D Day

David Chin, founder and owner of Dave's Deli has seen trends come and go, and his fortunes wax and wane. His deli was the first Malaysian-owned and operated franchise, beginning in the food court of Bangsar Shopping Centre. He expanded in the Nineties, and had outlets in Subang Parade and One Utama. In the 2000s he opened Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice, but somehow those years were not good ones for him, and they saw closures of some of his outlets.

His Subang Parade one used to be an iconic stop, tucked under the escalator. When it closed, I mourned the passing of a pioneering restaurant and food concept. Happily, Dave's Deli has reopened in Subang Parade, with a shop front on the street level. It still retains the self-service counter and much of its original menu.

Welcome back, old salt!

I am happy to say that the food remains as good as it used to be. The footlong sausage featured a much-better class of chicken sausage than many other places, although the mash felt and tasted industrial. The peas were a bit leathery, but the gravy was the same as it used to be. At RM14.90, it still is quite economical.

Long-awaited return!

Beef lasagna.

The lasagna was thick, creamy and cheesy, with a side of both salad and coleslaw. The former was a bit limp, but still palatable. At RM18.50 it is one of the more pricier items.

The pies remain true to their original. Thick-crusted, with moist insides, they are smothered in gravy and are a decadent eat. Kit had the shepherds' pie, while I had the chicken and mushroom. Both are RM9.50.

The shepherds' pie with its mash potato interior.

Chicken and mushroom pie with the token peas.

The moist, chunky interior of the chicken pie.

Drinks-wise, Dave's Deli continues to serve its speciality lassi drinks. Erin had the Ribena Longan (RM6), with quite a few goodly sized longans, while grandma, who bought the meal in celebration of Kit's birthday next week, had the RM5.50 English Breakfast tea.

When there is a rush, the crowd can be quite off-putting. The space is cramped and the crowds at the counter can bring about a sense of chaos and unwelcoming clutter. This happens mostly around peak meal times (we were there at 7pm on a Saturday night for dinner). However, the crowd clears pretty fast. It IS a deli, after all. Off peak, it is a good place to enjoy one of the signature toasted sandwiches.

Needless to say, this is a place we would visit again. The meal cost Grandma RM68.90, but lesser appetites could get away with less, I guess.


Dave's Deli
Lot G24C Ground Floor
Subang Parade
5 Jalan SS16/1
47500 Subang, Selangor.
Tel: +603 5621 8288.