A Little Dim Sum Place @ Jalan SS2/63 PJ

This place is definitely lesser known or popular compared to the likes of Jin Xuan and Hung Kee Dim Sum, but still manage to fend of fierce competitions in the PJ, particularly SS2 area. It seems that they have managed to carve out a market for themselves despite the fact that there are no less than 10 outlets that serve dim sum within 5km radius. Aren't we spoilt by choices???

In fact, I have known this place for quite a long time. Located on the same row as the much hyped Sanbanto and KTX Food, I noticed a lot of patrons dining there everytime I passed by the shop. So one fine Saturday, Jenn & I made our way here as parking was definitely easier. The shop is divided into smoking (alfresco) and non-smoking (air-conditioned) areas.

The interior was simple and bright and most importantly, air-conditioned! Perfect place to bring Sher Ryn (who sweats easily like her dad) here.

We tried variety of dim sum selections not available elsewhere, starting with Honey BBQ pork bun or char siew bao to the Chinese. Not bad although I still prefer Jin Xuan's version.

Sesame golden - the aromatic smell of sesame and black sesame seeds used proved irresistable!

Prawn dumplings - fresh prawns but not in the best of shape. I like to see the skin intact when they served this dish.

Sharkfin dumplings - hmmmm... I didn't notice the shark fin though!

Bacon roll - my favourite order of the day! However, it'd be perfect if they didn't put the mayonnaise on top of the bacon. Sinful but I love it!

Sze Chuan fried turnip cake with leek - not bad but not spicy enough despite using dry chilly to prepare this dish!

Vietnamese crispy fried rice with crispy prawn cracker bits - lack wok hei but I love the crispy cracker bits everytime I took a bite. Prawns were fresh too!

Jasmine tea @ RM1.60 per person

Leo's verdict - At the time I wrote this post, their limited time promotion of RM2.98++ and RM3.98++ for selected dim sum items should be over! Their selection of dim sums are unique compared to some of the bigger dim sum places out there. Price-wise it was reasonable and service was attentive. I'd reckon that this place worth a visit!

P.S: Non-halal (^_^)

Disclaimer:
1) I'm not paid to promote/endorse any particular event, restaurant or person in this blog. ALL are based on my unbiased personal opinion.
2) My reviews are based on my own personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

KTZ Food @ SS2 PJ

We, the Chinese, simply love dessert! I'm not sure if we are the race that invented the concept of dessert but one thing for sure, we are very good at coming out with a lot of choices for desserts.

In KL, we are spoilt with choices to satisfy our sweet teeth. So many places have sprung up lately but there is one that will always hold a special place in my heart. KTZ Food or simply called "Kei Tak Sik" (Remember to eat in Cantonese) have been doing brisk business for a very long time. Originated from Kepong Baru (their very first outlet), they have actually opened up branches in 1Utama, SS2 and Jalan Imbi (but has since moved to Low Yat Plaza). Their former Jalan Imbi outlet was the one that I patronised the most when I came to KL more than 13 years ago! I remember that it used to be the IT thing to bring girls here for desserts. Back then, it was quite easy to charm the way into their heart with sweet desserts :P just like what I did!

Enough of the history lesson, it's time to get back to the desserts. The time I came to their SS2 outlet, they had just renovated the entire premise. Now the outlet spotted modern Oriental feeling. All the spaces are utilised by using square or rectangular tables. coming here at night and you would normally be greeted by the sight of this! (full house) Normally the turnover is rather fast as some patrons would leave as soon as new customers come. I was considered lucky that night as a table was made available when I arrived.

Jenn & I normally come here for their dessert, be it hot or cold. For me there is one and only one thing that I will order - Mango Loh @ RM6.00. Probably one of the best place to feast on this delectable and sweet stuff in Klang Valley.

Jenn has this Peanut butter (Fa Sang Wu) @ RM2.60 - too sweet to our liking, very artificial. Chef Loong (also in SS2) whip out kick-ass fa sang wu IMHO!

Wall band @ RM3.80 - I wonder how they came up with this English name. It's woh beng in Cantonese :P this dish is actually lotus seed paste. Taste-wise was OK, however the crust was not crispy.

Leo's verdict - Apart from dessert, they also offer some other food items in the menu - all with the hits and misses. One particular dish that I like is their Noodle with preserved vegetable and minced meat, Not really a good place to chat as it was very noisy. Located on the same row with Sanbanto, expect this place to be packed with patrons at nights and parkings are hard to find. If you are patient enough, you can reward yourself with a bowl of sweet dessert to cool yourself down afterwards.

P.S: I just noticed that Joe of lotsofcravings just posted a blog on KTZ in Kepong :) check him out

New Formosa @ SS2/24 PJ

I think that I better insert this blog ahead of others. Sher Ryn is more than about 15 months now as I wrote this blog. Yes, she's that big :) anyway, nothing is more important than celebrating her first anniversary together with families. For those who read my previous blog, my parents threw a simple birthday party for her in Kuala Lipis. They just hate KL's traffic so much that they just want to celebrate in their own hometown. Oh well, I ran out of excuses to make them go KL.

On the other end, Jenn's parents are more adventurous despite staying in Kuala Lipis most of their lives. Once in a while, they would go to KL just to visit their friends and families. On top of it, they love trying new food which is just fine for me. After all, I share the same passion :) Jenn's elder sister treated us to an extravagant dinner at Elegant Inn (Menara Hap Seng) the week before and therefore, I scratched my head on where to bring them in return. Then I remember my 555 notebook which was chucked somewhere, collecting dusts. Browsing through the never ending list one by one, I found one particular name which was quite a Stand Out - New Formosa!

Let me list down all the points why this place is the CHOICE
1) It's within 10 min drive from my house
2) It has been ages since I had good Taiwanese food
3) This place stands against the test of time... more than 20 years I think!
4) The price range fits my budget (but I will definitely not reveal it)
5) New Formosa has been patronised by most of my blogger friends... Becky of thenomadGourmand, Sean of eatdrinkKL, Jonathan of alilfatmonkey just to name a few :)

Jenn & I went to pre-order the food on the day before the actual lunch date. Reading all the blogs, we finally made up our mind on what dishes to order. By the way, the waitress has been particularly helpful in recommending some of their popular dishes too. Talk about good service :) no wonder they manage to stay in business even after so long!

Oh yes, I did notice alilfatmonkey's signature comic strip on New Formosa posted at the entrance of the restaurant :) a lot of familiar faces too!

I doubt there are a lot of changes made to its interior from the earlier days. However, it still maintain its charm after all these years. All of us felt cosy and comfy.

We started our meal with Formosa Combinations - Fried Enoki with shell meat & seaweed; deep fried pig intestine with sesame seeds; and 3-Cup Squid (initially I wanted top shell but it was not available) in soy, sesame oil, Chinese Wine & Basil. For once, I thought that the intestine was good as I didn't normally eat pig intestine. All the dishes won praise from Jenn's family.

8 Treasure Chicken - the chicken was served in a whole bird and dissected expertly right in front of us using a pair of scissors, revealing a wonderful sight of stuffed rice and other ingredients inside. The crispy skin and moist chicken meat were another delight!

Pork slices soup - using only lean meat, it was surprisingly tender and joy to bite :) the soup was packed with chinese mushroom, scallion and white cabbage. Very flavourful and healthy! Jenn's family is sucker for soup everytime they have lunch or dinner

Hakka style bamboo rice was packed with flavours and has sweetish note due to the presence of pumpkin. Topped with fried onion and spring onion, it only made the dish irresistable.

Taiwanese famous bamboo prawns with herbs - fresh prawns provided sweet flavour to the already flavour-packed soup!

Sze Chuan style duck - we love the flavour and crispy skin. However, the meat was a bit dry and tough to chew.

Formosa stir fried butter eel - this dish was a hit with everyone but I thought that it was a tad too salty. The butter enveloped each and every piece of the unagi, and the presence of curry leaves further enhance the taste.

Being a true blue fan of pig intestine, Jenn's mother ordered stir fried pig intestine with capsicum and pineapple. I didn't eat this though...

Stir fried kailan with almond flakes and pamelo sacs - sounds healthy huh??? Nevertheless, the combination proved to be a favourite among us.

Fried lily buds, asparagus, green peas, fresh ginkgo nuts and pumpkin - by the time this dish was served, all of us were quite stuffed but this veggie dish was good nonetheless.

Low sugar vegetarian pumpkin yam ginkgo pudding - the pumpkin was served separately on the side of the yam pudding with ginkgo nuts on top.

I also ordered several bowls of the famous "ai yu bing"

Our meal ended on a sweet note (again!) with sweet yam in honey sauce taiwanese style - the piping hot yam was covered with honey sauce & sesame seed before dipped into the icy cold water. As a result, the outer layer was crispy while the yam maintained its moist and softness. The combo pictures below show the actual process.

Complimentary sweet plum drinks were served in order to wash the oil inside our stomach :P

Little Sher Ryn with her cousin, Xueney! Her cousin was nearly twice as big despite older then Sher Ryn 9 days.

A happy mom with the birthday girl :) Sher Ryn has grown up looking like her mom.

Leo's verdict - we had a memorable meal with so many delicious dishes. My choice proved to be a wise one! With so many other dishes to choose from, Jenn demanded that I plan another lunch or dinner here soon :)

Fun Taipei Teacafe @ SS2/64 PJ

We has just finished some works in Taman Mayang and were heading back to BU. As you probably know, LDP is always jammed during rush hour & we decided to eat dinner on our way home. Picking up Daryl from Kelana Jaya's LRT station, we turned into SS2 to check out on the places to eat. Then we spotted this... Fun Taipei Teacafe! Name was odd but from the sign, you would have guessed that they serve Taiwanese food.. this newly opened outlet was situated on the same row with Nasi Kandar Pelita and it was previously occupied by V-Mum (which has moved into Tropicana Mall).

The interior was decorated with posters on the wall. A lot of IKEA's stuff were used - lightings & chairs.

Menu was huge as they provide illustration for the F&B...

I had the lemon juice as I felt very thirsty... refreshing but it lacks lemon taste!

I placed my order for 3-cup chicken set like shown in the picture. The chicken meats were served inside a claypot which was still piping hot. The gravy was rather strong with somekind of herb (forgive me for I failed to recognise the herb) and a bit oily. Some of you may not like the taste of this particular dish but I found thought that it was good. Soup was heavy on MSG while the taufu and veggie were so so only.

As for Jenn, she opted for braised minced meat (Taiwanese specialty) set that comes with soup (high on MSG too), braised taufu and egg (decent), same veggie as mine... but the main highlight was the bowl of white rice which was loaded with gravy from the braised minced pork (and of course the meat)... very appetising and I managed to steal a few mouthful of her rice... lol!!!

Daryl tried their beef noodle... according to him, the beef meat was very tender and juicy... the noodle's texture was firm and chewy while the broth was not too salty. Thumbs up from him! (don't ask my opinion coz I don't eat beef)

Leo's verdict - not the best Taiwanese food that I had... I think Fong Lye actually fares better. But the service was fast and attentive. The staffs were polite too...

Penang Village @ Tropicana Mall PJ

Tropicana Mall has become my favourite place to go for grocery shopping because it is still new and less crowded. The best thing is that I can go there anytime without having to worry about carpark issue associated with those major shopping malls out there (do I have to list them down?). Top of my shopping lists nowadays are mostly baby stuff... Mamy Poko, Drypers, baby clothes, etc... I hardly buy anything to pamper myself like I used to do in the past! Have I changed??? Hahaha... another step in life!

So it's time to look for something to eat after shopping. Spotted this restaurant tucked at a corner on the 1st floor. Intriqued... we looked at their menu... hmmm! interesting we thought so we walked right in. But then we realised that the outlet was almost empty! Anyway, we were impressed by the interior and decor... white furnitures made the outlet look clean and the red colour on the wall provide Oriental feeling for the outlet.

You can see that there is a section where shiny zinc plates are used together with lighting to add brightness to the entire outlet.

Don't know why but I craved for teh tarik that day... and their overpriced teh tarik was not too sweet but not too great either!

Our main meals were served using a boat-shaped plate which was kinda odd looking... I prefer my food to be served using round ones. Anyway, my Nasi Goreng Penang Village special was mediocre. The two pieces of accompanying deep fried ayam berempah was quite hard but tasted good nonetheless. Luckily they provided her bee (prawn sambal) that provide some oompphh to the fried rice.

Jenn's Nasi Tomato with Ayam Rendang fared better... she mixed the rendang gravy with the rice. The side dish... 3 pcs of popiah was so so only.

Leo's verdict - price was slightly on the high side. Service was fast and attentive, as we were virtually the only customers at that time. They also provide set meal at a special price... but with a catch!! No white rice is provided and the price for a bowl can set you back!!!