Chef Chew Kitchen in Section 19

I recently went back to Chef Chew Kitchen in Section 19, the last time I ate the food there was during the COVID lockdowns and I had ordered to go compared to eating in the restaurant. Getting a seat at this place wasn’t easy and there were two dinner turns per night. We got the 8.30pm slot and by 8.15pm sharp they were calling for our names as apparently there were a number of folks on the waiting list. I guess that Saturday nights are one of their busiest nights.

The first dish we had was a double-boild fish maw soup. The soup was really flavourful and fragrant, taste-wise it wasn’t for everyone as not everyone enjoys the soft texture of the fish maw.

Their recommended Charcoal Beancurd dish

The rest of the dishes arrived which was meant to be shared and to be eaten together with rice. One of the dishes that is a recommended dish is their charcoal beancurd or tofu dish in pumpkin sauce. Don’t let the colours fool you, it tastes just like tofu. But if you don’t like tofu, yeah, don’t order this. Otherwise, this is a must order if you are eating there.

To add a little bit more texture to the food, we also ordered the deep fried salted egg fish skin and the kids absolutely love this dish. I mean, who doesn’t love eaten crispy fish skin coated in salted egg?

One of their other specialties is the “Chilled Sweet & Sour Pork” which is basically sweet and sour pork encased with ice. The logic behind this dish is that the ice helps keep the sweet and sour pork crispy which really works! All you need to do is dig through the ice, get the sweet and sour pork out and be surprised as you bite into it as the exterior might be a little cold, but inside it is crispy and warm.

Since we were told that we needed veggies in our diet, we ordered another of their specialties, the “Claypot Kangkung with Shrimp Paste”. Honestly, it was quite good considering that I am not one to enjoy the slimy texture of kangkung.

I think my favourite dish was the steamed fish with preserved vegetables. The overall balance, texture of the preserved vegetables against the soft steamed fish was just sublime. I really enjoyed that dish but I did think that they overcooked the fish just a tad bit. Perhaps 30 seconds less and it would have been the perfect dish.

Last but not least, the claypot braised pork belly with pork tendon, one of the yummiest dish of all. Just having this dish with rice would make me a happy man. You could just eat and eat this dish and not get sick of it. The combination of the pork belly together with the tendon makes it an amazing combination of meat textures and together with the additional of spring onions and ginger, a dish to truly enjoy.

Conclusion

Overall the food there is consistent and of good quality. That is why the place is always packed with customers and you have people constantly trying to book a place and eat there. If you are around the PJ/Selangor area and want to try out some local Chinese food, I would recommend Chef Chew Kitchen to all. Would I return? Yes, definitely and perhaps with my family as well to enjoy the food there. Also I liked that you can also pre-order your food beforehand so that you don’t have to wait very long for your food to arrive. Price-wise? This place isn’t exactly cheap nor is it very expensive as the place looks very modest, a typical “tai chow” restaurant with air-conditioning. That said if you are from out of town (outside of Klang Valley), you might find the prices a little on the high side.