Claimed to be the first restaurant in Bagan Samak, Dragon Door Fresh Water Food was established in 1994 serving homey-unpretentious home-cooked dishes specializing in river food but with the recent expansion of the neighborhood, many new competitors have sprung up; Dragon Door has since been left behind. The pioneer offers a big menu, focusing primarily on Chinese delights but the river food variety paled when comparison to its competitors. Also, we thought the taste did not shine either. This maybe one of the options if you wish to dine-in at a quiet restaurant sans the clamoring crowd.
Steamed [Wild] Cat Fish (Rm 60/ kg)
Buttered River Prawns (Rm 10/ kg)
Sweet and Sour Squid (Rm 14)
Steamed Free Range Chicken (Rm 9)
The quintessential order at any river food restaurants at Bagan Samak- steamed river fish. We opted for the wild Cat fish, glamorously priced at Rm 60 per kg. It's always wise to go for those weigh 1 kg or more... for the alluring pockets of fats. We were pleased that Dragon Door did it right, the premium Soy sauce was delicate and worked perfectly well with the fresh, succulent river fish.
We were then introduced to their signature Buttered River Prawns, claimed to be one of the must-haves in Dragon Door but we'd like to think otherwise. As opposed to our expectation, the River Prawns did not come with a buttery aroma but instead, a weak version of curry River Prawns drenched in oil. The flesh was lip-smacking but the Prawns barely registered any flavors. The real disappointment was the Sweet and Sour Squid, we expected the dish to be served in Thai style but it turned out to be the Chinese Deep Fried Sweet and Sour Squid. The jolting sourness and piquant sweetness spoiled the overall taste and the texture of the Squid was undesirable.
We were then introduced to their signature Buttered River Prawns, claimed to be one of the must-haves in Dragon Door but we'd like to think otherwise. As opposed to our expectation, the River Prawns did not come with a buttery aroma but instead, a weak version of curry River Prawns drenched in oil. The flesh was lip-smacking but the Prawns barely registered any flavors. The real disappointment was the Sweet and Sour Squid, we expected the dish to be served in Thai style but it turned out to be the Chinese Deep Fried Sweet and Sour Squid. The jolting sourness and piquant sweetness spoiled the overall taste and the texture of the Squid was undesirable.
Green Apple Kerabu (Rm 8)
Stir Fried Paku-Pakis (Rm 9)
Stir Fried Sweet Potato Greens (Rm 9)
Stir Fried Bee Hoon (Rm 4/ pax)
Other dishes were disappointingly average either but I did enjoy their Green Apple Kerabu. Albeit on the sweeter side, the flavors were exciting and the juicy crunch was addictive. For Rm 9, the steamed Free Range Chicken was okay as well. The Chicken was first marinated with light Soy sauce and steamed. The essence collected from the process was served to us too; a rather direct-straight forward dish that went well with rice.
Ratings:
Taste: 6.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Service: 7/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Price: 7/10 (1-3 expensive, 4-7 average, 8-10 cheap)
Parking: 7.5/10 (1-3 bad, 4-7 average, 8-10 good)
Non-Halal
Service Charge: No
Government Tax: No
Additional Information:
Address: 14, Jalan Empat, Bagan Samak, 34950, Bandar Baharu, Kedah.
Business Hours: 12 pm to 10 pm. Opens Daily.
Contact Number: 605- 770 0050
Not sure how much the restaurants here charge but at the wet market, those prawns would be selling at half the price. Other than those and the fish, all the other dishes are very reasonably priced. Generally the same everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect spot for seafood lovers.
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