LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya

Refreshing-LI Malaysian, Li Restaurant, Damansara Jaya, PJ

Words: Craig J Selby ย  ย  Photos: Monica Tindall

Hidden in plain sight adjacent to Damansara Atria is a quirky little local hangout, LI Restaurant. Started and run by three close friends, who all studied together, LI serves porky-LI-cious Malaysian fare, with a very cool twist. Clearly these three friendsโ€™ industry experience in Australia contributed to creating an exceptional cafรฉ-bistro, where the hero is pork, recreating favourite Malaysian flavours, but with an upscaling of the classic kopitiam experience.

Park at Atria, head out the main door by Artisan Coffee, and turn right. Look for a hanging sign, LI, and youโ€™ve found your new favourite spot. Step in; enjoy.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
LI Restaurant
LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
LI Restaurant

We were enthusiastically greeted by one of the owners. They work here. Brilliant! We were seated. The window seats are great for people watching, and those inner to the restaurant are better for an intimate conversation with friends. Look for the Harry Potter cupboard too โ€“ itโ€™s a fun, albeit unusual, addition.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
LIM Yee Rui (our bubbly host for the afternoon), LIM Heng Kit (Chef of brilliance) and LEE Zi Yan (the one hiding behind the counter making the awesome drinks)

Dragonfruit house-made fizz was a great starter drink. Red dragonfruit, blended with soda water, and the tiniest bit of sugar (we know, dragonfruit on its own lacks a natural sweetness). A refreshing beverage, served chilled, and goes great with a variety of dishes. Monica sampled the Calamansi with Kaffir Lime leaves โ€“ I ended up finishing it off. The calamansi reminded me of the Malaysian mamak favourite,ย limau ais, but far more sophisticated (and tastier), due to the natural fermentation process used to up the ante at LI.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Drinks

Fresh baked daily are LIโ€™s sourdough loaves. Thick slices of their sourdough are served with chilled butter, and a hint of sea salt added. We opted to enjoy their sous vide kaya (all up, RM 7 ++) โ€“ we were well rewarded with a mildly sweet, light, and very creamy, almost runny, kaya. Iโ€™m a big fan of local kaya, especially on charcoal grilled toast; LIโ€™s version had me wanting for more. Great news, especially for me, is that they sell not only the sourdough to take away, but the kaya as well. In addition to kaya, they also make a rosella jam, but we didnโ€™t experience that this time around (reason to return).

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Sourdough and Kaya

If you do pop by LI, do not leave without sampling their signature Pork Toast (RM 9.50). I heard rumours about this toast from industry friends, and to be honest, itโ€™s the second time Iโ€™d popped by for these morsels. Rumours confirmed, double-confirmed – Spectacular! Toast slices, covered in a generous porky hash, drizzled with ample chili mayo and herbs. Think comfort food, Asian twist. Hearty yet refreshing-LI light at the same time. If youโ€™re in the neighbourhood yet in a rush, pop by for this as your first LI experience, and pop back when you have more time on your hands for the fuller experience.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Pork Toasts

For our adventure into the main courses, we started by comparing the House Rice Bowl and the House Made Spam (Rice Bowl). The House Rice Bowl was a beautiful dish of chicken, rice, and a hint of chili. Echoing Hainanese chicken rice of days gone by, their cooking technique sees the chicken brined for several hours, then pan seared to ensure an amazing crispy skin. The house made chili mayo mixes well with the rice to give that all-important chili kick, but in a new way. Whilst the kick is there, itโ€™s certainly is not too hot for the novice. Great value at RM 17.90 ++.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
House Rice Bowl

Their House Made Spam Rice Bowl (RM 19.90 ++) is comprised of this most delicious herbed rice. Think fresh herbs, stirred into light buttery rice. Delicious-LI different. I wasnโ€™t sure what to expect from โ€˜spamโ€™, but LIโ€™s version was premium all the way. Tender pork spam, chili sauce, sesame seeds, and a perfectly sous vide egg topped the dish. Mix it all up and enjoy the rich aroma and creaminess.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
House Made Spam Rice Bowl

Many restaurants underthink the importance of vegetarian options. The team at LI, however, put extra effort into ensuring that vegetarian dishes are both available and appealing. The Charred Spiced Cauliflower (RM 17 ++) caught my attention as soon as I saw the menu, so we opted for this. Served with yoghurt and house made dukkah (what do these guys not try and make themselves?), the cauliflower had a great charred aroma, and was tender to the bite. Drizzle over some lemon for a little acidity, or just enjoy with yoghurt or dukkah. Iโ€™d order this again and again โ€“ it simply transformed the humble cauli into a stunning vegetarian dish. Kudos LI.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Charred Spiced Cauliflower

Our final main was the Braised Pork Belly. Think tender pork belly, with a hint of bak ku teh spice aroma and saltiness. The thick slice of pork belly is cured and braised for several hours. Served with triple cooked potatoes โ€“ first boiled, then deep fried twice to ensure both crusty and tender โ€“ also accompanied by torched bak choy with salt. The bak choy was a great addition โ€“ not only did the torching add a unique dimension to the vegetable, it complimented the entire dish so well. At only RM 30 ++, this is well worth the splurge.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Braised Pork Belly

We sampled both desserts on the menu. The Soy Milk Panna Cotta (RM 10 ++) with pineapple jam and sago gula Melaka was interesting. Silky smooth, with the sweet and tart flavour coming from the jam and the rich dark sugar.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Soy Milk Panna Cotta

The Lychee Bowl (RM 15 ++) was the winner for me. Thin meringue wafers created both texture and chewiness for this dish, and lovely fresh lychee drizzled with coconut milk ensured a fresh component.

LI Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Lychee Bowl

Passion is transferred through food, service and setting at LI Restaurant: an obvious investment in heart with the three owners on the floor and in the kitchen. For those looking for a refreshing and refined take on local flavours, LI Restaurant holds many treasures.

Reasons to visit:ย innovative Malaysian favourites, donโ€™t miss the Sourdough and Kaya, House Rice Bowl, Charred Spiced Cauliflower, Braised Pork Belly and the Lychee Bowl.

LI Restaurant
47 Jalan SS 22/23
SS 22, 47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
+60 3-7733 7692
[email protected]
www.facebook.com/lidamansarajaya
www.lidamansarajaya.com

Lunch: 11:30 am – 4 pm (Tues – Friday)
10:30 am – 4 pm (Sat – Sun)
Snacks: 4 – 5pm
Dinner: 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Closed Mondays.

14 Comments

  1. Lim Lim and Lee, I wonder where the Li comes from. I would love to try the pork toasts, new to me.

    • LI(,) LI(m), and Lee (pronounced Li) was the official story – the common elements between all three names. Regardless, a great place to enjoy, and so nice to have places like this popping up in PJ, rather than braving traffic in the city. Hope you enjoy the Pork Toast as much as we did.

  2. It looks like a fine dining experience ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. fantastic food

  4. purple drink reminds me of ‘Grape Knee High’ what Radar drank on Mash…Coffee is on

  5. Looks a homely restaurant, never said that before about one.

  6. Hello, nice shot of the owners. I hope their place does great. The food looks delicious. I would try the rice bowl. The drinks look refreshing too. Thanks for sharing your review. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and the new week ahead!

  7. Their pork is so lean!
    Almost like chicken. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  8. The house rice bowl looks very good!

  9. Pork toasts!

  10. I’m going straight for dessert!

  11. There’s a lot to explore in this area. I’ve been to a cafe and a bar over this way, and now I have Li to add to my list.

  12. Simple – toast and kaya – that’s my order.

  13. Great value and tasty food ..Pork Toasts looks yum ๐Ÿ™‚

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