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?