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Non Halal
Non Halal food
Restoran Home Cooking @ Sungai Way, PJ
May 23rd
Home Cooking Restaurant was recently featued in 8tv’s Ho Chak and the recommended specialties are their ‘Mop Char Siew‘ (拖地叉烧) and Fish Head Curry. The char siew got its funky name because the of way it moves when shaked. It sways back and forth like a mop head does. Like always, I am skeptical when it is recommended by Ho Chak but seeing that the restaurant is less than a minute’s drive away from where I am staying, I figured there is no harm trying.
Pork belly is usually the preferred cut when it comes to char siew but Home Cooking opts to use leaner pork fillets instead. The little but even marbling of fat in the meat helps to keep the char siew taste not so fatty yet tender. This unique style of char siew is quite out of the ordinary so it is worth a try. And for me, that is about it. I still like my char siew to be sinfully fatty, those that melt in your mouth.
I am not sure I could call this Fish Head Curry since no actual fish head was used. Anyway, I was hoping we could try the one cooked with red snapper/garoupa but unfortunately it is subject to availability. So we had to settle for mackerel instead @ RM26.80.
Since the mackerel was deep fried first before being cooked in the curry, the flesh does not -fall apart easily. The trade-off to this obvious though, as some tenderness and its delicate flavor are lost. Not a big issue really but I concur, that it would taste much better with red snapper/garoupa, and without being deep fried. As for the curry, it is not the best tasting one out there but overall it is still delicious – not too rich and has strong flavor of spices.
Edo Ichi Japanese Restaurant @ Solaris Dutamas
May 20th
Edo Ichi is the only Japanese restaurant at Solaris Dutamas. We have been shunning it because their prices seem to be on the side. But when the fish & chip restaurant we were supposed to try has closed down for good, Edo Ichi was left as the viable option.
Although we love The Pink Sage and would not have second thoughts of having our lunch there again, our initial purpose was to try something new. Besides, with the exception of Edo Ichi, the other restaurants in this vicinity simply do not spur our interest into trying them out.
Unagi Kabayaki Set @ RM32 – a standard affair but the ordinary looking chawanmushi managed to outshine the main dish. The portion is slightly smaller than what you would get from other places, more suitable for ladies I guess.
Restoran LYJ (李雄记酒家) @ Kampung Baru, Sungai Buloh
May 14th
With its fair share of celebrities customers local and oversea alike, Restoran LYJ can be considered as the most successful restaurant in Sungai Buloh. The head chef of LYJ has numerous culinary awards under his belt and he is proud to showcase them by plastering them all over the restaurant.
Pun Choy, a traditional village dish originating from Hong Kong can be found here too. But this post is not about the somewhat overrated and expensive Pun Choy. Instead, lets take a look at the other dishes they have that are more appealing especially in terms of price.
Standing Roast Chicken (Dong Duk Gai) @ RM38. This chicken is meant for you to rip it into pieces using your hands like a barbarian then eat it without using any utensils. Good thing is they provide plastic gloves so your hands would still be clean and oil free later.
But for those who still insist on being polite and eat it using chopsticks or fork and spoon, you are really missing a lot of fun and satisfaction here. As for the chicken, don’t expect too much because it is nothing spectacular and tastes quite dry actually. The main selling point is just because it comes standing, that’s all.
Heng Bak Kut Teh Delight’s (since 1963) @ Taman Kepong
May 10th
There are already so many Bak Kut Teh restaurants in Kepong and the number is still on the rise. Not surprising, given that Kepong has always been a food haven with countless eateries to choose from may it be satay, nasi lemak, steamboat, rojak or tong sui you are looking for. It might feel good to try new restaurants but sometimes, the existing ones are the ones that are really worth exploring. Such is my encounter with Heng Bak Kut Teh Delight’s at Kepong Garden, an old Bak Kut Teh eatery that has existed with the community for decades.
But first, I need to clarify that the other Heng or Heng Kee Bak Kut Teh you see in PJ or even in Kepong are not related to them, nor are their branches despite using the same Chinese name, cooking style and similar taste. Anyway, I shall not indulge you with details of their business rivalries since it’s none of our business.
The Sang Kuat Pou is the star dish here and it needs to be pre-ordered at least half an hour before reaching the restaurant. But this doesn’t mean you couldn’t have it if you didn’t pre-order. As long as you are OK with the half and hour wait, then by all means order it on the spot.
FYI, Sang Kuat is not a part of the pork. It simply means the cook will prepare your Bak Kut Teh using raw and fresh meat (with parts you specified), instead of using those cooked since early in the morning. Besides, some Chinese wine and more even more herbs are thrown into the soup to take the Bak Kut Teh’s flavor to an entirely new level. The end result is a pot of specially brewed Bak Kut Teh with extra aromatic soup and fresher tasting meat. RM30 for a portion of 2 pax.
The usual side dishes of tofu pok and yau char kwai are available with the latter largely depending on luck – sometimes you get it and sometimes you don’t. Although the yau char kwai here is not at the freshest it could be, it is still quite crispy usually.
