Otak-Otak Place @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

Like I said in my previous blog, I am going to clear my back logs as fast as possible. Some of the posts have been sitting inside my thumb drive for months and if I didn't get rid of them now, I don't know when is the best time to do so.

My idea of a good afternoon tea time... well, of course, would be a good cup of tea or coffee! Not necessarily a high tea session at posh hotels or elegant cafes for me, as even a simple RM2 cup of tea is sufficient to make my day. When the kopitiam craze started, Jenn & I always patronised Old Town Kopitiam. Back then their coffee & tea were the best! Perhaps they expanded too fast through franchising and own expansion and as a result, failed to control the standard of their F&B. These days, you would see at least one kopitiam everywhere you go...

Otak-otak Place is another kopitiam-styled establishment, but with a new twist. As the name suggest, their signature food is otak-otak, a delicacy originated from Johor. So far I have only gone to their 1Utama and Tropicana City Mall's outlet.

Also known as otah otah, this dish is prepared using fish (normally tenggiri or mackarel) mousse wrapped in daun nipah (my English failed me once again!). Then the otak-otak is either grilled or steamed before served. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Otak-Otak Place only served the grilled version.

And when it is grilled, the daun nipah will emit a rather strong aroma which will make the otak-otak aromatic and delicious.

Back to the place, if you happened to visit their 1Utama outlet (which is located in the New Wing by the way)... you would notice a lot of stuff that reminds of our youth (to those who was born before 1990)... like this congkak.

And these...

They even used homework book as menu.. obviously trying to make you reminiscent the olden days! in my case, it really works! I remember playing guli, congkak, rubber band rope, etc... which makes me think that the children nowadays are so pampered with PSP, Wii, iPod, iPhone, etc...

During tea time, there are a few sets to choose from the menu. I settled for their Set A which comprises of kaya & butter toast (mediocre at best!) served in dimsum basket, half boiled eggs which were perfectly done, and a cup of teh tarik. Costing only RM5, definitly a value for money.

I have to say that I love the teh tarik here.. as it's milky but not to the extent of overly sweet. With a piece of Hup Seng cream cracker to dip in, I felt like a school boy once again :)

Their ayam percik with nasi lemak @ RM9.90 was OK... not too bad but also not blowing my hat off. The acar was good though but I wish that the ayam percik was more fork-tender.

I also ordered their set of otak-otak sticks (5 pcs) at RM3.. normal price would be RM5.50 but they were having promotion at that time. The promotion probably is over coz I had these months ago.. lol!! Anyway, taste-wise it was slightly spicy which suits my taste bud. I'd say one set is definitely not enough for me :P

Feeling greedy, I ordered their otak-otak toast. instead of kaya & butter, you spread the otak-otak onto the toast before eating. Heavenly!

Leo's verdict - they do sell some of the old stuff that I mentioned earlier in this post but at a rather high price. Service was quite fast and attentive...

Grandmama's @ Pavilion KL

P.S: I am trying to clear all the back logs as soon as possible... as there are too many pictures in my thumb drive and they are driving me crazy!

I think the first time that I ever heard about Grandmama was through Sean's blog (don't ask me when because it was so long already). Intriqued by his raving on the sang har hor fun... I'd made plan to have lunch here with my family, of course which would be on weekends. Planning a trip to downtown KL has never been easy as Sher Ryn could only stay awake for 4 hours top before she got grumpy and started crying (which broke my heart to see her like this). Therefore, we changed her and chucked her into the car immediately when she woke up from morning nap. And when we arrive there, we still had the luxury to shop for a while before it was time to feed her. Yes, her priority is the highest!

Back to Grandmama's - I had actually gone there twice before I posted this up :P on both occasion I actually forgot to bring my trusted camera and therefore, I only used iPhone (forgive me for the not-so-clear pictures). Related to Madam Kwan, I had high hope on their food. From the look outside, I had a good feeling on Grandmama's already

The restaurant is huge, everything looked clean and tidy... most importantly, not too cramped!

Loved the soft lightings!

Sang har hor fun cost RM10 less compared to the RM29 price-tag for sang har meen (deep fried crispy noodle) which made me wonder why the difference was so extreme. Anyway, the hor fun was silky smooth (thank god) and the broth was laden with richness & sweetness of prawn roe.. simply a bliss! The succulent and big freshwater prawn was cut into two to make it easier to devour the firm meat. Boy I felt like ordering the second bowl of this dish!

Their curry mee was commendable as well!! The curry broth was not too thick nor thin and burst with flavour. With fresh ingredients used, there can be no mistake here.

Their fried rice had enough wok hei and the accompanying fresh & crispy lettuce was just as good!

Another dish that got thumbs up from us was the wat tan hor... the eggy gravy that was poured on top of the flat noodles was lip-smackingly delicious. Fresh choy sam, prawns and chicken slices complete the whole dish!

Leo's verdict - Jenn & I felt comfortable dining at Grandmama's. Best of all, Sher Ryn seemed to like this place too :) the next time I'm in Pavilion and feeling hungry, this place will definitely top my list.

Restoran Kong Sai @ Jalan 20/16, Paramount Garden

Truth be told, I stumbled upon Kong Sai by chance. It was one lazy Saturday afternoon when Jenn & I were feeling hungry. Without any particular destination in mind, I just kept driving and driving until I reached Paramount Garden area. Initially Jenn wanted to go to Ming Heong but it was closed (later we realised that MH only opened during dinner time). Spotted this particular restaurant opposite our initial intended destination, we noticed that it was rather clean and crowded. Then I remember reading pureglutton's blog about Restoran Kong Sai (with must-order steamed chicken) but she did mention that the place was located in Puchong. Is this the same place, I thought to myself.

Taking chances, we boldly stepped into the restaurant. When a rather young looking guy (I assumed that he was the boss) came to take our order, I asked whether they had any connection with Kong Sai in Puchong. I sighed with relief when he proudly informed me that it was their Puchong branch. That was when I knew what to order...

Of course, I needed something to cool my body down in the scorching hot weather... Thai fragrant coconut was the answer.

A soup lover, Jenn couldn't resist ordering a bowl of ginseng root soup with chicken when she knew the availability of soup in their menu. Served hot, the soup was flavourful with little MSG inside (as she claimed that her throat didn't feel dry afterwards).

I suddenly had an urge to eat something with egg, so I ordered the omelette with lap cheong. It was not oily at all & delicious

It was their steamed chicken that stood out from the rest! Apparently the chicken came highly recommended by pureglutton (http://pureglutton.blogspot.com/2008/07/chicken-rice-kong-sai-puchong.html) herself... just read her description on the dish. I thought that the chicken was really smooth and succulent... and Jenn nodded in agreement too! Their rice has a hint of ginger, shallot & garlic - perfect combination with the chicken and the rest of dishes. And please, do dip the meat into the dipping sauce given as it was simply heavenly!

Leo's verdict - I think that they are sufficient to maintain business by just selling chicken rice alone but their other dishes were great too!!! If this place was air-conditioned, Jenn & I would have come more often. Chicken rice lover... this place definitely will satisfy you.

Peng Heong Hakka Paikut @ Jalan Gudang Nanas 3, Klang

Back to Peng Heong Hakka once again and this time with Jenn & Sher Ryn along. The image of the delectable image of the signature hakka paikut kept running inside my head after my first time going there. So I brought Jenn & my little princess along this time... not for lunch but breakfast!!! I admit that the meal was quite heavy for breakfast but since people had equally heavy BKT for breakfast, so why not??? Plus morning is the only time suitable to bring Sher Ryn there, as the weather was still cool. Traffic is a breeze and parking spots are plenty...

It was piece of cake to find a table in the morning too! Most people were still in the dreamland at this moment :P

This time I noticed that they also served various baos and siew mai. But these stuffs are easily available in PJ or KL area so why waste your time driving here for these?

I ordered the usual barley drink... served in a bottle.

Hakka meatball at RM1 each is a must! Minced pork meat stuffed with spices before it is deep fried, each and every bite was a delight!

Asam fish @ RM6 (big) - with only RM1 difference between the big and small, why not opt for the former? Its sourish & slightly spicy gravy was good enough to go with rice.

Claypot chicken in peanut sauce - the sauce was similar to those satay sauce. However this dish was quite ordinary to be honest. The sauce was quite watery and not oomphhh enough. Definitely can skip this unless you want variety.

Signature Peng Heong paikut.. when one mention paikut, he/she might think that the dish was bony. Actually these are super soft pork fillet (something like pork chop.. being chopped into little pieces). I simply love the sweet taste of the tender pork meat. Jenn was hooked immediately after the first bite! So good that she ta pao-ed some for her sister in Cheras.

Leo's verdict - They start business as early as 7am until 5pm. With reasonable price, fast service and delicious food... it's time to plan a trip to Klang for the legendary hakka paikut. if you are bored with the usual BKT everytime you go to klang, then this is what you should have! Traffic can be a nightmare if you come during lunch time so plan ahead ok? I'm already thinking of the third visit... this time might ask some bloggers along. And I have a few names in my mind already.

Mr. Mak Fish Head Noodles @ Restoran Kopitiam Que-Up, Subang Perdana Court 2, UEP Subang Jaya

One fine Sunday, I was sitting at home reading The Star newspaper (which I always did without fail every weekend) before I spotted a write-up featuring this stall located in UEP Subang Jaya (I fondly refer this as Taipan area). However, I didn't get to visit on the same day due to shortage of time. My plan was shelved for a few months before I've got the opportunity to come to this area again. The thought of horrendous jam which was a nightmare which deterred me from coming here for the longest time.

To cut the story short, opportunity came one day when I had something to do in Taipan area. After that, my brother & I went to search for this place. I had no idea on where Subang Perdana Court 2 was... so it took me quite a while to locate it. Luckily the traffic was still bearable at that moment. Mr. Mak had just shifted his business here from USJ 16. I had the chance to talk with Mr. Mak (the owner, of course) for a while to check on his recommendations.

We started with a plate of deep fried fish fillet. According to Mr. Mak, he only uses ikan jenahak (anyone know the English name for this fish?) for all his fish dishes. Lightly battered and deep fried to perfection, the fillets were not oily at all and were very crispy. The plate was licked clean even before the main dish was served.

The fish head noodle came next... I was surprised to see the bowl filled with various seafood, particularly the two huge prawns. The soup was done just right with a dash of sweetness due to the usage of evaporated milk (which is used in most fish head noodles in Klang Valley). The presence of prawns and other seafood further enhanced the sweetness of the soup, making it a delight to eat. Oh did I forget to mention that the seafood was fresh too???

I thought that my brother's choice of tomyam seafood noodle was just ordinary. The soup was a tad too sour to my liking but the ingredients were fresh though.

Leo's verdict - Total bill came less than RM30. I simply love their deep fried fish fillet and of course, the fish head noodle. Never mind that you just want the regular fish head noodle or with seafood, it was still warrant a trip to eat here. Parking shouldn't be a problem as the kopitiam was located under the apartment area. The only thing that you should worry is the traffic :P

Nasi Ayamui @ Jerantut Pahang

After posting on Krabi, it's time to get back on track... clearing up my backlogs which has been put aside for quite a long time. Been wanting to write after Chinese New Year but my hectic schedule has not been too nice to me. Went up North last weekend using the coastal road starting from Kuala Selangor up to Butterworth but didn't take any photo of some of the amazing restaurants that I'd gone to, because it was not convenient for me to take pictures in front of my customers.

Anyway, my friend had told me about a famous chicken rice restaurant in Jerantut. On my way back to Kuala Lipis, I passed by this little quiet town again. The clock showed 3++pm which was already past lunch time. Feeling hungry, I decided to try my luck to search for this place. It wasn't long before I spotted this sign.

How do I know that this IS the place??? For one, it is located next to the famous Guan Yin temple in Jerantut.

Lucky for me, it was still opened at that time... we were actually the very last customers of the day. The lady owner was kind enough to accommodate us even though she was preparing to call it a day. While she prepared our order, I started to utilise my camera.

She only had a fried chicken left so it left me no choice but to go with that selection... half of it to be precise. From the look, it looked very tempting!

Complimentary acar was given but it was forgetable.

The stewed eggs served as perfect side dish for our meal.

The half chicken came in a plate drizzled with sweet soy sauce. The skin was crispy while the meat retained its moist and very tender too. Perfect comfort food to my hungry stomach!

Leo's verdict - No doubt that this is the best chicken rice shop in Jerantut but I wouldn't suggest you to drive all the way to Jerantut JUST for the dish. They had opened a branch somewhere near the town area but I didn't get the exact location. Apparently they had tried expanding to Puchong area (the new parking mall opposite IOI Mall) but was closed several months later due to the poor crowd. Find your fav chicken rice shop to fix your cravings