I haven’t been to Ruby Restaurant in quite a long time. My dad and I wanted to go on Wednesday but that was their off day so we had to go somewhere else instead. However, I was quite determined to head over since I’ve enjoyed their food a lot and so I went with my dad again and found them open.
The place is much as I remembered, with a warm inviting interior and their small neon sign outside (the large signboard seems to have been taken down). The Christmas decorations are up though! 🙂
We both ordered kedondong juice. Kedondong is a tropical fruit also known as ambarella (Spondias dulcis) and it’s makes for a tart and acidic drink.
I wanted to have their creamy butter prawns and the owner told me they have the large prawns that I like so I jumped at the chance to have that. This seems to be big white prawns instead of big head prawns but delicious regardless – the prawns are so crunchy you can eat them, shells and all but still soft and moist inside. I love their butter sauce – it’s so rich and appetizing.
My dad also ordered a vegetable dish – puo chai cooked in Chinese white wine. I was quite surprised at how good it tasted. Ruby Restaurant used to be a favorite of mine before I switched to Ming Mei Shi – which serves a more KL-style dai chow. I like the localized Ruby Restaurant better now. This is delicious, not overcooked, with a hint of raw Chinese white wine.
The other dish we had was recommended by the owner when I asked for something new. She suggested sour mayonnaise lamb. I asked her what the acidic component is and she *pretended* not to hear me twice before smiling and said it’s a trade secret. That definitely sounded promising and even my dad loved this – the addition of citrus or vinegar brightens up this otherwise cloying dish and the lamb isn’t overtly gamey too.
The bill was quite reasonable – the prawn dish *alone* came up to RM 40 due to the two large prawns but the lamb and vegetables are surprisingly affordable. The two of us polished off everything in sight!
My dad mentioned that everything they served tasted delicious and I have to agree. We had just come from a terrible dinner the night before and it’s nice to revisit an old favorite like Ruby Restaurant again.
It’s even better when you find that the standards have increased and not dropped – Ruby Restaurant is truly a gem! 
Ahhhhh!!!! They’ve put up some Christmas decor as well, nice! Yup! That’s the lamb that I used to order sometime ago – very very nice. Have not had it for a long time now. Looks like it’s time to drop by again.
Yup, the Christmas decorations are up! 🙂
I thought the lamb was pretty good too, better than the black pepper lamb that they usually recommend. We went back again tonight coz my dad loved it so much.
Had their mango chicken, asparagus and the butter prawns (again) tonight – everything was cooked well too!
Give me 5! I always order kedondong juice if I have lunch at my favourite food court.. RM2.80 per glass.. Of course they don’t call it kedondong juice.. They call it “sar lei” juice here.. Wow, I’m attracted by the super-duper creamy butter prawns.. Look at the banjir gravy! My favourite.. I can lick the plates clean if they are good.. The mayo lamb is something interesting – to be eaten with rice.. But if the sauce is good, I can eat 2 bowls of rice, haha!
Yup, I love the banjir gravy too! 🙂
I like how they’re generous with the butter sauce coz it goes very well with rice. I eat two bowls of rice each night anyway, that’s my usual amount of rice! Haha.
Oh, we call them kedondong juice here. My late mom even planted some in my backyard. I’m thinking of plucking them tomorrow to bring back to KL. I’ve never heard of the Cantonese term “sar lei” but there’s another fruit called salad/salai over here which is a totally different thing.
The sour mayo lamb is indeed very good, wanted to order it again tonight but my dad wanted to try something different so we went for mango chicken. This place consistently puts out good food.
Look good. Pity I did not have chance to dine there.
Kedondong juice is a great thirst quencher. I love it.
You can always come back next time! 🙂
I love Ruby Restaurant – used to be my favorite until I went to Ming Mei Shi but now I prefer Ruby Restaurant, it’s a more Sarawakian type of dai chow, compared to the latter which is a more KL style dai chow.
Yup, I love kedondong juice too, it’s just so sour sometimes it makes me shudder. Haha.
Oh ambra! One of the coffee shops at Balik Pulau here in Penang makes good Ambra juice, with an additional sour plum added 🙂
Yup, they put a sour plum inside the glass here too! 🙂
I think ambarella juice will be undrinkable without sugar syrup and sour plum coz it’s be soooo sour. I shuddered involuntarily when I drank this coz I forgot to stir and smash up the sour plum inside, that’s how sour pure fresh ambarella juice is.
I always ask for my kedondong juice to be kosong (neat) – nothing added to it but pure juice – really nice! But then I like to drink sour drinks.
I love that feeling of revisiting an old restaurant to find that it still looks the same and the food still tastes the same if not better. Makes me feel at peace to know that some things in life never change (not yet at least).
Yeah, it’s so good that we went back again just now! 🙂
I had dinner there with my dad again. Haha. Indeed, it’s always nice to revisit and old favorite and see that it’s not just the same, but better!
Some things in life are always a constant, I agree. Very Zen, mate, I think living in Japan has done that to you.
Prawns for me anytime! Lamb also I like – more gamey is better!
I took 2 Americans to eat last weekend and they loved the kedondong juice! It was like a heavenly nectar for them!