee, noodle soup, porridge and kaya toast.

I stuck to what I came here for — a large bowl of curry laksa (RM4.80) and rif, the nasi lemak with chicken (RM5.70). “Would you like to try our marinated nam yue fried pork?” the owner’s daughter asked. Without blinking his eyes, rif said “Yes”. Our orders came in less than 5 minutes; service was quick and efficient. My curry laksa (kuay teow) came with plenty of juicy cockles, taufu pok and beansprouts. I added a dollop of sambal for an extra kick. The thick, reddish broth was fragrant and spicy but I would have preferred it to be more “lemak”. I think too much curry paste was added, so it overpowered the creaminess of the laksa. rif’s Nasi Lemak was quite good. We both liked this better than the curry laksa. The chicken curry was well infused with spices and the thick curry gravy went very well with the coconut rice. The sambal, although sweetish, was fiery and packed quite a punch. Nam yue (red fermented beancurd) pork is a dish I can never get enough of. When pork belly is used, it is ridiculously delicious. My mother used to make this…until she went totally organic on me. *frowns*

Chong Hwa’s version (RM4) had a subtle nam yue taste. I liked they used the belly – the fat absorbed the nam yue flavour well. My only gripe is the small portion. I could finish two plates easily.

Iced cham (RM1.70)

All in, the food was decent. The curry laksa didn’t leave much of an impression, but if you live nearby or happen to be around the area, it is worth checking out.

Ambiance: 5.5/10 (possibly the cleanest coffeeshop I’ve been to)
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 5.5/10 (Nasi Lemak: 6/10)
Verdict: Decent food and comfortable ambiance. I wouldn’t mind going there again if I’m around the area.

No. 1, Jalan Sg 3/1,
Taman Sri Gombak,
68100 Batu Caves,
Selangor (NON-HALAL)
016-336 9913
GPS Coordinates: N 3 14.462 E 101 42.145