Celestial Court @ Sheraton Imperial Hotel KL

ahhhhh!!! Dim sum... two words that I could never grow tired of :) and I'm sure that most of you love having dim sum too. Everywhere you do, you'd notice dim sum shops sprouting in the neighbourhood, especially those frequented by the Chinese. However, there is a place where you could literally see our Muslim friends savouring dim sum too. Mind you, it's not cheap to eat at this particular place but hey, it's not that we eat dim sum everyday and if you have the moolah to splurge on some nice dim sum.. why not?

Celestial Court is one of those places where the Muslim can eat dim sum here in KL. As a matter of fact, I only know this place as the only halal Chinese restaurant :P where else ah?

Back to the topic - I love Celestial Court as the service was fast & attentive even when the place was almost full house. It was so spacious and rather quiet, one can enjoy a cup of Chinese tea and their dim sum without having to feel like being in a pasar! (Go to a normal dim sum place and you'll get my point) Not that I hate the noise but once in a while, I'd like to enjoy dim sum with the loved one without any distraction.

As usual tea would be served after placing orders - in this case it was Shui Xian tea. Dim sum session seems not complete without Chinese tea :) maybe it's just me!

Steamed prawn dumplings with bamboo piths (har kau la...) - one word.. huge! The prawns were huge and fresh nonetheless and we enjoyed it very much!

Steamed mini abalone with crab meat (siew mai) - epitome of what a good siew mai should be

Steamed buns with barbequed chicken - taste-wise alright but it would be perfect if it was pork

Spring rolls with shredded toasted duck, mango and mint - unique combination but I loved it nonetheless

Steamed juicy dumplings with herbs & spices (siew long bao) - thick skin and powdery. Din Tai Fung's version beats it by miles

Deep fried golden buns with custard & salted egg yolk - I expected the golden juice to ooze out when I tore it apart. To my dismay, it didn't.


Sauteed radish cake with pacific clams in XO sauce - wok hei is assured!

Freshly made rice rolls with prawns & water chestnut - fresh prawns but all of us had the same thing in mind.. overcooked! The rice roll's texture was mushy.

Scallop dumplings in "Eye of Phoenix" topped with salmon roe - no complain

Eight treasure glutonious rice in lotus leaf - one of the best version here in KL. I just love how the aroma from the lotus leaf infused into the glutonious rice.

Congee with scallops - smooth texture

Congee with seafood - ginger provided extra zing to the taste.

Leo's verdict - We were full to the max by the time we finished the dim sum session. Jenn's parents complemented on how good the dim sum tasted, albeit very expensive. I've gotta admite that people at Celestial Court have everything to make their dim sum sounds expensive. Although I admit that this place remains as one of my firm favourite places to eat dim sum in KL (the other one is Tai Zi Heen in Prince Hotel). Without my Starwood card, I would have paid a bomb here.

Celestial Court
Imperial Hotel
Jalan Sultan Ismail
50250 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-27179900

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 personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Day 3 Finale - Foh San Dim Sum, Ipoh Old Town & Funny Mountain Taufu Fah!

Most of my friends were either drunk or too tipsy on the wedding dinner! Somehow I managed not to get drunk :) as I wanted to utilise my last day in Ipoh by taking Jenn to taste some of the much mentioned about food in Ipoh. Initially I wanted to ask my friends to join me on the excursion but looking at their states yesterday, I knew that it was impossible. Both Jenn & I woke up early in the morning and walked to Foh Sam for breakfast. Oh yes... we stayed in Excelsior Hotel which was near (I mean.. very near) Foh San. As a matter of fact, I could see Foh San from the hotel room that we stayed in.

at 8.30am, the street was already bustling with activities. Some tried to make $$$ by selling balloons in front of the restaurant. If Sher Ryn was here, she'd beg me to buy one for her :)

The new Foh San was huge! Occupying at least 4-5 shoplots, the proprietor has done a great job in renovating and turning the whole place into a very modern looking and grand restaurant. Even Jenn commented on why there isn't such place in Klang Valley. She loves this place!

Clockwise from the top - Foh San's sign; Chinese tea (a must for us everytime we eat dim sum) & reception table in front of the entrace. Personally I think it's useless to have the reception table because it didn't serve any purpose at all. Lucky for both of us that we arrived early as there were still some empty tables, as the restaurant became chaotic 15 minutes later when every table was taken and those who arrived late would literally stand next to you (if they noticed that you almost finished the food). It was hard to enjoy our tea after the meal which we usually did in KL. The people at Foh San should have started the numbering system in order to be more systematic.

The selection of dim sum at Foh San was extensive. When we arrived, the waitress would push the cart to your table and asked you to pick your choice. And when the place reached its full capacity, I had to literally shout but everything fell into deaf ears. So I took everything into my own hands - when the fresh dim sum(s) were rolled out from the kitchen, I just walked over with the order chit and picked those that I wanted & brought back to my table.

Most of their dim sum(s) were good! Fresh from the kitchen, I love the fact that they were still hot and smoking! clockwise from top - steamed HK style CCF (smooth skin and fresh prawn); juicy and tasty char siew bao; must-order siew mai; and crispy Wu Kok with delicious pork filling!

Clockwise from top - delectable har gao (prawn dumpling); bouncy and fresh tasting fishballs; full of wok hei stir fried radish cake; and something similar to har gao (but with mango slice and other filling which I have forgotten). At the end, we left our tables to a few polite ladies who had been patiently waiting for us.

We checked out of our hotel shortly after that and drove to Ipoh Old Town (No! not the chain) area in search for a good cup of famous Ipoh White Coffee! In fact, my friends and I wanted to sip coffee at one of the restaurants here but my Garmin didn't recognise that some of the roads had been converted into one-way-street. This time I had to rely on my sense of direction again! Arriving at Jalan Bandar Timah where most of the famous coffeeshops were located, we could not find any parking and those available ones were guarded by touts trying to make easy money.

I didn't want to let them profit so easily and therefore, I parked along Jalan Bijeh Timah where a number of Indian shops were located there.

Jenn & I strolled along this small lane that led to Jalan Bandar Timah where most of the old school kopitiams were located. Love this shot as Jenn didn't even realise that I was photographing her :) my lovely wife!

My destination?? Kedai Kopi Nam Chau as I have read rave reviews on their dry curry noodle as well as white coffee. The place was packed with people as we arrived. Somehow we managed to secure a table located almost at the end of the shop.

Clockwise from top - the task of preparing noodle was given to the foreign worker (indication that we are getting lazier); plump & juicy bean sprout; and the interior of the coffeeshop.

As both of us were quite full from having dim sum earlier, we couldn't order much here. The iced white coffee was normal even though it was packed with flavour. Reading j2kfm's blog, I had high expectation on their coffee and that's why I was disappointed in the end. It tasted like they had brewed the coffee earlier and just poured into the glass and served immediately.

However, their dry curry noodle wow-ed me! Opting for the normal sar hor fun, the dish came with chicken shreds, char siew, and a few plump prawns. Doused in rich curry gravy, all you need to do is to squeeze the lime in order to enjoy the combination of spicy, sour and sweet flavour gravy that enveloped all of the hor fun. One of the best dry curry noodle that one can find in Ipoh!

Slightly oily but it really didn't matter at all!! The taste trumped everything else.

Jenn & I were practically full after the meal but we wanted to end our trip in a sweet note. So what place is more suitable than the famous Funny Mountain taufu fah? Now here was where the story took a funny twist. I punched in the street name (Jalan Theatre) into my GPS and it led me all the way to Pasir Pinji area. Apparently there was a street by the name of Jalan Theatre in that area too :P anyway, we made it back to the town area where the stall was located after realising our mistake!

All the cars that stopped to ta-pao or just to enjoy a bowl of taufu fah in the comfort of their cars.

Operated by a few family members, they were enjoying brisk business as the customers kept pouring in. All of them seemed very busy running here and there just to serve the sweet desserts.

However, they were very friendly and accommodating when I asked them questions. They even let me took pictures despite blocking their path :P

Both of us sat on the small stools provided near their stall and enjoyed the silky smooth taufu fah that was doused in ginger-flavoured sugar syrup in the hot weather! Of course, you can opt for gula melaka syrup or any combinations that suit your taste.

whoops! Caught in the act!

Leo's verdict - after the dessert, we started our 5 hours++ journey back to Pahang as we missed Sher Ryn very much! This was the last time that both Jenn & I got to spend time together before little Keith finally arrived one month later!

Restoran Foh San
51, Jalan Leong Sin Nam
30300 Ipoh, Perak
Tel: 05-2540308
*Closed on Tuesday

Kedai Kopi Nam Chau
54, Jalan Bandar Timah
30000 Ipoh, Perak
*closed on Saturdays (weird huh?)

Funny Mountain Soybean & Traditional Tau Fu Fah
49, Jalan Theatre,
30300 Ipoh, Perak.
Tel No : 016 595 0369

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 personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Quick but Satisfying Dim Sum @ Jalan Ipoh

I have been missing lately! As you know know, Keith (yes! my baby) has joined the Leo's family on 28th December last year. I thought everything would be back to normal a few days after that, until his skin seemed yellow-ish. A trip to KL confirmed my fear - jaundice! I know that jaundice is normal as most babies but still it hurts to see my baby being put under the photolight. Felt so helpless as I stood there and watched Keith cried... and I quickly pull Jenn away when I saw her eyes started to swell.

Anyway, back to blogging... Jalan Ipoh is a place where you can find a lot of good food at good price. This area has been elusive to me, as I hardly venture to this area unless I have something to do here. This time, it was picking the perfect Chinese name for my son Keith! Being superstitious, I absolutely believe that our name is governed by the elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth. The strokes of our Chinese name make difference to your overall life. We went to Kok Chong Ming early in the morning just to pick the right name and hence, Leo Sze Jie (刘思颉)!

My stomach was literally drumming even when we were sitting in the office while the master was calculating the right name for us. Dim sum came to my mind right after that, and we headed to one of the famous dim sum places in Jalan Ipoh, Mee Bon. Located along Jalan Ipoh's main road opposite HSBC, it wasn't that hard to find considering it was my first time here.

The locals chit chatting while sipping tea and having dim sum!

This place only offers steamed dim sum but not fried so if you want variety, this is definitely not the place to go. But then, their dim sum(s) were commendable and might give you second thought!

This time I brought along my own Chinese Tea - Da Hong Pao!

This place was manned by foreigners and most of them speak simple Cantonese. Tell them what you want and they would serve for you. Their loh mai kai was normal - kind of hard actually. Flavour-wise it was OK but you can get better version elsewhere.

The siew mai that we had was good! Using only pork meat, the siew mai was surprisingly tender... most of the places that I had siew mai was not as good as this one.

Stuffed egg with pork meat was something that I have never tried before and I thought that it was good.

Prawn chee cheong fun - the CCF was smooth & the prawn was fresh.

Highlight of the day would be their char siew bao - the filling was juicy and flavourful. My only grouse is that the dough took most part of the bao rather than the filling!

Leo's verdict - most of their dim sum selections are old-school so don't expect much from here. If you like simple dim sum like me, then you should come to try yourself. Parking is a problem here as most people tend to double park (limited parking spaces). Did I mention that the price was reasonable too??? Open from breakfast until late at night!! So you can satisfy cravings for dim sum there if you happen to have no time for breakfast (especially Sean of eatdrinkkl... lol!)

Kedai Kopi Mee Bon
491 Jalan Ipoh,
51200 Kuala Lumpur

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 personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

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.