Inner Mongolia @ Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

This was originally meant for Monday as I thought it would be appropriate after reading the Inner Mongolia story in the Sunday Star. However since Photobucket was throwing a tantrum, I decided to post a shorter write up.

Recently I visited this place with my friends and I was impressed with the food that it definitely needs a second visit to try the other items. The restaurant serves steamboat and cooked dishes. Scroll down to the other reviews where bloggers have also visited the place and ordered their dishes for a sample on it.

To kick off our meal, we had a selection of cold dishes to perk up our appetites. One of their specialties is this type of cake like substance made from green bean flour. It's tossed with peanuts and a tangy sauce. Kinda nice but my favourite was their sliced bean curd tossed with a tangy sauce and carrots. It's not the first time we are having this as it was previously discovered when we ate at Dong Bei which is just round the corner from this place. Their version has more chilli oil in it versus the one in Dong Bei.

They have a large selection of cold dishes at the end of their restaurant in a glassed up area where you can select which one you wish to try. Some are made from meat, seaweed, lotus root and etc.



Next to the cold dishes, you will find people preparing dumplings and flat cakes filled with meats. This lady was making one of my favourites, the dumplings you will either pan fry to make wor tip or boil to just eat as dumplings.

Here's a tray of the finished dumplings. We didn't get a chance to try their dumplings that night as we had so much other food.

We tried their steamboat which came in two soups: a herbal soup and a spicy one. The spicy soup is actually the same soup base as the herbal one but has a layer of chilli oil on top. According to my friend, they add the chilli oil in a lot of their soup based dishes in China as it helps retain the heat. If you poke around the soup, you will see some strange herbs that is not available here as Inner Mongolia brings them in from China specially for this soup.

For the steamboat, we had New Zealand Lamb, Mongolian Beef, Minced Lamb, an unusual mushroom brought in from China and frozen bean curd cubes. The New Zealand Lamb and Mongolian Beef (this is specially brought in from Mongolia) is thinly sliced and all you need to do is dip them in the soup and they will cook quickly. For the minced lamb, slowly add small scoops of this in the soup to make into meatballs. Once they are cooked, they will float up and they have a melt in the mouth quality. You dip the food in the peanut sauce seen in the middle of the picture.

Although I am not a fan of steamboats, this particular one was extremely satisfying with all the tender meat that sated the carnivore in me. Of course price wise, this will be more expensive that the other steamboats which usually consists of processed items like fishballs and etc but I reckon it's definitely worth it especially if you love meats. I don't have the price for the steamboat but Pixel's blog does mention they spent RM23 per person at this place and her dishes look similar to what we also had that night.

Inner Mongolia
290, Ground Floor
Jalan Pudu
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2144 9688

For location map details, refer to the Sun paper.

Tagged with: Mongolian Food + Pudu

Other reviews:

• Fashionasia
• Pixel's Blog on the Net
• Big Head Big Hat
• Ahmok.com
• Alice Kumiko's Photo Album

Hakka Mee @ Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

I seem to be having a bad Monday morning! For some reason, my Photobucket account went slightly berserk and didn't allow me to post up the pictures. Thankfully that seems to be resolved and I managed to upload these pictures or else there won't be any food post today which will definitely make anyone blue this Monday morning.

Back to business, I have been exploring the Pudu area and it still amazes me how there is great food at every nook and cranny of the place. This lane which also houses the tong sui stall I featured last week is also home to one of the best Hakka noodles (RM3.50 for a small bowl) in the city. It's not the best in Malaysia as that is reserved for the one you get in Seremban according to my dining companions. Sadly I have not tasted the Seremban one but for now, this will do for me.

Strangely enough, although I have a Hakka background, I don't think I have heard of these noodles until I read Robyn's write up about it. They remind me of wantan noodles without the black soy sauce as the noodles are springy, topped with char siu slices and served with wantans.

Chun Kee Hakka Mee

446, Jalan Sayur
Off Jalan Pudu

(Located at the corner shop, the stall is at the side of the road and shares the area with a curry laksa stall. Turn into the lane just before the turn off to Pasar Road if coming from Pudu Jail. Only available in the mornings and lunchtime)

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Hakka Mee

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 67

Malaysians love kitty cats especially the Malays so whenever you wander into a Malay food establishment, there will always be kitty cats who scrounge for food there. I once asked a Malay guy who was buying bags and bags of cat food for his large litter of Persian cats at the pet shop why he keeps so many cats. He claims that by being kind to them, they will repay you back in some manner. Not sure whether that works but I am all for that belief if the kitties get better treatment on the streets.

I managed to snap shots of this whole family of kitties living around a Nasi Padang outlet called Garuda in Kampung Baru. They were obviously very at home with the place as the little kitten was happily sitting under the metal table which served as a makeshift stove. Picture is slightly blurred as I zoomed in on the kitten to not frighten it away.



Since I love ginger felines, I had to snap a shot of this ginger kitty lounging outside the restaurant. Throughout my visit there: I saw a cat chase between this ginger kitty and another tabby cat who was limping from an injury, a whole family of adorable kittens led by their mother that are experts in melting my heart to feed them my leftovers and one naughty feline who decided to pee on my friend's bag. Definitely a happening place for felines.

This weekend, thanks to Cat Synth who is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging. I hope Claire and Kiri is doing okay as we all miss them especially those cute pictures of Kiri in his sailor suit.

Tagged with: WCB 67 + Weekend Cat Blogging

Jai Hind @ Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur

During one of my shopping trips around Masjid India, I discovered Jai Hind. It doesn't look much from the outside and most of the time you will think it's closed as the shophouse with the signboard is always half opened but wander inside during lunchtime and the place is packed to the brim with people.

You can have a choice between chapatis, naan or selecting your food from a counter filled with dishes with rice. Come early for lunch as the food at the counter tends to run out especially the popular items. At one corner of the shoplot, you will see two men making chapati and naan on a steady basis. During lunchtime, they will be churning out chapatis and naans quickly to cater to the orders.

The chapati here is nice and fluffy which comes with chickpea curry (dhall). We also ordered the unusual black coloured chickpeas as this is something you don't usually get in most restaurants, a brinjal dish and the palak paneer. The black coloured chickpeas is harder than the usual yellow ones but very tasty.

Jai Hind mainly sells Northern Indian and Punjabi food hence you will see quite a few Punjabi men here with their distinctive turbans and long beards. As the place is quite near the courthouses, you will also see Punjabi lawyers in their black suits tucking into their breakfast or lunch. We didn't get to taste their naans which this man was busy making but it was interesting to see how he rolled the dough out, shaped it and placed it in their old clay oven.

If you are early, try their kheema which is minced meat and peas that is delicious especially with rice. There is also another unusual dish they serve which I have only seen in the particular restaurant which looks like pakoras served with a creamy golden coloured sauce that was also good.

Jai Hind also sells lots of Punjabi sweets like this extremely sugary Gulab Jamun and the usual varieties like Jelebi, Laddu, Palgova and etc. Two particular sweets which they have here that should have special mention is their Rasmalai and Black Gulai Jamun. The black gulai jamun is not soaked in syrup hence it's less sweeter and has a nicer texture. Rasmalai is only cream lovers as it's served with buffalo milk and almonds that is sublime. I didn't managed to snap a picture of it as I was too busy eating it all up!

If you are around the area or accesible by LRT, try Jai Hind for lunch one day as the prices at this place is extremely reasonable. They also serve cow's milk which you can chose to have plain or with your teh tarik.

Jai Hind
15 to 17, Jalan Melayu
Kuala Lumpur

(In front of the covered bazaar in Masjid India and right behind Masjid Jamek LRT Station. Opens from 8 am to 9 pm)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Chapati

Tong Sui Stall @ Jalan Sayur, Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

If you're a faithful follower of this blog, you will notice that I have a sweet tooth and an extremely soft spot for tong sui i.e. Chinese soupy desserts. Recently, I discovered this great stall that sells yummy tong sui at this tiny backlane in Pudu which comes alive at night. If you don't mind the smells and the look of this place, you will definitely discover great food here. Although this man starts his stall from 2pm onwards, his steamed egg custard is only available from 4.30 pm. He takes the afternoon shift while two ladies will be running the stall at night.

My absolute favourite is their steamed egg custard that is wobbly perfection for me. It's something I only ate in Ipoh's coffeeshops and is not readily available in Kuala Lumpur. The steamed egg custard is placed in a steamer which is kept hot to ensure the custard is warm for their customers.

The custard is made from eggs, milk and water whereby the right proportions is essential to ensure it's perfect texture. You also need to steam it over a slow fire to ensure it's smooth consistency or else pock marks will appear on it's surface.

This dessert is also something I don't usually see in Kuala Lumpur, herbal tea served with a hard boiled egg (Dan Cha in Cantonese Chinese). Usually we only see Herbal Tea Eggs where they cook the eggs in a herbal tea and the skin is cracked to achieve a marbled effect.

This particular tong sui is quite commonly found - the luk mei (or six ingredients in Cantonese). Babe in the City - KL has a picture of the six ingredients used on her blog but I think they differ from here as I only counted the white fungus, lotus seeds, dried longan, quail egg and I think the herb called wai sharn which looks a bit like barley seeds.

Tong Sui Stall
Next to the Chee Chap Chuk Stall
Located on Jalan Sayur, Off Jalan Pudu

(If you are driving from Pudu Jail, this is the small alleyway just before the turn off to Jalan Pasar. In the morning the Hakka Mee stall is along this road. Stall is open from 2pm onwards until 10 pm)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Tong Sui

Food Foundry @ Section 17, Petaling Jaya

I discovered this little cafe in Section 17 called Food Foundry after reading an article at the News Straits Times about their Mille Crepe. The mention of Mille Crepe had me really excited as I have been following Jason Mumbles' Mille Crepe posts but since the shop is all the way in Melaka, there was no way I could have tasted it.

Finally after begging for a slice, we managed to taste a slice and I can understand the fuss about it as it's really nice for it's light and fluffy texture. No wonder it's so difficult to get a slice of this cake at the cafe and you need to order a few days in advance for the whole cake. I have the recipe in one of my numerous cookbooks and I can imagine how back breaking it must be to make each perfect crepe. I guess if you have a great crepe pan like the one from Le Creuset it's probably a breeze.

The cafe is tucked in a corner and is directly at the other end from 6 to 10 grill at Happy Mansion. Besides the Mille Crepe, they also serve other desserts like cupcakes and cheese brownies. What's good about this place is their prices are substantially cheaper than the other cafes in town. They also offer student discounts (15%) and senior citizen discounts (10%) since the area is populated by a lot of University Malaya students.

The menu is a mix of tapas items which you can eat with pita bread, sandwiches, pastas and local dishes. They also have a lunch promotion where you can order any local dish, sandwich or pasta which comes with a free Nestea drink. We have tried a variety of their pastas and their spicy eggplant tapas and felt the food was just average tasting. Their eggplant tapas was delicious but it felt more like a chinese eggplant dish that we eat at home rather than a spanish tapas dish. Since there was a group of us eating, we had a variety of pastas: the green curry prawn pasta (RM12.90) was nice and spicy. The only thing I didn't like was it's appearance as the green curry sauce appeared to have curdled a bit in the cooking process.

Their beef spaghetti aglio olio sounded like a great idea but then it tasted like fried spaghetti with chilli flakes and the beef slices were tough.

Splashie Boy's alfredo pasta(RM11.90) looked like a nightmare with all that cream but it tasted pretty good despite it's appearance. Overall, I felt the cooked food items at the cafe were kinda forgettable but their Mille Crepe is definitely something that one should try as that was exceptional.

Food Foundry
BG-8, Happy Mansion
Jalan 17/13
Petaling Jaya

Tel No: 03 - 7955 3885

(Open from 10.30 am to 9 pm from Mondays to Fridays, Open from 9 am to 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Mille Crepe

Other Reviews:

• Honey Star
  

Pan Meen @ Restaurant Kin Kin, Kuala Lumpur

After reading almost every Malaysian blogger's write up on this Pan Meen stall, I was curious to taste test it out for myself. I finally had an opportunity to try the noodles recently and it was an interesting experience.

Pan Meen or board noodles as per the literal translation from Cantonese originated during wartimes in Malaysia when food such as rice and meat was scarce. In those olden days, it was just made from hand tearing flat pieces of dough and served with a stock made from anchovies (ikan bilis to all Malaysians) and a vegetable known as pucuk manis or sui chai choy. Nowadays, it's gone all deluxe with the dough being rolled and made into noodles while minced meat, black fungus strips and fried anchovies are essential toppings.

Kin Kin's take on these noodles have gone another level higher with the addition of a poached egg and their famous dry chillies. Usually pan meen in other hawker stalls is served with a sambal made from green chillies but Kin Kin's version will make any chilli lover happy. They actually serve three types of chillies at this place: the dry chillies, a red chilli sauce and if you wish for additional ooomph in your life there is the tiny but fiery chilli padi (bird eye's chilli in English).

If you wish to follow the popular path which is by adding lots of the dry chillies, be careful as it really can hit your tummy straight away. I have heard stories of people suffering after they indulge in a bowl of these noodles especially if they overdose on the chillies. It's also essential you add freshly squeezed calamansi juice (limau kasturi in Malay) to the noodles as it balances the spiciness of the chillies. However if you want to tone down the fiery heat, opt for the soup version of the noodles.

As the dried chillies is the most popular item, they are readily available in tubs to all on the tables so you can scoop as much as you like. They're made on a daily basis by the stall owners hence if they run low on supplies, you may find it rationed like what happened to Wyejon of Wantan Productions recently.

Some reviewers have claimed this place is over rated, the noodles is expensive for the price you pay, food is not as great as last time and etc. I admit we added very little dried chillies to our noodles as we wanted to taste the noodles instead of just the fiery heat and it's quite nice on it's own. Their hand made noodles are nicer than the average pan meen stall and the soup is nice and sweet. The addition of the poached egg was a nice touch as pan meen tends to get hard and stick together after some time hence the runny egg yolk moistens the whole ensemble. If it's too dry, just add a few spoonfuls from the accompanying soup.

Kin Kin

40, Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman Satu
Off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman
Kuala Lumpur

(Open from morning till late afternoon. Non-halal. To get there, if you are coming from Chow Kit and travelling down Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, take the second left turning after the Shell Station. Make an immediate right to the road and drive straight down, you will see the shop on your left hand side.)

*Other reviews:

• Babe in the City - KL
• Wantan Productions

* Note these links have further links to other blogs which have reviewed these noodles

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Pan Meen

Mooncake Party for Flavours Magazine

Recently, a friend of ours was asked by Flavours magazine to host a Mooncake party for their September/October 2006 issue. Although it was way too early to be thinking of mooncakes and lanterns but we all got into the hang of it especially the kids who loved the lit up lanterns.



It was great fun seeing "the behind the scenes" action of a photo shoot. We also had lots of scrumptious food that day as my friend, Mau is an excellent cook. These prawns are just a sampler of what was served that night as we had a feast! Remember to buy a copy of the magazine to see and recreate all those yummy dishes such as Pomegranate Salad, Tofu and Lady Fingers with Spicy Calamansi Dip, Fruity Pilaf Rice, Papaya and Pork Rib Soup, Plum Sauce Chicken with Persimmon Dressing and Sweet and Sour Prawns with Pineapple.

Tagged with: Mooncake + Lantern + Flavours Magazine

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 66

There's something about cats which hang out at nasi lemak stalls that I love. This particular beauty was the friendliest soul at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, Kampung Baru. I had to snap a few shots of it before it was all perfect as it wouldn't stop moving since it wanted a pat on it's head.

For more kitty kats from all over the world, visit chef sarahjane for the WCB round up.

Tagged with: WCB 66 + Weekend Cat Blogging

Atrium @ Asian Heritage Row, Kuala Lumpur

Last night, we did some fine dining at Atrium, the latest hip place along the Asian Heritage Row which is owned by the same people who run La Bodega and Telawi Street Bistro in Bangsar. It was part of Klue magazine's Going Out Series and our first time dining here. I didn't snap many pictures of the impressive interior as I know it won't turn out but lots of pictures was taken for the July issue of Klue. The people here are really sweet as they said no problems snapping lots of pictures of the place but we decided not to risk it since it was quite dark inside.

Since Splashie Boy and I were super tired after a long day, we rushed through dinner. It would have been nice to sit down longer as the band playing was really good but both of us were so tired that eyelids were drooping and brains were shutting down slowly. They served us two pastes to go with our bread - sun dried tomatoes and black olives aka tapenade.

Splashie Boy had their Caesar Salad which came with generous slices of air dried beef. The dressing is quite subtle that you can't even really taste the anchovies in it.



I had the wild mushroom soup with porcini oil and chives that was good and the flavours were quite subtle. I would have preferred it to be slightly thicker but then I reckon if it was too heavy, I would have felt so bloated up after my three course meal.



Splashie Boy had the grilled beef medallion which came with mash and watercress salad. Sorry for the not so brilliant pictures as lighting was getting dimmer. I had a taste of this and didn't really like it because it wasn't as tender per my standards. Splashie Boy thought it was okay and finished it all.



I had the braised lamb shank which turned out to be yummy. Sadly picture quality of this was bad as it was brown all over. The lamb was so tender and the apricot chutney added a nice tang to it.



Desserts was a choice between sinful chocolate or rhubarb. Splashie Boy had the chocolate and citrus tart which he didn't like as he felt the combination of chocolate and citrus was too weird for him. Surprisingly, I liked it as I found it to be not too rich with the addition of the slight tangy taste.



I think I definitely have a higher tolerance level for sour items as I liked my rhubarb crumble while Splashie Boy hated it. This could be because I am extremely partial to rhubarb as I have fond memories of it with lots of custard during university days.

Both of us had different opinions about some items but sometimes it's kind of difficult to judge based on a set menu. The a la carte menu looked interesting especially their wagyu beef cheek which I am sure will be super tender. Prices for their main meals range from RM30 to RM70 depending on what you order. They also do set lunches for RM25++ and a brunch buffet which serves champagne. Service is nice and friendly too.

Atrium
Heritage Row
No. 21, Jalan Doraisamy

Tel No: 03 - 2694 1318

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Asian Heritage Row + Atrium

Char Kuey Teow @ Seng Lee Coffeeshop, KL

I'm partial to this char kuey teow stall which I have been patronising for a long time. Although it may not be the best in town (some say), it always brings back memories for me. I can still remember the old days when his assistant was this short and hunched back man who you must place your order with. Now, it's his wife that helps him take orders and deliver the plates of char kuey teow while he fries it up. Usually it's advisable to eat this non peak times as during busy times, the standard drops me a bit as he is rushing to finish frying the noodles.

Besides this char kuey teow stall, Seng Lee also has two sisters running the wantan noodles stall which serves yummy curry laksa. I love their Chinese New Year cookies which I will buy to celebrate the festive season. Then there is also a pork noodles stall which is run by the people who also serve the drinks. That particular stall has gone through a few changes: there was previously another guy who served pork noodles who decided it was too hectic so he switched to frying cantonese noodles at the corner coffeeshop. You must also try the yummy rojak which we used to eat while waiting for our char kuey teow to arrive.

As coffeeshops are super rare in Damansara Heights, these two shops are always packed. Even though there's a new shop in the row, people still prefer these established coffeeshops. The corner coffeeshop is also pretty good with their roast duck noodles (the family who used to run it was originally from the corner stall which faces Central Market - it's now the McDonalds), pan meen and roasted meats.

Seng Lee Coffeeshop
Shophouses near Jalan Batai
The row behind Hock Lee's and Klimts

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Char Kuey Teow

Apam Balik @ Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya

Pancakes are usually a popular breakfast item but I absolutely love the local version known as Apam Balik which comes laden with crushed peanuts and Planta margarine. You can find them at most places especially morning markets and even hawker stalls for teatime. This particular stall which my mother found by random as she occasionally shops at the Taman Megah morning market for fish is a fantastic find. She is so hooked on this pancake that she had it for her breakfast twice in a week.



Located just right at the beginning of the morning market, this young man was so quick with his hands that I had trouble taking pictures of him making the pancakes. He will basically reach for the batter that is premixed in a plastic container and add it to the hot metal pans. Subsequently he sprinkles sugar on top of the batter and lets it cook for a while. Then just before he turns it out, he sprinkles lots of crushed peanuts. A dollop of sinful Planta margarine is also added which melts into the pancake. Once all this is added, he deftly turns it out from the pan and onto his chopping board. One big piece costs RM2.80 and you can request him to slice it into four or five slices depending on your family requirements. Alternatively you can also buy them by the slice which costs RM0.70 each.

What stands out with this particular apam balik is his proportions of the peanuts, margarine and sugar. It's not too sweet plus full of yummy peanuts which I love. Every biteful makes you a severe addict to this pancake. I know I'm a convert and believe me, this will definitely be a must stop for my breakfast.

Apam Balik Stall

Taman Megah Morning Market
Directly opposite the Secret Recipe in Taman Megah

(I'm not sure which day he is off but I suspect he closes on Monday as most markets take a break on that day.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Apam Balik + Pancakes

One Noodle @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

Recently I noticed that the food scene in SS2 seems to be changing from the usual hawker fare to more modern outlets. This is quite evident with the emergence of Hong Kong chan tengs, kopitiams, noodle houses, steamboat restaurants and etc. There's even a Japanese restaurant which has taken over the shoplot space where Ah Lok Kopitiam used to be. Hopefully it survives better than the previous Japanese place which occupied the space right across from it.

Incidentally, steering off topic from food, another trend I notice at SS2 are the wedding shops taking over the houses that surround the commercial area. It used to be just within the main road at SS2/24 but even the terrace houses that face Lorong Seratus Tahun have not been spared as Covershots open a branch there. You can't miss these places as they're nicely decorated with lots of morning glory surrounding their shops that contrast so sharply with the dingy houses.

Although I am still very old school as I prefer eating at the coffeeshops versus the Hong Kong chan tengs, I did venture to One Noodle that opened in July 2006 since it boasted xiao loong baos and lai mian. The menu is extremely extensive that one has to sit down a while to digest all their offerings i.e. eight varieties of Lai Mian, thirty types of dim sum which are steamed or deep fried, Teochew Loh Shui Duck or Chicken, porridge, fried rice, rice soup, claypot dishes, stir fried dishes and desserts.

A quick check with the people who run this place indicated that it's a branch of their main outlet in Kepong but their menu is more extensive here. Xiao Loong Bao was ordered as I wanted to test them out and a bowl of their Buckwheat Noodles since it's unusual to find this item.

The noodles came in a jiffy while my Shanghai dumplings took forever to come indicating that their dim sum kitchen was obviously facing problems. Even the people next to me were all patiently waiting for their dim sum items. Taste wise, the xiao loong baos were not too bad. The skin was definitely better and thinner than Dragon-i's, soup was nice but slightly oily and the meat filling was quite soft.

I liked my green coloured buckwheat Lai Mian which was garnished with deep fried lotus root slices, enoki mushrooms and seaweed strips. An extremely flat and pan fried fish cake was also in the huge bowl which was yummy. Most of the time, places like these mask the food quality with spicy soups so it's best to taste the clear soup to determine if they are nice. This place passed the test as the buckwheat noodles' broth was nice and full of flavour. I'm sure it has been enhanced by MSG but if must have been a pinch.

Finish off your meal with a sip of the refreshing lotus root and red dates drink. They also serve honey and watercress tea which is excellent for beating the heat and haze. Their desserts also look interesting with a selection of enhanced tau foo fah with fruit purees.

One Noodle
No.66 & 68
Jalan SS2/67
Petaling Jaya

Tel No: 03 – 7877 8499
(Non Halal)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Lai Mian + Xiao Loong Bao

Other reviews:

• Food Safari
• KY Speaks
• Life of a Food Lover
• You Get What You Give Sometimes
• Eatinout

Char Siu & Ipoh Kuey Teow Noodles @ Ching Hai, KL

Did you have a great weekend? Not sure whether any of you noticed but it was so nice and quiet everywhere since every one hightailed back to their hometowns or far flung holiday spots. Traffic and parking everywhere was a breeze that I wish it was always like this in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.

To kick off a sleepy Monday from the after effects of Merdeka partying, I thought I will start out slowly with some sinful food. Char siu, to be exact as I have been recently researching where is the ultimate place for this. The last time I had it in Tengkat Tung Shin, I was recommended to try out the corner coffeeshop there called Ching Hai.

This particular coffeeshop faces Corona Inn and it's at the corner facing Ngau Kee's Beef Noodles. They offer barbeque meats, char kuey teow and Ipoh kuey teow noodles and curry mee. The char siu is not too bad in terms of taste as it has a slight sweet taste versus the overpowering sweet ones in Meng Kee which is just down the road. However, it's not a very healthy portion as it's extremely fat! They slice it extra thick here hence you can really see the layers of fat. If you don't want it too sweet, ask them to hold back their sauce which adds the sugary kick.

Another must have is the Ipoh Kuey Teow Noodles which a couple is busy ladling out bowls here as it's extremely popular here. Although it's above average, I prefer the ones found in Soo Kee located in Petaling Jaya as I felt the soup here lacked taste and the prawn wantans were not crunchy enough. Incidentally, I have tried the char kuey teow here once and it's pretty forgettable so do avoid it.

Ching Hai Coffeeshop
Directly opposite Corona Inn and at the corner of Tengkat Tung Shin

Kuala Lumpur

(Non Halal)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Char Siu + Ipoh Kuey Teow

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 65

Here's a rare picture of the grey and white kitty sleeping away his afternoons which I dug from the archives. It's rare as usually he is full of energy and is constantly on the move chasing after his feline sisters. I observed him yesterday morning and he will chase them mercilessly until I had to lock him up for a short time to prevent a big fight with cat fur flying.

He must have gotten into one big fight a few weeks back as he had an abcess on one side of his face which grew so big that he spent a few days at the vet to get it treated. Luckily he has fully recovered and is making up lost time chasing Fluff Puff and Ms. G.

Bonnie Loves Cats from Miss Ellie's Page is hosting WCB this weekend, so do leave her a link on her site. Think everyone is super confused with what's happening in WCB just like me hence this post is so late.

Tagged with: WCB 65 + Weekend Cat Blogging

Laksam & Nasi Kerabu @ Songkhla Hawker, KL

Last year, we made it to Songkhla Hawker and was bowled over by the food and desserts at this place. Recently, I revisited the place and finally managed to snap pictures of the savoury items in brighter light.

So far, this place still serves the ultimate Kelanatanese food for me in Kuala Lumpur. My absolute favourite is their Laksam (RM2.50). You get pearly white rolls of noodles in a creamy fish curry that is so flavoursome, I usually finish every little drop of it. It's topped with super crunchy bean sprouts and a dollop of chopped green chillies for extra kick. Seems to be also a popular item as lots of people were ordering this too.

Another must have at this stall is their Nasi Kerabu(RM2) with the blue colour tinge rice. This version is plain with a topping of fish sambal that is slightly sweet with the grated coconuts, crunchy bean sprouts, sliced pegaga leaves and long beans. You can also select different curries from the stall to complement this. Usually it's eaten with ikan tongkol curry (tuna fish curry) or solok lada which is green chillies stuffed with a fish paste.

Don't forget to finish off your meal with their desserts as there's so many varieties to choose from. They also serve cockles barbequed in a charcoal burner which you can dip in a chilli sauce mixed with crushed peanuts.

Songkhla Hawker
Next to the post office
Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman Satu

Off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (nearer to the Chow Kit area)

Open daily from 5 pm to 4 am

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant for writing this review.

Tagged with: Malaysian Food + Nasi Kerabu + Laksam