For some, the faded signboard of a restaurant may indicate that it has seen better days.
For me, it means I’m walking into a place so old that their cooking skills must be exemplary since it’s been honed day after day, year after year.
That’s how it felt at Restoran Golden Roast, hidden in the depths of Taman Sri Sentosa.
The area may not be sparkly and modern but it boasts many great eateries like Sentosa Chapati and Choi Kee Hokkien Mee.
Now I can add Golden Roast to that happy list of eats here.
Given that Golden Roast has been selling food on the USJ2 food truck for more than 30 years, some food enthusiasts may already be familiar with them.
Their kitchen is located here, and you can either eat in or take out for lunch.
It’s difficult for me to select my favorite item. I could eat all of their roast meats, if I could.
First up, the roast duck (RM22 for the lower quarter portion) is purported to be prepared in the Hong Kong style.
It’s not the crispy, shattering kind of skin.
Rather, the allure is found in the succulent, fine meat and the incredible taste of the brown jus that emerges from the roasted duck’s stuffed belly, which is bursting with herbs and spices.
Because the sauce isn’t as herbal as it is elsewhere, everyone can enjoy it.
Perhaps most importantly, the duck isn’t overly game.
My second favorite, I believe, is roast pork.
In contrast to many stalls that can’t seem to strike a balance between roasting times and fire control, the meat and fatty layer here are tender and moist, giving the meat a bitter bite.
The crackling on top is the best part. Thanks to the old roasting master in the kitchen, it has a fine, even texture with a light crispy bite.
For some, the char siu may not look appealing since it’s not charred till it is sticky but it’s the texture that matters, since each piece is juicy.
If you’re not into roast duck or looking for a change, they offer a roast chicken which is pretty good too.
You also have Fried Lorbak (RM1.50 per piece) here, something older roast meats places like Seapark’s Restoran Hoe Fong Chicken Rice used to offer.
As the rolls are thinner, the quality is a little inconsistent. The first time I ate it, the rolls were juicy inside with a crispy skin. However on my second visit, it was over fried until it became dry and hard.
If you wish to sample this, maybe ask for those rolls that are not too burnt the next time.
What I also liked was how they would douse the roast meats with a combination of brown sauce and drippings from the roasting, rather than the usual soy sauce and oil mixture.
Your meal is served with a plate of light yellow hued rice and a bowl of clear soup using the offcuts from their roasting.
The chilli sauce tends to be rather insipid though. Stick to that fragrant brown sauce and you will happily polish off every scrap of the meat and rice.
The food truck is parked along Jalan USJ2/6 from 3pm to 7pm, where it’s a neighbourhood fixture and you can see a queue for the roast duck.
Restoran Golden Roast, 7, Jalan Sri Sentosa 11A/133, Taman Sri Sentosa, Off Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur. Open: 11.30am to 2pm. Closed on Monday and Tuesday. Tel:03-77834202/016-2849288.
