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rif and his parents enjoyed the table location more than I did; the wooden planks shook every time people walked on them. There were so many kids running and jumping on the planks that I was worried they would give way!
But I soon put my fears aside when the four of us ordered the seafood tom yam (RM18), baked crabs (RM55 per kilo), steamed tilapia in Thai lemon sauce (RM30), batter-fried spinach (RM8), salted egg yolk squid (RM28, large) and pandan chicken (RM10, small) to share. Greedy and ambitious, I know.
The tom yam was spicy and tangy with a sweet flavour from the prawns. Rif and I didn’t think it was as spicy and tangy as we would have liked. That said, the seafood was fresh and succulent. I especially enjoyed the large prawns and tender squid slices.
The batter-fried spinach was moreish and I ate more that I should have. The batter was wispy and lightly coated the spinach leaves. Despite being deep fried, they were not very oily.
We all enjoyed the steamed tilapia, which came swimming in the Thai lemon sauce. This sauce is not suited for those with butter-tongues. It was laden with plenty of chopped cili padi! Almost each spoonful of gravy had two or three pieces of these fiery bites. But chilli lovers will be thrilled. We ate the fish – which was meaty and had hardly any muddy smell or taste – and lapped up every drop of the gravy.
The one dish I didn’t like at all was the pandan chicken. It was dry, crumbly and tasteless. I found it very disappointing. It felt as though I was eating chicken flavoured sawdust, not that I’ve tried sawdust.
However, my disappointment quickly went away when I tried the salted egg yolk squid. Unlike most versions of salted egg yolk squid, this version comprised deep-fried squid rings generously topped with salted egg yolk sauce. Creamy, savoury and decadent, but a nightmare for the waistline.
The crab took a while to arrive because it was cooked slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire. But our wait was worthwhile – the flesh was sweet and flaky with a nicely charred flavour. Yum!
The restaurant sold pandan coconut (RM5) which was sweet and refreshing especially since it was served chilled. I didn’t quite like the Lord Chong (RM5), the Thai version of cendol. This tasted a bit weird as I wasn’t accustomed to having bits of agar-agar in my cendol. rif, however, thought it was quite nice.
The weather was breezy that night, which made our dining experience more enjoyable. The bill came up to RM143 inclusive of drinks and rice, which is pretty affordable considering the amount of food we ordered. Don’t be put off by the distance and bumpy roads – think of it as an exciting (and hopefully rewarding) food adventure!
Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: Fresh seafood enhanced by simple cooking styles.
*from my Star2Sunday article (August 7, 2011)
It was, literally, a food discovery in the middle of nowhere. Getting to the Fish Farm Thai Restaurant in Hulu Langat, Selangor, was a mini adventure as the road was bumpy, winding and narrow. The journey took us almost an hour but we managed to get there before it got dark. Despite the crowd, we got a table on the wooden planks above the pond.
rif and his parents enjoyed the table location more than I did; the wooden planks shook every time people walked on them. There were so many kids running and jumping on the planks that I was worried they would give way!
But I soon put my fears aside when the four of us ordered the seafood tom yam (RM18), baked crabs (RM55 per kilo), steamed tilapia in Thai lemon sauce (RM30), batter-fried spinach (RM8), salted egg yolk squid (RM28, large) and pandan chicken (RM10, small) to share. Greedy and ambitious, I know.
The tom yam was spicy and tangy with a sweet flavour from the prawns. Rif and I didn’t think it was as spicy and tangy as we would have liked. That said, the seafood was fresh and succulent. I especially enjoyed the large prawns and tender squid slices.
The batter-fried spinach was moreish and I ate more that I should have. The batter was wispy and lightly coated the spinach leaves. Despite being deep fried, they were not very oily.
We all enjoyed the steamed tilapia, which came swimming in the Thai lemon sauce. This sauce is not suited for those with butter-tongues. It was laden with plenty of chopped cili padi! Almost each spoonful of gravy had two or three pieces of these fiery bites. But chilli lovers will be thrilled. We ate the fish – which was meaty and had hardly any muddy smell or taste – and lapped up every drop of the gravy.
The one dish I didn’t like at all was the pandan chicken. It was dry, crumbly and tasteless. I found it very disappointing. It felt as though I was eating chicken flavoured sawdust, not that I’ve tried sawdust. 
However, my disappointment quickly went away when I tried the salted egg yolk squid. Unlike most versions of salted egg yolk squid, this version comprised deep-fried squid rings generously topped with salted egg yolk sauce. Creamy, savoury and decadent, but a nightmare for the waistline.
The crab took a while to arrive because it was cooked slowly and carefully over a charcoal fire. But our wait was worthwhile – the flesh was sweet and flaky with a nicely charred flavour. Yum!
The restaurant sold pandan coconut (RM5) which was sweet and refreshing especially since it was served chilled. I didn’t quite like the Lord Chong (RM5), the Thai version of cendol. This tasted a bit weird as I wasn’t accustomed to having bits of agar-agar in my cendol. rif, however, thought it was quite nice.
The weather was breezy that night, which made our dining experience more enjoyable. The bill came up to RM143 inclusive of drinks and rice, which is pretty affordable considering the amount of food we ordered. Don’t be put off by the distance and bumpy roads – think of it as an exciting (and hopefully rewarding) food adventure!
Ambiance: 5.5/10Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork-free)
Verdict: Fresh seafood enhanced by simple cooking styles.
Fish Farm Thai Restaurant
(open 11am-11.30pm, seven days a week)
KM4 Jalan Ampang,
Hulu Langat,
Ampang, Selangor
017-251 5235 / 019-260 6493
GPS coordinates: N03 07.784 E101 48.308
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19 comments
baked crabs (RM55 per kilo)?? Very Expensive lor..
yeah place has been around for ages;) we love it!
This place is not really far away from my high school.
In case you're wondering, my high school is in the jungle.
i fear my myvi may not survive the bumpy road trip to this place! though the fried spinach sure looks tasty 😀
biggest problem with this place is that it's DAMN PACKED! but very nice atmosphere i must say
if not for its location which is further in from Ampang.. I would have come here n-years ago! Having 2 brats in tow confines me in PJ area… most of the time
looks awesome. will head there for our dinner after our drives around ulu langat:D
Yup, I read this in the Star. And a very useful article for the weary ones who wanna go out of town yet dunno where to head to.
Just pray and hope that this place wont be too commercialized and charge an arm and a leg, plus poor QC in the future.
food is delicious, kampung style, but mosquitoes very annoying, bawak aerosol 🙂
eintwoseven – True. I think just put mosquito repellent lor…
J2Kfm – Ya. I'm worried they are heading there. Spotted a huge tourist bus when I was there.
missyblurkit – YOU DRIVE AROUND ULU LANGAT? Why??
leo – Daddy's love ma. 😉
Otherwise, get two people to babysit them while you tuck into crabs. Hehe
KY – Yeah, I don't like waiting for a table.
Sean – I drove my saga up. It survived. Your car will be fine. 😀
Michelle – Serious?! Which school la?
Nikel – A bit. But it's nice and big. 🙂
hehe…we enjoy the twisty roads:D
May i know Fish Farm Thai is Halal or Non Halal? pls & tq..
I suggest you polish up your English before you post anything. Reading your blog was so unbearable and your English Sucks!
How do you suggest I improve?
Really? Is it really worse than yours, if so then she needs to polish it or else YOU polish yours!
Hey gals and guys… I never been up there yet but sure love to try once. Anyway, forget about the bumpy rides or mosquitoes, I loved seafood but think about all those mean ways of sucking all those sumptuous calories down your throat! But think about it, those bumpy rides to and fro the place help to burn some off!
Yet i m considered a huge fan of Thai food eater. We were so eager taking about 2 hours to reach there a wht authentic thai seafood restaurant, regret to comment it was the WORST thai dining experience ever in my life!!! The dishes are bad unlike a bite of thai flavor at all. Thanks for the squids & “spicy” tom yam!
GOOD LUCKS BOSS!
Babe, it will helpful if you could list the payment methods accepted at these restaurants in your food review! I hate carrying cash around and even if restaurants accept cards, some do not accept AMEX.