Song Ngu’s appetiser platter comprising Fresh Spring Roll, Fried Spring Roll, Prawn Sugar Cane and Mango Salad. — LOW LAY PHON/ The Star
FRAGRANT leaves or rau thom refer to herbs served alongside dishes when dining at a Vietnamese restaurant.
Inexpensive and plentiful in Vietnamese markets, the use of fresh herbs is an ode to the country’s rich culinary heritage where cooks strive to find balance in taste and texture by adding minty, peppery, grassy, lemony and spicy sweet accents to uplift the flavour of dishes.
Examples are mint, coriander leaves, spring onion, basil, fish mint, sawtooth coriander, rice paddy herb and Vietnamese coriander (better known as daun kesum locally).
Vietnamese desserts to end your meal with at Song Ngu.
They bring their own unique flavour profile in enhancing the taste of dishes such as beef pho or even bahn xeo (cripsy crepe with meat, shrimp and bean sprouts).
Take the quintessential beef pho, for example – an iconic soup dish that has gained popularity globally as a healthy and fresh-flavoured dish which is incomplete without herbs.
The pronounced meaty flavour in pho makes it a satisfying meal, but those who shy away from beef will be delighted to learn that the chicken version is an option at Song Ngu at New Ocean World Fine Food City, a lifestyle food mall located in Section 19, Petaling Jaya.
At Song Ngu, Vietnamese cooks throw in plenty of kampung chicken bones and parts into the stock, which is simmered for up to five hours.
Star anise, coriander seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon as well as lemongrass, ginger and yellow onions build layers of flavour as the soup takes shape.
The pho comes with a serving of fresh herbs.
While waiting for your pho, check out the popular appetisers such as Vietnamese Mango Salad, Fresh Spring Roll, Fried Spring Roll and Prawn Sugar Cane, which are available as an appetiser platter as well as a la carte orders.
The popular ‘banh mi’ with either chicken or beef available at Miss Ao Dai.
We tried the lunch set of Vietnamese Caramelised Fish Set, comprising Vietnamese Caramelised Fish, Sweet and Sour Fish Soup and dessert of the day priced at RM28+, which is definitely value for money.
The Sweet and Sour Fish Soup with a fibrous mix of kangkung, pineapple and coriander leaves is tangy and sweet, thanks to ingredients such as tamarind and fish sauce in its recipe.
The menu also has other interesting dishes such as Ga Kho Xa (Vietnamese Caramelised Chicken with Lemongrass), Duck Curry and Bo Luc Lac Khoai Tay Mui Cau (Vietnamese Shaking Beef with Potato Wedges).
The creamy, rich flavours of Vietnamese Cendol, Vietnamese Three Colour Dessert and Vietnamese Sago Cake are rather filling, so the advice is to pace yourself when dining here.
The sugar globe in the Avocado Pudding at Miss Ao Dai looks too good to break into.
Those preferring a lighter meal might want to check out Miss Ao Dai, on the mall’s first floor, which has a selection of quick meals such as banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich).
The hot food section offers beef or chicken banh mi, stir-fried noodles with either seafood or beef as well as stir-fried macaroni with a choice of seafood or beef.
This is the place to discover Vietnamese desserts such as Che Ba Mau, Avocado Pudding, Mango Pudding, Egg Cream Soya Pudding and of course, Vietnamese coffee.
The Avocado Pudding is a show-stealer as it comes encased in a caramelised sugar globe that has to be broken first before one can taste the sweet treat within.
While the Avocado Pudding definitely impressed us, the Tamarind Juice with Soda made quite a mark on my taste buds.
The refreshing sweet-and-sour drink has a layer of crunchy peanuts as well as soft tamarind seeds that are boiled for hours, making them an edible delight to bite into.
New Ocean World Fine Food City consultant Johnny Lai described New Ocean World as a one-stop gourmet dining destination with a range of restaurants from the first to the eighth floor.
“We have quite a few restaurants operating on the first, third and fourth floors and will be opening more in months to come,” he said.
“The concept of New Ocean World is to present an oceanic vibe, hence our addition of an aquarium as well as the facade of the building, which resembles waves when lit up at night.
“We have also introduced an interesting AI-automated parking system to make parking easier for customers. There are 500 parking bays in New Ocean World,” said Lai.
Both Song Ngu and Miss Ao Dai restaurants are pork-free.
SONG NGU, L3 - 09, Level 3, New Ocean World Fine Food City, 15, Jalan 19/1, Section 19, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. (Tel: 03-7954 8863) Business hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm; 6pm to 10pm.
MISS AO DAI, L1 - 02, Level 1 of New Ocean World Fine Food City. (Tel: 012-988 2072) Business hours: 11am to 10pm.
This is the writer’s personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
