Ah King Food Talk Corner

Slim River Fresh Water Fish @ Double Happiness

2010-03-03T06:55:00.001-08:00

Slim River is a small town in Perak which is about 20 km north of Tanjung Malim. On a road trip from north back to KL, sister insisted to stop by this place for steamed fish. I thought it was like another mundane little town, apparently I was wrong and I must thank my sister, if not her, I would remain ignorant as ever. ;-P

It was about 4p.m. by the time we reached Slim River. My tummy was roaring, Moon hastily grabbed a young shopkeeper for advice, he told us to check out either Double Happiness or Fook Seng. We headed to Double Happiness since the direction sounds less complicated with self-evident land mark (next to a school).

Thanks God it's open! A very earthy restaurant likes one that typically found in kampung. We sat at the open area. There is also air-conditioned session where I believe major banquets are held.

Photos of fishermen taken with their catch were noticeable scrambling up the restaurant's bulletin board.Over the years, fresh water fish gradually becomes an attraction promoting the Malaysia tourism especially since a number of HK food programs made vast broadcast about the hefty ikan Empurau. Of course, we have yet reached the level splurging tens of hundreds bucks for just ONE fish (no kidding, market is selling more than RM500 per kilo), yes, that’s way too ritzy (unless I strike lottery 1st prize, then I might sound differently.) !

The waitress recommended their local specialty Ikan Tapah (wallago), if not mistaken, it's around RM80 per Kilo. Wallago is a gigantic creature, no way for the 5 of us to gorge ourselves with the whole Wallago, hence we order to steam a portion of it, the best part of a fish for steaming would be the fish's belly, and my 5 words for the fish are moist, fatty,gelatinous,odorless and unsurpassed.

Another highlight would be the steamed giant river prawn. At the size of human palm, it was sold RM20 per prawn. The waitress suggested to slit into half, steam with wine & egg white. The dish was further enhanced by the fragrance of coriander. Orangey prawn’s roe was sinfully gooey & yummy!Fried rice vermicelli with wild paddy frog was a bit dried.Fried Kangkung Belacan
I lost the receipt ! Anyhow, no one complained about the price , so I presume it’s pretty reasonable. ;-)

Northan Beach Cafe 诺登美食坊

2010-01-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

Of course, we wouldn't stop at just one place. Comparison is constantly required.

We drove around Gurney area in search for food and finally stumbled upon Northan Beach Cafe.

The car park was the reason we stopped by, it was all huge and full of cars, on top of that, most cars were registered in Penang, what did it say? This place is fairly popular among the locals.!!;-)
Despite the number of stalls, I believe sea view is the major attraction of Northern. The place was cramped and we were lucky enough to have a table that's facing the sea. BIL's nose is a sharp receptor, this is a lovely snack ordered by him, deep fried tofu stuffed with salted fish, yummy!While everyone is checking out the Penang delicacy, I suddenly had the urge to try this bakuteh. Must be curious why Penang Bakuteh and not Klang!? ;-PBeef noodle was for Moon, she somehow prefers the one from New Lane (next to Sunway Hotel), me too. FYI, this is no ordinary Char Koay Teow! It's fried with duck's egg but tasted quite ordinary though. BIL's remark is "The New Lane's one is better!" ( New Lane again ;-p) I think Penangites are very lucky coz the "hor hor chiak" grilled chicken wings are always available at almost every hawker food center. Grilled parrot fish (RM28) was new but not something I'd appreciate! the marinade was not done long enough. Texture of the fish is quite similar to talapia which is quite limp and tasteless. Definitely not my type of food! Overall, as you can see, the word "New Lane" has been repeated so many times, needless to say, New Lane is still better in term of taste. Nonetheless, the dining ambiance here is certainly an aswesome one!

Northan Beach Cafe 诺登美食坊
Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah
opposite of Northam Hotel (near Gurney)
Penang, Malaysia

Asam Laksa @ Pasar Air Itam (Kek Lok Si)

2010-01-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

Kek Lok Si is the only tourist hot spot we visited this time coz we all were too busy with "cari makan".*lol* “Eat as you go” is always the attitude we carry along whenever we go travel. Sister used to say, our instinct is always more reliable than food guide. ;-)

By the time we came down from Kek Lok Si, we were all exhausted. Since we're here, no way for not paying a visit to the well-known Asam Laksa from Pasar Air Itam, right?

In KL, laksa generally refers to curry laksa but here in Penang, laksa means asam laksa.

No one actually told us, by looking at the number of customers dining there, we just assumed this is the right one! It’s on the left of the main road to Kek Lok Si temple which can be noticed easily.

The signboard says RM2.70 per bowl.

Garnished with shredded pineapple, lettuce, bird's eye chili, cucumber, onion, pink bunga kantan (ginger flower's bud) and Vietnamese mint's leave, asam laksa is a healthier delicacy compared to the others, I suppose!?

It 's simply addictive just sipping the hot & sour asam soup that slow boiled with flesh of ikan kampung in addition with a scoop of superior prawn paste.Fresh crushed sugar cane juice was certainly an ideal refreshment to go with laksa…

And, also muachi to sink your sweet teeth! A complete meal at hawker stall, here we go! ;-P

Pasar Road (Beside the Air Itam Market) 11500 Air ItamPenang

http://www.what2seeonline.com/2009/08/penang-assam-laksa-air-itam-market/

Macalister Road, the Heaven of Penang Street Food

2010-01-02T00:50:00.000-08:00

When I told my friend that we're going to Penang for holiday, friend's reaction was, “Wah so nice ah, can eat a lot of nice food loh....”. Yes, it's indeed the main purpose of the trip. Penang is always linked to our famous Malaysian hawker stall food like Char Koay Teow, Penang Prawn Mee, Asam Laksa and etc, therefore "Penang = Food Heaven". ;-)

BIL was delighted that we chose to stay at Sunway Hotel Gerogetown, various hawker food stalls lined at the side of the New Lane (Lorong Baru) in front of Sin Yin Nam Cafe after dark, this area is undoubtedly a paradise for glutton and I bet BIL won't mind to come here for dinner every night! ;-)
Char Koay Teow could be found almost at every hawker center here in Penang and I know Penangites are particular about it. The Char Koay Teow we ordered was served on a piece of banana leave and it comprised prawns, cockles, egg and heaps of bean sprouts. The waiting time was approximately 45 min. See the white bits on top? Those are crab meat.

Grilled chicken wings were fantastic.....I need at least a PAIR.Come to this beef noodle, it was a true surprise! The broth was light yet went well with the tangy fragrance of cress and fried garlic. It was so good that prompted me to go back for supper the following night.....Kangkong sotong (water spinach with cuttlefish) is also a very popular street food in Penang, the cuttlefish was bountiful and very crunchy.......Yong Tao Fu stuffed with fish paste was so-so only but don't know why it took forever to arrive.... Sister spotted this fried intestine when our car passed by the lane led to Sunway Hotel, she ordered the porridge with fried intestine, century egg and liver. I thought the intestine was rather stinky but she said it was good.The only thing that we concluded as "NO GOOD" was the fried oyster omelet, coz it was way too starchy and none of us volunteered to finish it. The curry noodle on the tray looked tempting too.

So many good food yet our stomach has got so little space*sigh*, no way, not this time, next time!!!

Sin Yin Nam Cafe

New Lane (Off Macalister Road), Georgetown, 10400 Penang, Malaysia

Kedai Kopi Kong Heng 光兴茶室

2010-01-01T17:29:00.000-08:00

We decided to stop by Ipoh for lunch while on the way to Penang….....

There are only few main streets in Ipoh, called a Ipoh Mari friend to get advice and he recommended Kong Heng.

Since we were getting late, in order not to waste time, we asked an uncle working at the patrol station for direction. After some detailed briefing, uncle gave us a tip. He said the shop next to Kong Heng serves the best Hor Fun in town.

It’s already 2pm when we arrived. Both Kong Heng and the shop next to it were full. In Ipoh, this is rather common phenomena, as long as famous it’s always packed throughout the whole business hours.

This Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun (RM2.50 per plate) reminds me an ex-uni mate from Ipoh. His family runs the Chee Cheong Fun ( flat rice noodle)'s business. During one of the semester break, someone hand-carried some Chee Cheong Fun back from his hometown. He was so generous to treat us a Chee Cheong Fun Feast in the dorm and until now, I still think that is the best Chee Cheong Fun I had ever eaten, exactly the same red and dark sauce, pickled chili , fried shallots and sesame, so nostalgic when I gotta relish this silky Chee Cheong Fun again. Ipoh's Hor Fun (flat rice noodle) is famous, we wanted to try the best one next door but the boss rejected to send it over ( uncle from patrol station said we could actually request to do so but obviously they do not provide such service during peak hours). The one selling sliced chicken Hor Fun at Kong Heng seemed not so busy, our Hor Fun soup was sent to us pretty fast. The broth was not bad though not many Hor Fun given. The price is RM3.50 per bowl if I'm not mistaken. Rojak (local fruit salad) served here is way different from what I used to have. Instead of mixing with the fruit, dressing was served as separate dip in a small bowl. Beside peanut, I believe the dip contents sesame which makes it pretty aromatic. The presentation of kangkung sotong (water spinach aka water morning glory and cuttelfish) is quite unique as well, the gravy looks more like a satay dip !? RM6 per small plate. By the time we left Kong Heng, had a peep at the shop next door which claimed to be the best Ipoh Hor Fun seller, it was still cramped with diners waiting for seats......According to The Star, it's best in the country....So, next time you go to Ipoh, you should know where to look for the best sliced chicken Ipoh Hor Fun soup by now. ;-)

Address : Jalan Sultan Yusuf, Ipoh, Perak.

Restoran Meng Shiang@Taman Yulek 茗香茶餐室

2009-11-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

It’s not about love at 1st sight…..

Oh, am talking about my encounter with the char siew wantan mee (RM4.00)of Restoran Meng Shiang @ Taman Yulek . ;-)

The dry and lean appearance was not enticing at all......Not until I put one in my mouth did it subdue my taste bud utterly, with its subtle scent of barbeque and the invisible tenderness that lies beneath the surface.

Never say I don't warn, you need a lot, ahemm...I mean A LOT of patience to wait for your order to be served, probably by the time you finish your 2nd drinks!?They do serve roast pork (siu yok), spare ribs and whatsoever.

I would say, FOCUS on the char siew and just forget the rest. ;-).Restoran Meng Shiang
1 & 3, Jalan Kas Kas 2
Taman Cheras (Taman Yulek)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

New Gaya Seaffood Restaurant @ Inanam

2009-11-21T17:47:00.000-08:00

2nd night in KK, Sensei insisted to treat us another seafood meal at one of the renowned seafood restaurant at Inanam. This restaurant seems rather popular among the local Chinese.

The cooking style seems totally different from what we had the previous night at Salut Restaurant.

Deep fried butter prawn was my sensei’s favorite, the shell was fried to fragrant crisp with right among of saltiness(RM56 per kg).

The concoction of this hot and spicy crab was appealing too (RM30 per KG).We had never come across this type of elephant shell 象螺, we’re curious and requested some(RM30 per KG). The waiter advised to steam it with finely chopped garlic 蒜蓉蒸. We assumed the taste would be something close to elephant trunk clam 象鼻蚌 but not exactly. Infact, the garlic had overpowered its natural sweetness. Sapak shell fried with scallions and ginger (RM18 per KG).
Ostrich meat cooked with black pepper style (RM25), the meat was well marinated and it's quite tender.Stir fried butterhead with preserved beancurd (RM15).Total bill came up to be RM231 including tea, rice and 2 bottles of Carslberg. I won't say it's cheap as there is NO live garoupa. As for the culinary method, doesn't seem to give much surprise as it's very WEST MALAYSIA feel. We prefer steam if the seafood is fresh. This kind of cooking style might not be any WAH factor in KL, but when you look at the numbers of customer dining here , I ponder, it must be something exclussive for the locals. ;-)

Address : New Gaya Seafood Restaurant

Lot A & Lot B, Wisma Lucky Centre,Jalan Kiansom, Inanam, W.D.T.53, 88450 Inanam,

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Tel : 088-426075/76/77 or 088-385020

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Salut Restaurant @ Tuaran

2009-11-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

I'd say, Sabah is my "favoriteST" state of Malaysia. It's such a paradise for seafood lovers, everyone says so...No doubt it is, but it’s not always cheap! To enjoy cheap seafood, you should look up for a place which is slightly away from KK and I think Salut Restaurant is one that fits in this category. Situated at the remote Jalan Tuaran Talipok, you may just forget about public transport as it would never get you there! Pay RM60 like us, to hire a van, he will send you to door and pick you up anytime you require with just a call, worries free! All you need to do is, sit back, take your own sweet time and savour the FRESHest seafood! ;-)

Since Kiat has grown up from the beach, he knows well what to order for us. He walked straight to the tanks, checked the prices and fixed the menu for us See, these cockles are so much bigger than his finger. ;-oKiat said it’s best to boil and eat them with chili dip (RM12). Sea snails (RM12) are getting expensive in West Malaysia. Kiat said some restaurants charge as high as RM1 per piece.

Feeling helpess? Look, there is a tactic to eat it. First, dig the tail out from the shell using a tooth pick, then grab the tail and pull it with the tip of your thumb and forefinger , EASY! Basically it’s tasteless, but some may enjoy chewing its rubber-like texture. Sapak shell is BIGGGG too, see the size lying on the palm of Poh Leng. ;-)Cooked with superior stock(RM14) is not a bad idea!

Boiled fresh prawn (RM38) seems to be a “must order” dish here in KK. This prawn is small in size with firmer meat. The sweetness of the meat could beat any big prawn miles away. Especially the prawn’s head with hidden orangey roes, it's a crack! I was so addicted to it after sucking a few.*muack* ;-) Deep fried soft shell crab (RM30) was well done too, tasted fragrant and puffy, definitely a superior tidbit to go with beer. Here in Sabah, you get to relish steamed LIVE garoupa with reasonable price if you know where to find! No kidding, it was ALIVE before the guy net it from the tank! The restaurant was selling RM60 per 1KG. "Hello, it's live garoupa, why not!?" Kiat chose one with 900gram; he said this is the ideal size to be steamed. How true! This garoupa is lip smacking delish when steamed with premium soy sauce. I’d never realize the distinct difference between a live garoupa comparing to the one I carried back from wet market, MAMA MIA!! The one brought back from market, the flesh turns flaky after being steamed while live garoupa is NOT! The flesh is firm, springy and full of natural sweetness, no strange odor found. In fact, this is the most expensive dish on the table yet I still think RM54 is well worth it!

For veggie, I would recommend you to try the exclussive local grown Sabah veggie (RM10) which resembles paku, I simply enjoy the crunchiness of it.

Total bill is RM180 for 6 pax.

Address :

Salut Restaurant
Mile 13, Jalan Tuaran Telipok,
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Phone : 088-228301

Steamboat & "Dusty" Wings @ Kundasang

2009-11-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

When time to bid farewell, Jimmy fetched us to this restaurant, which is conveniently 10 minutes walking distance from our lodging. We were getting a bit dubious....since the whole restaurant was engulfed in unwonted darkness with only very dim candle's light.

Were told that the shop was down of electricity....

While hesitating whether to move to another restaurant, a young charming Kadazan girl popped up, her command of Mandarin was impeccable! Actually, she is Sino Kadazan, she has Chinese’s blood in her, no wonder! We all got hooked with her angelical smile. Well, eventually, we stayed despite the blackout......

Surrounded by bushy floras, temperature at Kundasang, especially after dark could get you chilled to bone. For dinner, nothing could be more comforting than sipping the hot soup, it prompted us to order a small steamboat set and a fried rice.

The portion was big containing fish balls, squid, crab stick, noodles and egg. Was amused to see the steamboat pot, like a toy.... the soup almost splashed out when we threw in the fish balls, Kiat suggested to add another pot of tom yam soup base, which was also served in similar toy's size pot, and the tom yam was surprisingly awesome… The bill of the dinner came up to be RM52.

Dining in the dark, certainly an unforgetable experience for all of us !!! T-TOur stomach was just half filled while we headed back to Pine Resort. Saw smoke coming out from a shabby shack....

Yahhhh, it's gggggggggggggrilled chicken wings!!! Kiat pointed that grilled chicken wings are “must eat” of Kudasang (no idea where he did his survey though), whatsoever, basically, I would never say NO to grilled chicken wings.....

RM1.20 per piece...where to find in KL nowadays, huh!!!?

So delish when eaten warm, yummy yummy.....Since the stall was along the main road, the “dust” had probably given it extra kick! ;-P

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Lunch @ Ranau

2009-10-26T06:21:00.000-07:00

Whilst reaching KK Park, choices of food were getting less. Jimmy suggested us to take lunch at Ranau since we all raved for Chinese food. It’s around 2pm, we hung around and stumbled upon a shop situated across the mini roundabout which was still open....

We thought it's better to avoid taking risk thus we picked fried noodles but with different cooking style....

This is the fried mee with salad sauce ordered by Poh Leng, something new, taste wise, I think it’s kind of abstract, not to say bad, neither it's good... As for myself, fried noodle with seafood was certainly a safer choice! Over all, the fried noodles were OK, true surprise actually came from this roasted chicken! The size is small. Hmmm, maybe of a pigeon’s size or slightly bigger!? There is always a layer of fat beneath the chicken’s skin, but no, not this, had never seen such a slimmed chick and the skin was as thin as a piece of kitchen paper, flesh was soft and tinged with natural fragrance of chicken., very good in taste!

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Since itinerary was tight, after a quick lunch, we went to check-in with Pine Resort and hurried to our next destination, the Poring Hot Spring.

Exploration to Poring Hot Spring

---------------------------------------

The spectacular Canopy Walk.....Time for some work out! *deep breath*Oh, I miss Onsen Tamago", should have brought a dozen of eggs here! ;-)The breathtaking Mt Kinabalu….

Pekan Nabalu

2009-10-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

After an exotic breakfast at Restoran Oriental (yea, indeed!), our next stop was Pekan Nabalu. Pekan Nabalu is like a central market houses stalls selling handicrafts and local products... According to Jimmy, goods are fairly cheaper here comparing to Kundasang. This is because the soil of Kundasang is not fertile enough for good crop thus most products sold there are not locally harvested.

This is the buah tarap (RM2) which SF has been constantly craving for, she learnt to eat it from her Sabahan roommate. The fruit looks round in shape, the skin could be easily peeled off with hands, the flesh is white , delicate with strong scent like a cross over between jackfruit and cempedak....Jimmy told us must not eat buah tarap while drinking alcohol, otherwise it will cause difficulty in breathe, or suffocation in the worst. If there is anyone accidentally consumes both at the same time and the symptom appears, he said the cure would be the seed. Anyway, there are food conflicting by nature like durian and alcohol, so do not risk yourself, better be careful than sorry.

"What is this!!??" ciku??? Nah, nah, it 's known as buah bambangan. We paid the lady RM1, and requested her to let us trying it on spot. It’s actually some kind of wild mango, pungent smell, fibrous and sour by nature. Banana in red skin, interesting huh!?? A big bunch is sold for only RM2, certainly a good economical source of energy to be carried along while climbing Mt Kinabalu. ;-)

Restoran Oriental @ Tuaran, Sabah

2009-10-25T02:24:00.000-07:00

Since Air Asia and Tune Hotel were having an attractive promotion, taking the chance of Deepavali”s long break, I decided to pay a visit to Kota Kinabalu (KK) @ Sabah. Sabah is also known as "Land below the Wind”because of its strategic location that is right below the typhoon belt.

Basically Oct is considered great month to visit KK, especially end of Oct where you get to witness the grand International Climbathon. Candidates come from all over the world, compete to climb Mt Kinabalu with the speed of Shinkansen. I could not imagine, while I took 2 days to reach the summit, the competitors take less than 3hours to complete the whole to and fro journey. Apart from this world class event, Oct is also the season of durian.

If you are a big fan for durian, you get to sample different species of local durian including the wild durian with long tiny thorns and red orangey meat called Durian Dalip. Also, you get to enjoy heaps of mangosteen and other local fruits on season.

We chartered a van sending us to Kinabalu Park, the Sabahan Dusun driver Jimmy dropped us at one of the Chinese restaurants along Tuaran for breakfast. The shop is called Restoran Oriental东方茶餐室.

We got no idea what to order and could barely relied on the Chinese boss‘s advice. He recommended us fried Mi Tuaran 炒斗亚兰面 (RM15) . Mi Tuaran is a type of noodle produced from the town called Tuaran, it looks wavy and yellowish, springy and less sticky. Usually they fried it with egg, cabbage and seafood.

Colleague’s hubby Kiat spotted the swamp eel in tank. He would like to try some but obviously this is a mental challenge for the girls. As such, boss suggested frying a small portion with hot & spicy Gong Bou style 宫保鳝鱼(RM18). According to Kiat, blood is the most precious part of eel therefore must not be drained, walala, sound like an expertise huh!? Different from Unagi, this eel was chopped into the length of 2-3cm without being deboned. I threw a small piece into my mouth and tried not to think about the fact that I was munching a snake-like creature, the texture of the skin was rubbery and not much of meat. Exotic it is, but definitely NOT my type of food, I quitted after 2nd piece, thanks, but NO, thanks!!!
Lastly, fried sweet bamboo shoot 清炒甜笋(RM10) which I think was good.I was the one who finished the quarter of it. This meal costs us RM48 inlcuding drinks.

Remember 126 Restaurant 126海鲜饭店

2009-10-25T01:45:00.001-07:00

While heading to Genting, I remember Chew Sir told me that he used to settle his meal at Bukit Tinggi before heading up simply for 2 reasons, cheaper and nicer. Being a gourmand, I trust his advice.

So, we skipped the trunk road and drove passed the tunnel, followed the signboard of Bukit Tinggi, before long we saw a row of shop lots on the right as well as the stunning “126”.

We slowed down the speed. There is a little junction on the left that leads you a U-turn back to the shop lots. The first “126” appeared in front of us, it was not exactly what we spotted along the highway. We followed the little path, drove further up, and we saw another “126” that stands alone.

A sightseeing bus was parked aside of the restaurant. Few tables were occupied, obviously by tourists from the bus. We also noticed a few posh cars with JB’s number plate resting in front at the time of 5.30pm.

There's no menu, all their signature dishes’ displayed on the signboard. Waitress recommended the followings

1.)Wild boar curry (RM8.00)
Chew Sir kept telling me the wild boar curry,already embedded in my memory, so must not miss! Wild boar has lean and firmer meat, this curry base dish was best to go with rice. 2.)Steamed wild paddy frog ( RM39 for 2 pax)
Wild paddy frog definitely makes a difference from those reared ones, and it’s getting rare too. They steamed it with Chinese herbs and Shiu Heng Wine. I must bring my brother in law here at least once as he is a big fan for wild paddy frog. 3.)Stir-fried baby watercress (RM5)
This dish has been recommended by so many foodies, excellent choice indeed, fresh,unique, crunchy and no bitterness found. 4.)Braised Catfish in clay pot (RM27 for 900gram)
I thought 3 dishes were enough but waitress strongly recommended us to have a fish steamed or braised in clay pot. She convinced us that the size wouldn’t be too big, eventually we chose to have it braised in clay pot as she emphasized this culinary method gives better fragrance of wine. Fish was only 900gram, just nice for steam. The fish was perfectly cooked with absence of muddy odor; skin was gelatinous while the meat was flaky. When we called for the bill, a complimentary watermelon was served. Looking at the dishes we had, thought it might anytime burn a hole in my pocket since we had wild paddy frog and fish, out of my expectation, it came up to be less than RM100! It is only MR85.00.

Kampung Bukit Tinggi,
Bentong
Pahang, Malaysia
28750
Phone : 016-951 6818, 012-225 1894

Daidomon Japanese BBQ Restaurant Sdn Bhd.

2009-10-09T05:32:00.000-07:00

Saw a brochure about the promotion of Daidomon on the desk of my Japanese boss, Buka Puasa Special dinner buffet was only at RM43.90++. Boss said he tried it with his family, his remark was positive.

One rainy Thursday, we drove straight to Jalan Ampang after work. To avoid traffic jam, we used Smart Tunnel. Arrived Great Eastern Mall around 7.30pm.

Like every other buffet style, customers are required to pay prior the meal. As soon as being seated, we couldn't wait to check out the buffet table. After a round, Moon brought back salad with Wafu (Japanese) dressing, light and refreshing. For grill items, we got to place order with waiter. The waiter suggested warming up with assortment of beef & seafood. He also explained to us that scallop and oyster are controlled items in this promotion in which each group of customers only allowed to order once, others products are free flow though.

While waiting the meat cooked, we had sashimi and sushi. Choices were limited and freshness is just so-so.On the other hand, Daidomon is such a heaven for beef lovers as they serve different parts of cow including ox tongue. This was my first experience taking animal’s tongue; the texture was crunchier and chewy, not bad at all!
Although they claim to have more than 100 dishes, but throughout the night, we only attacked the grilled food, we hardly approached the buffet table for other selections. For desert, they serve ice cream and limited choice of fruit. The peach flavored ice cream was nice!The verdict is, quality of food is satisfactory but only 1 type of dip being served, should have more choices indeed. Besides, It’s not really that well worth if you are no beef person. Anyhow, the ambiance was great if you are looking for a place to get chatty with your mate.

Restoran Min Kok Dim Sum Sdn. Bhd.明阁点心有限公司

2009-09-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

When SP asked me to suggest a place that serves great dim sum, Min Kok came out from my mouth spontaneously. Min Kok, definitely one of our favourite dim sum place, think of dim sum, think of Min Kok!

We usually go during weekends, it’s packed but it doesn’t really matter as their numbering system is pretty efficient. When the restaurant is getting full, they will send someone to distribute number at the entrance, no one is allowed to go in without the number being called. First thing first, collect a number and wait for the number to be called.

Usually it takes less than 30mins waiting time. It has a spacious dining hall that could easily fit in thousands of people. Apart from dim sum, wedding dinners and other functions are held during peak seasons. Dim sum is served from morning to noon with only 1/3 of the section being open. I brought Kobayashi here once, and he really likes the atmosphere especially when he saw the waiter pushing the dim sum cart around, he got so excited with it. Beside the standard Har Gao Shiu Mai, steamed spare ribs and chicken feet are another treasures of Min Kok which you could find it served on most tables. I'm particular about the odour of frozen dim sum, that's the reason why I like Min Kok. Prawn roll wrapped in thin Fu Zhu (腐竹Tofu Skin) deep fried to golden crisp is best to go with mayo dip. Yam puff served in three, the filling was delish! In my opinion, dim sum master is not a good dim sum master if he could not make decent char siu bao! A good char siu bao must meet the below criterias
1.) soft fluffy dough
2.) juicy char siu's fillingPorridge, of course you have better choice in other place, so my advice is, "no harm to skip it!" A lot of my friends in Seremban told me, egg tart is the best selling item of Min Kok, true enough, it's always sold out before noon. Personally I find the egg filling is sweeter as compared to Tong Kee's one. If you have a sweet teeth, this sesame ball that made of peanut filling is another worth trying item. It's aromatic with slightly chewy outer layer entitles it as another treasure of Min Kok. Dim Sum prices here range from RM2.50 to 4.50, below is the break down;
2 x RM2.50
2 x RM2.80
3 x RM3.50
2 x RM4.00
1 x RM4.50
Chinese tea in pot ( 3-4 pax) costs RM2.00
Total bill came up to RM35.60, 10 types of dim sum costs less than RM40, where to find!?? It's has to be Seremban Min Kok. ;-P
Address
Lot 5990, Jalan Labu Lama, Terminal 2,
70200, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
http://www.minkok.com/
Phone : 06-761 8458, 06-761 9717, 06-761 5157
Opening hours : 7.30a.m. to 2.30p.m.

Restoran Makanan Laut Kwai Lam 桂林海鲜餐馆

2009-08-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

I admit my progress has turned into slow moving mode lately. Not that I have not eaten any good food, it’s just that after a hard day work on the computer, I really wish to give a break from touching the keyboard.

Anyhow, I reset my target, at least 2 posts in a month, I hope I could make it!

Moon knows Kwai Lam more than 10 yrs through Jess. They used to go there for friends or family's reunion dinner. It's certainly an ideal place for gathering with all the big round table setting. When come to Kwai Lam, it has to be seafood. Yes, seafood!!! Despite its high cholesterol & poisonous feature (I’m not sure if it’s scientifically proven but most Chinese do believe the seafood with shell namely prawn and crab are harmful especially for those who suffer chronic skin problem like eczema & so on), we still find it mesmerizing! Being one of the Kwai Lam's signature dish, these "mass -produced" Nan Yue Chicken wings 南乳炸鸡翅膀 (MYR2.00 per piece) are always perfectly marinated and never fail to please. In fact, I can devour 3 pcs of chicken wings at one go. ;-P Steamed Prawns清蒸虾 with Shaoxing Wine 绍兴酒(MYR18.00 per 600gm ) used to be Moon's favorite but very unfortunate, these prawns were not cleaned properly and apparently turned Moon off altogether. I simply could not forget the taste of this creamy butter crab 奶油蟹 (MYR36.00). Apparently salted egg-yolk and curry lefts are added into the gravy for extra fragrance, It’s moist, salty and sinfully yummy with super duper high cholesterol content! ;-P However, to optimize the satisfaction derived from glutting my beloved crab, gotta convince myself to put aside the thought of guilt…If the sin of overdose is still haunting you around, 3 days of fasting definitely would make you feel purified as ever. Fried Hokkian Mee (MYR8.00 for 2 pax) is OK, the standard is still maintained. It's not bad to go with their special made sambal belacan.Fried veggie (MYR7.00) is definitely a must or else we will be branded as carnivores. ;-P Total bill came up MYR90.80, pretty reasonable I think.

Jake’s Charbroiled Steaks

2009-07-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

Short review on my belated father’s day dinner at Jake’s Charbroiled Steaks at Medan Damansara. This is the original Jake’s since 1982; it has a branch at StarHill opened not too long ago. Let’s dive straight into the food review. Mom had grilled salmon (RM38.90). She’s rather particular with fish, any slightest fishy stench will render the dish inedible. However, she didn’t complain on this one, definitely a good sign. The salmon is accompanied by flavored butter and a dollop of caviar. The butter went extremely well with the fish. No tartar or chilli sauce required. I ordered an Australian aged tenderloin steak, medium-well (RM63.90). with a few twist of blackpepper, the steak was ready to be savoured. It was exactly how I wanted my steak to be, not too pink but sufficiently tender. The flavor of the beef tickled my taste buds in all the right spots. The fiancé’s ribeye steak was mediocre (RM58.90, not pictured). It’s alright but nothing to shout about. So, skip!The best order of the night was aptly Dad’s steak, Black Angus ribeye (RM88). It was one of the best steaks ever! Cooked to medium, it was so juicy and succulent. The taste and texture of the beef simply blows your mind. All the dishes at Jake’s are very simple, served with veg and potatoes. Brown/black pepper/mushroom sauce is not needed; the quality of the meat and the seasoning is enough to bring the steak to perfection. Skip the desserts tho. The chocolate brownie (RM9.90) is really just chocolate sponge cake with melted chocolate on top. Honestly, this is one of the worst brownies I’ve even eaten. At jake’s, stick to their good old uncompromised steaks.

Reviewed by Jaycee

Grilled Seafood @ Hing Ket Grill House 庆吉烧烤海鲜屋(2nd Visit)

2009-06-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, planned to go Genting with Moon and Cheong J, but the traffic jammed like nobody's business due to school holidays just started, eventually we gave up the thought and took a U-turn back. To cheer Moon up, I suggested a CRAB Feast... Yes, Hing Ket, that's the place in my mind.Moon is always kiasu, she said better to secure a table with phone booking, so I called. I didn’t have enough of the crab during our last visit, and this time I told the guy out there to reserve 4 crabs and I recapped it must be the BIGGEST ones! Then, we got back to Moon’s house to fetch Moon’s parents. Moon suggested an early departure due the previous photos turned out so dark, she hoped she could get a better snap this time. Since all people heading to Genting, Kesas Highway was clear and took us just 40 minutes to arrive before the sky turned dark. Apart from my must order grilled crab, Moon added a few new items namely the salt baked prawn, grilled squid, grilled stingray and oyster omelet.Like I said to Moon, salt baked would never go wrong with fresh prawns (RM19 for 8pcs), the flesh was springy & sweet. Grilled lamb is Moon's favorite, we ordered 2 pieces (RM15) for that.We requested the lamb to be cut into bite size so that Moon’s parents could enjoy it without much trouble. According to Cheong J, the smoky aroma pervaded from the “melt in the mouth” lamb’s fat was divine and this makes him become a fan of it too. Stingray (RM18) grilled with curry powder was served in one big chunk, flesh was moist and delicate, yet to be frank, I still prefer the one served at Jalan Alor with savored crispy skin.Grilled squid laden on a banana leave was chewy. It's supposed to be eaten with their special dip. Someone recommended me the fried tapioca noodle (RM8). It seemed less popular among all the good food on table probably due to its sticky feature.

As for the oyster omelet (Hor Jian), wasn't any WAH factor. in fact RM20 seems a little pricey.

Lastly, a little elaboration on the STAR which I had been constantly raving for since my last visit with Wong. When crabs (RM45 per kg, RM112 for 4 crabs) were sent to us, I could see parents in law's mouth dropped open like "O".

Look! The CRAB MAN!!!!!!!

The meat of the crab was firm and stuck on the shell, an evidence of true freshness. The smoky aroma was so appetising and I personally think it requires no other seasoning as the meat itself was sweet enough. After the meal, we were all bloated. A plate of fruit platter was served as soon as we called for the bill....Over all, this was a satisfying meal for me!*burp*

Hing Ket Grill House 庆吉烧烤海鲜屋

2009-05-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

Precious Pea’s blog was so influential, after reading her post, Moon told Wong she was raving for the grilled lamb at Kampung Jawa, without much details, he already knew which restaurant she was referring.

Kampung Jawa was a total strange place. Thanks God, with Wong’s precise instruction as below, we managed to find the place without much puzzle.

1. Take the Kesas Highway from KL heading to Klang.
2. After the third toll, you will see a signboard of “Kambung Jalan Kebun / Kampung Jawa”.
3. Keep left and drives for 2KM. Follow the signboard and drive up the bridge.
4. Turn right and go straight until you see a mini roundabout
(The road is under construction that’s why you may find it a little bit congested).
5. Exit the mini roundabout by 12 o’clock direction.
6. You still have to drive a little further. As soon as passing the 2nd traffic light, check the left. It's opposite direction of the Mosque.

Yeah, Hing Ket Grill House! Moon recognized the signboard even though the sky already turned dark.Since Wong is a resident there, we made him to decide what to have for the night. Grilled crab, grilled ikan kampung and grilled lamb, we had mostly grilled stuff. Well, this is a "grill house", if not grilled stuff, what else would it be!? To make it merrier, Wong ordered a bottle of chilled Tiger… Kanpai, Kanpai, Kanpai( 乾杯)!!!!!

Of course, protein itself is not enough to feed up the tummies, only carbohydrate gives energy, that’s also the reason we added a plate of la-la fried mihun. however, you may just forget it as this was too mediocre to be compared to Yong Tat....

When the crab sent to us, I know I would never get enough of it. This is how exactly I like my crab to be cooked, the most indigenous way, YES! To deal with it, it has to be Barbarian dining manner, cracked the shell with hammer & tools while debris of shell scattered all over, very messy indeed but who cares!? The crab meat stuck on the shell was SSSO SWEET, an envidence of true freshness which required no further seasoning...... since Wong was taking care of the bill, I was too shy to ask for additional order *lol* ….…...

As for grilled ikan kampung, basically Moon and I had the same opinion, think the fish was too thick hence it's moist and not fragrant enough! Lamb is also a signature here that wins the vote of most local foodies, Moon loves it too. Apologize for poor picture quality, as we were sitting at the open-air area with no direct lighting.All in all, this was a pleasant dining session, thanks to Moon who always brings me surprise, & Wong for a sumptuous dinner!

"I’ll be back, SOON...” I told Moon.

Address : Lot 3569, Batu 3 1/4, Kampung Jawa, Klang
Selangor D.E, Malaysia
Phone : 03-33713913,33710861

Business Hours : 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm

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W.A.W Restaurant Sdn. Bhd. 黄亚华小食店

2009-05-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

After a diehard shopping at Sungai Wang, the happening Jalan Alor is always the last terminal to stop by for dinner before heading home.

The entire Jalan Alor is lined with various food stalls, out of so many choices; Wong Ah Wah situated at the lowest end facing the Nova Hotel is one of my preferred eatery there. We simply can’t get enough of their smoking hot chicken wings which are always well marinated and perfectly grilled.
The grilled stingray (ikan pari) with a savored crispy skin is also our all time favorite. The flesh is pretty tender; it goes flawlessly well with their handmade chili after a squeeze of lime juice. To make your tummy more filling, you may consider to top up with a plate of fried Hokkien Mee with dark soy sauce.......

Or perhaps a plate of fried rice? The fried baby green bean was pretty crunchy, as good as the one we had at Restoran Chuan Kie 全记小菜馆.

Satay is not bad too… Oh, before I forget, their lime juice with a piece of preserved plum 橘子酸梅 is also a great drink to quench thirst.
View W.A.W Restaurant Sdn. Bhd. 黄亚华小食店 in a larger map

Yang Kee Beef Noodles 碑律营记

2009-05-24T02:08:00.000-07:00

Yang Kee, this is the beef noodle stall we headed to after having the dissatisfying Ngau Kee's beef noodle. Yes, right! This is the beef noodle that according to Cheong J, could beat Ngau Kee hundred miles away! Let's check it out....Cheong J said he used to eat the yellow thin noodle like every others. Tossed with fried garlic and a sprinkle of spring onions, the minced meat looks appetizing indeed.We already had the thin yellow noodle at Ngau Kee, no more noodle please!! We went for kueh teow (flat rice noodle) and mihun (thin rice noodle) instead. Obviously this is not wise as you need a lot more the minced meat to brush up the mihun otherwise it looks so pale! So my advice is, don't ever go against the main stream!Noodles served with a bowl of beef balls for only RM4.80. The beef balls were springy, but guess not as exaggeratedly bouncy as the ones we had at Ngau Kee.

Beef products are Moon's all time favorite, so we requested a mix combo, and it's only RM5.30 (if only I remember correctly). Not sure if tenderizer was used, the beef was soft, overall, I do agree with Cheong J, yeah, the soup is hundred times better than Ngau Kee's one ( which I called it tasteless)....but then, come to talk about the minced meat, I dare to say, so far no one in KL could ever beat Sun Gao Yu Beef Noodles 新九如牛肉面 , Sun Gao Yu rocks!!! The stall is just in front of Toto at the Peel Road Wai Sik Kai. Heard it only opens at night.

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Ngau Kee @ Tingkat Tong Shin

2009-05-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

My boss used to say the beef noodles in Taiwan 're very “oishii” (means delicious in Japanese), it makes me drool and so wanted to go Taiwan to glut myself with yummy yummy beef noodles.

In KL, beef noodles are not as popular as fried Hokkien Mee. Ying told me the beef noodle at Tengkat Tong Shin was nice. Yes, that beef noodle seems pretty famous among the foodies. So, decided to check it out with Moon and Cheong J after done some purchase at Low Yat Plaza last Saturday noon.

It was drizzling and there were only 2 diners at one table having their beef noodles. The guy ran the stall looked young, maybe at his early twenties!?

After taking a seat, we ordered 2 bowls of dried noodles with beef balls (RM5 per bowl). Food served to us quickly.

Many floggers suspect the mince was made of pork instead of beef, I come to believe it as the texture was lumpy. It's not fine like the one served at Sun Gao Yu 新九如. Of course, Sun Gao Yu's minced meat was very much nicer than this.
Total 6 big beef balls were given, pretty generous, I think. The beef balls were really bouncy but I find it kind of "unusual". I’m not a Pro in this but I do have heard some manufacturers in food industries use borax (boric acid 硼砂) to enhance the springiness of the noodles and meatballs…. On top of that, we added a bowl of mix beef tripe with beef tendons (RM10/bowl). The soup was plain, close to tasteless ( I bet you could tell from the pic itself). Beef tripe was crunchy but Moon was suspicious if it's the effect of food additive. And the chili dip, that's another BOO factor, weird and watery…..didn't bother to dip also. From Cheong J’s facial expression, I knew what he ‘s going to say about it...”Nice or not?”I asked, just to reassure my assumption was correct. He shook his head.

“You should try the one at Peel Road.” After a pause, he whispered. Without having finish our noodles, we called for the bill.

Out of curiosity, I asked the guy about the business hours, he told me, the stall runs 24 hrs a day, now I see, obviously the emphasis is quantity over quality, no wonder Precious Pea said the quality is not consistent….Anyway, it's not my concern coz I have no intention to come back here again….

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Cereal Butter Prawns 奶香麦片虾

2009-05-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the fragrance of cereal prawn and always wanted to make this dish, but have no idea how to make it nice, after some survey from the Internet, I come out this improvisation.

Marinade

1 tsp of sugar

a dash of pepper

pinch of salt

Ingredients

1o medium size prawns

5 cups of plain instant Quaker’s oat.

1 piece ( small pack like those served on the plane) of butter or margarine

2 gloves of garlic ( chopped)

1 bird’s eye chili (chopped)

1 stalk of curry leaves

Direction

1.) Clean the prawns by slitting the back with a pair of scissors. Marinate the prawns for 30 mins.

2.) Heat up 2-3 cups of cooking oil (prefer to use a non-stick pan/wok), bring to boil and turn fire to medium. Fry the prawns until half cooked and the shell becomes crispy. Remove the prawns and place them on a kitchen paper.

3.) Melt the butter or margarine into the wok, sauté chopped garlic, chili and curry leaves until fragrant. add oat and stir-fry it with low heat for a while, then put in the prawns and toss the prawns with the oat.

4.) Dish out and serve.

Dark Soy Sauce Prawns 酱油蜜糖虾

2009-05-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

This dish is super easy yet very tasty. Also My father's favorite because of the honey coating.Marinade
1 tsp of sugar
a dash of pepper
pinch of salt

Ingredients
1o medium size prawns
2 cups of oil for frying purpose

Condiments
1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tbsp of honey
2 -3 cups of water

Direction
1.)Clean the prawns by slitting the back with a pair of scissors. Marinate the prawns for 30 mins.
2.)Heat up 2-3 cups of cooking oil and turn fire to medium. Fry the prawns until half cooked.

3.)Remove the prawns and place them on kitchen paper.

4.)Drain the oil without washing the wok. Mix the condiments and pour it into the wok, bring it to boil and keep stirring it until the gravy is thickened

5.)Pour the prawns into the wok, toss and make sure all prawns are coated with the dark sauce. Dish out and serve.

Steamed Prawns 蒸虾

2009-05-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

The trip to Sekinchan was a blast. I repacked the one kilo prawns I bought to 3 little packs, and I cooked with 3 different methods.

Steam is my most preferred way to deal with fresh prawns.

Marinade
2 tsp ginger juice
2 tsp of sugar + dash of pepper + pinch of salt

Ingredients
1o medium size prawns
1 egg + 1 cup of water ( 1: 1 ratio to egg)

2 stalks of coriander leaves + 1 bird's eye chili (chopped)

Condiments
Dash of pepper
Pinch of salt & 2-3 tsp of ginger juice
Shaoxing Wine 绍兴酒

Direction
1.)Clean the prawns by slitting the back with a pair of scissors. Marinate the prawns for 30 mins.

2.)Break egg in a bowl & add in water (ratio 1 : 1). Whisk the egg together with the condiments.

3.)Pour the egg mixture into a not so shallow metal plate. Lay the prawns on the plate as per shown in the pic.

4.)Fill up the wok with 1/3 of water, bring water to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, place the plate into the wok, covered it

Very Important tip : to produce silky smooth consistency of the egg, make sure to leave a gap. To make it easy, you may detach the cover from touching the wok with a pair of chopsticks.

5.)Steam for 8-10 minutes until the prawns are cooked while the consistency of the egg becomes silky smooth like tofu.

6.) Sprinkle chopped bird’s eye chili and garnish with coriander leaves. Add few drop of Shaoxing Wine 绍兴酒 before serving.

Kampachi Pavillion 勘八

2009-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Moon is a great fan for Japanese sashimi. I hate to say but the fact is fresh sashimi always treated as luxry food here as diner is not only paying for the food but also bearing the implicit air cost for importing the fresh raw material.

In conjunction with Moon's birthday, I decided to treat Moon a sumptuous dinner at Kampachi in Pavillion. I know she was tempted to pay a visit since it was highly recommended by her Japanese colleague as well as her cousin Joelle.

We requested a table at the corner so that we could enjoy some private time together.

Despite the usual green tea, the captain recommended us to try some fruit tea. It's not a bad idea to have something cheery, so we opted for peach tea (RM12)! Tangy fragrance of peach, no doubt a terrific refreshment! We started off with our most favorite Shake Kawa Salad クリスピー鮭皮のサラダ(RM24) . This starter seems slightly pricey as compared to Xenri (RM15) but looking at lavish portion of crispy fried salmon skin covered the whole salad bowl, I would say, it's not that expenssive after all.We flicked through the table menu and were captivated by the gigantic osyters (RM48 for 3 pieces). It was Moon's big day, I was prepared to lash out, so I said"go ahead".Sugaki 酢牡蠣 served with ponzu sauce and grated radish. *Slurp*....Uhmmmm, so plump, so juicy and so fresh!!! Yes, we definitely miss the wagyu we had at Komura which was perfectly charred, the inner texture was so tender that required only minimum chewing while the slightly seared outer layer was aromatic, gosh, divine! This wagyu cooked with Tataki Style (RM80/100gm) , even garnished with much crispy garlic chips and spring onion, it could never beat.....and I started to miss Komura.... Joelle said their handmade soba was also a "must try" item. The soba itself costs RM20, so we thought we might as well ordered Soba & Chirashi Set (RM45) so that we could relish more raw fish, wahaha..... See the twinkle twinkle little roes? That's an evidence of freshness. The total bill came up around RM240, *phew*, I thought it gonna cost me RM300++. I heard, the meal Joelle had here with her hubby and 2 other friends spent them RM600.....

Address : Lot 6.09.00, Level 6, Pavillion Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 03-2148 9608

Restoran Loon Sing, Nilai 隆盛佛跳墙酒家

2009-05-05T23:58:00.000-07:00

This splendid white castle has never failed to capture my attention whenever I pass it on my way back to my hometown Mantin. The new Restoran Loon Sing 隆盛佛跳墙酒家 (actually not that new)! Most people tend to relate it with its signature “Buddha Jumps Over The Wall 佛跳墙” thus interpret it as an exclusive dining place which anytime could cost a bomb while this may not be all true. Apart from “Buddha jumps over the wall 佛跳墙”, their chef are also proficient in Fuzhou cuisine (福州菜) range from middle to high. I have dined here several times, my impression towards Loon Sing is a mix of good and bad, delicious but not everything to my appetite. Grand interior aside, their service has apparently improved since shifted to this new premises. The spacious dining hall also makes it an ideal venue for reunion.

We tried their black version Bronze Metal Dong Poh Pork 铜奖东坡肉(RM38 for small）during one of our latest visits. Probably because we have a sweet teeth for food, we find it palatable and we think it was much nicer than the ordinary Dong Poh pork that cooked with wine (酒槽东坡肉）. Texture of the gelatinous skin attached to the meat was springy but never feel greasy. Eat with soft fluffy Man Tao 馒头 and you need no further elaboration, one word says it all, EXCELLENT!I don't have fancy for Loon Sing's “Buddha jumps over the wall 佛跳墙" coz I already know the taste. However, since Moon was yearning, we ordered A Kin of "Buddha Jumps Over The Wall" 佛跳墙兄弟 (RM39 for small bowl) . A Kin?!? LOL, it was the cheapest version of its kind, so don't ever expect to see one whole piece of abalone floating around as the pot is not big enough for that. ;-) Even then, you may still find sea cucumber, mushroom....and etc. Basically the same soup base is used to cook the different catagories, price varies due to different grade of ingredients is used ( it's just a matter of BIG abalone or small). So, when budget is concerned, this "Kin" is an alternative!Don't judge a book by its look, this plain fried nai pai 清炒奶白(RM 1o for small) was simply a perfect match to the award winning Dong Poh Pork especially when you are already sick of gorging on the rich food, very crunchy and sweet indeed.Salt and pepper cuttlefish 椒盐苏东(RM15) was the only dish I didn’t enjoy much although with its lavish portion. Thought the batter was too thick and hardly crispy. The strong flavour of Shichuan peppercorn made it worse.

With peanut (definitely not complimentary), a glass of fresh apple juice (RM6.00) plus govt & service tax (5%+3%), total amount of the bill is RM122.15. Ying is raving for Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, so very likely will arrange a reunion dinner there by end of this month in conjunction with Mother Day's celebration.

Below is a little info about Restoran Loon Sing,

Business Hour : Open daily from 11.30am - 2.30pm, 5.30pm-10.30pm

(Open on Sunday & Public Holidays)

Address : PT 2484, Kawasan Perindustrian Nilai 2,

Block D, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan. (1.5KM from new Nilai Toll)

Tel : 06-7997 818, 06-7997 787

Some of the dishes required pre-booking, better call to confirm before heading there.

Others :

Convention Hall Section seat 160 tables,

6 VIP Rooms

500 Parkings

En Exhilarating Day Trip to Sekinchan 适耕庄一日游

2009-05-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

My first contact with Sekinchan was more than 10 years back, deeply ingrained in my mind is the lush green paddy fields. Since then, I was keen to have a 2nd visit. When I suggested SP that maybe we could plan a day trip to Sekinchan, she seemed to love my idea and contacted some old friends. With her great enthusiasm, I got to realize my dream this May Day (1st-May-2009).

After picking up Waii and Jason in the early morning, we met SP at Caltex Patrol Station near Penchala Toll. We wasted a fair bit of time to locate Resoran Kong Mah 港马点心 at Sungai Buloh. The dim sum here was highly recommended by SP's colleague.

The taste of har gao and xiu mai were pretty common, while the filling of char xiu bao and yam puff were not bad at all.Another attraction was the price. Total consumption for 7 adults plus a little boy cost only RM54!

Address :Restoran Kong Mah Sdn Bhd, 32 Jalan Public, Kampung Baru Sg Buloh. 47000 Selangor. Tel : 03-6156 1682 H/P:019 225 4640

Departing from Sungai Buloh, certain areas of the trunk road were congested causing us slightly lagged behind. After driving more than 1 hour , we saw picturesque paddy fields on the right, we reckoned we were arriving soon.

Turned left to the traffic light after seeing the signboard of Sekinchan and soon we smelt the unique trace of a fishing village..... The scalding hot sun could never defeat our strong will power to explore this quaint litte town. The ladies walked in sweat from one stall to another to check out the seafood’s prices while the guys who I call amateur photographers were busy snapping here and there. After much comparison, SP, PP & Moon walked away happily with few Kilos of prawn (RM28/kg), Cencaru (RM3/kg) and several packets of pre-packed mantis prawn (RM7.50/pack). Came to lunch, we were torn between Jiann Chyi and Guan Hwat (Lot 2942). Jiann Chyi was recommended by Ah Xian 阿贤人情味. On the other hand, business of Guan Hwat with "Lot 2942" written on the stunning blue wall looked promising. Feeling uneasy to stand there waiting people to finish off their meal, Moon suggested that we had lunch at a less crowded place but SP disagreed. Nevigated all the way from KL, she insisted to have a good meal. After approx 20 mins waiting time, we were lucky enough to find a table in Guan Hwat .As soon as seated, the uncle sat next table who claimed himself a genuine local came to advise us the “must order” dishes in this restaurant. Since the lady boss seemed to know him well, we just listened to him and sellected the followings,

1.) Deep fried flatfish (slipper) soaked in bean paste, chili and ginger strips. Quite spicy but I'm kinda enjoyed the crispiness.2.) Fried egg with bitter gourd. Very home cooking feel. 3.) Shark meat soup with heaps of shallots, pickles and tomato, tasted sourish and pretty appetizing....This is my first expereince of eating shark's meat, I could't tell any distinctive feature although some said the shark's meat could be coarse and gamy....4.) Braised "Promfret. *frown* Was it a real "promfret"!? Anyway, I definitely prefer my whole promfret (w/o being chopped) to be steamed instead... 5.) Braised veggie in claypot. The bitterness of leafy green mustard went quite well with the gravy.If you ask my opinion, I only recommend 1 and 3. Overall, the gravy was savoury but personally I think this is very wrong culinary method to deal with fresh seafood. I think the concoction was way too strong so much so it overwhelmed the natural sweetness of seafood. Usually fresh seafood need no exaggerated dressing.....What's to complain??!!?? After all, it’s just RM55.

Restoran Guan Hwat 源发海鲜饭店 (Lot 2942)
三巷头，45400 Sekinchan.

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P/S:. We appointed Jason to be the treasurer, he collected RM50 each, and at the end of the trip, each of us being refunded RM30, WOW, the whole trip was unthinkably economical! ;-)

Seremban Restoran Yi Poh 姨婆老鼠粉

2009-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Restoran Yi Poh !!? Yeah bingo, this is the Yi Poh I mentioned before! Famous for what!!!?? The Yi Poh Lou Syu Fan 姨婆老鼠粉. Or it is better known as Silver Needle Noodle 银针粉 in Hong Kong as Lou Syu Fan sounds like Rodenticide, make people think it's poisonous.

The Lou Syu Fan served here is very different from what you used to have in KL, it's long and looks more like Lai Fan 濑粉 or Udon, topped with minced meat and char siu 叉烧 and flavoured with dark soya sauce.What else is good? How about a bowl of hot and spicy pork 's innards which comprise crunchy pork's intestine and chewy pork's stomach, hot, hot, hot!Last but not least, the meat ball that made of pork's tendon, nicer texture compared to the usual meat ball.

P/S:. Well, think my post on Yi Poh Lou Syu Fan published at bad timing. Since the outbreak of Swine Flu, I believe people will reduce consumption of pork. ;-( Anyway, if you are a porky fan, you can always pay there a visit after the outbreak is settled down. ;-)

Tong Kee's Egg Tart 棠记兄弟饼家

2009-04-25T02:50:00.000-07:00

I still remember the stall selling Tong Kee's Egg Tart in front of Lai Foong, Jalan Tun H.S.Lee, that’s the place I used to stop by after a tuition class to help myself to some lovely Tong Kee's Egg Tarts. Today, Tong Kee’s outlet is like mushroom growth, opens one after another. Not only that, the price has also been raised from less than RM 1 to RM1.30 per piece. Even then, it has never left me off visiting it simply because of its unbeatable wobbly egg filling and the lardy puff pastry which is so flaky that scarcely be found elsewhere. The outlet in Sri Petaling is the most convenient one for me. Other than the original lardy version, Tong Kee also pays heed to health conscious consumers by introducing the buttery version which I think is less sellable. Apart from the main stream, Tong Kee is also getting fair orders for festive cookies, wedding pastry (嫁女饼) and Moon Cake.Brother in law has teeth for this Twister (RM4.50) that resembles a “rope”. Its crunchy texture is pretty much tastier than those ultra-hard sugar coated type which you may find in Pasar Malam (Night Market). There are some customers just like us, love to relish the hot steamy tarts delivered straight from kitchen in this comfy red couch. ;-)(HQ) Tel: 03-2142 9958
: 03-2142 9923
Cheras Tel : 03-9101 8803
Sri Petaling : 03-9057 9926 (Same row as The Store)
Kepong : 03-6277 7926
KL : 03-2072 8123

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Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill

2009-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

In recent years, celebrity chefs have become a real “fad” worldwide with the likes of the lovable Jamie Oliver, and then, the foul-mouthed Gordon Ramsay who was famed for his vocabulary as much as his culinary skills.

In even more recent times, the world has been hit with an even bigger fad known as “the recession”, which, fortunately for us, presented an opportunity to try what is commonly known in London as the “Credit Lunch”, not even the likes of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants could resist the urge to do this.

Anyway, onto the main topic. We were delighted to discover that Gordon Ramsay’s Maze Grill restaurant in Grosvenor Street, Central London, was doing 2 course set lunches for ₤15.00 and 3 courses for ₤18.00. Whilst this may seem a little pricey if converted to AUD or RM, mains in “The Kingdom” often cost somewhere in the vicinity of ₤15.00 and a lot more in the nicer restaurants, so, needless to say, we made our reservations and attended with another couple-friend of ours.

The menu is pretty much set, as you can see here, there is a choice of two for each course:
Entrée: Ham hock soup with poached egg, or grilled Courgette (zucchini) with goat’s cheese.
Main: Onglet or rump of Castlemaine beef with béarnaise sauce, chips and salad, or roasted sea bream with fennel and olive salad.
Dessert: Chocolate brownie or selection of British cheeses.

Having looked at the menu, it was really a no-brainer, the choice was the Ham Hock Soup, Rump (medium rare) and the Chocolate Brownie.

I was particularly impressed that the waiter brought out the various different cuts of meat to point out the differences, I suppose she was trying to sell the much more expensive a la carte menu.

THE ENTRÉE
Curiously, the entrée was served only with the poached egg and veg, and the soup came later and was poured in front of you, I guess if it was poured in the kitchen, they ran risk that the poached egg being soggy. However, it is reminded that it was ham hock soup, served, I would have thought, fairly hot. The problem is then by the time the soup makes its way into my bowl, it was fairly luke-warm, which wasn’t really ideal. The taste however, did its best to compensate, not too strong, but enough ham taste to kick your tastebuds. The egg also added to the delight as the two aren’t usually put together and the vegetables were also well-cooked to its tender state.

Before I forget to mention, the entrée also followed a serving of bread and butter, we chose the olive bread, with actual olives inside.

Again, curiously, I have been used to dipping bread in olive oil and vinegar in the trendy restaurants of Sydney, yet this was simply served with butter, which I’m sure would have tasted a lot better with olive oil and vinegar.

THE MAIN
You first realize how out of touch you are in the culinary world when you are surprised to see your choice of cut is served on top of what looks like a chopping board rather than a normal ceramic plate.

Whilst in awe and impressed, in retrospect the chopping board served only just that purpose, to awe and impress. It didn’t make the meat any tastier nor did it have any other apparent function, it was simply a piece of meat plonked on top a piece of wood, put crudely. Anyway, you will see here the rump was served with baked caramelized garlic, which was superb, especially for someone who normally doesn’t eat a lot of garlic. It tasted more like garlic sweets more than garlic, it was sweet, it still had the garlic flaky texture but that kick of a taste is almost all gone, just enough to remind you that it is garlic.
Onto the rump, I ordered medium. At first cut, it seemed to be quite well done with minimal juices flowing out, but all was forgiven later when the other side of the rump was flowing with red juices, so much so that even the wife got slightly squirmy (the wife insisted on the medium, otherwise, I would have just taken a bite off the cow’s bac). Taste? Absolutely sublime, unlike the soup, this was just off the grill, so as warm as you would like your rump to be. The rump alone had enough flavours to satisfy your tastebuds, but then there was the béarnaise sauce. Admittingly, I just looked up the constituents of a béarnaise sauce on wikipedia, primarily, butter, egg yolk, vinegar and a variety of herbs. Not that I could tell that these ingredients were in there, but all I can describe is, slightly salty, I tasted the herbs which blended nicely with the rump without overpowering it, and it also gave the rump a creamy texture which overcame the rough cuts. All in all, it was done to perfection.

Just a short note on the chips and salad, the salad was a mixture of lettuce and rocket leaves in a tiny bit of olive oil, which allowed the greens to keep its freshness. The chips were done perfectly and especially well complemented by the Aioli which is a garlic sauce, again, this gave an exciting kick to the normally dull ketchup/potato chips combination. THE DESSERT
The meal was rounded up by a rather dense chocolate brownie. It tasted like a brownie should taste like, rich, chocolaty and allowed you to indulge with the ice cream that never follows far behind. It certainly wasn’t the richest dense chocolate brownie I’ve had, but like most brownies, it makes you feel too full just before you finished it.
Overall, the meal was firstly, good value, but significantly, one can’t accuse the restaurant on skimping on the Credit Lunch menu because the food certainly could not be faulted. The ambience was lovely with a nice and fresh contemporary feel and the waiters were all clearly well-trained being the pick of the pack, especially for London standards.
So my final verdict is, the recession might means tough times ahead, but gee it’s a good time cash in on these sorts of delights and Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant definitely lived up to his reputation.

Reviewed by Guest Blogger "Simon & Joelle"

Claypot Chicken Rice Opposite to Alisan 大城堡阿里山对面的瓦煲鸡饭

2009-04-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

I would be surprised if any resident of Sri Petaling tells me that he or she doesn't know the claypot chicken rice opposite to Restoran Alisan (阿里山). When I have a crave for claypot chicken rice, this is the place I get the fix. Owned by an Indonesian couple, the business hour is 11am to night, close every Tues. Withnessing their business expanded bigger and bigger, workers increased one after another, deligence is definitely an important criteria to make one a successful entrepreneur. From my observation, they operate the business systematically whereby wife who speaks impeccable Cantonese is in charge of marketing and socializing with customers while husband concentrates on production.

Saw the BOSS flipping the lids agilely to check the water content (just to ensure the rice is cooked properly), made me to ponder how many times he had his fingers scalded just to train himself up for this skill!? How many claypots !!?? 1...2..3..4... Ala.laaa...I can't tell coz already lost count..... There are only 2 sizes of claypot rice, Big (RM9.00) and Small (RM4.50). Tangy aroma of Shaoxing wine pervaded when the claypot served to us. A close up shot. Laden with copious Chinese waxed sausage, salted fish (ikan masin), spring onion and chicken thigh in bite size. The flaky slightly scorched rice debris that sticks on the claypot is something I could never resist....Deep fried crispy sweet and sour ikan kampung(RM3) topped with handful chopped shallot & chilli is certainly another MUST ORDER from me. Stewed radish soup (RM3). 1 big pot+1 small pot+ 2 sweet & sour kaumpung fish+soup =RM22.50. I think it's reasonable for KL standard. Stack of claypots is an envidence of good business. ;-) The address!!!??? I have no idea about the address, all I know, the restoran is just opposite to Restoran Alisan ( same row as Dai Ka Seng Gai Wor Bao 大家成鸡窝包). Just ask around, I believe any local who is familiar with Sri Petaling will be able to guide you.

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Super Express Oyako Don ( 親子丼)

2009-04-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

Oyako Don 親子丼　is the first Japanese dish I have learned to make from my Japanese textbook. Oyako Don 親子丼refers to hot steamed rice that topped with savory chicken and egg in an oversized rice bowl which literally known as Don (丼). In Japanese, Oya （親）means parents while Ko（子） implies children, so it makes sense, right!?

When I was a boarding student in Japan, beside curry rice (カレーライス ), Oyako　Don is also another dish I used to cook and consumed the most, coz it’s 超簡単（super easy）and tasty too.

Ingredients for 1 serving

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Japanese rice ( 1 bowl)

1 chicken thigh ( deboned and cut into bite-size)

1 medium size onion （shredded）

1 egg

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Condiments

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1 & a half rice bowl of water

3-5 tbsp of tsuyu (つゆ) to taste

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Actually for Oyako Don, the condiments shall consist Mirin, Dashi, soya sauce and sugar, however, like I said, it’s a super express Oyako Don, so I used Tsuyu (つゆ)to replace all the above. If you check the igredients of Tsuyuつゆ, you may find it contents most of the above mentioned, pretty handy to use in preparing most Japanese dishes.

Heat up the wok or frying pan, slightly sauté shredded onion, then pour in the condiments and bring it to boil. Add chicken and let it simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked, then slowly pour beaten egg evenly over the dish. When egg is semi cooked, slide the topping from the pan onto hot steamed rice served in the big bowl & garnish with seaweed or spring onion. Personally I think this Oyako Don is ideal for super busy boarding student who doesn't have much time to cook !

Pakli Steamboat Restaurant 旺角台湾石头火锅店

2009-04-11T01:21:00.000-07:00

The night of Good Friday, after a facial treatment, Moon raved for steamboat. Instead of ordinary seafood or herbal soup base, we had something else on mind, YES, the Pakli Steamboat Restaurant (旺角台湾石头火锅店)! I wonder why the English name of the shop is not “Mongkok ”(That should be the direct translation from Chinese)!? Anyway, we had never remembered the name till this recent visit even though we enjoyed dining there a lot.

We had not been here for so long. While heading the way, at the mere thought we did speculate if the shop had already been shifted or closed down for good in view of the prolonged economy setback…Thanks God, it’s still open! The interior didn’t seem to have any major changes. Oh, the same bar tables and bar stools in square geometric order, still looked familiar to us. At the back, ordinary dining tables had been arrayed to cater group like family members and friends. I recognized the Taiwanese boss who greeted us at door. We decided to sit at the back. I was impressed with the gas stove that looked like BRAND NEW. The owner seems to pay much heed to customer’s need, apart from the standard pork set, lamb set, beef set and seafood set, there’re 2 in 1 sets listed in the menu namely seafood paired with any selection of red meat. We chose seafood and beef set (RM43.80). As for drink, glad to know that they’re still serving Qing Dao Beer (青岛啤酒 RM7.80 per bottle) that we couldn’t help to order 2 bottles that served with chilled glasses. The helper heated up the stone pot with a little oil and slightly sautéed the shredded onion, chopped garlic and cabbage (very much alike to Korean barbecue’s practice) before pouring in the clear soup that cooked with bone.

Australian sukiyaki sliced beef and a plate of veggie including fish balls, meatballs, tofu, egg & enoki mushroom were sent to us next.

Followed by seafood that encompassed mussel, fish,squid, prawn, fish balls, and sliced abalone. Not forgetting the Taiwanese Shacha 沙茶酱dip...Diners may add chopped garlic, chopped spring onion and chopped coriander leaves into the dipto their taste. This Shacha dip is what we missed the most! Amid the soothing Taiwanese songs of 90s with the coolest beer and a wonderful steamboat set, we were getting chatty and completely intoxicated ourselves in this comfy ambiance…Our set comprised total 3 plates with more than 10 kind of food varieties, the portion looked like fine dining but I think it was just nice for two. After throwing in all the meat and seafood, the broth became super sweet, even beat the chicken stock in cube, in order not to waste it, we ordered noodle （Rm5) to go with this soup. The noodle was so springy and chewy , we felt so contented after the meal!

Address : Pakli Steamboat Restaurant

6, Jalan 5/109F, Taman Danau Desa, 58100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel:03-7987 6778

3JC in Weng Hing 三间庄

2009-04-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

Rectangular shape in juxtaposition is one unique feature of 3JC meatballs (三间庄猪肉丸). It’s such a famous trademark of pork-base meatball that a lot of other stalls in KL tend to imitate and brand themselves 3JC meatball sellers shamelessly. Near Moon’s house there is a stall selling pretty nice 3JC. Mother in law said the stall run by the founder’s sister and husband, so I presume it's genuine (Oh well, I'm not sure). All I know is when time passes, Moon’s family stops visiting it as they are getting discontented with the shrunken portion despite being priced up several times.

First time we stumbled upon 3JC outlet in Sunway Pyramid, we rubbed our eyes in disbelief. We even dragged my sister into checking it out at once. The noodle came with same clear soup. The meatballs however failed to please. it's lack of springiness, very much like a frozen product.

Up to today, I still think the stall in Weng Hing Imbi Road serves the best BJC Pork Noodle (三间庄猪肉粉).Bountiful 3JC meatballs, minced pork cooked with dark soy sauce, fried intestines and sprinkles of spring onion, SO LUSCIOUS.... The stall next to BJC also sells pork noodle, but it's different type of pork noodle that cooked with pork innards like liver, kidney and lard. Wing Heng is definitely the heaven for porky lover, haha!http://allfoodnet.com/?action-viewnews-itemid-1326

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Canton-I 香港粥面家

2009-04-03T02:57:00.000-07:00

Canton-I seems to be a big hit in town. Ying excitedly announced to us," Now you don’t have to go all the way to Hong Kong for roasted goose, you can get your fix at Canton-I!!”

One of the fine Sunday noon, we went Mid Valley for shopping. While it was still early, we stumbled across Canton-I with fewer customers having dim sum and morning tea. This was absolutely good chance for us coz usually the large multitude waiting outside kept us away. First thing to order definitely would be the Hong Kong trademark beverage which colloquially known as Yun Yong (鸳鸯). It's a mix of coffee and milk tea. Canton-I serves it in a cup with cute smiley printing, Moon couldn't help to get her hand off the cup.

Needless to say, the next would be the roasted goose that we raved for! I think it’s not practical if I compare it with the one we had in Hong Kong as roasted goose is rare in Malaysia. We asked for roasted goose's drumstick + rice (烧鹅饭 RM24). The rice came with poached egg and 2 stalks of choy sum, the drumstick was not as big as we had expected it to be. It's about the size of duck's. This is my second experience with roasted goose. I find that the goose meat was less flabby and leaner as compared to duck. Probably goose does more exercise than duck!? Besides, it is not as gamy as duck. Now I know why people like goose over duck and goose priced triple of a duck. ;-)

The congee we had in Macau and Hong Kong was freaking creamy, we like to know how good congee Canton-I makes, so we gave a go for carp fish ball and lettuce congee (顺德鲮鱼球粥 RM22). A small bowl of cracker served together with the fish ball congee. Texture of the congee was smooth yet a little soupy, but it’s good enough. I know tangerine peel is great ingredient to get rid the stinky smell of fish, but must not copious or else natural sweetness of the fish will be completely overwhelmed by the tangy tangerine peel just like this one. Being deceived by the vivid photo on menu, we ordered steamed prawn dumpling with omelet skin (石榴虾 RM10). If you get the chance to compare my picture vs. theirs, you know what I mean. Not only it didn’t look as good as the picture it tasted bland too. Chilled Mango pudding( 鲜芒果冻布丁 RM6.00), frankly I don't recommend this。the rotten mango taste turned me off　（Sorry, I don’t mean to be sarcastic, that’s just my own discretion）.

Moon said, next round she would treat her dad and mom goose's drumstick here after getting her salary.

Address : Canton-I, LG-202 & 203A, Lower Ground Floor, The Gardens, Midvalley, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-2284 6888

Hakka Fried Pork 客家炸肉

2009-03-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

Ah King used to say his late mom’s cooking is the best in world. Yes indeed! My mom in law’s cooking did remind me about my late grandma’s one, the taste made me and my dad nostalgia. This seems to be the virtue possessed by most Moms in the good old day. They were diligent homemakers, they fed their children with lovely home cooking. This Hakka style fried pork was the only recipe I get to learn from my mom in law. Once a while, I will cook this to please hubby's stomach. It's quite simple!

Ingredients
600gram of pork belly(五花腩) with skin

2 gloves of garlic (smashed)

Ready to use black fungus (completely bloomed and softened)

Marinade

1 piece of preserved red pickled tofu ( 南乳)

2 tbsp of blended shallot extract（葱头汁）

a pinch of five-spice powder (五香粉)

Condiments

1 piece of preserved red pickled tofu (南乳)

half piece of fermented bean curd (腐乳）

1 tsp of sugar

pinch of salt to taste

approx 600 ml water

Method
1.) Clean pork belly thoroughly. Cut the pork belly into 1cm x 3cm strips with skin attached, marinate it for minimum 1 hour（longer is better).

2.) Coat pork strips with egg white and corn starch. Deep fry marinaded pork strips with medium heat till golden brown, drain. The crispy fried pork itself is good enough to be eaten with chili dip.

3.) Sauté garlic together with drained black fungus till fragrant. This process is important to secure the crunchiness of black fungus ( It's a tip from mom in law). 4.) Add condiments and bring to boil. Next, put in pork strips and braise for a while. Lastly, thicken the gravy with water mixed with starch (勾芡). dish out and garnish with stalk of coriander leaves.

Sally Lunn’s Buns –Bath, England

2009-03-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

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Received a courtesy food review from Simon & Joelle who are currently enjoying their sweet sweet Honeymoon in UK, their Honeymoon will be last for a year! I'm sure there will be more"bizzare post" coming up about their adventure, do enjoy reading!

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After an afternoon of exploring the beautiful town of Bath, we were famished. We were looking forward to having a traditional afternoon tea at the famous Sally Lunn’s tea house in Bath. It’s so famous that it’s listed as one of the major attractions of Bath in the tourist guide.
We found the location of the teahouse pretty easily, it’s located just around the corner from the Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. The teahouse occupies the entire 3 levels of a quant building. After reading more about the teahouse, it’s apparently Bath’s oldest house and there is also a Kitchen Museum in the basement of the building. If you are interested in the history, please visit the Sally Lunn’s website at http://www.sallylunns.co.uk/

There was a queue for tables, but after a 10 minutes wait, we were shown to our table in the Jane Austen room. How appropriate as Jane Austen was one of the more famous residents of Bath. We quickly scanned the menu and there was a good selection of breakfast, lunch and tea choices, all with the famous buns of course.

I ordered the Queen Victoria tea set which consists of a half a toasted Sally Lunn bun served with homemade lemon curd and local Clotted cream (₤6.18). The set also comes with the house tea or coffee, I chose the house tea. Hubby wanted something more filling and ordered the toasted bun sandwich with Scottish smoked salmon, lemon, dill and cream cheese (₤6.28). He also ordered a pot of Darjeeling tea (₤1.88). Our food came quickly enough. Hubby’s toasted salmon sandwich came with a side salad and some crisps (potato chips). The sandwich looked like a normal sandwich apart from the round edges as it was made with the Sally Lunn Bun instead of normal bread. I quickly took a bite while hubby was busy taking photographs. I was impressed with the light texture of the bun although it had been toasted, and was complemented well with the flavour of smoked salmon, dill and cream cheese. You couldn’t ask for a better combination of savoury sandwich filling than this. The crisps and salad were very ordinary and were more like garnishes.

The sweet bun had a softer and fluffy texture as it was not toasted. I chose lemon curd as the topping as I love the sourish taste of lemon. This however was more on the sweet side and it suited hubby perfectly. The Clotted cream which was served on the side was delicious when combined with the lemon curd. The cream reduces the sweetness of the lemon curd. We had lots of tea to go with the buns, it’s an afternoon tea after all!

Overall we thought that the buns were nice, and it was a great experience having afternoon tea in the oldest house in Bath.

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Yong Tat Seafood Restaurant 荣达海鲜楼

2009-03-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

There are scattered seafood village and restaurants along Telok Gong (Glenmarie Cove 美丽湾), we probably already sampled 3 or 4 of them, so far only recommended Yong Tat 荣达 to friends, so did my ex-supplier, who was the guy first brought me there. He said to me, "you can just forget about the rest if your concern is taste over ambiance." No way for me to challenge his familiarity with Teluk Gong coz his office was just a stone thrown from those restaurants. In term of dining ambiance, yah, I think it's pity that Yong Tat does not provide alfresco dining area overlooking the sea like some of his competitors do，It's been a decade we had not been having a proper seafood dinner, I was raving for SEAFOOD, SEAFOOD & SEAFOOD! Glad that Moon read my mind and suggested to have dinner with Lew at Yong Tat, finally. Yeeaaah!!!

Their fried la-la mihun (RM7.00 for servings of 3) was as palatable as before. I like my fried mihun not too dry nor moist. This fried mihun (thin rice vermicelli) with abundant super mini la-la clam (similar to those Japanese short neck clam known as ”asari 浅蜊”) underneath was simply too ravishing, I couldn't help to devour all remaining until the very last strand!*slurp* Steamed Mantis Prawn (RM3 per piece, 6 x RM3 =RM 18.00) is also one of their signature. With the length of my palm, I do concur with Yong Tat's culinary method to steam it with Shaoxing Wine 绍兴酒 and shredded ginger. The broth was mild salty and the two ladies (Moon & Lew) seemed to enjoy it very much. Maybe I was being fussy, I think it's somehow less delicious compared to the one I had before. Another flaw is they overcooked the roes. Sautéed Wong Dai Miu 皇帝苗(RM6.00) ordered by Moon. I think not many including myself would ever appreciate the greasy surface of this veggie. Yes, it's GREEN but for sure I am not likely to order this unless requested by Moon. Steamed salted Kampung Chicken 走地鸡 ( RM10.00 per half portion). Kampung chicken raised on ground is always meatier in taste and firmer in texture than those bred in poultry farm. Again it's good to be steamed! Best part is the size, just nice for the 3 of us. From the beginning, we know steamed dish is the strength of Yong Tat. Also because I could hardly see sweet & sour, butter baked or hot & spicy being served on other tables. My instinct told me that Yong Tat could be bad at this kind of fancy cooking style. Out of my expectation, first time among my many dining experiences here, the young lady who was writing the order for us suggested us to try their Hot & Spicy Crab (RM32.00 per KG), Moon was intrigued to accept her proposal. It seemed that Moon had made a right decision this time, the crab infused with mouthwatering aroma imparted from spices and curry leaves was too good to be finished within a blink. Fresh coconut (RM3.50 per unit).
The total sum we paid for this meal is RM89.00, good enough to satisfy my craving for seafood!

Kedai Makanan Laut Yong Tat
No. 9185, Kampung Telok Gong, Pandamaran, 42000 Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel : 03-3134 1167

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Business Hours :
Mon
11.30am-3.00pm

Tue~Fri
11.30am~3.00pm
5.30pm~10.00pm

Sat~Sun
11.30am~10.00pm

FOOD VALUES

2009-03-25T08:12:00.001-07:00

Carolyn forwarded me an email about FOOD VALUES. Since the weather is getting unpredictable, it's especially easy for one to catch a cold. In office I hear colleagues coughing & sneezing here and there. I basically advocate the saying " You are what you eat!" and I think it is rather important to build up our immune system to stay healthy all the time. The original source of the mail is unknown but claimed to be from doctor's desk. Anyhow, I do believe there is logic in it and think it is a worthy piece of info that I should share it out with all who is reading this.

Of course, this is just a reference for daily well-being, people with chronic diseases should consult doctor for appropraite dietary list.

HEADACHE : Eat FISH coz fish oil helps prevent headaches. So does ginger, which reduces inflammation and pain.

HAY FEVER : Here suggest to eat YOGURT before pollen season. Also eat HONEY from your area (local region) daily.

TO PREVENT STROKE : Prevent buildup of fatty deposits on artery walls with regular doses of TEA. I do believe that GREEN TEA is great for our immune system.

INSOMNIA (Can't sleep) : Use HONEY as a tranquilizer and sedative.

ASTHMA : Eat ONIONS. It helps ease constriction of bronchial tubes.

ARTHRITIS : Eat FISH. Salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines actually prevent arthritis. Fish from deep blue sea has omega oils that's good for our immune system.

UPSET STOMACH : BANANAS & GINGER. Bananas will settle an upset stomach while ginger will cure morning sickness and nausea.

BLADDER INFECTION : Drink CRANBERRY JUICE coz its high-acid content controls harmful bacteria.

BONE PROBLEMS : Eat PINEAPPLE. Bone fractures and osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese in pineapple .

MEMORY PROBLEMS : It is said OYSTERS help improve your mental functioning by supplying much-needed zinc.

COLD : Eat GARLIC. Clear up that stuffy head with garlic. Besides, garlic helps to lower cholesterol too.

COUGHING : Use RED PEPPERS. A substance similar to that found in the cough syrups is also found in hot red pepper . Use red (cayenne) pepper with caution as it can irritate your tummy.

ULCERS : Eat CABBAGE. Cabbage contains chemicals that help heal both gastric and duodenal ulcers.

DIARRHEA : Eat APPLES. Grate an apple with its skin, let it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition . (Bananas are good for this ailment too).

CLOGGED ARTERIES : Eat AVOCADO. Mono unsaturated fat in avocados lowers cholesterol.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE : CELERY & OLIVE OIL. Celery contains a chemical that lowers pressure too. Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure.

BLOOD SUGAR IMBALANCE : BROCCOLI & PEANUTS. The chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.

WHEAT, BRAN & CABBAGE helps maintaining ESTROGEN at healthy levels while DARK GREEN VEGGIES & ORANGE are GOOD ANTIDOTE that consist of beta carotene ( a form of Vitamin A).

DIFFERENT VALUES FROM DIFFERENT FRUITS:-

Kiwi : Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium,Vitamin E & also f iber. Its Vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple : An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Although an apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, Heart attack & stroke.

Strawberry : Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protects the body from cancer causing, blood vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is good for you . They're high in anti-oxidants and they keep us young . Blueberries are the best and very versatile in the health field , they get rid of all the free-radicals that invade our bodies).

Orange : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day may help keep colds away , lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessen the risk of colon cancer.

Water melon : Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other Nutrients found in watermelon are Vitamin C & Potassium. (watermelon also has natural substances [natural SPF sources] that keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from those UV rays)

Guava & Papaya : Top awards for Vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene, this is good for our eyes. (also good for gas and indigestion)

Tomatoes : It serves as very good preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies.

Another tips :
When I was in Japan, I found that most Japanese families educate their chidden to clean their hands often. They also encourage to dilute edible salt into warm water and gargle it before going to bed, This is pretty effective yet cost saving way to combat with the flu virus.

by Moon

Restoran Xenri ( 2nd Visit)

2009-03-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Very soon we paid our second visit to Xenri! This time, we said NO and NO to dinner set. Yeah, we’re coming for Ala Carte! Again, we were seated at a small table facing the entrance.

"一滴入魂"

You see that!!?? Gosh, the name itself of this Japanese Sake is enough to kill, man.....Nah, nah, we are not coming for a drunken night, forget it!

We started our meal with Salmon Skin Salad ( RM15).

This flavorful starter complemented with crispy salmon skin earned our votes. Never try never know, the deep fried salmon fish skin is such a fabulous fish cracker that goes so well with the bowl of greens, good innovation and we think the price is reasonable too!

Hokkaido Uni（北海道海胆 RM38.00）

Sea urchin from Hokkaido!?? Who cares where it came from. Moon already spotted this during our first visit and was told that they were running out of stock that night. Moon insisted me to give sea urchin a try , sure I would love too! Talking about this 1st experience of sea urchin, it was all fine. In fact, I am kind of like this creamy delicacy permeated with its distinctive natural sweetness and a tinge of ocean feel. We are determined to save $$ and pay one more visit to Japan someday....Imagine, licking the freshly picked sea urchin, wahaha.... how excited huh!?

Agedashi Tofu （揚げだし豆腐 RM13)

Oh, come to agedashi tofu, didn't I tell you we’ve come across really horrible agedashi tofu? OK, this Agedashi Tofu laden with a big heap of bonito flakes is definitely not flunk! Zaru Soba　(ざる蕎麦 RM18)

Moon was in the Soba’s mood..... MEDIOCRE, that's the word. Grilled Salmon Jaw (RM68.00)

Don't be fooled by the waitress.*Sigh* This is indeed our very wrong decision to have taken her advice, it's bland, RM68 is just such a rip off !!!

Unagi Kama Meshi aka Eel Rice in Iron Pot comes with Miso Soup (鰻釜飯RM42.00)

Another disastrous creation of the night. Know what we like about Kabayaki Unagi（蒲焼鰻 the Japanese style broiled eel)? YES, YES, the delicate texture of the eel dipped in dripping kabayaki sauce (蒲焼ソース) that melts in your mouth at once!

Stint on the kabayaki sauce is the main reason we call this kama meshi a failure! for God’s sake this pot of rice was just served to fill up our stomach with NO satisfaction at all. ;-( Well, our next target for Nihon Ryouri (Japanese cuisine) would be Kampachi 勘八　at Pavillion.*Grin*

Japanese Curry Rice カレーライス

2009-03-19T02:38:00.000-07:00

Whenever my fridge is running low in stock, first thing comes to my mind would be Japanese curry rice（カレーライス). This is also what I used to do during my short stay in Japan and you would find my kitchen cabinet piled up with different brand of Japanese curry stock. Japanese generally reckon that Japanese curry rice is the simplest dish that can be prepared by anyone with minimum culinary skill. Exactly! Not only that, I find it to be healthier rather than taking instant noodle or luncheon meat.

This pack of curry stock can be found at the Japanese session in Jusco.

To prepare Japanese curry rice (4-5 servings), my ingredients comprise of 2 big onions, 2 carrots, 2 potatoes and 3 pieces of drumsticks (or chicken wing). For curry stock, I think 3 pieces (half of the box) are just nice for 4-5 servings.First of all, cut ingredients into small piece (cube size). As you know, Japanese has modified the Indian curry to Japanese style that suits their taste bud, hence, you may want to add in some bird eye chili for more kick! I myself like to throw a few pieces of curry leaves for additional fragrance of curry.Next, preheat the wok with a little oil, stir-fry the onion cube till tangy aroma pervaded. Put in the chicken, followed by carrots and potatoes. Pour water in until it's enough to cover the meat & other ingredients. Once the water is boiled, add in the curry stock.Turn the heat to medium, cover the wok and let the curry simmer for approx 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the curry stock will be completely dissolved and the gravy is thickened by then, turn fire off and get ready to serve.... A very simple dinner yet with great nutrient, yummy..yumm...yummmm.

by Moon

Shivz

2009-03-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Important Announcement
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Proudly present to you the first post from our honored guest blogger Ying (Moon’s cousin) who is also a glutton, there will be more on the way.....Do stay tune!

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I first saw Shivz I drove along the inside lane of Jln Maarof, looking for a parking, hoping to avoid paying for the exorbitant parking charges at Bangsar Village. I brushed it off as yet another café trying too hard to please; serving both local and western food. I've had too many bad experiences with cafes, so no thank you.

By chance, I read a review on Shivz while surfing idly on the web for makan places. Wow, quite a positive review, but the main thing that captivated me was a cuppa of good capp at RM5. Called up 2 friends for weekend brunch.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Shivz is running a promo till 21st March, free starter with every order of main course. Good deal. I chose pesto pasta (RM12) as my main as it was recommended by the positive blogger. Free starter: Grilled chicken salad (RM12). No wait, that can't be true can it? It is, but the free entrée is just a small portion, like a slightly bigger sample size, but I'm not complaining.

Carrot juice (RM7) to start the day:
Note that the juices served contain no added sugar, water or ice. Wholesome, undiluted till the last sip. I actually took a gulp before taking this photo; the glass of juice was full when it arrived.
Then I got chatty with my mates and totally forgot to take pics of the starters.

The mains:
Pesto Pasta (Vege) RM12

Yummy yummy. The sauce is made just right, no, in fact it's perfect, Slightly creamy, rich, flavorful. They were rather generous with chopped olives too which went so well with the pesto.
Lamb Shank (RM26)

Served on a bed of mashed potatoes, there is nothing to complain about this dish. Lamb is juicy and tender, complemented well with the mash.
Some Indian style chicken with a skewer of prawns + chapatti, which name I forgot (RM26):Shivz stuffed the chicken thigh with delicious stuffs. Stuffed chicken thigh? Is that possible? Yes it is, and it's good. Prawns are heavily marinated and barbequed to a slight burn, on purpose I suppose, cos it pairs well with the marinate.
After the meal, I ordered my cappuccino (RM5). It looked awesome and tasted just as fabulous. Please pardon me as an amateur guest blogger for I forgot to take a photo again. But one thing for sure, I'll be back more often, at least for my coffee fix.

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Review by Ying

Restoran Xenri

2009-03-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

One of the rainy evening, Moon suggested to have dinner at Xenri Jalan Klang Lama after reading so much good reviews about it. Of course we're aware of the Xenri Japanese Buffet Lunch Promotion and since the outcome is predictable, we don't bother to call .

Tucked away in the corner of Wisma Elken Jalan Klang Lama, both the exterior and interior pervade a soothing aura for dining. Just only 2 of us, instead of Tatami room we were seated at a small table near the entrance.

"Hmmm....the Ala Carte menu is way too expenssive." ;-oWe switched our focus to their dinner sets. Since first timer here, I would like to try the Xenri Bento (RM42) and their house Sake 日本酒（RM14) !

Pretty decent set that comes with authetic Japanese pickles, tempura, grilled mackarel, stewed brinjal topped with bonito flakes ( 鰹 katsuo) , small portion of sashimi, chawan mushi, rice and strawberry as dessert. Presentation was teriffic but taste wise, no surprise.

Moon had Sashimi Zen ( RM45.00). She seems pretty satisfied with the freshness and the variety of sashimi that comprised flying fish (飛び魚tobiuo), butterfish, tuna (マグロmaguro) & salmon (鮭sake). The only gripe from Moon, sashimi was too thick! lolBesides, the zen comes with generous portion of tempura and other side dishes & fruits, we both think this Sashimi Zen has more value for money as compared to Xenri Bento　since we like fresh raw fish very much. Basically I am not a fan of Mayo yet I think the Unagi Temaki (RM10) is tasty.Well, since the sets had passed our entry level of QC inspection , think we shall proceed to advance stage to try their Ala Carte menu for our next visit.

Address : No. 9, Wisma Elken, Jalan 4/137C, Jalan Kelang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 03-7783 8118

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http://kampungboycitygal.com/?p=407

http://ugwug.blogspot.com/2008/09/xenri-old-klang-road-kuala-lumpur.html

http://sugarsugarbeanbean.blogspot.com/2008/08/xenri-japanese-restaurant.html

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Dai Ka Seng Dim Sum 大家成点心茶楼

2009-03-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

Not until the megazine wrote a review about the signature Gai Wor Bao (鸡窝包) of Dai Ka Seng(大家成)，we wouldn't have come up the thought of buying one. That's what we call the power of media. The Gai Wor Bao 鸡窝包 (RM4.80) placed right in front of us looks identical with the one shown in megazine.The gravy oozing out from the bun looks mesmersing, indeed..... Such a sinful temptation that filled with Char Siu (BBQ pork), salted egg yolk, mushroom, stewed chicken cube, onion and glutinuous rice.

It's more like a combination of Dai Bao (大包) and Lo Mai Gai (糯米鸡)，heaps of big onion makes it taste a little sweetish, it looks luscious with the existence of salted egg yolk.

This the Golden Bun (黄金包 RM1.40) . "Golden" refers to its custard filling. This unique mix of yeast and baking powder gives the dough a soft, fluffy, and cake-like texture, the slightly saltish sweet custard filling savored marvellous with this lovely dough. This Golden Bun wins the vote of Moon.Wor Zai Bao (窝仔包 RM1.40), the exterior looks almost similar to Golden bun except the filling that made of Char Siu. We also tried the steamed sparerib and Siu Mai, apart from the baoz, so far dim sum is nothing to shout about.

I do believe these baoz generate spetacular profit margin for the inventor. Innovative is certainly a crucial element to sustain one's business in the competative dim sum industry, do stop by for a bite if happen you pass by this place.;-)

Address : 140, Jalan Radin Anum, Sri Petaling

Tel : 019-382 5455

Business Hours from 8pm to 2pm next day

Restaurant Siu Siu Sg Besi 小小饭店

2009-03-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

Called for farewell dinner again, this time Simon and Yee are flying for REAL! Everyone pretended indifferent since we already lost count how many times they had their flight rescheduled.

It's always a difficult task for us to locate a suitable venue that serves good meal at the same time ensure everyone enjoys the meal under a "stress-free" environment. “Stress-free" in the sense of less crowd and getting parking at ease, especially when we have elderly around. We picked this restaurant as I came across this restaurant from a newspaper's review and both of us had dined here several times, we used to think the food here was not bad, price was reasonable, most of all, they provide ample parking space for diners.

If not mistaken, our last visit was 2 years back. Usually restaurant like this, you need to have minimum 4 to 5 pax in order to sample their signature dishes.

Only 2 tables of guest, the business seemed to cut down a lot, is it due to the bad economy setback!? Or the plunge of food standard!? Let’s find out then....

A Chinese lady from China came up and took order for us, captain looking man joint in later. The only thing that irritates Moon is their persistency, they kept persuading us to go for the expensive fish like Sultan fish苏丹鱼, Marble Goby笋壳鱼 and etc. Moon is rather skeptical coz usually the captain would say something like” Oh, 100gram for only RM25, not expenssive at all!” Beware! obviously it's part of their marketing strategy, coz usually one whole fish for steam can easily weigh 1Kilogram (1000gram) or more…..If you come across a news telling how a guy being misled to pay hefty money for a piece of steamed "wild Sultan fish", you know what I mean.

After all, fish is still a must, Moon and uncle eventually picked catfish 白须公鱼 steamed with Chinese pickles 菜埔蒸白须公鱼-RM72 . Too bad, I dont' have photo of the fish (usually under this kind of reunion, we're prone to skip it coz too busy catching up with each other;-P). This fish was huge and served to us last. It's about the length of one 12-inches long ruler. Simon complained about the muddy smell and thought it was way over done (grown up in Australia, there's reason for him to be particular about fish). However, he was not alone this time coz the 11 tastebuds of us (excluding a 9 months old baby gal) judged the same! None of us showed preference for this, think it's convincing enough that the steamed catfish is out of specification! Luckily we did not go for the "high end fish", it's just a waste of money if the chef is unable to control the culinary timing, don't you agree with me?

Other than the fish, we also ordered a number of their signature dishes.

Char Siu 叉烧 (BBQ pork, my all time favorite)- RM20
Mun and myself thought it was delicious ( and I'd say it's the best out of all on the table), while Yin and Yee said the one served at Mooi Mooi tasted better (needless to say, that's also my super favorite) in term of texture and the natural fragrant pervaded from charcoal….

Home-style braised pork Belly with sweet potatoes served in clay pot 家乡花腩煲 –RM18
I think the gravy was fine, not excellent though. Father in law and Yee complained they had only the sweet potatoes but failed to grab any meat coz they could hardly find one in the pot ( sorry to hear about that)!Milky and creamy Fresh Water Prawn 奶皇生虾-RM95
Moon knew this dish was not gonna be cheap when she saw the Sang Har 生虾( a kind of fresh water prawn with big head, is it known as "Big Head Prawn"!?) was about the size of adult's palm. Since the prawn was big, 5 pieces of the prawn was sliced into half and each of us got the share out of it. The prawn was basically fresh yet very unfortunate, being spoilt by the gravy which was way too rich, too creamy and absolutely awful ( maybe they should consider to omit this dish from the signature list if they could not do anything better to improve the gravy...) Braised eggplants with salted prawn 咸虾茄子RM20
Moon probably can produce similar dish with much cheaper material cost. lol Tofu served with minced pork 山城豆腐 RM24.
Another dish that Moon can prepare with a much cheaper cost. lol Green dish was sautéed Nai Pak 奶白 with garlic clove RM 16.

Total amount of the bill is RM291.00 with complimentary fruits platter, I think it's slightly at the high side, what do you think? If gastrotomy is good, I believe no one would care to pay a little bit more but the verdict is culinary skill has apparently slackened...

Restaurant Siu Siu Sungai Besi

Address : No 1, Kampung Satu Seksyen 93, Jalan Sungai Besi, 57100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel : 016-370 8555 (Mr Ng)

Business Hours 11.00am to 11pm ( closed on every Tuesday)

Beggar's Chicken at Restaurant Bukit Jugra 万津叫化鸡

2009-03-01T15:31:00.001-08:00

Time for a“treasure hunt”!!!

Obtained the below map by fax, We're getting ready to search for the well-known beggar's chicken 叫化鸡. With this map in hand, my confidence to get there had increased a fair bit.

The map looks pretty simple, but in actual fact, it’s NOT! We navigated numerous windy paths, underwent uncountable argument, frustration.......

For those who are not familiar with Banting like me, do head your way there before the sky turns dark.

You are getting to the destination as soon as you see this mosque standing in front of you at the T-junction, turn to the left & continue to drive on....
After a while, you shall find this Temple of Datuk. A shabby shack lies on the left. Be ready to find parking as this shack is actually the RESTAURANT you look for ! Quaint! Could see mudskipper rambling around the damp muddy river bank from the place we sat. All of us entitled complimentary live performance from "Mosquito & Band" throughout the whole dining session ....Wwee..onn..onn...wee..onn..onn * Annoyance*....Bring your own mosquito-repellent incense if you are wary of Dengue.That's the trademark of the legendary beggar’s chicken from Bukit Jugra.So much so we only managed to have a bite of it after making 5-day in advance booking.

The chicken was wrapped up in paper and tinged with Chinese herbs."What the heck! come all the way for this Emperor chicken...” Somebody may get stormy after such hectic journey.

Don't be negative, let’s unwrap the paper....found a chicken stuffed with excessive Codonopsis pilosula党参 and Wolfberry 枸杞, texture of the meat was soft and easily torn, permeated with aroma of Chinese herbs after long hours cooking under the heat of glowing ashes ( I didn't really get to see the process as two baleful doggies were guarding at the kitchen), all in all, the chicken was moist and savourish. We also made reservation for the so-called traditional rice. It's merely a serving of glutinous rice that cooked with dried mussel, dried shrimp and Chinese mushroom. KC commented that this rice was nothing remarkable other than the strong smell imparted from dried mussel, didn't look appealing too. We also ordered veggie and a dish known as traditional fish. This traditional fish was a kind of local Mackerel that generally known as Gao Yu 鲛鱼 in Malaysia, the fish head and tail being chopped and retained while the body being deboned and minced to paste, presentation looked tedious but the fish cake made from the paste was really coarse and tasted awful, nothing comparative to my favorite pan fried fish paste of Restoran Kaki Bola nearby Cheras Leisure MallPertaining to price, KC suggested me to put up the receipt and let the readers to judge.... Here you are!

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http://www.stuif.com/beggarchicken.html

http://masak-masak.blogspot.com/2005/12/new-beggars-delicious-restaurant-ijok_06.html

http://kampungboycitygal.blogspot.com/2007/03/beggars-chicken-banting-selangor.html

FGS Dong Zen Buddhist Temple 佛光山东禅寺

2009-02-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

A day trip to somewhere near yet away from town is a good way to unwind. Heard a lot about FGS Dong Zen Buddhist Temple 佛光山东禅寺 at Jenjarom, had never been there, hence invited KC and his wife to be our tour guide. We used KESAS Highway and followed the Banting's signboard. Quite safe actually coz there are signboards one after another showing you the direction of FGS Dong Zen Buddhist Temple 佛光山东禅寺, very unikely to miss.

Jenjarom itself is just a small village nestles at one of the remotest parts of Selangor. Construction of FGS had brought prosperity to the village and numerous business opportunities to the locals here. During CNY, heard exhibition of lantern & flora were held whereby the whole Jenjarom cramped with visitors coming all over Malaysia.

From what I observed, Dong Zen Buddhist Temple is not just a temple, it's also a school that provides chances to pursue Buddhism and experience the monastic life from a short term boarding. Here came to the tranquil hall seated the Buddha statue, KC pointed that this Buddha statue was transported to temple all the way from Taiwan. Different from most shrines that practise Taoism, burning incense has been controlled to minimum level.

Gardening is remarkable. Much effort has been employed to maintain this orchid bush. KC threw a coin into the pond and made a wish. The carp (koi) in the pond seemed to receive wrong signal that food was thrown, leapt out from the water with great excitement! Glad that we finally made it to visit FGS! It's time for us to move on and head out for the Bukit Jugra Beggar's Chicken. ;-)

Restoran Good Friends 好友记

2009-02-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

In Genting, food is not an issue, price is! There are wide range of cuisines for your selection, Cantonese, Malay, Indian, Hainanese, Western.....just to name a few. The only thing that really bother me is the price, a simple chicken rice may anytime cost you a bomb!

"EVERYTHING IN GENTING IS EXPENSSIVE" already embedded in my mind, my mouth dropped open in disbelief when I saw the order list of Restoran Good Friends stating the dim sum priced at RM4.95.I confess I am an extremely conventional guy, when come to dim sum, it's almost guaranteed that I would order Char Xiu Bao (叉烧包), steamed sparerib, taro dumpling aka yam puff （芋角）& lo mai gai (糯米鸡） while Moon would sure go for egg tart, har gao (虾饺）siu mai (烧卖）and chee cheong fun (rice noodle roll); very stardard!

Out of all, I like the taro dumpling, it's not easy to make a good taro dumpling, the outer layer deep fried to crisp & fluffy, it must not be oily while the BBQ pork's filling has to be juicy.

Stir-fried carrot cake tasted mild sweet, didn't really impress me.

*******

Fried rice sold for RM16.10, yes, it's expenssive, nonetheless aromatic and delicious as it comprised prawn, bacon, green bean, cabbage & egg, all sort of nutrient found in 1 pate, we ordered 2 servings to share.

For dessert, Moon requested almond beancurd jelly. It's funny that almond base products like almond tea or almond beancurd tasted so different from the original almond nut, you may find it stinks like cockroach if you hate it, but once you develope a liking for it, you will get addicted, just like DURIAN!

When I took a quick peep at the bill, the total amount did surprise me, it's ONLY RM107.85.

List out of the bill (inclusside s/charge & govt tax)

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Fried rice = RM16.10 x 2

Almond beancurd jelly = RM4.60 x 1

Chinese tea = RM3 x 8

L-dim sum RM4.95 x 7

Spec dim sum RM6.10 x 4

Location

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It's inside the Hotel Genting, right end from the hotel's main entrance.

Restoran Chuan Kie 全记小菜馆

2009-02-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

Moon knew about this Restoran Chuan Kie 全记小菜馆　since she was still a secondary school's student, her good friend Jess told her about this place. At that time, the business was run at the old place. Jess and her family are regular customers of this restaurant, she said she saw Andy Lau 刘德华during one of her dinner session here. No kidding, if you are lucky enough, you may bump into any Hong Kong Stars who happen to have concert or performance at Genting. The surrounding wall plastered with ample photos of the restaurant's workers taken with the Hong Kong artists. Just that Moon and I do not have the luck, probably due to bad timing! *o* Don't remember when was our last visit, definitely more than 1 year ago! This trip to Genting with Cheong Chai (her cousin), Moon told me she was yearning for the signature dish of Restoran Chuan Kie, the thinly sliced, fried to crisp pork belly 香口五花肉, the outer layer of the meat is coated with caramelized syrup, some might not like it for being sweet and sticky! For us, we simply enjoy the CRISP, the SWEETNESS and the STICKINESS!! yumm..yummm..... Don't worry, that's the only sinful dish on the table, other dishes were actually quite healthy. *lol* Stir-fried baby green bean with garlic, this is another healthier signature dish of Chuan Kie, the bean is young, tender and crunchy!Yuxiang qiezi (魚香茄子) aka braised eggplants with yuxiang , this used to be their signature, but as you can see from the picture, it was badly done, too dried and lack of appetising smell. Chinese spinach in superior stock 上汤芫菜, this dish has nothing significant, just thought of having more veggie, that's all! ;-)

This meal with 4 dishes costed around RM68 including white rice and Chinese tea as well as herba tea. Fair enough! If not mistaken, there are 2 Chuan Kie at Gohtong Jaya heading to Genting, we still prefer this one located at upper row.

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http://www.foodlah.com/2008/08/28/restoran-chuan-kie-gohtong-jaya-genting-highlands/

Restoran Itali Paradiso

2009-02-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

If you are seeking for quality yet inexpenssive Italian food, Paradiso is certainly the right place for you! Situated at the shop lots next to Danau Desa Shell Station, this restaurant operated by an Italian family, I believe what presented here is genuine Italian gastronomy. We have been here several times and this time we brought my father in law along since he has a liking for Western food. For starter, we had Salad-Insalata Mista that tossed with balsamic dressing.For soup, Moon had chosen Zuppa di Mare , it's tomato broth cooked with seafood, slightly sour and appetitive. Highly recommended is this Pizza Quatre Stagioni that consists of fresh tomato sauce & generous portion of beef pepperoni, turkey, chicken & smoked beef, abundant mozarella cheese with thin crust baked to a crisp, priced at RM28 enough for 3 to 4 persons. Other highlights was the Spaghetti Vongole that served with clam spicy garlic sauce. For dessert, we went for Tiramisu without 2nd thought, to be honest, don't think this is the best Tiramisu I have had, I think we shall try other dessert for our next visit.
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The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers皇家太平洋酒店

2009-02-18T02:48:00.001-08:00

This would be the last chapter of our Hong Kong tour (yeah, yeah, I know I am lagging. ;p)

I feel incomplete without putting a review about The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers, the place that accomodated our 2 night stay in Hong Kong as I already made a brief commentary about Sofitel Ponte 16 . Say HKD 1,000 is the benchmark, and let's see what kind of quality lodging you are likely to get in Tsim Sha Tsui, yeah, the land that made of GOLD!

This DOLPHINS are the landmark of The Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers, stand on the waterfront are picturesque architectures that light up the charm of Victoria Harbour.

Before and after dark of the 13-storey hotel (shooting from the suspension bridge that linked it to Kowloon Park). Gorgeous, isn't it!?

Base on the waiting time we underwent, we estimated this lobby is ten times busier than Sofitel Ponte 16.Now, let me show you the ROOM! Size of the standard room ranges from 22 to 25 sq/m, you may wonder how big it is? Just imagine, you get to touch the bed after walking 3 steps from the door................ Moon said she stayed here before, it was MANY MANY years ago..... All remaining in her mind is the vague image of the gold color glass building, the Kowloon Park and the happening ambiance of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Seriously, this hotel need a thorough makeover, everything is so dated....If you were to ask me, is there a value for money staying in this hotel!!?? Ironically, I think the accomodation fee we paid is neither for the service nor the room, it's solely the location itself!

Anyway, shall you plan a short trip to Macau and Hong Kong, be reminded to avoid staying in Macau for the weekends, coz the hotel's prices would be more than double of the weekdays', and value for money will definitely drop.

The Sweet Dynasty 糖朝

2009-02-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

Since day 1 in Hong Kong, every so often we saw a small group of people gathering in front of this restaurant regardless day and night. Was told that this restaurant called The Sweet Dynasty 糖朝 is getting famous among the locals since being recommended by some foodie's journal. Intrigued,we decided to check it out before leaving Hong Kong, the gourmet's heaven. The restaurant was designed to create the ambience of traditional Chinese Palace, splendid yet comfy!Scanned through the menu, just some usual stuff, pricing was a little dear....decided to sample some dim sum! ;-)
Total 8 of us, some of us had wantan mee soup with dumpling...... Oh, I regret I didn't keep a photo of the dried wantan mee, a patch of oyster sauce topping the plain wantan mee, from the way it looked, I doubt.....hmmmm........some of us including myself took the porridge.....smooth....Moon ordered 2 plates of zhaliang 炸两 to share out considering that this pastry is less common in Malaysia.......a handful left over, too oily to finish it all....For dessert, it was dau fu fa served in wooden bucket (木桶豆腐花) .......
Not that I am fussy about food, with the fame and this high price (how much you guess!!?? 1 piece of YELLOW note in exchange of 2 RED notes, pricey right!?), contrary to our expectation, the food quality wasn't that parallel with the amount of money we paid, that's the least satisfying one among those we visited in Hong Kong so far!

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Reunion Dinner at Tao Heung Super 88 稻香超級漁港

2009-02-13T18:04:00.000-08:00

Night before leaving Hong Kong, Moon's relatives in Hong Kong 三叔 and family treated us a fine dinner at Tao Heung Super 88. Moon's cousin Ben purposely arranged the dinner at Tao Heung Super 88 for its convenient walking distance from our hotel, very considerate of Ben! Upon arrival, we could see a long long queue of diners waiting outside, luckily Ben had his booking made in advance. As you can see from the pic, the restaurant was exaggeratedly cramped and we saw waitresses bustling around. Guess this inconceivable phenomenon found nowhere except this Pearl of Orient! The dinner was absolutely joyful, what's more, Moon's 80 year-old grand uncle was a guest at table!

Taking the chance, wish to say thank you to everyone, really appreciate the time you spent with us, it was fantastic, hope we will meet in Malaysia someday, cheerio!

Address :
尖沙咀廣東道30號新港中心3樓B舖
Tao Heung Super 88Shop B, 3/F, Silvercord, 30 Canton Road (Tsim Sha Tsui)
電話 : 2375 9128

Tian Tan Buddha 天壇大佛

2009-02-10T00:50:00.000-08:00

Po Lin Monastery 大屿山宝莲禅寺 is one of the largest monasteries in Hong Kong, housing the world' s tallest outdoor seated Bronze Buddha statue ( Tian Tan Buddha). Basically there are 3 methods getting here.

1.) Take MTR (Tung Chung Line) to Tung Chung Station, follow Exit B and take bus No 23 from Tung Chung Town Centre.

2.) Go to Central,walk along Man Yiu Street to Outlying Islands Ferry Pier 6, take the Mui Wo Ferry to Lantau Island then get on bus No 2.

3.) Take MTR (Tung Chung Line) to Tung Chung Station and take a ride of Ngong Ping 360 cable car. We took MTR to Tung Chung Station and bought a round-trip cable car ticket (HKD96) as we regarded this was the less troublesome way at the same time gave us an opportunity to appreciate the scenic vista of Lantau Island from high above.

The skyrail travelled across Tung Chung Bay, Lantau North Country Park & Ngong Ping Plateau. The whole journey took approx 25 mins. From Ngong Ping Terminal, we had to walk for another 15 min, passing by Ngong Ping Village before arriving the entrance for Tian Tan Buddha (Giant Buddha). There was a counter selling coupon for vegetarian lunch near the entrance. Visitors may choose from either deluxe or standard. We opted for standard package and paid HKD60 per head count. Ahead of us, there are 268 steps of staircase leading to the Lotus platform of the Tian Tan Buddha. We took a deep breath and started to move on. Closer to the statue, the feelings of tranquility had increased ever more. The Giant Buddha sits on a lotus throne surrounded by eight smaller bronze statues. He raises his right hand and his left hand is resting on his lap. The coupon for vegetarian lunch we bought at the entrance entitled us a free admission to the three halls beneath the Buddha statue namely The Hall of Universe, The Hall of Benevolent Merit, and The Hall of Remembrance. Coming down from the Lotus Platform, it's already lunch time. the vegetarian restaurant was packed with diners. For the past few days in Hong Kong, we had been pigging out like carnivore, it's time for an intenssive detox course.... Stewed mushroom, spring roll, vivid color of sautéed veggie, Ma Po Tofu and etc, this vegetarian lunch was unthinkably scrumptious. I always had a perception that vegetarian food was flavourless with limited seasoning, culinary art of this lunch did change me !

New Island Cafe 新金島魚蛋王

2009-02-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

We stayed at Royal Pacific, New Island Café 新金島魚蛋王 is just across the street, its strategic location drove us to stop by for a quick breakfast before heading our way to Giant Buddha.New Island Café is a typical Hong Kong style Café aka Cha Chan Teng 茶餐厅 that serves typical Hong Kong style breakfast set.

Beef noodles was quite plain.
Macaroni served with soup, fried egg and Chinese pickles. Not to say tasty but find it kind of "fusion" ... Instant noodles served with beef brisket. Noodles laden with gigantic fish ball. That's the only goodness we discovered in this shop, springy and BIG in size! ;-P

Address

尖沙咀廣東道118號
港式、粉麵/米線

Guangdong Barbecue Restaurant 广东烧味餐厅

2009-02-07T03:18:00.000-08:00

I am a great fan of Chinese style barbecue (Siu Mei 烧味）, I've had countless of it in Malaysia. Heard the Hong Kong 's Siu Mei is drooling good . "Three meals in a day, one of it has to be Siu Mei!" I told my fellow foodies about my decision, and was seconded by "mandatory"!

The crowd in this Guangdong Barbecue Restaurant aroused our curiosity. We took a step forward, a lady in uniform soon came out and served us.
She led us to a little alley in between two shops where I could see a row of stools being lined up, she gesticulated to sit there and wait to be seated. I saw a poster of Bill Clinton plastered on the glass door, I scrutinized the Chinese wording on the poster"Bill Clinton loves Guangdong Siu Mei 广东烧味!", Tricky huh!? The word "Siu Mei" implies Chinese style barbeque while Guangdong literally means Canton. since Siu Mei is part of Cantonese Cuisine, hence, Guangdong Siu Mei could be a generic name for Cantonese style barbeque. Or, was it true that this shop called 广东烧味餐厅 the favorite of Bill Clinton!!!???

Waited for approximately 20 mins before the lady called us in. Typical Hong Kong Cha Chan Teng茶餐厅 layout with no room to swing a cat!

We were so tempted to try everything on display! 1st served to us was this long-stewed soup 老火汤 which had been slow cooked for hours. The ingredients consist watercress, date, dried mussel, longan and bones. It was highly concentrated and I think it's too salty for me. Roasted goose was the 2nd dish. Due to cost is in concern, I would say roasted goose is rarely found in Malaysian Siu Mei restaurant, "When you are in Hong Kong, the roasted goose is a MUST EAT" a piece of advice from my good friend. Just one mouthful bite, I think I 'm already falling for it. People used to say the drumstick is the best part of roasted goose, that's the reason why we requested quarter portion of the bottom part. To my surprise, it's not fatty at all, the meat was in fact firm and chewy. Roasting at high temperature furnace with their own secret recipe, the skin was cripsy and aromatic, simply irresistible!

A mixed platter of Cha siu (barbecued pork叉烧) , Siu yook (roasted pork with crispy skin燒肉) & grilled sparerib with flavourful sauce came next. The cha siu sauce tasted quite different from what I used to have in Malaysia. It was perfectly charred without a scorch, the meat was so tender & juicy, what a lovely porky ! Sparerib was just OK while Siu yook was my only gripe in this platter, too hard of the skin and too much of salt, NO GOOD! What is this!!???Like chicken like duck.....Nah, nah, it's a PIGEON(Squab)!! Creepy huh!?!?? I tell you, you will be regret for not trying! It was adequately seasoned and roasted to dry , what a heavenly savoury, best to go with beer! Of course, we definitely need some vege to keep us healthy, this choy sum菜心 was the only GREEN dish on our table, sadly, this culinary method was not exactly what we asked for, plain and way too soft that close to "fibre-LESS"!!!

Lastly, I wish to show you how our table looked like, already no more space for additional item, cool! ;-P

Address : 尖沙咀漢口道漢口大廈地下
Guang Dong RestaurantG/F, Hankow Rd (Tsim Sha Tsui)
電話 : 2735-5151/2735-5978

Hui Lau Shan Healthy Dessert 許留山

2009-02-06T01:38:00.001-08:00

Moon has never failed to visit H ui Lau Shan (許留山) whenever she goes to Hong Kong. It is a popular dessert chain in Hong Kong. According to Wikipedia, Hui Lau Shan has more than 40 outlets throughout Hong Kong. Their outlets could be found at Hong Kong International Airport, China Ferry Terminal, Mongkok, Tsim Sha Tsui (opposite Kowloon Park) as well as other parts of Hong Kong. They even expanded their business to Taiwan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, US and Singapore.

Mango base products are their best selling. After a long walk of Ladies' Street,we were all exhausted and desperately needed some goodies to cool off, this Mongkok Hui Lau Shan's outlet stands just at the right place!

***

This's also a hang out among the Hong Kong youngsters.

Could not find any seats, we walked straight to 1st floor.
“Please mind your head!” 1st floor has low ceiling, it's a kind reminder. Let’s see what we had.

1.) Mango Combo (芒果捞野）2.) Bird's nest on sago with pamelo & mixed fruits (杂果燕窝杨枝金露）3.) Black Glutinous Rice Pudding With Taro (香芋紫米布丁）

The presentations are alluring .*slurp*

Ying was most fascinated with the mango pudding. She likes the chewy texture and less artificial sweetness of the pudding as compared to others.

In addition to dessert, I also ordered the curry squid +fish ball+tripes, the squid was so crunchy dear, I could even hear the “cluck cluck” sound when munching on!! ;-D

Mongkok Street Food Adventure 旺角小吃

2009-02-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

If you are a great fan of stinky tofu (臭豆腐)，good news, do stay tune with our Mongkok (旺角)Street Food Adventure!!

Taking the Exit for Ladies' Street (女人街) aka Tung Choi Street (通菜街) at Mongkok MTR Station, were overjoyed to discover a stall setting up at corner lot selling all sort of Hong Kong style street food including stinky Tofu, curry fish ball & etc. Street food is absolutely playing an important role in the Hong Kong food culture. Cops chasing after the illegal street food hawkers ,or Cantonese conlloquially known as "Zhao Guai (走鬼) " was such common scene that appeared in most Hong Kong drama, especially during the 80’s!

Do look for this book store’s signboard, the stall is just next to it!I remember the workers wearing a green apron with the word “真美味”. “真美味” probably is the name of the stall. Stinky Tofu, can stink a mile off !! Sister said it’s nice with lots of chili sauce…Nah, nah, not for me!!!! Just can't stand the smell........Argh!! Don't mind to have some bouncy Curry fish ball.....That's yummy! That's the Gai Dan Chai 鸡蛋仔, a snack that made of egg, flour, sugar & butter, mild sweet, features outside crispy soft inside

Restaurant King of The King 帝廷皇宮

2009-02-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

We took the 12.30pm ferry and arrived China Ferry Terminal 尖沙咀中国客运码头 at 1.15pm. To minimize the hassle of travelling around with our huge luggage, we resolutely threw our booking on The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers.

By the time check-in settled, it’s already 3pm! Stomach had been screaming out for food, following instruction of the hotel’ s receptionist, we managed to locate the nearest restaurant situated within the same building (China Hong Kong City 中港城,the building at Tsim Sha Shui selling ferry ticket to Macau) as our hotel for dim sum.

The name of the restaurant is called 帝廷皇宮（尖沙咀店）, belongs to King of the King Group.

Imitating magnificent ambience of the western palace, the restaurant was deliberately decorated with plenty of chandeliers and ceiling paintings. Apparently, wedding banquet is their core business while dim sum business is just a side income. Xiu Mai 烧卖, Cha Xiu Bao(Barbeque pork bun叉烧包), ,Chee Cheong fun (rice noodle roll 腸粉), Feng Zhao (Chicken Feet 凤爪), steamed sparerib 蒸排骨....these were the basic dim sum we used to consume in any dim sum eateries and would never fail to order !“Glutinous rice & custard bun 奶皇流沙包, sound good, 2 ticks for that…” Trust me, they were OISHII especially the oozing custard, very different from those found in Malaysia!Can you see that? Our big round table piled up with heaps of steamer baskets....Wow!

Not sure if it’s true that hunger increases ability to taste, all of us actually gave a THUMB UP for the dim sum.

When called for "Mai Dan 埋单”(literally asking for bill)....
Let’s make a blind guess, how much it may possibly cost with more than 20 steamer baskets on the table!!???
HKD480!!! Incredibly CHEAP huh!!??
Later we learnt that the restaurant was actually running a promotion with each dim sum selling HKD 14.88, no wonder! ;-)

Address :尖沙咀廣東道33號中港城1樓
No.11-16, G/F, China Hong Kong City, 33 Canton Road (Tsim Sha Tsui)

Tel : 3422 8628 / 2730 0892

Portuguese Tart from Margaret's Cafe e Nata

2009-02-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, Portuguese style egg tart is a MUST EAT goodie of Macau, the focal point is, “Where on earth the BEST Portuguese egg tart can be found!?”

According to the research we made, 1st Macanese Portuguese style egg tart was created by Andrew Stow, an English gentleman who founded Lord Stow’s Bakery. During a trip to Portugal in late-80’s, he was inspired by the Pasteis de Nata ,he later developed his very own version of Poturguese style egg tart base on numerous experimentation he had performed with his unique English's touch. His creation attracted tens of thousands foodies and his little bakery at Coloane became famous. Since then, franchises established one after another in Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Taiwan.

As Coloane was way too far from our hotel, we regret we did not make it to sample this most original Macanese-Portuguese style egg tart. We however went for Margaret's Cafe e Nata run by Andrew's ex-wife near Hotel Sintra, which was said serving equally good Portuguese tart.

Portuguese style egg tart features slightly charred caramel on the top surface of egg custard filling. Cappuccino & mocha served along with the tarts. Buttery pastry combined with rich creamy filling, Margaret’s egg tart is certainly the best among those I have sampled so far.

Related Link ************
Margaret's Cafe e Nata

Porridge at 三元粥品专家

2009-02-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Found this porridge shop (三元粥品专家）inadvertently whilst seeking for the renowned bakeries of almond cookies, namely the Koi Kei Bakery (钜记饼家）and the Choi Heong Yuen Bakery (咀香园饼家).

The interior is very much like the quaint Hong Kong-styled Cha Chan Teng (茶餐厅),limited space with small tables layout, none of the table was big enough for us, eventually the 8 of us had to sit at 3 separate tables!

The business hours are
7am to 11am
7pm to 12.30pm

This was the Auntie who buzzed around for order taking at the same time making preparation. That's why it took ages to serve!The hand-made meat balls (both pork and beef) are the best selling items here. Auntie asked if we want to add in raw egg, heard this enhances the taste and the texture of the porridge. Haunted by the fear of Salmonella infections, none of us had courage to try.Since water crab congee was not available, Moon and myself chose porridge with pork balls+fish. The pork balls were excellent and fishy smell was adeptly done away, GOOD!! Brother in law had beef balls+pork liver. The pork liver was amazingly well done, never overly cooked. As for the beef balls, not the best but went well with this super smooth porridge.Cheong Chai, another cousin of Moon does not have any liking for porridge. Being so considerate, Auntie even suggested us to get him some chee cheong fun take away from the stall outside.

This was the plain chee cheong fun (rice noodle roll) we bought for Cheong Chai, with sauce and mustard.

The porridge, or rather the hospitality of Auntie that wins my high praise. Moon and myself will definitely come again on our next visit to Macau.

Address :
新馬路褔隆下街44號地下

Related Link

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1.) 爱 Happy

2.) ForEveR YounG

3.) Video Clip

Dinner at Restaurante Fat Siu Lau 佛笑楼

2009-01-29T23:28:00.001-08:00

Macau is former colony of Portuguese whereby 95% of its total population are Chinese. With over 400 years of Portuguese governance, Macanese cuisine is one unique cuisine that combines Portuguese and Chinese cooking. Our "food expedition" determined to go for Macanese food at least once before leaving to Hong Kong, hence dinner was set on Macanese Portuguese.

Initially Moon suggested A Lorcha which has quite possitive reviews from most foodies, it was however turned down by the majority due to it's way out of our place. We decided to bump into any Macanese restaurant near our hotel, and we found Restaurante Fat Siu Lau! Macau's tourist guide says that it is one of the oldest restaurant in Macau dating from 1903. These are the dishes we had for the night.

1. Sauteed mixed vege with garlic 蒜茸炒杂菜. Vagetable was so colorful, such an ideal source of green fibre with great nutrient.

2.Sardinhas Assadas A Portuguesa 西洋烧沙甸鱼 .Perfectly done, my mouth was scented with the nice fragrance of this grilled sardine. Not to worry about the fine bone, it makes no harm. 3.Caracois A Francesa 法式局蜗牛 .Escargot baked with mashed potato. I stll prefer Escargot to be baked with cheese and garlic. 4.Galinha Africana (非洲鸡）.It's also known as "African chicken", one of the signature dish served in most Macanese Portuguese restaurants. Cooked with lotsa of spices, the taste is not something I 'm familiar with, kinda hot but within my tolerance (as being a Malaysian) . ;-P

5. Galinha A Portuguesa (椰汁葡国鸡）. I named it as Portuguese version of "Rendang chicken" with strong aroma from coconut milk. MOP590 for the above dishes including bun, white rice and tea. quite pricey actually, coz the portion was small, my stomach was not that well fed after the meal. ;-( Dining atmosphere on the other hand was good, the place is spacious with comfortable seats.

An outing to Taipa 氹仔島

2009-01-25T04:48:00.001-08:00

The Venetian is one major attraction in Taipa, since we were here, no reason for not dropping by. From Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kee to The Venetian, it was amazingly near. Save the taxi fare and take a walk, you 'll gain more from there!Same like any other major cities in Guangzhou, the sky of Macau was kind of hazy. My courtesy reminder, take more fluids and fruits when you are here!

Personally, I still think January is a perfect season to visit Macau, it’s rather comfortable to stroll around as the weather is quite cooling.

"Here we are, The Venetian!!!"

Right in front of the main entrance, there is a bus terminal. This is the place where you could get complimentary free shuttle bus ride to Sands , Fisherman's Wharf and also the Ferry Terminal. Although it's all artificial and looked a little tacky, the establishment itself was absolutely spectacular!

Ahaaaaa.....I could see the casino waving at me, it's time for me to excuse myself for some "refreshment" there. *wink*

Of course, there is still a lot to do in this property apart from gamble, the flagship stores and the shopping parade along the canal are certainly a great inducement for shoppers.

Very soon, Moon and her two cousins got bored with shopping and they slunk out in search of the signature bird nest tart aka "yan wo tart (燕窝撻)" from Cafe Xin Hao Li (新好利咖啡饼店).
The Chinese generally believe that bird nest is rich in nutrients that may help to enhance one's immune system and skin complexion. This also explains why the 3 ladies were so fascinated by this bird nest thingy!

Piping hot bird nest tarts served straight from oven. Freshly baked is definitely the superb selling point of this shop! Frankly, you won't be able to tell whether there's any bird nest or not, the taste of bird nest iteslf does not have any significant characteristic . This was Ying's first Portuguese tart in Macau, finally! ;-)

On the way back to The Venetian, there was another discovery across the street!^o^

The Serradura DessertsSerradura, literally means "Sawdust" in Portuguese (木糠甜品). It is one of the popular Macanese dessert.Being a typical tourist, I know Moon very well, she would not forgo any single chance to try the local delicacy!

This was the Serradura ice-cream from her sampling, sandy texture, nothing impressed me in particular, though.

Pork Chop Bun at Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kee 大利来咖啡室

2009-01-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

This was Ying's first trip to Macau, she was showing great anxiety for the famous pork chop bun (猪扒包）and Portuguese tart（葡挞). In order not to let her down, we rushed a taxi to Cafe Tai Lei Loi Kee (大利来咖啡室) at Taipa.

From Ponte 16 to Taipa, taxi fare was MOP 48. At least 3 taxi needed to fetch the 10 of us there, in other word, taxi fare itself already spent us almost MOP150. It was 15 past 2, only few tables were occupied, we managed to get 2 tables, put them together, just nice to accomodate the 10 of us.A waitor came forward for order taking

" 8 pork chop bun please." Moon requested.
"Pork Chop Bun will only be ready for sale at 3pm. You may order any food or drinks but not pork chop bun!" What a snob! Fine, we'll wait!

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Ticktack....ticktack....ticktack

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"Sale of pork chop bun will be open shortly, you may now line up there for purchase!" at 2.45pm, the same waitor popped up and announced. Immediately I leapt into the queue while Moon was busy snapping pictures for our blog....Apparently, we were not the only group doing that, some even holding a much more sophisticated camera than ours!

Task accomplished when I brought back 8 packets of pork chop bun. Everyone was grinning with delight made me felt like I was the gladiator that won a victory, haha!Ying, Moon & Yee wanted a pic of taking the FIRST BITE of this famous pork chop bun!

Just after few bites

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Sorry folks, the ending of the story might be out of your expectation !

"Nice meh? So-so lah....."

"Quite salty and dried."

"Exccessive MSG!"
"Not really crispy..."

That's the opinions of our majority.

Another failed attempt in our Macau food excursion! *Sigh*

Yi Shun Two-Layer Milk 义顺牛奶

2009-01-25T04:43:00.000-08:00

After lunch, Moon wanted to go for the well known two-layer milk. "Yi Shun, that's the one", Moon pointed at the stunning pink building ahead of us and shouted out excitedly!When we approached the shop, we saw array of bowls filled with two-layer milk(双皮奶) stacking behind the glass storage.Beside the two layer milk, there are sandwiches, fruity milk shake and other kind of snack for sale.

Oh, oh, I noticed some interesting sentence on the right top of the menu. It says" $5 will be charged for not consuming anything!" Wahhhh....wah...good at making money huh, I wonder if this would ever work in Malaysia!??? Moon wanted to sample the most original two-layer milk, so we requested one hot and one cold to share out.I put 1 big spoon to my mouth and it went straight to my throat...Ummmph......the sweetened wobbly consistency was SMOOTH! After trying both, Moon and myself thought the taste of the cold one was mild and it' s better.

The yellowish egg custard on the next table looked appealing too, we added one more item for that!Our conclusion is, egg custard was the best among all! ;-P

Anyway, this two layer milk is not something common in Malaysia, so no harm to give it a try, you might like it, who knows!? *shrug*

Related link
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義順牛奶公司
When Hearty Lunch Meets Tweed Dessert
Recipe of Two Layer Milk aka Double Skin Milk (双皮奶的制造方法）

Wong Chi Kei 黄枝记

2009-01-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

By the time we had our check-in done, we were too starved and couldn't help to sniff for food. We asked around and finally found the Senado Square which was just 10 min walking distance from Sofitel Ponte 16. According to tourist's guide, Senado Square is the center of Macau.

This water fountain is the unique landmark of Senado Square Senado Square surrounded by bright pastel South European-styled buildings and paved with black and white cobblestones. It is also a popular venue to host public events.

Hunger struck, we opted Wong Chee Kei for our first lunch in Macau.

Address : Largo do Senado 17, R/C, Macau
Phone :+853 2833 1313

It is a 3-storey eatery with compact layout so much so there are tables set on the staircase. Almost each table was taking noodle and porridge, we thought of having noodle as well. The chili was quite different from the one in Malaysia, it tasted a bit oily and salty.Moon and myself had wantan mee. The noodle was so dried and it's close to tasteless...Bad choice!

Brother in law had braised pork's trotter , he said the trotter was OK...... We also ordered char siew (BBQ pork) and roasted duck to go with the noodle.Fried dumpling was crispy except too little filling! Despite our high anticipation, we walked out the shop with great disappointment! The texture of the noodle was somewhat hard (to be frank, THIS probably is the worse noodle I have ever had so far). A very wrong decision for our first lunch in Macau indeed! ;-(

Sofitel Ponte 16

2009-01-19T18:45:00.000-08:00

Just came back from a 4-days-3-nights free & easy weekend get away excursion to Macau and Hong Kong, now is the time for some updates!

Our initial flight supposed to be 9.25am. 3 weeks before departure, we received a text from Air Asia informing that our flight had been cancelled. Considering that we left very little time spent in Macau & Hong Kong, we requested to change for an earlier flight.

We reached Macau Airport at Taipa around 9am, which were 15mins earlier than the original itinerary.

Being new to this place, we decided not to waste time and pay MOP150 to charter a van to send us to Hotel Sofitel Ponte 16. The local Chinese generally call it as 16浦 (Ponte 16) instead of Sofitel. The traffic was smooth and it took less than 30 min to arrive.

Sofitel Ponte 16 Before Dark
Sofitel Ponte 16 After Dark The hotel’s lobby was glitzy while the receptionist was friendly and helpful with our enquiry. Next to the lift lied the entrance of the hotel's Casino.

Upon our request, we were given a none-smoking room on 15th floor. We could see the colorful Grand Lisboa glittering away from our room.

Splendid city view from our room

This is the corridor heading to our room

Our room was tastefully decorated with ultra-modern and brand new furnitures.
The king-size bed was truly comfortable Writing desk 37" LCD Flat TVToilet and shower were separate cubicles that made of glass. Besides, the bathroom was also facilitated with huge bathtub & remote LCD TV. The quality amenities from L'Occitane was Moon's favorite. She liked it so much that she packed everything into her toiletries' bag on the day we bid farewell to Sofitel Ponte 16. ;-PApart from the beautiful interior, the hotel itself is just a stone thrown from Senado Square and Ruins of St Paul's whereby heaps of eateries and shops are accessible on foot across the street. If you are looking for a less busy hotel for relaxaion, Sofitel Ponte 16 is no doubt an ideal choice for you! ;-)

Feeling Lucky

2009-01-11T18:11:00.000-08:00

After reading the Post from Miss Pea, many of my friends including Ying (Moon's cousin) and myself were craving for the Tenji buffet spread, but none of us managed to get the booking, were being told that the promotion entry had been fully booked till 15-Jan.

This morning, Moon received a text from Ying .

----- Forwarded by Moon on 01/12/2009 09:48 AM -----
JKui, I tried Tenji last nite. Omg, the food is soooo awful, worse than Jogoya, n a lot lesser too. The Sashimi isn't fresh at all, I cldnt eveneat my fav salmon :( the dessert is bland, look interesting only. Exceptfor haagen daz which saved the nite. Prawns oso not fresh. Aiyo, just plain bad lah. U dun need to try edi, dun bother.I cringe at the tot of Japanese buffet now. Jka, Saisaki plan cancelled.I bring you n JFoo to Rakuzen for Sunday ala carte buffet instead. So much better. But first lemme get over my Tenji experience. I have no appetite for sashimi now.

Hilarious!!!!!!

All You Can Eat at Komura

2008-12-26T00:51:00.000-08:00

Moon is a great fan for Japanese food. After hearing positive comment from her friend about Komura, she insisted to try the Japanese food there at least once. Week before X'mas, Moon found a 25% discount voucher of Eat All You Can by Komura, she suggested to celebrate X'mas at Komura instead of eating turkey.

Komura is in the Corus Hotel , Jalan Ampang. This is the entrance of Komura.The Japanese village-style setting of Komura looked promising! Each group of guest being allocated individual dining room, guest may enjoy some privacy while dining together with love one.
We thought it was buffet spread yet it's more like Ala Carte buffet-style served at Rakuzen Raja Chulan that make to your order. Personally I think buffet served at this way is fresher. You may order as many dishes you like, the restaurant however controls each round with max 10 orders ( We basically have no objection to this coz it could be polite yet very effective way to control food wastage).

Since not much choice in the list, we decided to pick one item from each category, below were the dishes we had tried.

Japanese Green Bean (Edamame 枝豆) for starter.

While for main course , we selected the followings;

Sashimi assortment 刺身盛り合わせ

Grilled Japanese beef 80 gram ( wagyu　和牛)Grilled oyster & scallop on iron plate (鉄板焼き）
Cold Soba

Tempura　（Ebi Tempura えび天ぷら)

Eel　（Unagi Kabayaki 鰻蒲焼)

yakiniku (焼肉)

Sukiyaki すき焼き

For side dishes, we ordered the Japanese Salad (サラダ) & Japanese steamed egg (Cawan Mushi 茶碗蒸し).

The sashimi was surprisingly fresh, we made another repeat order for it. The succulent wagyu whetted our appetite for another 2 more helpings. Repeat order was plain simple, just press the bell and the waitress would attend you shortly.
After 2nd plate of wagyu, we thought we should stop for desserts.

For dessert, each of us had just one scoop of green tea ice cream and some fruits, we hope we could take in more but were too full to do so....

Green Tea Ice Cream with red bean Topping

Fruits

The buffet for 2 costs us less than RM180 after the 25% discount. Just the grilled wagyu itself already well worth for money we paid, it's pity that Yin didn't join us for this quality nice buffet!

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Address

Corus hotel is only a two minute walk to the underground Putra LRT and a five minute walk from the magnificent Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). Click for map.

Open daily from 12.00 noon to 2.30 pm for lunch and from 6.30 pm to 10.00 pm for dinner.
For reservations or enquiries please call : 03-2161 8888 ext 121

Restoran SHENGEE 文丁成记酒楼

2008-12-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

1 year at least 5 times we dine at Shengee. Any friend visits us at Mantin will be brought to Shengee for dinner if the itinerary is not too tight. This is hardly a few good restaurants in a small town like Mantin.

The followings are the THUMB UP dishes of Shengee :

1.) Thai -style Tofu (泰式豆腐）。 It has to be the local made tofu which is as smooth as velvet!
2.) Roasted duck with lots of gravy （烧鸭）. I remember the night before my wedding, I paid Shengee to cater a buffet-style dinner at my Mantin house, this duck became the hot cake among the guests. Already forgotten how many times we went back Shengee for repeat order. ;-P

3.) Sweet sour tilapia served on lotus leave (荷叶非洲）. Have you noticed the empty plate on the below right corner, someone might wonder where the fish bone's gone!?*chuckle*

Of course, vege is definitely important to make up a balance diet

The above costs around RM50+ for 4 pax inclussive drinks and rice, I would think it 's more than reasonable!

Shengee is a corner shop situated along Mantin main road.

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Roti Canai at Kampung Mantin

2008-12-18T03:50:00.001-08:00

I would not miss a single chance driving to Kampung Mantin for the best roti canai ( at least I would think so) whenever I get to wake up early. Good things must be shared. ;-) Keep to the path of Kampung Mantin, you will see a rustic grocery store on your left before long.

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The stall just attached to the grocery store. Roti canai and nasi lemak here sold like hot cake, only early bird gets the share! Just a few wrench and twist, the golden crisp served to us within couple of mins. With the curry and sambal, one piece is definitely not enough for me, I want "double"!;-PSipping the teh tarik, I leanrt a new formula about life, SIMPLE equals to beautiful! ;-)