Sulaiman's Famous Cendol and Rojak

My mother is heavyset. (Admittedly, I'm built like my mother). And she knows exactly where to go shopping for her clothes and all. On this occasion, she wanted to visit her favourite stall where she can stock up on her "loose fit" home dresses in Pudu Market!  

She was very persuasive. I had to drive her there.

So together with my mother and family, we made our way to Pudu, where the wet market is. And while she was busy choosing her new pyjamas, I had to snoop around the area to see if I can find something, anything, that's exciting.

This is when I came across the Sulaiman's Famous Cendol and Rojak stall.

Sulaiman's Famous Cendol Dan Rojak stall

When you use the word "Famous" on the signage of your stall or a restaurant, naturally you'll attract significantly higher expectations. But the man behind the ice shaving machine seems totally cool, calm and collected. He spoke pretty good Cantonese, and probably other Chinese dialects too.

I invited my mother and family over. They found a vacant table and waited for their cendols.

This is how the stall looks like from the side.

There were about five tables placed in a row across the unused walkway.

Cars conveniently stopped next to the stall and packed cendols and rojaks.

Then our bowls of cendols arrived. The coconut milk and Gula Melaka (palm sugar) based dessert, with kidney beans and corn was not extraordinarily delicious. But the "green stuff" that we know as "cendol" was better than average as they do not harden as they get cold from sitting on the shaved ice in the bowl. (I'd have to add that there are people who actually told me they prefer their "cendol" to harden, but never got around to explain why). The coconut milk was freshly fragrant too. So no complaints there.

The prices... Cendol Biasa (no added condiments except for the "cendol") – RM1.20 (drink there and then) RM1.50 (takeaway). With Kacang, Pulut (sticky glutinous rice) or Corn, RM1.30/RM1.60. Special (with the lot) – RM1.50/RM1.80. Rojak Biasa (no sotong/squid) – RM3.50. Rojak + Sotong/Squid – RM4.00. And the list goes on.

For those truly affordable prices, you'd have to bear with the lack of amenities. Though we were glad that they have a basin to wash up after.

As I turned around for a final look at Sulaiman's, a thought ran through my head, well... sometimes you're famous for the dish you serve, and sometimes it's for that little extra experience that makes it absolutely memorable. 

National Pigs In The Blanket Day at TDH!

Front

"BECAUSE PIGS FEEL COLD TOO..." the exclusive Tom, Dick & Harry's National Pigs In The Blanket Day t-shirt reads. And they're wrapping it all up with a one-day-only offer (24 April) of:

2 bottles of Somersby Apple Cider + 6 Pigs In A Blanket + 1 Exclusive T-Shirt (as shown in the pics) = RM58

So if you've yet to find a reason to celebrate today, I believe you now have a really good one. Get your party started at any of the TDH outlets, in TTDI (18, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14) or Scott Garden (Jalan Kelang Lama), right this minute.

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Chicken Pongteh at Mama Fat's.

B-G-09, Glomac Galeria, Jalan 26/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL

Ivan, a friend, said it'd be a surprise. That I should just jump into his car without asking him where we'd be going for lunch. Maybe he'd knew that I might express my views strongly against eating in a fusion Portuguese Nonya restaurant and persuade him in return to just not go there.

But I did jump into his car and didn't press for an answer. Simply because I'm a sucker for something new and different, an adventure, whenever possible.

Starter: Pie Ti

So here goes... seated in a Portuguese Nonya restaurant. What do you order? Definitely something that's called "Pongteh," and "Pie Ti," (RM12.50) I said. Ivan ordered those two dishes and included an extensive list of "Mama's Kacang Botol" (RM10.90) with home-blended chili sauce, Fish Head Curry (RM19.90) and Assam Prawns (RM19.90), for the three of us.

When the Chicken Pongteh Kampung Belimbing (RM15.90) finally arrived, it looked like a regular Nonya chicken and potato stew. And knowing what a "Pongteh" dish is, you'd know the ingredients included fermented soy bean sauce and Gula Melaka (palm sugar) blended in with onions and garlic. 

The overall taste and flavour was homestyle with no Ajinomoto (MSG) included. But I couldn't fathom why it tasted a little 'fishy' with some funky sourish twist. 

This is just not right. I kept tasting it in small spoonfuls. It was definitely an acquired taste.

"That's how my mother makes it," said the owner of the restaurant. "And she's from Kampung Belimbing." 

"So there must be a lot of versions of 'Pongteh' then," I added. The owner agreed, and said that a "Pongteh" dish is most popular with pork. But this was a halal restaurant, so there won't be any pork served here, no siree.

Chicken Pongteh Kampung Belimbing

Well, don't you just hate it when you've spent a small fortune on your meal, and it ties you up in knots and keeps you hanging. And unfortunately, that's how I felt about the meal here. 

The taste and flavours were rich, no doubt, but it lacked... something. It could be the lack of 'heart', or 'passion', I just couldn't put my finger to it. Could it be a missing ingredient? Or could it just be lacking in 'soul'?

Assam Prawns

As a saving grace, we had the Sago Gula Melaka for dessert. The palm sugar was fragrantly coconut-ish and the santan (coconut milk) was deliciously creamy, as santan should be. The sago, however, was jelly-ish, but it was richly satisfying.

So would I return for more? The answer my friend, is a straight "No."

Good old under-the-big-tree Segambut Fried Chicken Rice.

When it comes to the Segambut Fried Chicken Rice, there's not much of a choice. They only serve one style of light batter-fried chicken, drumsticks only, that comes with a plate of scrumptiously flavourful rice that tastes of garlic, ginger and chicken essence.

Somehow every bite of this unique chicken rice dish is crafted perfectly for a wholesome experience – from the crispy, crunchy and super tasty skin that delivers hints of tumeric and "erm heong fun" (five-spice powder), which is the highlight of the meal; to the light soy sauce that complements it; to the soul enriching taste of each individual grain of rice; to the mind-blowing home-blended chili sauce that's simply out of this world.

So where on Google Map is this place? If it's any help, this place is in Segambut (yeah baby!) off Jalan Ipoh. Near the Yu Ai seafood noodles place (on your left), turn right after the junction. You will then see a shop/house that sells coffee powder, and across the road from it, under a huge-ass tree, is the Segambut Fried Chicken Rice restaurant. For the satellite-shot map <– click on this.

Last but not least, this place doesn't open for business every day of the week. But don't sweat it, if you find this place closed for the day, you can always choose to one2two at the Yu Ai seafood noodles place, or the ever-reliable Ipoh Road Hakka Yong Tow Foo that's a stone's throw away. Or, drive a little further to that Chin Heng pork chop rice place where HSBC is. Or further down Jalan Ipoh - the Sentul Curry House... rest assured, you'll be alright when in, and around, Segambut :b...

Gelatissimo at 30% price off.

3-Scoop Cup.

You've heard about Gelatissimo – Australia's most popular Italian gelato. Some of you might even have tried Gelatissimo, and loved it. Now you'll just have to know that these delicious artisan gelatos, made fresh in store, are going at 30% price off all flavours, for every scoop, all throughout April 2013 at LG-K08, Lower Ground Floor, The Gardens, Mid Valley City, KL.

This goes without saying – there's no better time than now to roll on over to Gelatissimo and sink your teeth into as many flavours as possible.

Junior Sith Lord's deadly cravings.

Top of the Table: The Most Popular Burgers (KL/PJ)

The Grind House Burger (Beef)

In just recent months, there has been a series of "gourmet" burger restaurants/bars sprouting across Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

As one may not have the opportunity to try everything there is out there, I'm lucky enough to have at least visited The Grind Burger Bar and a few others in the list of current talk-of-town burger places below. Click on links for addresses and additional information, and maybe even catch a deal or two.

Then decide on which burger places you want to hunt down and chomp down their house specialties:

• Burger Bakar Kaw Kaw                         • Burger Junkyard
• Chili's Malaysia                                       • Crayon Burger                                     
• Cristang Restaurant (Pork Burger)          • The Daily Grind Gourmet Burgers      
• Fatboy's The Burger Bar Malaysia         • The Grind Burger Bar                          
• J Tean Kitchen (Bak Kut Teh Burger)   • Jackson Burger
• KL Burger Bakar (Ukay Perdana)         • myBurgerLab                                       
• Otai Burger                                             • Ramly Burger
• Smashies Burger 

Finally, do let me know if I've missed out on any of your favourite burger places across Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, and I'll add them on to the list above :b...

Glacéau Vitamin Water.

Lately, I don't see Vitamin Water anywhere around Kuala Lumpur, or Petaling Jaya. But I believe it's all good because I doubt they're all that healthy despite its name. After all, Glaceau Vitamin Water is a privately owned subsidiary of Coca Cola Company, yes?

Anyways, here are 3 snapshots of Vitamin Water's bottle labels with interesting copywriting. So you can read them even if you're not drinking them.


Multi-V™ Lemonade – for the Multitask-ers and the More-than-one-jobbers.


Ignite™ Tropical Citrus – for up-and-about on-the-go Social Media junkie.


XXX™ Acai-Blueberry-Promegranate – for hardcore, non-porno reading health enthusiasts?

Soon Lei vs Goon Wah.

How often do you find two restaurants that serve similar dishes just a few doors apart on the same street? Let me tell you that it happens very often in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and all across Malaysia.

For this match up, we'll take a closer look at the two restaurants that are 5 doors apart from each other – (Kedai Makanan Dan Minuman) Soon Lei and (Restoran) Goon Wah, which both serve Claypot Fish Head Noodles as their flagship dish, (which honestly, I don't fancy all too much compared to the simply delicious option at Woo Pin, Taman Danau Desa), plus other dishes in the line-up namely Claypot Loh Shi Fun, Woo Tao Kow Yook (Stewed Yam and Pork), Stir Fried Pork Intestines and Guinness Chicken Wings.

After a 3-day Try-out between both restaurants, I would comprehensively conclude that there's no clear winner in taste and overall experience. They both have different styles in cooking the same traditional hakka dishes. And that's a good thing.

Though if I were to choose one, I'd say the Claypot Fish Head Noodles at Soon Lei is slightly ahead as the soup is thicker and tastier. The other dishes to go for here include the ones shown in the instagram above: Claypot Loh Shi Fun with minced pork and raw egg; Kwong Sai (GuangXi) Stuffed Taufoo Pok (Beancurd Puff) with Chinese Chives with pork and fish; Fried Sang Cheong (Pork Intestines) with fried dried shrimps; Stir Fried Hakka Yam Abacus; Deep Fried Butter Milk Mantis Prawn; Woo Tao Kow Yook (Stewed Yam and Pork); Guinness Chicken Wings; Hakka Yong Tau Foo with pork-loaded fish paste that's authentically Hakka-style; and not forgetting their Fried Rice and Noodles dishes as well.

Soon Lei's address:
G7, Block KP1, Jalan 3/115C, Taman Kuchai Jaya, KL • HP: 016-273 5369 (Ah Soon)

After you've tried out the dishes at Soon Lei, you will want to drop by Goon Wah just to taste the difference for yourself.

As I've said the Claypot Fish Head Noodles are very similar. But the Claypot Loh Shi Fun is definitely tastier with the crispy and crunchy deep fried ha mai (dried shrimps) and chee yau chas (deep fried pork lard bits) as toppings.

Additional dishes to order here are: Guinness Chicken Wings with sesame seeds; Fried Sang Cheong (Pork Intestines) with deep fried dried shrimps (which to me tastes 98% similar with the one at Soon Lei and both fantastic!); and Woo Tao Kow Yook (Stewed Yam and Pork) (which both restaurants are different in taste but equally yuummmz! in their own style).

Goon Wah's address:
G13 & 14, Jalan 3/115C, Block KP 2, Taman Kuchai Jaya, KL • Tel: 03-7982 0048 / 03-7984 0722 (call to make reservations for the air-conditioned VIP room!)

Melaka in a day.

Melaka may be the third smallest state after Perlis and Penang, but boy this Historic State sure is packed with a whole city load of outstanding dishes and beverages, I'd bet you'll keep coming back for more.

Driving to this UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 7 July 2008) from Kuala Lumpur takes approximately an hour and a half. (Please do not drive at breakneck speed just to proof me wrong). 

First stop when you get here – Chung Wah Chicken Rice Ball, at Jonker Street.  

There will always be a queue that's a mile long, but you'd want to wait it out cos it'll only be a few minutes (though it may seem like an eternity under the scorching hot afternoon Malaccan sun). Just bring along an umbrella if you're gonna be woosy about it.

What happens next is you're gonna get a table and finally get to order your food. How to order? Go for at least 10 hand-shaped balls of rice each and do the Asian thing of one, massive central plate of perfectly steamed/blanched chicken covered in delicious chicken essence/sauce with freshly cut cucumbers, served with some out-of-this-world blended chili sauce.

Yes, see those yummy chicken rice balls? Once you pop, you can't stop.

When you're done with lunch, you'd want to walk on over to Jonker Walk and continue with the food trail. Lots of snacks of all shapes and sizes await.

You'll want to try some of everything. But do keep a schedule and don't overdo it on any one part of the street. Keep your eyes wide open and walk on.

Stop whenever something catches your eyes, buy it and move on. So much to see, too little time.

Next you're got to jump into your car again and head towards Pantai Klebang (look for the road signs) or set your GPS to Klebang Besar.

By the roadside you will see a stall with a perpetual long queue. And that's just the "takeaway" section. Turn in that small "lorong" that'll take you to the Klebang Original Coconut Shake.

Find yourself a table and make your orders. Call for a "Special" one and you'll be delighted with a mug of delicious Coconut Shake with a mega scoop of Wall's vanilla flavoured ice-cream on top.

It's usually hot if it's not raining but you won't be feeling the heat once your refreshing Coconut Shake arrives.

Now this is heaven sent. And you won't stop till you've gulped down at least two of these. And while you're at it, grab yourself some "kuih-muih" (cakes and savoury snacks) plus a pack or two of nasi lemak bungkus (a fragrant rice dish that's cooked in coconut milk, packed with spicy sweet sambal, fried groundnuts, cucumber slices, quarter of a hard boiled egg and crispy fried mini anchovies).

And for your road trip back to Kuala Lumpur, buy a pack (or three) of the seasonal Kerepek Udang Geragau (some kind of prawn found in Melaka, so says the mini banner) and get home safely while bursting at the seams.

Or if you're willing to stay around for a bit, and wait for dinner time – you could drop by Seri Muara Alai Nasir Ikan Bakar for a grilled seafood feast. Then maybe stay the night and begin afresh the next morning?

GPS: KM8, Alai, Melaka

A visual guide to parts of the cow your beef is from.

Cuts of Beef infographic by visually.

Now that you know your beef better, go meet your neighbourhood butcher with a renewed confidence. And maybe even surprise a friend or two with how much you know about that piece of meat you just served at your BBQ party ; )