FEATURES

Pub grub that's family fare

Slices of succulent rack of lamb.

There is not much life these days in Klang's North Port but those who love good food still make their way to D'Tavern Pub & Restaurant, writes TAN BEE HONG.

George (standing) with volunteer workers and children of Pusat Kasih Sayang.

Oxtail soup.

D’TAVERN is in Northport, one of the older parts of Port Klang, right opposite the bus depot.

The drive there is not exactly pleasant. A flyover running right over the old road has practically bulldozer-ed the life out of this part of town and most of the shophouses along the main road are now practically skeletons of their formerly bustling selves.

But turn off to the train station (the last stop for the railway line) and it’s a slightly different scenario. The road here is wide, the shoplots look well-maintained and, spread impressively over three units, is D’Tavern Pub & Restaurant and headquarters for the Port Klang Liverpool Fan Club.

Don’t let the word “pub” mislead you. Popular with families, D’Tavern has an equally strong reputation for good food and good value.

“Indeed, we do mainly family business,” says affable restaurateur George Lim, 57, whose father used to run the Portview Chinese restaurant from 1963 to 1996. “We have been open 25 years already and today, we are seeing two generations of loyal customers. Those who grew up with us are now bringing their own families here for meals. Some customers have moved to as far as Ampang but they still come here, with their families in tow,” he says happily.

While we were there, D’Tavern was playing host to some 40 Downs Syndrome children from Pusat Kasih Sayang. A magic and clown show was set up on the stage and the children had great fun.

The restaurant makes up two-thirds of the premises while the third is devoted to paraphernalia of the football club. On the door that leads to this section reads the legend “This is Anfield”.

According to the die-hard Liverpool fan, members get together to watch games, shoot some pool or just share a feeling of camaraderie.

Inside, one gets the cosy feeling of having stepped into an old English pub, dominated by an island bar on one side of the outlet while neatly-arranged tables with cheerful tartan tablecloth take up the rest of the space. For wine-drinkers, take your pick of wines from a cooler with bottles from all over the world.

Thankfully, the menu is not extensively large but there are ample choices. Start with a salad or a soup. Butterfly Prawns (RM10) is a lovely warm salad of prawns dipped in egg and breadcrumbs and deepfried to a golden brown. Or opt for Pulau Ketam shrimp or crabmeat cocktail (RM9).

Fresh Oxtail Soup (RM8.50) is popular with regulars. I enjoyed the French Onion Soup (RM7) — made with chicken stock and baked with cheese and croutons. The Fresh Mushroom Soup (RM7) is earthy and served steaming. The creamy soup’s made with a combination of Swiss brown, button and shitake mushrooms.

I am torn between a Seafood Platter (RM27) and a Stuffed Baked Kurau (RM20). The latter won but when it comes, I find that the stuffing is placed on top rather than inside the fish fillet. “We decided not to stuff the fish because it doesn’t look good,” says George. Not that it matters as the topping of mushrooms and white sauce topped with cheese is enough to melt anyone’s heart.

Those who enjoy crabs will love the Crab A’la Mornay (RM18). It’s such a joy to enjoy the crustacean when you don’t have to fiddle with the shell and all. The crabmeat is sauteed with onions, mushrooms, chives, oregano and thyme in a creamy white sauce. This is then stuffed into the crab shell, topped with cheese and baked. Crab A’la Mornay is also part of the seafood platter together with tiger prawns, baked mussels and grilled kurau.

But we notice that lots of customers come for the meat, especially the steaks. “We use quality, grain-fed beef,” says George. Top sellers are the US Aged Ribeye (RM42), Grilled Australian Chilled Tenderloin (RM40) and Porterhouse (RM38). If you don’t eat beef, try the Roast Lambshank (RM30) served with garlic rosemary sauce, Roast Lamb Rack (RM60 for two), Lamb Cutlets (RM23), Roast Chicken (RM14), Chicken Chop (RM13) and Charbroiled Chicken (RM15).

For the rack of lamb, a five-hour advance order may sound bothersome but when you sink your teeth into the lusciously tender meat and find yourself chewing on the bones, you’ll know it’s well worth the while. Ask for the home-made mint sauce to go with it.

D’Tavern is open daily, with meals served from 11am to 2.30pm and from 5.30pm to 10.30pm. There is a daily set lunch (except Sunday) from RM12 to executive choices of sirloin steaks and boneless leg of lamb at RM25. To get there, just follow the directions to Northport.

D’TAVERN PUB & RESTAURANT
9-11 Jalan Depoh, Port Klang
Tel: 03-3168-8580

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