Food and Restaurants

Kuala Selangor is famous for its cheap and tasty seafood, especially those from the riverside restaurants found in traditional Chinese fishing villages. Because of its location by the river mouth that leads to the open sea, fishermen can bring in their harvest of fresh fish, prawns, crabs, squid, oysters, clams and other delights of the sea quickly to the kitchen, where they are transformed into culinary works of art and served piping hot to guests. While you can get exciting seafood dishes almost anywhere, the most famous village in Kuala Selangor for seafood is Pasir Penambang, which attracts patrons from urban areas such as Kuala Lumpur and even visitors as far from Singapore. Its proximity to Kuala Lumpur (through Sungai Buloh or major highways) and Klang (via coastal road) means that good seafood at cheap prices is readily accessible to hungry people or tourists in the cities.

Pasir Penambang is where everyone goes to enjoy the food of Kuala Selangor. This modern village has developed a reputation for reasonably cheap and delicious Chinese seafood cuisine, evident in the numerous restaurants lining its coastal fringe. Almost all the restaurants feature an open-air dining concept; some are housed in shoplots which are culturally called 'Kopitiam' while other are fully-fledged restaurants facing the river.

The most famous restaurant in Kuala Selangor is undoubtedly River View, located in the southern section of Pasir Penambang. Just next door is another famous restaurant called Jeti (or Jetty). Both restaurants are built on stilts across the shore, with a magnificent view of Bukit Melawati, mangroves and boats floating lazily across the river, especially at sunset.

These two dining establishments easily attract the most patrons and get extremely crowded on weekends or holiday periods.Since these restaurants have become tourist attractions, it is worth checking out their competition which feature the same format of dining on wooden platforms across the river on stilts. They'll usually have less people, allowing you to enjoy your dining in relative privacy but with equally good seafood to feast on.

Since these restaurants have become tourist attractions, it is worth checking out their competition which feature the same format of dining on wooden platforms across the river on stilts. They'll usually have less of a crowd, allowing you to enjoy your dining in relative privacy but with equally good seafood to feast on. They are many choices of other seafood restaurants within the direct vicinity of River View and Jeti and also around the other parts of Pasir Penambang town. If you lack a Kuala Selangor food guide or just don't know what to eat, then rest assure that English menus are available in most of the establisments, along with photos of the dishes to give you an idea. You can also ask the waiters for recommendations, signature dishes of the restaurant or the chef's specials. These seafood cuisine is a lend of of Malaysian styles, primarily Chinese with Malay and Indian influences for some of the dishes. The wide range of dishes include those served in claypots, sizzling hot pans, steel plates with a small fire under them and steamboat.

Crabs are a favourite among diners, often fried with chilli, marmite or curry paste. They usually run out later in the night so order early. Prawns are cooked in many different ways, including getting roasted with wine sauce, deep fried in butter or coated with salad sauce. Squid can come charbroiled, grilled, steamed and friend whole or sliced into rings, with different sauces including Assam, chilli or just plain. Fish is traditionally served steamed as Chinese diners love to savour its original texture and taste without the taste of oil. There are many other styles to try out with fish, including fish head curry, Nyonya fried (covered with a sweet, sour and spicy gravy), grilled in banana leaves, soaked in wine-based soup and much more. Shellfish such as oysters, cockles, mussels and clams are usually fried in a spicy sauce with their shells on for diners to pry open and pick at. These are just some of the things you can eat in Kuala Selangor; there are many more dishes not listed here that will provide a culinary adventure for most visitors.

A great alternative seafood destination in Kuala Selangor is Bagan Pasir in Tanjung Karang. Located just 5 km away from Pasir Penambang, Kampung Bagan Pasir is hidden away from the main road by paddy fields and plantations. This Chinese fishing village has a few famous restaurants with a traditional setting on stilts across the river. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous as you dine while the environment peaceful and relaxed.

The restaurants in Bagan Pasir are; Tanjung Karang Seafood, Resoran Makanan Laut Lucky and Suang Le River. The usual range of Chinese seafood dishes you find in Penambang are the same here, but probably cheaper. Large signboards along the roads lead to their respective restaurants. It's not hard finding them as the village is small and the locals friendly to ask for directions.