Leong Ya in SS14 Subang Jaya is said to be a popular Chinese restaurant option in the area – a friend recommended that we give this a try over our regular spot, Xfrens. It’s best to call ahead to book a table as the place packs up very quickly during meal hours.
When it comes to Chinese food, you have people who like stronger, more robust flavours or people who lean towards lighter, cleaner flavours. Jien and I fall under the first category while our friend who recommended Leong Ya belongs to the latter category.
As such, we found the food at Leong Ya rather muted and one-dimensional in taste. We ordered the two variety pork ribs, steamed three kind eggs, deep fried house special tofu, salted egg squid, steamed dragon tiger grouper and deep fried kai lan.
Steamed egg, three kinds
Deep fried house special tofu
The steamed egg (RM13 – small) is pretty standard; hard to go wrong with this dish. I didn’t think much about the deep fried house special tofu (RM20 – medium) as it tasted like tofu mixed with meat filling and fried till crispy.
Yin Yang Pork Ribs — marmite glaze on top, mayo glaze at the bottom
Better was the two variety pork ribs (RM35 – medium), also known as yin yang pork ribs but I feel the version at Hup Kee and Xfrens taste better as the sauce has more depth. Especially the marmite flavour, which Leong Ya lacks in caramelisation.
Steamed dragon tiger grouper
My in-laws enjoyed the steamed dragon tiger grouper which (if I remember correctly) is slightly above RM100 for the size we ordered (about 1kg). The fish was fresh and firm, which is a plus point for the older folks. I enjoyed this but it’s not a must-order for me.
Salted egg squid
Leong Ya’s salted egg squid (RM27 – medium) comes with a generous amount of salted egg coating so every squid ring is well covered. That said, it’s not as crispy as I like it to be probably because of the cooking style. I think a crisper batter would make the dish less cloying overall.
Kai Lan, two ways
The kai lan (RM25 – medium) is stir-fried and deep fried so you get two different textures in one plate. Pretty enjoyable and refreshing to eat, especially after the greasiness from the squid and fried tofu.
Service is quick and relatively attentive despite the crowd. We dined upstairs which I was told is better compared to dining downstairs. All in, a decent dining experience but not our preferred style when it comes to Chinese food. We would still stick to Xfrens.
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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 5.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: The cooking style at Leong Ya leans towards the lighter and cleaner side. If you like your Chinese food to be more robust, this isn’t the place for you.
Restoran Leong Ya (SS14 Subang branch)
Restoran Leong Ya
21, Jalan SS 14/2,
SS 14, 47500 Subang Jaya.
Tel: 03-5879 0841
Business hours: 10am till 3pm, 5pm till 10pm