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.

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

New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice @ Jalan Gasing, PJ

It was Jenn who first brought me here to taste this delectable chicken rice dish. Her office was nearby and so when I asked her out for lunch, she quickly suggested this place... stating that the chicken rice was good; the chicken meat was succulent and the taugeh was plump, juicy and less root (disclaimer: I don't take taugeh, only my wife); the place was less stuffy and service was definitely fast. This restaurant should not be too difficult to find, as it's located the usual busy Jalan Gasing. Coming from KL, take the Jalan University junction and turn left at the traffic light. You should be able to notice this 3 shoplot-in-1 on your right hand side.

They adopted semi-opened kitchen concept to let the customers see how they prepare orders.. most workers are foreigners but well-trained enough to be agile and fast.

Depending on the time, it can be quite hard to find a table but it shouldn't be too long before one is available, as most people seemed to be in a rush... sit down, place order, eat, pay and go!!! Probably it's the pace of life among KL-ites. Time is gold!

Most of the times, there are 2 dishes that we ordered -

1) Lala - this is one of the must-order dish, as it was fresh and the gravy was superb

2) Chicken - You can opt for roasted or steamed chicken.

Soup is complimentary but try not to drink too much... slightly high amount of MSG is detected!

Leo's verdict - like Joe (lots of cravings fame) said, comfort food for the simple soul... but parking can be a headache during lunch time, I think it's easier to find one during weekends. Service is quite fast as your orders are taken using PDAs directly to the kitchen.