Growing up, my family (in particular my parents) always had a rather risk-averse palate. We'd usually eat at local Chinese restaurants instead of modern fusion restaurants.

So when my sister wanted to bring us to Psychotic Operator in Petaling Jaya, I wasn't sure what to expect, or how my parents would react.

From the outside, it looks rather unassuming. A small, quiet diner amongst many others, all lined up at Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount in Petaling Jaya:

But after the very first dish, I could immediately see why she recommended this place.

Every dish here combines flavours that sound like they shouldn't work together, but somehow, they do. For example, yogurt with XO sauce, lamb served with Chinese yam purée, sirloin with kai lan vegetables, etc. I genuinely couldn't think of another restaurant serving food quite like this.

Yogurt XO Dip

Garlic Yogurt Cream, XO Sauce, Fish Crackers
💸 MYR25.00
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️️ 4.5/5

XO sauce is a rich, umami-packed flavour bomb made primarily from dried scallops, dried shrimp and Jinhua ham, originated from Hong Kong. Since XO sauce is seafood-based and fish crackers are made from fish, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that this combination works - but then why haven't I heard of it so far?

The creamy garlic yogurt added freshness while the XO sauce brought savoury depth, and together they became an incredibly addictive dip. It was light, refreshing and very appetising—the perfect way to start a meal.

It was gone within seconds, and we couldn't wait for the main dishes.

Grilled Chicken Leg

Pumpkin Lemongrass Cream, Nyonya Acar, Butter Glaze
💸 MYR28.00 (250g)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 5/5

This ended up being my favourite dish of the night. It wasn't because it was the most expensive (in fact it was the cheapest meat dish) nor the most luxurious (it's just chicken, which is much more common). It was because of how unbelievably good value for money it was.

The chicken was beautifully grilled, with a lightly charred exterior that gave every bite a smoky aroma, while the meat remained juicy and tender. Meanwhile, the creamy pumpkin lemongrass sauce and slightly spicy nyonya acar complemented the meat well.

What I really appreciated throughout this meal was how every dish blended different cuisines together. There were influences from Southeast Asian cuisine alongside Western cooking techniques, yet every dish still retained a distinctly Malaysian identity.

Iberico Char Siew

Braised Peanut, Pink Pomelo Salsa, Fermented Tropical Hot Sauce
💸 MYR58.00 (200g)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5

This dish was very creative and unique as well, however, I'm generally not the biggest Char Siew fan because I find it gets a bit too jelak and I just don't fancy the taste, so perhaps I'm slightly biased here.

That said, I really liked how they used the pink pomelo and pickled vegetables in the salsa to cut through the fattiness of the pork. Every few bites, the citrusy freshness brought the dish back into balance.

It was tasty, but I'd definitely recommend sharing instead of finishing it alone.

Grilled Australian Mountain Lamb

Chinese Yam Purée, Black Garlic Purée, Fried Garlic
💸 MYR80.00 (150g)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5

Another thing I enjoyed throughout dinner was that the staff would introduce every dish as they served it, which made the experience feel a little like fine dining.

For this dish, they explained that the idea was to create a steak-like experience for those who don't eat beef. And surprisingly, it really did taste like steak.

The lamb was cooked perfectly, very easy to cut, and wasn't gamey at all.

Between the two purées, I preferred the Chinese yam purée - it was creamy, smooth and subtle, while the black garlic purée was a little too strong for my liking.

Grilled Australian Black Angus Sirloin

Deep-Fried Gai Lan, Ginger Scallion Sauce
💸 MYR78.00 (150g)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5/5

This might just be my unpopular opinion for rating this lower than the other dishes. Ironically, this was actually my sister's favourite dish and the biggest reason why she wanted to bring us here.

Yet, it was the only combination that didn't quite work well for me. The steak itself was excellent; it has a lovely char on the outside and juicy on the inside. However, the ginger scallion sauce was too subtle for me - so subtle that I struggled to understand what it added to the dish. Why not just serve the delicious sirloin on its own, then?

Unfortunately, we'd also ordered quite a few rich meat dishes in this meal, so the fattiness started to catch up with me. I think this dish would've been much more enjoyable if balanced with lighter dishes.

Nevertheless, it was still a delicious steak dish and the crunchy deep-fried gai lan vegetables were very addictive; I can definitely see why my sister loves this dish.

Overall, Psychotic Operator was one of the most memorable restaurants I've visited in a while. Every dish introduced flavour combinations that I hadn't tried before, and we were pleasantly surprised throughout the meal. If you're looking for a unique restaurant in Petaling Jaya or simply want to try a creative fusion restaurant in Selangor, I think Psychotic Operator is well worth a visit—I'd love to return and try other dishes as well.

Click on each photo below to expand the menu. However, do note that they might be from an older menu, so do check them out before visiting!

PsYCHoTiC OPeRAToR (WiNe SPaCe)

📍7, Jalan 20/13, Taman Paramount, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia