SUBANG JAYA, June 1 — As a kid, I used to take the bus (read: small van) home from school in Subang.
I lived the furthest, so I was always the last one off.
Most of the other kids lived nearby, so after the initial flurry, it was often just me and Mr Wadi, the driver, for the next hour and a half.
I spent many a sweltering afternoon in that van listening to Oasis, wondering if my parents would ever “get” me, and whether my crush thought my Tintin haircut was cool.
She didn’t.
Look for the stall with loads of bananas. — Picture by Ethan Lau
But on some afternoons, Mr Wadi would stop for a snack and come back with a few pisang goreng from a roadside stall, which helped soften the blow.
Sometimes it was in Kampung Sungai Kayu Ara, other times in Ara Damansara.
The best thing about pisang goreng is that no matter how good or bad it is, it still does the job.
The inside is sweet, soft, golden deliciousness. — Picture by Ethan Lau
Some days they’re crispy and hot from the oil, sweet and soft inside. Other days, they’re cold and a bit too firm, a little too starchy.
Most pisang goreng are satisfying, but only a select few are truly special.
In the neighbourhood of USJ 2, just across the busy road from Da Men Mall, a small collection of brick-and-mortar roadside gerai has stood for decades beneath the shade of trees, facing the popular Restoran Le Kwang kopitiam.
The pisang goreng stall here is a longtime community favourite, but they have also gained a following for their kuih bakul, which is battered and deep-fried nian gao sandwiched between yam and sweet potato, along with fried popiah too.
The ‘kuih bakul’ looks huge, but it’s mostly air from the puffy batter. — Picture by Ethan Lau
I arrived a little after 10 in the morning, just after they opened, and secured some small goreng pisang (RM1/pc), kuih bakul (RM2/pc) and popiah (RM2/pc).
The larger sizes of bananas weren’t available yet, particularly the XL size. They only start frying those closer to noon.
No matter. These smaller varieties have everything I look for in my ideal pisang goreng anyway.
Sweet and soft after frying, the insides turn into a golden custard that delivers an abundance of gooey banana delight.
The batter is on the thicker side, but that’s not a knock. Instead of a crisp, light shell that shatters on touch, this one puffs up all cragged and crazy, almost like good fish and chip batter.
I suspect it comes from a mix of wheat flour and corn or potato starch.
If you can, try to get a fresh batch while it is still hot. It makes the difference between merely good and great.
There’s nothing like that first bite: a loud, resounding crunch that gives way to sweet, soft banana gold.
This puffy batter also turns the kuih bakul into huge, jagged pieces that sound like rocks tumbling around as she picks them off the rack.
They’re intimidating at a glance, but all that crust gives way to two laughably thin slices of yam and sweet potato.
Which is kind of a good thing anyway, because the best part is the sweet, sticky nian gao in the centre.
The ‘nian gao’ used hovers between oozey and sticky. — Picture by Ethan Lau
A lot of other places serve it oozing and melted, but to me, the mark of a great nian gao is one that mostly keeps its gummy, glutinous texture even after deep-frying.
This version teeters on the verge of melting, but still holds its glue-like consistency.
The popiah is more than decent, packed with plenty of sweet, soft sengkuang, but the focus of any visit here should be on the bananas and kuih bakul.
It’s worth seeking out even if you don’t live in Subang.
If I had tried these when I was still going to school nearby, they might have snapped some sense into me and made me give up on that ridiculous haircut.
But I doubt it.
The ‘popiah’ is a decent choice too. — Picture by Ethan Lau
USJ 2 Goreng PisangGerai Nasi Lemak dan Kuih (facing Restoran Le Kwang), Jalan USJ 2/2c, USJ 2, Subang Jaya, SelangorOpen Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm. Tel: 011-7407 2181
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
* Follow Ethan Lau on Instagram @eatenlau for more musings on food and mildly self-deprecating attempts at humour.
