Tucked away at the end of a row of shops next to Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Restaurant Sangong has been around since 2019
The menu features classics such as lu rou fan, a beloved comfort dish of small pieces of braised pork belly served over rice like a thick meat sauce, and cang ying tou, a dish of garlic chives stir-fried with pork and fermented black beans, the latter of which gives the dish its distinct nickname: “flies’ heads.”
It’s a smallish space with wooden tables that seat about 30 people and span the main part of the dining area.
The use of wood throughout, including the chairs, floor, and window panes, appears to be at odds with the restaurant’s rather modern feel, which is punctuated by a wall of full-length windows that wraps around the side and front.
Chef and co-owner, Derrik Ang, spent close to 10 years in Taiwan where he studied and worked in advertising with his brother.
But cooking had always been a passion of his, and together with his brother, had long aspired to open a restaurant.
He came back to Malaysia and decided to attend Le Cordon Bleu in Bangkok, with plans to finally open a restaurant, which, with the support of his family, came true.
He decided that his restaurant would serve dishes he enjoyed, some with his own spin, and would be inspired by nearly a decade of good eating and drinking in Taiwan.
Take, for example, Sangong’s Braised Pork (RM23.90), their take on lu rou fan.
The dish is described on the menu as having been stewed for eight hours, which is immediately apparent when it arrives.
I’ll be the first to admit that the bowl’s size (which wasn’t much bigger than my open palm with fingers spread) initially disappointed me, but one bite dispelled any doubts.
“Bite” doesn’t seem like the right word; “slurp” or “gulp” seem more appropriate for the thick, fatty, and luxurious nature of the pork.
Mostly savoury and slightly sweet from the use of shallots, blobs of pale jelly-like fat make your tongue promises of supple pleasure to come.
Such is the richness of the dish that what I previously thought was a small bowl was more than enough, and after a few mouthfuls of braised pork ladled over sticky short-grain rice, I rolled over on my back, needing a cigarette.
With no cigarettes in sight, Deep-fried Braised Pork Intestine (RM22.90) made for a crunchy, salty interlude. Unlike most iterations of this dish, in which the intestines retain some degree of chewiness, these were dangerously addictive, crunchy little nuggets that bore a hint of five spice.
The Stir-fried Crispy Pork lard with egg (RM25.90) was a loose scramble of egg — with some serious wok hei — and crispy chunks of pork lard, and yet it never threatened to be too greasy or salty, with cooking wine and fermented black beans bringing plenty of sweetness and a funky, almost slightly bitter brand of savouriness.
Stir-fried Baby Chive with Minced Pork and Century Egg (RM35.90) is where Ang flexes his muscles, putting a spin on the creatively named “flies’ head”, a Taiwanese speciality.
The dish is traditionally made with chive flowers, minced pork, bird’s eye chilli, and fermented black beans, which contribute significantly to the dish’s depth of flavour.At
Sangong, that depth of flavour is amplified by the addition of a century egg, which envelopes the bright, green chives and crispy rendered-out pork in a creamy, gelatinous, and funky taste and texture that elevates the dish to a whole new level.
I was taken aback by the Dry Duck Egg Springy Noodle (RM8.90), which is usually served as part of a lunch set, but they were gracious enough to serve me a plain version on its own.
While I cannot confidently claim that the use of duck egg made a significant impression on me in terms of taste or texture, the noodles were delightfully “QQ”, fully deserving of the “springy” label, and delicious, thanks in no small part to the copious amount of shallot oil tossed in.
Crème Brûlée (RM16.90), a nod to Ang’s classical French training, is listed as one of the desserts, served in a gorgeous ornate bowl rather than a ramekin.
Restaurant Sangong
Unit F13-1, Bukit Jalil City, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 12-3pm, 5.30-9pm
Tel: 03-9764 0140
