Lèk by Lala Chong, Ara Damansara

Lèk by Lala Chong, Ara

[Pork-free] Lèk by Lala Chong is the newest addition to the burgeoning F&B scene in Ara Permata.

As the name suggests, Lèk is an offshoot of the popular Lala Chong restaurants in PJ – long known for their fresh clams, crabs and seafood. Incidentally, Lala Chong was our first ever post on this blog in 2019. Check the link here.

Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant, Kayu Ara

The new restaurant is run by Lala Chong founder Yim’s daughter, Chrysann, and started as an outlet for the former to explore new ideas beyond the traditional Chinese dishes Lala Chong is known for.

As it is close to where we live, we’ve visited Lèk a few times, including before its grand opening on 9 Sept.

Lèk by Lala Chong

The name Lèk takes inspiration from the Cantonese word for “smart”, and is also a play on “ri-lek” (relax) in Malay.

Following its grand opening, Lèk by Lala Chong has upgraded to a full-fledged menu, with an RM88 promotion for two XXL crabs until 30 Sept. Of course, we had to take advantage of this and opted for the Buttermilk Crabs.

As expected, the crabs here were superbly fresh and sweet. In fact, we were told that the crabs were being delivered to the restaurant just as we put in our order at 6pm.

When cracked open, the claws were bursting with juice and the natural sweetness of the sea. The fried mantou were also soft and perfect for soaking up the creamy buttermilk gravy.

It’s all about the clams

True to its roots, the clams here are some of the freshest in town. They are cooked just right to maintain a supple texture, while the superior soup has a good balance of ginger, Chinese wine and chilli padi heat.

The clams maintained that freshness in the Lala Kuey Teow (RM30) – their take on the classic Cantonese noodle dish.

We also enjoyed the Lèk Crab Meat Fried Rice (RM30), which had enough wok hei, although we would have preferred a little more seasoning to bring out the crab meat.

A touch of Thai

Lèk by Lala Chong also has a Thai chef in the kitchen, bringing a bit of Thai flair to the menu.

We recommend the Cold Paku Salad with Ikan Bilis (RM18) for its heady mix of tangy lime dressing, crispy anchovies and wild jungle fern. The Tuna Paku (RM20) is pretty good too, especially if you enjoy tuna with a bit of chilli padi heat in your greens.

On one occasion, we also ordered ikan mambong (mackerel) as the catch of the day. Steamed simply with salt and garlic, the natural sweetness of the fish really shone through.