Restoran Ratha Raub
When Nisha and I decided to host a joint Enak! for March, I entrusted her with the task of choosing the restaurant. We both wanted to find a distinctive eatery, which was naturally representative of Malaysian culture keeping in tune with the central theme of Enak!
Nisha then suggested we check out Restoran Ratha Raub in Damansara Uptown, which she said is renowned for its mouthwatering fish-head curry.
Restaurants serving the once ubiquitous fish-head curry are somewhat scarce now and since Nisha had eaten at the original Ratha in Raub, Pahang and vouched for its excellence, I enthusiastically agreed. A reconnaissance visit to Restoran Ratha Raub soon sealed the deal
A couple by the name of Mr & Mrs. Rathakrishnan established the original restaurant in Raub, Pahang in 1981 and it was a runaway success. In 2014, the younger generation Radhakrishnan decided to bring his parent’s culinary legacy to the Klang Valley. The result is the bright, cheery and predominantly red, outpost of the original in the burgeoning district of Damansara Uptown.
Our Enak! invite received a response of eighteen confirmations, and on the day, Manivannan Rathakrishnan, the young and enthusiastic proprietor, helped Nisha and I set up three large, old-world Kopitiam tables for our Enak! group on the upper level of the restaurant.
As we had already pre-ordered the restaurant’s signature offerings of fish-head curry, fried chicken and Squid Sambal for our group, the service began as soon as we settled down and ordered our beverages of choice. For Judyth and Priti, the adventurous vegetarians amongst us were dishes like vegetarian biryani, long beans curry, mixed vegetable curry and a dhal.
While our lot tucked in, Mani Radhakrishnan, came by for a chat. When some ladies asked him about the cost of Fish-head curry, he went on to explain that is the reason why there are so few restaurants serving the delicacy. Apparently, fish-heads are challenging to come by in present times. They are only available when hotels place large orders for fish and discard the heads. Our fish-heads that day hailed from red-snapper fish.
Nonetheless, everybody seemed to enjoy the finger licking good cuisine as they promised to bring their near and dear ones to savor the fast disappearing dish from the culinary scene, Fish-head curry.
Restoran Ratha Raub
No 32, Jln SS 21/35, DamansaraUtama
Tel: +6 03 7733 9287
Date: 8th March
Anjeeta Nayar