Samudra Exotic River Fish @ Rumah Rohas, Kampung Baru

From the streams of Pahang to the streets of Kuala Lumpur: behold, the wildest of Malaysia's freshwater fish have landed on Samudra's tables.

Outlet owner Hishammuddin Hamzah's family has been in the river-fish business for decades; his contacts ensure Samudra's finny fare is trucked into KL twice weekly from peninsular Malaysia's most forested state.

Begin with Patin Buah, the uncaged breed of the silver catfish, nearly four times pricier than farmed patin. RM22 for 100 grams (minimum order could be twice that).

Smooth & fleshy, this is a pleasant treat. Customers can choose a cooking style; we opted for the not-too-spicy masak pindang.

 Ikan Krai in the classic masak lemak tempoyak fashion that's pungently an acquired taste. We've come to like it though; it's one of a kind, it's kinda addictive.

Ikan Krai is a crazy-bony fish that requires plenty of patience & vigilance to consume. RM34 for this seems OK (RM19 per 100 grams).

 Ikan Tapah, another type of large catfish, fried here with turmeric. Great for folks who prefer their fish meaty, with much bite to it.

RM63 for this serving (RM19 per 100 grams). Fish like Empurau Sarawak, Kelah & Jelawat Sungai Pahang are on the menu too, but those will cost more (maybe much more) than RM100 per serving.

Not everything at Samudra swims; fried pigeon is also available (RM7), but this won't fly for folks who want something more than mediocre.

Check out the cow brains instead (RM6), not for the squeamish.

More cholesterol? Can't resist this one; creamy poached duck eggs (RM6).

Siput sedut (RM10), fun at first, but the effort of sucking for not much reward sucks after awhile.

Fiber to finish with: Gulai lemak pucuk ubi tempoyak (RM6), a bit spicier than expected.

Samudra Exotic River Fish Restaurant,
Rumah Rohas, 61, Jalan Raja Abdullah, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2693-4526
Daily, 11am-10pm

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