Few weeks back, we went for an invitation dinner courtesy of Andrea, the friendly marketing executive of Coca Group Restaurant Malaysia at Coca Restaurant Subang Parade. With our palate getting ready for some fiery hot Thai tom yam steamboat, we were rather surprised when told that menu for the day was ala carte dinner. Well no harm trying something new right?

Victims!

While waiting for the chef to whip out the dishes, we had Thai ice tea and a refreshing longan drink. The Thai ice tea deserves a special mention. It begins with aromatic Thai tea, plenty of palm sugar and a liberal shot of fresh milk. The tea is almost overwhelmingly rich and strong with a delightful aroma.

For appetizer, we had deep fried mussels (RM12.80) and Squid with Garlic and Pepper (RM12.80). The breading is light and crunchy with hints of curry spices, while the sweet, plump mussels are really fresh! I was all but addicted to these deep fried morsels.

Squid with Garlic and Pepper (RM12.80). Lightly coated in crunchy deep fried garlic and pepper seasoned flour, the squids are cooked to perfection, sans the chewy rubbery texture.

Tom Yam Seafood Soup (RM13.80). Overflowing with mushrooms and seafood, my lips tingled a bit and followed by a palate-searing pyrotechnics after taking a sip or two of the fiery soup. However, the two monkeys, Cumi & Ciki were expecting a little extra kicks and oomph. Very strong resistance to spiciness.

Green Curry with Chicken & Fish Ball (RM11.80). The overwhelming basil smell is quick a shock to our palate but the tender chicken pieces and freshly made fish ball do make up for it. Do note that yoghurt is used to replace coconut milk for health reason.

Stir Fried Baby Kailan (RM11.80). It is slightly too bland and lacking of the right amount of punch, the dish definitely has more room for improvement.

Thai Butter Prawn (Market price – RM16 per 100g). The jumbo sized prawns are perfectly cooked with a bursty and bouncy bite. Other than the usual curry leaves, the brilliant use of various spices make this dish distinctively delicious.

Steam Siakap with Lime & Chilli Sauce (Market price – RM9 per 100g). The flesh of the fish is tender and glides smoothly down the back of your throat while the sauce is rich, tangy with a trace of spiciness.

Coca Special Curry Live Crab (Market price – RM12 per 100g). We were told by Andrea that the mud crabs must remain alive until they are cooked or the meat will shrink and taste watery. The rice sauce, scrumptious when soaked up with Coca Mini Bun (RM1.80 per pc) is unbelievably delicious.

The host brought to us some sweet treats after scrumptious meal. Water Chestnut with Coconut Milk (RM7.50) is a visual delight. Besides being colorful, the water chestnut coated with a layer of tapioca is jelly-like on the outside, but crunchy in the inside. Sago in Coconut Milk (RM7.50). I truly enjoy the plain pearls of sago and honeydew cubes drenched in the sweet and rich coconut milk.

We had a great time lingering in conversation with Cumi & Ciki and Andrea during the long and filing dinner. Dining at Coca comes with a little heftier price tag but I thought the food quality, service and attention to detail is quintessential.

COCA Subang Parade
Lot G28, Level G, Subang Parade
5, Jalan SS16/1 Subang Jaya 47500 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03 5632 8766 Fax: 03 5632 8767

TGIF! I’m going to do a short post on Restaurant Well Cook Gourmet here. A friend who lives and stays at Subang Jaya all his life brought us here on his birthday last year. It is a no frill restaurant with minimal design and decor with an emphasis on their zhu chao (??).

Pattaya Fried Rice

Seafood Tom Yam

Yin Yeong (deep fried vermicelli and hor fun)

Singapore Fried Mee Hoon

Nasi Lemak

Stir Fried Tong Fun

Albeit being flavourful, the wok hei of some stir fried item here is pretty lack luster. Fortunately, the fried laksa stands out as the best item. The usual lai fun, is stir fried with the usual garnish of pineapple, diced cucumber, peppermint leaves, onions, cube chicken instead of fish slices and sour sauce, giving it a slight spicy and tangy taste. The food here is pretty decent and reasonably priced (ranges from rm 4.5 to rm 6.0). I will definitely return to this restaurant again for the fried laksa whenever I’m around Subang Jaya.

Restaurant Well Cook Gourmet
74, Jalan SS 14/2
Subang Jaya
Opens from 12 noon to 9pm.