Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon @ Kg. Chempaka, Petaling Jaya

To those who have tried Cheras flat fish head meehoon, you'd know how delicious it can be. Forget about the scorching heat while having a bowl of fish head meehoon... I was not really a fan of this dish until Jenn converted me into one. Given the fact that Cheras is not exactly near where we lived, both of us could only enjoy this dish once in a blue moon.

Fast forward a few years later, we were driving to Aman Suria area to look for breakfast when we spotted banner with the word "Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon" along the road of BU11 & BU12. Our eyes were beaming with joy, thinking that they have opened a branch in PJ area. Feeling adventurous, we used a small road from Aman Suria leading all the way to Kg. Chempaka through the Chinese new village area.

It was our first time venturing into Kg. Chempaka area and I was worried that we couldn't find the place. After asking around, we finally saw the restaurant.

Parking was a major headache as it was near morning market (it was morning!) but lucky for us, we spotted a car leaving. Making our way into the restaurant, we realised that the place was rather stuffy and hot. The presence of wall fans hardly made a difference but since it was morning, the level was tolerable. Turn off No.1. Our tea was only so-so as it lack of body and creaminess that we always look for... turn off No.2

The proprietor noticed that I was snapping pictures and proceeded to ask me to take pictures of his stall. The mee hoon was made daily to ensure the freshness and QQ-ness

His foreign worker then brought out a tray of freshly fried fish head which emitted a pleasant aroma. We were really early that morning as they have just started preparing for business.

The fish head was then placed into a pan that was filled with boiling chicken stock

FYI, he made each and every order individually to make sure that the flavour remained the same. The mee hoon followed suit after a while. Tomato, ginger shreds and were thrown into the mix before evaporated milk was added in.

the outcome - steaming how bowl of fish head noodle ready to be consumed!

Leo's verdict - while the fish head meehoon was good, for some reason both of us thought that it lack something (we couldn't explain what) and slightly different from what we had in Cheras flat (specifically Taman Ikan Emas). Don't get the idea wrong - flavourwise it was good but not great. IMHO, Woo Pin at Taman Desa dishes out better version of fish head meehoon. But due to the proximity of this place and BU, we would most likely end up here again should we crave for fish head meehoon. For those with children, it is strictly not recommended as it can get pretty stuffy... with Sher Ryn and Keith along, Jenn & I would choose Homemade Fish Head Noodle in Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara instead and pay the premium just to enjoy the air-condition facility!

Cheras Flat Fish Head Mee Hoon
N0.496, Jalan PJU 1/6,
Kampung Cempaka, Petaling Jaya Selangor
Tel: 016-9287691

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.

Pao Xiang @ 1Utama Shopping Centre PJ

For breakfast, I would prefer something light as I don't like to stuff my stomach to the max in the morning. Give me something light plus a cup of good tea/coffee and you'd make my day. However there is, of course, exception to this rule - Bah Kut Teh!! I mean, who can resist a steaming hot bowl of thick herbal soup with the sinful pork meat? I can't... resistence is usually futile (in this case at least!)

I fell in love all over again with BKT after tasting Mo Sang Kor's version (Hutong Lot 10) for the very first time some time last year. However, it was kinda difficult for me to drive all the way to downtown KL to savour on this delectable dish... their Klang outlet is equally far from my home. Apart from Mo Sang Kor, I think that Pao Xiang's version of BKT was commendable too... I actually tried both outlets in Berkelay Park Klang.

So when Pao Xiang opened its door at 1Utama Shopping Centre, I was jumping with joy. I can go shopping after having one of my fav breakfast... best of both world!!!

BKT affair used to be hot and stuffy as not many BKT restaurants dare to open door in shopping malls. Pao Xiang's outlet was huge and spacious... and most importantly, air-conditioned! I didn't feel cramped nor sweaty at all while dining here.

Most of the times, I would bring my own Puer tea along but if you don't have any, Pao Xiang offers extensive range of tea leaves for you to choose from.

Re-filling of hot water is most of the time DIY affair as the staffs are busy serving customers.

Apart from pork, they do offer other side dishes such as vegetables.. in our case, it's yaw mak topped with oyster sauce.

All the meat was served in a small bowl and heated using jelly-like substance to ensure the soup was constantly warm.

The selection of meat was extensive as well but most of the time, we stuck to our regular meat such as soft bones (nuan kut).

The small knuckle was another favourite - they used rope to tie the meat together while cooking BKT to make sure that the meat was held together.

Intestine anyone??

Now this is something that you have to call and pre-book as the supply is normally limited - pork tendon. This stuff is rich with collagen goodness, something that Jenn loves to the max!

Leo's verdict - price-wise it was slightly more expensive compared to their outlets in Klang but bear in mind that the rental rate is higher especially in popular shopping mall such as 1Utama. Unlike Mo Sang Kor, they do provide refill for the soup although a little bit stingy on the quantity. I am sure that most of you have your favourite BKt place and have different opinions + preference on BKT, but I'm not really that picky... whenever I crave for BKT, this place will definitely be on top of my list.

Pao Xiang Bak Kut Teh
P282 Promenade, Lakeside
LG Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Tel: 03-77252599

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.

Remember 126 @ Bukit Tinggi Bentong, Pahang

Those who have been reading my blogs regularly (lol! not that I'm that popular) would know that I travel between Pahang and KL regularly. Living in a rather small & quaint little town can be quite boring after a while so what can be better than driving to KL which is like only 2 hours from my hometown :) it used to be more than 3 hours in the past but the route from Bentong-Raub-Kuala Lipis had been straightened up so it was a JOY for me.

In the past, Jenn & I could afford to stop wherever and whenever we wanted. Now with 2 kids in tow, planning is essential and most of the time, we would end up in Bukit Tinggi area around lunch time. With a lot of restaurants mushrooming in this area, you would be spoilt with choices. However, only a few of them really stand out from the pack and Remember 126 is definitely one of them :) despite its rather funny name, the food is good and service is relatively fast. Jenn & I have become their regulars and they would greet us with huge smile on the face. They even know Jenn's parents who dine there too!

The restaurant is HUGE and airy, something that we absolutely love. This restaurant is one of the most popular (if not the most) restaurants here and the evidence is shown by the almost full house state despite weekdays.

At the time I wrote this post, I had gone there countless times hence the amount of food that I am going to post in this blog. All in one mah :P

What I love most about the food is that the consistent standard. One dish that stood the test of time is the stir fried baby water cress with chopped garlic. The green was just so fresh and they would use finely chopped garlic than crushed garlic cloves (I'm very particular on this), therefore the aroma of garlic was infused into the water cress evenly. There were times that I would order the second plate as I could not get enough of this.

Another must-order dish in Bukit Tinggi area is the deep fried pork belly with caramelised sauce. For some reason, I never grow bored of this dish. I simply love the fact that the pork belly is very crispy , so crispy until I forgot the fat layer which I avoided most of the times. The sweet gravy was a pefect companion to the rice and enhanced further by the chopped onion. One grouse though was that the amount of onion sometimes more than the meat.

Another porylicious dish that must not be missed is the claypot pork belly with salted fish. As sinful as it sounds, I could not resist the aroma of high-grade salted fish that was used to cook this dish. However, their version was quite oily so for those health-conscious people.. stay away from this OK?

A trip to Bukit Tinggi is not complete without the fish! Yes... FISH specifically river fish. Here are some of the versions that I'd tasted - starting with steamed bak sou gong (silver catfish) with shredded ginger and superior soy sauce. Cost only RM30/kg.. even though this fish is not caught in the wild, it's meat was sweet and flaky without the dreaded muddy taste normally associated with reared ones. The fish is reared in the river uphill with constant flow of clean water. You can opt for the wild ones which easily cost double the price but generally still cheaper compared to KL's standard.

Steamed "wan" fish with crushed ginger is another favourite of us. Heaps of famous Bentong ginger were used to provide extra pungent taste (in a good ginger way) to this fish. Just beware of the fine bones which are literally everywhere in its body!

Steamed asam tilapia - without the muddy taste normally associated with this fish, the sourish and slightly spicy asam gravy was a heaven for us. It never fails to persuade me for a second bowl of white rice everytime.

Claypot curry fish head - garoupa head was used to prepare this dish and even though the name was exciting, the curry somehow failed to make its mark! I had better version in KL and in my hometown.

However, the fish head was fresh and the meat was definitely succulent! Just look at it :)

Other dishes include this stir fried bittergourd with egg - simple yet satisfying dish that I could not get enough of. It was a little bitter but I love it.

Claypot taufu with assorted vegetables was passable but not memorable.

Leo's verdict - on average our lunch here (3 dishes) cost approx. RM50 with the fish! Can you get a better deal anywhere in KL? Parking is ample and given that this area is less than 30minute drive from KL, a weekend drive here is not really that far away right?? Given the fact that we are usually stuck in the traffic jam for more than 30 minutes...

Remember One Two Six Restaurant
PT3347, Kg Bukit Tinggi
28750 Bentong, Pahang
Handphone: 012-2251894

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.

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 Extra Super Tanker @ SS20/10 Damansara Kim PJ

This post is actually more than one year old :P my friends and I actually went to lou sang at this place during Chinese New Year 2010! LOL!!! That's why I wrote in my previous blogs that I was getting lazier to update blogs. Coupled with a relatively busy year, I felt so exhausted and tired to face the PC everytime I finished working.

This restaurant needs no introduction - famous for its rather creative food and a rather odd name... I have noticed this establishment everytime I drove to Damansara Utama using the residential road in Damansara Kim. It is especially crowded during dinner time even on a week night. Hence reservation is preferred to avoid disappointment. Some of their food require pre-booking due to the tedious process.

These 2 guys are my best bud - we have been friends since our school era! It feels good to meet up once in a while just to catch up on each and everyone's lives.

What I love about the yee sang was the usage of fresh pear - it tasted so FRESH (duh!) and sweet! After the lou sang session, main dishes followed suit.

Thousand layer crispy beancurd - one of the signature dish of this restaurant, we loved it! Despite its name, the beancurd has only 5 layers with 2 layers of ham and 3 layers of beancurd. Its skin was crispy but the inside was simply soft with melt-in-the-mouth texture. Definitely a must have dish.

How many layers did you say again? :P

Smoked chicken & duck - both poultry's skin failed to make the mark as they were not crispy but their smoky flavour had us hooked to its meat! Personally, I prefer the duck meat compared to the chicken as the latter tasted rather ordinary.

Stir fried nai bak with yam - this green was one of my favourite and when it was paired with yam (Hakka people love this!), it won me over!

Braised pork belly with ginger & chilly - slightly spicy but the meat was soft and tender due to the braising process. This was actually our second choice as our first choice - claypot pork belly with salted fish - was not available on that day.

Leo's verdict - I could have lunch and dinner at this restaurant everyday :) their food was simply top notch although slightly pricey. They have since opened another branch at The Club @ Bukit Utama which was bigger and more spacious compared to the Damansara branch.

Restoran Extra Super Tanker
48, SS 20/10, Damansara Kim
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS Co-ordinates: N3 08.097 E101 37.742
Tel: 03-77267768 / 03-77267769

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.