PETALING JAYA, Sept 7 — Attention, residents of the Klang Valley: a new spot for lu rou fan has arrived, all the way from Penang rather than Taipei.
Yes, Penang, you read that right.
The newly-opened DiYiTai Plus in Damansara Utama specialises in all things Taiwanese, from lu rou fan to mee sua to popcorn chicken, and it’s the group’s first outlet in the Klang Valley.
The brand already operates five outlets in Penang under the name Taiwanese Palace, located across Bukit Mertajam, Bayan Lepas (with two branches), George Town, Batu Kawan, and Sungai Petani, Kedah, as well as one in Ipoh, Perak.
But this is actually a return, a comeback nearly a decade in the making.
In 2016, DiYiTai began as a stall in a coffee shop before opening a full-fledged restaurant in Setapak later that year.
The pandemic forced them to shut, but they reopened in Bukit Mertajam the year after and have grown steadily since.
Finally, in June, DiYiTai Plus opened, a few doors down from Dapor Cik Oli on Jalan SS 21/62 in Damansara Utama.
The restaurant is a love letter to Taiwan; pictures of Jiufen line the walls while Mandopop plays softly. In keeping with the theme, everything in Chinese is written in traditional script, just like in Taiwan.
Even the 臺 in the name refers to the traditional written form for Taiwan in Chinese, 臺灣.
The menu is sprawling yet focused, with every dish recognisably Taiwanese.
There’s the lu rou fan, or braised pork rice, that they’re known for, as well as Taiwanese-style fried popcorn chicken, mee sua, omelette rolls with pork floss, three cup chicken, and, of course, it wouldn’t be Taiwanese without dessert offerings of taro and boba.
The braised pork rice they’re known for comes in several iterations.
There’s the signature hand-minced preparation, one with added dried shrimp, and a finer minced version with mushrooms, all priced at RM13.90.
For an additional RM5.90, it can be made into a set with a braised egg, the side dish of the day, pickles and soup, an offer that turned out to be excellent value.
The irregular cuts of the hand-minced preparation offer the most interesting texture and the ideal balance between fat and lean, which dovetails wonderfully with the chopped strips of crunchy, tangy pickled mustard greens.
A bright and sharp chilli sauce adds extra kick if desired, cutting through the sweet, rich pork.
Thin slices of pickled cucumber, a small serving of mapo tofu and a sweet, hearty corn soup with a single meatball also arrived as part of the set — plenty of food for a total of RM19.80, which is a bargain by Klang Valley standards.
Mee sua is not unique to Taiwan, but the dish holds a significant place in Taiwanese cuisine and culture.
The most common variety is oyster mee sua, though versions with sliced pork or large intestines are just as popular, both of which are served here.
A bowl of pork mee sua (RM13.90), intestine mee sua (RM13.90), or a mix of both (RM14.90) arrives scaldingly hot, though the thick layer of starch on top makes it deceptively so.
Exercise caution.
The broth carries a deep smoky, savoury flavour from its dashi base, lifted by a drizzle of pungent raw garlic and a few drops of vinegar for a comforting yet moreish finish.
Not everything shines as brightly.
The popcorn chicken (RM10.90) and three cup chicken (RM28.90) are decent enough, though they don’t leave much of an impression beyond filling out the menu.
Still, with the lu rou fan and mee sua carrying the weight, DiYiTai Plus makes a convincing case for carrying the flag of Taiwanese food in the Klang Valley.
DiYiTai Plus
76G, Jalan SS 21/62,
Damansara Utama,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11.30am–3pm, 5–9pm.
Tel: 018-293 1129
Facebook: DiYiTai Plus
Instagram: @diyitai__plus
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and self-deprecating attempts at humour.
