(HQ) Tien Xia Restaurant 天下美味园（星安庙） — Restaurant in Kajang Municipal Council

Awesome Chinese style braised pork knuckles (中式焖元蹄) for which this restaurant Tien Xia is well known and steamed fish dishes (清蒸鱼) like siakap or seabass (石甲鱼), brown grouper(石班鱼), red Tilapia (红非洲鱼) and patin (八丁河鱼) are among their signature seafood dishes. Its fish paste (鱼滑)with brocolli and the simple pan-fried beans (四角豆) with lotus roots(莲藕) are extremely delicious so these do come highly recommended along with their pumpkin soft Japanese tafu (金瓜豆腐) with broth. Its popularity stems not just from the delicious Chinese foods they serve, but also from the equally popular pricing structure of their menu which caters to the needs and expectation of the middle income class in the vicinity of Balakong (無拉港), Cheras South and Kembangan areas.

Frankly, Tianxia Restaurant (天下美味园) which literally means "a restaurant under the heaven", is a no frill, old-school style of classical Malaysian Chinese restaurant operating out of the setting of a Buddhist temple in terms of "ambience", interior and architecture (if one is allowed to apply this term) where you'll find a semi-open setup clutter with some 30 tables draped in pink or red, ventilated by the oft seen "kdk" ceiling fans. However, once seated, you tend to dine with an ambivalent feeling about the "sacred nature" of this place set within a Bhuddist temple compound, for according to the doctrine or philosophy of the Bhuddist teaching, all sentient or living beings are capable of attaining "enlightenment" (永生) provided the mantra of no meat, fish, insect or even egg is used as part of their food preparation and consumption is strictly adhered to. However, right here and right now we are, with everyone devouring on plate after plate of meats, fish and eggs in a matter of one or two bites instead of eating like a Bhuddist stoic while wondering when we are ever going to beat our Bhuddist path to living in eternity! 😂...

Philosophy aside, this place is sufficiently well ventilated by ceiling fans to afford a decent level of relative comfort despite there being no airconditioning ambience to talk about. As such, you won't find your usual trendy crowd here but it is often full during dinner time almost on a daily basis, so do make a reservation before coming over.

Being that Tienxia Restaurant is located within the compound of the Xin-Ann Temple (星安庙) along the main road of Balakong, right opposite from where Aeon Balakong is, one has to deal with the consequence that often than not, the smog and smoke from the burning josticks or incense can occassionally get in the way of your dining experience and in a way, heats up the surrounding of the restaurant by a little in the process which in turns lower the dining comfort level. Well, this ain't your usual 5-star hotel restaurant so please reconsider foregoing a little on the need for absolute comfort and you should be duly rewarded with a fabulous and delightful grastronomic excursion to Balakong.

Overall : 4/5 great value for money. Perhaps a minor capital investment in the form of a row of mist-spraying liner could help alleviate the little heat and smoky situation just by that little...

Had a meal at this temple restaurant and here's what I thought. First up, there's plenty of parking, which is a huge relief. You won't be circling around looking for a spot, even on busy days.

It does get crowded over the weekend, but don’t let that deter you. Despite the crowd, the waiting time is surprisingly short. They serve food fast, which is great when you’re hungry and in a bit of a hurry.

In terms of pricing, it's pretty affordable. You get good value for your money, which is always a plus.

Now, let's dive into the food. The braised pork knuckle was the star for me. It was tender and melt-in-your-mouth good. It did miss the usual five-spice and herbs flavor a bit, but still delicious.

The fried chicken is definitely worth a try. Big pieces, and at RM4 per piece, it's a steal. It's a simple dish, but they do it right.

Another hit was the fried lotus root (莲藕). If you like this kind of thing, you'll enjoy it here – crispy and tasty.

The pumpkin tofu (金瓜豆腐), however, was a bit of a letdown. It wasn't quite what I expected and tasted a bit weird. The prawn paste in it didn’t really work for me.

Overall, it’s a good spot if you’re around the temple and looking for an affordable, quick meal. Some dishes are hits, some are misses, but it's worth checking out, especially for the pork knuckle and...

This place is truly a hidden gem — literally hidden inside a temple! 😂 Most of the friends I recommended were super confused at first (“why are we having dinner at a temple?”) but ended up just as surprised as me at how good the food is.

The star of the night was the Teow Chew braised pork knuckle — melt-in-your-mouth tender, packed with flavor, and full of collagen. Absolute highlight! The second must-try is the chicken & siew mai seafood soup — a treasure pot overflowing with lala, prawns, juicy chicken, and flavorful siew mai. Just a note: it only comes in one size, and it’s HUGE. Feeds 8–10 people easily. We were a group of 5 and ended up in a proper food coma.

I was so distracted by the feast that I forgot to take photos of the preserved vegetable omelette — but trust me, it’s packed with flavor, especially with their special chili sauce.

Overall, if you’re looking for hearty, authentic Chinese food, this spot is a must. Just make sure to come with a bigger group so you can enjoy more dishes without overstuffing yourself. Highly...