The Ruthless Eater

Chinese New Year 2012 - Day 1

2012-01-23T15:17:00.000+08:00

My 1st day of CNY will always begin with a simple tea ceremony at home. My sister & I will serve our parents a cup of tea each, while wishing them the best in all that they do (in flowery Cantonese phrases!). Our parents will then present to us an ang pow each along with some well-wishes for success in our career & life. It's only after our little tea ceremony that we'll leave the house & head out to the "family house" for breakfast.

A vegetarian meal for breakfast is the norm for the Wong family on every 1st day of the Chinese New Year. Before/After the meal, everyone will be busy serving tea & speaking well-wishes to each other to wish them the best of health, wealth, & success for the new year. Not to forget, ang pows (red packets) will also be given out by aunties/uncles who are married to those who are still single! :)

It has also been a tradition that the family will then head over to my grandaunt's house right after breakfast for her famous home-made prawn crackers & cookies (and of course to "bai nin"). The whole house will be filled with people catching up with each other, sharing stories & laughing, & exchanging mandarin oranges/cookies as well. Ah, such is the tradition & culture. I'm proud to be a Chinese & a Malaysian - 'Tis the season to be jolly (as well)!

The only disappointment for the 1st-half of today is lunch at Hoi Thong in Taman S.E.A. I reckon the standard of food at this restaurant has dropped quite tremendously. Interestingly enough, there's still a crowd! Perhaps this is the only non-vegetarian restaurant that's opened on the 1st day of CNY *sigh*

Thankfully the company at the meal table was good. We managed to share some laughs over the not-so-appealing taste of the dishes ordered...I doubt I'll bother coming back here again until I have gathered my courage to give this place another chance.

Dinner will be back at the family house, after which we'll adjourn for snacks & tea at my cousins' place ;)

In the eating-season!

Retrenched Rabbit

2012-01-23T00:03:00.000+08:00

Yes! Our rabbit, Kiki, knows it's the end of its year! And she didn't like the fact at all....

Here's a funny video that's fresh from the "crime scene" (around 1 minute long):

Hope you had some good laughs as you exit the Year of the Rabbit!

Yours truly,

Chinese New Year Eve 2012

2012-01-22T22:30:00.000+08:00

Today is the final day for the Rabbit year as we'll welcome the year of the Dragon tomorrow!

As of every Chinese New Year's Eve, the family will gather for dinner to celebrate the goodness that we've been blessed with throughout the past year. We'll have loads of food & laughter as well :)

I was walking down memory lane through this blog to do a comparison of what my family had since the year 2007-2012 on CNY Eve. (seems like I've been pretty religious in posting for CNY eve!) Here are some findings:

Out of the 6 years (2007 - 2012), we only did steamboat ONCE in year 2010. Every other year, each family will bring over at least 1 home-cooked/bought dish to the family house.
The sour cucumbers have appeared in 4 out of 6 years!
EVERY year, we'll have a soup - usually the lotus root (lin ngau) soup.
Chicken, prawns, duck, & fish are "staples" (just like rice) during CNY eve.

So what did we have this year? Here you go...

Charcoal-boiled soup (always..a MUST have)

Aunty Anne preparing the family's traditional sour cucumber dish

Stir-Fried Sour Cucumbers with Chicken Gizzard & Chicken Liver

Deep-Fried "Ma Yau" Fish in Sweet & Sour Sauce with an OVERLOAD of Garnish :D

Doesn't it look like "yee sang" now? Well, we have the vegetables & the fish, so technically, it could be called a "yee sang"! This is a joint-effort dish by aunty Anne & yours truly (I cooked the sauce & did the garnishing of the dish).

Aunty Anne's Hakka-Style "Zha-Yoke" (Braised Pork with Black Fungus)

This is my all-time favourite :)

Aunty Mary's Special Home-Made Chicken

I'm not sure what style it is, but it sure tastes good ;)

Aunty Irene's Roast Duck from Loong Foong Restaurant

You'll see this in almost every family dinner; we're somewhat creatures of habit!

Aunty Jenny's Braised Abalone with Mushrooms

Lovely & flavourful dish!

Aunty CT's Tangy Sambal Prawns

So good...even better if it goes with nasi lemak...ahahaha...

Dad's Stir-Fried Cauliflowers & Broccoli with Mixed Mushrooms

Table-Full of Scrumptious Food!

My bowl of lotus root soup

It's symbolic to have lotus root soup during CNY eve dinners as lotus root symbolizes abundance. I'm indeed blessed with an abundance of food & everything that I need!

This is just the beginning of the Dragon Year for PerutBesi. I began my Rabbit Year 2011 with loads of good food & I've ended it with yet more good food. How am I to loose weight...? :S

CNY Eve stories:
Year 2007
Year 2008
Year 2009
Year 2010
Year 2011

Here's wishing all my dear readers a wonderful new year with abundance in EVERYTHING!

GONG XI FA CAI, everyone!

In the mood for food,

Step into the Golden Dragon Year 2012!

2012-01-21T01:29:00.000+08:00

Living up to PerutBesi's tagline - Food, Adventure, Friendship

2012-01-19T00:56:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Singapore!

I managed to capture an almost perfect "panoramic" photo from the Esplanade area - combination of 2 photos :) So proud of myself! Hahaha....my hands are quite 'stable' after all :) I love the calm, relaxing, night view, & not forgetting the lovely breeze! Ah, a great way to end a long day of work & loads of walking.

I was in Singapore last week to visit my uncle & cousins as I could not make it for my aunt's memorial.

Since I was in Singapore, I took the opportunity to also catch up with 3 close/best friends, whom I miss dearly :) I had loads of food, fun, & lovely memories with family & friends during the very short work + holiday trip there. I'll keep the words at minimum & allow the photos to speak the remaining words :)

My 1st "meal" upon arrival at Singapore - Chocolate goodness at Laurent Bernard, Robertson Quay

I've never been to this place before & oooh, the hot chocolate (Gayas Equador - $9.00) was very rich! I had fun sharing the Rum & Raisins Souffle ($14.00) & Warm Chocolate Cake ($9.80) with 3 wonderful friends :)

Family Dinner at a Chinese Restaurant in Sembawang Shopping Center

It's my 1st yee sang for the year 2012! Plus my FIRST time having the huge Sri Lankan crabs!! :D Food was lovely & the warmth of fellowship with family members is much cherished.

Gifts of love & random meals

Jie's dad bought us yummy egg tarts (I LOVE egg tarts!!) & char siew puffs one morning for breakfast!

Dinner with bestie at Raffles City Mall

Delicious Chinese meal - to me, any meal is better with good company ;) Lip-smacking "xiao loong bao" & beef brisket la mian....ah....awesomeness...

Cookie-Tasting & Tea, The Cookie Museum, Esplanade Mall

Yet another 1st: Cookie-Tasting!! *woots* We sampled a total of 14 different types of sweet & savoury cookies, ranging from the fruit+nuts variety to floral to Asian delights like "Nasi Lemak", "Hae Bee Heam", "Sambal Ikan Bilis" & "Chicken Rice"! I'm such a jakun....I was over-excited!! Not to forget, the aromatic tea that we each had: my bestie had a hibiscus+lemongrass+mint leaves tea, while I had a peach & sunflower tea :) SOOOO relaxing & fun to be there. I felt like a "queen" for the 1+hour while we were there enjoying our cuppa hot tea & gigglish conversation :D

Gifts for Self from Self/Family :P

Food, Adventure, Friendship - PerutBesi

This short trip captured an overload of lovely memories that no words suffice to describe :)

I wanna go to Singapore again! Not that I love Singapore & how life takes place there, but I just miss my besties, close friends to share laughter & stories with, & warmth of extended family.

Missing my family & friends,

Arisan Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Dessert, Subang

2012-01-16T01:14:00.000+08:00

Venue: Arisan Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Dessert, Subang SS15
Overall comment: The chicken is their one saving grace. The desserts that I've tried were below my personal expectations. Truly, nothing beats Snowflake yet!
Halal: Yes

As I've never tried the Arisan Chicken's ice desserts before this, I went on to buy 2 Everyday coupons for RM5.90/set/coupon (value at RM13.80/set/coupon) that comes with a serving of fried chicken & a bowl of ice dessert. On that particular day where I dropped by, there wasn't much of a crowd - probably it's the timing as well.

The cafe/restaurant is located at the other end of Taylor's College area in Subang Jaya SS15. It's not a large area to have a meal, but good enough for proper air ventilation. Apart from the usual fried chicken & ice desserts, this place offers set meals with rice & drinks for lunch/dinner crowds too!

I will usually purchase coupon deals when I want to try out some place, but am not too sure if the food is nice or not. Either that, I will purchase coupons for places which I know serves nice food/services! :D I could safely say that the fried chicken here is tasty. Can't go too wrong with fried chicken, I suppose. As long as the chicken pieces are crispy on the outside & juicy/moist on the inside, I'll give it a passing mark ;)

Chicken Choppo Nuggets (worth RM6.90/serving)

The nuggets are small pieces of boneless chicken. I thought it's quite enjoyable to have bite-size fried chicken to pop into the mouth.

Chicken Choppo with Chilli (worth RM6.90/piece)

This large piece of chicken has bones, so if you're just too lazy to have something with bones, go for the nuggets. I think it tastes pretty much the same, just that the texture may differ due to the thickness of the chicken pieces.

Arisan's ice desserts on the other hand barely passed the mark. Just the looks of the dessert speaks a thousand words that Snowflake is still the champion in this industry of Taiwanese ice desserts :P You can do a comparison of the photos with the one of Snowflake at my previous Snowflake post here. It may be a little unfair to compare their desserts to Snowflake since Snowflake is somewhat the pioneer in the industry, but I think it's a benchmark for future improvements :)

Grass Jelly Ice with Taro & Sweet Potato Balls (worth RM6.90/bowl)

The taro & sweet potato balls at Arisan are not as firm compared to Snowflake's. The grass jelly tasted a little strange as well. Hahaha...on the overall, the dessert is still "acceptable" for the price that I had to pay (with the coupon), so I just ate up whatever that I ordered.

Soya Ice with Yam & Peanuts

I was looking forward to some nicer, softer boiled peanuts, just like the ones at Snowflake, but somehow the taste & texture is quite different, which I prefer Snowflake's.

All I could say is that, thank goodness Arisan lived up to its name for their fried chicken! :D I won't blame Arisan for not having the best ice desserts since their primary focus is on their fried chicken. They certainly have great room for improvement in their dessert section.

I could give a thumbs-up for their fried chicken

Not sure if the shop offers consistently good fried chicken, but I sure hope it does!

Map to Arisan Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Dessert

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Arisan Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Desserts
A7-G, Jalan SS15/8A
47500 Subang Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: (+6016) 384 6368
Business Hours: Daily 12:00p.m.- 11:00p.m.

Yours truly,

"Lou Hei" at Nihonkai, Sunway Mentari

2012-01-14T22:38:00.000+08:00

Time really flies; in a week's time, the Chinese community will usher in the Year of the Dragon 2012 with family & friends :) If you're thinking of tossing the yee sang to usher some prosperity, good health, & greater success for your year, Nihonkai, Sunway Mentari is having a Chinese New Year Special to celebrate this auspicious festival with you!

Photo by Nihonkai, Sunway Mentari

Nihonkai, Sunway Mentari is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants due to their good-tasting & fresh dishes, generous portions, & affordable price. I haven't been disappointed since I had my 1st meal there in the year 2010. In fact, each time I visit this branch, I'll walk out feeling satisfied with the entire dining experience.

Read more about my dining experience below:

You'll have to try it for yourself ;)

Nihonkai Japanese Restaurant
2, Jalan PJS 8/18
Dataran Mentari
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+603) 5630 1368
Business Hours: 12:00p.m. - 3:00p.m. & 6:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. daily

Happy Chinese New Year,

Fugu Neo-Japanese Restaurant

2012-01-10T00:57:00.000+08:00

Venue: Fugu Neo-Japanese Restaurant, Damansara Jaya
Overall comment: Lovely meal at affordable prices & relaxing ambiance
Halal: Pork-free

It's one of such random days that I will be out on a weekday for a "lavish" meal. I've passed by this restaurant numerous times & I thought that I should just pop by tonight to try this place out. I'm still quite surprised that not many foodies have written about this place yet...Anyway, I recalled that the word Fugu means Puffer Fish in Japanese, but I don't think I noticed any dishes with puffer fish served! Hahaha...

It was indeed a pleasant surprise to discover that the Japanese-Fusion food at this restaurant is very satisfying & is affordable as well. I kept repeating to my friend, "I'm impressed!". I could only hope that the consistency of the food here remains just like how I tried it today. I'll surely go back again, with a larger bunch of people the next time around! Plus, I would want to try out their more "fusion" dishes ;)

A pot of hot green tea for 2 persons (RM1.00/pax)

The green tea was quite a disappointment though; it tasted like "green tea-flavoured/coloured water" :( No fragrance & "umph" of green tea!

Spider Roll (RM22.00/serving)

If I am to describe this dish with one word, it would be "UMPH!" - yeah, I know it's not even a valid word...hahaha. But seriously, the soft shell crabs were really crispy & juicy at the same time (not crispy 'til it's dry & hard). The avocado bits wrapped with the soft shell crabs gave the maki rolls a good variety of texture - you'll bite into nicely flavoured rice topped with fragrant black sesame seed, into the 2nd layer of crisp seaweed, & into the core of crispy soft shell crabs & soft avocados. Words just ain't enough to describe this...perhaps I'm just hungry? I doubt I'm exaggerating when I say that this is good :P

Tori Teppanyaki Set (RM18.00/set)

I enjoy the fact that the chicken wasn't soggy, but the skin were slightly crispy & very fragrant, thanks to the margarine that the chef used to stir-fry the chicken & beansprouts. Lovely :)

Fugu Special Set (RM45.00/set)

I just wanted to try a little bit of everything & this was the perfect example of "everything"! Hahaha...no regrets in ordering this! The sashimi was fresh & the thickness in my personal opinion was just nice; the pan-fried saba/mackerel was nicely seasoned, crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside - so good you can actually eat it on its own without having your mouth stuck with dry flakes of fish; the tempura (2 prawns, 1 slice of eggplant, 1 slice of sweet potato, & 1 piece of carrot) was also very crispy & it's so delectable that you don't even want to dip it into the sauce; the unagi was smooth, tender, without bones, & generously served!! Oh my...I'm going bonkers & I haven't shared on the chawanmushi yet. The set comes also with a serving of salad, a bowl of rice, miso soup, chawanmushi, a side dish & 4 slices of fruits. For RM45, I say it's totally worth your money!

The unique side dish

I felt that it's tuna flakes with chopped yellow onions, some lemon juice, sesame seed, & I could smell & taste the fragrance of lemongrass/khaffir leaves...my nose isn't as sensitive today due to a slight flu, but I know there's something special about this appetizing side dish. It has a touch of 'Thailand' minus the spiciness on a Japanese side dish :P Oh so Asian!

Chawanmushi

I lovelovelove the chawanmushi. It's YH's 1st time having such food as she rarely gets such goodies where she's based. I could see that she enjoyed this to the last bit! We were scrapping every single bit that we could from the cup...you'll find some wonderful treasures of chicken meat, slices of Chinese black mushrooms, a piece of crabstick & 1 gingko amidst the flavourful & smooth steamed egg. Thumbs up!

The interior of the restaurant

We sat at a corner, so I couldn't really take the crowd on a Monday night since they're seated at the other side of the restaurant, nearer to the entrance. On a typical Monday night, I won't expect a great crowd, but it's not entirely empty either. Several tables were filled up tonight :) Quite a modern-looking Japanese restaurant, eh? Fusion, it is...with relaxing Jazz music played on the background as well! Ahhh.....

You've to try it for yourself :)

Map to Fugu Neo-Japanese Restaurant (behind Public Bank)

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Other write-up:
Kuali January 2011

Fugu Neo-Japanese Restaurant
6, Jalan SS22/25
Damansara Jaya
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: (+603)7710 0076
Business hour: 11:30a.m. - 3:00p.m. and 5:30p.m. - 10:00p.m. daily
(According to a write-up by The Star, they close on Mondays, but it doesn't seem valid for now)
Facebook: Click here

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * * 1/2
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

My next favourite Japanese restaurant,

Malaysia Food Fair 2012

2012-01-04T22:51:00.001+08:00

Photo taken from MFF2012's FB page

I wonder how fantastic this food fair would be. Unfortunately, I'll be busy attending a wedding & meeting up with people this weekend, so most probably, I won't be making it to this event.

Anyone keen to check this out?

The Ruthless Eater,

Remembering Aunty Janet

2012-01-02T23:04:00.001+08:00

This isn't a food/adventure/friendship sorta post, but I just felt like sharing this with all my dear readers (who can pray with us for my uncle's family as well). Don't ask me why I'm moved to write about my aunt, but somehow I felt "led" to do so...

**********
In my previous blog post, I mentioned the demise of my aunt J in Singapore. When I received the news early this morning around 7:30a.m. that she has returned to the Lord around midnight, my mind just drifted to the photos that I had taken with her years ago during my convocation.

The photos were significant memories to me (it's my one & only graduation!) & to have her & my uncle Mike celebrating my graduation with my family & I was a bonus.

I'm just wondering if my difficulty to sleep last night had to do with this piece of news that I received this morning. You know, at times our minds are just occupied with "something", yet it's nothing that we could figure out! I RARELY have difficulties to sleep; in fact, I have difficulties staying awake! *lol*

Both my uncle & aunt have been living in Singapore for as long as I could remember. They were back for a couple of years in Malaysia, after which, they went back to Singapore. My aunty Janet is fondly remembered for her great cooking skills, patience in beading Peranakan-style shoes, knitting hugable-size dolls, her caring nature & her cheerful laughter as well. I'll certainly cherish the many times that I had sat down to chit-chat with her over all sorts of topics!

I'm very thankful to God for this aunt & my forever-supportive uncle as well. Both of them have been great role models individually & as a couple. I'm sure God's faithfulness in both their lives will continue with my uncle, my cousins, nephews, nieces, & the rest of the family.

It's sad to know that she has left & I'll certainly miss having her around. I didn't get to meet her this year nor in the past few months. We certainly haven't met for the longest time, but the memories with her will remain vivid in my mind.

As of now, all of us back here are keeping the family in thoughts & prayers. My dad, mum & uncle will head to Singapore for her memorial, but as much as I want to go, I won't be able to make it :( The new year comes with additional responsibilities at work i.e. conduct trainings for the new testers. I look forward to the Grand Reunion, when I will meet her again & be Home in God's presence forever :)

Aunty Janet, you'll be greatly missed by all your loved ones...

(I didn't realize I had this photo of my aunty Janet in my graduation photos folder! I doubt I was the one who took the photo...haha)

Love,
Ruth

A Stroll Down Memory Lane - Year 2011

2012-01-02T22:10:00.000+08:00

The year 2012 came to reality too quickly.

It's just the 2nd day of the new year & I've had "a time to rejoice & a time to mourn". I had a great time with my best girl-friends over lunch on New Year's Day (we only get to meet once a year!!), plus a delicious New Year's Day home-cooked dinner with my family, as well as a fantastic weekend through the new year with good friends & AP.

On the other side, I received really sad news that my aunt J in Singapore has gone Home to the Lord. I'll certainly miss her, but I also have the assurance & peace that she has gone Home to our Father's house forever. I look forward to the grand reunion when the time comes :)

After all the hustle & bustle of festivities & celebrations since December 2011 through the new year, I finally had time to just sit down, be still, & reminisce on the year that had just waved goodbye. Truly, the year 2011 has been an amazing year. I went through loads of awesome moments in all aspects; physically, emotionally, & spiritually.

Here are some highlights for the PerutBesi in year 2011:

January: Jeremiah School 2011

February: Trip to Mabul & Sipadan & my new job (photo unavailable)

May: My birthday celebrated at Genting Highlands & Nihon Kai, Sunway Mentari

June: Won tickets to watch Gala Premier of Magical Musical at Sunway Lagoon Ampitheatre

June: Family trip to Kuantan

April - July: Weddings!

July: My first time to a football match - Chelsea vs Malaysia (friendly)

July: Trip to Redang with AP's friends

August: Merdeka Day celebration dinner with friends

October: Family trip to Hatyai

November: Back in Kuantan (for Jan's wedding & "short break")

December: DMS Christmas party, Ganesh's wedding proposal, Ruth S in town, Christmas, & New Year's Eve celebration

I thank God for seeing me through it all. Without Him, I doubt I can rejoice & be glad for all that happened in the year 2011. I'm looking forward to greater moments this year!

Are you excited for the year 2012? :D I am!

The excited,

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T23:29:00.000+08:00

Since Christmas (last year), my days have been filled with catch-ups with various people, meal gatherings, & cooking up storms for family/friends! I haven't even had time to sit down in front of the laptop & upload photos nor blog...

In any case, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 to all PerutBesi's blog readers! Thank you for your support through the years & do stay tuned for more updates! *burp*

p/s: I've LOADS to blog, but I've yet to do so :P I'll definitely want to get at least 1 post out this week!

Love always,

Winter Solstice & Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T23:23:00.000+08:00

Time really flies. In a blink of an eye, it's almost the end of year 2011 already! The family gathered recently on 22nd & 24th of December for two (2) of the "grandest" festivals/events for Chinese & Christians - Winter Solstice & Christmas.

Every year, without fail, the family will gather during Winter Solstice a.k.a. "Dong" for a meal together. This festival is the most important for Chinese as it is believed to be the actual 'Chinese New Year'. We usually have a pot-luck dinner, where each family will bring a home-cooked or signature dish to be enjoyed together. This year was no different.

Here's to share with all of you what we had on the "Dong" festival:

Roast Chicken with Stuffings & Sides from Merienda de Eva (courtesy of JL, who gave me the Groupon!)

It was quite yummy :) Thank goodness I ordered the chicken for this family gathering, lest my own family would not be able to finish this whole roast chicken ourselves! Good food is best enjoyed together with the rest of our family & friends.

Braised Chinese Cabbage & Dried Scallops

All my aunties are great cooks & each of them have their own speciality. This year, we had something different from aunty Jenny. Check out the load of scallops! Totally delicious!

Braised Chinese Black Mushrooms with Sea Cucumber in Superior Stock

Another delectable dish. Aiseh, I would wanna pick up some of these skills soon to pass on to future generations! *slurps*

Steamed Aubergines Topped with Sambal Belacan & Fried Shallots

If you love aubergines/brinjals & you enjoy spicy dishes, this was a thumbs-up as well :) Ah, I'm so blessed. Now you know why I can't loss weight effectively?

Home-Cooked Barbecue Pork/Char Siew

Yes, my family cooked this too!

Roast Duck from Loong Foong Restaurant, Paramount Garden

Roast duck from Loong Foong has been part of the menu pretty much at every festival/family gatherings every single year (as far as I could remember!). It's fragrant & tender, & the sauce is also consistently tasty.

Stir-Fried Cucumbers with Chicken Gizzard in Vinegar Gravy

I've no idea how to name this, but in Cantonese, we always refer to this dish as the "cheng gua shuen". The cucumbers & chicken gizzard are supposed to be still crunchy in a slightly sweet & vinegar-sour gravy. Yums! It's a family tradition for as long as I could recall as well ;) You'll notice the same dish in almost every festival post on my blog...heh.

Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables with Prawns

With the load of meat that we have on the dinner table, vegetables are extremely essential!

Dig In!

Who won't be hungry with a table full of delicious home-cooked/bought food??!

Dessert: Yam Paste with Gingko

Every family gathering over dinner MUST be completed with desserts. We actually had some pineapples for dessert, but I didn't manage to capture them on photo :P I managed to capture this one though...it's a newbie to the family's tradition! Aunty LL & uncle Tony sure have a great deal of patience & talent in coming up with lip-smacking dishes, even desserts!

Must Have: "Thong Yuen"

Winter Solstice without the thong yuen would never be complete. Every year, I'll just eat as much as I could take in (after a HUGE meal for dinner!). However, I just realized that the amount we're supposed to eat = our present age. Ahahaha...seems like I'm only twelve years old this year! :D

That's quite a lot of food, eh? :P We were really in an "eating mood". Our little Christmas Eve 'supper' didn't lose out as well!! To add to the "horror" (or perhaps blessing!), it was a 2 days gap of heavy/lavish meals. It was a so-called supper at my cousins' house, but it felt more like a late dinner since it started at 9:30p.m...haha...I need to loss weight!

Flower Arrangement on Tables

How cool is that, eh? :D Guess what's the "vase" in the first photo on the left! I'm sure some of you may not have seen it before!

Christmas is a Season for Giving - Door Gifts

Everyone who comes gets a lollipop to start/end the party in a sweet-er note :)

Gifts for the Gift-Exchange

Yes, we had a gift-exchange amongst family members on that night. I reckon there were almost 40 persons at the party!

Christmas Tree at my Cousins'

And this was 'supper'

We had pretty good nasi lemak with deep fried chicken packed from a nearby mamak in SS2.

Are you hungry now? :D *crunch*

Red Velvet from Just Heavenly

This was said to be "the best" red velvet that you'll get in town. I was seriously too full to eat anything much, so I didn't have any desserts that night! :S

Home-Baked Christmas Themed Cupcakes

One of my cousins' aunt is a very passionate cook/baker. She came over with 3 different types of home-made desserts for this party wei... *fuh*

Home-Baked Fruit/Raisin Butter Cake

See what I mean...they're not that easy to be made, are they?

Home-Made Konyaku Jelly with Longan

The 3rd type of dessert from the same aunt.

Juicy Cempedak

Juicy Red Rambutans from Ipoh

Everyone enjoying themselves at the party

Singing of Carols

As it's Christmas Eve, we gathered after dinner to sing some carols & usher in Christmas 2011 :)

Thanks to our great hosts (includes my aunt who isn't in the photo) for the party!

Tis the season to be eating...falalalala-lalalala...by the time we got home, it was Christmas Day already! Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

This year, I gave our more than 50 gifts & just like a kid, I'm SO thankful for the gifts that I received as well! :D

May the Light of the world continue to shine through your lives & give you a greater sense of hope, peace, & joy this Christmas & always :) God's greatest gift of Love is for you! Consider receiving His greatest gift in your whole lifetime!! God bless!

Hope all of you had a great & meaningful Christmas 2011!

Christmas without Christ isn't Christmas,

KhunThai Village Restaurant, PJ Section 5

2011-12-23T15:06:00.000+08:00

Venue: KhunThai Village Restaurant, Section 5
Overall comment: Pretty good Thai food tucked in a housing area. The prices of food is slightly above average for a restaurant with a coffee-shop ambiance. To the very least, the food tastes good!
Halal: Yes

Early this week, I went to the TRAC office to help CQ conduct some interviews for Jeremiah School 2012's mentor applicants. It's my 1st time doing such a thing for JS & it's truly an experience gained. On that particular session, the team of interviewers screened through 3 applicants who were all very different in character. I sure hope that if they get selected to be a mentor for next year's JS, they will be great leaders & examples to the youths at JS.

After the interview sessions, I had lunch with CQ & CS at the nearby Khun Thai. It's my first time at this restaurant although I've been to that area numerous times for the Chinese food next door :P

We took a while to decide what to eat, considering they have quite an extensive variety on their menu. Here's what we had & what I thought about the food:

Umbra with Sour Plum (RM4.50/cup)

I felt that it was really expensive for a cup of umbra juice, but it's a really concentrated drink without much water added! In my personal opinion, this was a really bad decision to order a cup of umbra juice when we have all the other sour dishes ordered as well! Everything was SO sour that my tongue & stomach was just overwhelmed :S When you have the sour Thai dishes on your table, you would highly appreciate a cup of sweet drink or just plain water.

House Speciality Chilli Dips

I didn't try these although they were served - I can't take dishes that are too spicy, so having spicy dishes by itself was the much that I could handle :P

Chap Oong Omelette (RM9.00/serving)

Interesting omelette. It's my 1st time trying something like this. The vegetables are what they call as "Thai vegetables", which I assume are some sort of ferns. A good variation from the usual onion omelettes.

Four Big Heavenly King (RM15.00/small serving)

This is quite a common dish. I find it quite tasty, thanks to the fragrant sambal belacan. You'll get a plate of mixed long beans, petai, aubergines/brinjals, & ocras/lady's fingers. Unfortunately, I find it slightly too spicy for my liking. My tongue was practically "on fire" & getting numb-er as the continue eating...

Chicken Tom Yam (RM17.00/small serving)

If this is small, I can't imagine the large serving. This could feed at least 4 persons! With the load that the 3 of us ordered, we really ate to our heart's content! Furthermore, this was really "power" & sour for me (ish, I think my level of tolerance towards sour & spicy food has gone down :( ) & oh, I must not forget to mention that there's chicken pieces in ABUNDANCE!

Thai-Style Steamed Siakap (RM38.00/serving)

The gravy was SO nice! Sweet, sourish, & slightly spicy, yet "clear/ching"...oolala. The fish was also fresh & cooked to perfection. Ah, this was the best dish on the table that day. *happy*

Map to Khun Thai Restaurant

I'll certainly come by here next time when I feel like having some decent Thai food in PJ. In my opinion, it's slightly better than My Elephant in Section 17, but such things are so subjective. Ambiance at My Elephant is certainly more "classy", but I still prioritize the quality/taste of food to ambiance of a restaurant. All you can hope each time you're out to dine is that the chefs are consistent whenever you drop by a restaurant :) *keeps fingers crossed*

KhunThai Village Restaurant (PJ) Sdn. Bhd.
No.6,Jalan 5/44
Pertaling Garden, Off Jalan Gasing
46000 Pertaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel & fax: (+603) 7781 7523
E-mail: pj@khunthai.com
URL: www.khunthai.com

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * *

Overall:

Enjoys Thai food,

Review: Uncle Chilli’s Christmas Eve 4-Course Meal

2011-12-20T19:12:00.000+08:00

Venue: Uncle Chilli's Bar, Hilton Hotel, Petaling Jaya
Occasion: Food review
Halal: Yes

Ever thought of celebrating the joy of Christmas over a lavish meal with family & friends at a bar cum restaurant? More often than not, we'll pop by the usual restaurants at shopping malls for a Christmas meal with friends. Uncle Chilli's Bar at Hilton Hotel, Petaling Jaya calls out to all food & music lovers to celebrate this year's Christmas Eve in a different note!

It's not my 1st time at Uncle Chilli's but I was pleasantly surprised to taste their Christmas Eve spread this time around. The last time I was here was for an after-dinner drinks night with some other bloggers. Expect a cosy, retro-designed place with relatively quiet ambiance before 9:00p.m. & some good live band music from 9:00p.m. onwards.

This Christmas Eve, the kitchen team at Uncle Chilli's has tailored an exquisite Christmas Eve 4-Course Set Dinner priced at RM120.00++/person (inclusive a glass of complimentary champagne). You'll get to taste the passion of the team at Uncle Chilli's as they bring you on a delicious "journey" through each course of the meal as you dine in "the place where 'U' belong".

Complimentary Glass of Grande Reserve 'Gosset' Champagne
I didn't take the champagne, but had their mocktails instead. According to those who had the champagne, it was quite easy on the palate & good enough to keep one satisfied.

Green Sparkling Mocktail
The green sparkling mocktail has mint leaves, Fruitade, Sprite, lemon juice/wedges, & sago balls. It's quite like a fruit punch, but is more fizzy since there's Fruitade and Sprite in the drink. I would have much prefer if the mint leaves were crushed to give it a fresh, minty taste rather than just placing it in for some tinge of fragrance. There's also a red sparkling mocktail, but strangely, I didn't have any photos of it! Weird...in any case, the red sparkling mocktail consists of strawberry purée, Sprite, soda water, grenadine syrup, & sago balls as well. Oh ya, the sago balls tastes strange...not cooked properly/over-cooked :S It was "floury"!

Complimentary wholegrain bun with butter

If you like grainy buns, this was pretty delicious.

Executive Chef, Denis Vecchiato explaining the 1st dish

Chef Denis Vecchiato began his role as Executive Chef with Hilton Hotel PJ in the year 2009. He has over 13 years of culinary experience, beginning his career at Venice, Italy, & travelling around the globe until he ended here with Hilton Hotel Petaling Jaya 2 years ago.

Dish 1: Amuse Bouche

- Goose Liver Terrine with Port Wine Reduction -

It's probably too good that words ain't enough to describe. I've had foie gras/goose liver before, but this was just VERY different. To sum it all in 1 word, it'll be "goosey"! Hahaha...according to Chef Vecchiato, the terrine required at least 48 hours of preparation before it could be served perfect; smooth, densed, & extremely flavourful. The balsamic vinegar with rockets complimented the lovely dish very well, giving it a sourish twist to the savoury dish.

Dish 2: Appetizer... "To Begin..."

- Ravioli filled with Alaska Crab in Lobster Bisque -

The lobster bisque was thumbs-up. Teaming both the Alaskan crab with the lobster bisque was a "match made in heaven". The ravioli was served al-dante & the flavourful crab filling just made the dish so pleasing to the palate that you would just want more of this & to have it served as your main dish! Seriously, I haven't had such "expensive" appetizer before & I dare say truthfully that it was good! (I'm not paid/obligated to write good reviews...haha)

Dish 3: Soup "A Few Spoonfuls..."

- Porcini Mushroom & Truffle Soup with Melted Camembert -

I could have more of this...I'm such a pig...ahahaha....the best mushroom soup I've ever had in my life. When I first saw the name of the dish, I was wondering if it's really just a few spoonfuls! Thankfully it wasn't...teehee...I was served a fair amount of thick, silky smooth, yet full of mushroom bits & very fragrant mushroom soup. The melted Camembert just elevated the humble mushroom soup to another level up! Ah....gimme more....

Dish 4: Main Course "Harmoney..."

- Turkey Roulade with Brussels Sprout, Baby Carrots & Rosemary Potatoes -

Turkeys are usually associated with Christmas & a Christmas Eve dinner without turkey would somehow feel "empty"/incomplete. I've always wondered why are turkeys such a popular Christmas dish & walla! I found out some interesting read :D It apparently originated in Mexico! Uncle Chilli's would never allow you to leave their place feeling incomplete this Christmas Eve. With this dinner set, you'll get a colorful dish of nicely arranged turkey roulade, generously stacked on top of rosemary potatoes...oolala. You'll also get some fresh Brussels sprouts & baby carrots to go with your dish. As the dish is slightly dry, you could request for more sauce (refillable) :)

Dish 5: Dessert "Lasting Impression..."

- Chocolate Bomb with Wild Berries -

As its name speaks, it's really a bomb. Not just its physical looks, but this is ONE dessert - thumbs up! I also loved the fact that it was decorated with such detail - SO CUTE! You'll get a rich, chocolatey ball with chocolate mousse on top of a chocolate sponge layer. Look forward to a hidden gem inside the chocolate bomb as well! Yums! Once again, it's so good that you'll crave for more. But by the time I had this dessert, I was already feeling quite full *surprise*

Talk about feeling full in a fine dining course - it's almost impossible, but here at Uncle Chilli's, you can look forward to a satisfying fancy meal at an affordable price for the quality that you get!

We also had the opportunity to sample some of Uncle Chilli's best seller mocktails:

Walking Stick

- Strawberry purée, apply juice, cranberry juice, lime juice -

Refreshing drink :)

Aunty Special
- Ground ginger, ginger ale, whipping cream, grenadine syrup, & strawberry purée -
If you're a fan of ginger & some "spicy" like drink, this would do great for you.

I would think that RM120.00++/person sounds like a really expensive meal, but at a hotel environment with such worthy-of-compliment food & awesome presentation, it would be worth your every penny :) For something different this Christmas Eve, why not give Uncle Chilli's a try? Do make a reservation to avoid disappointment!

Map to Uncle Chilli's, Hilton Hotel Petaling Jaya

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Have a Blessed Christmas 2011 from PerutBesi!

Uncle Chilli’s Restaurant
Hilton Petaling Jaya
No. 2 Jalan Barat
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: (+603) 7955 9122 ext 4063
URL: www.zestpj.com

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

The place where "U" belong - Uncle Chilli's,

T@Time Station, Kuantan

2011-12-06T23:24:00.000+08:00

Venue: T@Time Station, Kuantan (Star City)
Overall comment: Decent food & a large variety of drinks at affordable prices :)
Halal: Yes

Star City has been a popular area for meals & snacks alike. Most of the cafes here are youth-centered, & one of the more popular places is T@Time Station. This cafe boasts of its delicious & generous-serving pearl milk teas that come in various flavours. Unlike the usual non-branded (e.g. of branded are Chatime/Gongcha) pearl milk tea, T@Time Station's pearls are soft, nicely sweetened, & chewy :) This cafe also serves a large variety of food to accompany its extensive selection of drinks! Oh, did I mention that it's also situated opposite my favourite Japanese restaurant in Kuantan i.e. Koi Zen? :D

Empty?

Not after I took this photo! Somehow when we sat down, it wasn't really lunch hour yet. But after 10 minutes or so, the whole cafe was full! You'll have to wait for a seat/table :S

Menu

The menu is LOADED with LOADS of Asian/Local & Western food choices! Most of the food here are acceptable to the palette/quite tasty too.

Even their drinks selection is quite an eye-full :P

Pearl Milk Green Tea (RM5.40/cup), Yoghurt Milk Tea with Pearls (RM6.40/cup)
On an average, a cup of pearl milk tea is RM5.40/cup. Some of the milk tea are pure milk tea without pearls, so an additional RM1 is required for the added pearls/jelly. I find the price acceptable since they give a large cup of smooth & creamy milk tea with soft, chewy, & nicely sweetened pearls. You can't really compare it with Chatime nor Gongcha since it's not available in Kuantan yet ;) The green tea with milk has the strong taste & fragrance of the green tea, just that it is milky (I actually prefer it without milk as it would be more refreshing). On the other hand, the yoghurt milk tea gives the simple creamy milk a slightly sourish yoghurt taste, which takes the "jelak" feeling off the milk tea.

Coffee Milk Tea with Pearls & "Pudding" (RM6.90/cup)

Strawberry Milk Tea with Pearls (RM5.40/cup)

This is a safe bet; you can't go very wrong with this. It's certainly not my cup of tea as I don't fancy strawberry milk!

Tom Yam Kuey Teow (RM7.40/bowl)

You can opt for the usual meehoon, mee, or kuey teow, so I opted for kuey teow since meehoon will soak up all the soup & gets soggy very quickly. I found the tom yam soup here extremely sour, but AP said it was quite nice. I reckon my tongue was just not used to having such a level of sour-ness for a tom yam soup. I would prefer it to be less sour, with more chilli/spiciness, & a wee bit more of sugar to enhance the overall taste of the tom yam soup. In terms of ingredients, there's not much that you will find except some fish cakes. Certainly not the best dish to have here.

Sweet & Sour Sauce Chicken Chop (RM12.90/serving)

You can't go too wrong with such a simple fried dish. So far, I didn't hear any complaints, so I reckon it was an acceptable dish :)

Fried Spicy Petai Meehoon (RM6.90/serving)

Aromatic & spicy, but they could do better with the meehoon, which was a little dry/hard; it just needs to be soaked a little longer in warm water or blanched a little longer in boiling water before it gets fried with the petai. Overall taste is alright.

Fried Egg with Prawns + Rice (RM7.40/serving)

PW was very satisfied with his order. When his rice was served at our table, the fragrance of the fried egg made our tummies rumble. I wish I ordered this simple, yet satisfying dish instead of my tom yam! Aiseh...

Singapore Fried Meehoon (RM5.40/serving)

Decent & satisfying - just don't compare it to the usual Chinese-hawker/dai-chow stalls :P

Map to T@Time Station

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Whenever I feel like having "bubble tea" in Kuantan, this will be my 1st choice of place to get it (for now). I've yet to try out their other food items & their other variants of pearl milk tea. I foresee myself popping by this place & the neighbouring cafes quite often each time I'm in town ;)

Perhaps the next time I'm in town, I'll have a good-enough meal at Koi Zen, then pop by to take-away a cuppa "bubble tea" to enjoy it at home :D Life, me likey!

T@Time Station
A27, Lorong Seri Kuantan 80
Kuantan Star City
25000 Kuantan.
Tel: (+609) 567 3471
Business hours: Opens daily for breakfast, lunch, & dinner (if I'm not mistaken, from 10:30a.m. - late night)

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * *

Overall:

Recommended place for bubble tea in Kuantan,

Delicious "Stir-Fried" Porridge at D Victory, Kuantan

2011-11-26T14:22:00.000+08:00

Venue: D Victory Bistro, Jalan Haji Ahmad 5, Kuantan
Occasion: Friday lunch
Overall comment: One of the best porridge that I've ever eaten - creative & innovative type of porridge, unlike the common fish, pork, chicken, or century egg porridge sold everywhere else.
Halal: It's pork-free, but I don't think it has the halal certification

Are you a fan of porridge? Or do you actually loathe porridge & see it as a "sick person's food"? AP will do whatever it takes to avoid eating porridge as he has the mindset that it's a "sick person's food". But this is one porridge place you have to try before jumping to the conclusion that porridge is boring & unappealing. AP will ONLY eat the porridge here & all other porridge is now deemed as "not in his radar of expectations". I won't mind eating my own/mum's home-cooked oyster porridge...hahaha...

This place has been here for quite some time, but since I rarely come over to this area, I haven't tried the porridge here. I can't even recall dining at "I Love You" Cafe, a place where every other Kuantanian knows.

D Victory's Simple Menu
Everything they have is on a 2-sided A4-sized menu. Just tell the uncle what you prefer & he will recommend as well...we just "ah..ah...ya....mmm...that one....okok...." Hahahaha....we didn't even get to say much :P Some of his recommendations may not be in the menu as well! It's like "special for that day" kinda thing...

Interior of the "bistro"

It's non-peak hour at that time, so the place is quite quiet. According to my friend, this place is quite popular for their delicious & special porridge.

"Yong Sam" Roots with Honey (RM2.70/cup)

We all had this very refreshing & healthy drink. Chinese will call this a "ching" & "yeon" drink that will help clear the heat from your body.

Spicy Mantis Prawn Porridge (RM6.00/1 person's serving)
This photo shows a bowl of porridge for 2 persons. The "har kou chook" is said to be one of the best porridge available here. I haven't had such interesting looking porridge - it's not white! It's just slightly spicy, but when you add their special chilli dip, it makes this porridge taste like a "tom yam" flavour porridge with mantis prawns. Fuh. Power!

'Fried' Porridge with Salted Fish (RM6.00/1 person's serving)
I prefer the mantis prawn porridge to this variant as it was more unique. This salted fish porridge (photo also shows portion for 2 persons, but fed 3 of us!) was really as its name speaks - salty! Ok, it was not overly salty, but it was saltier than the mantis prawn porridge! This porridge is quite fragrant, with dried shrimp & bits of aromatic fried salted fish. If you're a fan of salted fish, this is something you must not miss when you're in Kuantan. Go satisfy your tastebuds to the salted fish fried rice (the ones here are different from the ones in PJ) & this salted fish porridge as well!

Stir-Fried Cabbage with Dried Shrimp (RM8.00/serving)
It's quite costly, but heck, it tastes GOOD! I think it has sufficient "wok hei"/wok-fire, that's why even the simple stir-fried cabbage with dried shrimp tastes so good. Fragrant & just satisfying. Oh, I just realized this isn't found in the menu! You see, I told you...we just agreed to all the owner's recommendations without realizing the price & items ordered! Hahahaha....

Stir-Fried Fish Paste with Ginger & Spring Onions (RM16.00/serving)
This was very interesting. Usually, the fish paste is slightly rough & shaped into balls, but this one came out flat like fish slices. It was really smooth & easy to eat as well. I was impressed. My 1st time having such SMOOOOOTH fish paste. The owner said it's home-made fish paste & recommended us to try; we just agreed! We didn't even ask of the price, but the guys won't mind at all....as long as it tastes good, they'll be more than willing to pay for it!

Map to D Victory Bistro

Contact Information

If you're in Kuantan & would like to try something different, pop by to D Victory. I personally feel that it's a good option for a meal. Those who are ill can opt for simpler porridge like the usual fish/chicken/century egg porridge, which are also available here. My friend told me that the Lala & Seafood porridge here are pretty good as well, with loads of lala/seafood pieces. Those 2 variants will be my next target. Heehee.

Stay tuned with PerutBesi for more food posts! :D

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

Porridge isn't a 'boring food' after all,

UK Loh Restaurant, Kuantan

2011-11-25T22:39:00.001+08:00

Venue: Off Jalan Beserah, Kuantan
Overall comment: Pretty decent rice & noodles served with assortment of white/roast chicken, barbecue pork (char siew), roast pork (siew yoke), & roast duck. The best thing there, in my opinion, is the "siew yoke" - crispy skin & tender, flavourful meat! :)
Halal: No

I've passed by this place quite a number of times, but have never tried it before 'til my church friends in Kuantan brought me here. As I don't have a car here, I usually depend on the mercy of those with wheels to introduce me to good food places around town...hahaha.

UK Loh is a relatively new place in a pretty new commercial shoplots (probably a year old or less?). Occupancy in these shoplots are not even 100%, I think. But UK Loh sure created waves with its roast duck & roast pork ("siew yoke"), where many have claimed that it's one of the best in town!

As you can see, this small corner restaurant is packed to the brim & at that particular lunch hour, there were even people standing around to wait for seats/table! I was impressed, no doubt. It's apparently a very popular restaurant of late & people often have to wait for a seat during peak hours.

Prices of food is actually quite reasonable, considering the place is air-conditioned with good ventilation. You won't smell of roast pork/oil when you walk out of the restaurant.

On that particular lunch hour, we were fortunate to have found a table for 6 persons to satisfy our palatte. Here's what we had & my personal review on the dishes ordered/served:

Chrysanthemum Tea (RM2.00/cup), Barley (RM1.50/cup)

I enjoyed the chrysanthemum tea here although it was quite light. At least it's not loaded with sugar & it was fragrant ;)

Large Special Combo 3 (RM30.00/serving)
There's nothing spectacular about their steamed/white chicken nor their barbecue pork ("chy char siew"), but their roast pork ("siew yoke") is commendable :) Crispy skin topped on a juicy chunk of fragrantly marinated pork, especially at the bottom, just made my day. Their roast duck is apparently good as well, but I still think that the roast duck (a different variant, apparently) at Golden Lucky Restaurant is by far the best in Kuantan.

Noodles (RM1.60/serving)
It's just egg noodles with dark soya sauce. The noodles were okay; texture was slightly springy, but the sauce lacks fragrance. Golden Lucky's is still my choice even though I haven't been back there for ages to see if the quality of food is still the same.

Taugeh (RM4.00/serving)
Nothing beats the fat & stout beansprout from Ipoh! This taugeh was alright. At least it wasn't over-cooked & soggy...

Prawn Wantan (RM6.50/serving)
Yums! A pair of fresh, 'crunchy' prawns (what the Chinese call as "chui/song hao") wrapped with generous amount of minced pork & some veggie (I think there was turnip/carrot in it...I can't recall) in silky smooth "wan tan" skin. Each serving has 5-6 dumplings along with a handful of "choy sum".

Map to UK Loh

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I won't mind heading there again for their "siew yoke" rice/noodles. If it's char siew in Kuantan, nothing, certainly nothing, beats Bee Hiong's at Jalan Gambang. I haven't had such delectable "char siew" even in PJ/KL!

Ah, good food...Malaysians are truly blessed with talented & skilful cooks (and loads of ruthless eaters in the making as well, I'm sure!!).

UK Loh
B-124, Lorong Galing 2
Off Jalan Beserah
25300 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur
Note: Opposite SK Galing school. It's opened for lunch & I think dinner as well.

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

Best & Cheapest Dim Sum (in Kuantan & possibly PJ/KL)

2011-11-25T16:21:00.003+08:00

Venue: Seng Kong Coffeeshop, Lorong Kubang Buaya 6
Overall comment: "Power" dim sum at a small, simple coffeeshop - my personal opinion is that they have the best stuffed brinjal dim sum EVER, not only in Kuantan, but also in PJ/KL! Why? It's not pure fish paste...delicious well-marinated minced pork!
Halal: No

Seng Kong's is a coffeeshop in its own land. So if you're coming from Pantai Selamat on your right, once you turn left, you'll see Seng Kong on your right not too far from the junction that you turned in. It's somewhat opposite Croc Deli (or what's the cafe's name....it's opened by Crocodile Rock Restaurant/Bistro).

Each time I'm back in Kuantan, I will surely want to sink my teeth into the dim sum at Seng Kong, especially the stuffed brinjal ("yong ai gua"). I could eat at least 2 plates of brinjals although it's said to be not very good for healthy if we over-eat - creates wind in stomach & affects the eye sight.

This coffeeshop isn't a dim sum place, but it just happen to have good dim sum in their "pau" trays...haha. The coffeeshop offers good assam laksa & other variety of noodles i.e. fish ball noodles & wan tan mee as well. So if you're not interested in having steamed dim sum, "pau", "lo mai kai", or even "bak chang" (triangle dumpling with meat), the assam laksa is quite nice ;)

Here are some of my usuals (I didn't take any photo of the dumpling)

Stuffed brinjal (RM3.00/plate)

Just check it out...generous minced pork stuffing in the brinjal pieces. Juicy, bursting-in-flavours "yong ai gua"...really "mou tak deng"!

Beancurd Sheets Roll/"Fu Chok Kuen" (RM2.20/plate)

Not the best, but I still enjoy it. One of my all-time favourites. Juicy & meaty fish paste wrapped with soft & thin "fu chok" - steamed to perfection.

Fish Paste with Black Mushrooms & Beancurd Sheets (RM2.20/plate)

It's my 1st time having this. Nothing very fantastic, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I think you'll enjoy most food when you're happy, eh? Hahaha...I'm happy to be at Ah Soon's each time :D

"Loh Mai Kai" (approx RM2.50/bowl)

I can't recall the price, but this piping hot, soft (and sticky!!) glutinous rice dish with chicken, mushrooms & char siew is delicious! Unlike the horrible "sticky rice" at Rak Thai...oh, what a far cry! Their "bak chang"/triangle meat dumpling is also very tasty. Oh, comfort food. I really appreciate the simplicity of the lifestyle here in Kuantan - simple & good food at a decent coffeeshop :)

If you have not tried this before, you have to pop by at least once :) Locals know this place well, so it's tourists who aren't aware that there's a hidden gem in this housing area! If you don't try comparing "chicken & duck", you'll find the dim sum here very satisfying :)

Map to Seng Kong (sorry I forgot to take a photo of the coffeeshop)

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p/s: The owner of this coffeeshop is quite entertaining. When he calculates your food prices, he's like some "machak" who counts really fast! You can't really catch what he's counting, but it's accurate!

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

You've gotta be lovin' it,

Rak Thai, The Gardens Mid Valley

2011-11-25T14:39:00.000+08:00

Venue: Rak Thai Restaurant, The Gardens Mid Valley
Occasion: Dinner with fellow blogger, Henry Lee @ Clevermunkey
Overall comment: Food was so-so. The so-called "sticky-rice" could be thrown at some robber to knock that fella out! - Yes, it's dry, hard, & bleagh...thankfully it's a coupon deal where I didn't have to pay that much to try out the food here. If restaurants provide their patrons with equally good food through coupon deals, I guarantee they'll receive many folds in return!
Halal: Yes

It was my first time meeting Henry after talking about meeting up for so long! Believe it or not, we've never crossed paths, even in food tasting events...how strange, eh? After some thought, I suggested to meet up at Mid Valley's Rak Thai as I needed to use the coupon deal that I bought quite some time ago. The deal was a set meal for RM10.90/set, consisting of a drink, a rice dish (choice of 2 types of dishes), & a dessert.

Iced Lime Mint Drink (worth RM3.90/glass)

Refreshing drink - as I love the fresh mint smell & taste, this zesty-tasting drink is a good thirst quencher, especially on a hot day.

Main Dish: BBQ Lemongrass Chicken (worth RM16.50/set)

Portion isn't very generous; my photo makes the portion look bigger than the actual...haha. This dish comes with white rice & it was quite dry since there wasn't any gravy nor sauce for the chicken dish (apart from the chili dips). The BBQ lemongrass chicken was probably over-cooked as it was rough & quite charred. Not up to expectations *sigh* The pickles/mango kerabu side dish wasn't wow either.

Main Dish: Special Thai BBQ Chicken Set/Gai Yang (worth RM16.50/set)

The chicken was definitely better as it was "juicier" albeit also without gravy/sauce. The one very horrible set back was the so-called "sticky rice". It wasn't sticky at all! I was expecting a block of fragrant, soft, & slightly sticky glutinous rice, but it came out dry, hard, & crumbly. We even asked for it to be changed (the 1st one was really hard & cold), but the replacement wasn't any saving grace. Just as bad, but it was warm =.=" Fail.

The wall will crack if I throw this against the wall! *lol*

Dessert: Tub Tim Krob (worth RM4.90/serving)

It wasn't fantastic, but edible. Certainly not a good tub tim krob. I felt that it was too "flat-sweet" :( Ah, I really miss one of the best Thai food I've ever had in Penang last year at Moo Kata. I wonder if the stall/restaurant is still there. MISS!!

The interior of the restaurant

They sell assortment of goodies from Thailand at the restaurant as well.

PerutBesi & the Clevermunkey

The fellowship was the one saving grace :) Thanks for the lovely time of fellowship & meet-up! It awesome meeting up with you & exchanging experiences & thoughts. I've gained much insight from you, O Active Blogger :D Looking forward to meet up with you some time soon! Enjoy your work & the load of food tasting events ;)

I doubt I'll bother coming here again. There are just too many better options at Mid Valley/The Gardens. I just thought of trying out this place using the coupon deal since I haven't tried it before - once bitten, twice shy!

Rak Thai
LG-232A (Opposite Big Apple)
Lower Ground Floor
The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (+603) 22846918
Business hours: 10:00a.m. - 10:00p.m. daily

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * 1/2
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * *

Overall

Sticky-rice isn't sticky at all!,

Sup Pedas Kajang Restaurant, Puchong

2011-11-21T17:54:00.000+08:00

Venue: Bandar Puteri Puchong
Overall comment: The original one in Kajang sure tasted better, but this one was quite good as well. Prices of food is reasonable (not over-priced nor was it cheap) for the portion & quality. The only thing I felt was over-priced was the beancurd...
Halal: No

I was craving for the Kajang's "lat thong"/pepper soup for a rather long time. Since I left my previous company, I rarely go over to places like Cyberjaya/Kajang/Seri Kembangan unless necessary. This particular restaurant for the Kajang's famous pepper soup has been around in Bandar Puteri Puchong for quite some time (at least a year or more). As I don't stay in Puchong nor am I bothered to travel all the way here, I rarely come by Puchong unless it's to meet up with friends who live within the vicinity.

What I like about such dishes is the piping hot peppery soup, which gives the umph to a meal. The meat is nothing unusual - just like "bah kut teh". I just fancy the fragrance of pepper soup with the sweetness of the meat all cooked in a hot claypot.

Value Set Lunch

The restaurant serves noodles & rice, catering to individuals & families/groups with different preferences. I've yet to try their noodles since I was very focused on having the pepper soup with rice that evening.

Here's what I've tried:

Holiao Seafood Roll (RM6.90/5 pieces)

I was expecting some longer, crispier roll, but this appeared instead. Taste-wise, it's pretty delectable although nothing great. The meat was "roughly" minced along with some prawns, turnips, & parsley. "Holiao" means "tastes very good" in Hokkien, but this one wasn't all that holiao after all.

Beancurd with Dried Shrimp, served hot (RM6.90/small portion or RM10.90/large portion)

I felt that this was really expensive. I was expecting something more from the beancurd - like some home-made style or at least something that's not so "supermarket"! I can buy this from the supermarket for less than RM1.50/piece :S

Hot & Spicy Soup (RM10.90/single serving)

We ordered for 3 persons, so this pot costs RM32.70. It has a generous serving of pork, chicken, pig's stomach & liver (we opted this out), along with ginger, Chinese parsley, & loads of pepper. I enjoyed this very much. The soup was "sweet" with all goodness of the chicken's & pig bones' stock.

Bitter Gourd Soup (RM10.90/single serving)

This was more bland. It wasn't as "sweet" as the spicy pepper soup, nor was it herbal/bitter. It was like any other chicken soup; I was quite disappointed as I expected more from this new dish on the menu. If the bitter gourd was really bitter, at least it will prove itself as an authentic bitter gourd soup...

Stir-Fried Sweet Potato Leaves (RM6.90/small portion or RM10.90/large portion)

Nothing spectacular. Thank goodness the veggie wasn't old or over-cooked.

Map to Sup Pedas Kajang @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

View PerutBesi in a larger map

If I'm ever craving for Kajang's pepper soup again & would not want to travel all the way to Kajang, this particular outlet in Puchong would just do the trick. Puchong has too many restaurants to explore...where next? :D

Sup Pedas Kajang Restaurant
16G, Jalan Puteri 2/4
Bandar Puteri Puchong
47100 Puchong
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+603) 8063 7239
Business hours: 11:00a.m. - 10:00p.m.

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

Loving Kajang's Pepper Soup,

Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant, IOI Boulevard Puchong

2011-11-21T14:31:00.000+08:00

Venue: Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant, IOI Boulevard, Puchong
Occasion: Gathering with uni friends
Overall comment: I found the lunch buffet variety quite disappointing. Some of the food weren't fresh as well e.g. one of the beancurd dishes with oyster were 'sour'/has gone bad. In my personal opinion, paying RM55.20/person (RM48.00++/person) for a limited variety of sushi, sashimi, & Japanese dishes wasn't really worth-it. Service was quite slow as well, especially since we were seated in the private room.
Halal: Pork-free

Earlier this month, my uni friends & I finally gathered for a meal together. It has been MONTHS since we last met & despite the not-so-satisfying food, we're glad for the lovely catch-up :)

Umai-Ya has been around for quite some time. It's just that I haven't been the most hard-working & adventurous food blogger, especially when it comes to places where I've to pass through tolls & endure the ever-present heavy traffic in Puchong.

This simple-designed & interestingly packed restaurant opens daily (if I'm not mistaken) & offers a substantial range of Japanese dishes, sushi, sashimi, & set meals. We were there that particular weekend for their lunch buffet, which was rather popular. I had no clue how the buffet was like & so when I got there, I had near zero expectations.

My friends & I took one of the private rooms & there was a specific lunch buffet menu to order from - which was quite disappointing. It's a buffet after all! :( I didn't notice many interesting selections & to make things more disappointing, there weren't sufficient information on what the dishes contained. The paper contained no illustrations for each dish & it was lacking in description as well. Ah, forgive, forgive....I told myself to just order whatever that looks "okay" & eat without expecting much. A good time of catching-up is top priority, not the food, not the food!

My friends have already ordered several dishes & have started eating by the time I got there. Interestingly, they ordered all the variety of beancurd offered. Hahaha. We're paying RM50 to indulge in beancurds? Money aside, I selected whatever that was more "worth the price paid" like soft shell crab items (there were only 2-3 of such items) & salmon/sashimi dishes.

Frankly speaking, what you see in the combined photos were all that we ordered - it's pretty much all that they have in their buffet lunch menu (at least for this branch), which was "better". The consolation was that we get to order it over & over again...the same types of dishes.

We ended our lunch with ice cream (part of the buffet) & everyone tried out the wasabi ice-cream - clearly not my favourite, but it was quite "powerful" & gives you the "umphh" feel! I kinda enjoyed their green tea & the usual chocolate ice-cream, but it was nothing much to shout about.

Map to Umai-Ya Puchong

View PerutBesi in a larger map

So, will I go over for the lunch buffet again? I doubt it. At least not this branch if those were the only items offered in the buffet lunch menu. I may go for their ala cartes instead ;)

Umai-Ya Japanese Restaurant
A-GF-40, Block A
IOI Puchong Jaya Boulevard
Jalan Kenari 5
Bandar Puchong Jaya
47170 Puchong
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+603) 80751113
Fax: (+603) 80756663
Business hours: 11:30a.m. - 2:30p.m. (daily)

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * *

Overall

That's all in a lunch buffet?,

Ploy With Your Food

2011-11-17T17:44:00.004+08:00

Venue: Ploy @ Damansara Heights
Occasion: Lunch with colleagues
Overall comment: Delectable food, but portion is rather small for the price paid. Some colleagues just couldn't accept this "depressing" truth - price + portion are just unfavourable.
Halal: Pork free (alcohol is served)

I've been working at Damansara Heights for almost a year now & have not been really exploring the food options available in this area. To put it very bluntly, I have almost given up hope on coming across any good food at affordable prices. This time around, I just thought of gathering a few colleagues to try out this rather new restaurant in the building next door to our office.

The word "Ploy" simply means "gem" in Thai. Inspired by the true gems of Thai & Japanese cuisine, the owner of this restaurant, Jared Lim, started this restaurant some time in the middle of this year. The restaurant serves interesting fusion food, blending in the goodness of Thai & Japanese food to give Ploy a niche of its own.

The restaurant's interior was quite interesting & nicely done up. The restaurant comprises of various 'segments' to cater for the various needs of its patrons. As you walk into the restaurant, you'll be greeted by the large restaurant logo & personally, it felt like walking into a spa (where the reception counter is in front & the main areas are at the sides)...hahaha....you'll also notice a nicely lit shelf of liquor on your right before you enter the main dining area.

There, you'll find the bar & 2 semi-enclosed rooms that could seat up to 10 persons apart from the open dining area. The interesting thing is that these semi-enclosed rooms do not have solid walls, but the unique steel dividers (as seen in photo below) are the walls & curtains can be drawn to give your little group the extra privacy needed. Nice :) In fact, after our lunch, we were given a short tour of the place where we discovered 2 more "hidden" rooms cosy enough for private functions (as seen in photo above)! One of the rooms have a ceiling covered with lightbulbs, which was VERY fascinating! To add to the excitement, Ploy is currently running a contest on "Guess the number of lightbulbs" - more information can be obtained from their Facebook page.

Guess how many lightbulbs hang on the ceiling at Ploy

Interesting Concept

Check out the staffs' t-shirts! How fun :D

As first timers, we decided to try out their set lunch of the day (available Mondays - Saturdays). Everyday, Ploy will offer a different set lunch menu comprising of a glass of ice lemon tea, salad, & a main dish to give their patrons a variety & excitement to drop by on different days. It was a Thursday when we had lunch at Ploy, so their set lunch for the day was the Pasta with Nori & Fresh Cream.

Thursday's Set Lunch: Linguini Mentaiko - Pasta with Seaweed & Fresh Cream (RM19.90+/set)

The salad had a very Asian touch - vinegar-sour, ginger-spicy, & slightly sweet dressing on a common garden salad mixture of greens & tomatoes. It's probably an acquired taste as my friend didn't really like the ginger taste in the dressing. The pasta on the other hand is a pasta dish without meat, but you'll get some pollack roe instead. It's rather Japanese, but the cream gave the dish a twist of east meets west. Taste-wise, the pasta is quite delicious - not too heavy on the cream, but we found it slightly heavy on the salt & the portion was quite small for 1 person. It's probably suitable for small eaters/women, but men will find it too small to fill up their huge appetites. I'm not a big-eater (I'm just a ruthless eater...haha), but I could actually have 1 1/2 - 2 portions of this set when I'm hungry! Hahaha.

Sushi, pasta, & pizza

DC & I shared the set lunch, which was obviously not enough. We ordered another sushi roll, Pink Lady, thinking that it'll be sufficient to satisfy our moderately large appetites. The sushi roll was presented really nicely, with a slice of strawberry topping the rice roll with crispy soft shell crabs. I find it an interesting combination to have strawberry on a sushi roll - gives a slightly sour & sweet taste to the rice roll. The only set back - it was MINI and it costs RM16.00/4 pieces or RM30.00/8 pieces :( Each piece is the diameter of a RM0.50 coin only *sobs* Taste was nice, but for the price paid, it was really expensive.

BK ordered the Spaghetti Thai Anchovies (RM21.00/serving), which was another pasta dish that was quite appetizing. The pasta had a slightly spicy & sour taste on top of the salty anchovies, & the fresh black peppers gave the dish an extra punch. I'm quite "kampung" & it's my 1st time trying out how fresh black pepper tastes (I usually see the dried ones) - interesting!

Ok, thank goodness our wallets were sufficiently loaded that day. One set meal + 1 sushi roll wasn't enough for DC & I! We ended up ordering a Spicy Salmon Pizza (RM25.00/pizza) for sharing. Gluttony? Erm, not really. Portion was just insufficient for Malaysians like us :P The Spicy Salmon Pizza isn't the traditional pizza that you have at Italian restaurants, Pizza Hut/Dominoes Pizza. The base is a very thin, crispy pastry, with puréed avocados & spring onions as the base sauce. Pan-seared salmon, oyster mushrooms, & fish roe topped the pizza, along with 1 mint leaf on each slice - gives the palette a different dimension of taste.

The other pizza ordered was the Popcorn Chicken Pizza (RM22.00/pizza). According to those who had that, it's more favourable compared to the Spicy Salmon Pizza although the salmon variant was recommended by their chef, Daniel. The salmon pizza is one of the best sellers, but I guess this is all up to the individual preference. The Popcorn Chicken Pizza is probably very similar to KFC. I can't comment much since I didn't try that pizza :)

Will I go to Ploy for lunch again?

Well, if I'm not very hungry or if someone picks the bill, I won't mind dining at Ploy. It's a nice restaurant with decent-tasting food - not forgetting good customer service as well! The only set back personally, is the portion & price. These are actually factors that are of great priority when I pick a place to dine. Treat this place as a fine-dining/high-class restaurant with good ambiance & you'll find yourself more contented ;)

"Ploy with your food - with caution & care on your wallet & stomach"

Map to Ploy

Ploy Restaurant & Bar
G-02, WORK@Clearwater
Jalan Changkat Semantan
Damansara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (+603) 2095 0999
Fax: (+603) 2095 9181
URL: www.ploywithyourfood.com
Facebook: Ploy's Facebook Page

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * *

Overall

If only the price was lower & portion was more generous,

Koi Zen Japanese Cuisine, Kuantan

2011-11-16T00:50:00.000+08:00

This was my first love for Japanese restaurants in Kuantan - Sendo No Ya! It has changed its name to Koi Zen now, but the food quality & service remains just as the "good old days" - ichiban! They have also moved to another location since a year or less than 2 years ago, but I've never had the opportunity to head back there til lately. Ah....love it....

Here's introducing Koi Zen, the new Sendo No Ya!

Interior of the restaurant

It's surely different from their previous outlet (top photo compared with bottom photo of previous outlet). It's more spacious & very straight forward. It doesn't feel as "Japanese", but the food is good, so that's all that matters :D

Even the tea cup is different already

What happened to the old ones? Hahaha...

Here's what the 3 of us had that night:

Tori Age Tama Don (RM13.00/bowl)

It's deep fried chicken pieces with a fried egg & rice - the way Amos loves it...hahaha...as long as it's fried chicken, you'll have a happy Amos.

Gyu Don (RM15.00/bowl)

This is Aaron's favorite. He can order this each time he comes here & it will still be as good. The beef slices are tender & not over-cooked, while the runny egg yolks when mixed with the rice just makes the whole bowl of rice & meat absolutely delectable! Ah, seriously, this is by far the best Gyu Don (at such a price) that I've ever had in my "whole life". If you happen to know of any good ones that I should try, let me know! I'm keen to do so ;)

Unagi Bento (RM23.00/set)

I would have ordered my usual Chirashi Bento each time I dine at Sendo No Ya/now Koi Zen, but it will take longer to prepare & I was quite hungry that time (and had a movie to catch as well!). Unagi was my 2nd choice - I love unagi. The portion of unagi wasn't very generous, but it was acceptable. Thank goodness the taste is pretty good. I was disappointed with the so-called curry though. I'm not even sure if it's a curry or just a stew. There were potatoes, chicken slices, onions & carrots in a watery gravy that looked like the Japanese curry...ergh...not nice! So salty some more :S

Stamina Roll (RM28.00/roll)

It's actually unagi roll, which was really tasty. There are roughly 6 pieces per roll & each bite comes with a juicy piece of grilled eel on top of a maki roll with some fish roe, eggs, & vegetables (I can't recall the actual ingredients off-hand). I enjoyed this so much.

Map to Koi Zen

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We paid a total of RM90.20 for the above, inclusive of 3 cups of green tea (refillable) & 10% service tax. For a Japanese meal, it's not too expensive, really. We were full & satisfied, which was the most important :) When it comes to Japanese food in Kuantan for such a price, I'll always recommend Koi Zen!

Koi Zen Japanese Cuisine
B-30, Lorong Seri Kuantan 80
Star City
25300 Kuantan
Pahang Darul Makmur
Tel: (+609) 566 0222

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

I love Japanese food,

Great Taste Hong Kong Dim Sum, USJ21

2011-11-02T22:51:00.001+08:00

This post was supposed to be published mid this year, but somehow it didn't get outta the oven! Hahaha...here's a short write-up anyhow of my experience dining at Great Taste :)

*****
Overall comment: I heard that this place is quite popular for its good tasting dim sum. Since one of my mentees from Jeremiah School works there temporarily, I decided to head there one Saturday to try this place out. My personal opinion, not as good as what people have mentioned. I somehow find the Jin Xuan Hong Kong Dim Sum @ Damansara Jaya better - fresher & has more variety. Perhaps I dropped by at Great Taste slightly too late? I was there around lunch time instead of the usual breakfast hours...
Halal: No

This was my 1st time at USJ21 - all the way here for dim sum, just because Christina works (worked) here :)

photo taken from Great Taste Dim Sum's Blog

Here are some of the dishes that we had that late morning:

"Har Gao" (Prawn Dumpling)

This is something I usually order at every dim sum restaurant that I go to. This one wasn't up to to my expectations. I'm giving it the benefit of doubt that I was there late, but I really believe that restaurants should keep their food at a certain standard of quality before, after, & during peak hours. The skin was rather thick & the prawns didn't have that fresh "crispy" bounce. One of my favourite dishes & I wasn't too happy.

"Siu Mai" (Pork Dumplings)

Another dish that every customer should try in any dim sum restaurant is their siu mai. If they can't get one of the most basic of dim sums right, then they've loads of homework to do. This one wasn't too nice either. It lacks flavour/"umph" to make me want another basket.

"Zha Fu Chok Kuen" (Deep-fried Stuffed Beancurd Sheets)

I dare say this was the best among all the dim sums that we ordered. The fu chok was deep fried very nicely - light & crispy. We enjoyed this best & ordered another plate of it.

"Yong Ai Kua" (Steamed Stuffed Brinjal)

Very sad...PerutBesi is very, very sad. This is something that I also order whenever I eat at dim sum restaurants. The dish wasn't satisfying...sauce wasn't pleasing to my palette, & the dish wasn't piping hot! Wergh :( I MISS KUANTAN...Seng Kong's "yong ai kua" rocks to the max!! It's stuffed with EXTREMELY flavourful minced pork instead of fish paste....I've gotta blog it out someday (I always take for-granted cos Seng Kong is just a small coffeeshop serving the usual pau & plates of dim sum)!

"Char Siew Pau" (Steamed Pork Buns)

Not as satisfying as the ones my dad buys from SS19/his friend who sells pau somewhere in Subang. I could eat one after another of that char siew pau....hahaha...not this one though...

"Dan Tat" (Egg Tarts)

I love egg tarts, but this one didn't really make the mark either :S Oh God, why...? The egg custard was smooth, but the pastry was a little disappointing *sigh*

"Chow Lo Bak Ko" (Fried Carrot Cake)

Erm...I remember this dish as quite an oily one. It wasn't tasty enough as well. I wish they put in more "choy pou" & a little more pepper to bring out the "umph" of this dish.

"Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun"

Rice flour sheets/chee cheong fun could be slightly thinner & smoother, but the overall taste is alright.

Map to Great Taste Hong Kong Dim Sum

Map taken from Great Taste Hong Kong Dim Sum's Blog

Map to Great Taste @ USJ21

View PerutBesi in a larger map

Will I go there again? Maybe not. It's a little too far from where I stay. I won't totally rule this place out though. It may be that the food is fresher during mornings (according to my JS mentee), which shouldn't be the case! Restaurants should serve fresh food every hour of their business! I know of dim sum restaurants that open from morning 'til night & their dishes are still nice & fresh. Oh well, I've read quite a number of good reviews of this place, but perhaps preference is a very subjective matter, eh? Great taste hong kong dim sum...? Erm...didn't taste THAT great in my personal opinion :S

Great Taste Hong Kong Dim Sum 真之味点心之家
No. 1-1, Jalan USJ 21/6
47630 UEP Subang Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel : (+6017) 3778434 (Ben) / (+6012) 2121887 (Jack) / (+6012) 4828997 (Kelvin)
URL: http://great-taste-hkdimsum.blogspot.com/
Business hours: 7:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. daily

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * 1/2
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * 1/2

Overall

A little disappointed,

Uncle Cheng's Special Beef Noodles

2011-11-02T16:03:00.000+08:00

Venue: Shoplots near Taman Bahagia LRT station & Perodua showroom, SS2/4a
Overall comment: Tasty beef noodles & beef tendon balls! I enjoyed the taste, but I felt the price was slightly expensive - perhaps due to ingredients & rental of the shop.
Halal: Pork-free

I was introduced to this shop by my chef friend, who happened to pass by this area some time ago. Knowing that I'm a great fan of the Seremban-style beef noodles, he shared this juicy piece of news with me (some said uncle Cheng's is Johor-style beef noodles, but the thick, gooey sauce is more like Seremban's than Johor's) :) It's comfort food indeed.

Uncle Cheng's Special Beef Noodles has been around for quite some time, though not at this particular shoplot. He used to operate at a stall in Section 17, PJ & just opened his own little restaurant early this year on 14th January 2011. We found out that uncle Julan Cheng attends the same church as my chef friend as well! What a small world.

The dried beef noodles is a must try, according to chef Julian's wife. All we did was to tell her yes or no. She just recommended & whizzed-off to send the orders to the kitchen. We didn't even know what exactly we ordered!

"Dry one? Ok, I give you with dry meat ya?"
"Orh...ok...." (what's dry meat, I don't know)
"Want soup for all to share?"
"Want"
"Everything ya....I make for 4 persons?"
"Orh...ok..." (I didn't even know what to expect, except a boiling hot claypot of soup with beefy stuff)

Classic conversation of the aunty who knows her stuff well with a bunch of young adults who just want to eat...hahaha....

Dry noodles with dry meat (approx RM8.50/bowl)

Yup, it's quite pricey - The most I've paid was RM6.50/bowl at stalls or the Seremban wet market...haha...but the meat floss a.k.a. dry meat was really flavourful. You'll get the crunch of fried peanuts, the crisp of salted vegetables strips, the meaty floss, with the slightly chewy/soft noodles i.e. "lai fun" (used for asam laksa as well), all in a thick, gooey dark sauce sprinkled with some smokey sesame seed...oolala...I enjoyed it. Yums. But I kinda still prefer the Seremban market one! I miss going there....

Claypot Mix (no idea how much)

This claypot dish reminded me of the Kajang's hot soup ("lat thong") with pork & pig's innards. The style is too similar, except for the lack of pepper in this version. The soup had a good beef stock taste & was filled with all parts of the cow: brisket, tenderloin, meat, tendon, beef balls, tripe. I enjoyed this, but frankly, I personally still prefer the "umph" that I can get from the Kajang's hot soup. Can't really compare both since one is beef, while the other is pork, eh? :P

Map to Uncle Cheng's Special Beef Noodles

taken from Uncle Cheng's FB photos

Our bill for 4 persons came up to more than RM100.00 (we had to pay roughly RM26.00/person for the meal above with drinks). I felt that it was rather costly, but once in a while, I guess it's alright (it's for some quality food anyway). Students will have a slightly harder time footing the bill though.

Care to try this place out for yourself? You don't need to drive there if you don't have a car - the LRT station is walking distance! :D

Uncle Cheng's Special Beef Noodles
54, Jalan SS2/4A
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: (+6012) 3030 626
Business hours:
Tue - Thu: 10:30
Sat & Sun: 10:30a.m. - 3:00p.m., 7:00p.m. - 9:30p.m. (starts 10:00a.m. on Sundays)
GPS: N3.11179, E101.60950
Facebook: Click here

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * 1/2
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * *

Overall:

I like beef noodles,

Review: Wellness Recipe

2011-10-29T15:22:00.001+08:00

Venue: Wellness Recipe, Kg Kayu Ara
Occasion: Food tasting
Overall comment: A refreshing & healthy alternative to our usual "heavy" meals as food here gives me the 'tummy-satisfied feel' & mentally, I feel that it's a 'lighter' meal - but I'm full! Simply said - not so fried/oily, spice-infused, nor meaty.
Halal: Yes

Ever thought of having a fully "organic meal"? Let me guess what's your first thought when you heard that question...did I hear an "Eeuwww..."? Haha...Most people may have the misconception that organic food = vegetarian food = uninteresting. Wellness Recipe is here to prove you wrong & you'll be spoiled for choice with the variety that they have to offer :)

Thanks to Vivian Tan from Wellness Recipe & Tan KC who extended the invitation, I had the opportunity of tasting some organic dishes for pretty much the first time early last week! Located at Boulevard 10, a relatively new commercial area right in front of Kampung Kayu Ara area, facing the Sprint highway, you'll find this neat & clean looking cafe/restaurant that speaks of a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating.

As you would have noticed from the photo below, the Wellness group consists of 3 parts:
1. Wellness Concept, a spa & health-screening place
2. Wellness Recipe, the restaurant to indulge in a healthy organic meal
3. as an Importer for organic whole-food supplements (all in one goodness) - they import their organic goods from Canada, Japan, US, & Australia, & the goods are currently placed at Wellness Recipe for sale

Back to Wellness Recipe, this restaurant is getting rather popular with the office lunch crowd & serves the neighbourhood more during dinners. They even have a steady flow of regular customers, some of whom pops by everyday for dinner after their time at the spa/Wellness Concept! *wow, so healthy*

Wellness Recipe started in Penang (this is their 2nd outlet) & adopts the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health & Sustainability) 'culture', if I may call it a culture. It aims to educate the community to eat more greens for a healthier lifestyle, although the outlet does serve organic meat as well - it just simply means that the animal is fed with an organic diet ;) The restaurant serves 80% vegetables & 20% meat, so if you've had your quota of meat for the day/week, perhaps you would like to consider a change of diet or appetite by indulging into more greens!

Organic food sold at the restaurant

During our food-tasting session, we were introduced to the best-sellers/most popular/pride of the restaurant. Here's what we were generously fed with for dinner:

Barleygreen Honey

Organic Barleygreen + Royal Honey
This barley green drink contains 300 types of live enzymes that helps the body function better. You'll certainly have no problems with your bowels, colon & digestion after drinking this! Hahaha...hey, if you've watched Scrubs, you'll remember that everything has to do with your poo :D

Fruit & Vegetables Rojak

The rojak was quite addictive. Fresh pineapples, green apples, turnip/sengkuang, green mangoes, papayas, cucumbers, & carrots were mixed with a thick sweet sauce, topped with fragrant crushed peanuts & sesame seed. It does lack in the spicy & "prawny" taste as shrimp paste & chilli weren't part of the mixture. Overall, it was a refreshing change to the usual rojak we find elsewhere. *crunch crunch chew chew*

Green Curry

A curry with mushrooms and a variety of vegetables
Unlike the usual Thai green curry that you find at Thai restaurants, this green curry doesn't come with meat nor seafood. Having said that, the dish is nevertheless very tasty. I'm a mushroom-lover, so dishing out spoonfuls of fresh black mushrooms & golden mushrooms plus lady's fingers (another personal favourite) in a moderately thick & spicy/pepperish green curry gravy was really delightful. I could actually finish the whole bowl of green curry with a plate of brown rice! Yes, they serve brown rice here :)

Organic Juicing Spaghetti

Noodles made using Organic Barleygreen, Beta Carrot and Beta Beet
If you know me well enough, you'll know how fascinated I am with colourful food or colours for the matter of fact! I could spend hours at a stationary shop in front of the colour pens sections, so having a plate of naturally-coloured colourful plate of noodles simply made my day :) I enjoyed the texture of the noodles, which was smooth, slightly soft yet not mushy, & "slurpy" at the same time. The noodles are just like your spaghetti (but it's not spaghetti) & comes with either a tomato-based sauce (sweet, sour, salty & has a fresh tomato taste) or a mushroom sauce (loads of sweet yellow onions & mushrooms). It's a highly nutritious meal & great for kids too! Green noodles = Barley green juice, yellow noodles = carrot juice, pink noodles = beet root juice.

Spiral Pasta (Fusilli) in Mushroom Sauce

Spiral pasta with house made mushroom sauce
Alike the colourful plate of noodles in the photo above, this dish is served with fusilli instead. I enjoyed this dish as well, but much prefer the texture of the uniquely made noodles above.

Mushroom Fried Brown Rice

Brown rice fried with mushroom and a variety of vegetables
This dish is one of the more popular dishes by Wellness Recipe. However, I couldn't really taste the dish well as I only have 2-3 teaspoons full of rice, which didn't really help...hahaha...I couldn't taste the actual fragrance of the dish & those few scoops that I had gave me the impression that the fried rice lacks "wok hei"/heat from the stove.

Wellness Signature Organic Chicken

Organic chicken in a tasty spicy herb sauce
Ah, as I'm SO not-vegetarian (although I love vegetables, but I also love meat!), so this dish was top on my list of favourites! I would order this again on my next trip to Wellness Recipe :D It's chicken breast meat, but very well marinated, seasoned & fried until it is tender & bursting with sweet & sour flavours in every bite. I rarely enjoy chicken breast meat & will usually go for the thigh, but this was good! Ah, I wish I could have the whole plate! Hahaha...greedy me :P

Korean Style Steam Hot Pot

A mix of mushrooms and vegetables cooked in hotpot with Korean sauce
How I wish the pot was hot! Having left out on the table for far too long (cos we spent quite a lot of time snapping photos of the food), the pot wasn't sizzling hot any more, so the vegetables & mushrooms were left raw :( Or was it supposed to be eaten raw? If it was sizzling hot, it would have tasted so much better! Plus, if the pot was larger or the vegetables were cut in smaller pieces, I reckon we could still soak & cook the veggie...The sauce was quite an interesting one; something like a bean sauce/taucu, which actually gave the soup an extra "kick". What I love best in this dish is the beancurd - SO GOOD! The texture of the beancurd wasn't like the smooth "water taufu" ("sui tau foo") nor was it like the slightly drier "tau kon". I think this beancurd has a mixture of soya, pumpkin, & carrots or something along those lines, that gave the beancurd a special texture & taste.

Dessert: Wintermelon Longan Tong Shui
How often can you get a generous serving of ingredients to chew on in your dessert? It's "tong shui" after all & most people will just go for the liquids, but a bowl of wintermelon longan tong shui at Wellness Recipe comes with strips (a lot) of wintermelon & dried longans. I'm not a great fan of sweet stuff, so I felt that the tong shui was a little too sweet for my liking. I did appreciate the effort & serving of the nicely cut wintermelon though :)

Wellness Recipe's Menu

Snapshots of Wellness Recipe's Menu

They have a "today's" menu, available daily dishes, set lunches/dinners, & salads

Prices range from RM11.80 - RM14.80 for a noodles/rice dish

Set Lunch/Dinner for 2-4 persons (RM49.90 - RM69.90/set)

All sets come with a serving of green curry vegetable, steamed snow beancurd in mushroom sauce, Korean-style steam hotpot, & seasonal vegetable (in Set 2) or the Wellness signature organic chicken (in Set 3).

Beverage Menu (RM4.90 - RM7.90/drink)

There's also a 4-pages variety of healthy drinks for everyone, ranging from organic fruit/vegetable juices to soya drinks, tea, coffee, & yogurt drinks.

Map to Wellness Recipe

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It was indeed an interesting change for a meal - organic food! Who would have thought of having that for dinner/lunch, right? If you're around the corner & are adventurous to try out something different from your usual meals, do pop-by Wellness Recipe. The dishes served here are pretty refreshing & my 1st-dining experience here gave me a new sense of adventure to try out organic food even more!

Wellness Recipe (ground floor facing Sprint)
A- 1- 5, Block Allamanda
10 Boulevard
Lebuhraya Sprint PJU 6A
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+603) 7727 9999
Fax: (+603) 7732 7766
Business hours: 12:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. daily (last order at 9:00p.m.)
URL: www.wellnessconcept.net
Note: Ample parking available at RM1.00/hour (after 6pm, RM2.00/entry) - if I'm not mistaken

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * * 1/2
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * *

Overall:

One life, one health - love it,

Trip to Hatyai,Oct 2011 - Colourful Hatyai (Part 2)

2011-10-27T08:40:00.000+08:00

These were taken on my last day at Hatyai, a typical Sunday morning in Hatyai. After breakfast, we went to the nearby market for a walk & I was as usual excited with the load of colourful stalls of food, fruits, vegetables & clothes.

Here are some colourful photos that I managed to capture:

Clockwise from top left: 1. Cute doggy with his owner on a motorcycle, 2. lady selling buns with meat floss, 3. fruit stall, 4. uncle selling otak-otak

Clockwise from top left: 1. Indian flower stall, 2. boiled sweet potatoes & baby yam, 3. tulip bulbs, 4. jelly & snacks, & 5. genetically modified sweet corn

Clockwise from top left: 1. Assortment of colourful vegetables, 2. an array of finger food, 3. friendly lady selling pickled food & cookies, & 4. fresh-from-the-sea large live fish for sale

Clockwise from top left: 1. Packets of salted egg yolks & mini doughnuts, 2.uncle frying carrot cake, 3.some pink-coloured rice cake with fillings fried to perfection, 4.deep fried "yau zhar kuai", & 5. trays of different types of fried rice

Clockwise from top left: 1. Busy market street with people, motorcycles, & carts, 2.deep fried banana fritters covered with glutinous rice & grated coconut, 3. the inside of the unique & delicious banana fritter

It wasn't the large market ("Dai Pasar") in Hatyai, so we finished walking through the entire market in 15-20 minutes, stopping by certain stalls to buy some snacks. I reckon our best buy were the boiled sweet potatoes & baby yams. They were really sweet & delicious!

We left Hatyai around 9:30a.m. & headed back to Malaysia. Ah, what a journey. It was a good experience visiting Hatyai for the weekend. I'm not sure if I will pop by Hatyai again, but I'm glad that I have visited Hatyai at least once (and Perlis as well! - I've officially completed my journey around the whole of Malaysia - all 14 states!).

Coming up, I've a food tasting/review write-up on something that I've never featured on my blog before. Stay tuned! :)

Amazing Thailand (Part 4),

Trip to Hatyai,Oct 2011 - Food in Hatyai (Part 2 of 2)

2011-10-26T23:39:00.001+08:00

Venue: BKT stall on Thanon Nipatuthit 3 Road, same road as Haytai Central Hotel
Overall comment: Generous portion of BKT with slightly different soup compared to Klang's BKT - not so herbal, but has more spices like the star anis. Price is also acceptable (around RM10-RM15/person) for the portion & taste served :)
Halal: No

I only had 1.5 days of eating in Hatyai, so my family had to be very selective with what we want to do/eat. The bus leaves Hatyai at 9:30a.m. Malaysian time, which is VERY early to do any last minute shopping. So, we planned for a good & quick breakfast & a short walk at the nearby market.

For our final meal at Hatyai, we've decided to have "bak kut teh ala Thai-Chinese" at my uncle's friend's stall. Thankfully, it was also near our hotel! *woots*

As I don't have the name of the coffeeshop (shops opposite Hatyai Central on the same road), if you're interested to try this place out as well, you'll have to look out for the stall itself:

The uncle is quite strange. He doesn't want you to order him to give you what you prefer; all you need to tell him is the number of people eating & whether you want the "yau zhar kwai" or not. After that, he will send bowls of BKT to your table.

Clockwise from top left: 1. The BKT stall, 2. The BKT uncle busy preparing bowls of BKT for his patrons, 3. The breakfast crowd around 7:30a.m. Malaysian time i.e. Hatyai's 6:30a.m.!

Everything's pretty much ready-to-be-served here at this BKT stall. Just tell the uncle if you want plain meat/mix & he'll send it to your table.

Boiling pot of BKT soup with LOADS of garlic!

Little "yau zhar kwai", pig's intestines, & pig's stomach

Strange paste

I found out that these strange dips are actually kaya for the "yau zhar kwai". SO WEIRD! Savoury BKT with sweet "yau zhar kwai"?? Interestingly, I think you've to inform the uncle if you want these 'cause we didn't get even 1 plate of kaya...hahaha....

My bowl of BKT

Wholesome goodness - a lovely porkilicious breakfast (a rather heavy one as well) to end my trip in Hatyai on a foodilicious note :D Throw Mr High-Cholesterol outta da window while you dig in!

Mini "yau zhar kwai" to go with the BKT soup

This is REAL Thai-white chicken

The one that we had one day 1 was really bad compared to this. You'll find a chicken rice stall at the same coffeeshop selling delicious & smooth "pak cham kai". Yums!

Roast pork

This wasn't too bad either, but somehow we've eaten much better ones back in Malaysia ;)

Map to the BKT stall

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Ah, what a trip. I wish we had more time here to explore the various food & trends in Hatyai. I've one more last post coming up on Hatyai :) Stay tuned with PerutBesi!

I LOVE BKT - Go to Hatyai also must eat BKT!

Trip to Hatyai,Oct 2011 - Food in Hatyai (Part 1of 2)

2011-10-21T20:56:00.000+08:00

As promised, here's on food in Hatyai! (Part 1 of 2)

Venue: Kan-eng Restaurant, Hatyai
Overall comment: One of the best & perhaps most famous "Chinese-Thai style" restaurants in Hatyai. It's affordable, tasty, & easily located. Most "tuk tuk" drivers will know how to get here when you mention the restaurant's name; we walked here from our hotel though :D
Halal: No

Total bill = RM70.00 or THB700

Thailand is famous for their tom yam, or at least that's what I believe. We've spent the whole day in Hatyai eating food that wasn't to our expectations; unappetizing food made us long to head back to Malaysia for some proper meal! Talk about complacency & comfort zone.

Here at Kan-eng, we definitely ordered the Tom Yam, which was actually quite good. It wasn't overly spicy 'til the tongue goes too numb to taste other dishes, nor was it too sour, making your whole face cringe up.

Here's something that we ordered "wrongly". I think we were supposed to order the Chicken Feet Kerabu, but we ended up ordering the Mango Kerabu, which was not too bad as well. It didn't have that "crunchy" chicken feet texture, but it had the fresh, crisp of sourish green mangoes. Oh, the bits of fried 'fish' gave the dish a good blend of sweet-salty taste to the sourish mango dish - appetizing :)

Yet another mistake...hahaha...yes, much trial & error during our short trip. We ordered stir-fried paku-pakis with belacan, but this dish came instead. It felt like pumpkin leaves! Not that we've had such a "vegetable" before, but it did look similar. In the end, we found out that this dish is called the "Chiangmai Vegetable"....okaaay...something new for PerutBesi....

All around town, I saw stalls selling fried oysters omelette. Being a great fan of "or chien", I just had to try out the Fried Oysters Omelette here. It wasn't up to my expectation. I still like the one in Puchong - Everyday Foodcourt. Oysters weren't very large & the egg omelette tasted nothing spectacular.

This was one of the best dishes apart from the tom yam - Thai Green Curry. We were served a generous portion of chicken, yam sticks, lemongrass, Thai basil leaves, & coconut milk. I could just have this with fragrant Thai white rice! So flavourful, spicy, & fragrant *drools*

Yes, we were hungry & satisfied after the good meal! :)

How Kan-eng looks like

It's located right opposite a temple

It's often packed during meal times!

Map to Kan-eng Restaurant

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Thank God for a good dinner after a not-so-good chicken rice lunch! :D

Kan-eng Restaurant
50/3 Kimpradit Road
90110 Hatyai Songkhla
Thailand
Tel: (+66) 074-246 138
Business hours: 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

*****
After dinner, we just went around town to experience the night life of Hatyai. Food stalls were everywhere, so were stalls selling souvenirs & clothes :)

Oops...PerutBesi forgot to take photos of non-food stalls! :P

As we haven't had our share of dessert, we went around looking for a particular "Tau Foo Fa" stall, recommended by my aunt. After much walking (round & round!), we found the little stall!

Located on this street

Right opposite Golden Crown Plaza

Smooth & unique "Tau Foo Fa" (RM4.00/bowl or THB40)

It was rather expensive (to my utter surprise), but as it was a one-off thing, I didn't find much reason to complain. Besides we got a bowl of smooth tau foo fa in pungent ginger syrup along with generous servings of crispy mini "yau zhar kwai" & ginkgo seeds. Interesting! Have you ever tried such a variant of tau foo fa? I would recommend this, even though it's slightly pricey :)

Hatyai-style "Lin Chi Kang" (RM4.00/bowl or THB40)

If you're not interested with tau foo fa, this is another option - you'll find all sorts of "lin chi kang" ingredients plus some sweet potato bits, cincau, & pink jelly strips. I find that Thais just love sweet potato...it's found in ice creams & now in their "lin chi kang" like dessert too??

Map to the "Tau Foo Fa" stall

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Are you tempted to make a trip to Hatyai now? There's nothing much there, but I'll "pause" here for now to keep you excited for a little longer. Stay tuned with PerutBesi for more on my Hatyai trip :D

Amazing Thailand (Part 2),

Trip to Hatyai,Oct 2011 - Colourful Hatyai (Part 1)

2011-10-19T17:28:00.000+08:00

Date: 30 September - 2 October 2011
Venue: Hatyai, Thailand
Occasion: Family trip with group tour by bus from PJ to Hatyai

Yes, I haven't had the time to blog & share with you on my most recent trip to Hatyai earlier this month! It was a really short 2 days 2 nights trip (by bus!!) from Petaling Jaya all the way into Thailand. As it's my first time to Thailand, I was quite excited.

I know that the idea of going on a 8-10 hours journey by bus sounds crazy, but for someone like me who can just sleep pretty much all the way through, it wasn't a big problem :D

Our bus, my family, & PerutBesi all prepared to sleep!

I tell you, my "bus tour" buddies are mostly aunties & uncles above 50 years old! The oldest, believe it or not is a 91 year old aunty!!! *faints* One would wonder why such an old aunty would want to travel so far, so many hours, in an air-conditioned bus, right? I really salute her. She walks slower than all of us, but goodness, she's strong! The bus has to make a stop every 2-3 hours once for the aunties & uncles to pee in the middle of the night *wergh* I really can't be bothered to get down & pee...I slept all the way through, trying to snuggle comfortably at the corner in the air-conditioned bus - I only got down for my pee-stop at the last stop i.e. Malaysian borders! Bad choice - SO many people!

People everywhere!

Wanna pee also have to wait so long *sigh* If my bladder's in the verge of bursting, I can just pee in some bush already...even the Thai immigration (Bukit Kayu Hitam entry) area is horribly crowded! There's basically no proper system there...wergh...we wasted 2 shopping hours just at the immigration!! *cries* Thank goodness I've had enough sleep on the bus, so I was quite energetic throughout that day.

First Destination - Some temple

Little did I know, the purpose of that tour was so that the Buddhist tour buddies could go to Thailand to pray on the Nine Emperor Gods ("Gao Wong Ye") Festival. Since I'm not a Buddhist nor do I pray to the Nine Emperor Gods, my family & some others who didn't enter the temple had our first breakfast meal (SO HUNGRY k?) outside the temple - ICE CREAM for breakfast....keng or not? Thankfully the ice cream has glutinous rice & is actually quite tasty (RM2.00/cup). There's also a fruit stall beside - yes, that's breakfast.

Second Destination - Nora Plaza

This is supposed to be a shopping area, but nothing felt worth buying! Souvenirs were too common & too expensive as well *sigh* I was quite disappointed. Having said that, I was quite intrigued by the pencil cases (photo below), but it's from Chiangmai & not Hatyai itself, plus it was REALLY expensive - RM28.00, so I passed. The tour guide brought us there also to eat bird's nest, but I wasn't very interested. I needed "real food" for breakfast!

Real Breakfast!!

As my family plus a new aunty friend weren't interested in Nora Plaza's stuff, we went around the area in search for food & walla! FOOD!! Everything tasted so good! The pork porridge was smooth & fragrant, & it came with the cute 'yau zha kwai'. It was quite cheap as well...like RM2.50-RM3.00 per portion :)

Kuey Chap

We can rarely find "kuey chap" in PJ as it's quite a Thai thingie, I was told. When I heard there's "kuey chap" I had to have it. The rice noodle sheets were smooth in a tasty pork broth with loads of meat + hard boiled egg. When we're hungry, everything tastes nicer ;)

Third Destination - Snacks Shop Opposite Nora Plaza

Frankly speaking, I wasn't very excited with the variety of snacks here. It's a lot, but somehow I wasn't interested. My parents didn't buy anything at all (prices of snacks have shot up & it didn't feel like it's worth buying) as we can also get similar stuff for the same price back in PJ/KL! They were like "don't need to carry all the way since we can get the same things back in PJ". I managed to get packets of seaweed snacks that costs half the price of what I get in Malaysia! Ah, I like :) (can you see my mum still with an empty basket? haahaha)

Lunch Stop - Hatyai's Chicken Rice

All the uncles insist on having chicken rice. I really couldn't understand what's so good about chicken rice here! When we got to the shop recommended by the tour guide, I was utterly disappointed. It was one of the worse chicken rice I've ever eaten & it costs almost RM10.00 per person k??! No "char siew" nor "siew yoke"...just plain steamed chicken, rice, & drinks. Bummer! Choose your chicken rice stall properly & don't believe 100% in the tour guide's taste :(

Black-Sheep/Runaways

Since we weren't interested to follow the bus & most of the tour buddies to other temples, we decided to head to the hotel, rest a while, then head out for shopping on our own! I got to sit in a "tuk-tuk" for the first time (RM2.00/person). How exciting to just feel the wind on my face instead of air-con :D Photo below shows the hotel that we stayed in - some dunno how many stars hotel (or if there are any stars) & the view from the hotel room.

Jalan-Jalan Hatyai

It was a colourful sight on the way towards Lee Gardens Plaza :) Stalls with delicious snacks, pretty slippers, souvenirs & clothes! It's SO much better to shop here than at Nora Plaza, k?

Stay tuned with PerutBesi for more on my Hatyai trip :) Next post will be on FOOD...REAL food!! *yums*

Amazing Thailand,

Coupon Deal Review: Han Woo Ri Korean BBQ

2011-10-04T19:02:00.002+08:00

Venue: Han Woo Ri Korean BBQ Restaurant, USJ10, Taipan
Occasion: Gathering of high-school friends (and their partners) :)
Overall comment: Pretty good barbecue pork ribs with friendly service (very important!). The place was clean, but ventilation could be improved...overall, I'm satisfied with this coupon deal ;)
Halal: No

I've read many bad reviews of restaurants giving out cheap deals through coupon sites just to attract customers to their outlet/boost the outlet's sales. I am therefore very careful & particular when it comes to choosing coupon deals, especially when it comes to food or anything that has customer service. Of course, there are also many good reviews of food places from those who tried the food at "not-as-popular" places selling some good deals through the numerous coupon sites.

Not too long ago, I bought 4 coupon deals from Groupons for a little gathering of high school friends. Each deal costs only RM25.00 for the items as listed below:

Image taken from Groupon

Han Woo Ri isn't too difficult to locate if you're familiar with Taipan. It's right above Old Town Kopitiam (not the one opposite Maybank), near Dorae Korean BBQ Restaurant. I didn't expect too much although most reviews of this restaurant were quite positive. I just had to try it out for myself.

The restaurant was packed when we arrived for dinner that day! We walked in smelling fresh, we walked out smelling like barbecue pork :S One of the downsides of Korean BBQ restaurants *sigh*

Inside the restaurant

(we were the last table to leave, hence you're seeing an empty restaurant)

Soup & side dishes

As per all Korean BBQ restaurants, each person will be served a bowl of seaweed soup & an extensive variety of refillable side dishes :D

This was our favourite side dish!

We only got this refilled twice as it apparently ran out :( Perhaps it was too good that everyone wanted more. The brinjals/eggplants were soft, well flavoured - sweet & slightly salty, & fragrant too.

Pa Jeon Seafood Pancake (2 servings here)

I don't have a great fancy towards Korean pancakes. Somehow I don't find it interesting nor delicious. This pancake was "alright" although I still didn't really like it. The pancake is slightly thick, & has some prawns, squids, & vegetables all over. I think we couldn't even finish it. We bought the coupon deals just for the meat! :P

Lettuce to wrap the barbecued meat

It's tradition & custom to eat the barbecued meat wrapped up with these lettuce leaves. You can also add in the garlic, chili slices, bean sauce into your meat wraps & dip the wrap in the fragrant sesame oil with salt dipping....or you can just eat it on its own :)

Clean barbecue pit

I came across a dirty Korean BBQ Restaurant last month (you could check out in my past posts), where the barbecue pit was oily & all the oil that dripped off the meat/grill wasn't cleaned up after each table leaves :S It was SO disgusting. Thankfully this one looked hygienic & clean.

Yummilicious barbecued pork ribs!

Nicely marinated & bursting in flavour. I was satisfied :)

Every person that does not have the coupon needs to order an ala carta dish, which wasn't a big problem ;) We ordered 3 different typical Korean dishes since some of our friends are "Korean-food-virgins"! *lol*

Dol Sot Bibimbap

Rice with vegetables & minced meat - to be mixed with the spicy bean sauce. This one was quite nice although I've had better ones. It's all about the sauce!

Dokbokgi

I enjoy having good dokbokgi, but this one wasn't very nice. I like the fact that it has noodles & the usual fish cakes, but the sauce wasn't very fragrant/tasty. The texture of the dokbokgi (rice cake rolls) were slightly hard too :S

Chap Chae

This is also quite a common Korean dish- stir-fried glass noodles. Their glass noodles are slightly thicker & the texture is more 'springy'. Cooked well, it will be soft, yet maintaining the 'springy' texture. This one at Han Woo Ri was slightly bland/boring & too dry for my liking :(

High School Friends :)

I'm very sure we had a great time since we didn't just stop our meal here at Han Woo Ri, but continued eating at SS15! *lol*

Map to Han Woo Ri Korean BBQ Restaurant

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Thank God that this coupon deal was quite worth the price paid :) At least the marinated pork ribs were good & the service was commendable as well. The waiters were very helpful & friendly, & were more than happy to give us more dessert & side dishes! :D

Han Woo Ri Korean BBQ Restaurant
1D & 2D, Jalan USJ 10/1J
Taipan Business Centre
47620 Subang Jaya
Selangor.
Tel: (+603) 8023 3357 / (+6012) 309 3138
Business hours: 11:30a.m. – 3:00p.m.,5:30p.m. – 10:30p.m. (last order: 10:00p.m.)
Note: Han Woo Ri is a corner lot at the other end of Hong Leong bank, same row as Dorae Korean BBQ Restaurant (I think), & is above Old Town Kopitiam.

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * 1/2
Price: * * * 1/2
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * 1/2
Service: * * * *

Overall:

Looking forward to more Korean food,

Lai Choon Bah Kut Teh, Klang

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000+08:00

Overall comment: The best bah kut teh that I've ever had so far :) I'm very pleased! The meat was tender, the soup was power-packed with herbs & spices (the way I like it!), & the dried bah kut teh's sauce was aromatic & tastes just-right. I'm gonna go there again!!
Halal: No

Bah Kut Teh (BKT) lovers shouldn't miss this! Strangely, I'm not a great explorer (by myself) when it comes to food. This place was introduced to me by my uncle, who lives in Klang. It was a totally rewarding meal for me! I'm looking forward to coming back here for both their dry & soup BKT although they're more well-known for their dry BKT.

A little more about this place: Lai Choon Bah Kut Teh is located off Jalan Meru, Klang. They started as a humble stall more than 10 years ago & have been operating their business in this shop lot since a few years back. They're well-known for the dry BKT as this 'style' of BKT is not as popular in Klang (compared to the established soup version) & good ones can only be found in certain coffeeshops/restaurants. You can't miss this coffeeshop as it's behind Klang Parade & is always packed; people will just willing to wait for a vacant table!

As per most BKT places, you'll find a good variety of pork (every other part!) & their intestines. I'm glad that the intestines here are clean & yummy!

Dry Bah Kut Teh (approx RM10.00/person - depending on the meat ordered)

Anticipate a sizzling hot claypot of fragrant dark sauce with bits of dried cuttlefish, dried chili, & the load of pork-of-your-choice! Some places have bits of lady's fingers as well, but I don't recall this one having that ;) The taste of the dish is just perfect. It's not too salty, slightly spicy to give it some "umph", & the tender, juicy pieces of pork just goes so well with the fragrant white rice. If you order the fat parts, you'll get some melt-in-your-mouth pieces from this pot! Oh my goodness...writing about it makes me crave for some porkilicious goodness...

A Guy's Dream-Come-True (approx RM10.00/person - depending on the meat ordered)

Can you see the FAT?? I told my uncle I want some fat on the meat as lean meat is usually rough & not so pleasant to my tastebuds :P He ended up ordering the pig's elbow, if I'm not mistaken, & it's shockingly FAT!! *geli!* I couldn't eat up all the fat...it was just too much :S But the meat was very good! Oh, I'm a BKT soup person as well, so I had to have approximately 3 medium claypots of soup per meal! This soup was power-packed with Chinese herbs, the way I love it :) My uncle was laughing in surprise when he saw me asking for more soup, bowl after bowl, pot after pot!

Intestines

You either love it or hate it...haha...I enjoyed this :D "More soup, please...."

'Sparkling Clean'!

Check it out....we're BKT monsters!!

Yours truly wiped this clean!

The sauce was just too good to be put to waste. I used my pork from the soup BKT to 'wipe' this claypot clean...oolala...moremoremore! My uncle asked me to 'sapu' as he was very thrilled to see me eat so happily...hahaha...I'm such a monster :S (oh, the weight gain....)

Map to Lai Choon BKT

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I'm looking forward to make my next trip there! Anyone wants to come? :D

Lai Choon Bak Kut Teh
116, Jalan Pekan Baru
Off Jalan Meru
41050 Klang
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia.
Tel: 012-652 1659
Business hours: 7:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. daily
GPS: 3.066117, 101.451883‎
Note: Near Klang Parade

Ratings:
Presentation: * * * *
Price: * * *
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * * *
Service: * * * 1/2

Overall:

I LOVE BKT!

Coupon Deal Review: Four Seas Chinese Cuisine@Bangkung

2011-09-18T08:05:00.001+08:00

Venue: Four Seas Chinese Cuisine, Jalan Bangkung, Bangsar
Occasion: Welcome lunch with colleagues - using the Groupon deal
Overall comment: Posh & expensive Chinese restaurant, serving decent food. It's not the best sang har meen that I've had, but it was a treat by a colleague who bought the coupons, but was unable to try it out herself.
Halal: No

Eat Well, Live Brave, Have Fun!

That's the restaurant's catch-phrase. Interesting. I wouldn't have thought of this place for lunch if not for the mini team lunch to welcome our new colleagues. Thanks to Taty for the complimentary groupons, we had the opportunity to try this place out & enjoy a meal of sang har meen together with the newbies :)

The Four Seas Story in the Menu

The restaurant's "menufesto"

Quite cute...I've never come across this word before :D

Ambiance of the restaurant

It's interestingly a fusion Chinese restaurant, where they offer liquor/wine to go with their food! It may sound like the typical Chinese wedding dinner style, but seriously, when we saw the menu having wine-pairing with certain Chinese dishes, we thought that it was rather unique (some thought it was weird).

The groupon costs RM38.00 for 2 persons to enjoy a plate of sang har meen & a pot of Chinese tea (deal was worth RM83.50, so it was a 54% discount). We were quite surprised that the serving was actually generous! At the very least, the "sang har" was quite large (actually "kepala udang yang besar jer"...hahaha). We also ordered another "Claypot Kai Lan" dish & a medium-serving of "Emperor Pork Ribs", which was not as generous as the sang har meen! The medium-sized portions are so small (for the price you've to pay) that I wonder how small is the small-sized portion!!

Anyway, the kai lan was fresh & the sauce used to stir-fry the vegetable in the claypot was fragrant, thanks to the dried shrimp. The pork ribs tasted a little like honey + Marmite pork ribs; slightly sweet & has some Chinese cooking wine. Thank goodness the pork ribs weren't dry/hard :)

We had to pay around RM68.00 for the additional veggie & pork ribs!

I couldn't believe it...the veggie itself costs RM30.00 for a medium-sized portion! Good grief! As usual, you won't expect the PerutBesi to go back there on her own...I ain't gonna pay RM30 for a plate of veggie unless it comes with some abalone/expensive ingredients! Yeah, it's Bangkung road, I know, but er....I'll pass (although the taste is food is not too bad).

My colleagues

Yeah, I realized I was the only female from the team who could make it for this lunch. The rest of the team were busy with projects & could not get out during lunch hour for this mini welcome lunch event.

Map to Four Seas

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Four Seas Chinese Cuisine@Bangkung
No. 65, Jalan Bangkung
Bukit Bandaraya
Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (+603) 2092 1222
Fax: (+603) 2092 2122
Email: mailus[at]fourseas[dot]my
URL: http://www.fourseas.my/
Business hours: Tue – Sun: Noon – 2:30p.m.,6:00p.m. – 10:30p.m.

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * 1/2 (really expensive for the portion served - it's the area of the restaurant, no doubt)
Environment: * * *
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * * *

Overall:

Nom noms away,

Birthday Maki & Free Maki @ Nihonkai, Sunway Mentari

2011-09-17T15:04:00.001+08:00

I've blogged once about celebrating birthdays the Japanese/sushi way (Read it here). Nihonkai @ Sunway has come up with an additional promotion for birthdays! *yay* If you're not a fan of birthday cakes, but you just love sushi/maki rolls, this is a very good option for you :)

It's actually a maki roll (with whatever fillings that you prefer to have), served as a "birthday cake". I'm one of those who will usually order a maki for sharing on top of my own meal. So this was a really good deal for me as I don't need to buy an additional birthday cake & try stuffing myself to finish the cake after a full meal!

Promotion 1: Maki Roll/"Sushi Cake" (RM28.00 - RM38.00, depending on ingredients selected)

This was what I had for my birthday this year :) It was good! And yes, it's the usual maki that I enjoy! :D Here's a piece of advice: Have this at the beginning of the party instead of finishing your meal with this maki...I did the latter, & oh my, I had to pack up the remaining pieces of maki that I've cut...hahaha...I was TOO FULL!

Promotion 2: Spend RM100.00 & above on your birthday & get this for free!!

I've never tried this before. When I celebrated my birthday mid of this year, this promotion wasn't introduced yet. You've an additional option now :D If you want to have a simple birthday meal, you can opt for #1 above. If you're having a larger-scale party, this can be your treat! ;)

To read more on Nihonkai's promotion that I've previously blogged on, click here.

Nihonkai Japanese Restaurant
2, Jalan PJS 8/18
Dataran Mentari
46150 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
Tel: (+603) 5630 1368
Business Hours: 12:00p.m. - 3:00p.m. & 6:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. daily
Note: It's at the newer shop lots opposite Yuen steamboat, facing the inside, not the main road (behind Belly Good restaurant)

Mid-Autumn Festival 2011

2011-09-17T14:03:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, my family gathered for a really good home-cooked meal as our little Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. All my aunts came with their labour of love, be it a meat or veggie dish. We didn't have mooncakes nor lanterns though...a rather odd celebration, but with the load of delicious food that we had, it was more than enough for us to celebrate the warmth of family together :)

Here's to share with you what we had:
New = new dish served during festivals/family dinners
Traditional = served in every festival as a family signature dish
Occasional = served every now & then during festivals/family dinners

New: Baked chicken with mixed Italian herbs

Traditional: Stir-fried cucumbers with chicken gizzard in vinegar gravy

Occasional: Stir-fried arrow roots with roast pork & Chinese parsley in dark sauce

Occasional: Vegetable curry with prawns

New: Mixed salad (a simple dish by yours truly :D)

New: Nyonya-syle sambal "ikan bilis"

Occasional: Stir-fried turnip with carrots & dried shrimp (eaten on its own or with lettuce wraps)

Traditional: Hakka-style braised pork belly with black fungus/"char yoke"

New: Braised mushrooms with scallops

Tradition: Roast duck from Loong Foong restaurant

Occasional: Stir-fried leek with roast pork

Family members chilling out before dinner time

Food, glorious food!!

Dig in! Check out the eager & happy faces :P

Looking forward to upcoming family gatherings like this. Loads of work, especially the preparation, cooking, & cleaning, but it was a good time of food & family fellowship :)

More post coming out of the "oven"! Stay tuned with PerutBesi! ;)

How did you celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Food-lover,

Bridesmaids - A Great Movie Event for Wedding Industry Partners

2011-09-11T00:51:00.001+08:00

Date: 9 September 2011, Friday
Venue: e@Curve, Cathay Cineplex
Occasion: Gathering of partners in the wedding industry for a movie that's very close to heart - Bridesmaids

credits: Digitista

There's no better way to spend the Friday night than to spend it with friends from the same industry. This is the 2nd time the Association of Wedding Professionals (AWP) & Weddings Malaysia collaborated to organize a movie night event for partners in the wedding industry. The first event was held 2 years ago in 2009 by AWP & That Special Occasion; same cineplex, similar movie theme i.e. Brideswar (click here to find out on their first event, which I have also blogged about).

People getting a closer look at the display items

Approximately 250 friends from the wedding industry consisting of wedding planners, cake bakers, photographers/videographers, wedding gowns designer, & cards designers (and I'm sure more partners that I didn't name!) were invited to watch Bridesmaids together. The whole of Hall 8 where the movie was screened was filled with laughter from excited friends in the wedding industry as we watched this hilarious movie together.

I even met my other "ji mui", Cheryl, from a friend's wedding held recently at this event!! Ah, such memories of being the Maid of Honour & working together with other "ji muis" to make the Bachelorette party & the wedding day's morning games a lovely, fun & memorable one! This movie certainly brought back quite some memories of the recent wedding where 11 of us bridesmaids & "ji muis" gathered to discuss for the Bachelorette party! *lol*

Bridesmaid Dress by That Special Occasion

I'm glad to be part of the event since my cousin, Kris, was the organizer, together with his team of anchor women who helped out with the administration of the event *wink* Aunty Helen Kok, Cammi Lau and the rest of the Weddings Malaysia team plus Association of Wedding Professionals (AWP) Malaysia did an awesome job in coordinating the event!

Every Malaysian event would not be complete without some scrumptious food, especially from talented bakers in the wedding industry. We had very cute cupcakes & delicious finger food by Anizah Baharuddin of TrulyScrumptious! and Bisou Bake Shop!! It was truly a time to catch-up with friends from the same industry while enjoying the yummy finger food :)

Friends catching up at the lounge

Finger Food

Lovely cupcakes

Mini Tarts (I think it's walnuts/pecans)

Deep-Fried Spring Roll & Curry Puffs

I didn't manage to snap any photos of the sandwiches. I was like some silly fella going around with my little point & shoot Lumix, capturing photos of the finger food! Hahaha...somewhat embarrassing, but thank God I'm used to being "suaku" *lol*

Cupcake-Head

I was too full to have any dessert/finger food, but I HAD TO try this one...it's so cute & it was calling out my name to try it! Yums!

Complimentary popcorn & drink!

Woots!! A movie night wouldn't be complete without a packet of popcorn & a fizzy drink :D Thank you, organizers!

Excited Crowd

As we're given "free-seating", most of us were waiting eagerly outside the cinema to get in earlier for some better seats.

Smiles of excitement

The wedding industry consists of partners & supporters from all walks of life - my aunts & cousin, who are the supporters, "encouragers", accountant, photographer, & sub-editor of Weddings Malaysia/That Special Occasion.

Bridesmaids is an interesting movie for adults, so leave your children at home & enjoy this movie with your spouse/partner/family!

Live, Love, Laugh :D

Bridesmaid before & know the madness,

Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant (A Dramatic Story)

2011-09-07T00:07:00.000+08:00

Venue: Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant, Section 14, PJ
Occasion: Shaun's birthday celebration
Overall comment: Food was alright; definitely not the best. Service was really lacking & frankly speaking, I was quite disappointed with the overall dining experience. Read below for more information.
Halal: No

Some of us friends just wanted to gather & celebrate Shaun's birthday with a Korean meal since he has never tried Korean food before. I'm glad the "Korean food virgin" was pleased with his meal albeit the few "minus points".

This place was actually a "no-choice" place for us. We didn't really planned to come to this restaurant - have never tried before, plus, I've never heard much about this place either. Unfortunately, the place we wanted to go was closed on that day *sigh* I wasn't too excited, and to add to the disappointment, after sitting at the table for 20 minutes, I've deducted enough "points" from my "satisfaction book" for this place. I doubt I'll come here again although there are good reviews about this place by other bloggers.

Why would the PerutBesi deduct points from this restaurant?
I'll share with you & hope that the restaurant owner will improve the service of his/her restaurant:

Ventilation wasn't very good. You walk into a barbecue-smelling restaurant & you'll walk out smelling like a piece of barbecued meat.
It's either they're running out of plate/sauces, or they're just being stingy. All along, EVERY Korean restaurant that I've been to provides EACH person with their own set of dips & bean sauce for the barbecue meat. This restaurants gave us only 3 sets to be shared by 6 persons....*sweat* I'm too disappointed to further comment.
The next thing I noticed after ordering the dishes was the dirty & oily barbecue pit!!! EEeeuuuwww....gross! I've never seen any pit so dirty before!! ALL the Korean restaurants that I've been to NEVER had such eeky looking barbecue stoves! Restaurants should make it a point to at least pour away the oil after their patrons leave the table & before the next group arrives. (photo as below)

Oily, uncleaned barbecue stove
I just had to take a photo of this as I've NEVER come across such a sight at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Cleanliness of a restaurant is something I'm quite particular with, especially when it's an air-conditioned one!

I've always enjoyed Korean meals because of the extensive variety of side dishes, where you can refill WITHOUT any limit. I was pretty much shocked to know that the waiter insisted that we can only refill ONCE! If this is a "high-class"/"fine-dining" Korean restaurant, I would totally understand...but for such a place?? I thought it's the uniqueness of Korean restaurants to have that culture of unlimited side dishes refills. Perhaps I've the wrong understanding of the Korean culture?

The LIMITED refillable side dishes & our other ala carte dishes

As you can see, we had to share the sauces for our meat & even the portion of lettuce served wasn't enough. We had to "beg" for another plate...okay, I'm exaggerating...but yes, we had to walk out of our little "room without a door" to call the waiter & have it refilled for us.

Oh, this one was even more shocking. I was so flabbergasted that I was lost for words when the waiter told me that I have to order 2 meat portions instead of 1 since there are 6 of us. I was like "What?? Can't I order just 1 & have other stuff??" Apparently not. With 6 persons, we HAD TO order at least TWO portions of meat. In addition, what's more surprising is that we initially ordered 4 dishes only: 2 meat dishes, 1 bibimbap & 1 chapchae, BUT the waiter told us that we can't do that. We HAD TO order more since we have 6 persons!! *faints* I asked him, "What if we're not very hungry??" I was quite irritated at that time already. SO many restrictions!! His reply was the standard template answer, "No, you only ordered 4 dishes & you have 6 people, so you have to order more..." I gave up. I ordered another dokbokgi & sent him away.

Anyways, let's not be too ruthless towards the restaurant since the food was still acceptable.

Dae Pae Sam Gyeob Sal (RM28.00/serving)

This is like a must-have in a Korean BBQ meal, especially for the "Korean food virgin" ;) It wasn't superb, I have to say. They didn't barbecue it well enough, so it wasn't crispy & fragrant as it should be.

Yang Galbi/Marinated BBQ Lamb (RM30.00/serving)

Looks like a fat lamb. There's not much meat to chew on :( The bones were somewhat large & there were just too much fat although it makes the lamb juicier. It's also a little "sou"/pungent smelling.

Complimentary Steamed Egg

Over-steamed. I rest my case :S

Dol Sot Bibimbap (around RM18.00/bowl)

This one's quite nicely done. The chili paste that came with the bibimbap wasn't too spicy nor too sweet. It gave the mixed rice dish a flavourful touch. This dish was probably the best among all that we ordered.

Chap Chae (around RM25.00/serving)

I find this rather expensive, considering the portion served. It's actually quite nicely done as well. The glass noodles were al dente & for once, they were generous is something: Chinese black mushrooms. It was a tad oily though.

Dokbokgi (around RM15.00/serving?)

I've no idea how much it costs since it wasn't printed in the menu. I was imagining a stir-fried rice cake dish with fish cakes, carrots, cabbage, & hard boiled eggs. This was PURE dokbokgi with Korean sweet-spicy chili paste & some sesame seed + spring onions...er....texture of the rice cake was alright, but the overall of the dish is lacking in fullness of taste. No "umph".

Happy Birthday, Shaun! Cheers!!

Thank God for the lovely company of friends despite the somewhat unpleasant dining experience. We had our share of fun & laughter although I'm sure we could afford more food if not for the prices...hahaha...

Map to Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant

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This is just my personal opinion. You may not face the similar/same traumatic experience that I have. It would be good if the restaurant could improve as the food isn't all too bad. It's just that the place looks oily, slightly dodgy, & the customer service wasn't impressive.

Dae Jang Geum Korean Restaurant
20B-2 & 20B-3
Jalan 14/20
Section 14
46100 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia
Tel: (+603) 7957 2613

Ratings:
Presentation: * * *
Price: * * 1/2
Environment: * * 1/2
Taste: * * 1/2
Service: * *

Overall

Disappointed Korean-food-lover,