Junning into the Walks of Ken

Room Eighteen Modern Chinese Set Meal @ Tropicana City Mall, PJ

2011-06-17T22:28:00.003+08:00

Room Eighteen is another new chain oriental restaurant introduced by Tai Thong Resources Group that mostly target teenagers to young working adults as their customer base. Their concept is to serve fast quality Chinese food with an equal relaxed quality environment which we usually experience only in an authentic Chinese restaurant.

Recently, I was with Zoe at Room Eighteen in Tropicana City Mall for a redemption of modern Chinese set meal from MyDEAL which featured 6 dishes and 2 drinks for the both of us. I have dined in Room Eighteen before but as for this branch, it is my very first time.

Room Eighteen, Tropicana City Mall

Golden lighting with golden plated wall and yellow cushioned seats are of the setting in Room Eighteen, resembling a luxurious dining environment.
Gold colour represents luxurious

Iced Ying Yong
A drink that consisted the combination of tea and coffee, originated from Hong Kong. It was decent in taste.

And our 6 dishes of the set meal for the night were as followed.

Koh Samui's Hot Stone Shark's Fin Soup
Apart from the soup is being served in the hot stone, this acclaimed Koh Samui's shark's fin soup is very identical to the one we usually had. Whether it is incidental or coincidence, I find the soup is too starchy for my liking. Shark's fin were lacking as well.

Stir-Fried Venison with Chinese Cruller
The Chinese called it as luk yuk which literally means meat from the deer. The deer meat is stir-fried with oil fritters which made up a good unique combination of a tender meat and crunchy fritters experience in their flavourful specialty sauce. I'd have always love deer meat due to it's tenderness and this didn't disappoint.

Home Signatured Mixed Vegetables
Consisted of carrots, green peas, dry Chinese fungus and lotus root. Such a vegetarian cuisine!

Deep Fried Squid with Salted Egg Yolk
Lovely dish with a lovely experience. The salted egg yolk melts in your mouth even before you start to chew on the squid. The lovely preparation here should serve as a benchmark for this style of cuisine. This got to be our pick for that night.

Signature Pumpkin Fried Rice
Initially I thought this cuisine will resulted to a very sweet taste from the pumpkin flavour. Well, I was wrong and much to my delight, the pumpkin flesh is diced instead of being all over the fried rice. It tasted like an ordinary fried rice and the pumpkin taste was insignificant.

Sweetened Sago Watermelon & Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera and watermelon simply made a good combination for a cold and refreshing dessert.

Zoe new hair cut to compliment with a new dining experience

I supposed the deal is pretty good as we get to experience some special cuisine in a cozy environment which we seldom have the chance to.

Courtesy from MyDEAL

For the deal, we paid a total of RM 39.90 nett for a single voucher which entitle us for the 6 course Chinese set meal redemption. Total savings from the deal was RM 63.60 (RM 103.50 - RM 39.90). I wonder whether will there be anyone willing to pay this set meal at the normal price of RM 103.50. As for me, I will definitely not and will only revisit for their future valuable promotion, if there is any.

Atmosphere: 7/10

Food: 5.5/10
Price: 3/10 (base on normal price)
Verdict: Food was decent but the normal item are exorbitantly priced!

Room 18 Tropicana City Mall
Lot G-35, Ground Floor
Tropicana City Mall
N0. 3, Jalan SS20/27
47400, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: +603 - 7728 8128
Business hours: Monday to Sunday: 11 am - 10 pm daily

Joseph Kitchen @ Menara UOA, Bangsar

2011-05-26T16:04:00.005+08:00

The online vouchers craze has hit the Malaysians mid of last year and had been growing steadily ever since. At the very beginning, I was skeptical to purchase those online vouchers, simply because I was in doubt as some of the deals are too good to be true.

Everything has it's first time. My first purchase was of online vouchers was back in March with MyDEAL, one of the few online voucher portal in Malaysia. The deal entitled me to redeem a 3 course set meal at Joseph @ Kitchen Cafe located in Menara UOA at Bangsar.

Joseph @Kitchen, Menara UOA Bangsar

The cafe isn't very big but the setting are rather spacious and cozy, offering a relaxed ambiance for those who dine in or even a coffee break.

Little place but a cozy atmosphere

The redemption of the 3 course set meal includes an appetizer, a main course and a dessert to be chosen from the menu specially cater for MyDEAL customers. The deal also includes a free flow of drinks with a choice of ice lemon tea or fruit juice.

Exclusive menu for MyDEAL customers

Ice Lemon Tea
The first serving came alright but the eventual servings were slightly diluted. Well, it's free flow, so I've got no complain but the eventual servings could have been better.

Next, came the appetizer.

Italian's Ball Platter (RM 12 per platter)
Homemade fried cheesy meat balls and potatoes with shrimp.
The meat balls were not as cheesy as claimed by it's description. The potatoes with shrimp meanwhile tasted very ordinary, where it features potato strips coating the near to tasteless shrimp.

Creamy White Mushroom (RM 8)
Stir fried white button mushroom, onions with creamy white sauces and topped with almond flakes and herb. Our second appetizer and this was the bomb! The white button mushrooms were so juicy and blends well with the thick creamy white sauces. The hint fragrance from the almond flakes is like icing on the cake.

The main course came shortly after the appetizers were served.

Carbonara (RM 14)
Creamy white sauce with turkey strips and egg.
Wonderful carbonara, just the perfect flavour and the sauce thickness that I wanted in a good carbonara. Two thumbs up!

Grilled Lamb Chop (RM 15)
Grilled lamb shoulder with black pepper sauce that is served with salad and fries.
The lamb were rightly cooked to my liking as it resulted to a tender and juicy meat. The black pepper sauce were as great, offering a real thick and pepperish flavour to the already well marinated lamb chop. The only downside of this is that the serving of the lamb chop are rather small.

Creme Brulee
Zoe ordered this as her dessert. I don't really fancy this dessert as I find it too sweet for my liking. All I can say is that, the experience of it is like having a pudding with melted sugar as the icing on top. Sounds very sweet, isn't it?

Banana Split
A rather very ordinary dessert that is not helped by the bland taste of the ice cream.

Me and Zoe enjoying our deal at Joseph Kitchen, Menara UOA Bangsar

I reckoned the deal was pretty a steal considering the quality of the food that we had and as well as the bottomless drinks which includes the choice of fruit juice (though a little diluted).

Courtesy from MyDEAL

For the deal, we paid a total of RM 39.80 for two online vouchers which entitle us to a two set redemption. Total savings from the deal was RM 40 (RM 79.80 - RM 39.80). It has been sometimes since I last had some western food as good as this, and Joseph @ Kitchen certainly does worth a revisit.

*Price shown in the pictures above are at normal price.

Atmosphere: 6.5/10

Food: 6.5/10
Price: 5/10 (base on normal price)
Verdict: One of the better western food that I've had experienced!

Joseph @ Kitchen Menara UOA Bangsar
Unit 2-7, Second Floor
Menara UOA Bangsar
Jalan Bangsar Utama
59000, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 03 - 2282 2242
Business hours: Monday to Friday: 7.30 am - 9 pm, Saturday: 8.30 am - 8 pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Website: http://www.josephkitchen.com.my

Mum's 56th Birthday, Hi Tea @ Dorsett Regency Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

2011-05-15T12:31:00.003+08:00

Throughout the years, my Mum has always enjoyed buffets/hi-teas , especially those from the 5-stars hotel. When asked on why she is so into buffet dining, my Mum commented that she loves the wide spread selection of the food where it enhances her appetite.

It was my Mum's birthday during last February, and again she insisted on buffet dining. This time round, we decided to have a hi-tea at Checkers Cafe of Dorsett Regency Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Checkers Cafe at Dorsett Regency Hotel Kuala Lumpur

My mum fell in love with the lime tree

Chinese New Year was still ongoing during the time of visit and as such, the cafe was in a reddish mood, decorated with red cloth and cherry blossom.

Very relaxing ambiance

We were the only customers in the whole cafe upon our arrival. The numbers picked up eventually, but only by another two tables. Nonetheless, we were grateful as it gave us an absolute relaxing environment to enjoy our hi-tea.

1,2,3 - Time to survey the food spread

We started by this corner where it have a few chef preparing some fresh food such as satay and fried stuff.

The Chef Corner

Here are some of the spread from the Chef Corner.

Sushi
There were only two types of sushi featured here, makisushi and inari sushi. How I wish there were some sashimi especially salmon.

Chawanmushi
Japanese steamed egg in a cup that consists of some meat and ginkgo beneath.

Mixed Fried Stuff
It is hot from the wok. Onion rings, calamari rings, crab claws and some fish balls were the notable one.

Those that dislike oily food may find the steamboat platter rather interesting.

Steamboat with variety of ingredients
From vegetables, meat to seafood, just pick your favourite one and blanch them all.

We noted something special being featured in the buffet spread.

Fish Head Noodles

Fish Head Noodles
It was decent but could have been better with thicker condensed milk, at least for me.

Next, we look into the appetizer and the main course corner.

Appetizer and Main Course Corner

I must admit that some of their appetizer looked too good to be appetizer. Some of them were prepared and presented in a very artistic way.

Love the colourful spread that look so cheerful

Ready salad in a tea cup

Fresh Garden Salad

Luncheon Ham
Lovely luncheon ham that has a soft yet tender texture.

Mussels, Oysters and Prawns

Steamed Dumpling

Dim Sum
A below par dim sum.

Stew Beef with Vegetables

Fried Clam in Kam-Heong Style
Pretty decent though but cannot be compared to those from the hawker which tasted much better.

Assorted Buns

Mixed Fruits with shrimp paste a.k.a Rojak

In conjunction with the Chinese New Year festival, there was also a platter of Yee Sang added to the spread.

Yee Sang

Assorted local fruits

Whenever I'm at a buffet, I'm always excited to check out the spread at the For the Checkers Cafe, I must say that their desserts corner did not disappoint.

Desserts Corner

Fruit Punch
Consisted of tropical fruits, longan and lychee.

Ice-shaved desserts
Mix your own ingredients for a customize bowl of ice-shaved dessert.

For those with sweet tooth

Local Delights - Kuih Koci
Glutinous rice to compliment with cocunut flesh that were dunked in gula Melaka.

Local delights - Kuih Lapis

If the local delights do not appeal to your taste, worry not because they have plenty of cakes to choose from.

Plenty of cakes and pastries to offer

Cakes, cakes and cakes
I had no chance to try even one of them as I was too full with food.

Assorted pastries and cookies
My personal favourite would be the fruit tarts and chocolate cookies.

Chocolate Fondue
This made my day, as I've always love to dip some fruits and pastry into it.

No Baskin Robbins or Haagen-Daz ice cream but they offer some pretty decent ice cream to satisfy our ice cream craving.

My customize ice cream

Busy with the food

A little bit of this and that

The hospitality and the services of the Checker's Cafe attendant were excellent. Not only did they continuously offering to help us to snap pictures, they manage to fulfill our demands.

Firstly, we wanted to have a personal Yee Sang for toss. Our initial demand was rejected by one of the attendant citing that we need to order a personal platter separately as it is not included as part of the buffet. However, later on, another attendant together with the manager on duty prepared a special mini plate of Yee Sang for us, using those ingredients from the main Yee Sang platter.

Our customize Yee Sang by the attendant

Tossing for a better health and wealth

My second wish to the attendant was to have a birthday cake for my mum but I was told that prior notice was required so that they could prepare the cake. Well, I was a little disappointed at first but I was caught by surprise eventually. The attendant creatively prepared a slice of cake that came together with candle as a birthday cake for my mum.

My lovely Mum with the special piece of cake

You are getting younger Mum!

Happy Birthday Mum!

Although the hi tea were of nothing spectacular, but looking at your parents enjoying themselves is the best gift you could get when you buy them some meal. I promise to buy them more meals in the future and hoping with many happy returns. Happy 56th Birthday Mum and hope you have had a great one!

Back to the old school of sephia

Family portrait

Overall, I would say that the hi-tea spread at Checkers Cafe of Dorsett Regency KL met my expectation but nothing of spectacular. It might have a wide selection when it comes to dessert, but the main course was slightly off the track. The good thing is that, they have discounts for senior citizens who are above 55 years old.

This hi-tea at Checkers Cafe of Dorsett Regency KL starts from 12pm to 4pm and available on the weekends and public holidays. It is priced at RM 60++ per person with kids aged from 4 to 12 years old and senior citizens eligible for a 50 % discount.

Atmosphere: 8/10
Food: 5/10
Spread: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Apart from the excellent hostess service, there is nothing much to shout about the food.

Checkers Cafe Coffee House
Dorsett Regency Hotel Kuala Lumpur
172, Jalan Imbi
55100
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 2716 1000
Fax: 603 - 2715 5000

Restoran Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh @ SS 15, Subang Jaya

2011-04-29T11:21:00.001+08:00

It may be a common thing for a fast food chain to bloom up like a mushroom after the rain. However, for a Chinese food like Bak Kut Teh to bloom up so quickly under the same name is a very occasion, if not none.

Be it franchise or under the same owner with multiple branches, Pao Xiang Famous Tied String Meat Bak Kut Teh indeed is an emerging brand name of Bak Kut Teh that has itself established since 2006. Ranging from shop outlets to even shopping malls, Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh has 19 outlets in Malaysia to boast with. Until only recently, I've decided to give Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh a try with Zoe at the outlet located in SS 15, Subang Jaya.

Restoran Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh in SS 15, Subang Jaya

The setting of the outlet is very much on the traditional side with wooden chairs, marble tables and Chinese calligraphy gracing the layout.

A resemblance of an ancient Chinese restaurant setting

Their menu

In contrast to the Bak Kut Teh that are always served in claypot, Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh maintain the traditional form of serving - in a ceramic bowl.

The traditional way of Bak Kut Teh serving

Bak Kut Teh is best enjoyed when the soup are served piping hot. However, this is not achievable if they were serve traditionally. However, Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh came out with a brilliant idea to counter this, by heating the ceramic bowl beneath with fuel wax. The constant heating were appreciated as the soup will not lose it's heat but can only get hotter.

Fuel wax to heat the ceramic bowl beneath

When dining in Pao Xiang, we cannot order a bowl of Bak Kut Teh that consist a mixture of different parts of the meat and intestines. At Pao Xiang, each bowl of Bak Kut Teh consisted of the only same part of meat or intestines. Having said so, if you want to enjoy 3 different parts of the meat, you will have to order 3 bowls that each consist a different type of the meat.

Sum Chan Bah aka Pork Belly (RM 9.50 per bowl)

The soup were very thick, flavourful and have a strong presence of herbal aroma. Upon after each mouthful of the soup, it gave you an experience that resembles a layer of oil lingering in your mouth due to the thickness of the soup. As for the meat, I really appreciate the huge chunks of pork belly that consist a good balance between meat and fat.

Teng Kia aka Pork Intestines (RM 9.50 per bowl)
The intestines were so chewy and well-infused with the strong herb taste of Bak Kut Teh. Another plus point is that there were not any unpleasant taste from the intestines.

Pork Stomach Intestines (RM 9.50 per bowl)

One of my favourite intestines and this didn't disappoint. The intestines were serve in a very large and thick pieces, offering a good chew. It came in a very generous portion as well.

It is always good to order a pot of tea to compliment your Bak Kut Teh. According to my dad, the tea will cleanse our digestive system after an oily meal especially Bak Kut Teh.

Cha Wang Tea (RM 5 per teabag)

The total amount for the bill came to RM 37.50 which inclusive of rice and 5 % service charge(guess it is the only Bak Kut Teh stall that imposed such charges). With the quality of ingredients and the generousness of the serving, I find the the food were reasonably priced. However, I find the Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh soup and the taste were just too thick for my liking. Perhaps, it only suits those that really love the thick and a strong presence of herbal aroma in their Bak Kut Teh soup.

Atmosphere: 6/10

Food: 5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 5.5/10
Verdict: Only for those who love to enjoy thick Bak Kut Teh soup!

Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
SS 15 Outlet
No 56, Jalan SS15/4
Subang Jaya
46500, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03 - 5621 1779

Restoran Puchong Yong Tau Fo @ Bandar Puteri, Puchong

2011-04-25T11:09:00.005+08:00

I'm a big fan of Yong Tau Foo. I would not have known that Puchong have places that serve good and tasty Yong Tau Foo until my parents brought me to the stall located in Batu 14 Puchong years back. Since then, I've learn that Puchong has their very own version of Yong Tau Foo as well.

It was one fine Sunday when I was hunting for food with my parents in Bandar Puteri Puchong. Then our attention was caught by a rather striking orange colour signboard. It reads, Restoran Puchong Yong Tau Fo. Since my family always have the craving for Yong Tau Foo, we decided to give it a try.

Restoran Puchong Yong Tau Fo, Bandar Puteri

I supposed it's business started not too long ago as almost everything from the table to the renovation looks new to me. Apart from that, I'm rather impressed with their cleanliness of the business premise as well.

Two thumbs up for the premise cleanliness

The first thing that you need to do before you get to enjoy your Puchong Yong Tau Foo is to head to the corner to pick your own un-stuffed Yong Tau Foo. They have plenty of varieties here, namely: brinjals, ladies finger, bitter groud, red chillies, fu chuk(beancurd skin) and tau pok. After picking them up with the tongs, just hand it over to the person in charge before returning to your table to wait for your Yong Tau Foo to be served.

Pick what you want

Besides Yong Tau Foo, they do offer other food as well.

Paper Wrap Chicken (RM 3.50)
This is one of the many side dishes that I won't miss ordering ever since my first visit. The chicken was well marinated and were overwhelmed with gravy, much to my liking. Be caution when you are unwrapping, because it is served pipping hot. Remember to ask for different part of the chicken as well, because I was being served chicken wing for twice already, how unfortunate!

Chee Cheong Fun (RM 0.70 per roll)
They serve the round Chee Cheong Fun here. Pretty ordinary, and a good substitute to rice.

Even though there was a large crowd, our Yong Tau Foo was served to us in less than 15 minutes.

Puchong Yong Tau Foo in Soup (RM 1.20 per piece)

Fish paste genuinity, where it should have the sweetness and a fresh fish aroma less the muddy taste and to compliment with a spongy texture, is what that distinguish a good Yong Tau Foo. At here, the fish paste scored well for me to reckon it as a good Yong Tau Foo. Not only that, the ingredients were very fresh as well.

The second thing that you should not miss out when having Puchong Yong Tau Foo is to have some sips in their soup.

Puchong Yong Tau Foo soup with star gooseberry
The soup here are no ordinary soup where you usually find it at a normal Yong Tau Foo stall. The soup were brimming with sweetness that will keep you sipping it. It makes me wonder at times, how much MSG have they poured in to the soup. However, I don't feel the extra thirst after the meal and that does the soup a justice. If you are fan of su chai choy (sweet leaves or gooseberry), you will love the abundance of it in the soup.

Deep fried stuffed egg plants (RM 1.20 per piece)
One of my favourite piece of ingredient during my Yong Tau Foo feast. I'd particularly like the generousness of the fish paste stuffed into the egg plants.

How can a good Yong Tau Foo be deprived of deep fried ingredients stuffed with paste. They have the usual variety like bean curd skin, sui kow (dumpling) and even oil fritters.

Mixed Variety of Deep Fried Puchong Yong Tau Foo (RM 1.20 per piece)
Among the varieties, you should not miss out the deep fried fu chuk(bean curd skin). Contrast to the usual preparation where the fu chuk piece is rolled, the fu chuck piece here with fish paste spread on top of it are being deep fried in a piece. It resulted to a tremendous crispiness of the fu chuk that went so well with the fish paste.

At RM 1.20 for a piece of Yong Tau Foo, some would reckon that it is a little pricey. However, I find the price are reasonable with the fact that the Yong Tau Foo pieces are huge and came with a very generous stuffing of genuine fish paste.

Forget about traveling to the deeper area of Puchong in Batu 14. I find this place serve equally good Puchong Yong Tau Foo, if not better. You will not be disappointed.

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 8/10
Price: 6.5/10
Verdict: A new place to satisfy my craving for good Yong Tau Foo!

Restoran Puchong Yong Tau Fo
No 21, Jalan Puteri 2/2
Bandar Puteri
47100, Puchong
Selangor

Business hours: 11.30 am - 9 pm daily

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist @ Sunway Pyramid

2011-04-21T08:52:00.003+08:00

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist started off their business with a shop in Subang Indah shop lots in the early 90's. Back then, they were considered to be one of the shop that serves better wonton noodles around the Subang neighbourhood area.

When Sunway Pyramid opened it's door to the public in 1995, Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist expand it's business by opening a branch here. Even though it has shifted from it's original shop location in Sunway Pyramid, it still continues to present until today.

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist

Various drinks are there to be chosen from the menu. But, I'm into Chinese tea as of late.

Chinese Tea (RM 1.60)

Throughout the years, beside the wonton noodles, there are many other type of cuisine that is added to the menu. However, my preference would still be their wanton noodles.

Hong Kong Wanton Noodles (RM 8.50)
Whenever I opted for wonton noodles, I am very particular with the textures of their noodles. The noodles here were on the springy side and there is no hint of unpleasant lye water taste, much to my pleasure. As for the gravy, I would rate it as very average as it lacked the fragrance that brings out a better a flavour to the noodles.

Hong Kong Crispy Roasted Duck Noodles (RM 10.50)
The duck meat were tender and juicy but the skin were not as crispy as it claims. The roasted duck were lacking in flavour as well. I would rate it as very average despite it's fancy name.

Shrimp and Meat Wanton in Soup (RM 7.20 for 6 pcs)
The wanton tasted alright but the shrimp within and the meat portion were very small. Judging from the price attached to it, I expected a bigger size of wanton.

This stall used to be one of the stall where I can get better taste of wanton noodles. However on my previous visit after a long absence, I find the taste and the quality has deteriorated. The only thing that I saw an increase is the price tag of the food (with 10 % service charge on top of the total bill).

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 4/10
Verdict: Not a place anymore to satisfy my craving for wanton noodles. The taste and the portion of the food do not justice to the price attached to it!

Yip's Kitchen Noodle Specialist
Lot LG2.52-53, Lower Level Two
Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall
3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway
46150, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 603 - 7492 6028

Restoran Hai Thian @ Bandar Putra Permai, Seri Kembangan

2011-04-18T09:30:00.002+08:00

It was the birthday of my senior cousin brother. A little celebration was thrown amongst the close knitted relatives to mark this memorable day. We were invited for a dinner at Restaurant Hai Thian located in a fairly new township of Bandar Putra Permai.

This would be my first time visiting this restaurant which has a rather interesting name, Hai Thian, which literally means "sea sky". Nonetheless, I was hoping that the food served on the night would be as interesting as well, if not better.

Restaurant Hai Thian

The restaurant was nicely setup with some ancient touch of Chinese settings. While I was quite impressed with their settings, however it is not the case for their ambiance as I find the noise level here were higher than a usual Chinese restaurant.

A Saturday night and it was very crowded

As I was looking around, my attention was caught by some drawings on the restaurant's pillar.

Ancient Chinese wordings art

Our dinner started momentarily where we were each served with a personal serving of appetizer.

A little Buddha statue on the lid?

From the outlook of the bowl, I'd guess that it would be some kind of shark fin soup. And, I was wrong the moment I uncovered it. It was actually the authentic Chinese premium soup of all time, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
The bowl consisted of a big juicy scallop, pieces of fish maws and a chunk of escargot. It was a bowl of soup that are full with goodies that are supposed to heal you. It tasted very rich but it is not something that I fancy a lot.

Two Combination of Prawn Platter
It came in two flavour, breaded prawn with Nestum and fried prawn coated with mayonnaise. The fried prawn coated with mayonnaise tasted very ordinary while the Nestum prawn fared a little bit better with the Nestum fragrant blending in well with the prawn. Nonetheless, the prawns served were very fresh, offering a spongy texture.

Special Steamed Tilapia Fish
It is called "Yau Wat" style in Cantonese, which literally means the fish is prepared by soaking the fish briefly in the oil. Having said so, the end result is a very oily cuisine. Though it surprisingly tasted good with the shallots and the fried garlic blending in well, it is a big no no for diet watcher.

Stir Fried Green Pea with Scallops
It was served with a generous servings of fresh and juicy scallops. Apart from it, I'd particularly like the light seasoning where it brings out best the sweetness and the freshness of the green peas.

Two Combination of Chicken Platter
One of it was the roasted chicken while the other one was the fried breaded chicken. A pretty ordinary cuisine.

Braised Pork Ribs
The meat were braised so well that you could felt the meat were melting in the mouth. Not only that, the gravy were brimming with flavour too and it went so well with the accompanying man tao(bun). It was one of my favourite dish for the night.

Braised Longevity Noodles
Every Chinese believed that longevity noodles is a must during a birthday occasion. I used to enjoy this dish a lot, but on that night, I just had a very small portion of it. Tasteless is the word to define it all.

Longevity Bun
Looked cute, but I can't consume them as I'm allergy to the lotus paste within.

Sweetened Longan Syrup Dessert
It can only be better if they were served with herbal jelly.

The Jelly Birthday Cake

My parents with Sister Lai Fong and the Birthday Man

Happy Birthday Cousin Brother with many happy returns!=)

I would reckon that some of the food that I ate that night were not something that I usually will have for a dinner. Overall, the food were rather enjoyable even though there were some misses. If you'd ask me whether will I revisit this restaurant, my answer will be a straight yes.

Thank you cousin brother for inviting us to the dinner. We hope you have enjoyed on that night as much as we do.

Atmosphere: 5/10 (slightly noisy)

Food: 6.5/10 (non-halal)
Price: Unknown
Verdict: Love the stir fried green peas with scallops and the pork ribs!

Restoran Hai Thian
No. 9, Jalan BPP 8/2
Bandar Putra Permai
43300, Seri Kembangan
Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 8943 5002 / 603 - 8948 8781 / 603 - 8945 4160
Business hours: Lunch 11 am - 2.30 pm daily; Dinner 5 pm - 10.30 pm daily
(Closes on every Monday except if public holidays fall on the Monday)

OldTown White Coffee @ Central Market, Kuala Lumpur

2011-04-12T11:08:00.005+08:00

They started off as only a mere coffee shop in Ipoh. As the business is passed on to the younger generation, the brand of Old Town White Coffee just keep on growing. Not only that their product of white coffee is getting so popular in the supermarkets, you will also notice that Old Town White Coffee is blooming out like a mushroom all over the place in Malaysia.

Operating in a franchise manner, every OldTown White Coffee shop offers the same signature drinks and food. Each of the shop are designed alike too, resembling the old-fashioned coffee shop layout but with a modern twist; air-conditioned and the availability of free Wi-Fi connectivity.

OldTown White Coffee in Central Market, Kuala Lumpur

Recently, I was at Central Market accompanying my cousins, Judy Jie Jie and Jin Sern to shop for souvenirs for their friends abroad. Not being home for more than 6 years, Judy Jie Jie just can't had enough of Malaysian food, she decided to had the tea time at Old Town White Coffee in Central Market.

Hot White Coffee (RM 3.50)
The signature drink of Old Town White Coffee. The coffee tasted decent to me, but I find it slightly on the sweet side with less coffee aroma.

Hot White Coffee Gao (RM 3.50)
I'd definitely prefer this. The sweetness is just great, blending well with the richer coffee aroma.

Here are some of the their signature food that we ordered.

OldTown Rendang Chicken Rice (RM 10.50)
One of a local delight, the rice is being served with sambal, cucumber, papadam (fried chips) and a piece of rendang chicken. Similar to nasi lemak, a greatness of this local delight is determined by the taste of the sambal and rendang gravy. The sambal here were thick and were cooked with a decent amount of anchovies and shallots. Coupled with the flavourful and aromatic Rendang chicken, it has to be one of a better Rendang chicken rice that you can find around.

Supreme Nasi Lemak (RM 10.90)
It comes with a decent piece of curry chicken and a small portion of sambal sotong. While the sambal sotong was decent, the curry chicken however was lacking in flavour. Fortunately, the sambal taste were of the same like the one in rendang chicken rice.

Curry Potato Paratha (RM 5.50 per set with a hot drink)

Also known as roti canai. Nothing great and given a choice, I would prefer the one served in mamak anytime. The dhal (gravy) were disappointing too-very diluted.

My both cousins enjoyed the food and drinks here a lot which is not surprising as they are abroad most of the time. Certainly, OldTown White Coffee did offer decent local delights with a better ambiance than of a conventional coffee shop. Minus the pricier price tag, OldTown White Coffee is an ideal place for a yumcha(drinking tea) session with your buddies.

Hot White Coffee: 5/10
Hot White Coffee Gao: 6/10
Oldtown Rendang Chicken Rice: 6.5/10
Supreme Nasi Lemak: 5/10
Curry Potato Paratha: 4/10

Atmosphere: 5.5/10
Price: 4.5/10
Verdict: Their hits are certainly the White Coffee, Nasi Rendang and Nasi Lemak.

Oldtown White Coffee Central Market
No. F & B 1,
Ground Floor, Central Market
Jalan Hang Kasturi, 50050
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603 - 2260 6000
Business hours: 8 am - 9 pm daily
http://www.oldtown.com.my/

ECOBA Centurion Elimination Challenge @ PJ Trade Centre, Damansara Perdana [18th October 2010]

2011-04-11T09:33:00.007+08:00

ECOBA is one of the many latest bar that emerge from the blooming bar industry in the Klang Valley. Located at the newly opened business park, PJ Trade Centre in Damansara Perdana, it is considered by many to be one of the most happening bar in Klang Valley.

Ecoba: Eat, Chill, Oogle

For those that is still in the dark about ECOBA, it is actually a place for you to chill with their in-house food and drinks. When I mentioned drinks here, it means boozes; from beers to liquors. Obviously, they do serve non-alcoholic drinks for those who are not so daring with alcohol.

Happening Monday atmosphere in ECOBA

Last year October I paid my first visit to ECOBA with my buddies, Michael, Iris, Hock Beng and Mei Kheng for a chill out session. More than an usual chilling session, our main purpose being here were to watch a live signature competition of ECOBA, Centurion Elimination Challenge.

ECOBA Centurion Elimination Stage

While waiting for the competition to start, Iris ordered a plate of pizza as our finger food.

Ecoba Pizza
Tasted pretty good.

So what is ECOBA Centurion Challenge? It is actually a competition where each session consists of 10 contestants who will be challenging themselves to down 100 shots each within 100 minutes. Each contestant is given a minute to finish up a shot of beer. After a shot of the beer is downed, the contestant will be given a fresh new minute to down the next shot. The process will continue until you down the 100th shots of beer and you will walk away with a whopping cash prize of RM 1,800. Sounds easy isn't it? However, you will be eliminated once your started to throw out. Oh ya, no toilet break is allowed too!

On my visit, ECOBA added a new twist to it's traditional Centurion Challenge. Named as the ECOBA Centurion Elimination Challange, each contestant will now takes turn to call for their desired shots (1 -10) for each minute. Same rules applied, but you will get extra RM 100 cash for each eliminated contestants up to an extra of RM 900 if you are the last man standing that able to finish up the 100th shots.

The challenge is about to start

There were only 9 contestants on my previous visit to Ecoba. God knows why the last contestant were missing. The 9 contestants for the 18th October 2010 consisted of 6 males (Mr Koh, Mr Goh, Adrian, Craig, Oliver and a teenager) and 3 Females (May, Kim and Jamie).

Contestants are all pumped up!

Pictures were not enough to express the madness and craziness of this fun-filled competition. Will the sole westerner for the night, Craig will defeat the rest of the Asians? Try taking a guess on who is the winner for the night before clicking the play button for the footage video of the ECOBA Centurion Challenge on the night of 18th October 2010 below:

Overall, it was a great experience chilling out in ECOBA. From the delicious pizza to looking at how much beer can do to a person during the challenge, it does give me reasons for a revisit to ECOBA real soon.

ECOBA Centurion Challenge is back by popular demand and is running on every Monday at 9.30pm. However, the challenge will be reschedule to every Saturday, pending time announcement. If you have the burning urge to join the challenge do remember to contact them first to avoid dissapointment. Do check out their facebook fans page at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=hp#!/ecoba.eat.chill.oOgle for the latest news and on-going promotion.

Pizza: 7.5/10

Atmosphere: 8/10
Price: 5.5/10
Verdict: Watching the Centurion Challenge was one-hella experience! Pizza was great too!

ECOBA Restaurant & Bar
PJ Trade Centre, Menara Bata Ground Floor
8, Jalan PJU 8/8a
47820, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 7710 1118 / 6012 - 930 3224
Business hours: Monday to Thursday: 11 am to 1 am; Friday: 11 am - 2 am;
Saturday: 4 pm - 2 am; Sunday: 4 pm-12 am
Website: http://www.ecoba.com.my/#/home

Fruity Shaved Ice KTZ Food Dessert @ Kepong Baru, Kepong

2011-04-08T09:53:00.000+08:00

Right after the pipping hot experience of Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh, we decided to grab something cool to chill our body. Nothing is more suitable than KTZ Food Dessert which is located at the stretch of food stalls along the Jalan 7 of Kepong Baru.

This KTZ Food Dessert in Kepong is actually the main/first of the many branches of it's chain in Klang Valley. KTZ Food Dessert Kepong are well known for it's dessert, particularly the fruity shaved ice sago dessert , similar to the one located in SS 2-Petaling Jaya.

KTZ Food Dessert Kepong

I find the crowd here is of lesser than the one in the SS 2 branch which is a good thing considering we do not need to wait for a table.

Still crowded, but lesser as compared to the SS 2 branch

There are a variety of hot and cold desserts to choose from. However, if you are first timer to KTZ Food Dessert, you definitely must try out their best seller desserts - Fruit Loh, which are the fruit shaved ice sago dessert.

Honey Dew Loh (RM 4.50 per bowl)
Offers a refreshing experience of honey dew flavour that is not too heavily syruped yet taste great.

The texture of their shaved ice are pretty fine and smooth although it can't beat the one in Snowflake Taiwanese Dessert. However, it is no non-sense when it comes to the taste. There is no room to experience any tasteless shaved ice as they are so well infused with the flavour as per your order.

Not only that, KTZ Food Dessert fruity shaved ice came with some chunks of fruit too, offering some extra bites.

Mango Loh (RM 5.50 per bowl)
Mango lovers will definitely love this. The mango puree is thick and is bursting with original mango flavour. Each scoop is just so mango-ish.

I spotted some other table enjoying some finger food which reminds me so much of the past. Obviously I did order a plate of it for myself.

Fried Siew Kow (RM 4.50 per pax)

Think of a pork meat and salted egg yolk being wrapped in a thin wantan skin before being shaped into a ball and deep fried. The fried siew kow will then be cut into pieces just like above(the pic). Not many place serve this dish, in fact this is my very first time eating it many years after my mum retires from cooking it. Reminiscence of the past, so delectable.

Not only they have a wide variety of desserts to choose from, they do offer an wide array of selected finger food, noodles and snacks. Don't worry about being adventurous because you will most likely will not be disappointed with their selection. After all, this stall Chinese name is known as Kei Tak Sek-which literally means "Remember to Eat". So if you happen to be here, start ordering and don't forget to eat!

Honey Dew Loh: 6.5/10

Mango Loh: 7.5/10
Fried Siew Kow: 8/10 (non-halal)

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: One of my favourite stall to satisfy my craving for dessert!

KTZ Food Dessert
66, Jalan 7
Kepong Baru
52100, Kuala Lumpur
Wilayah Persekutuan
Tel: 6012 - 6252 9451 (Angeline Lim)
Business hours: 4 pm - 1 am daily

Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh @ Metro Prima, Kepong

2011-04-07T21:48:00.002+08:00

Talk about Kepong, any food lover will not discount this place from the list of food havens. In fact, there is so many food stalls serving good food in Kepong that one will be spoilt by the choices available here.

Recently, I was at Kepong with Esther and her boyfriend for a catch up session with my buddy, Eddie who flew back for a short break from Sabah. Initially we opted for a western dinner, however due to the stall relocation, we decided to go for the Kepong most famous Bak Kut Teh, Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh.

Kedai Makanan Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh

It is not hard to locate this stall as Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh is situated along the busy road of Jalan Kepong, overseeing Carrefour Metro Prima across the road. You will notice a long stretch of tables and seats filled with crowds along the road. Though they offer a lot of seats here, however the crowd outnumbered the seats and you will need to be patient for your seat especially during the peak hours.

Extremely crowded especially during the peak hours

The Bak Kut Teh station

We only waited for less than 15 minutes for our food to be served after our orders were taken. I admit that I am amazed by their efficiency considering the amount of huge crowd that were dining in.

Yam Rice
Flavoured rice that come with some chunks of yam. Pretty fragrant and opt for this rice if you are a lover of yam!

Oil Fritters

As the claypot of Bak Kut Teh is being served to the table, I thought we were having a vegetarian version. Just look at the enormous amount of the lettuce.

Comes with a generous amount of lettuce

Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh (RM 10 per pax)
Unlike the Klang version, the soup here tasted way clearer but it did not compromise on the flavour. The herbal aroma is not too strong yet distinctive enough for a decent taste of Bak Kut Teh. Definitely suits those who prefer a milder taste of herbal in the soup.

A claypot full with goodies
Our 4 pax of servings came in a very generous portion that have the claypot filled to the extent that it was almost spilled out.

Everyone has their very own preference of a good Bak Kut Teh and that applies to me as well. Some people might find Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh is the best Bak Kut Teh, but as for me I find it pretty decent only. It is simply because I prefer a slightly thicker version of Bak Kut Teh, one that have a stronger herbal presence.

Atmosphere: 4/10

Food: 5.5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 7.5/10
Verdict: Mild version of Bak Kut Teh with a thin aroma of herbal!

Kedai Makanan Ka Ka Bak Kut Teh
Corner Shop
Jalan 1/32a, Jalan Kepong (Overseeing Carrefour Kepong Metro Prima across the road)
Taman Kepong
Wilayah Persekutuan

Homemade Breakfast Dish Restoran Fong Mei @ SS 14, Subang Jaya

2011-04-06T17:20:00.007+08:00

Whenever after checking in my Proton Persona for a routine service at the SS 14 authorized Proton service centre, I will take my sweet time grabbing my breakfast at the SS 14 area while waiting for my car service to be done.

As much as I love the Bak Kut Teh in this area, however having them as a breakfast would be too heavy for my appetite especially when I am just awake. On my previous car service appointment, I tried my breakfast luck with Restoran Fong Mei, visiting them for the very first time.

Restoran Fong Mei

Very simple layout

Unlike a typical coffee shop, this stall has very little dish to offer. However, don't be fooled by their lacking of choices as each of the dish are personally prepared by the owner, Angeline, promising you a home-cooked taste.

The signature dishes of Angeline

I'd wanted to order a nasi lemak but they sold out even as early as 9am. Well, claypot Lou Shu Fun is my next automatic choice then.

Claypot Lou Shu Fun (RM 5)
It was very flavourful and comes with ample of gravy, just like how I liked it to be. One of a better Lou Shu Fun that I have tasted..

Pretty good sambal

Beancurd Skin Ginkgo Dessert (RM 2 per bowl)
The beancurd skin are boiled till it is diluted. Coupled with the perfect sweetness, it definitely has what it take to be a good bowl of beancurd skin ginkgo dessert. Reminds me so much of my mum's version, tasted so similar.

The food that I've tried gave me a pleasant experience of home-cooked taste. No excessive MSG spotted (or maybe none), as I did not bottled down loads of water after the meal. Definitely will return here for the rest of the Angeline signature dishes.

Claypot Lou Shu Fun: 6.5/10
Beancurd Skin Ginkgo Dessert: 7.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Simple breakfast with a homemade taste!

Restoran Fong Mei
24, Jalan 14/2A
Subang Jaya
47500, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 6012 - 663 0881 (Angeline Lim)
Business hours: 7 am - 1.30 pm daily (Closes on Monday)

Ulu Yam Loh Mee Restoran Hong Ling @ SS 14, Subang Jaya

2011-04-05T14:13:00.007+08:00

One would find it rather difficult to satisfy the craving of Ulu Yam Loh Mee simply because you will need to drive to the rural area of Ulu Yam. However, unless you happen to be passing by there, driving all the way to Ulu Yam for a bowl of Loh Mee is unpractical.

As for me, I satisfied my craving for Ulu Yam Loh Mee by visiting this stall in Section 14 of Subang Jaya, Restoran Hong Ling. Little did I know about this stall, until I've decided to give it a try after passing by it numerous times.

Restoran Hong Ling

Just as their signboard suggested, one should really try out their Ulu Yam Loh Mee.

Restoran Hong Lin, Ulu Yam Loh Mee (RM 5.50 per pax)
It was brimming with flavour with a perfect amount of black vinegar that make it pleasantly tangy. My first try on it resulted to an amazement, wondering am I actually in Ulu Yam?

Besides Loh Mee, they do serve other type of occasionally eaten fried noodles.

Fried Hokkien Noodle (RM 5.50 per pax)
I find it slightly salty otherwise I would have rate it as pretty decent. A plus point is that the noodles were homemade and you will not find the unpleasant smell of the boric acid found in the typical yellow noodles.

Fried Cantonese Style (RM 5.50 per pax)
Pretty standard with a little hint of wok hei, neither great nor too bad.

Fried Fu Chuk stuffed with Fish Paste (RM 8 per plate)
It was crispy and fairly fluffy with a decent bite of fairly spongy fish paste. Credits should be given considering this is not a stall specializing in yong tau foo. An ideal appetizer to call upon while waiting for the main course to be served.

Most of the fried noodles here are reasonably priced at RM 5.50 per pax and they come in a decent portion. Thus, if you are looking for some decent Ulu Yam Loh Mee, but not willing to travel far, Restoran Hong Ling might one be your choice.

Ulu Yam Loh Mee: 7/10 (non-halal)
Fried Hokkien Noodle: 5/10 (non-halal)
Fried Cantonese Style: 5.5/10 (non-halal)
Fried Fu Chuk stuffed with Fish Paste: 7.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: You will not be disappointed with their Ulu Yam Loh Mee!

Restoran Hong Ling
48, Jalan 14/2
Subang Jaya
47500, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 6012 - 379 8938 (Lui Xin Rong) / 6012 - 625 9930 (Ah Ann)
Business hours: 11.30 am - 9.30 pm daily

Mum's Pork Belly Stuffed With Yam

2011-04-04T15:33:00.003+08:00

Out of a few of my Mum's signature dishes, one of my all time favourite mum's would be the pork belly stuffed with yam. If' I am not mistaken, this dish is one of the Hakka authentic dish. My mum's recipe are being inherited from her mum, whom is my late grandma.

Pork Belly stuffed with Yam

Preparing this dish is not easy. As such, I only get to eat it maybe at most twice a year, very much depends on my mum's willingness to prepare it. According to mum, selecting a nice pork belly which has a good composition of fats and meat, and yam which is mushy are very important to deliver a good taste to the dish. After the selection of the pork belly and yam, they must be cut into square form.

Cutting the pork belly and yam into square

Next, the pork belly is being deep fried till it's goldenish brown cooked while the yam is only being deep fried briefly. Then, sandwich a slice of yam in between two slices of pork belly. Arrange them nicely in a corningware forming parallel rows.

Sandwiching the yam between the pork belly

Next would be the gravy preparation. The ingredients for the gravy are shallots, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, and spices. The ready gravy then would be drizzled on to the pork belly stuffed with yam. The last step is to steam them for 45 minutes to an hour. As the 45 minutes mark approach, my mum will keep an eye to the meat and the yam texture. You know the dish is ready to be served when the meat turn tender and the yam turn soft and mushy!

Finally, ready to be served!
Lip smacking good pork belly that are so tender and juicy coupled with the mushy yam and the flavourful gravy, making it such a scrumptious dish.

Though have I tried numerous times of the dish around, I reckon my mum still prepares it the best! Thank you Mum!

Cendol Stall @ Opposite Restoran Busy Corner, Damansara Jaya

2011-04-04T11:50:00.004+08:00

If you happen to be in Damansara Jaya area or just finish indulging in the claypot chicken rice of Restoran Busy Corner, you might want to consider grabbing a quick bowl of cendol at the truck stall located by the main road.

Damansara Jaya Truck Stall Cendol

I like the part where they served the cendol in a stainless steel bowl. As such, you can feel the coldness of the ice by just holding on to the bowl. Scoop in mouth with the stainless steel spoon, you can feel the extra coldness on top of the already icy cendol. What a good way to counter the hot weather!

A bowl of Cendol (RM 1.50 per bowl)
The cendol were pretty fresh. Taste wise, it was decent and could well be one of the better cendol truck stall I've tasted.

It definitely felt good to grab a bowl of cendol after the steaming hot meal of claypot chicken rice in Restoran Busy Corner.

Taste: 6.5/10
Price: 7/10

Location: The truck stall is located adjacent to the main road of Restoran Busy Corner..

Claypot Chicken Rice Restoran Busy Corner @ Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya

2011-04-03T21:09:00.010+08:00

Being a fan of claypot chicken rice myself, I couldn't recall how many times I've been disappointed by the taste of the claypot chicken rice around Klang Valley. Until last year I was rather skeptical on trying another claypot chicken rice stall until my parents introduced me to a stall located in Damansara Jaya.

Named as Restoran Busy Corney, this stall specializes in preparing claypot chicken rice. Ask the Damansara Jaya folks, and they will tell you this is the most famous claypot chicken rice that you can find in Damansara area.

Restoran Busy Corner

There are two session of opening, the lunch session is at 11am to 2.30pm, while the dinner session starts from 5pm to 9.30pm. It can be really crowded during the peak hours, so be early to avoid the crowd and the long queue.

Traditional Claypot Chicken Rice (RM 6.50 for small)

The difference between the chicken rice and the typical one elsewhere is that it comes with onions. Chinese sausage and salted fish are optional (RM 1 each per added serving), only added upon request by the customers.

Ready to be stirred

Traditional Claypot Chicken Rice
The rice were well cooked, neither too soggy nor have any hint of uncooked. Flavourful gravy, well-seasoned chicken, salted fish scent and the fragrance of Chinese sausages coupled with the hint of spring onion, brings out the very flavour that what makes a good claypot chicken rice. Not only that, the onions presence enhance the overall flavour of the chicken rice.

Black Pepper Chicken Rice (RM 6.50 for small)
If you are a fan of black pepper just like me, do not miss this out! The black pepper sauce blends really well with the onions, bringing out an even better flavour to the rice than of the ordinary chicken rice. It's my personal favourite here!

Lo Han Guo Herbal Drink (RM 1.80)
I like how generous the servings of the longan are.

Besides the typical flavour, they do offer other special flavour of claypot chicken rice, ranging from red bean sauce to Thai's sauce. They even have black pepper steak rice, prawn rice and fish rice, all served in claypot. Do try them if you have the urge to be adventurous.

The menu

Overall, I would say the price are reasonable with the serving portion that comes along. The taste did not disappoint and definitely one of a place to be to satisfy the craving for good claypot chicken rice.

Atmosphere: 5/10
Food: 7.5/10 (non-halal)
Price: 6.5/10
Verdict: One of a better claypot chicken rice in Klang Valley.

Restoran Busy Corner
No 83, Jalan SS 22/11
Damansara Jaya
47400, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 603 - 7729 0116
Business hours: Daily lunch: 11am - 2.30pm, Dinner: 5pm - 9.30pm

Meow Meow Seafood Grill Fish Restaurant @ Sunway Mentari

2011-04-01T18:14:00.010+08:00

With so many new food stalls blooming in Sunway Mentari Business Park, it is really hard to keep track of them. One of the latest addition of food stall here name themselves as Meow Meow.

Don't get them wrong though, it is not a food stall serving cat related food but it's a stall that serves halal Chinese seafood. Their full name of the stall is rather long though, Meow Meow Seafood Grill Fish Restaurant and you can expect standard dishes that you get from a typical restaurant, with a few signature dish to boast.

Meow Meow Seafood Grill Fish Restaurant

There are two area that you can opt to dine in, the air-conditioned area in the inside or the al-fresco way along the walkway outside.

Air-conditioned in the inside

I've been here twice and here are some of the food that I've tried.

Claypot Bean Curd (RM 12)
Consisted of Japanese bean curd that comes together with mixed vegetables, mushrooms, prawns and chicken fillets. It tasted pretty decent and comes in a generous portion. One of the dish that went really well with the rice.

Stir Fried "Four Heavenly Vegetables" (RM 12)
Lady fingers, eggplant, long beans and petai are being fried with sambal belacan. It was full with flavour where the sambal coated the vegetables really well. Not only that, they stir fried them to really dry and it brings out the best of sambal belacan. Twice I've eaten, and twice it taste as great!

Fried Kung- Pow Styled Mantis Prawn (RM 12)
Another dish that are bursting with flavour. Full of wok-hei but the mantis prawn are rather small though as you tasted more flour than the meat.

Herbal Steamed Chicken (RM 20)
One of their signature dish here. The chicken pieces are wrapped in an aluminum foil taste before it was steamed. It has a mild taste of herbal with some hint of Chinese wine. I don't find the taste as impressive as how my Mum finds it.

Wouldn't a visit to a seafood grill restaurant is incomplete if it did not consist of any seafood?

Tom Yam Steamed Prawn (RM 32)
Served in an aluminium foil, the fresh succulent and juicy tiger prawn comes with an ass-kicking tom yam flavoured gravy. The sweetness and the sourness are perfectly balanced, like the one you've always wish for in a good tom yam. A very appetizing dish indeed.

They do serve crab as well but it is dependent on the crab availability from their supplier. Don't expect large size crab here as the size of the crab here are fairly small to slightly medium size.

Marmite Fried Crab (RM 42 per kg, varied as per seasonal rate)
Tasted decent but could have been better if the gravy are less salty. A plus point is that the crab are fresh, resulting to a succulent meat.

Homemade Cocunut Jelly
A complimentary dessert after the meal. It was ok, after all, you don't complain on complimentary food, don't ya?

Twice I've been here and I must admit that I'm quite impressed with their food. The taste were consistent throughout my visits. The price of the food are reasonable and come in a fairly decent portion. Definitely a recommended place to have a simple yet delicious food that comes with a reasonable price.

Atmosphere: 5.5/10
Food: 7.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Verdict: Do not missed out on the Stir Fried "Four Heavenly Vegetables" and the Tom Yam Steamed Prawn.

Meow Meow Seafood Grill Fish Restaurant
No 21, Jalan PJS 8/17
Dataran Mentari, Bandar Sunway
46150, Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 603 - 5622 2673
Mobile: 6012 - 619 8881 / 6012 - 218 8049 (Ah Meow)
Email: michellescorpio@gmail.com
Business hours: Daily dinner: 5pm - 10.30pm

Meng Kee Steam Soup @ Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya

2011-03-31T20:18:00.008+08:00

I'd always love to dine in Taman Paramount, simply because this town still serves a lot of good food that makes me reminisce the past. As one of the oldest town in the city of Petaling Jaya, each of the food business here has their very own history, being inherited from one generation to another. Not only that, many food businesses here are still operated by the locals instead of the foreigners which you usually find elsewhere.

One of the stall here that boasted such a rich history is Meng Kee Steam Soup. Established since 1960, it has been serving steamed soups to the locals for many decades. In fact this stall has gained so much fame throughout the years that most of the Petaling Jaya folks knew it's existence for serving home-taste-alike boiled soup.

Taman Paramount Meng Kee Steamed Soup

No fancy renovation or layout, but only basic tables and chairs by the street to accommodate your meal. Located along the road adjacent to Pos Malaysia Paramount Garden, it is not difficult to spot Meng Kee Steam Soup as you will notice a swarm of crowd sitting by the roadside.

Dining by the street

There are a wide variety of steamed soup to choose from. However, be early to avoid disappointment as the soup are selling like hot cakes.

Pepper Pig Stomach Soup (RM 5 per bowl)
Not too pepperish or thick in flavour, it allow the sweetness of the pig stomach sipping in. You will find the taste very much home alike. Not only that, the soup comes with a generous serving of pig stomach.

Bitter Gourd Soup (RM 5 per bowl)
Eugene ordered this. I was a little skeptical in trying at first but after trying it, I must admit that I really like the bitterness of the gourd that brings out the sweetness of the soup. Tasted very "goldenish-sweet".

Besides soup, Meng Kee Steam Soup stall do offer other little dishes for you to go along with white rice.

Blanched Choy Sum (RM 5 to RM 8)
They have another two choices of vegetables which are Siew Pak Choy and lettuce.

Fish Paste White Tau Foo (RM 5)
The texture very much alike the tau foo fa but this comes with slices of fish paste in a salty gravy. Simple dish but the smoothness of the tau foo and the gravy make it goes very well with the rice.

Steamed Smooth Chicken (RM 7 for quarter-lower portion)
Steamed chicken that are drizzled with soy sauce and oyster sauce. No complain with it as not only the chicken are smooth but the accompanying sauce tasted decent as well.

I reckon that the price are very reasonably priced. Not only they tasted good, the food comes in a very decent portion for the price that you pay. The service was excellent too considering the short amout of waiting time (15 minutes) for the food to come to the table judging from the amount of crowd they have. I will definitely revisit them to have a taste of the other soup.

Atmosphere: 5/10

Food: 7/10 (non-halal)
Price: 8/10
Verdict: You will never had enough of their home taste alike soup!

Meng Kee Steam Soup
Stall No 9
Jalan 20/16
Paramount Garden
Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 012 - 239 0623 (Boy)
Business hours: 6pm -10pm daily

GPS Coordinates: N3 06.463' E101 37.453'

Razer Spectre Starcraft 2 Gaming Mouse

2011-03-30T12:50:00.009+08:00

Unlike my cousin brother, Eugene, I'm not really a fan of computer gadgets. As long as the gadgets are working fine with me, I won't be bothered to change them. However, I must admit that I was a little tempted by the Razer computer accessories.

Being a Starcraft 2 player myself, I was initially considering to get the Razer Spectre mouse. The urge of getting it were pretty strong but the thought of spending RM 250 for a mouse sets me back. Not until when Eugene agreed to release his Razer Spectre after a month of use at RM 200, I agreed to break my personal record of spending hundreds on a mouse.

Razer Spectre Mouse

Razer Spectre is the official licensed mouse of Starcraft 2 of Blizzard under the Razer Starcraft 2 Gaming Series. The name Spectre is derived from the name of a special tactical unit in the Starcraft 2 Wings of Liberty campaign which has the ability to snipe, cloak and call down nukes. Thus, it is no surprise to name this mouse as Spectre, because the mouse is the core accessory in executing the strategic movement of Starcraft 2 game play.

Look sexy even before the feature kicks in

Gold-plated USB connector

In truth, I really do not know what are the difference between a gold-plated and a typical USB connector.

Button force adjustment

Allow the adjustment of the force needed to click, with high being the higher force needed to perform a click.

Lighting Feature
The lighting area can each be customized differently using the Razer Starcraft 2 series software which offers more than 50 choice of colours.

The lighting feature does not meant to serve as a decorative purpose only. During the Starcraft 2 gameplay, the lights will change according to your Actions-Per-Minute(APM) in the game. APM is the measurement of actions (training, building, moving units) completed within a minute in the real time strategy game. Obviously, the higher the APM goes, the better it gets because it means you are more involved in the game.

Actions-Per-Minute (APM) Lighting System
The lights will change to white when you hit a 250 APM and above in Starcraft 2 gameplay.

Other notable key features include:
*Lightweight, Fingertip-Grip 5 Button Mouse
*5600 DPI 3.5G Laser Sensor
*Ultrapolling (1000Hz Polling/1ms Response)
*200 inches per second and 50g acceleration
*Braided 7-Foot Usb Cable

Without doubt, it is my most expensive mouse owned to date. I definitely felt the difference especially during the game play in Starcraft 2. This Razer Spectre mouse offers me a smoother scrolling experience and a better sensitivity in executing my actions. So as the saying goes, you get better things when you spend more, is very true indeed.

My favourite feature of Razer Spectre

Finally, I understands why Eugene are willing to spend a lot in computer accessories. As for now, I'm contented with my computer accesories especially with this addition of Razer Spectre mouse. Next target? A mechanical keyboard maybe.

Thank you Eugene for selling me this piece of sexy mouse at a very reasonable price!

Mcdonald's Malaysia Free Big Breakfast Promotion @ Sunway Mentari

2011-03-29T17:40:00.011+08:00

Hello again readers. First of all, I would like thank you guys for the continuous support shown to my blog even though the blog has been in cold storage for quite a while. It's not that I have lose out the interest in blogging, but the fact is that I'm really busy with my work and I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates.

Before I continued on where I left from my previous post, there is a breakfast feast going on in Malaysia. Mcdonald's Malaysia is rewarding the whole Malaysian 2 sets of Big Breakfast to show their appreciation in bagging the Gold Putra Brand Award for the second consecutive year. To redeem, just present the coupon and spend RM 5 above in a single receipt at any Mcdonald's breakfast serving outlet from 15th March to 31st March 2011.

The 2 Free Big Breakfast coupon
Get it from the Mcdonald's promoters or simply print them from the Mcdonald's facebook fan page.

My first redemption of the big breakfast happened last week at Mcdonald's Sunway Mentari when I stayed up to the wee hours for work purposes. I have heard that people been queuing up all the way to the entrance during the peak time from 6.30am to 11am, so I thought going there to redeem at 4 in the morning would be the best choice.

Mcdonald's Sunway Mentari Business Park

As expected, the crowd has not shown up yet. I've got no complain at all as I did not need to queue up to have my orders ready.

The scene at 4am

To redeem the big breakfast, I ordered two sets of Mcdonald's Weekday Special (W4) in which each set consist of a Sausage Mcmuffin and a cup of Arabic hot coffee.

W4: Sausage Mcmuffin (RM 4.50 per set)

Here's the 2 set of free big breakfast when you spend above RM 5 at any Mcdonald's breakfast serving outlet.

Who doesn't like 2 sets of free big breakfast?

A big breakfast set consists of hash brown, 2 slices of muffin, a slice of grilled chicken sausage and scramble eggs.

Mcdonald's Big Breakfast Set (NP: RM 6.90 per set)
While the scrambled eggs and the sausages are pretty normal, the toasted muffins deserved mentioning for it's crisp exterior while maintaining a soft texture bite. The hash brown were just as great with a mushy bite of real potatoes.

You can have your own mixture of orders to top the bill to RM 5 and above. As for me, I think the most value for money to redeem the big breakfast is to order two sets of Sausage Mcmuffin (W4). Not only that you get 2 cup of tea or coffee, you will also get another two Sausage Mcmuffin. Now, isn't that sharing is caring?

Everything here costs only Rm 8.50 after tax

There are 2 more days left before this promotion runs out. Hurry up to your nearest Mcdonald's to grab some free big breakfast. To avoid queuing up long, the advisable time to grab your big breakfast will be from 4am to 6.30am. Unless you are ready to queue for at least 45 minutes to grab a breakfast, it is advisable to avoid the period of time from 6.30am to 11am whilst this promotion is still ongoing.

I have already redeemed the big breakfast four times. Suddenly, I realized that I'm leading a healthy lifestyle by having breakfast so early in the morning, all thanks to Mcdonalds.

Thank you so much Mcdonald's Malaysia for your generous offer to show your appreciation to us Malaysian towards our support to you.

Food: 7/10
Price: 10/10
Verdict: You would not get any cheaper breakfast promotion than this.
Location: Any Mcdonald's breakfast serving outlet in Malaysia

*This promotion has ended on 31st March 2011.

FOOD REVIEW

2011-01-02T15:09:00.012+08:00

From fancy restaurant to the roadside stall, this is the compilation review of the food and drinks that I have tasted.

Contest
Big Fish Moment with Pizza Hut

Kuala Lumpur
Ah Wang Bak Kut Teh, Old Klang Road
Familar Faces Nyonya Food & Noodle House, Sri Petaling
Jalan Ipoh Yong Tau Foo, Jalan Ipoh
Jogoya Japanese Restaurant, Starhill Gallery
Kam Lun Tai Restaurant, Sri Petaing
Lunching Time, Taman Bunga Raya Setapak
Restoran Queen's, Jalan Peel

Melaka
Fried Oyster Boon Leong, Medan Makan Bunga Raya
Hawker Food of Jonker Street
Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Ball, Jonker Walk
Jonker 88 Desserts, Jonker Street
Melaka Mango Juice, Jonker Street
Satay Celup Ban Lee Siang, Jalan Ong Kim Wee

Negri Sembilan
Baked Crab Seremban Seafood Village, Seremban
Seremban Siew Pau, Empayar Seremban Siew Pow

Penang
Asam Laksa Joo Hooi Cafe, Penang Road
Asam Laksa Nan Guang Coffee Shop, Balik Pulau
Chili's Grill & Bar, G Hotel
Famous Teochew Cendol, Penang Road
Hameed Pata Mee Goreng, Esplanade Jalan Padang Kota Lama
Loh Mee Fong Sheng, Lorong Selamat
New Lane Hawker Street, Lorong Baru
Restaurant Bali Hai Seafood Market, Gurney Drive
Restoran First Famous Federal, Lorong Susu
Restoran Zim Sum, Anson Road
Sin Kim San Hawker Food, Jalan Rangoon

Perak
Chef Fatt Dim Sum, Ipoh
Ipoh Famous Yong Tau Foo Under Big Tree, Pasir Pinji
Restoran Kwee Hoe, Lawan Kuda Gopeng

Selangor
Arena Food Court, Jusco Sunway Pyramid
Asia Cafe Food Court, SS 15 Subang Jaya
Baby Seafood, Batu Belah Klang
Baskin Robbins, Sunway Pyramid
Cheapest Beer Tower Restaurant Picadilly, Millenium Square
Choong Kee Kampar Claypot Rice, Damansara Jaya
Double Chicken Prosperity Burger, Mcdonald's Sunway Mentari
Double Fortune Chicken Burger, A & W 3k Kompleks Subang Jaya
Fried Chicken and Sushi, Jusco Sunway Pyramid
Hee Lai Ton Restaurant, Puchong
Johnny's Restaurant, One Utama
Kedai Makanan dan Minuman New Grand View, Taman Megah
Kedai Makanan Laut Klang, Pandamaran Klang
Kim Hoe Stall, Pulau Ketam
Kong Sai Restaurant, Sunway Mentari
Oblong Burger
Love Health Vegetarian Restaurant, Kota Damansara
Ming Tien Stall, Sunway Metro
Papa John's Pizza, Sunway Pyramid
Pan Mee Stall Sin Hock Seng, Sunway Mentari
Peng Yuan Hokkien Noodle, Section 14
Restaurant Yap Yin, Seri Kembangan
Restoran Chuan 100 % Klang Bak Kut Teh, SS 14 Subang Jaya
Restoran Makan Lau Weng Kee, Ulu Yam
Roast Duck Loong Foong Restaurant, Taman Paramount
Sakae Sushi, Sunway Pyramid
Snowflake Taiwanese Dessert Secrets, SS 15 Subang Jaya
Sunway's Corner, Kota Damansara (closed down)
Taipan Food Garden, USJ 10
Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh, Taman Intan Klang
Ten Tian Lai Stall, Sekinchan
T.G.I. Fridays Restaurant & Bar, Wangsa Walk
Thai Thai Restaurant, Sunway Pyramid
Tokyo G, Sunway Pyramid (closed down)
Tony Roma's, Sunway Pyramid
Vest Inn Coffee Shop, USJ 16
Weng Heong Bak Kut Teh, Taman Intan Klang
Woo Ga Chon Korean BBQ, Sunway Mentari
Yippee Cup, SS 2

Bharat Cameron Valley Tea Plantation @ Ringlet, Cameron Highlands

2010-10-15T21:21:00.004+08:00

Cameron Highlands Boh's Plantation may be more well known among the people. Only the locals and a handful of people know about the Bharat Cameron Valley Teas.

If you take the old winding road to Cameron Highlands via Tapah, you will notice that there is a huge tea plantation on your left side along the main road. At this time you know that you are reaching Cameron Higlands but not all know that the tea plantation is actually the Bharat Cameron Valley tea plantion.

Bharat Cameroon Valley Tea Plantation

Bharat also operates a tea house in the name of Cameron Valley Tea House which offers Cameron Valley teas to those who are seeking some refreshments after a winding journey up or before heading down.

Bharat Cameron Valley Tea House

This Cameron Valley Tea House is a popular stopover for tourist due to the excellent view of the Bharat Tea Plantation. Not only that, it is way easier to access here as it is just located at the trunk main road of Cameron Highlands as oppose to the narrow bending road heading to Boh Sungei Palas Tea House.

Popular spot for a stopover

Panoramic view of Bharat Cameron Valley Tea Plantation

You will tend to forget about the hustle and bustle of a city life thanks to the soothing view of the green sea tea plantation and the smell of the fresh air.

Green sea of tea plantation

After you had enough of admiration at the tea plantation, maybe it is just time to grab some tea at the counter. It's a self service though, and you have to carry your own tea back to your table.

Self service counter

Can you finish a cup of tea at this size?

I would love to have a English breakfast style by having some scones. However, I had to hold back after getting to know the price of a scone set.

Cameron Valley Tea House Scones
Man, you kid me not? RM 12 for a set, this is definitely a daylight robbery!

Disappointed at the price of the scones, we ordered something else.

Chocolate Cream Cake (RM 8 per slice)
A pretty small slice of a chocolate cake that is topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fortunately, it was a quality chocolate cake that comes with a thick infusion of chocolate.

Strawberry Cheese Cake (RM 6.50 per slice)
Just a very ordinary cheese cake with a coating of strawberry jam. Nothing to shout about.

Cameron Valley Black Tea (RM 4 per mug)
It was thick, rich and full with the fragrant of black tea. Try sipping it without sugar to enjoy the real kick of black tea.

Do continue to pamper your eyes by viewing the spectacular soothing sight of the Bharat Cameron Valley tea plantation.

The calmness of the valley of tea

When the cloud shed the sunlight

From the verandah of the tea house, you can notice that the tea plantation is accessible to the public.

Accessible to the public

Most of the people will get themselves closer to the tea plantation after their tea break. Perhaps, it's a good idea to follow suit to capture some pictures as memory.

Steps heading down to the tea valley

The staircase will only lead you to the front valley of the tea. You can pick a less crowded spot for some shots of pictures. However, do exercise caution as certain stretches of the valley terrain can be very steep and slippery.

More and more tea

Let's pluck some tea leaves

Drown in the sea of tea

Old time buddy at Bharat Tea Plantation

This Bharat Tea Plantation offers an alternative option for those who dislikes driving on the narrow road to Boh Sungei Palas Tea Plantation. You will understand and feel the term of holiday better when you sip on a cup of teh tarik here while enjoying the breathtaking view of tea plantation. Just awesome!

Do make sure you grab some Bharat Cameron Valley tea products be it for yourself or as a gift because up til now, it can only be purchased in Cameron Highlands, making it more exclusive than of the Boh tea products.

Atmosphere: 7/10
Tea: 7/10
Food: 5.5/10
Price: 5/10
Verdict: You will not want to miss out their teh tarik if you are a fan of one.

Bharat Cameron Valley Tea House
Along the Main Road between Ringlet and Tanah Rata
Ringlet, Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia
Tel: 605 - 491 1133
Website: http://bharattea.com.my/bharat2/

Pasar Malam Brinchang @ Brinchang, Cameron Highlands

2010-10-13T22:55:00.001+08:00

One thing that you should not miss out when you are at Cameron Highlands is their pasar malam (night market) in Brinchang. Located 1700 metres above sea level, it is dubbed to be the night market that operates at the highest altitude in Malaysia.

Brinchang Pasar Malam operates on every Saturday from 5pm onwards till late with stall vendors selling a range of goods from vegetables, food to decorative items.

Pasar Malam Brinchang, Cameron Highlands

If you are a food lover, you will have even more reasons to visit Brinchang night market as they have more vendors that sell a variety of different food, some in which you can't find in a normal night market.

A Fried Stuff stall

Thanks to the chilly weather of Cameron Highlands, fried foods are one of the most sought after. Thus, it is no surprise to see many of the vendors selling a variety of fried food.

Fried Yam and Fried Abalone Mushroom (RM 3 per plate)

Fried Cameron Asparagus (RM 3 per plate)
Not my cup of tea as I find the taste of the asparagus does not blends well with the fried flour.

The making of Fried Sweet Potatoes Ball

Fried Sweet Potatoes Ball (RM 3 for 10 )

This is my favourite! Full with the fragrant of sweet potatoes, mild crisp on the outside and spongy in the inside. Each bite is so orgasmic. Even better when it is hot from the wok. This is when you ask for more.

It is the norm here to keep walking forward while you are munching on your favourite food or else some people will remind you to do so. As you keep going forward, you will notice even more and more stalls, particularly on food.

Jambu Kahwin Epal (RM 5 for two)
Literally being translated as Apple Married to Guava, it is actually a preserved guava fruit with added preservatives of apple flavour.

Organic Honey Comb

Honey Comb (RM 2.50 per plate)
It tasted very pure and extremely OMG so sweet! Not to be consumed as snack I supposed.

And here we had Iris having almost the whole chunk by herself.

She seems to be enjoying it

Since Cameron Highlands have an abundant of strawberries supply, the vendors had been very creative over the years in coming up new food associated with strawberries. One which caught our attention was the Fried Strawberry Sorbet.

"Frying" of the strawberry sorbet
Basically, the sorbet is prepared by pouring the strawberry syrup onto a freezing pan. To prevent the syrup from being frozen, the vendor will keep stirring the syrup in a "frying" style while pouring on extra syrup until the quantity is enough to form a cup of sorbet.

Strawberry Sorbet (RM 2.50 per cup)
I would say it is a very smooth sorbet with a kick of strawberry taste. I just love strawberry stuff!

Ayam Percik in skewers

Roasted Chicken
It definitely looks good and smells good. But too bad I did not try them out as I was impatient with the long queue.

Ayam Goreng Berempah (RM 5 each with rice and sambal)
It is literally fried marinated chicken coated with spices. The chicken was well marinated and it offers a mild scent of spices, but the best part is to have them with some rice and their sambal belacan (chili sauce).

Roasted Sweetcorn (RM 3 each)

I'd always preferred steamed to roasted sweetcorn as I believe roasted sweetcorn will reduce the juiciness of a sweetcorn. It is important to note that genuine Cameron Highlands sweetcorn consists of yellow and whitish corn seed.

Steamed Sweetcorn (RM 3 each)
Try them without the butter to experience the juiciness and sweetness of Cameron Highlands sweetcorn.

Enjoyable steamed sweetcorn!

It seems that strawberry enjoy a good reception in Cameron Highlands to the extent that they even have strawberry pillows.

Strawberry shaped pillow (RM 35 for two)

If you are fan of preserved food, you will not definitely not want to miss out grabbing a few box. They have many preserved fruits namely bitter gourds, roses, strawberries and many more that you will not be able to find at your home area.

Variety of preserved fruits (Seasonal, remember to ask for bargain)

Due to the chilly weather, it definitely felt different when you are walking at the Brinchang night market. I did not feel sweaty or humid unlike the experience at a typical night market.

The pictures above are only a small fraction of what you see at the night market. It is definitely worth the visit and do remember to make sure you have some empty space in your stomach for some of the food at the night market!

Atmosphere: 5/10
Overall varieties: 7.5/10

Food: 6.5/10
Price: 5/10
Verdict: Sweet potatoes balls, strawberry sorbet ice cream and nasi ayam berempah are amongst the few that you should not miss out. You can try to bargain for some fresh strawberries as well.

Pasar Malam Brinchang
(in front of Brinchang police station)
Along Jalan Besar of Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia

Charcoal Steamboat Restoran Silverstar @ Brinchang, Cameron Highlands

2010-10-11T23:23:00.002+08:00

When you are feeling cold, you will eventually think of having something steaming hot. With Cameron Highlands weather potentially reaching below 20 degrees Celsius when the sun sets, steamboat is one of the favourite food here amongst the locals and tourists.

Preparing all the ingredients can be troublesome if you plan to have your homemade steamboat at your rented apartment in Cameron Highlands. However, no worries as they have abundant of steamboat restaurants in Brinchang town. On our previous trip, Silverstar Restaurant was our choice for some hot charcoal steamboat.

Silverstar Restaurant Charcoal Steamboat

While the ingredients are pretty standard for a steamboat, one thing special about having steamboat in Cameron Highlands are the freshness of the vegetables.

Variety of fresh vegetables

You will also notice that steamboat pot comes with a vertically long "chimney" which I believed the purpose is for venting the smoke from the fired charcoal beneath the pot. Call me outdated, but it was my first time seeing such long a "chimney" attached to a pot!

"Chimney steamboat"

Each pax are priced at RM 15 each with a mixture of raw ingredients that include noodles and fresh vegetables. As for the raw ingredients, there were sotong balls, Japanese tofu, fish balls, fuu chuk, chicken meat, fresh water prawn and cuttlefish.

Mixture of raw ingredients

As for the vegetables, abalone mushrooms, siew pak choy, wong dei miu, lettuce and enoki mushrooms were served. The vegetables choice is at the discretion of the shop and is very much dependent on their availability.

Fresh vegetables and mushrooms

The default soup here is chicken soup, no tomyam or other fancy soup base. The best thing about steamboat is that you just dump all the ingredients into the pot of soup and wait for it to boil.

Chicken soup as the default soup

And it's feasting time, when the soup started to boil.

Cameron Highlands Charcoal Steamboat

We paid a total of RM 120 after some discounts for the 8 pax of mix ingredients and a pot of Chinese tea. The price is considered reasonable for the portion of ingredients that we get. While I would agree that most of the steamboat tasted the same, however it is important to note that Cameron Highlands weather brings out the better taste of a steamboat. Oh yes, the vegetables were definitely fresh, juicy and crunchy!

Surely one of the shop you can consider should you want to have some charcoal steamboat in the comfortable weather of Cameron Highlands.

Atmosphere: 4/10
Food: 6.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Serves pretty good steamboat with fresh ingredients and vegetables that went well with the clear chicken soup.

Restoran Silverstar Charcoal Steamboat
(facing the main road of Cameron Highlands)
Brinchang Town Shoplots
Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia

Review: Villa Dahlia Apartment @ Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands

2010-10-08T06:38:00.002+08:00

Frankly speaking, I have not stayed in any of the hotels in Cameron Highlands. The reason is simple, because the rate of the hotel can be very expensive especially during the weekends or public holiday. Furthermore, hotel has limited space and as such, an apartment would be more an appropriate choice when you are on a holiday trip with a bunch of friends

The apartment where we crashed in for a night was Villa Dahlia apartment which is located at Tanah Rata. It is located opposite of the Cameron Highlands Golf Course, along the main road of Cameron Highlands.

Villa Dahlia Apartment, Cameron Highlands

The apartment is pretty huge with a sizable living room, equipped with television and basic Astro TV channels.

Living room with Astro TV facility

A refrigerator and stoves are available to aid those that have the desire to cook on the highland. Basic utensils such as fork, spoon and plate are available as well.

Kitchen equipped with basic utensils

Dining area

The apartment does not have a balcony. The windows are attached to the living room, overseeing the main road of Cameron Highlands and the golf course.

View from the window of living room

Each unit of Dahlia Villa apartment came with 3 bedrooms and 2 washrooms. The master bedroom were slightly larger than of the remaining 2 rooms. The rooms are equipped with basic furniture such as a dressing table and cupboard.

Master bedroom with an attached washroom

Second room

Third room

The cleanliness of the washroom was acceptable. Nothing unsightly were spotted.

The washroom

You could see the surrounding apartment units when you are at the walkway.

There is an open air park located in the middle of the surrounding apartment units. For those who enjoy chatting outside the apartment, do utilized the park as it offers some tables and seats. Do note that it can be very chilly though especially during the night time.

A park in the middle

A unit of the apartment is being rented out at RM 250 to RM 300 dependent on the seasonal chart of Cameron Highlands. It might not be a luxurious experience of staying here, but I felt comfortable staying overnight here. In fact, this was my second time staying over here. This apartment might just be a great bargain if you have a group of more than six planning to crash in for a night!

Comfortableness: 6.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Verdict: A good choice for a big group who intended to a have little cooking in the apartment!

Villa Dahlia Apartment
Lot 214, Jalan Besar
39000, Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia

Restoran Fong Lum @ Brinchang Town, Cameron Highlands

2010-10-06T07:37:00.002+08:00

When you are at Brinchang town, you will notice that most of the shops here are occupied by restaurant. Too many choices pose a problem too, because it would mean that we need to choose, hoping that the place is right for us to have our meal.

No prior experience nor any recommendation, but we chose Restoran Fong Lum as our place to have our late lunch.

Restoran Fong Lum, Brinchang

It was a quarter after three by the time we were seated. There were just a few table occupied, hence our food should be serve faster to heal our hungry stomach.

Layout of the restaurant

Chinese tea

Don't be deceived by the weather of Cameron Highlands as the sunlight there can be very unforgiving. After soaking under the immense heat of the sunlight especially at Sungei Palas, it's good to chill with some beers.

Chilling with beer

We were persuaded by the attendant to take the steamboat but we ended up ordering fried noodles and some ala carte dishes as we thought that steamboat in the noon time is a little awkward.

Fried Rice (RM 20 for large)
I have no idea on which style it was fried but all I can say is that it tasted bland and wok hei was missing! It lacks the accompaniment ingredients such as meat, prawn and anchovies as well.

Braised Yee Mee (RM 20 for large)
Whilst the taste fare better than the fried rice, it however tasted too pepperish. Should be labeled as pepper yee mee instead.

Fried Hokkien Style (RM 20 for large)
This would be the most decent fried noodles amongst the mentioned one. Texture of the noodle were just nice, neither too soggy or hard and the presence of wok hei can be tasted. Could taste better should it consist more pork lard.

Hot Plate Bean Curd (RM 22 for large)
Served on a sizzling plate, it was prepared by using Japanese tofu and other condiments such as meat, prawn and vegetables. The taste could kill me because it was freaking salty! Man, it was torturous to my taste bud.

Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables (RM 18 for large)
Labeled as Four Heavenly Vegetables, it consisted of 4 different type of vegetables being stir fried together with sambal belacan. Vegetables used here were eggplant, lady fingers, Cameron asparagus and French beans. They prepared this decently and needless to say more. this was my favourite dish amongst the dishes for the lunch.

The total bill for the lunch came to RM 111 inclusive of the tea but not the beer. I thought it was on the expensive side considering the type of food that we had for lunch. Maybe I could have felt better should the food tasted better, but I am not so going to revisit this place unless all the restaurants in Brinchang close down.

Atmosphere: 6/10
Food: 4.5/10
Price: 4/10
Verdict: More misses than hits and the price do no justice to the very average food that we had.

Restoran Fong Lum
Brinchang Town Shoplots
Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia
Business hours: Opens for lunch to dinner

Gunung Brinchang Lookout Tower @ Cameron Highlands, Pahang

2010-10-04T23:21:00.004+08:00

Gunung Brinchang is the highest peak in Cameron Highlands with a height of 2031 metres above sea level. From it's height, reaching the peak may not seem easy. However, with an accessible road via car to the peak, summiting this mountain does not seem to be a major problem beside some steep gradient road stretches.

It's nearing the peak when you see this signboard

If you are the adventurous type, you can summit the peak by the conventional way of trekking through the trail of the forest. However, since we have our car parked at the campsite of the entrance to the Mossy Forest, we opted to walk along the tarred road leading up to the peak.

1 km more to the peak

You will eventually reach the peak after barely 10 minutes of walk from the entrance of Mossy Forest campsite.

Peak of Mount Brinchang at 2031 metres

The peak is accessible by car

Unlike the usual peak of mountain where the nature is left untouched, the peak of Gunung Brinchang however has a different story. There are communications tower being erected all over the peak with a designated forbidden area that I believe is the main communication station of Cameron Highlands.

Forbidden area, no entry for us!

One of the communication tower

Not only that, they have this special hut equipped with air conditional unit that serves as a mini police station.

Is it functional?

They have a lookout tower which offers the breathtaking view of the Titiwangsa Range from the summit.

Lookout tower at Gunung Brinchang

It was very windy and chilly at the top of the lookout tower but the spectacular view from atop will persuade you to stay a little longer.

View of the ground from the top of the tower

Panaromic view of the peak of Gunung Brinchang

On a clear day, it is claimed that you could actually see Ipoh town from the top of the lookout tower. It is however unfortunate for us on that day as the sky was a little cloudy.

Titiwangsa Range Mountains

Cheers buddies for summiting another mountain!

No sweat peaking the mountain

You saw something Iris?

Chee and Gt on the tower

With the same shirt that I wore here 5 years ago

You can't be spending too long on the lookout tower because the chilly wind on the top will send chills down your spine.

Descending time

View from the second floor of the tower

Like a war of communication towers ?

As we walked down the road heading back to the campsite, we passed by a mossy stretch along the roadside. At times, I could smell the fragrant of certain herb, some in which very similar to insect repellent smell.

Slightly mossy stretch

It's 11km more to Brinchang town

Certain part of the road can be a little misty, offering a pleasure experience walking down to the entrance of the Mossy Forest campsite.

The mist attack!

The misty part of the road

We definitely enjoy the stroll

This was my second time being here with a totally different kind of experience compared to my first time here. Whilst my first time here ended up in an insufferable state due to the unprepared and improper way of camping, this time it ended up in a very pleasurable experience. I supposed a dry shirt makes a lot of different and I'm sure my 2005 Cameron Highland buddies victim will agree with me.

The peak of Gunung Brinchang is accessible via car. How to go? Take the road heading to the Sungei Palas Boh Tea Plantation. Just before you reach the plantation gate, there will be another road branching out on the left. Take that road and you are on you way to the peak of Gunung Brinchang.

Gunung Brinchang
Brinchang, Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia

GPS Coordinates: N04 31.113' E101 22.973

Cameron Highland Trip [19th - 20th June 2010]
* The Journey to Cameron Highlands 2010
* Sungei Palas Boh Tea Centre, Cameron Highlands
* Lunch at Restoran Fong Lum, Brinchang, Cameron Highlands

Sungei Palas Boh Tea Centre @ Cameron Higlands, Pahang

2010-10-01T16:37:00.003+08:00

Boh Plantations is the largest black tea manufacturer in Malaysia, boasting some of the largest tea plantations in the Cameron Highlands with plantations in Habu, Fairlie Tea Garden and Sungai Palas.

Amongst all the plantations in Cameron Highlands, Boh Tea Centre in Sungai Palas is the plantation most visited by the tourists. This is simply because not only it does offers the tourist a chance to visit the tea factory, but it has a cafe where tourists can enjoy a cup of tea with a panoramic view of the lush green tea plantation.

Boh Tea Centre Sungai Palas, Cameron Highlands

Panoramic view of the tea centre

This tea centre can be very packed especially during the weekends and holidays. At times you got to be a little patient to get a table and your cup of tea.

Crowded during the holidays

Cakes and tarts

Tea time in an English way

The best spot to enjoy the tea would be at the verandah of the tea centre, overseeing the lush green tea plantation. It's really down to the luck though on how quick you can get a table here.

At the verandah

We definitely enjoy sipping some of the Boh Tea here.

Cameronian Gold Blend Full Set (RM 4 per person)

Cameronian Gold Blend
Although I'm not really into tea, but this tea definitely has the uummph with a very thick and a strong taste of a black tea.

If you are fan of flavoured teas, do check out their Seri Songket flavoured teas series.

Lychee with Rose Tea (RM 3 per teabag)
I tasted more rose fragrant than the lychee fragrant. Nonetheless, the flavour blends well and tasted even better with a pinch of sugar.

Passion Fruit Tea (RM 3 per teabag)

Not my cup of tea. I'm still not very passionate about the taste of passion fruit.

Strawberry Raspberry Fruit Infusion (RM 3 per teabag)
It was a sweet scent and it tasted sexy. Those dislike strawberries might find them scented a little like antibiotic syrup though.

Strawberry Cake (RM 6 per slice)
At it's price, I could definitely get better cakes elsewhere.

Chocolate Chips (RM 4.50 per bag of 4 slices)
I had hard time tasting any chocolate chips in the cookies. Given a choice, I will definitely choose Chipsmore anytime.

Keith was too into the tea

Please take note

Here are some of the panoramic view offered at the verandah tea centre.

An eye soothing view

Can you spot the dried up slot?

The blanket of tea

It's sunny!

After some tea, you can opt to pay a visit to their walkway leading to the tea factory.

Some information boards will greet you along

We need some shed

On my way to the factory, I bumped to some flowers which caught my attention.

Red wild flower

Yellow wild flower

Fact Sheet, 820k cups of tea per day!

The entrance to the tea factory

At here, you can witness some of the process going on to produce a teabag.

Processing the tea leaves

View of the unique walkway from outside

The verandah need my support!

When Chee is busy taking pictures

Says what?

The crew for our Cameron Highlands 2010

I still enjoy sipping some tea at this place very much though I've already been a few times. The tea was good, but as for me, the best was still the breathtaking view of the lush green tea plantation. Definitely not a place to miss out should you be in Cameron Highlands!

Atmosphere: 7/10
Tea: 7/10
Food: 4.5/10
Price: 5/10
Verdict: The tea somewhat tasted nicer thanks to the ambiance of the place. Food however are rather forgettable.

Sungei Palas Tea Centre
Jalan Gunung Brinchang
Brinchang, Cameron Highlands
Pahang
Malaysia
Tel: 605 - 496 2096
Business hours: 9am - 4.30pm daily. Closes on Monday.
Website: http://www.boh.com.my/

Mum's Hakka Fried Yam Abacus

2010-09-30T17:36:00.001+08:00

With my Dad being a Hakka, I am a Hakka in nature but I'm really hopeless in speaking Hakka language. However, it's the opposite when it comes to Hakka food as I really love some of their cuisine.

One of it is the Hakka Fried Yam Abacus or we refer them as Shun Pun Chi. When I was young, Mum prepared this cuisine pretty often and as I grow older, I realized I have not had it for years until recently where Mum suddenly recaptured her mood to prepare this cuisine.

Hakka Fried Yam Abacus

After hearing from Mum, I finally know why Mum has been so reluctant to prepare this dish. Ingredients that you need are yam, tapioca flour, mushrooms, dried shrimps, diced bean curds, dried slices of cuttlefish, minced black fungus, minced garlic and minced chicken meat.

Firstly, you need to boil the yam until it is tender. Then, you will need to mash them and mix it with the tapioca flour. Continue by kneading the mixture until it turn into dough. Then have a pinch of the dough and roll them to form the shape of a ball Finally, use tip of the finger to press slightly on both end of the ball to form abacus shape. Keep continuing the previous two steps until you reached a sizable amount of abacus.

Next, fry the abacus together with the mentioned ingredients. Topped it of with some coriander and spring onion. Now I know it's not easy to prepare a plate of Hakka Fried Yam Abacus.

In a shape of abacus

I know there are some stalls that sell this cuisine. However I have yet to try them nor came across with anyone telling me about stalls that serves really good Hakka Fried Yam Abacus. Until now, I'm still relying very much on my Mum to prepare this for me. Wondering when will be the next time.

Seoul Garden Korean BBQ IOI Mall Puchong @ Bandar Puchong Jaya [11th June 2010]

2010-09-29T18:45:00.000+08:00

It was the birthday of my buddy Chee, and we decided to celebrate it by having dinner at Seoul Garden in IOI Mall Puchong. From it's name, you've guessed it right as Seoul Garden offers Korean BBQ, in a buffet style.

Priced at RM 35.88++ per head, they offer variety of marinated meat for you to bbq at your table with an accompanying hot pot for some steamboat. Drinks however is not included, and you will required to top up RM 3.88++ per head for a free flow of soft drinks and juices.

Seoul Garden, IOI Mall Puchong

Space is valuable and as such, you could see them fully utilizing every inch of the space made available to them.

Space is being fully utilized

Each table is equipped with a hot plate and hot pot for you to cook at your pleasure and it can occupy up to 4 adults.

Hot pan and a hot pot
The hot pan can be replaced with a new one upon request should it stained badly after some grilling.

Time to scroll for food and drinks. I went to their drinks station first and I was overwhelmed to see the fruit juice station made available to us.

Nestle Fruit Drinks

They have marinated chicken, beef, lamb, fish and squid to choose from for you to grill. Flavours ranges from black pepper, bbq, curry to the exotic coffee flavour.

Variety of meat for BBQ purpose

Ingredients for steamboat

Vegetables and side condiments

Sauce staion
My personal favourite would be the Seoul Garden Special Sauce as it adds flavour to the grilled meat.

Time to take the raw marinated meat to the table. My first helping consisted a variety flavour of chicken meat.

Chicken meat in different flavour

Time for some Bar-be-Q

Keep an eye as not to overcook them

After a few minutes of grilling them, it's time to enjoy them while they're still sizzling hot!

And it's ready to go
The chicken meat marination were pretty decent, not something that really 'wow' you but you won't complain it either. On a side note, the coffee flavoured chicken tasted too exotic for my taste bud!

If you are tired of grilling, you can have a short break by having some steamboat.

A mini steamboat

The grilling won't stop at the first helping. It continued with lamb meat marinated with black pepper sauce.

Black Pepper Lamb
This was the bomb! Not only the marination was good, but the meat were well infused with the black pepper marination as well. And if you grill them in the right way, you are off to enjoy some really good juicy black pepper lamb!

Curry Flavour Squid
Squids are usually very resistant to marination, but the squid somewhat are well infused with the curry flavour marination in this case. It makes me wondered how they get it done.

More lamb chop with green and red pepper

Grilling them in a teppanyaki style

A fully utilized hot plate

Some Garden Salad

I continued by having more black pepper lamb and some Bulgoki flavoured chicken. I took some lettuce too so that I can enjoy the grilled meat in a Korean BBQ way.

Black Pepper Lamb and Bulgoki Chicken

As the grilling is done, it's time to savour the Bulgoki flavoured chicken in a Korean BBQ way by wrapping the grilled meat with a slice of lettuce.

Bulgoki Chicken wrapped in lettuce
The fresh and crunchy lettuce went so well with the grilled Bulgoki flavoured chicken.

Here are some of the ready food made available to you.

You can make your own rojak

Stuffed cheese meat in crab shell
I thought it was lacking in flavour and tasted awful.

Dessert Bar
Consisted of a few fruits and various condiments for you to shape your own bowl of ais kacang (shaved ice).

Ais Kacang
I tried mixing a few of this and that condiments but it ended up not nice. The ais kacang tasted bland and could have been better if they provide some gula Melaka.

Ice Cream Bar
They offer King's ice cream. My favourite were the chocolate and honey dew flavour.

Happy 26th Birthday to you Chee!

This was my first time visiting Seoul Garden and I must admit that I really enjoyed savouring their grilled meat in a very cozy atmosphere. Not only that, their customer service of this branch was great as well, as we were attended almost instantly upon request. I also noted that the food are always replenished when they are finishing.

Making things better, we only paid for 7 pax as they have a promotion which entitled birthday person on the same day to eat free with a minimum of 7 paying adults. I would definitely revisit them for more and more grilled meat! Do visit their website at http://www.seoulgarden.com.my/promotions-br0.php for the latest ongoing promotions.

Atmosphere: 6.5/10
Overall varieties: 6/10
Food: 6.5/10
Price: 6/10
Verdict: Black pepper lamb and Bulgoki flavoured chicken are those meat that you should not miss out.

Seoul Garden IOI Mall Puchong
Lot EG 9 & EG 10, Ground Floor
IOI Mall New Extension
Batu 9, Jalan Puchong
Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170
Puchong, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 8076 8726
Fax: 603 - 8076 8736

Business hours: 11.30am - 10pm daily
Website: http://www.seoulgarden.com.my/seoulmenu0.php

Review: Aeroline Malaysia Bus for Bandar Sunway to Penang Route

2010-09-27T19:31:00.003+08:00

Aeroline bus has been in operation for years and been providing executive bus service for the route of Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and Penang and vice versa. I have not travel with them because I usually thought it is more convenient to travel by car especially to Penang.

However, after hearing feedback from my parents about Aeroline bus service to Penang, I decided to give them a try for my first trip to Penang earlier this year. And as expected, I travel again with them on my previous May trip to Penang as I don't see any reason not to. Firstly, their boarding station is just located at a a very convenient place to me, Sunway Pyramid and the drop off is at Queensbay Mall, Penang.

Aeroline Bus, the Double Deck coach

With a double deck coach, it has 30 seats on the upper deck, providing a very spacious and comfortable traveling experience.

Just 30 seats, with a layout of 3 seats per row

Sizeable LCD screen for you to enjoy the movie while on the move

On the lower deck, there is a lounge which can accommodate up to 6 adults. The availability however is based on first come first serve basis.

The lounge on the lower deck

There is also a small washroom available on the lower deck for a short relief. The washroom is not intended for long usage, and should you required so, you will need to speak to their Cabin Crew for a stop at rest area.

A tiny washroom

If you ever need to get some sleep, don't worry as their comfortable wide reclining seats comes with leg support. It feels as good as you are on a cozy sofa.

Very comfortable seat

As the coach started to move, the entertainment station which is available right in front of you will be switched on. However, do take note that not all the coach are equipped with such facility and it is very much depends on the coach schedule.

Tiny LCD screen right in front of your seat

Select your preferred entertainment

A game pad which act as an controller as well

Each passenger will be served a complimentary bottle of mineral water. You may ask the crew for some hot drinks too.

Complimentary mineral water

As the coach nearing it's halfway journey, a meal will be served by the cabin crew. The meal may varied from time to time and is very much at the discretion of Aeroline. At time I get Subway's sandwiches, Chicken Rice Shop's Nasi Lemak and for my previous journey back to Klang Valley, I get a Chicken Rice from Chicken Rice Shop.

A complimentary meal will be served

It definitely does lived up to it's tag line of The Convenient Way to "FLY". The cabin crew was courteous and their service were excellent. Together with the comfortable ride and the spacious seat with a lounge to spare, what else could you have ask more for a RM 60 single way journey ticket.

The convenient Way to FLY

Four hours of driving might not sound too hard, but after considering all the opportunity costs and especially when you are driving alone, you are just thankful to have Aeroline Bus for providing such a pleasant journey to Penang and home.

See you again Penang!

This post concludes my previous holiday experience of Penang in last May. Till we meet again in the near future and thank you Pei Yee for your precious time spent with me while I was in Penang!=D

Aeroline Service Centre Bandar Sunway
OB3.LG2.1A, Lower Ground Two
Oasis Boulevard, Sunway Pyramid
No 3 Jalan PJS 11/15
Bandar Sunway, 46150
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 5631 1313
Business hours: 7.30am - 7.30pm
Website: https://www.aeroline.com.my/

Asam Laksa & Homemade Durian Ice Cream Kek Seng Coffee Shop @ Penang Road, Penang

2010-09-24T03:13:00.002+08:00

If you are a fan of asam laksa, you just can't have enough of it when you are Penang. With almost every coffee shop offering the famous Penang asam laksa, you must know where to get it to avoid disappointment.

Not many tourist may have heard of this coffee shop, but Kek Seng Coffee Shop hosts one of the better asam laksa you can find in the island. It might be hard to spot it's existence due to it's location along the main busy road of Penang Road.

Kek Seng Coffee Shop, Penang Road

There were other stalls that offers other Penang delicacy but you definitely would not want to miss out ordering a bowl of asam laksa if you happen to be here.

Kek Seng Asam Laksa Stall

The lady who operates the stall

It was 12 noon on my previous visit and understandably, the crowd were not there yet, hence my bowl of asam laksa was served almost instantly.

Kek Seng Asam Laksa (RM 3)
It was my first time being here, but from the look of it, I know I would not be disappointed.

One of the best Asam Laksa in Penang

Do not be deceived by the look of the soup diluteness, as it was brimming with flavour thanks to the perfectly perking up of tamarind stock and is enhanced by the shrimp paste. Spiciness level was as great, and it clearly did not disappoint. A two thumbs up asam laksa!

On their own, Kek Seng do serves their very own signature dessert of ais kacang that is topped off with their homemade durian ice cream.

You are forced to order a drink?

I was amazed by their ais kacang which was served on a plate rather than typically on a bowl. This is cute really.

Kek Seng Signature Ais Kacang (RM 3.50)
Consisted of the usual ingredients that you may find in a typical ice kacang, but this came with an extra jelly pudding and double scoop of ice cream. The shaved ice were very rough though. Personally, I do not find it of any special apart from the homemade durian ice cream, which tasted pretty decent.

The asam laksa soup version might be of the same as the one served in Joo Hooi Cafe, but personally, I think the Kek Seng asam laksa had the upper hand in term of the taste. I will definitely return for this newly found favourite asam laksa of mine.
Asam Laksa: 8.5/10
Ais Kacang: 5.5/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 7/10
Verdict: I have found a new place to savour my favourite asam laksa, but not the ais kacang.

Kek Seng Coffee Shop
382-384, Penang Road
10000, Georgetown
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 11am - 4pm daily

GPS Coordinates: N05 24.974' E100 19.759'

Pandan Coconut, Anba Coconut Trading @ Lorong Abu Siti, Penang

2010-09-22T18:58:00.003+08:00

With the soaring temperature of Penang, it is hard not to find something to cool down your body. Think about thirst quencher, I will not fail to think of coconut drinks.

There was this stall which I had always visited whenever I feel like having some coconut drinks in Penang. Located at Lorong Abu Siti, Anba Cocunut Trading Sdn Bhd does not only sell coconut on a wholesale but they offers coconut to individual as well.

Anba Coconut Trading Sdn Bhd, Lorong Abu Siti

You will notice that there is a lot of coconuts lying everywhere as though you are in a coconut warehouse. There are two choices of coconut, the ordinary one and the pandan coconut.

Ordinary Young Cocunut (RM 1.70 each)

My choice has always been the pandan coconut. Slightly more expensive, but it is all worth for the sweeter taste of the juice with hints of pandan fragrant.

Young Pandan Coconut (RM 2.50 each)

Just placed an order and the worker will choose the best coconut for you before slicing it off for you to enjoy the drinks.

Professional coconut slicer

Sliced Pandan Coconut
The coconut isn't chilled nor they are any ice within. However, the drinks were sweet and simply refreshing with a great pandan fragrant. Definitely will be better if they were serve chilled.

Should you want to have the coconut meat, do ask them for assistance.

Coconut meat

The flesh are sweet and soft, living up to it's billing of young coconut.

They do not provide spoon for you to scoop the coconut meat. Instead, they adapted a very environment friendly approach by slicing part of the coconut shelf to resemble a spoon.

Scooping the meat in a natural way

Thumbs up for the pandan coconut!

There are no proper tables or even seats for you to enjoy the coconut drinks. However, you will not complain the moment you had your first sip of the drink.

Coconut drink: 8/10

Price: 7/10
Verdict: Refreshing pandan coconut drinks that have you refreshed!

Anba Coconut Trading Sdn Bhd

Lorong Abu Siti
off Jalan Burma
Georgetown, 10400
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 8am - 7pm (Monday to Saturday)

Tel: 012 - 450 9194

Fried Pancake Kedai Kopi New Cathay @ Pulau Tikus, Penang

2010-09-20T16:03:00.003+08:00

Just right after the curry mee breakfast, I was told by Pei Yee that the coffee shop across the road serves really good fried pan cake. I was bemused as I have not come across such delicacy.

The fried pancake stall is located in Kedai Kopi New Cathay which is visible from the main road of Jalan Burma. The coffee shop occupied the corner lot and is situated by the junction of Lorong Kucing.

Kedai Kopi New Cathay, Pulau Tikus

Just like a normal coffee shop, it has many hawker stalls offering different type of food and is another popular stall among the Pulau Tikus folks.

Pretty crowded even on the weekday

Obviously, my attention are on the fried pancake stall. Upon ordering, I was told that the waiting time is 20 minutes. That even bemused me more, wondering how can pancake required such a long time to prepare and can be popular with the crowd.

Fried Pancake Stall, Kedai Kopi New Cathay

I observed how he pour the pancake dough onto a pan, leaving it for a while before breaking them into square pieces and frying them just like omelet. At this point of time, I was wondering how the pancake will taste alike. Salty, sweet or mixture of both?

It's banana flavoured

A glass of ambra juice while waiting for my fried pancake.

Ambra juice (RM 1.80)
A little bit diluted for me as I prefer the thicker taste of ambra juice.

After 20 minutes of wait, my fried pancake was served.

Pulau Tikus Fried Pancake (RM 2.50)
It has a strong banana fragrant. Crispy on the outside with some aromatic charred smell to offer while being soft and mushy inside. And yes, it tasted sweet just like a pancake but this is definitely a different version.

Definitely something new to me but I kinda like it, particularly on the unique texture of the fried pancake.

Fried Pancake: 7/10

Price: 7/10
Verdict: The fried pancake tasted very cute, I mean in a nice way!

Kedai Kopi New Cathay

Lorong Kucing
off Jalan Burma
10350, Pulau Tikus
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 7.30am - 3pm daily

Curry Mee Hup Kee Coffee Shop @ Pulau Tikus, Penang

2010-09-16T20:51:00.005+08:00

It was my last day in Penang for my previous mid year holiday in Penang. Started the day by checking out from Tune Hotels before headed to Pulau Tikus for breakfast.

Heading to Pulau Tikus is easy, especially by car. Just travel along the Burma Road, and you will reach Pulau Tikus within 10 minutes from Tune Hotels. There are abundant of coffee shops here greeting you on both side, along the main road. As such, I tried my luck with Hup Kee coffee shop, hoping it does offer me some good breakfast before I headed home to KL.

Hup Kee Coffee Shop, off Lorong Leandro's

Popular with the old folks having their morning tea

Just like typical coffee shop, Hup Kee offers the usual hawker food such like fried and soup noodles. I was moved by the strong scent of curry mee and thus, I decided to order a small bowl for my breakfast.

Hup Kee Curry Laksa Stall, Pulau Tikus

Hup Kee Curry Mee (RM 2.50)
Just like a standard Penang Curry Mee, the soup is clear but it offered a decent curry taste that came with a spoonful of sambal to spice the soup up. With the generous servings of the accompaniments like prawn, tau pok, fish ball and pork blood cubes (chu hong), I thought it was a steal at it's price. Oh yes, I love the extra topping of the mint leaves too which adds in some minty taste to the soup.

Pei Yee did ordered a plate of fried koay teow from the auntie that operates this hawker stall.

Hup Kee Fried Koay Teow Stall, Pulau Tikus

Hup Kee Char Koay Teow, Pulau Tikus (RM 3)
There was hint of wok hei but overall it was lacking in flavour. It was near to tasteless and it makes me wonder was it fried without salt or soy sauce. Definitely not a standard of a decent Penang fried koay teow.

The curry mee is pretty enjoyable and I would not mind returning here for another bowl as my breakfast on my next Penang trip. Maybe I should try out some other stalls as well but definitely not on the fried koay teow stall.

Curry Mee: 7/10
Char Koay Teow: 4/10

Atmosphere: 4.5/10
Price: 7/10
Verdict: Curry mee was up to my expectation of Penang standard but the Char Koay Teow is forgettable.

Hup Kee Coffee Shop

Lorong Leandro's
off Jalan Burma
10250, Pulau Tikus
Penang
Malaysia
Business hours: 7am - 2pm daily