Lan Je's door closes. Yong Hoe's door opens.

Lan Je (famous for their "One Person One Fish" slogan) serves one of the best steamed fish dishes across KL and PJ. And it's always worth the drive up to Desa Aman Puri, Kepong for a deliciously healthy meal.

But Lan Je was not open for business, on a Tuesday. No clue as to why.

So with that door closed, another door was opened at Yong Hoe – just a few doors down, before Khuntai Authentic Thai Restaurant (Kepong branch).

The one2two crew for the day

We ordered their signature Claypot Steamed Fish in Chinese Rice Wine sauce, which was fantastic.

                             

Then we also wanted to try the recommended Han Siew Tau Foo, which was black in colour, batter-fried, and when cut open – the inside looked a little like a century egg. And the taste was out-of-this-world. It was creamy, and melts in your mouth. And I've been dreaming of this ever since. It's that good, and definitely to die for.

And there are, of course, a long list of Chinese cuisine dishes to choose from, which taste above average, but I'm stopping here for now. These two above-mentioned dishes will keep you going for quite a bit (like it did for me) about this well-hidden restaurant, deep inside Desa Aman Puri – look for Jalan Desa 2/8. Enjoy.

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...

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

Random 10 One2Two How Tos.

#10: Hong Kong style crispy oven roasted pork belly (English subtitles)

#9: Heartwarming holiday season cups of Eggnog

#8: A meal in Korea: Seng Bulgogi

#7: Surviving a Zombie holiday

#6: Coca-Cola Chicken Wings

#5: Vegan Black Metal Chef: Smoothie Alchemy!

#4: Mughalai cuisine: Mutton Kurma

#3: Frugal Chef: Homemade Barbeque Sauce with Apple Juice

#2: Chef McDang: Thai Green Curry Pt 1

#1: Chef McDang: Thai Green Curry Pt 2

Mooncake Festival.

Thanks to brilliant marketeers who have successfully turned Mid Autumn Festival into what is now more commonly known as the Mooncake Festival, most Chinese across Asia and probably all over the world have no clue as to why this day is one of the most important festivals on the Lunar calendar.

Back in the days, there were countless stories told and passed on in countless versions. The story I hear over and over again is the one where the leaders of the Chinese rebel troops took advantage of this festival to deliver military secrets, hidden inside the mooncakes, that eventually aided in the successful elimination of Mongolian oppressors in China.

Now I can't be sure if this is a true story or pure fairy tale. What I know for sure is, these fancy mooncakes currently sold in snazzy packaging at major malls and hotels, are generally too damn expensive.

But anyhow, here's wishing everyone a happy Choong Chow Jeet! Be careful with those candle-lit lanterns, and don't overstuff yourself with those lotus paste (and salted egg) filled pastries.

Woolley Boolley.

Every corner you turn in good old Ipoh will bring you some kind of good food. And when you don't feel like driving around for different dishes, you'll be happy to just swing by Woolley's in Ipoh Garden and get started on a mini buffet with the many stalls and the near countless varieties.

Chee Cheong Fun (flat sheet rice noodles) with prawn paste, chili sauce & pickled chilies on the side, Yau Yee Oong Choy (sliced preserved squid & water spinach in sweet & spicy peanut sauce) and Penang Banana Leaf Fried Koay Tiao (flat rice noodles) are but some of my personal favourites.

Jeff Lee Kitchen.

This is one of those times when you'll be more than glad you had a GPS that works. Looking for this restaurant in Sungai Buloh can be like driving around in a maze. Well it was like that because of the numerous small in-roads that appear every few meters and identical looking shops that house mainly restaurants and auto mechanics.

I was telling Adrian, who was sitting alongside me in the car, jokingly that if we don't find Jeff Lee Kitchen soon we'd stop at any of the restaurants here and chances are we'll be in for a tantalising one2two. He replied matter-of-factly that I'd probably be right.

When we did find the place, the first car-load of one2two crew for the day had already devoured 90% of the Fah Lum Poh (Claypot Sliced Pork Belly) and about 20% of the minced ginger steamed fish on the table.

I tried a mouthful of the Chinese-style bacon, pan-seared in a claypot till crispy yet tender with every bite, and was asked by Candice from the other car if we would like to order another dish, I said let's get one more of this. Adrian, once again, agreed without hesitation.

So, what's the best way to reach Lot 4133, Jalan Perkhidmatan, Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh, Selangor? You turn left from the highway that takes you to the deep end of Sungai Buloh into the Shah Alam exit, keep right immediately, turn right at the traffic lights, drive straight in and turn left just before a blue-roofed wet market, and Jeff Lee Kitchen will be along the shoplot on the left.

Or, get a GPS that works.

PJ Old Town Food Court.

There are but only a handful of food courts across KL and PJ that can truly match up to the variety of top-class local delicacies at the Taman Selera food court, located at the junction of Jalan Othman and Jalan Selangor, of PJ Old Town.

Here you'll be thrilled to discover the most incredible Kie Kee Braised Chicken, served with optional Char Siew (Caramalised BBQ Pork), Siew Yook (Crispy Roasted Pork) and rice. When you bite into the meat and skin, you'll taste an explosion of flavour that comes from the blend of mixed spices and soy sauce.

Other goodies to try are the Wild Boar Curry from the same stall; Seong Kee Vinegar Pork Leg that gets your taste buds to lace-up the best pair of dancing shoes and continuously boogie hours after your meal is done; and Weng Kee Ais Kacang or Air Batu Campur (ABC) that combines shaved ice with Gula Melaka (palm sugar), evaporated milk and an assortment of condiments namely red beans, herbal jelly bits, sweetcorn, roasted groundnuts and more.

And the one more dish that we would've loved to order, but didn't, because it would've been too much to finish, is the Chinese-style Claypot Fish Head Curry, cooked with deliciously rich coconut milk, aromatic mixed spices, vegetables and beancurd puffs.

Last but not least, did I also mentioned there's a stall at the opposite end from these stalls - they serve some absolutely yummy Indian curries. My favourite – the Bone Marrow Mutton Curry.

It's madness, I tell you.

The Rice Dumpling and the Dragon Boat.

If you're Chinese, you'd be on your way home early for dinner this very evening. And the dish you're gonna be gobbling down will most probably be rice dumplings, or some call it the Bachang (in Hokkien dialect, which literally means Meat Dumpling).

But if you're just curious, you'd wanna know what's the story behind The Rice Dumpling Festival, or more commonly known as the Dragon Boat Festival. Here's a summarised version of the legend:

Way back when, in Chu Kingdom of ancient China, there was an important minister named Qu Yuan (pronounced simply as Chue Yuan) who was a loyal servant of the emperor.

The emperor however, is one who does not listen well to advice provided by Qu Yuan. This proved to be fatal for the emperor who got himself captured and killed in enemy territories.

Poor Qu Yuan, who was sad and angry with the corrupted kingdom, tied himself to a big rock and threw himself into the River of Puo Luo.

What happened next was the people made rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves and fed them to the river. It was believed that this would stop the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body who was regarded as sacred. Then, some of the kingdom folks would row downstream on a boat, beating drums, screaming and shouting, to frighten off the fishes.

And so this was how the festival of glutinous rice dumplings with meat and scrumptious fillings, and the dragon boat, came to be.

It's strange, but true.

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.

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.

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.

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.