Finding Uncle Cheng.

Some will remember Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodle from the Section 17 days. Julian Cheng, the man behind this special restaurant, used to run his stall alongside the infamous "Brother" Chicken Rice (or known to some as "James" Chicken Rice, just because James was the man who gives out his handphone number to customers while his brother/partner serves the chicken).

Then Julian moved his business down a slope, and across the road, to Restoran Khasiat Cafeteria.

Over two years ago, Julian Cheng and Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles went missing-in-action. Ever since, I kept an eye and ear out for his whereabouts, but there wasn't a single drop of news till two months back.

I drove by the outskirts of SS2, PJ area, where the Taman Bahagia LRT station is, and just before the traffic lights at the junction that joins Taman Megah (where the original Fatty Crab restaurant is), I saw on my left, smacked right in the middle, on a row of shoplots, was a restaurant with the designer-ish Uncle Cheng signage.

It took me another month before I finally stopped and walked in.

Yes! I've found Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodle, again. And it's new and improved with a stewed minced beef topping. The rest of the condiments remain the same – bouncy, munchy beef balls; crunchy beef tripes, briskets and tendons; hum choy (salted vegetable); fried groundnuts; and free-flow of power-packed beef broth.

What's new here as well, is the serving method of beef, tripes, briskets and/or tendons – in a claypot. All prepared on-the-spot.

The other new dishes include Herbal Lamb Shank (close up shot below), Oxtail Special, Beef Feet Special, Tendon Beef Balls, Herbal Silkie (Black Silkie Chicken), "Gearbox" (Bone Marrow), Beef Shank & Shin), Herbal Kampong Chicken (Free Range Chicken) and more.

To be 100% accurate with your orders, do call 012-303 0626 and specify how you want your meal served.

Lunch is served

And if you're lucky, Julian Cheng will serve you personally. But only if you're lucky, like that swanky dude in the photo.

Claypot Herbal Lamb Shank

Now this is the Herbal Lamb Shank in a claypot. As you can see, the meat is practical falling off the bone, which is simply awesome if you do not have strong jaws and am a fan of mutton cooked well in a balanced blend of herbal broth that's not overpowering.

What's the address? It's 54, Jalan SS2/4A, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The business hours are usually from 9am to 4pm. And they're closed on Wednesdays.

Heard they'll be closed this coming Sunday (5 May) for GE13. So they can do their part in voting for a better government, a better Malaysia, and a better future for the next generation of Malaysians. And so you can, too.

Ini KALI lah!

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...

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...

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

Kuang Fei - The Original Tangkak Beef Noodles.

I've eaten and totally enjoyed The Tangkak Beef Noodles at Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. http://lunchexpeditions.blogspot.com/2009/03/tangkak-beef-noodles-off-jalan-imbi.html

Since then it has been at the back of my mind, like an itch I couldn't scratch, to visit the place of origin, to the spot where it all started.

On 27 November 2010, on one of my road trip back from Singapore, I turned off the North South Highway into Tangkak town, and finally found Kuang Fei – http://foursquare.com/venue/14648622

I ordered the largest bowl they had. And I was not disappointed. It was better than its branch, indefinitely. I'm guessing it's because their beef stock goes a longer way back...

And their white vinegar comes in a clear bottle. That's sheer class, haha. Add a spoonful to the soup and see how the flavours wake up and break into song and dance with your taste buds.

Then you'd wanna order an extra bowl of freshly made, succulent, beef balls. And savour each one of 'em cos you'd never know when you'll find your way back here, again.

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio: July Menu.

It has been a couple of months back since my first visit. Was in the neighbourhood for a product launch, on a Friday, and with my reputation at stake, had to decide on where to go for an impressive one2two.

As Nathalie's was just around the corner from where we were, I made the call and went for it.

Of course, me being me, almost couldn't find the place until I saw the directional bunting... and just then, I recalled an earlier complaint from some friends who dropped by a couple of weeks back. Apparently, Chef Nathalie wasn't in the kitchen, and the beef was overdone and the chicken, dry.

It was too late to change my mind. We were running late and overly hungry. I prayed for the chef to be standing over the stove...

God is great. And so was Nathalie's Chicken & King Prawns, Beef Bourguignon and Lamb Loin.

For reservations, call 03-6207 9572.

La Gomera.

Ever had one of those days where you were looking for one thing and got something else better instead? This was to be one of those days. Walking around Neo Damansara was kinda like being in a scene of Resident Evil where the entire building is just empty, and you can hear silence resonating from the walls.

Kenneth, my sole one2two crew for the day, and I walked down a staircase to the lower ground floor from the chaotic car parking slots located at the back of the building, and found to our delight a restaurant that looked pretty new, and empty.

It's a good thing they had buntings out front with wonderfully appetising pictures of the dishes they served. And the mention of RM10 set lunch was appealing enough.

We almost had the entire restaurant to ourselves. It is, a new restaurant located in a really secluded building after all.

When the food arrived, it looked scrumptious. The colours were rich and inviting, just like those on their buntings!

The taste? My lamb stew was succulent and rather 'chewy' but not 'rubbery', which was good. Each chew released the flavours of the meat, complemented by the flavourful sauce that made it a sublime experience.

Kenneth's chicken was equally tantalising, and went well with the soup, white rice and 2 scoops of ice-cream for dessert.

I know I just had to return for their buffet, which by the way had a 50% off promotion. RM29.95 after discount for eat-all-you-can tapas, seafood, pizza and steak. (That's right, normal price of RM59.90 to resume only after 31 August 2010).

The dinner buffet begins at 6pm. I arrived from work at about 7pm plus, joined by my wife after a 15 minutes head start for me, which I spent at the salad bar where they had the lobster salad, cold-serve prawns and the works.

On the left, by the wall, were the stews - chicken, beef and lamb. You name it, they have it. All full-flavoured and richly satisfying.

On the other side of the restaurant was the kitchen. What you have to do is place a clip (or clips) with your table number on it onto the bowl with the name of the dish you wish to order. And they serve it to you once it's ready.

Similarly on the 'grill' side of the kitchen, you can place your orders for steaks, fish, prawns, clams, mussels, mushrooms and anything else that they display on labeled plates as shown above.

If you're into Spanish food, or would like a change from your usual Chinese, Italian or even Japanese meal, do drop by La Gomera Spanish Buffet & Dining, Block E-LG-1 & 2, Neo Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/1, Damansara Perdana, PJ.

For reservations, call 03-7710 0262. Remember, the 50% discount is valid till end of August only.

Need assurance on the overall experience? Ask the boys what they think:

3 out of 4 ain't bad.

Nathalie's Gourmet Studio.

The afternoon was hotter than usual. You'd expect to quickly reach where you wanna go, and get down to some one2two action before the hour passes. But we were in Solaris Dutamas, and looking for Unit A4-01-5 can be rather tricky.

After two wrong turns, we eventually found Nathalie's Gourmet Studio. And we were happy that the place was pleasantly cosy, though the seats were a bit hard.

Then the starters arrived. The Parmesan Cheese Tart tastes as good as it looked, and fired up my expectation even higher...

One by one the dishes arrived, and each one tasted better than the other. The blend of flavours and textures was just amazing.

If there were doubts about Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille's menu before, all were quashed after the first bite.

Then came the Lamb Tajin. Each bite into the mutton, slow-cooked till tender, was like a prologue to a Moroccan folklore. And the natural flavours of the baby soy beans serve as a balance to the exotic combination of kuskus and braised artichoke.

There were whispers that Chef Nathalie Arbefeuille cooked for events at the French Embassy. And her classy studio next door confirms her cooking classes. Plus she has her own recipe book, published. So I really don't have to tell you much more about my impeccable experience eating here, and how impressive the desserts were...

Well, fancy some sweet Macaroons to go? Drop by Nathalie's Gourmet Studio, at Solaris Dutamas, Unit A4-01-5, Jalan Dutamas 1, KL. Or call 03-6207 9572 / 017-2806717 for reservations.

The Pink Sage Diner, Solaris Dutamas.

Pink Sage Diner just moved from Jalan Dang Wangi, downtown KL, to this new upstairs lot above Papa Rich, at Solaris Dutamas.

The overall ambiance was one that was minimalist but comfortable.

Read the menu, and Lamb Burger caught my attention.

When it arrived, I was utterly disappointed by the lack of presentation, the fact that they served processed fries, and the unforgivably poor quality buns. The price was not cheap either. It was more expensive than the basic burgers at Chili's. It costs me RM23++.

I expected a whole lot more.

The Mozzarella Pancake however, was (sort of) the saving grace. And I heard from the table the pasta with sun-dried tomatoes was better than expected. And, they served Illy gourmet coffees.

But that was it. Sorry boss, but I left your restaurant feeling half empty.

Yee Sang. A messy Malaysian ritual.

Overeating is probably the most popular of countless Chinese New Year traditions.

Second comes the Red Packet or Ang Pow that promotes greed among kids.

Then, arguably third, is Yee Sang - the Chinese-style Raw Fish Salad that includes in its countless ingredients the crunchy munchies made from flour, colourful fresh and pickled vegetable strips, pomelo pulps, jelly fish strips (optional), salmon sashimi or (originally) raw mackerel slices, and/or fresh abalone slices (optional), and topped by finely crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, sour plum and sweet sauces, sesame oil and/or vegetable oil...

The tricky part is the 'tossing' or 'lo hei' of a Yee Sang dish, as demonstrated in the following video.



It is a ritual performed by family members and close friends before a reunion dinner, or any meal within the 15 days of Chinese New Year, standing up, with chopsticks in hand, muttering well-wishes and auspicious phrases as the raw fish salad is tossed.

The higher the ingredients go, the better the luck for the year.