Eating Out @ Nong & Jimmys, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

Recently I seem to be plagued by computer problems. First, it was no access to Blogger from a computer I use hence I had to stop reading and commenting on blogs for a few weeks. Now, Photobucket seem to throw fits whenever I upload my pictures. Sigh! Really so frustrating especially this morning when I feel like tearing my hair out with how slow things are.



Anyway, since I finally managed to get it to work, I decided to upload it with lots of pictures which I took during a recent visit to Nong & Jimmys. I've heard quite a lot about this place from other blogs and also forums that I was curious to visit it. Battling the traffic jam towards Ampang (all those traffic lights just don't help) and based on vague directions, we finally made it one Saturday night.



After a few wrong turns, we arrived at the place which is just a simple zinc roof structure with it's own open space car park. We were there early as we heard people tell us it gets packed to the brim if you're late. We ordered a plate of small yau char kuai from the stall within the restaurant area. Although not part of the restaurant, everyone orders a plate as an appetizer while waiting for the meal. A small plate of pandan flavoured kaya is also given which is the dip for the fried fritters. We thought the fritters was not bad but definitely could not beat the ones we get at Changkat Bukit Bintang. Maybe we got the cold ones as it was more chewy versus crispy.



Nong & Jimmys specialises in seafood especially grilled ones hence you will spy a row of custom made grills near the kitchen area. They use racks to grill the sotong and the crabs are already pre-grilled and stacked on the side. As and when the orders are placed, the crab is reheated up. They also grill cockles here which looked good but we didn't sample any.



We went for a mix of dishes - the tomyam (RM10) which came in a hot claypot. It's full of prawns and mushrooms but we felt the taste of the tomyam wasn't too fantastic. Although spicy, there was little sweetness to the soup.



Besides the grilled seafood items, you can order cooked dishes. We ordered a steamed talapia fish Thai style (RM21). Even though it was the last dish to arrive, it was by far the most popular dish. Using chopped red chilies and garlic, the fish really absorbed the subtle flavours making the flesh sweet. Definitely a winner and a must order the next time we revisit this place.



The grilled sotong (RM12) was pretty good, not too chewy and excellent with this Thai dip made with crushed peanuts that had the sweet, salty and spicy flavours.



Nong & Jimmy is also famous for their fried rice (RM5 per portion). Fried with fluffy bits of egg and large prawns, the rice was excellent especially with the steamed fish.



We also ordered a portion of barbeque crab (RM24 for one crab) to try. Didn't think much of it as the flesh was quite dry inside. This could be due to overcooking as they pre-cook the crabs and reheat them when the order is placed.

Although there were some hits on the menu like the steamed talapia and fried rice, we felt some of the grilled items like the crabs was dissapointing. The food is priced reasonably but those traffic jams in Ampang could well deter one from making a trip there.

Nong & Jimmys
Lot 27363, Jalan Cahaya 1
Taman Cahaya
Ampang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 019 – 261 1345/012 – 273 8069

( Pork free. Open from 6.00 pm to 11.00 pm and closed on Mondays. )

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: Thai Food + Ampang

Other reviews:

• dDoinkster Speaks

Taste of Australia with Mark Best @ QBA, The Westin Kuala Lumpur

The Westin Kuala Lumpur is currently running the Taste of Australia together with Tourism Australia. Featuring a trio of celebrity chefs and a chocolatier, it's something you don't want to miss if you love food. We took the opportunity to try dinner last weekend together with Lyrical Lemongrass and her husband, the Bald Eagle. To kick off the fair, they had Mark Best who is the Sydney Best Chef 2006 at the QBA Restaurant. Pictures aren't too fantastic as the lighting is extremely dim there. Featuring a ten course meal, we kicked off with the Chaud-Froid Free Range Egg. Literally meaning hot and cold in French, the warm coddled egg is topped with cold cream. Really yummy and very comfort food like.



Next course was the Blue Swimmer Crab with Almond Jelly and Gazpacho. Nice and light, it's topped with a sprinkling of popcorn dust. The jelly is light as a feather while the crab meat is sweet.



This was everyone's favourite dish - the Cured Ocean Trout with Rock Oyster and Pickled Melon. A wafer thin slice of melon topped the fish which complemented it so well. Each bite was a melt in the mouth sensation with the burst of sweetness.



This is one of Mark Best's signature dishes which he also recently served at the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore. The Risotto of Calamari with Prawn Broth and Curry Leaf is unusual as instead of rice, you get tiny pieces of chopped calamari as the risotto. I liked this combination of the rich prawn broth and the crunchy curry leaves. Reminded me of the flavours you get in butter prawns but very much lighter.



Next was the Mille Feuille - Foil of Smoked Bonito. Wafer thin potato slices sandwich the thick smoked bonito with olive truffles and crushed almonds on the side. I liked the thin potato slices but didn't like the smoked bonito.



Then it was the roast duckling with pumpkin and olive liquorice. It's amazing how he got the olive to taste like liquorice. Quite an unusual combination but it works with the tender duckling and very tangy lemon curd on the side.



Next came the first of the dessert courses - a divine goats cheese on top of a marzipan cake and served with vanilla celery. There's an interesting twist to this dish - a Malaysian one with the addition of rambutans on the side. At first we thought it was lychee but we found out it was rambutan after checking with the kitchen.



We loved this - the Sauternes Custard with Caramel. Silky smooth it was such good stuff that all of us wanted seconds of this.



Then it was the Chocolate Banana, Apricot and Coffee. If you have a sweet tooth, this is not for you as the chocolate mousse is bittersweet and rich. Combined with the banana, it takes a while to get used to.



We finished up with Apple Pectin Jellies that reminded me of soft jelly candies and the divine Koko Black salted caramel chocolate. It was fantastic - bittersweet chocolate shell encasing a not too sweet caramel filling.

It was an extremely satisfying meal and really superb food. The restaurant was packed to the brim with people. If you wish to sample more of the other Australian chefs, the fair will be on until 20 May, 2007. There'll be Daniel Mosedale and Andrew McCornell who is Melbourne's Top Chef 2007. Then there's also the Koko Black chocolatiers. Very tempted to try the chocolate and wine tasting on 18 May, 2007 as the chocolate we had at the dinner was excellent stuff. To get the schedule, click on Westin Dining and the What's Hot icon at the bottom of the website. The menus are also online so you know what will be served at the Daniel Mosedale and Andrew McCornell dinners. Happy dining!

Tagged with: Westin Kuala Lumpur + Mark Best

Safety at Restaurants

One of my regular readers, ka..t just highlighted to me what happened to her at Food Foundry recently. Her bag got snatched from her lap in the evening while she was dining there. Seems it's not the first time but no warnings has been placed by their management. For those of you who do visit the place, be very careful. It's terribly disheartening to read how our safety is compromised even in spaces like restaurants.

Aside from this, I have heard of an incident at Little Penang Cafe in Suria KLCC where their windows open out to the walk area. This lady had left her handbag next to the window and a person walked past and stole her handbag.

If you hear of any other incidences, do share your experiences for us as it helps us to be more cautious.

Dinner @ Suzi's Corner, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

During the week, we were around the Ampang area visiting a relative at the Gleneagles hospital. Searching for something to fill our tummies, I remembered Suzi's Corner. From what I remember, quite a few people recommended their steaks. Unfortunately the day we visited was the steak corner's off day hence we settled for other items. There's an amazing amount of variety at this place that one will have to take some time figuring out what to eat. There was naan, roti, fried rice, noodles, murtabak, chik ku teh (the chicken version of bak kut teh), chicken porridge, chicken wings, otak otak, satay, steaks, burgers, ikan bakar and etc.

Feeling at a lost on what to order, I scanned the other tables to figure out what they were eating. One table was just solely eating otak otak and satay hence we ordered those two items. I also settled for Roti Tisu as it's been ages since I have eaten one. Suzi's Corner Roti Tisu is not bad - paper thin and super crispy. There's a layer of granulated sugar on one side of the crispy roti which is a nice combination with the slightly salty margarine taste. I was flicking off as much sugar as I could from the roti to reduce my sugar intake that after a while the table was looking like a war zone of sugar granules. The otak otak we had (minimal order is 4 for 50 sens each) was not bad, a bit over grilled but quite tasty.

We ordered satay, a variety of beef and chicken. The satay was pretty good - tender chunks of meat with caramelised edges. However, the sauce was dismal and totally lacking any peanuts. Each order comes with ketupat, cucumber and onions.

Splashie Boy had ordered the Murtabak Ayam which came after quite a long wait. This was pretty good as the murtabak was crispy on the outside with a moist and juicy filing of cooked chicken inside.

If you're ever within the Ampang area, give Suzi's Corner a try as the food is pretty good. Parking can be quite problematic though as the area within has limited parking spaces. We parked behind and walked to the place so I can imagine during the weekends, this will be chaotic.

Suzi's Corner

Jalan Hulu Kelang

Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Open daily from 6pm onwards. Note that the Steak and Hut place is closed on Tuesday. To get here, drive down Jalan Ampang, turn left just before hitting Ampang Point Shopping Centre off Jalan Ampang, Suzi's Corner is on the left hand corner. You will need to take the first left hand turning to enter the place (where there is a furniture shop).

*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 + Roti Tisu

Dining Out @ Palate Palette, Jalan Mesui, Kuala Lumpur

Located at the relatively quieter Jalan Mesui, Palate Palette is a great place to chill out. I especially love how they decorated the whole place as it's unique plus innovative using recycled furniture. My favourite part was the crazy astro turf side wall - a good way to ensure some greenery and decoration with minimal effort. We even sat on a table which used a recycled sewing machine as a stand which was pretty cool. I didn't snap any pictures of the decor but Honey Star has loads of it on her blog with descriptions.

This place is said to serve Californian cuisine so expect food to be of the lighter type but full of flavours. For appetisers, we sampled their Shrimp Salad and Mushroom Cappuccino. Shrimp Salad was a combination of fresh shrimps mixed with avocado cubes and a light coating of Japanese mayonnaise. Served on a bed of butterhead lettuce, use each crunchy leaf as a spoon to scoop up the salad. Although Mushroom Cappuccino has been done a million times in other restaurants, I really loved Palate Palette's version made from oyster and baby portobello mushrooms. The aromas from this soup was fantastic that both of us was fighting for the last drop of it. I've always loved this type of soup which they make to resemble a cup of cappuccino with the milk foam topping so this was heavenly.

We were in a pie mood that day, I had the Curry Chicken Pot Pie. The curry is the Japanese type which is not spicy but has chopped chicken and vegetables. Not too thick (like the Japanese curries they usually serve), I liked this pie. It came with a puff pastry top which was slightly messy as I had to crumble it in the pie to mix it.

Splashie Boy can never resist shepherd's pie so he zoomed in on their Oxtail Shepherd's Pie. Made from braised oxtail with vegetables, this didn't taste fantastic as it was too bland versus the usual rich minced lamb found in a typical shepherd's pie.

For desserts, we tried the Petit Green Tea Mille Feuille which came with tuile pastry sheets and green tea cream sandwiched in between. Nice and light, I felt the pastry was slightly too oily and not crispy enough.

Splashie Boy had the Ginger Creme Brulee served with an almond biscotti. This was nice and light with just a hint of ginger.

Personally I liked the food here and the quirky designs around this place. Definitely something different from the typical restaurant. Aside from the restaurant, you can chill out outside at tables made from recycled wooden doors and upstairs. The restaurant also does a set lunch of RM20++ for starter, entree and drinks during the weekday. Add RM5 extra for desserts. It's a good way to sample their menu as the set lunch uses most of the items from the menu.

Palate Palette

21, Jalan Mesui

Off Jalan Nagasari

Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2142 2148

(Pork Free. Closed on Mondays and is further down from No Black Tie)

*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: Jalan Mesui + Palate Palette

Other reviews:

• Honey Star
• So Much Food So Little Stomach
• All Malaysia Info

Zhen Zhen Porridge @ Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore

Continuing my Singapore trip posts, this time round we made it to Maxwell Food Centre which is just off the tourist belt of Chinatown. I must admit I've never really been around this area! It's pretty interesting with large Chinese temple, Indian temple and a mosque all on the same road. Since we had a lot of time to kill, we walked around the area and saw the touristy stalls and shops.



My original intention for swinging by Maxwell Food Centre was to try the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice. While waiting for them to set up stall, I walked around the whole area. Spying the long queue of people right in front of the porridge stall, I was curious to sample what they were selling. Coincidentally, the newspapers that particular day had featured the same stall in a story about hawker revenues and the tax man. According to the Sunday Times, they had sent a reporter to sit nearby and diligently count the number of bowls/plates sold to estimate the stalls' revenue. Based on their information, it seems this stall sells 36 bowls per hour with an average price of S$4. With a work day of approximately 7 1/2 hours, it's estimated to have a monthly revenue of S$43,860 (on a 30 day month)! Not bad I reckon but definitely back breaking work for the owners.



In fact when I was in the long queue, I could spy the whole process of the porridge stall. They have a large metal container filled with the porridge at the side. It's constantly churned by a machine till the porridge reaches a smooth consistency. Slightly thicker than the ones you get in Malaysia, you won't spot a single rice grain here as it's been churned to a million small pieces. As and when you place your order for which type of porridge, the owner at the back will heat up the porridge in the saucepan over high heat. He adds the ingredients accordingly to cook. Once done, it's placed in plastic bowls and passed on to his wife. She sprinkles a mix of chopped spring onions, fried shallots and fried choy poh (preserved radish) plus a dash of sauce on top of the porridge.



Since I had no idea what to order, I got chatting to this nice girl in the queue right behind me. She advised me they had a lot of varieties - pork slices, century eggs, fish and etc. I decided to try the raw fish slices since it was unique. They do it differently here as it's sliced to wafer thin pieces with a deli meat cutter and topped with lots of toasted sesame seeds, fried shallots, chopped coriander and sliced ginger. There is also cut limes on the side for you to squeeze the juice out on the fish slices. Add it quickly into the porridge to allow it to cook.

We all gave our thumbs up to this porridge - really worth the queue time! The porridge was thick plus smooth. The ingredients were super fresh and a lot for the price we paid. It was about S$7 as I had ordered a small raw fish plate and porridge with century egg pieces. If you're ever around this area, do give this place a try. Only thing is the wait time can be quite daunting.

Zhen Zhen Porridge
Stall No. 54
Maxwell Food Centre
Singapore

(Non Halal. Stall is open from early morning till 2 pm or until food runs out. Closes on Tuesday.)

*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: Singapore Food + Porridge

Other reviews:

• The Travelling Hungryboy
• Le Voyage de kalos
• The Yummie dummieS

Martell presents Klue RSVP @ Ninja Jones, Northpoint, Mid Valley City

Although this time round there's no formal food bloggers gathering, some of the food bloggers including moi will be turning up for this month's RSVP on 25 May, 2007. Held at Northpoint's new Japanese restaurant which boasts black clad ninjas as their wait staff, it should be lots of fun with a fixed menu for RM60 nett per pax and free flow of Martell cocktails to get the mood. If you wish to join in, email rsvp@klue.com.my by 22 May, 2007. Don't leave it to the last minute as it tends to fill up quite fast at the end. To read more about the details including the menu offerings, see this link also.

For reviews on Ninja Jones, see the following blogs:

• Tummy Thoughts
• Da Wheel of Life and Happiness
  

Yong Tau Foo @ Madras Lane, Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur

Walking around Madras Lane's market just off Petaling Street is always fun. There's always so much activity around the stalls. You see the fishmongers handling huge fishes that are specially ordered by restaurants. Fish is always super fresh around here that my family often make special trips here to get our supplies. As the market consists of four lanes which intersect in the middle like a cross, you can enter from four different entrances. There's the one along Petaling Street, across from Sze Ngan Chai who sells yummy roast duck. Then there's a small and lesser used entrance next to Hotel Malaya and one along Jalan Tun HS Lee near the Chinese temple. Finally there's one which leads to a carpark area which houses all the food stalls.



I often eat around here whether it's the chee cheong fun at the stainless steel table or the assam laksa and curry laksa. Here the curry laksa is the thick type and topped with sinful pork skin. At the end of the lane, you have the ais kacang, cendol and drinks people. With a multitude of stalls here and limited seating spaces, there's heated rivalry for customers. If you choose the wrong table to sit at, beware of nasty scenes with the stall owners. For those of you who are not sure, ask the stall owners where you can sit when you order.

This time round I tried the yong tau foo stall. Like all yong tau foo places, there is constant activity at the stall with all the preparation. At one end you have large woks filled to the brim with hot oil while helpers prepare the items for frying by filling the vegetables with fish paste. I chose a small selection of items and was surprised that it was served in a bowl of broth made from soy beans. I totally did not expect even the fried items to be placed inside the broth hence it was soggy rather than crispy. At 80 sens a piece, the yong tau foo was a pretty good size but I felt that the items weren't too fantastic. The only item I really liked was the bittergourd which was bursting with fish paste. Incidentally, if you wish to order yong tau foo here, it's easy to spot their tables as their disposable wooden chopsticks and plastic spoons are placed on top of it.

Yong Tau Foo Stall
Madras Lane
Off Petaling Street
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 + Yong Tau Foo

Other reviews:

• Da Wheel of Life and Happiness

Kaya Toast, Half Boiled Egg and Coffee @ Ya Kun Kaya Toast, China Street, Singapore

For my trip to Singapore this time round, I wasn't allowed to do any shopping at the malls. In fact, I didn't even walk down Orchard Road or step into the new mall, Vivocity. Not that I didn't wish to boost Singapore's economy by a few points but I decided to spend whatever little time I had exploring some Singapore food.



Two places I always associate kaya toast in Singapore has been Ya Kun and Killineys. Since we get Killineys in Malaysia, I picked Ya Kun instead for Sunday breakfast. My friend, A who used to work in the financial district only knew one outlet i.e. this one in China Street. Starting out at Lau Pat Sat (the old market), they have been in business since 1944. It's now a healthy franchise business boasting outlets all over Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. Heard that the franchise fee is a whopping S$30,000 so I guess selling kaya toast, half boiled eggs and coffee really pays off.



Unlike places in Malaysia, the half boiled eggs are cracked for you. It's actually a good idea as it was perfectly cooked without any clear uncooked egg. Drizzle some soy sauce (which is pretty thick versus the ones we get in Malaysia), sprinkle a dash of white pepper and you'll have a really satisfying meal. I've always loved half boiled eggs ever since I was a kid. It used to be our daily regiment to pop one tiny egg before going to school.



Unlike the thicker type of toast in Malaysia, Ya Kun's version reminds me of Ipoh Old Town Kopitiam. Here they use brown bread which is sliced thinly. Spread with kaya and a slab of butter, it's nice and crispy just on it's own or dipped in the half boiled egg. Since the kitchen was out of bounds (with a no entry sign above the doorway) I couldn't see whether they used the old fashioned charcoal grill or a toaster for the bread. The kaya was not too sweet and unlike the Ipoh Old Town version, here you don't get melting butter dripping down as the toast is not piping hot. I also sampled their coffee which I didn't think much. Somehow the aroma of coffee in Malaysia is much better and stronger.



Although most of the outlets are owned by franchise, this particular outlet is owned by the original family. It's pretty nice surrounded by the high rise buildings with an outside area. I even spied a golden retriever sitting with it's owners enjoying their breakfast and a group of Japanese tourists snapping pictures away of the food and the restaurant.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast
18 China Street
Far East Square
Singapore

(Pork free. Open from 9am onwards)

*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: Singapore Food + Ya Kun Kaya Toast

Thai Fair @ Hartamas Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur

It's that time of the year when the Thai fair does it's rounds around the shopping malls. Currently they're at Hartamas Shopping Centre. Also noticed a similar one at the new bazaar next to the old Odeon Cinema on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

I had earlier blogged about this particular Thai fair a few years back and food wise, they're still serving a selection of tomyam noodles, thai laksa, fishcakes, fried prawns, mango and glutinous rice, som tam and etc. Didn't see any miengkam this time round though. Most of the food items are going for a standard price of RM5. There's also lots of Thai instant noodles, snacks and sauces if you wish to stock up on those items. Aside from clothes, jewellery, bags and etc, they also have people to give you relaxing foot massages.

Mini Siam - Thai Fair

Ground Floor

Hartamas Shopping Centre

Kuala Lumpur

(From 25 April to 22 May, 2007)

Tagged with: Thai Food

Weekend Cat Blogging (WCB) 100

Wow! We're celebrating the 100th Weekend Cat Blogging this weekend. Am glad that Claire from eat stuff started this wonderful event every weekend as we get to share kitty pictures and stories with each other. Kinda sad though as I miss Claire and Kiri from eat stuff a lot though especially all his cutesy outfits.

Since we were away, we missed WCB last weekend so here's two kitty pictures to make up for it. This big fella turned up on my doorstep recently. Suspect he was attracted to the female cats but he must have a screw loose in his feline brain since he has not sussed out they can't mate at all. Poor confused fella, he hangs out at the house just staring at Fluff Puff who encourages him by throwing him sultry looks all the time. She's a terrible flirt! Luckily she has been sterilised or else we will have loads of kittens they way she carries on with these fellas.



On another note, the boy cat is finally back after a week away from home. He does these long absences once in a while. Not sure why but I suspect it's more of a holiday from me. Everytime he dissapears, he returns a few pounds lighter but he makes it up quickly with his huge appetite.

Kate and Puddy from A Byootaful Life is our gracious host this weekend. Join them for lots of kitty pictures and stories.

Magnificent Fish and Chips @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

I always associate fish and chips with Fridays. It's probably because in my first year while studying in England, the dining room at my halls of residence will serve fish, chips and peas without fail on Friday. Believe me, I got sick of fish and chips since it became a weekly affair even though they did switch the type of fish served each week. Luckily it was Friday hence you had the option to skip dinner and eat outside.

On Wednesday after lazing around the past few days, we decided to try out this place at Changkat Bukit Bintang. It had been a bright afternoon with sunlight lingering on despite it being the evening when we sat down at the restaurant. We chose to sit outside the restaurant at their wooden benches to see the world pass by. Essentially a casual restaurant, there's no menus here and you choose your food items from the blackboard. It's also a nice place to chill out and great for nursing a cool tall beer especially on the bar counter.

Splashie Boy ordered the fish and chips which came in a nifty presentation. Scrunched up newspaper at the bottom with a piece of kitchen paper holding the chips and fried fish on top with tartare sauce on the side . Definitely better than the newspapers they use to wrap the fish and chips in England. You can select which type of fish you wish to have fried ranging from the Dory to exotic fish like the Parrot Fish and even Salmon. He decided on the Dory which was not bad but not as fantastic as the version we tried in PS Cafe. Maybe this was due to the fish but the fried batter wouldn't stick so you had to eat the crunchy bits seperate. Heard quite a lot about the chips which is said to be home made. Kinda dissapointing that day as they were slightly too overfried with some too crunchy bits.

I had the Cumberland Fish Pie (RM25) with a side salad. You can choose what side you wish whether it's more carbs in the form of colcannon (something we don't see much here since we're so far away from Scotland) or chips. Portions are super generous and underneath my mash potato topping, I found chunks of white fish and salmon mixed with peas. The sauce was creamy but not too rich which I liked. I had loads of salad - black olives, gem lettuces, frisee, cucumber sticks and red cabbage doused in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Aside from fish and chips, they also serve a variety of pies which sound tempting, posh nosh with lots of fancier fish dishes plus Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding on Sunday. Will definitely make another trip here as I love English Pies and who could resist Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.

Magnificent Fish and Chips Bar

28 Changkat Bukit Bintang

Kuala Lumpur

Tel No: 03 - 2142 7021

(Pork free. Open from breakfast till late every night. Also serves all day breakfast items.)

*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: Fish and Chips + Fish Pie

Chinese Crullers (Yau Char Kuai) @ Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Apologies for not posting yesterday but I took a nice break with the public holidays - didn't even go near a PC at all. Feels so strange to re-start the week again on a Thursday hence I have been dragging my feet today making the most of the break. I've been debating on how many Singapore entries I should make. I can imagine it will be boring for those living in Malaysia to read about food elsewhere hence I will balance them out.



Something close to home, deep fried chinese crullers or more popularly known as Yau Char Kuai. This old timer stall which has been in business for almost twenty plus years is located just off the tourist belt of Jalan Bukit Bintang. Popular among locals and tourists, you queue up to enjoy freshly fried fritters. An old couple runs this stall together with two helpers. The old man will prepare the fritters. See how he cuts them to strips and uses a thin metal rod to press a line on it. He actually places two parts of it on top of each other before slipping it into the hot oil. It'll puff up in the heat and start looking like the yau char kuais we are familiar with.



Aside from yau char kuai they also sell other varieties like the ham chin peng (filled with red bean paste), ngau lay so (which has a slightly crunchier middle), cup chung which has a glutinous rice filling and my absolute favourite, mah kiok. Literally translated as horse shoe, these fried fritters has a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds making it slightly sweet and saltish. They have a different shape for the mah kiok here as it's not shaped like a horse shoe but more like two pieces stuck together. Tastewise, this is so much nicer as the fritter is light as a feather with just a hint of oil. You can get a piece for 70 sens or just go for three pieces for RM2. A once in a while sinful indulgence but you'll find yourself returning here again and again for the fried items.

Yau Char Kuai Stall
(Opposite KFC)
Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

(Pork free. Open from Monday to Saturday from 3 to 9 pm. If you're coming from BB Plaza, cross the road towards Jalan Alor at traffic light. Walk towards Jalan Alor and you will see this stall on the left hand side in front of the corner restaurant.)

*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 + Yau Char Kuai

PS Cafe @ Harding Road, Dempsey, Singapore

I've only got a short post about this place which we dined at last weekend. No abundance of pictures as I got barred from snapping any. I guess we shouldn't have sat so near the service counter as it was quite hard to hide two cameras including a DSLR.

My friends recommended this place which turned out to be a blessing in disguise since it was near to Holland Village. Basically it's the area between Tanglin Road and Holland Road. Depending on which way you enter, if from Holland Road, you will see a cluster of old houses which has now been converted into shops selling antiques and restaurants. Supposedly an old army base, it's a cute little village just off the hustle of the main road. If you come from Tanglin Road, it's just a turn off from Tanglin Park condominiums and you'll pass by lots of old houses.

The restaurant is housed within a converted 1950s bungalow which has been given an injection of life with glass walls. Overlooking a nice little forest of trees, it reminds one of an open and breezy Australian house. To see a picture of the place, click on the PS Cafe link below. We definitely need a place here in Kuala Lumpur as I can imagine how popular it will be as a place to just hang out.

Food is casual here - either order from the menu or the black board specials. There's two sittings: 6.30 and 8 pm. Bookings is always advisable as this place gets packed. I only managed to snap the fish and chips dish before I was told to stop. It was a good thing as it was kinda too dim. I only managed to taste my beef ragout which was served with spatzle and salad and Splashie Boy's smoked fish cakes. Both were really good especially the fish cakes. Also sampled a bit of the fish and chips which was really nice as the fish was flaky and fresh. For desserts, you can choose from a variety of steamed puddings, pies or cakes from the counter. We tried the pecan pie, apple pie and mango and banana crumble. All was good except I felt the mango and banana crumble was terribly sweet. Incidentally, service is extremely brisk here probably because they need us out for the next sitting. However, it wasn't super friendly though as I kinda hated getting lectured on how we needed to be out by a certain time.

PS Cafe
28B, Harding Road
Singapore

Tel No: 02 - 9070 9782/02 - 6479 3343

*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: Singapore + PS Cafe

Other reviews:

• ST Foodies Club
• Chubby Hubby

Revisiting Bak Kut Teh @ Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh, Klang

This place is the de facto restaurant my family will visit when they're hit by bak kut teh cravings. I must admit, I rarely eat bak kut teh but since my aunt and uncle are back for their annual trip from Australia, we went here yesterday. A favourite of my family, I've blogged about this place before.



Packed with people since it was lunchtime by the time we arrived, we had to wait a while to get our two big claypots of bak kut teh. I had to steal a quick picture of our meal as I could see all my aunts and uncle giving me stares for delaying them from sampling the bak kut teh. Luckily it was a successful one off five seconds shot of the claypot or else you'll be deprived of this picture.

We had ordered a variety of pork ribs, belly pork, chee wan (my uncle's favourite part), intestines, chicken leg, chinese mushrooms, canned mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and bean curd skin which was divided into two huge claypots. No complaints from my aunts and uncle - I guess this definitely beats their local bak kut teh Down Under.

*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 + Bak Kut Teh