- Zoe Lim
Rod Dee Ded, Damansara Uptown
We get really excited every time there’s a new restaurant opening up around town, and we get even more excited when the restaurant brings in new ways for us to eat delicious food, and that’s exactly why we’re amped to tell you about Rod Dee Ded.
Hailing from Bangkok, Thailand, Rod Dee Ded launches their first international outlet in the busy metropolitan hub of Uptown Damansara, just a couple of doors down from the famous Village Park Nasi Lemak.
The name of the restaurant directly translates to the word ‘Delicious’ and delicious it most certainly is. Ever since first opening their doors in 1965, Rod Dee Ded has become well known for their authentic Thai food, and famous for their ‘Shower Beef’.
“But what is ‘Shower Beef’??”
Well, it’s like hot pot shabu-shabu, but better.
“How??”
First, let’s talk about the broth. It’s a beef based stew made from original ingredients sourced from Thailand, and boiled for many long hours. The beef itself that the stew is made from and the beef slices that are served are all Australian beef, guaranteed to give you that rich meaty flavour. It comes in two flavours: original and spicy.
Once the broth is boiled to perfection, it is served with your typical hot pot vegetable spread as well as the option of three different cuts of beef for you to “shower” (we’re getting to that part, don’t worry). You can choose either the Premium tier of meats that have an Australian Marbling grade of 4-5, or the Prime tier which serves grades 6-7. The three cuts available in each tier are Ribeye, Oyster Blade, and Striploin.
Then, the fun part happens. You take the wagyu beef and place it in a bowl, then gently scoop the broth of your choice in, angling it as to make sure you’re not ‘shocking’ the beef and cooking it too fast. Then you slowly ‘shower’ it by mixing it in with the soup and carefully pouring the soup over it. For added flavour, take the broth that has been used to shower the beef and spoon it back into the hot pot to stew with the rest of the vegetables.
This method is tried and true, you definitely get so much more character out of the beef by showering it with the broth instead of dunking it straight into the boiling hot pot soup. Each different cut showered and then mixed with the soup gives the broth a different flavour profile. The Ribeye has the classic meaty taste with just the right marbling, and practically falls apart in your mouth when you eat it. The Oyster Blade cut provides a hint of sweetness to the soup, and the Striploin gives the heaviest profile to the broth and would definitely be the prime choice for all the carnivores out there.
Not only does Rod Dee Ded have great Shower Beef, they also have a pretty extensive selection of Thai cuisine favourites like Red and Green curries, available with beef and chicken respectively, Pad Thai, and Pad Ka Pow. But our personal favourites from the menu was the Beef Claypot Brisket and the Pad Kee Mao Chicken noodles.
The Beef Claypot Brisket comes with rice and is the perfect hearty meal for a rainy day. The meat has a gorgeous layer of tender melty fat that comes with a delicious gravy. Even the vegetables in this dish is amazing, it provides a nice balance to the brisket and ties everything in together.
Don’t mistake the Pad Kee Mao for Pad Thai, it may look the same, but it has its own unique flavour. The noodles are absolutely smokey, and charred to perfection. It has a beautiful springy texture, and is stir fried with an array of fresh crunchy vegetables and tender strips of chicken to give your mouth a party of textures to go through.
For those with a sweet tooth, it wouldn’t be an authentic Thai restaurant without some Thai Iced Milk Tea, Thai Iced Coffee, and santan flavoured desserts. Rod Dee Ded has you covered for all of that. Their Sea Coconut in Syrup and Pineapple and Passionfruit in Syrup desserts provide you a refreshing finish to you meal, and is a great size for splitting it between two.
So whether your thing is hot pot, shower beef, pad thai, or sweet coconut desserts, Rod Dee Ded meets the demands of every diner. As strong believers in food being an experience instead of just a meal, we highly recommend you check this place out with your fellow foodie enthusiasts.
Rod Dee Ded (Pork free)
15, Jalan SS 21/37,
Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Opening Hours: 11AM - 10.30PM daily (Closed between 3.30PM-5.30PM)