vkeong loves good food, travel and photography!
Non Halal
Non Halal food
Kita No Zen (Hokkaido Ichiba) Japanese Restaurant @ The Gardens, Mid Valley
Mar 29th
I could still vividly remember the last time I was at Kita No Zen (Hokkaido Ichiba) for lunch. The food was prepared with care and presented nicely, had generous portions and most importantly, tasted good. So even though the extensive menu is priced about 10-20% higher than the average Japanese restaurant in the mall, you get what you pay for – quality. Since SL had not been to the restaurant before and it was long since we had a good Japanese meal, we headed there last weekend.
Feeling deja vu? That is because Kita is owned by the same company that operates Sushi/Pasta Zanmai hence the familiarity in the restaurant’s decor.
I believe the Dragon Roll (RM30) is a popular dish at any Japanese restaurant. I felt it is so exceptionally good here that I ordered it during both of my visits. Topped with flying fish roe and sliced avocados that cleverly resemble the scales of a dragon, the sushi has a whole fried jumbo ebi wrapped inside. The prawn is very meaty too (thicker than my thumb!) and the flesh was firm and tasted sea-sweet. Simply delicious.
Wantan Mee @ Chulia Street, Penang
Mar 17th
This is not the best Wantan Mee in Penang but it is good. Nameless and often referred as the ‘Wantan Mee in front of furniture shop at Chulia Street‘, the noodles here tastes slightly different from those in Klang Valley. The noodles are more more springy, tossed with light soy sauce hence the fairer appearance and has a stronger lard presence. Even the wantan dumplings look different too, they are so tightly wrapped.
We have always missed the noodle after we moved out of Penang because it used to be our favorite place for supper. Besides, you will find one of the best Penang Curry Mee here too.
The last time I ate here was five years ago and I am glad the taste did not change too much. The Wantan Mee is still as enjoyable as it used to be for me, except for the red char siew which is the type I frown upon now. The price did go up a bit though, how much exactly I can’t remember but it was definitely less than RM3. Penangites might complain but I am already accustomed to paying RM5 for a smaller portion of noodles prepared by foreigners in KL. So, I can’t really complain. In fact I feel hawker food is still cheap in Penang and sadly that fact depresses me in some ways.
Cafe Matchbox 1960s-Style Cha Chaan Teng @ Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Mar 12th
Tea culture in Hong Kong is very different from what we have in Malaysia. For us, we like to hang out at the 24 hours mamak stalls while the Hongkies enjoy it at their numerous of Cha Chaan Teng. Most of these establishments big or small serve similar kind of food, typically Hong Kong-style Western cuisine like macaroni, fried chicken wings, French toast etc. And they usually come in sets too.
Among the few that we went to in Hong Kong, Cafe Matchbox at Tsim Sha Tsui (Causeway Bay) is more memorable thanks to its unique menu and 1960s decor, complete with colored tiled walls, light fixtures and old-school Canto music playing in the background.
Here, pancakes are eaten all day instead of being just a breakfast and they come with various toppings including minced beef, honey, fried eggs, banana and walnut. One of the sets (tea or coffee included) here is a combo of two of their signature food – Floating Chicken Pie in Green Pea Soup and Banana Walnut Pancake for $HKD45. The chopped crunchy walnuts give a contrasting texture to the soft pancakes and the syrup and banana slices provide the sweet flavor. It tasted as good as it looked, more like a dessert actually.
Seng Jawa Mee @ Jalan Pasar, Bukit Mertajam
Mar 9th
I am not a huge fan of Jawa Mee but I do have a stall that I will never hesitate to go back to. It only opens in the evening around 7.30pm and operates past midnight after 2am, perfect for those looking for supper. The stall is called Seng Jawa Mee and like many other good food in Bukit Mertajam, it is also located just next to the Pek Kong Cheng temple. If you happen to drop by my lovely home town, this is actually something worth trying.
This is also one of the very few remaining Jawa Mee stalls that stay authentic to the noodle’s original recipe. Each plate comes with yellow noodle only, topped with slices of half boiled eggs, tau kua, lettuce, sambal, crushed peanuts, prawn crackers and cucur (prawn fritters). The delicious gravy has the perfect consistency too, not too watery nor too thick and I never had any problem finishing it everytime.
