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Archive for February, 2012
Chun Kee Hakka Mee (春记大埔面) @ Jalan Sayor, Pudu
Feb 26th
A supposedly dim sum breakfast at Tuck Cheong restaurant did not happen because by the time we reached there, everything was sold out save for some buns. Maybe I was too late by Pudu people’s standards but it was only 9am! Desperate for an alternative, we recalled a famous Hakka Mee nearby that some say is the best in Klang Valley. Luckily, Chun Kee was only a few hundred metres away from Tuck Cheong so we walked.
Judging by the look of the noodles and the number of customers waiting in line, it seemed promising so we didn’t mind the long wait. But after tasting the noodle it was an overwhelming disappointment, it just wasn’t as good as it was anticipated to be. In fact, only average at best. The noodles look springy but is actually a lumpy mess and the minced pork does not stick well to the noodles so you will end up eating them as separately.
Kali Little Garden Seafood Restaurant @ Pandamaran Jaya, Klang
Feb 22nd
The number of times I have been to Klang can be counted on one hand so it is pretty much an unknown territory to me. But last weekend I had the pleasure of dining at a seafood restaurant in Pandamaran (finally something other than Bak Kut Teh) with a few friends and I could say we pretty much went all out with the food.
The restaurant’s name is Kali Little Garden Seafood and despite its little presence on the Internet, it is very popular with the locals. And like the name implies, you are indeed dining at a garden in front of a house, which I believe belongs to the boss.
Since the restaurant’s operation is a family affair, some of the dishes have limited quantities. So to avoid any disappointments, do reserve ahead especially if you are ordering the crabs and clams. The Baked Crab @ RM61/kg was the star dish of the night and each of us had a whole crab (~500-600g) to ourselves.
Hassan’s Mee Goreng (Mee Bodoh) @ Jalan Tengkera, Melaka
Feb 17th
One of my memorable eats in Melaka is Hassan’s Mee Goreng at Jalan Tengkera. Even though this is a Malay eatery, you can see many Chinese and Indian customers enjoying their breakfast here as well, making this a true Malaysian favourite.
The mee goreng is as basic as it could get as it is only prepared with only a handful of ingredients – yellow noodles, bean sprouts and their homemade specialty sambal. Then, a dollop of extra sambal is added on top of the noodles. Because of that the locals also referred this mee goreng as ‘Mee Bodoh’ (translated to ‘Stupid Noodle’) and that name really stuck with me. Anyway, a few years ago the mee goreng here was really cheap and cost only RM1 for a plate. But with the inflation, the price has increased steadily over the years until the RM1.50 now.
Even though the sambal looks red hot, it doesn’t taste as spicy as it seems. Well, at least for me. I actually mixed another extra spoonful of sambal into the noodles later and felt the spiciness was still tolerable.. in fact just right. There are also bottles of vinegar and kicap manis on each table which you can mix into your noodles’ according to your own liking.
I noticed that Malaccans were quite liberal with the vinegar especially, they were literally pouring it over their noodles. Hmm, I guess that’s their way of eating it. As for me, I just dripped a few drops of kicap manis and it was good to go.
De’ Champion Duck @ Medan Putra Business Centre, Bandar Menjalara
Feb 15th
There are many roast duck restaurants in Kepong especially along the stretch of ‘Wai Sek Kai’. Among all, Onn Kee has to be the most famous one in the vicinty but I have never really liked their style of roast duck because I find it too dry and the sauce is not that great either. If you ask me, the only thing I would recommend over at Onn Kee would be their roast pork. It is definitely one of the better ones around that I won’t mind taking away for lunch.
Because their overrated roast ducks are receiving far too much undeserved attention, Onn Kee’s roast pork remains pretty much an undiscovered gem, among the Netizens of course. That being said, allow me to suggest you present you a better place for roast duck in Kepong – De’ Champion Duck at Bandar Menjalara.
Although looks can be deceiving, there is nothing deceptive about the roast duck here. The bronzed duck is perfectly roasted with a crisp skin and an aromatic charcoal flavor in the lean, yet juicy meat. The sauce is more than just an accompaniment and is worth a mention too. It has a nice consistency, well-seasoned (not too sweet nor salty) and does great to enhance the overall tastiness without being too overpowering.
Basically all the characteristics I look for in a good roast duck are here so I couldn’t be more satisfied. Price wise it won’t be cheap but at least standard when compared to the others – RM24 for half and RM16 for a quarter. And like at other restaurants that specialize in roast duck, you can expect more than a type of duck here. They are the Drunken Roast Duck and Dong Guai Roast Duck but just so you know, both have a minimum order of half a duck.
