Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Herbal Chicken at Lorong Bandar 4.

It's amazing how people in KL can find good food in strange places. Especially when it's hidden in a small 'lorong' with barely room for 2 people to walk through after the tables are placed along the walls.

But I'm glad to have found the place that serves this fantastic herbal chicken dish that goes really well with rice.

And for a centre pool dish, we also ordered a bowl of Bak Kut Teh, the herbal soup mix pork dish that also goes really well with rice, along with a plate of vegetables.

Here's another angle of Lorong Bandar 4, to see just how the stall is strategically placed to achieve optimum use of space.

This road sign is not gonna be easy to spot, but from the main road, you might notice the signage that says Chiap Tong – Lorong Bandar 4 is right there. For parking, don't bother trying anywhere else but Menara Olympia, where you can be sure of not getting slapped with a police summon for illegal parking.

And if you eat quickly enough, you'll have some spare time to actually walk over to Petaling Street...

And look for this shop that sells some really ol'skool candies and dried fruits, and card games like 'Donkey' and 'Happy Family'. This is the life.

Beyond Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.

When you're on a holiday in Malaysia, you'd always wanna keep a ear out for local restaurants that sit nearby the resort you're staying in. Simply because you'd never know what 'treasures' you're gonna unearth.

After having 3 meals at The Palm Restaurant in Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Terengganu, I was determined to take my family out from the premise of the luxurious resort, and set out on a one2two adventure.

The adventure, as it turns out, was a rather short walk (approximately 2 minutes) from the resort's guard house. It's up a staircase on the right of the road, to Aima's Grill Fish. You won't miss it.

The wait for the food was a little long. That's because a lot of tables are filled with people from the resort. But maybe, it was also because we were hungry after the swim in the sea earlier, and we were rushing to go on our snorkeling trip next. (That's the life!).

Meanwhile, the wait was made okay as there were sufficient entertainment to keep my restless boys busy till the dishes started rolling in...

The awesome Nasi Goreng Belacan was the first to arrive. (A word of advice: When you eat at Malay restaurants anywhere in Malaysia, the safest choice is to always order something that's more Malay like the above or Nasi Goreng Kampung. Because you know they won't do as well with Chinese-style cooking or anything foreign.)

Then came the not-so spicy Mee Goreng, followed by centre-pool dishes like Sotong Goreng Tepung (Batter-fried Squid a.k.a Calamari), garlic-fried vegetable and other varieties of fried rice dishes that passed the test with flying colours when compared to typical resort food.

The biggest regret for me was, we didn't get to try their signature Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish) because we were rushing for time.

In the end, the entire experience wasn't 5-star. But nobody complained.


Good morning Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.

The day began with wonderful sounds of the sea outside the room where my family and I rested blissfully the night before. The waves however, at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort, Terengganu, do not rest. They seem to go on and on, which was heavenly.

And the island was just beautiful. No complaints there.

The food on the other hand, was disappointing.

For most of our meals when we were there, we ate at the Palm Restaurant.

The breakfast was complimentary. The buffet lunch costs RM70++ for adults, which comes up to about the same, or more, if you opted for the a la carte menu. And RM80++ for their 'Japanese' buffet dinner (which wasn't very Japanese at all) and their 'International' weekend buffet dinner (which wasn't very international) as well.

On the lighter side, there were 2 costumed characters, standing behind a counter at the end of a short buffet spread, armed with a frying pan each.

One made strangely horrifying 'spongy' omelettes. The other turned over my sunny side up.

And that's that, at the Berjaya Redang Beach Resort.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Triple Farewell Bash at Kanna Curry House.

What do you do when you have a big group of hungry friends – some who do not eat pork; some who'd rather not have anything to do with beef but would fancy a piece or two of curry-laced fried Tenggiri fish; some who'd prefer a plate of Deep Fried Chicken, Mutton Masala, Deep Fried Fish Roe or Chili Prawns; some who haven't had deep fried battered squid for some time but would really love some immediately – and who all are crazy for different kinds of curries to go with eat-all-you-want steamed white rice and a variety of vegetables, some papadums, and maybe with a cup of fresh yogurt too, served on a banana leaf?

Kanna Curry House. Jalan 17/45, PJ. 603-7958 4814. On top a hill behind Lisa de Inn, a building that's shaped like a lavishly decorated birthday cake. You won't miss the outlandish landmark.

Footnote: Good luck to Aliff, Casey and Mandy. May the pastures you're leaving M&C Saatchi Malaysia for be as green as banana leaves.

Crispy Fried Chicken Wednesday in Segambut.

How far would you travel for a plate of special crispy fried chicken that's served with scrumptious chicken essence and garlic/ginger steamed rice? Segambut, a humble but bustling residential garden that's separated by a 'roundabout' and across the highway from Jalan Duta, is really nearer than it sounds, considering if you're traveling from Damansara Heights.

And it's not every day that you'll get this crispy fried chicken. They sell it on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. Not sure what they serve on other days of the week, but I heard it's Economy Rice with a wide variety of dishes, ranging from fish to pork to vegetables.

So, is it worth the trip? The crew for the day - Grace, Shear Ling and Meng Yam (and Aaron who is not in this picture) will tell you that the crispy fried chicken drumsticks, (they don't serve any other parts of the chicken, except for the innards, a rather rare commodity that runs out pretty quickly), are well worth the time and effort.

How to get there? GPS your way to Segambut somehow, turn right at the first junction after Yu Ai Seafood Noodles and follow your nose to a shop that packs and sells strong local coffee powder, and across the road you'll see a makeshift aluminium hut that sits under a humongous tree - that will be it.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Koon Kee Magical Wan Tan Mee.

For 'June' expedition #3, 4 of us drove out to June Liew's favourite family wan tan mee haunt in Uptown Damansara.

Located right across the road from an opened car park, parking your car should be a breeze. But you may also indulge in a little excitement by parking illegally by the roadside on the 'yellow line'.

Now, about Koon Kee's Wan Tan Mee... first impression failed big time. The char siew (bbq pork) didn't looked like they were done well; neither crispy nor caramelised enough. And the noodles looked too thick and colourless. Everything seemed suspiciously wrong.

Then I tasted the noodles. The flavour that's absorbed into it gushed out. The texture, the blend of sauce, the understated charred pork, everything, and I mean everything, simply fell into place. Like magic.

For variety sake, you get to choose the stewed chicken feet with mushrooms as toppings.

Or, for the not so adventurous, the plain shredded chicken strips.

As centre dishes, you can order extra helpings of Wan Tan pork dumplings, and/or the vegetarian goose (deep fried beancurd skin) from a different stall.

All in all, it's yet another truly satisfying one2two. To the few who pulled out from this trip - I'd make another trip with you guys soon.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hon Kee. Famous Porridge since 1959.

This is the 2nd of 3 'June' expeditions... it's not often that we get the chance to visit Petaling Street (KL's very own Chinatown), simply because of the distance from our workplace.

But when you keep it to a small group of 2 or 3 the most in one car, you can go straight downtown, park at the old Rex cinema, walk quickly over to Hon Kee, a really tiny shop hidden behind fake apparel stalls along the starting point of Petaling Street on the left...

Catch a glimpse of how the inside of Hon Kee looks like. Make your orders quickly...

Walk across the road, go behind the famous Air Mata Kucing (Longan drink) stall...

And onto the blocked-out sidewalk next to the Hong Leong bank...

Wait a bit for the steaming hot bowl of Mixed Pork Porridge to arrive...

Mix in the additional order of Sang Yee (raw fish slices) into the hot bowl... and chomp it down nice and easy, before you pay up.

Then walk out onto the bustling Petaling Street again to hunt for Uncle Lau Tak Wah (a name that's strikingly similar to the Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau)...

Get the Chinese-style Apom Balik (rice flour pancake) with coconut centre for a perfect end to a glorious one2two.

And head on back to work. All within a little over an hour.

Cristang at 8 Avenue.

I'm currently employed under a one month consultancy contract at an advertising agency, which makes me a colleague of a certain June Liew, who is a knowledgeable foodie in her own rights.

This is the first in the 'June' series of expeditions...

Cristang, is a dimly lit restaurant with an expansive menu that is probably more suited for a dinner and beer occasion.

But we're here for one2two, and the sound of a home-style pork and petai burger sounds too good to be true.

They name this 'Urban Legend'.

The potato wedges are real and roasted with skin. The buns are toasted lightly to slightly crispy. The generous portion of minced pork and petai (stink beans) sits comfortably on top the thick and juicy pork patty. The freshly sliced onions, tomatoes and greens complete the masterpiece.

I'd pay RM23++, again and again, for this.

Among the many choices of pork, chicken and fish dishes, the spicy-sounding Bacon Rib Ambila caught our attention. And our instincts were deadly right. RM18.80 well spent. Plus an extra RM1.30 for a complementing plate of white rice.

Tucked away at B-G-19, 8 Avenue, Jalan Sungai Jernih (8/1), PJ, this is a perfect joint for vampires seeking to escape KL's blistering afternoon sun, and an excellent pork and beer one2two.

Number to call: 012 226 2698 (Gerald G. Oei).

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Bread Shop.

A beautiful kitchen makes beautiful bread and pastries? I personally don't think so, but it sure works for The Bread Shop, Damansara Heights, PJ. (Located two doors down from the original Decanter).

If you fancy a spicy one2two, go for the lip-smacking Beef Serunding (Spicy Beef Floss) Croissant.

Otherwise, opt for the Smoked Chicken or Roast Beef (not shown here) Cabiata. And complete a 'light' afternoon with the scrumptious Bananascotch Danish.

But if you decide to go crazy with your selection, do check the price tags. It can get slightly exorbitant.

Delightfully How Yekee.

A bunch of us headed out to Section 17, PJ to try out the homemade wantan mee place that was located a few doors up the block from How Yekee. But it was closed.

So further down Jalan SS17/10 we went, to the corner shop. How Yekee is one of the strangely named kopitiams that carry one or two of my favourites.

The Kampar Noodles being one, served in delightful curry, tomyam or plain soup. And an excellent variety of Kampar Noodles 'yong liu' treats that you'll get in up-north Ipoh but seldom find in restaurants across PJ or KL.

Then there's the Little Wok Fookin Mai Fun Meen (Hokkien Fried Meehoon Mee) that is complemented by crunchy cabbage, choy sum, prawns and pork slices, deliciously fried in glorious black caramelised soy sauce.

Obviously, the intended place of visit was completely erased from our minds.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Flour Power.

I was driving along Jalan Lobak (turning in from Jalan Durian) in Taman Cheras when I noticed this peculiar signage on a restaurant. It was closed then. They open around 10+, unlike other restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Being the curious one, I just had to return and dig out what's so different here.

So I went back during one2two time. It wasn't too packed.

The boss saw me with my LX-3 and greeted me pleasantly like every other restaurant bosses. Introduced his menu that boasts of different coloured Pan Mee - Po Choi Pan Mee that was green in colour, Yin Choi (Spinach) Pan Mee (lighter green) and Kum Kua (Pumpkin) Pan Mee (yellow!).

And the Pan Mee noodles come in different thickness too - regular, medium and flat hand-peeled.

But what's really different, as pointed out boldly by the boss, is the flour they used to make the Pan Mee noodles. "I'm absolutely sure you won't get this sort of quality anywhere else, my noodles do not go soft for however long they're soaked in the soup, unlike other restaurants," he claimed.

I ordered the Pumpkin Pan Mee, hand-peeled.

And it was like he said, the bowl of soup was superbly balanced with the flavours of ikan bilis (anchovies), yin choi (spinach) and pork. And the crunchiness of the pan mee noodles remains consistent throughout the meal, which was fantastic.

With an I-told-you-so face, the boss also told me to return again on weekends to try his Yam or Sweet Potato Pan Mee.

He says I will enjoy more of the difference. I believe him.