Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
When I describe Damai Steamboat & Ikan Bakar to be “tucked away”, I truly mean it. The only way to ensure success in finding this family-friendly restaurant is to use a navigation app, turn on your headlights if you’re driving at night, and to not blink.
Located in Kampung Sijangkang, Telok Panglima Garang, I found myself squinting over my steering wheel as the roads were completely void of streetlights. The only illumination came from other vehicles, and the occasional porch light of the residents’ houses.
It was such a relief to finally turn into the restaurant’s compound. All the stress of driving completely melted away when I stepped outside the car. Against the dark night sky stood the luscious full moon and twinkling stars— a glimpse of nature that you would never get in the middle of the city.
The restaurant comprises a main kitchen, a prayer room, and huge tents for customers to dine under. This open concept allows diners to surround themselves with the sounds of nature while feasting on plate after plate of grilled meat.
What I tried at Damai Steamboat & Ikan Bakar
One of the biggest selling points of Damai Steamboat is its affordability. As of Oct 2024, their steamboat and grill buffet is priced at RM33.90 per adult on regular days, and RM29.90 on every Tue, Thu, and Fri (except for public holidays). Children under the age of 5 eat for free! Keep on the lookout for discounts available for kids and senior citizens as well, depending on the day.
We asked for tom yum soup as our steamboat broth of choice, and patiently waited for it to boil. In the meantime, we went to the centre of the restaurant where they placed all the ingredients they had to offer.
Of course, everyone was piling their plates high with an assortment of marinated meat, chicken, and lamb. They also had a solid variety of seafood including mussels, clams, squid, and crab. Other than that, the display table was filled with all sorts of fish balls, crabsticks, noodles, and vegetables.
When it was finally hot enough, we slathered some butter on the tinfoil-covered grill and got to cooking.
Starting off with the tom yum, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. I have visited this place before, and their soup is usually extremely flavourful with just the right amount of spiciness. This time, the soup didn’t have the usual tom yam kick, nor was it spicy. It wasn’t bad by any means— it just tasted like a regular savoury broth.
We cooked some mussels and clams in the soup as well, and they ended up tasting surprisingly sweet.
As for the grilled food, Damai Steamboat is good at slicing their meats into very small pieces, which I enjoy. This makes the cooking process a lot faster, and the eating process a lot easier. This also makes a lot of sense considering the size of the grill.
I can’t tell you exactly what kind of marinades they used, as none of their ingredients were labelled. However, the beef and chicken that we had were marinated very well, meaning that not a single bite was bland. And this says a lot considering that I’m not someone who prefers chicken at barbeque buffets.
I also can’t say much about how well anything is cooked because, well, we cook the food ourselves. However, I did observe a discrepancy in the quality of the meat at times, as certain pieces of beef were soft and enjoyable, while others proved to be more challenging to chew.. Basically, it was a hit or miss situation.
Damai Steamboat’s buffet also serves other dishes like fried noodles, fried rice, nasi lemak, and fresh fruit.
One of their highlights is probably the DIY ais kacang station. All you have to do is scoop ice into the machine, press the on button, and voila—- watch as ice falls into your bowl like snow. Then, you can add toppings like gula melaka, rose syrup, nata de coco, corn, and red beans.
This ais kacang was a sweet ending to a very satisfying meal.
Final thoughts
Overall, Damai Steamboat & Ikan Bakar is a fantastic steamboat and grill spot, especially for large gatherings. During the weekends, the restaurant is packed with people celebrating a loved one’s birthday or catching up with old friends.
It’s a pretty long drive from the Klang Valley, so this is a place I’d highly recommend to anyone living nearby. Their prices are affordable, and the food is tasty.
Expected damage: RM33.90 per pax
10 muslim-friendly Korean BBQ spots in KL to live out your K-drama dreams
