Pun Choy at Restoran LYS, Sungai Buloh

Sunday September 12, 2010

Gems in the pot

Story and pictures by STEPHEN NG
Stephen2u.ng@gmail.com

Childhood memories of eating leftovers have inspired a chef in Sungai Buloh to create a treasure of a dish.

Sam Lee the chef and owner of LYS restaurant.

SAM Lee has fond memories of his grandmother who used to work as a caterer. “When the day was over, she brought home the leftovers in a little pot and gave it to the grandchildren,” says Lee, 39, who now runs Restoran LYS in Sungai Buloh, Selangor.

His grandmother passed away in 1980 but memories of her bringing home a pot full of different dishes remain to this day. They also inspired him to create the restaurant’s signature dish known as “Pun Choy” (“Treasure Pot” in English).

Regular patron Shirley Foo says the dish is known as Treasure Pot because it is made up of 15 different types of food. “It is like looking for treasures; there is always something interesting below the top layer of food,” she explains.

A standard serving of “Pun Choy” includes chicken, duck, pork legs, prawns, fish, sea cucumber, mushrooms, fish maw, dried bean curd, chicken feet, foo chuk, radish, broccoli and cauliflower.

Apparently, the dish has become so popular that the restaurant is packed on weekends. “Sometimes, it is hard for us to cope,” says Lee’s wife, Sum Kee Peng.

“We advise our customers to call us two days in advance so we can prepare the food. It takes a lot of preparation,” she adds.

All the 15 dishes are pre-cooked, arranged in a pot and then steamed before being served, says Lee, who began his career in the food and beverage industry as a kitchen helper immediately after completing his SPM.

He opened his own restaurant in 1995.

Going potty: A standard Pun Choy dish will be enough for 10 people.

Usually, a pot is enough for up to 10 people. “Our customers are encouraged to pack the leftovers if they cannot finish the whole pot,” says Lee.

Besides the “Pun Choy”, Lee’s other signature dishes include Fried Salted Prawns in special LYF sauce, Claypot Spicy Water Convolvulos (kangkong) with chilli and belacan, Fish Head with dry chilli and Braised Pork Legs Thai style.

Lee Mee Fa, 79, from Kota Kemuning, Selangor, says she likes the sea cucumber and chicken. Her relatives from Butterworth, Mar Teak Song, 45, a property developer, and his wife, Chea Fee Ling, 45, say they have heard a lot about the Pun Choy and were trying it for the first time.

“It is very interesting,” Mar says. “In fact, it can be fun as well as you dig into the different varieties of food in the pot.”

The couple’s youngest son, Chern Khai, 10, liked the prawns in the Pun Choy as well as the Fried Salted Prawns. Shirley Foo, who visits the restaurant regularly, says she particularly enjoys the Pun Choy and the prawns.

Restoran LYS is at 45G Jalan TST 10A, Taman Industri Sungai Buloh (near to Eon Bank), in Selangor. It is open from 11am to 2.30pm for lunch, and from 5.30pm to 10.30pm for dinner. The restaurant is closed every Tuesday night. To make a reservation, call 016-211 3155.