Soodaap in Kajang
Fish and chips in Malaysia is often associated with fancier restaurants that dish it up on a shiny white plate. But at its roots, the unbeatable combo is a loose change affair – hearty grub to have takeaway-style, in-between errands, with no reservations required.
Stripping away the razzle-dazzle on the classic English street food in Malaysia is Soodaap in Kajang, which has gone viral online thanks to its affordable fish and chips – just RM13.90, to be precise.
Where to find Soodaap
A row of eateries line Jalan Bistari in the vicinity of UKM KTM Komuter station. Tucked between vendors hawking local dishes such as nasi geprek and karipap, you’ll find Soodaap – more often than not with a queue.
But not to fret, as the line goes quickly with how efficient the staff are. The roadside stall takes up four simple tents, with staff working swiftly at their stations and boxes of fish and chips ready to fly out the window before customers even place their orders.
They prepare over 500 boxes daily and expect to sell them out – a cut-off “sold out” time replaces a regular closing hour.
At the helm of the whole show is the viral “Dublin chef”, who earned his online nickname from having worked in Dublin for over 20 years. He’s hard at work at the fish frying station, but often leaves his post to hand out food samples and have a chat with queueing patrons.
Food at Soodaap
Soodaap serves just four main dishes on their menu.
Needless to say, most leave the stall with a bag of the Fish & Chips With Tartar Sauce, Lemon & Packet Of Chili Sauce (RM13.90). The name is lengthy, but it intends to give you what it promises up-front.
For the affordable price, you get a handful of crinkle-cut fries forming a bed for the star – three huge fish with crispy ASMR-worthy, deep-fried batter.
There are signs at the stall recommending you heat up your meal in an air fryer for 5 minutes at 180°, as the stall only does takeaways. But in our experience, even when the heat has left and it’s doused in the mildly tangy tartar sauce, the fish retains its crispiness.
The fries were nothing to shout about, but the tartar sauce with the strong scent and taste of lemon zest was a standout.
Chicken Chop
Ask some patrons of Soodaap, and they’ll tell you that the secret main character of the stall is the just as affordable Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce, Chip and Garlic Butter Rice (RM12.90).
While best enjoyed together, each component in the meal is a standout on its own.
The bone-in chicken is juicy with a lightly crisp skin, while the mushroom sauce has just the right amount of black pepper and generous chunks of shiitake mushroom. The fries are standard across the board, but the extra side of rice strikes just the right balance of garlic and butter.
The chicken’s deep-fried batter did get a bit soggy after a 30-minute drive home from the stall, but we reckon it’ll crisp back up in an air fryer as recommended.
Other add-ons
Though both chicken chop and, well, fish and chips came with fries, don’t overlook the Cheezy Chip Beef Bolognese (RM10.90). It’s doused with a cheese and mayo combo, and had bits of bolognese minced beef that didn’t make us feel jelak even with the generous toppings.
For something sweet, Soodaap also serves Apple Crumble With Vanilla Sauce (RM7.90). The all-American dessert is served street food-style, in a tiny container with vanilla sauce, chunks of caramlised apples, and crumbles that you can enjoy on the go.
The apples and crumbles went well together, but we found that the vanilla sauce didn’t add much to the overall flavour.
Affordably priced Western meals from Soodaap in Kajang
Soodaap’s motto is printed on the many banners and placards at their stall: “We do food right”. Though operating from a humble roadside stall, the eatery has managed to serve up good grub at affordable prices to keep patrons coming back for more – while giving sit-down restaurants a run for their money.
Address: Jalan Bistari, Kampung Sungai Tangkas, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11.30am-5pm (Closed on Mondays)
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Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia