Medan Selera Kampar @ Kampar Perak

I hardly venture to the North! Few years ago, most of my customers were concentrated in the East Coast, South or Klang Valley... but never North. Then the economy suddenly became bad and a lot of my customers in Johor and Klang Valley were affected. Business were never the same again. Went through my business card holder for contacts & found several contacts from the Northern Region and thus my trip to the North began.

My first stop for the night was in Kampar town, now a bustling town thanks to the presence of TAR College and UTAR! My friend, Andy, lives here and he was kind enough to let me stay overnight at his place. He brought me to Medan Selera Kampar for breakfast early next morning. Parking wasn't easy to find even though it was weekday morning. According to Andy, most Chinese flocked to this foodcourt and surrounding area just to eat and buy groceries.

The foodcourt was huge and housed many stalls. Being first-timer, Andy brought me to his favourite breakfast spot. He commented that even though the food here was not spectacular or with the wow-factor, it was decent enough to warrant everyday trip here for the choices. I have seen Axian featuring some stalls in his TV program but to see them in real life.. this was my very first time! Look at the crowds! It was only weekday morning.. imagine the chaos during weekends :P

The main highlight should be this stall! Look carefully - it might look like an ordinary CKT stall but there's something different.

This guy was actually sitting on a stool while frying the CKT! Not that he was feeling tired of standing but it was the way since he started this business.

The CKT was different from those we had in Klang Valley - it was less dark, less oily and full of wok hei. however, the only thing that it lack was the flavour. It was rather bland and maybe that's why they threw in the lime and chilly. Andy said that the flavour had remained the same for the longest time. Perhaps it was my tastebud which had accustomed to the KL or Penang version.

Apart from that, we also had the glutonious sticky rice that was doused with curry and topped with lean char siew + peanuts. Not the one to shout about as well :)

My friend Andy had the wantan mee Kampar style that was slightly different from what we had everyday. The noodle was homemade (springy & QQ), bean sprout was included together with the normal char siew. I had a slurp and thought that it was well.. NORMAL!

I bought some thin apom from nearby stall after seeing a long queue waiting for the stuff. Unlike the usual apom, there was basically nothing inside which intriqued me.

Of course, they also sell the regular apom.

The apom was crispy & sweet! It is best to consume while hot because they would become soft once cold.

After the breakfast, I noticed a motorcycle selling a rather interesting stuff - ham kok chai! I don't know what it is called in English but it was good!


The speaker was turned on permanently and to some extent, the sound could get a little annoying.

Leo's verdict - after the first trip here, I had come back here for the second time with Jenn this time... the curry chee cheong fun was truly delicious but we forgot to take pictures! Do drop by this foodcourt if you happen to be in Kampar. This quiet town is nothing short of good food!

MEDAN SELERA KAMPAR (Kampar Food Court)
Between Jalan Masjid & Jalan Ampang,
Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
GPS Coordinates : E101 9′ 1.6″ N4 18′ 51.5″

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.

Restoran Parkway @ SS19 Subang Jaya

My wife always say that I love to plan - be it traveling or eating! And she loves me for that :P I don't know whether it's good or not because it kinda spoil her. Whenever we go traveling, she leaves all the planning work such as the packing & itinerary to me. She just take out all her stuff and the rest will be done by me. For a while, I thought that she took me for granted but then... she's not really the organised type. I bet that the house would be thrashed should I go for outstation trip for a week or so (that is, without the maid). I can't stand the sight of things sprawling on the floor. Call me a freak but hey, that's me!

However, there were times when I felt clueless on what & where to eat! It happened one fateful day while on our way back from USJ area. She was VERY hungry & wanted to have dinner nearby. I dare not defy her because the look on her face at that moment was very much like a hungry tiger. Since we were passing by SS19, I looked to the left and spotted Parkway next to the highway... and made immediate left into the area.

This place is actually a hawker style kopitiam that doubles up as dai chow in the evening. Nothing much to shout for the interior.

Braised pork Hunan style - Similar to the preparation of tong po yuk but ala-Hunan style with the usage of 5 spices powder to provide flavour to this dish. Excellent choice as it was fork tender with perfect mixture of fat & lean meat. The gravy alone was enough to warrant extra bowl of rice.

Volcano taufu - according to the girl who took our order, this was their signature dish. The taufu was mixed with seafood and shaped like a volcano (not really like volcano but with a hole in the middle) with gravy, minced meat and other stuff in the hole. Served on a piping hotplate, it was truly interesting dish to feast on.

Veggie - no complain as the green was fresh.

Leo's verdict - I forgot the total bill but all I could remember that it was cheap. With a reasonably priced menu and rather fast serving time, I will be coming back here again even though I don't know when. The timing has to be right! If only it's not that far from home...
It's located right next to the highway leading from Subang Jaya (thru SS19) into USJ.

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.

Best o Chien ever @ Everyday Foodcourt, Pusat Bandar Puchong

I'm going to reveal my favourite place to savour a good plate of O Chien or oyster omelette in Puchong. Until today, I have yet to find a place that can match this particular small stall located in a foodcourt in Puchong. Back to my life in Puchong which was sometime between 2000-2006, I came to this foodcourt at least 3-4 times a week. What's not to like about this foodcourt? With the temperature hovering around 28 degree Celcius at night, it's a perfect place to dine alfresco style albeit in a noisy environment - people chattering like in pasar malam, the sound came from the nearby speakers. Those were also the times when I'd buy DVD from the peddlers.. yeah I know that they were pirated but I couldn't afford genuine ones.

Anyway, back to the topic shall we? Everyday Foodcourt is located in Pusat Bandar Puchong which is further down from IOI Business Park. If you know where SP Setia Office in Puchong is, the foodcourt is conveniently located right next to the building.

There is an adjoining furniture plaza next to the foodcourt itself.

This huge foodcourt has 2 sections:
1) Covered; and

2) Open-air section

It has almost everything that you might be looking for while eating here... magazines & newspaper vendor, and traditional Chinese pastries that are very hard to find nowadays!

While there are a lot of food stalls to choose from in this foodcourt, there is a stall that I have never failed to order everytime I came here. I introduce my all time favourite O Chien stall to you! Of course, looking at the picture, you'd notice that they also do fried carrot cake, lala and prawns too. What differentiates this particular stall from others is the crispy & crunchy mixture of the batter (flour & starch) and the egg. And let's not forget to mention that tasted GREAT!

The stall owner obliged to let me take pictures of him in action when I promptly informed him that I was going to introduce it in my website! starting with all the ingredients used to make this oyster omelette - starch, home made chilly sauce, chopped garlic, dark soy sauce and one secret sauce (I didn't ask)

Most of the oysters used were average.. about the size of 20 cents

First, he would pour the starch onto the sizzling hot wok.

Once the starch started to take shape, the egg was poured onto it

The batter would then be placed aside while he started to mix the ingredients that made the flavour of the O Chien oh-so-irresistable! Oysters were the last to be mixed into the gravy.

As a result? A plate of delicious oyster omelette ready to be feasted!

I also ordered a plate of Fried lobak from the same stall. From the picture it might looked dry but don't get deceived by it's look. Enough wok hei and packed with flavour too!

Bah Kut Teh @ RM19.80 - mushroom, taufu pok, cabbage, intestines and pork belly were thrown in and cooked together. The herbal taste was quite strong so for those who enjoy this, it's worth a try.

forget about the yaw char koay though...

Leo's verdict - the O Chien stall only operates from evening onwards. Parking shouldn't be hard to find around this area. Crispy batter + flavourful oyster = winning recipe!

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 personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Restoran Tanjung Dua @ Bandar Manjalara Kepong

Kepong is nothing short of good places to eat. For those who are familiar with this area, I'm pretty sure that you would agree with me. The only thing that you need to equip is navigation skill. These days, we are so lucky because names like Garmin, Papago, etc have made our lives easier - simply key in the address and there will be voice that will guide until you reach the intended destination. This is far cry from less than 10 years ago where I relied solely on my gut instinct or local's guide to get to a particular place.

Kepong was one of the earliest place that I used to go when I first came to KL in late 90s. At that time, there was no MRR2 or LDP that made our lives so much easier these days. I still remember how I hitched a ride on my cousin's Yamaha SS110 to the previously Fajar Kepong. Back in those years, roller-skating was very popular :P then another factor is Jenn! Yes, it's always about Jenn :) she used to live with her aunt in Bandar Manjalara. Naturally, I had to find my way through unfamiliar roads from Subang - Jalan Kuching - Kepong! (P.S: don't forget that LDP and MRR2 didn't exist in the 90s) Traffic was a nightmare everytime I drove there but it was worth it! Just the thought of spending even an hour or two with her was sufficient to brave through the congested roads in Kepong. There was a time I took almost 2.5hours to reach her house... all in the name of LOVE!

Now I know most (if not all) of the roads in Kepong after paying all the necessary fees in the form of petrol and toll charges. So when I took her out for breakfast, she would bring me to nearby restaurants. One of her favourite place for breakfast was Tanjung Dua. Coming here on weekdays or even weekends, you will notice a lot of hawker style restaurants operating. Tables and chairs are placed inside and outside to the extent occupying the parking spots for vehicles.

She loved this place for 2 reasons:

1) the famous "Sin Lui San Fa" (Cantonese) which translate to Angels spreading flower in English. Don't ask me the origin of this drink because this name has been used for so many years by this restaurant. It is actually cham (mixture of coffee and tea) but you'd notice two layers with coffee on top and tea at the bottom. I like this drink a lot and so did Jenn but lately the quality has not been consistent.

2) Pork noodle - as famous as Restoran Pomander's version among Kepong residents. Waiting time can get as long as an hour during weekends! HOwever, this place offers the dry version of pork noodle which tasted as good as the soup.

Normally I'd order something else so I could enjoy her pork noodle while eating mine. Their char koay teow (CKT) was not bad - full of wok hei, generous on the amount of cockles & fresh prawns!

And have you ever tried Chinese version of Western food??? LOL! No offense to Italian food lovers but Chinese have their own way to prepare pasta with new twist :P this is the stir fried version spaghetti with bird eye chilly and garlic; 2 pieces of bacons (tasted good but a bit oily) and sunny side up. Somehow I love the taste of the pasta.. hmmmm was it because I love Chinese food?

Leo's verdict - not bad for a place to enjoy breakfast without having to break the wallet. Since the weather is moderately cool in the morning, I love coming here just to have a glass of "Sin Lui San Fa". Located on the same row as the famous "Hennesy Loh Mee" of Restoran Wei Sun (Jalan 9/62A in Bandar Manjalara). It's not easy to find this place if you are not familiar with Kepong so make sure that you have a GPS in hand!

Best Char Siew ever!!!

You see... ever since I read about the potluck thingy from FBB's blog about this little known char siew stall located in Aman Suria, I'd been wanting to come for the longest time. There are not many places that serves melt-in-your-mouth kind of char siew. First of all, I had been to only one place.. Meng Kee in Jalan Alor KL but the place is too far from where I live and parking is usually a headache. Secondly, Aman Suria is like 5 min drive away from my house and traffic is a breeze on weekend morning.

One lovely Sunday morning, Jenn & I SNEAKED OUT of the house after Sher Ryn fell asleep. We had to be fast and finished eating our breakfast before Sher Ryn woke up from her 1 hour++ nap. We gave clear instruction to the maid to take good care of our little baby before both of us jumped into the car and headed to our intended destination. It didn't take too long before I spotted this sign.

Parking was relatively easy to find so I expected my brekkie to be a breeze and quick one... my joy was shortlived and instead greeted with this sight! Unbelieveable!!! I looked at my watch and it showed 8.15am... and I thought that we were early enough to beat the morning lazy Sunday crowd that normally came out around 9am. Sigh!! Jenn & I went separate ways to wait for tables and it took us a good 10 minutes before finding one. well, it's normal for any kopitiam to have brisk business if their food is good, we thought.

Only when I ordered the wantan mee with char siew that I realised that almost... I mean ALMOST everyone came to this kopitiam for the same stall! If that ain't bad enough... I had to queue behind the beeline just to make my orders as there were about 5-6 people in front of me.

After placing my order, I looked at Jenn who was seated 5 metres away who then nodded approvingly for me to continue taking pictures. Last time she used to complain that I always spending time to take pictures while she just sat there and did nothing but after a while, she finally understood my passion and gradually accepted it. The caramelised char siews were places in a stack of trays nearby the stall. FYI, the char siew which were hung at the stall ran out pretty quickly and had to be replenished from the those in the trays... a good indication on how good the char siew is :) I was drooling at the sight of those delectable stuff.

A simple oven were spotted next to the stall which was used to reheat the char siew...

The stall owner was very busy and never stopped preparing the orders which seemed neverending. He had his wife to take orders and 2 Indonesian maids to help out.

It took about 30 minutes before our orders finally came.. starting with the curry mee. This dish came highly recommended by the lady boss. They used egg noodles which was also used to make wantan mee. At first sight, the mee didn't took appetising as the broth looked diluted. One sip of the broth was all it took to WOW me. Even though it was not as thick as my favourite curry mee in Glenmarie, it still packed with flavours.. thumbs up! Apart from that, generous amount of cockles, long bean, taufu pok and of course.. char siew were given. Don't judge a book by its cover!

Wantan mee with char siew - frankly, if you came here for the noodles then you would be disappointed because the noodles even soft, was not springy compared to Char Siew Zhai's version. For me however, it was good enough.. more over my main purpose was for the char siew! As for the char siew, it was the BOMB! For health reason, I asked for lean meat with slight fat. Definitely the highlight of the meal...

Char siew up close

The wantan that came with the mee...

Leo's verdict - apart from the wantan mee stall, other stalls were seen swatting flies (just kidding but the business was not as good). I don't know whether the other food is good or not but so far we had tried their nyonya kuih and nasi lemak while waiting and we were disappointed. Even the coffee and tea were very dilute and bland. Expect to wait for tables during lunch time. Weekends? Pray hard :P however, the lady boss is very nice and she even tried to answer my questions.

The Place : SFS Kopitiam (747) @ Sunwaymas Commercial Centre, Aman Suria PJ

Restoran Sun Huat Kee @ Lucky Garden, Bangsar

I used to come to Lucky Garden in Bangsar often in the past few years. Jenn used to stay nearby when she was still a student so she always have breakfast here. As for me, it was when we bought ourselves a lovely home in BU that she introduced me to this area. Why??? Because we have to pass by Bangsar on the way to her workplace in Mid Valley. Lucky Garden is the best bet to eat breakfast as not many options can be found in Telawi area.

One beautiful morning, both of us had something to do in Bangsar area. Initially we wanted to go to Rice Cafe but it was still closed (it was about 8.30am at that time), so we came to this place instead. During my many visits to these restaurants along this stretch in Lucky Garden, there was not many eateries worth mentioning. Not that the food was bad or anything, it is just decent.

The interior of the restaurant is very simple with many stalls plying their trade here.

Jenn had the pork ball noodle or sam kan zhong in Cantonese... dry version. Taste-wise was OK but it only came with one thin slice of roasted sausage and the pork ball that came separately in another bowl of clear soup was not "Q" or bouncy enough. Even the minced meat was pale (not fragrant enough) in comparison with my favourite in Win Heng Seng. When it comes to this particular dish, I can be very picky as I always compare to my all-time favourite in Jalan Imbi.

My order of yee mee with fish balls was mediocre. The fish balls lacked the bouncy texture that I love while the yee mee was over-cooked, resulting in soft and mushy texture.

Apparently, the famous Soo Kee (Jalan Imbi) has opened a branch here in Sun Huat Kee. Available only for lunch till late night, I read that it cost approx. RM30 onwards per pax. Quite steep if you ask me :) The one I had in Jalan Imbi last time cost almost RM20 only! I guess it's the price to pay for dining in Bangsar??? Better stick to Pan Heong I reckon!

Leo's verdict - parking is relatively easy to find in the morning if you plan to eat breakfast here. If you are not picky with the food and wish to have quick and decent breakfast, then you can check out a few restaurants here. Just don't expect too much OK?