We visited Li dinner on a rainy weekday evening. Located in the heart of Damansara Jaya, just a stone’s throw from Atria Shopping Gallery, Li has been serving up creative hybrids of local and global flavours and techniques since opening its doors in 2015.

Li (力 in Chinese) translates to strength or force, representing the drive and passion the founders of the restaurant have in putting Malaysian produce and culture to the forefront. The philosophy that runs deep in Li seeks to showcase local flavours in new and innovative ways, while being true to the history and authenticity of our country’s culinary roots.

KL Restaurant Week Menu

The team at Li put together some of their most popular dishes as a three-course menu for KL Restaurant Week 2024 for RM120.

The journey begins with an interesting visual of fanned avocado and sheets of crisp rice paper, chunks of fresh seafood and herbs just peeked through the other elements.

The Seafood Kerabu (N.P. RM39) is features a medley of prawn, squid and smoked fish dressed in a tantalising fish sauce vinaigrette that was very savoury and quite acidic –– reminiscent of Latin American ceviche but with flavours familiar to the Malaysian palate. The avocado was of perfect ripeness and tasted as good as it looked with a sprinkle of flakey sea salt and a squeeze of fresh lime.

I felt the rice paper did not contribute much to the dish apart from being its striking appearance, but a welcome texture nonetheless.

The second and main course is a generous portion of Pork Shoulder Chop (N.P. RM62). The meat was cooked to absolute perfection with a subtle blush and the right amount of char. The meat-fat ratio was well-balanced; a less discerning diner would think this was a lean cut of pork belly.

However, the component that caught our amazement more than the succulent meat was the peanut chili sauce. Reading those three words together evokes the thought of the chunky peanut dipping sauce we associate with satay; the rendition at LI is a little different –– smooth and creamy, not too loud or in-your-face with the peanut flavour, and a pleasant roundness from herbs (I tasted lemongrass in the sauce).

The pork and peanut sauce paired excellently, and when enjoyed with the tangy pineapple and cucumber pickle, makes the perfect bite.

The KLRW menu concludes with a Pandan Semifreddo (N.P. RM26). The word semifreddo translates to “half cold” in Italian, and the dish is similar to other frozen custard desserts like gelato or ice cream, mainly differing in preparation technique.

LI’s dessert is a fragrant coconut semifreddo, seated in a pool of pandan cream and finished with a squeeze of mint oil. The pandan cream is among the most potent I’ve tasted, and is definitely made with quality fresh pandan. The semifreddo had a nice smooth texture, firm to the spoon but melts instantly in the mouth.

Sean complimented the inclusion of mint oil, stating it asserts its presence but in a harmonious fashion; I thought it brought a slight astringent aftertaste which the dessert needed through the sweetness and richness.

The semifreddo is served with a sourdough crisp to bring kaya toast energy to the dessert course. However, we both found the bread to be quite bland (perhaps a little butter for the toast?).

The three course menu offers great value for money as a sharing set for two. Do yourself a favour and order a bowl of rice (or two), both the seafood kerabu and pork shoulder would go very well with some staple carbs. Guests with more voracious appetites may be interested in adding on some dishes from their regular menu, which we ended up doing.

From the à la carte Menu

One dish that I noticed was on every table that evening was the Pork Toast (RM20), so I absolutely had to order it. Seasoned minced pork slathered across a thick slice of sourdough toast then deep-fried until a crisp golden brown certainly sounds like a recipe for success. A dish of chili mayo on the side complemented the toast, but tasted more like a mustard mayo than a chili to me. Our only gripe was that the toast was slightly greasy, though the oil did taste very fresh and fragrant.

For carbs, we opted for the Seafood Cherry Tomato Pasta (RM39) served with fettuccine. Based on the menu description, we expected it to be served with a red sauce so you can picture our surprise when it was presented otherwise.

The sauce is very garlic forward, akin to an aglio olio but with a silkier texture (think butter sauce). The assortment of fresh seafood from the kerabu dish also makes its way to our table once more, charred with a torch for added smokiness. Chiffonades of kaffir lime leaf added an interesting twist to this pasta dish, bringing a bright citrusy aroma to every twirl. Personally, I prefer noodles with more bite such as a thicker spaghetti or linguine for this style of pasta.

The selection at Li is by no means extensive, with only a handful of starters and small plates, five mains and two desserts making up the dinner menu. In turn, they offer specialisation –– every dish has gone through rigorous development, fuelled by passion and love for food, all of which are translated to the guest on the plate.

For lunch, Li offers rice bowls with a variety of protein options such as smoked fish kerabu, the pork shoulder with peanut sauce, and even spam katsu that is made in-house. I think the rice bowls would make a wholesome and satisfying lunch, and I will be back to try them out soon.

Thank you to the Li team for hosting Nacre, and special thanks to Ali for his gracious hospitality this evening.

LI Restaurant (non-halal)
47 Jalan SS 22/23
Damansara Jaya
47400 Petaling Jaya

Operation Hours: 12.00–3.00 PM (Tue–Sun); Closed on Monday
T: +603 7733 7692
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Reserve here or here for KL Restaurant Week