There’s a myriad of Chinese food set-ups in the local dining scene – from glutton streets to glitzy banquet halls - but most Malaysians gladly embrace the humble tai chow for its laid-back and unembellished nature. It’s a place where families and friends can sit down for a satisfying hot meal without the whims and fancy of a stuffy restaurant and still find delicious foods hot off the wok trailing late into the night. A bona fide Malaysian dining experience does not vary much from this.
We’ve rounded up the hot foodie neighbourhood of Puchong to bring you five cheap (usually anyway) and cheerful tai chows for a comforting Chinese meal without all the fanfare.
Restoran 8 Road
Restoran 8 Road is one of the busiest eateries in Puchong. It’s so popular that every evening, you’ll see long queues waiting at the entrance. Diners will be given a queue number and can pre-order their food before getting a table. On a weekend evening, we waited close to 30 minutes for a table.
Be patient, take a number and just wait for your table!
Service was fast - our food arrived after just ten minutes of being seated. We ordered a 1kg catfish (pak so koong, at RM65 per kg) and had it steamed with premium soya sauce. The fish was extremely fresh with bouncy, tender texture in a light sweetish soya sauce.
For fish this fresh, steaming is the best option
Their signature tofu (RM16) seemed to be on every table so we decided to have it as well. It’s a dome-shaped slab of homemade tofu with a fine smoothness that just needed minimal enhancement in the form of some deep-fried crispy dried prawns and shallots. A sprinkling of chopped spring onions completed this simple delectable dish.
Everyone loves this, it’s on almost every table!
If you love frogs, Restoran 8 Road has some pretty good ones (RM51 per 750g). Steamed with Brands Essence, it’s both sweet and tender. Another interesting dish was the funky stir-fried pig intestines with dried prawns (RM10).
Sweet, tender, and meaty, only for frog lovers!
If you like innards, this is a good choice
For the less adventurous, their egg Fu Yong (RM9) is comfort food at its best and coupled with some stir-fried greens, it would be just nice to end a meal with. We had a satisfying plate of green dragon vegetables (RM13) which was really good.
You can’t beat a simple delicious omelette like this!
*Sweet crunchy chives
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Sources: 5 Must-visit Puchong Tai Chow Restaurants
2025-11-05T04:06:00Z