When you think of Southern Rock Seafood (SRS), you think of oysters. When you think of oysters, you think of SRS. Both, have become synonymous to one another for the past decade or so. Most people, myself included, might be more familiar with Shucked! Oyster Bars that can be found all over KL. I came to learn that Shucked is fully owned by SRS, so there is no secret that the best oysters in Klang Valley all hail from the same place.
We popped by late one weeknight for dinner. The restaurant is situated just off the bustling road of Jalan Bangsar and occupies two connecting shops plus outdoor seating with their oyster bar proudly taking up a good part of the space indoors. Occasionally they have live music nights, but we were only interested in the live seafood.
Fresh Oysters
Of course, we had to try out the oysters first. Oyster aficionados would insist that there is a proper way to fully enjoy oysters. Apparently, like wine, you are to pick up the molluscs, take a sniff, gently shift it with your fork as to make sure its fully detached from the shell and slurp it whole into your mouth together with the liquid. The liquid holds a strong briny taste, essential to experiencing oysters at their best. Swirl it around and chew it once or twice to puncture and release the flavours of the sea.
The waiter recommended two of their very best, freshly shucked to order. The Gallaghers, from Ireland were really delicate, mild and has a very clean aftertaste. Personally, I prefer the other breed – Fine de Claire from France. Salty, briny, I tend to prefer stronger flavours, and you could literally taste the ocean with this one. Both were delicious and fresh; a few lemon drops add that bit of zing to it – the perfect appetizer. It was until then I realised the menu offers the “around the world” selection where you get a pair of six of the best oysters from around the world. Ahh, that would have been the better bet.
Legendary Laksa Mussels
A must-order when at SRS. A crowd favourite laksa blend so legendary that they even bottle it up for sale at the restaurant. 700g of fresh mussels infused in the aromatic laksa broth. Mussels were cooked just right, still plump and juicy on the inside.
It came with a ton of fries, a perfect dish for sharing. An out-of-place solitary bread accompanied the dish dully. It was hard as a rock, made me think it sat on the counter for hours. Had they swapped that for some fresh, fluffy bread instead, it would go perfect to soak up the delicious laksa broth.
Roasted Tiger Prawns
These were delicious. Coated in butter sauce and lemon with a heavy sprinkle of parsley on top really brought the dish to life. The prawns were fresh but just slightly overcooked. It would be even better if they took it out a minute earlier to get that perfect succulent, sliding-off-the-shell texture.
Grilled Whole Fish
Southern Rock is also well known for their whole grilled fish. Unfortunately, most species on the menu were too big for the two of us, but I imagine it would be perfect for large groups as some come to as much as 4kgs. We settled for the whole seabass instead, which was one of the ‘catch-of-the-day’. It was recommended by our waiter which was about 500gs – perfect for two.
It came with sides of grilled mushrooms, zucchini and tomatoes, the roasted seabass was simple yet so tasty. When you have fish this fresh, all it needs is a sprinkle of salt. The moist and tender flesh was so satisfying and had no fishiness whatsoever. Really well executed.
Aglio Olio Scallops
We were almost through with our dinner when I squeezed this order in right before the kitchen calls it a day. Basically, I just wanted some carbs and thought I would go for some classic aglio olio but the waiter said it would be too much. Instead he told me to go for the scallops instead which comes with some spaghettini aglio olio.
This wasn’t on the menu, and it tastes just as it looks – disappointing. It was neither a pasta dish nor a scallop dish. Two uninspiring scallops sat pitifully on a bed of messy spaghettini. The pasta was so dry, tasted like it was stir fried and the scallops were very under seasoned that it was completely tasteless. It was a blip in what would have been an excellent dinner.
Nevertheless I was still very pleased that the dishes before that last one were so good that I wouldn’t even mind.
Final Thoughts
I loved the whole dining experience at SRS. Seafood was fresh and kept simple. It might be a little bit pricey but justified. I can’t think of another restaurant that serves up freshly shucked oysters of this quality and variety in town. If you are in the mood for oysters, this place has got to be it. I, for one, would definitely return for more.
Southern Rock Seafood Website: www.shop.southernrockseafood.com.my Instagram: www.instagram.com/southernrockseafood Address: 32-36, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur.
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