Yong & Chia Kitchen (夫妻摊私房菜) @ Puncak Jalil, Seri Kembangan

A short drive out of the vicinity in search for some good food on a lazy weekend is always welcomed. I’ve wanted to try Yong & Chia Kitchen/夫妻摊私房菜 @ Puncak Jalil for awhile and since it is not very far from where I’m staying, the location was set.

Arriving a little past 6, this coffee shop liked eating place is already packed to the brim with mostly all the tables waiting for their food. It’s a worrying sight coz the wait could be like forever! Let hope it’s not…

After a short wait for about 10 minutes or less, our dishes started waltzing to our table. I must say the efficiency and speed of the chefs are pretty impressive, despite the large crowd. 

Stir-fry Yao Mak/ 清炒油麥 @ RM 11.00 (M/中) ~ 1st up was the vege. Well, this dish can’t go wrong no matter how wrong you want it to be. Straight forward dish simply fried with garlic, tasted good with well controlled taste.

Kampong Poached Chicken/白切鸡 @ RM 28.00 ~ The chicken came and I wasn’t convince it was a Kampong Chicken. The color and the texture just didn’t fit the bill, therefore, we summoned the lady boss and double check with her. She insists it was. Honestly, it wasn’t! Either she short-changed us or she was short-changed by their chicken supplier.

The chicken is served on a bed of soy sauce, together with two plates of ginger dipping.  Poached Farm Chicken, especially when paired with the aromatic ginger sauce is always nice to devour. “If” only Kampung chicken is used in this dish, it’ll make it more enjoyable to savour. Too bad it wasn’t. The meat was soft and the skin does not have the crunchiness on it. And for that price.. totally unjustifiable!

Sweet & Sour Pork/咕噜肉 @ RM 17.00 (M/中) ~  The  pork pieces were not fatty nor plastered with thick batter but yet they remained crispy even after cooking in the sweet and sour sauce. Was ok, but certainly not the best I’ve had. 

Steamed Pork/蒸肉饼 @ RM 7.00 ~ When it arrived, I was like thinking aloud “Aiseh, I too can cook this dish, easy peasy, simple and most probably tastier than this. I was right! The version here was pretty tasteless. Perhaps it wasn’t salty enough for me,  not even for E. If this is just an “ok la” only from him, that tells all coz this is his fav!

Fried Egg with Onion/洋葱煎蛋 @ RM 11.00 ~  The version here contained generous amount of onions and which gave it a very fragrant flavour. What I liked is the omelette is fluffy and crispy on the sides and most importantly, not soaking in oil.

Hakka Braised Pork with Black Fungus/客家炸肉 @ RM 7.00 ~ The braised pork failed to impress; the flavour is one-dimensional, the meat is tough and seems like they’ve pre-prepared them in bulk. 

Claypot Curry Fish Head/瓦煲咖喱鱼头 @ RM 28.00 (M/中) ~ The  Claypot Curry Fish Head is the star of the whole nite. The fish head is fresh, tender and meaty, well infused with flavours from the curry. The curry is thick, robust and highly addictive and not overly spicy; it is served in a claypot, still bubbling away when it reaches the table. I was so tempted to drink it like soup. Okay, I actually did!

On breezy evenings, the roadside dining area is perfect for a relaxing meal.

Our meal came to RM 123 which is about RM 15.00 a person including rice and a pot of Chinese tea which was an absolute bargain of a dinner. I will be back again for that heart attack inducing Claypot Curry Fish Head or other dishes which their extensive menu has to offer apart from those we tried today. 

 

• Restoran Yong & Chia Kitchen (夫妻摊私房菜)
• No.1 Jalan PUJ 3/3
• Taman Puncak Jalil
• 43300 Seri Kembangan
• Business hours – 1600-0200
• Mobile – 012-989 6984 (Yen Yen)
• Closed – 
• GPS Coordinates
• N03º01.261 E101º40.525

 

Chongqing Authentic Sichuan Hotpot & Cuisine (正宗金山城 / 川菜麻辣火锅) @ Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, Pudu

Having tried Xiao Fei Yang on numerous ocassions, we chose Chongqing Sichuan Cuisine for a change to satiate our hot pot cravings albeit the whole area is practically dotted with restaurants offering similar style hot pot..

We got there at 6.30 pm and the place was practically empty save for a lone occupied table. Pretty easy to get a table IMO but finding a parking could be a challenge. Do note that CQSC is an ala carte hot pot restaurant and not a buffet concept. They have a very wide variety of quality meats, seafood, vegetables and other unique items (cooked and uncooked) to suit every individual’s unique preferences. Well, If you’re not into this Sichuan hot pot thingy, there’s  Pao Xiang BKT at the adjoining unit which belongs to the same owner.

Chongqing Sichuan Cuisine is one of the many hot pot restaurants within the Pudu area apart from XFY, the one we mostly frequent. Let’s hope our visit is worth the try.

Spicy & Non-spicy combination soup/鴛鴦子母火锅 @ RM 18.00 ~ There are nine different soup bases ranging from RM 18-68 and a menu of over 100 selections are served with Australian Abalone being the most expensive item on the menu @ RM 198/can.

The spicy soup we chose was “very spicy” with loads of dried chillies, which gave a very good kick, in a nice way but, the floating dried chilis and szechuan peppercorn were all over the pot. Too much for comfort.

The clear soup on the other hand was nice, right from the start even w/o any ingredients shabu-ed into it. After dumping all the beef, lamb and fish fillets? Just imagine..but unfortunately, the sweetness of the broth came from the MSG. Thirst kicked it right after our meal. 

Condiments from L-R ~ Chopped scallions, Chinese parsley, diced raw garlic, chili padi in soy sauce, fermented bean curd in sesame seed oil, chili oil, fried onion oil, salt, sugar and MSG.

We went for fried onions, parsley in chili oil, parsley, HK chili paste and chili oil with fermented beancurd sauce. Mind you, this place charges for their condiments @ RM 3.00 per person. How ridiculous! (only found out when the bill came)

Lamb Slice/入口羊肉片 @ RM 16.00 ~ We had 3 plates of this gamey lamb slices.  Marvelous! 

Beef Slice/入口肥牛 @ RM 16.00 ~ Another 3 plates of our favorite beef slices.

Tender Beef Slice/嫩滑牛肉片 @ RM 12.00 ~ Tender my foot! Completely opposed to what was named! Super chewy and the translucent gooey liquid coating the beef slices was a put off ! Avoid this! 

Garland Chrysantemum/茼蒿 @ RM 8.00 

Spinach/菠菜 @ RM 6.00 

Fish Ball/西刀鱼丸 @ RM 8.00 ~ Texture was good with a bouncy mouthfeel. It was fresh  and without any fishy smell.

Mee Hoon/米粉 @ RM 2.00 

Fish Fillet/生鱼片 @ RM 16.00 – We had two plates of this snake head fillets. It was super fresh and added additional sweetness to the clear broth.

Grass Prawns/草虾 @ RM 16.00 – Another 2 plates of this which was just ok. Not the freshest though! 

Fried Mee Noodle/伊面 @ RM 2.00  

Bill came to about RM 250.00 for 3 adults and 2 teenagers. Not a super special hot pot experience but was just ok. Didn’t really enjoy the spicy soup which was ladened with over excessive floating ingredients. It can be so irritating when u get szechuan peppercorn and dried chilies in every spoonful.

Apart from the spicy soup, charges for the condiments was really a put off.  They even charged my 2 kids for it when they didn’t have any. We literally have to argue for the charges to be written off, that is when we saw the ugly side of the CHINA woman owner. She was obnoxious, loud, rude and was not very pleasant to talk to when we pointed out her mistake. Guess “shouting on top of their lungs” are a norm to the CHINA “mari” people. Instead of apologising, the response was tough! Nevertheless, the first and the last! Won’t even consider stepping foot in here again as one bad experience leaves behind a lasting bad taste! For hot pot, we better stick back to XFY! 

• Restoran Chongqing Sichuan Cuisine (正宗金山城)
• 144 & 146, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah
• Off, Jalan Pudu
• 55100 Kuala Lumpur.
• Tel – 603-2144 2623
• Business hours –
• GPS Coordinates
• N03º08.422 E101º42.716

 

Aroy Nae Non Thai Restaurant @ The Scott Garden, Jalan Klang Lama

Mother’s Day was just a day away and we decided to bring mom to Aroy Nae Non Restaurant in Scott garden for the celebration. She likes Thai and having heard multiple reviews, I was pretty stoked to finally be trying it out.

Aroy is pretty hidden on the 2nd floor of Scott’s Garden and I feel it’s so off the radar that I doubt it’s a place people would purposely drop by for some Thai food unless by sheer determination and word of mouth.

Despite its obscure location, the place was pretty packed when our party arrived. We were greeted by friendly Thai staffs and a local Chinese lady who took our orders. The menu was rather extensive, but I was slightly disappointed when I learnt that they don’t serve beef and dessert in this restaurant. I love beef! Aren’t beef one of the staple food for Thais? Instead, there were plenty of fried items on the menu, something of which I’m not particularly fond.  

Mixed Mushroom @ RM 16.00 ~ We started off with the mixed mushroom which was  on the menu. It tasted pretty good, full of wok-hei. 

Deep Fried Tofu w/3 Flavored Sauce @ RM 13.00 ~ 3 Flavour tofu was a vague name, but I think these beancurd were flash fried, coated in an indulgent Thai sweet chili sauce and garnished with some parsley. I must admit that this was pretty appetizing.

Spicy Vegetable Som Tum Thai @ RM 13.00 ~  The somtam or Mango salad arrived and was faultless. The shredded mangoes was crunchy and had the right balance of sweet, sour and spicy. You also have the option of adding shrimps, crab or squid to it but we preferred ours plain. This had a bit of a spicy kick but overall quite refreshing.

Stir-Fried Omelette w/ Pork @ RM 16.00 ~ This is nice too but a tad oily.

Mushroom Salad Prawn @ RM 20.00 ~ This is a refreshing and zesty way to enjoy a plate of salad. Each bite allowed a different flavour to shine through; the tanginess of the lime, the crunch from the prawns, the sweetness of the sugar, the heat from the chilli sauce, and the refreshing kick of fresh herbs. 

Deep Fried Flossy Prawn @ RM 30.00 ~ These Deep Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls were nice in terms of crisps, but apart from that, I can hardly taste the presence of any shrimps!!! Not very worthy for that price. Came c/w green mango salad as side dipping.

Clear Seafood Tom yum  @ RM 35.00 ~ The tom yum was one of the dish I enjoyed most of the lot. The soup was clear with hues of red and with loads of seafood (prawns, fish, squid, tomatoes and mushrooms).  Devilishly spicy and addictive, this is the soup to slurp down when you have sinuses needing clearing. We went on to order a second serving.

The interior and tables are always clean so that’s a thumbs up in my book! No greasy or sticky smudges anywhere.

All in all, the bill came to about RM 220.00/RM31/pax inclusive of steam rice @ RM3/pax, hot Chinese tea @ RM3/pax. I would say that the price is pretty reasonable but I  cannot foresee myself coming back again to give this restaurant another try, simply because they don’t have beef on their menu. To a beef lover like me, that’s a NO! 

• Aroy Nae Non
• 2-47-48, The Scott Garden
• 289, Jalan Klang Lama
• 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
• Tel – 603-7980 1533
• Mobile – 017-227 9035 (Delivery)
• Business hours – 1100-0600
• GPS Coordinates
• N03º05.704 E101º40.522

Baba Nyonya Seafood Restaurant @ Bandar Baru Nilai

Peranakan cuisine remains overlooked by travelers, who come in search of pocket-friendly street food or buzzy new restaurants. A shame, seeing as one of Asian’s oldest fusion cuisine… and arguably the finest. Good Peranakan food offers a complex taste, love, labour, patience and harmony of different colours and textures. This is present in the food prepared at BabaNyonya, a quaint little shop, a small hole in the wall at Taman Samarak, Nilai  that serves amazing and authentic Peranakan cuisine.

We went for lunch around 12 and the place filled up pretty quickly. Most of the customers here are from the industrial zone nearby. Malay customers came in droves as this place serves HALAL food.

The restaurant is simple yet comfortable, not overly decorated but functional and clean, fully air-conditioned. The only drawback is the space is quite restricted and won’t be able to accommodate a large crowd. Max 10 tables.

Sambal Ikan Bilis with Petai @ RM 16.00 (s) ~ Whatever you order, don’t leave out this dish, as they are one of the best I’ve tried. The stinky beans are best cooked in a spicy sambal paste, paired with crispy fried anchovies and cubes of cooling cucumbers. I know petai is an accquired taste, but trust me, this dish is inviting with mouth watering experience, to say the least.

Kangkong Belacan @ RM 12.00 (L) ~ For fibre, the kangkong belacan however was slightly off the mark, diluted and tasted rather bland. A bit of a let-down here.

Nyonya Rendang Curry Chicken @ RM 20.00 (L) ~ Rendang chicken – one of my favorite Nyonya dishes was another treat on it’s own. The gravy was really thick and lovely which turned out to be absolutely delicious! The meat was tender and every bite was infused with the lovely spices.

Nyonya Rendang Curry Mutton @ RM 30.00 (L) ~ As far as my taste buds are concerned, I think that mutton and curry are a match made in heaven. The deep flavors and lingering heat of the mutton curry here is  a testament to  the unique rendition by the chef. It was not overly spicy, but the combination of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and fresh turmeric in his version were bursting into flavors in each mouthful.

Sambal Belacan ~  if you truly love spicy hot chilli belachan with lime, you should try it out here, but to my disappointment, the belacan was a complete letdown today. The presence of water taste is very very strong. 

BN is easy to sight as it is along the main road of Nilai. It’s striking red colour signage is not one that can be easily missed. Parking is also easy here, but reservation is a must, especially during lunch hours. 

If you have only one chance to eat Peranakan food while in Nilai, just head to this restaurant. It will not disappoint .

 

• Baba Nyonya Seafood Restaurant
• PT5774, Taman Semarak
• Fasa 2, Jalan TS 2/1
• 71800 Nilai
• Negeri Sembilan.
• Tel – 606-799 0213
• Business hours – 1100-1500/1800-2100 (Mon-Fri)
• Closed – Saturday & Sunday
• GPS Coordinates
• N02º49.284  E101º49.109

 

Nichinan Jidoriya (地鶏日南市 @ Mid Valley Megamall

Our visit to Nichinan Jidoriya was more in view of a discount voucher at hand rather than a straight up decision to have Japanese cuisine for lunch. It was a quaint and delightful find, located next to Starbucks. The menu at Nichinan Jidoriya is pretty comprehensive; with a wide range of affordable sushi, to sashimi, main courses and most of the essential Japanese food which you will expect to find in a Japanese restaurant. 

Arriving at around a quarter past one, the restaurant’s air-conditioned section was already crowded and the waitstaff showed us our table at the alfresco dining area. Not really an ideal choice to have lunch unless you enjoy the heat and smokers’ puffs! As I gathered everywhere would be the same, packed during lunch hours and my children were already hungry, I couldn’t subject them to another wait in another restaurant so we just took our seats and ordered away.

 Of course if possible, order their signature Miyazaki Jidori (which we didn’t), a free-range chicken originating in the Miyazaki prefecture, believing that the lack of growth hormones in the flesh makes a richer and chewier texture.  

Sashimi Set/刺身セット @ RM 25.00 ~  Fresh and thick slices of sashimi accompanied the set that came with a whole artillery of what could be defined as Japanese cuisine in a box.

 Sukiyaki Set/すき焼セット @ RM 23.00 ~ The Sukiyaki  is also worth a try. Brimming with slices of Australian beef and vegetable lightly cooked in a sweet and flavourful broth; so hearty, it is something that I can eat all the time.

Wagyu Saikoto and Garlic Rice Set/和牛サイコロとガーリックライスセット @ RM 25.00 ~ This was very well executed. The tender Australian beef was prepared just right and while the teriyaki sauce was rich, it didn’t overwhelm the meat. Well-marinated and nicely grilled together with loads of garlic, the meat tenderly melts in the mouth. Only one word to describe this — Yummy!

Soft Shell Crab and Chicken Karaage Mini Burger /ソフトシェルクラブと唐揚げミニバーガー @ RM 19.00 ~ I personally feel burger is the trend now. They have all sorts of specialized burger and even Japanese restaurants jumped onto the bandwagon. This burger with the soft shell crab had this firm and crisp texture which was tucked under the fluffy bun while the chicken karaage (deep fried chicken) was crispy, yet the inside was soft and moist. Clever use of mayonnaise helped to eliminate any oily taste from the deep fried stuffs.

It wasn’t a lot of food, but we were actually pretty satisfied by this stage. Nonetheless, we decided to push our luck with the Sanshoku Bento anyway. 

Sanshoku Bento/三色弁当 @ RM 18.00 ~ Still, we gotta have some carbs; the healthier choice was the cold buckwheat soba …The chilled green tea noodle was also one of the better ones we’ve had so far.

Ikura Chawanmushi/イクラ茶碗蒸し @ RM 18.00 ~ The burst-and-melt-in-the-mouth effect from ikura was totally priceless. Salty and with that mild briny aroma to satiate your palate’s craving and one is never enough. Highly addictive and goes so well with the smooth and piping hot chawan mushi. A must-order for Ikura lovers. 

     We enjoyed the meal BUT, it all went downhill from there onwards – when they got our vouchers screwed up. Here’s what happened…

At the end of the meal, we flagged the waitstaff, a foreigner and passed him our discount voucher. He seemed a little lost and  I was a little worried so, I “highlighted” to him twice that the vouchers were printed on both front and back. We gave him a total of 3 vouchers and we knew we only had to top up about 20 bucks max for the meal we had. Five minutes later, the waiter returned and asked that I pay 60 bucks on top of the vouchers and I asked why? He explained that they accidentally keyed in only 2 discount vouchers and was told by his manager that it couldn’t be amended and asked me to use the remaining one on my next visit. Since it was clearly their mistake, I refused and asked  for the manager.  

Soon, this guy Sunny Chia showed up with my vouchers and tried to explain the same thing, what was keyed in cannot be reversed blah blah blah…  He was neither polite or apologetic to begin with, in fact, he was downright rude, arrogant and condescending. He even had the chic to revert the blame back to us, stating that we were “wrong” to print the vouchers on both sides of the paper. What a load of rubbish! (Honestly, I’m more than willing to pay the difference “IF’ the manager handled the issue professionally, afterall, I can still use the extra vouchers on my next visit). By now wifey was really upset and I got seriously pissed!!  I said that I didn’t want explanations…their mistakes should not impact us, the paying customer.  I politely, but in a stern voice told him to fxxx off and take the blame! This is not the first time I use discount vouchers, I reaffirmed, so don’t even try!

The peril of this route, is that we tried, ended up unimpressed, and will never come back, not because the food is lousy but the attitude of the despicable manager that spoilt what would have been a happy and enjoyable outing. .. ..what a bummer! 

• Nichinan Jidoriya
• G(E) 010 & TL(E) 09/02,
• Ground Floor Mid Valley Megamall,
• Lingkaran Syed Putra
• Kuala Lumpur 59200 
•  Tel – 603 2284 1211/2311
• Business hours – 1000-2200
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°07.103  E101º40.587

 

 

Yi Jia House (億家海鲜) @ Bandar Seri Petaling

Seri Petaling has become a very popular food destination as you may find almost all kind of food in this estate. Apart from the food, this place is also known for its notorious traffic. Parking is hell and nightmarish! It’s akin to hitting a jackpot if you find one empty spot during the peak hours! It’s that bad!

Amidst all that, more eateries are mushrooming by the day. Thanks, but no thanks to the newly built shop lots!

One of the new players to open its doors in this new area is Yi Jia House. Many might not have heard of them, me included. YJH has been dishing out fine Cantonese cuisine to its regular customers which include businessmen, casino members, as well as families in Johor. This restaurant strongly emphasis on seafood, especially their signature crab dishes.

YJH is the kind of place where you go for a smart yet casual luncheon with your business associates, or with friends during a gathering, or to celebrate your family member’s birthday, or maybe your own, just like me celebrating mine today!

Occupying a corner lot with a HUGE crab and painted in red, YJH is almost impossible to miss. 

Ground floor was fully occupied and we were ushered to the 1st floor which offers a spacious main dining area and a few private dining rooms which are available for any occasion. 

Be warned though that tables which are away from the a/c units can be quite warm and stuffy, so if you hate sweating while dining like what we experienced tonight, find a table below the a/c unit. (witnessed one selfish customer kept requesting the manager to increase the level of the a/c while others like us were sweating mad!)

Braised Peanuts/卤花生@ RM 5.00 ~ Very pricey for its portion if you ask me..

Bean curd with Salted Vegetable Soup/咸菜豆腐汤 @ RM 24.00 (L) ~ A delightful, clear, yummy-licious comfort soup with salted vegetable as the main ingredient, alongside tofu, tomatoes, carrots and very fresh fish fillets. I prefer mine more sourish and pepperish, so I added chili padi to my bowl for extra uumph! It was really pleasing to the palate.

Braised Bean curd with Four Treasure/四宝豆腐 @ RM 32.00 (L) ~ The beancurd was very smooth, the crunchy broccoli, water chestnut, sliced carrots, succulent prawns, button and abalone mushrooms all bathed in the lovely yummy egg gravy. 

Stir-fry French Bean/四季豆 @ RM 18.00 (M) ~ The crisp texture  of the dried shrimps with the minced pork and some sliced shiitake mushrooms certainly yielded a smoky and appetizing flavor from the normally bland but crunchy french bean. 

Sliced Fish with Ginger & Spring Onion/姜葱鱼片 @ RM 32.00 (L) ~ To me, this was the star of the night. The chunky sliced fillet of the snakehead (haruan) was stir-fried to perfection, with tons of wok hei imparted to it. This small plate of goodness wasn’t enough for us and it was wiped clean in a short span of time. 

Fried Pork Steak with BBQ Sauce/排骨王烧汁 @ RM 22.00 (M) ~  Well executed with juicy and succulent meat, tender and well-marinated with the flavourful bbq sauce. The combination was almost divine. Every bite was filled with satiation.

YI JIA Crispy Chicken/招牌扁扁鸡@ RM 20.00 (M) ~ This was mediocre and disappointing as this was highly recommended by the steward . Somewhat resembled the suckling pig in a bed of sticky, thick sweet sauce which tasted queer and the skins were far from crispy!  There was little sense of satisfaction.   

After waiting for more than 20 minutes (from our last dish) for the crabs and prawns, we decided to cancel them and asked for me birthday cake instead. It sucks when there’s an interval during meals. You just lose the steam! The manager kept telling us the dishes were coming, coming, coming, coming (yawn) but never did. The wait staffs were at a loss for answers when diners from other tables started to ask for their food when they became impatient after waiting for a period of time. The dinner crowd that came in droves only worsen the situation. I pity the workers. We have no qualms as I believe they’ll improve as they move along. I must admit that their prompt service and attentiveness is commendable and made up for all the minor errors. 

Red Drops @ RM 78.00 – Birthday w/o a cake is incomplete, so we (brought along) this beautiful, sexy vanilla chiffon cake with raspberry filling and cheese mousse from Free Mori. I can’t give my two cents worth as I’m not a dessert lover but, it was captivating, even by just looking at it! 

The meal came to RM 203.50, including rice and Chinese tea (普洱茶). Quite reasonable, I might add, despite the disappointing crispy chicken.

Prices are certainly not cheap, only “IF” you go for the crustacean and it is not a place for every day dining. However, for times when you are celebrating an important occasion with your family, YJH is worth the treat.

 

• Restoran Yi Jia House (億家海鲜)
• G-42 & 1-42 Zone J6,
• Jalan Radin Bagus 3,
• Bandar Baru Sri Petaling,
• 57000 Kuala Lumpur.
• Mobile –
• Business hours –
• GPS Coordinates
• N03º 04.202 E101º 41.508

 

 

Lou Tak Steam Fish Head (老德蒸鱼头) @ Salak South Baru

We’ve been wanting to check out this place the minute we hear of it from a friend. We dropped by twice during the Raya holidays but luck was not on our side. They were closed on both occasion! Today is our 3rd attempt and we finally have the chance to find out if this place is as good as claimed.

Popular for their steam fish, Lou Tuck serves fresh and fleshy fishes in four to five styles. Also, they have other varieties of steam dishes such as pork and egg.

Finding this place could be a task. Why? Carry on reading..

See what I mean? Who could have thought of such an eatery by the main road, but hiding in a basement? If weren’t for our friends’ precise directions, it’s almost certain that we’ll never discover it! Who on earth would have thought of setting up a “makan” place below a building in the first place I wonder? 

Well, even with the inconspicuous location, Lou Tuck has been operating for the last four years and with a steady stream of faithful followers filling up the place as early as they open for business.  The place is very clean and cooling , so no worries over the hot weather in Malaysia. Don’t be prejudiced with the unassuming place, it’s better than you think!

Order is taken almost immediately after we sat down by owner Lou Tuck. Friendly guy, down to earth (the kind who’d advise you not to overly order). Heartening to know, the boss cooks and plates everything himself, so standard is maintained.

Poached Village Chicken/白切鸡 @ RM 42.00/half bird/半只鸡 ~ Chicken texture is a little hard as expected but it’s easy to eat. Very little fat and taste wise, just decent,  nothing spectacular. Also, the sauce is on the salty side. If you ask me, nothing beats the poached  chicken at Lek Lek. 

Hakka Braised Pork Belly/客家炸猪肉 @ RM 20.00 ~ Solid pieces of pork belly with the lean layers barely held together with the softened fat skins swelled in braising liquid. Since the fats were so sinful, some of my eating kakis have to cut off the fat stripe on the last few pieces to justify finishing off the plate, but finish it off we did.

Apart from the braised pork belly, there’s also the well received steamed pork with salted fish which is available only on Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays.

Blanched Vegetable/油菜  @ RM 15.00 ~ A simple plate of vegetables to balance the sinful lunch. It’s nice, crunchy and the sauce is delectable.

Steamed Fish Head/蒸松鱼头 @ RM 34.00 ~ This whopping 1.4kg Song fish head was fresh and there was no “muddy” taste at all. The slightly bland, flaky flesh was well complimented by the salty, savoury soy sauce, a good dash of fried garlic oil and a splash of shaoxing wine. Garnished with generous amount of parsley, sliced ginger and cut red chillies, this ever famous fish head is so good when eaten hot!

 (Look out for this huge yellow DIGI sign from the main road, directly opposite KKIA/Klinik Kesihatan Ibu Dan Anak). With that in sight, you’re at the right place!

Brunch came up to RM 119.00 only and obviously there is no tax nor additional charges whatsoever.  It’s surprisingly reasonable considering the popularity LT is enjoying and also the generous portion served. However, I found the chook a little expensive, given the fact that it’s only half a bird! However, it’s a nice experience and certainly a good place to enjoy a good plate of steam fish head whenever you are hungering for one. 

• Restoran Lou Tuck (老德蒸鱼头)
• No. 7, Jalan 1
• Salak South Baru
• 57100 Kuala Lumpur.
• Mobile – 012-334 1688 (Lou Tuck)
• Business hours – 1100-1500
• Closed – Sundays
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°05.446  E101°42.113

Yuen Kee Hong Kong Style Roast (源记/文明记港式烧臘面饭店) @ Setia Alam, Shah Alam

I was in Setia Alam today for a Therapeutic therapy which Cat insisted I should try. Anyway, I won’t be touching on that coz I don’t know how effective it will be. I might, someday blog about it when I find that it worked on me.

We reached SA around 2pm and were looking for a place to have lunch and wanted something very quick as our appointment was just 30 minutes away. Also, as we were already hungry, we wasted no time and just went into this restaurant that has this huge signboard selling Hong Kong Style Roast items which was just a few doors away. We stepped in as the friendly owner greeted us with a smile and ushered us to our table.

Dry Wanton Noodle/干捞云吞面 @ RM 4.00 ~ Mom ordered the dry version of wtm which came with a few mini wantons in a bowl of soup. Mee was ok, springy and bathed with the normal dark caramel sauce. Wantons on the other hand were forgettable.

Hainan Kampung Chicken/菜园白切鸡 @ RM 12.00/2pax ~ Chicken was chopped into very small pieces which I absolutely detest. Meat were stale and even the minced ginger did not help a bit. 

Roasted Duck/烧鸭 @ RM 6.00 ~ Soggy rice with 7 pieces of roast duck and again was a letdown! I could only taste 5 spice powder and nothing else. 

BBQ Pork/叉燒 @ RM 12.00/2pax ~ Char siew was dry and a tad salty.  It did not even qualify to pass the standard quality of any hawkers. When we enquired why the dish was so salty, the owner gave us a surprised look and dipped his pinky into the sauce right in front of our eyes to justify our claim. We were like..WHAT?? His reason was, the sauce was prepared by his worker (foreigner) as those done by him had ran out. Both his method of tasting the sauce and the lame reason was really appalling! He didn’t even feel any bad over his way below par dishes!

Bill came to RM 35.00. Price is agreeable but sadly, everything we ordered was a disaster. The food in general was either too salty, tasteless or seriously lacking good flavours.  I doubt I’ll ever visit this restaurant again.

• Restoran Yuen Kee (源记/文明记港式烧臘面饭店)
• No. 15, Jalan Setia Prima KU13/K
• Setia Alam
• 40170 Shah Alam
• Selangor.
• Tel –
• Business hours –
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°05.884  E101°26.721

The Home Cooking Dishes (鼎豐 (家鄉菜) 饭店) @ Sungai Way, PJ

Randy & Sara has been raving about this place for some time now. Since we’ve not met up since the last outing at Reunion Bangsar, a weekend lunch was arranged. We left home early in order to avoid the lunch crowd as seemingly, this place is often crowded, always packed and you really have to be there early, else risk missing out on the good stuffs, or waiting relentlessly for a seat as this place can accommodate at most, 12 or so tables of patrons. 

Tucked hidden somewhere in Sungai Way, this is an eatery with almost zero media fanfare, publicity, nor even barely noticed from the main roads. The most prominent landmark had to be the Sri Sakthi Easwari Alayam temple which is across the road. Location details to come at the end of the post, predictably.

From the outside, this appeared to be nothing more than a shack; until you walk in and witness for yourself the sea of people eating away while those who are in the queue for a table stands next to you, pressuring and breathing down your neck, telling you to quickly finish up and get lost!

A bare all kitchen where all can see how their flavorful dishes are prepared..

King Vege/帝王苗 @ RM 8.80 (S/小) ~ I like the name but not the taste. There’s nothing special to this green except only the “distinctive” name. In fact, it tasted bitter. I’ll avoid this the next time. 

Claypot Tofu/瓦煲豆腐 @ RM 9.80 (S/小) ~ Tofu cooked claypot style with a variety of vegetables and seafood should spell aromatic, but, this deal seriously lacked flavor. It was very ordinary and forgettable.

Happy Kampung Chicken/走地甘榜鸡 @ RM 22.80 (S/小) ~ The village chicken was chewy with heavier taste of chicken poached to a marvelous extent; retaining the natural juiciness of the flesh with a toothsome bite. 

Minced ginger in shallot oil accompanied by a plate of bright orange chilli sauce offer a multitude of dunking possibilities.

 Steamed Grouper with Minced Ginger/姜茸石斑@ RM 24.80 (S/小) ~  If you’re not fond of bones in your fish like me, settle for this awesome steamed  grouper filleted version instead. Drenched in basic soy sauce, sesame and garlic oil combination, the fillets were extremely flaky, sweet and is steamed to retain its precious flavor.  The additional fried minced garlic, chopped fresh coriander and julienned ginger provide an extra zing to the dish. 

Fried Kangkong with Shrimp Sauce/虾酱雍菜 @ RM 12.80 (S/小) ~ Again some greens to balance the meal. Served in clay pot, It’s crunchy and very flavorful, with the shrimp sauce not being overly empowering, just nicely done. We were glad to have made this choice.

Long Bean Roasted Pork/豆角烧肉@ RM 9.80 (S/小) ~ The beans were tasty while retained its crunch, but the roast pork were a let down. Not only it did not stand out, it lacked flavor, dry and tough. 

Char Siew/拖地叉烧 (L/大) @ RM 25.00 ~ Nicely caramelized, smoky aroma charred crust with a good proportion of lean and fat layer. The meat beneath the greasy exterior melts in your mouth tenderly without much biting or chewing needed. Certainly did not disappoint but, it didn’t knock me off my socks either. I still prefer Brother Kuan’s!

Chef taking a break after the lunch crowd dispersed; around 1425..

As we were leaving, the lunch crowd started to swell again.. this was taken at 1450.. unbelievable!

The meal came to only RM 128.70 for 5a/2c inclusive of rice and drinks. The dishes could easily have fed 8 adults without much problem, for we were struggling to polish up the plates towards the end of our meal.

Besides the mentioned items, they also have fresh from the oven roast pork which is only available on Friday nights. Other notable specialty including the curry fish which I’ll be back for.

So, if you plan on dropping by, it’s best to come early as they don’t entertain advance reservations. 

• The Home Cooking Dishes/鼎豐 (家鄉菜) 饭店
• No. 555, Jalan SS9A/2
• Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.
• Mobile – 016-677 3200
• email – thefujude@gmail.com
• Business hours – 1145-1430/1730-2100
• Closed – Tuesdays
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°05.300  E101°36.912

Dragon Star Inn Hai Nam Chicken Rice (龙门星店 SUKI 正宗海南鸡饭) @ Taman Supreme, Cheras

I’ve heard of this chicken rice stall for like…. God knows how long. From relatives to friends, all of them swore by it and told me that die die I must try and assured me that I’ll never visit other chicken rice stall again after tasting this particular one. 

I’ve tried driving around looking for this stall once but failed, so I got extremely excited when I drove passed it by chance today, after a movie at a nearby mall.

Situated in an alley off Jalan Jintan 2, it is claimed that this stall serve one of the best and most authentic ‘Hainanese Chicken Rice’. While I cannot confirm this, I can attest to the accolades given to this place. Apparently, this place is always pack during lunch hours.

Knowing the trend, I came outside lunch hour, around 2++, short wait and was served almost immediately after seated. On top of the service, the place is also clean and airy.

Hainanese Chicken Rice @ RM 14.00/2pax ~ The chicken does not appear appetizing at first glance but were satisfactory and certainly not the best I’ve ever had. Somehow, it just lacked that aromatic chicken flavor that I was in search for. I didn’t feel like it was extremely out of this world and any  better than those served at hawkers. 

The rice on the other hand was pretty good. Although it is not of high quality it is still well cooked – not lumpy and has a nice chicken stock fragrance. The chili sauce is worth mentioning too. It makes a perfect complement to the meat and the rice. 

Service was pretty quick. The food was fine, although not fantastic, and the price was decent. I think it’s more worth going just to say that I went but I wouldn’t go out of my way to return. . Maybe I came with high expectations after hearing all the praises. To be honest, it’s not the place I’ll linger for. It wasn’t such a big deal after all.

• Dragon Star Inn Hai Nam Chicken Rice (龙门星店 SUKI 正宗海南鸡饭)
• Lorong Jintan 2
• Taman Supreme
• 56100 Kuala Lumpur.
• Mobile – 016-697 1858
• Business hours  – 0900-1500
• Closed – Sundays
• GPS Coordinates
• N03°05.901  E101°44.601