SOCIAL distancing has greatly reduced the seating capacity at Oriental Cravings, but not the flow of orders, with a steady stream of customers opting for takeaways.

“Ta pau” and food deliveries have become a norm, and restaurants are quickly adjusting to the new trend.

I had been missing the home-style dishes served up by Oriental, located in 1 Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya, for the last two months – from its Fried Yam Cake, Claypot Loh Shee Fun and Hokkien Fried Noodles to the Chicken in Rice Wine, Curry Noodles with Roast Pork, and petai fried with noodles, rice, egg or mixed vegetables.

After the “drought”, our first lunch at the eatery saw us ordering the Petai and Roast Pork Fried Beehoon (RM18.90). It has two of my favourite ingredients, roast pork and petai, deliciously paired with well-fried rice noodles.

We also had the Kampung Chicken Curry, Taiwanese-Style Braised Pork Ribs, and Fried Bean Curd with Seafood and Egg.

My next visit will surely include the scrumptious Sambal Petai with Fluffy Egg. The fried egg, soft and in large pieces, is topped with a zesty sambal tossed with lots of onions and crispy ikan bilis, and crowned with petai.

The Kampung Chicken Curry with potatoes (RM36.90) demands to be eaten with rice, or even toast. Rich and aromatic, it certainly opens up the palate.

The Taiwanese-Style Braised Pork Ribs (RM36.90) reminds me of Tau Yu Bak, or braised pork in soy sauce.

Kar hau kuat, or pork ribs with belly meat attached, is used, and the braising results in delightfully tender meat. Hard-boiled eggs soak up the yummy sauce.

Meanwhile, the Fried Bean Curd with Seafood and Egg makes me feel like I’m eating at home. It’s an unpretentious dish that has everything I like, from bean curd to squid, prawns and egg.

A must-order dish is the Fried Yam Cake (RM16.90). The yam cake is pretty good on its own, but the addition of choy poh, or preserved radish, and chopped long beans, as well as egg and fried peanuts, takes it notches higher.

You get a range of textures – soft, creamy yam cake, and crunchy choy poh and peanuts. There are hints of five spice in the yam, the salty burst of choy poh, and of course, the lovely egg wrap.

Chef Seng has a deft hand with noodles, whether it’s the Hokkien Noodles with crispy lard bits (RM17.90) that everyone goes crazy for, Claypot Loh Shee Fun (RM15.90), Fried Prawn Mee or Roast Pork Curry Laksa (RM18.90).

The last has noodles sitting in a luscious broth topped with chunks of crispy roast pork, flavourful pork balls, tofu puffs, eggplant and long beans – all that I desire in a curry laksa.

The chef also whips up an unforgettable Mee Mamak with Pork Belly and piquant Hainanese Noodles.

One of my favourite menu items is the Chicken in Rice Wine, available as a standalone dish with mee sua or rice vermicelli (RM23.90), or with a fluffy omelette in a claypot (RM38.90).

I never tire of this home-brewed wine, which is mildly sweet and has a heady aroma, cooked with fragrant ginger, kampung chicken and wood ear fungus.

You can order any dish on the regular menu for pick-up, unlike some places with a fixed takeaway menu. Special requests can be made for off-menu items, such as the Braised Fish with Bitter Gourd and Tofu, which someone ordered when I was there.

There are also daily specials like the awesome Braised Chicken Feet on Monday and Stuffed Bitter Gourd on Tuesday.

Oriental is nearly 17 years old, and its longevity in a mall speaks well of its food. The restaurant is located at 359, Ground Floor Rainforest, 1 Utama. It opens at 10am.

For takeaways and deliveries, call 012-297-3428 or 012-683-2581. – May 16, 2020.

* Eu Hooi-Khaw has been writing about food for the longest time, covering all aspects, from restaurant reviews to cooking and recipes, as well as the healthy side of it. She has written for major newspapers and magazines, published the cookbook Fresh Ingredients, and also writes for her website hooikhawandsu.com.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.