02/04/2014
Eat Drink KL
Kuala Lumpur's essential restaurant reviews
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Cungdinh Vietnam @ Asian Heritage Row
When we last visited Cungdinh in 2010, it was still in its original location of One Bangsar; forced to move, it's now at Asian Heritage Row, a strange choice for any restaurant that hopes to thrive.
It's sad that so few head here for dinner; Cungdinh has a wide menu of worthwhile recipes, mainly Vietnamese fare such as this lotus stem salad with bean curd skin.
Shredded young jackfruit, prawns, assam leaves, sesame seeds & crackers (RM18.90).
Veggie spring rolls, emblematic of the fresh, healthy feel for which Vietnamese food is known.
Grilled blood clams (RM21.90), the next best thing to a cockle-filled buffet.
Banh Khoai _ Hue pancakes comprising shrimp, mushrooms & onions, rice flour batter, turmeric powder, egg & herbs (RM14.90). Not sure if a Vietnamese chef heads the kitchen, but the food is really well-executed, with nary a hint of excess oil or salt.
Chicken grilled with salted soy sauce (RM26.90), as flavorsome as fowl gets.
Claypot fish stew (RM29.90). Overpriced, but it's savory soul food nevertheless.
Cuttlefish steamed in ginger (RM29.90), with an attention-grabbing (edible) ornament.
Tiger prawns, aromatically steamed in coconut juice (RM31.90).
Eggplant in fish sauce. Simple but so satisfying, thanks to its sublime juiciness.
Stir-fried cabbage (RM11.90), piquant in a pickled way.
Fried rice with prawns & chicken, wrapped in egg to lock in its moist richness (RM20.90).
Duck porridge, peppery-watery, pleasurable enough depending on personal preference.
Hue-style crab paste rice noodle soup, evocative of street food at its most satisfying.
Wine is available by the glass, but only at slightly steep prices.
Cungdinh Vietnam,
Asian Heritage Row, Jalan Doraisamy, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2692-2288
Entry on Cungdinh @ Bangsar: Nov. 27, 2010.
Sean at Thursday, May 23, 2013
Share
22 comments:
LindaMay 23, 2013
I love the warm and soothing colours of the decor in the first photo! The claypot fish stew would probably be the only thing of the choices here that I would order, even if it is over priced. The rest of the foods don't look very appetizing to me, although the presentation is lovely! Great review, Sean. :)
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Linda: thanks! =) yes, you're right, vietnamese food can be a bit of an acquired taste. I like how wholesome and fresh a lot of these recipes taste, even though I might only want to enjoy them once in awhile, not very often =)
Reply
thenomadGourmandMay 23, 2013
U mean there's finally authentic Vietnamese here? How's the pricing like?
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
TNG: pricing is decent! most of the dishes cost under RM30 =)
Reply
suituapuiMay 23, 2013
Vietnam? I like!!!! Yummmmm!!!!!
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Suituapui: heheh, hope you'll have some good vietnamese dishes soon! :D
Reply
The Yum ListMay 23, 2013
It's been a while since I"ve been to Heritage Row. I do love those fresh Vietnamese spring rolls though. Could be high time I take a visit. :-)
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
The Yum List: yeah, Heritage Row is a pale shadow now of what it used to be in 2006, sadly. but yep, it's worth heading here for some fresh, well-prepared rolls :D
Reply
ulricMay 23, 2013
How I wish for a burst of Vietnamese restos opening in KL showcasing the flavours n freshness of their cuisine =(
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Ulric: ya, you're right, most of the vietnamese restaurants in kl do seem to be overly commercialized outlets, but hopefully someday we'll see some really good ones appear =)
Reply
missyblurkitMay 23, 2013
Interesting location considering things are kinda quiet there. But still I think its a nice quaint location which I wouldn't mind checking out. Not too far from my office and the client:D
The dishes you shared looks very close to some traditional Vietnamese fare not seen commonly. Definitely calls for a visit!
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Missyblurkit: yeah, it's a shame that heritage row has turned into a somewhat sleazy area. the buildings here are really beautiful, and they deserve to be transformed into great restaurants =) and ya, cungdinh vietnam does serve an impressive array of vietnamese fare! quite difficult to narrow down our choices of what to order :D
Reply
PuregluttonMay 23, 2013
That's a lot of food - in one sitting? That steamed aubergines have just inspired me to cook that at home tonight! :-P
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Pureglutton: heh, yeah, this was a slightly larger meal for a large number of diners :D oooh, i usually don't like aubergines that much, but this recipe reminds me how enjoyably delicate they can taste :D
Reply
melissathegreatMay 23, 2013
Other than Vietnam spring roll & cockles...the rest are not familiar to me :-p
I like the dining ambiance.
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Melissa: heheh, i was happy to see cockles on the menu, since i'm a fan of cockles! :D and ya, the dining ambiance does have a cool vietnamese feel =)
Reply
Baby SumoMay 23, 2013
Hehe that fried rice looks like the omurice I always cook for my kids :)
Reply
Replies
SeanMay 23, 2013
Baby Sumo: heheh, meanwhile it reminded me of nasi pattaya, the kind we find at hawker shops :D
Reply
Burnett NgMay 23, 2013
RM21.90 for the cockles?? Very overpriced for that... >.
