Restoran Annie1 Kopitiam @ Damansara Utama PJ

PJ is nothing short of good food to eat - those who practically live in this area their entire lives would agree with me indefinitely :) and given PJ has attained its "bandaraya" status, the second city to achieve so after KL (duh!)... many business has shifted/expanded from other states to PJ in order to capitalise (or serve) on the highly populous city.

This restaurant cum kopitiam is one of the latest to set up business is this busy commercial area of Uptown. The "famous menglembu wanton mee" printed on the awning piqued my interest. For one, I have never been to Menglembu in Perak before and secondly, I wonder if the wanton mee served here can compete with my all-time favourite (747 Kopitiam in Aman Suria). FYI, I have passed this place several times and noticed that it is almost packed everytime. Both Jenn & I could not agree on what to have for breakfast on Sunday (12/9) and suddenly this place came across my mind. She was hesitant at first but after much persuasion, she gave in.

Arriving around 8.30am, there were already a few families enjoying the breakfast. I noticed a smile on Jenn's face, as the place was airy and cool (unlike 747) which was perfect for Sher Ryn to enjoy her meal together with us. If you notice, there are more small tables compared to the big ones. I reckon that the owner's main business came from the office workers in this area who usually come in a group of 2-5, hence the arrangement.

Menu was simple with A4 sized laminated paper with food list on the front and drink list at the back.

Our drinks comprised of Ipoh White Coffee Ice for me and Teh-C for Jenn. One sip of the white coffee and my eyes lit up. Definitely not one of those diluted coffee normally served in those cheapo kopitiam who only care to maximise profit. A good cuppa coffee is very important to me to enjoy breakfast :) but Jenn's Teh-C was so so only.

My plate of Wanton Mee with Char Siew and Wanton @ RM5.20 came shortly after. One bite was all it took to send me to heaven. I don't know if they ever toss the noodle high up in the air to drain the excess moisture or even put it through cold bath, but the noodle texture was springy. The char siew was tender and had the melt-in-the-mouth experience. Crunchy cabbage (with a hint of sesame oil) was thrown in together with a bowl of wanton soup. Not the best wanton that I've ever tasted but good enough!

I was so engrossed in my plate of wanton mee that I forgot to take a picture of Jenn's choice of English Breakfast which made up of 2 fried egg, toast, 2 pcs of bacon, baked beans and pork sausage (yes! it's pork and not chicken). Costing RM11, both of us thought that it was slightly expensive but on the other side, everything was not so oily plus the crispy bacon & pork sausage.

Leo's verdict - paging J2kfm, if you read this... do you know where this place is located in Menglembu?? Have you ever tried at their original outlet there? Good thing is that I don't have to go all to Perak just to try this. Starting at RM4 for a plate of wanton mee (minus the char siew), no wonder this kopitiam is a success in Uptown. Definitely give 747's char siew a run for its money.

Address:
No.20, Jalan SS 21/58,
Damansara Utama, PJ

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.
3) Non-Halal

Char Siew Zhai @ Jalan PJU 1/3F SunwayMas PJ

In the past, Aman Suria area (part of Kampung Chempaka) or Dai Gong as the Chinese call it.. was famous for its gangsterism activities. By the way, I'm just saying what my friend (who lives in PJ all his life) told me. You would still notice the Chinese Village on the left and right before you reach commercial area of Aman Suria from Lebuh Bandar Utama. Just be careful while driving here, as most cars were driven by the aunties without looking left or right (they tend to zoom across the road despite I'm less than 10 metres from the junction) while the motorcyclists are still without helmet.

Nowadays, Aman Suria is famous for another reason - char siew!! Well, at least among the food bloggers. If you think that Ming Kee's char siew is the best, then you have got to come and try the char siew here. only then you can give the final verdict. I don't know about you but I think that 747's version of char siew is the one to beat (for now) followed closely by FSF's and Ming Kee's (but it's just me).

Since everyone was raving on Char Siew Zhai's noodle, it was only a matter of time before I came here. And since I live nearby, a drive to Aman Suria on weekend morning is a breeze. Parking is even easier!

Only a few tables were occupied and I got to choose a table directly under the fan (can't risk making my daughter sweats). Menu was simple with a piece of laminated A3 paper.

Didn't manage to take picture of the foreign workers tossing the noodle high up in the air though, as I was busy feeding Sher Ryn. From what I know, the noodle is boiled before going through a cold bath to retain its springy-ness. Then the worker will throw the noodle up in the air and catch as it falls down to make sure that the moisture is well-drained.

BBQ Pork Wantan Noodle @ RM4 - Jenn normally would go for light breakfast and therefore, a simple plate of wantan mee with char siew is enough.

Combo roast meat noodle @ RM7 - I asked for combination of char siew and siew yoke to go with my wantan mee. Frankly the noodle was great, perhaps one of the best I've ever tried. Their char siew was good & decent but far behind if they were to be compared to 747 and FSF. Siew yoke?? Forget it... maybe I'll try other offering next time.

Leo's verdict - Simply put it... the noodle was very springy and even those picky eaters would think the same. One thing that I love the most is that the place is air-conditioned which is a plus point. Pickled chilly was not good while the beverage was below standard so you can consider to bring your own drink :P lastly, if you were to ask me, I would still go back to 747... as I have yet to find a better char siew that can surpass 747's benchmark. 747's noodle even though not as springy, it was good enough. What I'm looking for is the slightly charred caramelised piece of pork belly that will melt in my mouth. Occasionally, I would order their curry mee as it was good too!!! Google 747 char siew and you would find many blogs on this place... even though I have to beg to differ on Becky's view that FSF's char siew was better :P guess that everyone's taste bud is different!

NON-HALAL

Restoran BBQ Soon Heng @ Jalan Bandar Tiga, Pusat Bandar Puchong

I had been fasting for more than 16 hours, as I had to go for blood test earlier in the morning. Having stopped eating since 8pm the other night, my stomach was growling... felt more like drumming for food. I needed a quick fix before continuinng my chores for the day. CK suggested a restaurant which was nearby. According to him, the wantan mee is good but I have yet to try it myself.

Located on the same row with Maybank (Tesco side), and fronting LDP... With its bright red signboard, it should not be any problem to locate. It was not lunch hour yet and therefore not many people were seen having their meal there.

Most (OK.. maybe all) of their workers are foreigners... including those who cleaned the table, taking your orders (mind you... I had difficulty understanding their slang) and to the one holding the cleaver.

Pictures were shown on the wall together with the price so you know what to order.

Since CK spoke highly of their wantan mee, naturally this dish would be my order. I had it together with roasted duck and char siew. I found the roasted duck to be kinda bland while the char siew was hard to chew.

Jenn's version of wantan mee with shredded chicken and mushroom was no better. The chicken meat was tasteless and overly soft to her liking hence she is of the view that the chicken is not that fresh. On the other hand the mushroom lack the usual braised gravy taste but maintain the woody taste of mushroom.

Leo's verdict - Also, their tea, milo and coffee were pre-mixed and not freshly brewed... not forget to mention that it tasted bland too. There are other dishes such as Ipoh hor fun, curry mee and economy rice... but then I doubt that I will come here again...

Canton-i @ 1-Utama Shopping Centre (Old Wing)

The first time that I noticed this place was while shopping with Jenn at 1 Utama... at that time there were a lot of people outside waiting for their table so we didn't try the food. One day we decided to beat the dinner crowd and came here early before dinner time. The outside looked very nice and modern.

This time there are 3 parts - twice in 1Utama outlet and once in The Garden Mid Valley outlet. I think that I have to speed up and clear the old posts... lol!

They even set up a small takeaway corner at the entrance selling pastries.

similar to Dragon-i, it's kitchen is situated at the front and show you can see all the assortment of roasted meats hanging - duck, goose, siu yoke, char siew, etc... looked very tempting even from outside! I guess this is what attracts potential customer to enter... lol!

Once inside, you'd notice that the interior is white and magenta in colour. These pendant lights create some traditional Chinese look for the restaurant.

The chefs preparing dim dum while you were seated at bar-style counter.

Maple leaves decoration hanging down from the chrome platform on the ceiling.

This is a truly hong kong style food & beverage. From the menu, you can opt for dim sum, porridge (HK ppl call it congee), assorted roast meats together with noodle/rice (even a-la-carte), desserts and drinks. Just like Kim Gary, you have to tick on the food & beverage of your choice on a piece of order chit given.

I ordered their Roast Goose Noodles @ RM18 - this dish is more expensive compared to other types of roast dishes such as duck, chicken, pork belly and char siew. If you prefer drumstick, fork out another RM8! The egg noodles used were tangy and chewy and I loved it! It'd be too soft if over-cooked. The downside was that the goose meat tasted just like normal duck meat... only less fat and meat's texture was softer. It came with a complimentary bowl of soup.

Jenn opted for Carp Fish Balls & Lettuce Congee @ RM11.80 - the congee texture was silky and smooth and fragrant, unlike those teo chew style porridge. Hong Kong style congee is slowly cooked to perfection. Dried scallops are added during cooking process for an unforgettable aroma.

Congee is not complete without yaw char koay, so Jenn ordered their deep-fried dough fritters @ RM3 - very crispy as they prepared on the spot once you placed order.

Deep-fried silver fish with pepper and salt @ RM12 - crispy, slightly salty & not too spicy despite the presence of chilly. I love it!!

Lemongrass with iced jasmine tea @ RM10 - good presentation using lemongrass. However, I expected the lemongrass flavour to justify its pricetag. I was disappointed when I realised that the jasmine flavour is stronger without much lemongrass flavour.

Part 2 - 1Utama outlet as well...

Stir fried pork belly wanton noodles @ RM12.80 - less RM1 if you go for the soup version. I guess that the management knows that most people would go for its dry version so they marked up RM1 higher. Like part 1, the noodle was still chewy and tangy. The pork belly had mild spicy taste and slightly salty. I loved it...

Roast BBQ Pork Ribs Noodles @ RM12.80 - instead of char siew, they used pork ribs for its sauce... it was sweet and I enjoyed cleaning the whole ribs using my fingers.

Jasmine Faery @ RM5 - actually I was intriqued by the flower art tea. Using marigold, gold amaranth and chrysamthemum... it is placed inside a glass cup before poured with hot water. Flower tea is hand crafted tea om which edible flower are hand-tied in a call of tea leaves. The flowering can be seen to be slowly opened giving a visionable appearance of the blooming flower. However, being a tea drinker... I don't really like the taste of those flowers... I prefer pure Chinese tea instead.
At the beginning...

After a while... noticed that the flower is blooming?

Part 3 - The Garden Mid Valley outlet...

Designs are similar to 1Utama outlet.

They have semi-circle sofa for up to 4 diners...

Fried turnip cake with XO sauce @ RM12 - with shrimp, bean sprout, pickled vegetables and spicy XO sauce... this dish is not oily and delicious.

Stewed beef brisket wanton noodles @ RM12.80 - according to feedback from Jenn's father, the brisket was too soft. I guess that the meat was stewed for too long. The noodle however, got a thumb up!

Egg tart @ RM5 - Jenn and I were not hungry so we ordered some dim sum dishes. The crust was fluffy and crispy while the yolk filling was not too sweet. Perfect!

Steamed egg yolk and custard bun @ RM6 - the bun had flavour of yam which I loved, and coupled with the sweetness from the egg yolk + custard... it felt like heaven.

Steamed BBQ pork bun @ RM6 - nothing to shout of, as I had better ones elsewhere. Given the price here, I expect the quality to fare better.

Hong kong coffee and tea (yin yang) @ RM5.50 - no complaints.

Leo's verdict - it is part of Dragon-i group which is famous for its siu long bao. The whole setting and designs of the outlets. The combination of white and magenta colours with lightings created a modern & contemporary feeling for the diners. However the space is quite limited at their Mid Valley outlet. I prefer 1 Utama outlet due to the spaciousness. Their wanton mee is a must try!