Why Jalan is one of Hong Kong’s trendiest Malaysian restaurants
- The laksa fried chicken and the pandan custard doughnuts at the cool modern eatery – which has a communal table and 70s music – come highly recommended
Jalan is set to take on the challenge of being one of the first trendy Malaysian restaurants in town. With a large communal table at the centre and a cool 1970s playlist, the atmosphere alone is a winner.
The cocktail menu offers many fun and Asian-inspired drinks such as the Heart of Pisco, (HK$95) which is a mix of the Peruvian brandy, Melonade with kumquat and lime, creating an Asian twist to the pisco sour.
For starters, we opt for the charred hamachi (HK$140) and the slices of fish have the exact aroma of a chargrilled fish or ikan bakar (spicy barbecue fish) but with the smooth texture of a superior fish. This is an elevated experience of street food flavours without having to endure the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur.
The laksa fried chicken (HK$135) comes highly recommended and the batter on the chicken is thin and crisp. The meat arrives with a side of laksa dipping sauce, and while the flavour is authentic, the sauce is too thin.
Next we pair coconut roasted prawn curry (HK$195) with coconut rice served in a whole coconut, with delicious fresh shrimps interspersed with ribbons of coconut flesh, making this a refreshing and light version of a classic yellow curry.
We love the pandan custard doughnuts (HK$80) for dessert. These are more like custard-filled doughnut holes with a lovely aroma of pandan; a great way to end our meal.