Rakyat Tomyam & Seafood @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

One of the famous Tomyam places in Tanjung Malim would be Rakyat Tomyam & Seafood that's located along Jalan Douglas, right in the town center. This restaurant, run by a Kelantanese family has been around for at least 20 years now. Despite being a very old restaurant, I have never dined there and today would be the very first time that I am walking into the restaurant. In fact, I have not explored much of the local Tomyam scene and it is only now that I have embarked on this journey.

The Restaurant Located Along Jalan Douglas

Clearly Visible From The Street

Bright Coloured Lights

Indoor and Outdoor Seating Available

Indoor and Outdoor Seating Available

The place is very easy to locate. It is just beside the private maternity hospital that is along the same road. The place is also beautifully lighted up with red fluorescent lights, a common sight at most 'Kelantanese' Tomyam restaurants. They open daily and business starts from 6 pm and this goes on till around 3 am. Having walked inside for the first time, I was very impressed with the size of this restaurant. It was huge and they have a huge indoor and outdoor seating area. Mildly bright, it is a perfect place for couples wanting to have a quiet dinner. 

The Menu

Prices Of Food

Prices Of Food

Prices Of Food

Prices Of Food

Prices Of Food

Prices Of  Drinks

Side Dishes

The customer service here was excellent. The moment we arrived, we were immediately attended to by one of the staffs, not sure if it is a family member. Their menu was sufficiently good and the prices seemed very reasonable. Apparently my friend who brought me here this evening is a frequent diner here and he knew just what to order. I just sat back and let him do it since he is familiar with the dishes and what's good and what's not. 

Teh O Ice @ RM 1.30

Syrup @ RM 1.30

In just two minutes from the time of order, the drinks were served. That's lightning speed customer service. Very impressed with the service here this evening. We ordered one glass of Teh O Ice and another Iced Syrup, both were good. I would rate these drinks at 8/10 .

White Rice @ RM 1.50

Sambal Belacan

Sambal Belacan

Even better than earlier, the entire dishes that we ordered were served in just 5 minutes and they were all hot. I even had a doubt and went over to the kitchen to see if they had food pre-cooked and kept there. To my surprise, they had five cooks working in the kitchen and they were all working very efficiently. Each took up a dish and started preparing it and in a matter of minutes, they were done and ready to be served. That's just amazing. Coming back to the food, White Rice was priced at RM 1.50 per plate and the portion was huge. So, I would not say that it was expensive. The also provided us with some Sambal Belacan and it was just delicious. Very spicy and went so well as a dip sauce as well as with the rice. I would rate their Sambal Belacan at 9.3/10 .

Kailan Ikan Masin @ RM 4.50

Kailan Ikan Masin @ RM 4.50

For RM 4.50, I would say that the portion was good. And it came with chunks of salted fish. Taste wise, it was one of the better Kailan Ikan Masin dishes that I have tasted and the greens were fresh too. A lovely dish and I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Ayam Masak Merah @ RM 5.00

Ayam Masak Merah @ RM 5.00

Their Ayam Masak Merah wasn't really 'Ayam Masak Merah'. It was just some chicken chunks cooked with a mix of vegetables in some sauces. Taste was very average too and I would rate this at 5.5/10 . Not worth the RM 5.00 for this dish. 

Sup Tomyam Ayam @ RM 5.00

Sup Tomyam Ayam @ RM 5.00

Their Tomyam Soup however was nice. It was quite spicy too. I would not say that this was excellent, nevertheless it was a good preparation. Besides chicken, they also added some mushrooms and tomatoes into the soup. I enjoyed this and would rate this at 8.8/10 .

Chicken Satay @ RM 0.70 per Skewer

Chicken Satay @ RM 0.70 per Skewer

Besides the above dishes listed in the menu, within the same premises there is a Satay stall selling both Chicken and Beef Satay. We ordered some Chicken Satay and this was priced at 70 cents per skewer. That's generally the standard price these days but the Satay was not really up to the mark. It was a tad too dry and the flavouring could have been better. I am not staying that it was bad, just that it was not up to my expectations of a good satay. I would rate this at 6/10 only.

Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce

The Peanut Sauce was nice and that helped a lot. Otherwise, it would have been too bland. I would rate this preparation at 8/10 . Slightly on the sweet side and it was nice. 

Overall, the place was good. The service was par excellence, food was generally good and the prices were very reasonable. Cleanliness was good too and the ambiance was nice. Definitely a good place to get your Tomyam fix. 

Address: Along Jalan Douglas, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1800 - 0300

Telephone: +6013 532 6703