Ikan Patin Tempoyak at Rasa D’Teluk Ensen

Fermented durian with a fatty river catfish? Now that might sound like a strange combination but they're key ingredients for one of the tastiest traditional Malay dishes around. Restoran Rasa D'Teluk Ensen in a quiet corner of Putra Heights is now my go-to place for this dish.

Ikan patin masak tempoyak is local river catfish cooked in a hot, spice-laden stew with a pungent tang from durian paste that's been fermented for weeks. The original recipe is said to have originated in Pahang. The owner of this particular restaurant hails from somewhere else entirely, namely Teluk Intan in Perak, and the establishment's name reflects the old colonial name for that town.

Most other places serving ikan patin tempoyak in the Klang Valley tend to make it either too sweet or too hot, as in burning hot with a metric ton of bird's eye chillies. The stew here is still spicy but I can taste strong hints of lemongrass and galangal, and there's a sourness reminiscent of nyonya-style fish curries. The patin fish has a nice balance of clean-tasting fat and firm flesh without tasting muddy. Apparently, the fish are kept in river cages with plenty of fast-flowing water all around.

The sauce is good enough to eat on its own with warm rice. I'm not a carb person but I usually order an extra half helping of rice to soak up the leftovers. The daging salai masak lemak, or smoked beef in a turmeric and coconut milk stew, is another standout dish. The meat is tender with a strong smoky flavor; the sauce is searingly hot and creamy and with hints of that same smokiness, again good enough to ladle on rice and eat by itself.

I also tried the fried patin fish. The skin is fried to crispy perfection and the flesh is moist and firm. In this simpler dish, the fatty mouthfeel comes across cleanly without any off-flavors. The accompanying soy sauce mixture might be too hot for most people though.

Each rice set comes with a main dish, assorted raw vegetables and a lovely small serving of fried salted fish. It's as traditional as it gets. The restaurant has open air seating with ceiling fans so there's no air conditioning to cool the chilli-induced sweat off your brow. Prices range from RM15 to RM20 for each set at Restoran Rasa D'Teluk Ensen.