It has been a must for my family to dine in Serai at least once, every time they come to Malaysia. Personally, I really love the restaurant too because of its pleasant ambiance (at least when it's not that crowded) and amazing food. The word Serai itself means lemongrass. I have a thing for good-sounding words and brand names that make sense, so I really love how the restaurant manages to name itself with a word that's so Malay and local but catchy and memorable at the same time, the word 'Serai' gives a great sense of identity to the restaurant!
If you ever decide to eat in Serai, which is located in numerous shopping malls such as Empire Subang, Paradigm Mall and Pavilion KL, here are some of the dishes that I would recommend most:
The first is called Middle Eastern Medley, it's a dish with a chunk of unbelievably tender lamb shank, drenched in a very middle-eastern sauce (not sure what you call those) and fragrant basmati rice. It's also topped off with crunchy cashew nuts that amps up your dining experience by creating a wonderful sensation in your mouth. Crunchy, tender and fragrant, these are the three words that I would use to describe this incredible dish!
Another amazing dish that I could not get out of my head is the salted egg deep fried squid. If you're an avid salted egg lover like me, don't hesitate and order a plate full of this delicious fried calamari all for yourself (I really did not want to share!). The consistency of the salted egg was just right, not to thick nor too creamy, which made it light enough to be eaten as a standalone snack without rice. The flavour of the curry leaves was so fragrant and it would definitely make you come back and want some more!
The third dish that I would recommend is the Serai Platter, which was a plate full of rice, fried chicken, honey squid and oxtail asam pedas. The entire meal is so humongous, but it would be perfect for one of those extra hungry days. I'm not a big eater myself and my friends would testify to that, but I remember finishing the entire portion all by myself because this dish is just that good! My favourite side dish in the Serai Platter would be the oxtail asam pedas, which was a tender oxtail that's bursting with savouriness and flavor!
For drinks and desserts, the two items that I would highly encourage you to try would be the refreshing Serai iced tea ( an ice tea with lemongrass sorbet and a stick of an actual lemongrass) and the Pavlova. The Serai iced tea is a refreshing beverage that tones and flushes down all the spices you've had in your meal. It has a unique lemongrass flavour from the sorbet that's fresh enough to be both your drink and dessert at the same time!
However, if after having a big meal and you still have some extra space left in your tummy, go for the Serai Pavlova, which by far is one of the best Pavlovas I've had. The creamy dessert is topped with a generous serving of whipped cream that's not too sweet and the Pavlova texture is crunchy outside while remaining chewy and marshmallowy inside. Simply delicious!
Serai's pricing can be a little bit pricey, most rice-based dishes are around RM20-30 per plate and the Middle Eastern Meddley was around RM40. However, the quality of food and the serving size are definitely worth the price. Do come and visit Serai for birthday lunches or family dinners, but don't forget to make a reservation as the place is always flocked with hungry bunches like me!
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