Pak John BBQ, Dim Sum & Steamboat IOI Mall Damansara — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

For about 9 years of eating Pak John regularly, it is sad to say that this is worst Pak John branch I had ever experienced by far.

The best and still are is no doubt Pak John at E-Curve, and sad to hear that they closed down.

In summary why this branch is the worst: The frying plate heat is not evenly distributed. When I put a thin sliced duck slightly near the edge of the plate, it took a very long time to cook. The marinated chicken are cut too thick with too much skin/fat included. The precooked meals like fried rice and cooked sausages are not refilled on a timely manner and some dishes are not even prepared on a timely manner, thus customer had to wait longer. Dishes options are very limited; Such as only one/two marinated chicken and beef, very less seafood options (I only see some prawns), only two ice cream flavours vanilla and strawberry (most restaurants at least offered 3 flavours, come on guys where is chocolate), 2-3 vegetables options not including cucumber, one noodle type (I didn’t see more than one), in the premium section only packed sliced unmarinated chicken and duck (I only managed to get two packs of very thin sliced lamb after staying there for few hours), and many more as those are just few examples. Though the employees are friendly but their service is not very efficient. Example when I asked for lamb, they didn’t even prepare them yet (but lamb are pre packed in a box) and had to wait for a long time before even managed to get a few. Another example is that it took them quite some time to refill the empty food containers.

With the price of around RM75 per adult, I expected this branch to have the same or higher level of food options and service, however I am very disappointed.

To add more disappointment, although it is clearly written on the menu/advertisement/pamphlet that it is an “all day”, I am very surprise to know that we are only limited to two hours for our very expensive eating session. Even the employee was not able to answer our questions about this false “all day” statement given from the restaurant. It is like we were given high hope with that hard to swallow price, then end up stepped on with so much disappointment of poor food options, not so good service and 2 hour time limit.

This is even giving me the impression that the current Pak John management/establishment is only prioritising of making most money, lowest cost and zero care given to the customers.

Almost a decade being a regular customer of Pak John enjoying the food and atmosphere with friends and families, the moment Pak John E-Curve closed, it marks the end of one of our favourite restaurant.

One thing about Pak John which stands above the rest (especially with the likes of Seoul Garden) is that it is cheaper and priced appropriately, more food options and we can enjoy eating happily without having to constantly look at our watches to see our time limit. Come on this is a steamboat type restaurant, you cannot expect customers to enjoy their food peacefully with 2 hour time limit.

Anyways I hope that all Pak John restaurants especially this branch could improve all those above-mentioned items.

As a regular customer, I do not mind much to pay around RM75 per adult with the condition that we the customers would get our satisfaction and our money worth.

Please don’t become one those establishments that care too much about money and business that you care less about the clients.

Thank you...

I made reservations for last Friday. On the website there was until 8.30pm slot. So because I know my mum will take her time to get ready, I booked for the 8.30pm slot thinking that it would be okay. When I reached, there was no sign of a reserved table at all but the place was not pack. So I brushed it off. They gave us 2 separate tables. We were 6 adults and 2 children. When I wanted to take the food, almost all of the dim sum options were gone. They did not even refill the crab and prawns the whole time I was there. I saw a review saying that it was clean. I'm not sure if we went to the same Pak John restaurant as when I was there I saw atleast 3 baby cockroaches. 1 was by the raw food section and the worker just looked at me as I stared at the cockroach not doing anything about it. 2nd was at our table. 3rd was when I was walking and it was on the floor. Then by 9.20pm, they were already packing the items to get ready for closing. I know this because my husband came back and said that they were going to close and I stared at his watch. I thought I would atleast get 1 hour of uninterrupted eating when I booked at 8.30pm. By this time it was only us in the entire restaurant. But again, it's not like we paid less than other customers. So we were rushing. By 9.30pm the staff came to our table and said it was the last call. By this time I was already frustrated. They took out the mat on the floor by the ramp way where you can take water. I was getting my last cup, I almost slipped and fell as the place was wet.

It was sad as it was my mother's birthday and we wanted to eat steamboat with her because she likes it. But I could tell by her face that she was not happy either especially when the baby cockroach was found at our table.

My suggestions: Please ensure cleanliness at your shop (Aka pest control and no cockroaches!) If you always pack your food and close early please don't have a slot for 8.30pm. Latest by 8pm is good. (You close at 10pm, last call at 9.30pm, fine. But by 9.20pm you start packing, not fine. 10 mins makes a difference.) Remind staffs on safety hazards, especially wet slippery floors should be clean...

From the moment we arrived, the ambiance was lively and welcoming. The cleanliness was spot on, and that includes even the sink and self-service areas—which, in many places, can be overlooked. Not here. Everything was neat, organized, and clearly well-maintained. It was also very spacious to accommodate large or small parties.

The variety of food was excellent, offering everything from well-marinated poultry, to seafood like clams and crabs, and staples like fried noodles and rice.

To my own surprise, I fell in love with their white bihun—and that’s coming from someone who usually avoids bihun! The fried items also deserve praise: fried broccoli was a standout, and the banana fritters? Absolutely addictive.

Dessert options were plentiful and satisfying, from waffles with assorted fillings, ice cream, ice kacang, cakes, fruits, jellies, to my personal favourite—their fruit cocktail.

When it comes to meat the variety was excellent: lamb, beef, abalone, smoked duck, chicken slices—you name it. I definitely went a little overboard with the smoked duck (hard to resist when most BBQ places don’t offer it!) and abalone. There were also variety of soup options with 2 to choose from and we opted for tom yum & chicken soup. Great balance of something umami and spicy. The to chicken soup was my favourite because of its mild and gentle flavours. Whereas tom yum soup was my other 2 parties favourite.

But what truly made the experience special was the outstanding service. The staff were genuinely attentive and hospitable, checking in frequently to top up soup, clear used plates, and even prepare dipping sauces for us without being asked. Every small gesture showed their commitment to making sure we were well taken care of. Ahaha we were also even given adorable rubber duckies by the friendly cashier—a small gesture that left a big impression.

As a BBQ enthusiast, I can confidently say that with this level of food and service, I’ll definitely be coming back again & if you’re reading this review, this is definitely worth...