Lammeeya @ 1Utama Shopping Centre

At last!!! After so many months, my post on Lammeeya is finally up!!! Don't ask me how long I have kept this post aside as I definitely won't tell.

Jenn & I have long noticed this place as both of us frequented Kluang Station most of the times.. whenever we went to 1Utama. A visit to the shopping mall is not complete without a cuppa of our much beloved Cham Ice :) guess that the yam cha culture is well alive in both of us!

Anyway, we decided to hit this place one Saturday morning for breakfast albeit a heavy one considering the food that we were about to have here. Its interior was brightly lit and spacious, unlike those outlets which prefer to utilise its available space with tables and chairs. Its wall was adorned with huge pictures of its signature Lam Mee and drinks.

The menu was definitely helpful as pictures came together with the description of each and every dish.

For drinks, I had the freshly ground soya milk @ RM2.20. Nothing beats a freshly made drink :)
Jenn's royal milk tea @ RM3.40 tasted just like regular iced tea out there.. nothing special really!

Original lam mee @ RM12.80 - Texture of the mee was firm and bouncy but Jenn claimed that it contained MSG as she felt thirsty afterwards. Flavour-wise it was OK and they were generous with the ingredients too!

Mushroom with minced meat cheong fun @ RM6.80 - didn't look promising in the menu at all. But what do you know? It totally blew me off. Packed with flavour & the usage of mushroom and sesame (normal and black sesame) enhanced this creation to another level. highly recommended for chee cheong fun lover!

Leo's verdict - Lammeeya has also opened its outlet in Hutong which means that they are in their 3rd generation of business. Even though the lam mee was not the best that we had, it was good enough to warrant the next 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 personal taste and preference and therefore may vary for others.

Hutong Food Court @ Lot 10 Shopping Centre KL

By now, most of you must have gone to or at least heard of this infamous foodcourt located at Lower Ground Floor of Lot 10 Shopping Mall. If you need any landmark, it's just outside of Isetan's foodmarket. If everything else fails, just ask and I'm sure many will point to you the same direction :P

Hutong is the brainchild of Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, Managing Director of YTL Group. If you still have no idea, just Google! Most (if not all) of the stallshere are handpicked by Tan Sri himself. It is said that Tan Sri himself loves to patronise all of the stalls that operate in Hutong at their respective original location before he came out with the idea of having them all under one roof. According to his marketing team, Hutong will be a gourmet’s heaven of street food vendors who have sustained their family recipes for no less than three generations, just like the YTL Group itself. Famous names like Honkee Porridge, Kong Tai from Singapore, Soong Kee's beef noodles, Mo Sang Kor's BKT & Kim Lian Kee's Hokkien Mee are just a few names that have set up the business here.

When I first came to this foodcourt, I was impressed by the selection of food & drink there. However, the set up was like a maze and I had difficulty in locating some of the stalls mentioned in the newspaper. It took me a while to locate Mo Sang Kor's stall which is located almost at the end of the food court. Oh did I mention that the ceiling was rather low??? Not a problem for me & Jenn though.. as both of us are not that tall anyway :P

I had Kong Tai's signature Hokkien Prawn Mee @ RM7.90. What I like about this Singapore's import is that the noodles have absorbed the flavours of the stock and yet retained its springy-ness without being too soggy. Not too dry nor wet. The presence of seafood such as fresh prawns and squids provided sweetness to the already lip-smacking gravy. It could be better if the wok hei is sufficient though! The accompanying sambal was not bad to be paried with the noodles.


Mo Sang Kor Bah Kut Teh @ RM16 - originated from Klang. Tan Sri himself is a big fan of their BKT. After tasting it for the very first time, we knew why. The BKT soup itself was packed with flavour and it was so intense that it left an aftertaste on our tounge. For RM16 which was quite steep IMO, there wasn't much soup for both of us to enjoy as part of the bowl was filled with spare ribs. Nonetheless, we love it to bits and when Jenn asked for more soup from the owner, he politely told us that they have no re-fill policy there in Hutong. Of course we were disappointed!!!

As for drinks, we had the usual Cham Ice from Kluang Station which got me wondered, is this kopitiam chain also in their 3rd generation?? Hmmm...

Leo's verdict - I wonder if all businesses are in their 3rd generation. Initially I wanted to try the Campbell Street Popiah and Kim Lian Kee's Cantonese yin yang but the former had not opened for business yet while the latter was in the midst of preparing ingredients. Word of advice... never go there too early as you might have to wait for a long time. I was there at 10.30 and most of them informed me that they start at 11am onwards! A BIG SIGH!!!

Ultimately, while Hutong may be a food court, it will not be just any other food court with the same old boring fare.

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.

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!

Favola @ Le Meridien Hotel KL

I think that the first blog I read on Favola was through Sean's eatdrinkkl. I wondered where this new restaurant was located until I realised that al-nafourah was closed and replaced by Favola. Soon more and more bloggers started to flock to the new Italian restaurant and came back with good reviews. Well, if self-proclaimed Italian food lovers like Sean raved about this place, what could possibly go wrong right??

So one night when Sher Ryn was under my in-law's supervision, Jenn & I came here for a date! We used to go out on date a lot in the past, and dating was something that I love to do with someone I love. Don't get me wrong, my definition of dating is very simple - does not necessarily means going out for expensive meal or vacation. What matters to me was the fact that there were just the two of us spending time together, chatting the night away. Since Sher Ryn was born, those opportunities got lesser and lesser. That's why I treasure the time that both of us had together :)

I must have not come here for a long time as I was surprised to see the entrance of Le Meridien's brightly lid with artworks. Googling further, I plagiarised alilfatmonkey's description of this artwork "Earlier this year, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur has transformed its hotel entrance into an art portal, commissioning the unique work of Chinese artist, An Xiaotong entitled ‘Everywhere’. Upon arrival at the hotel, guests are welcomed with striking colours displayed at the hotel entrance and ceiling along a narrow walkway. With the intention of resetting the guests’ mind when entering the hotel, the art piece features extended branches in bold red branches against electric blue to exemplifies a network of cities that spans everywhere throughout the world." Credit has to be given to this profilic and funny blogger :)


Taking the lift to Level 8 where the Middle Eastern restaurant Al-Nafourah once operated, we were shown to our table (why? You think that I would risk not having table on weekend evening? Hell no... I made reservation two days earlier)

Complimentary breads with 3 different dippings were absolutely spot on - one of the best in town. The breads were freshly baked and the variety of dippings were delicious enough to whet my appetite to gorge on the main course later.

After cracking my head, I settled for Risotto con Aragosta @ RM45 - lobster, lemon zest, and green pea foam. What I love about this dish was the distinctive taste of the lobster.. the portion was generous and I loved it to bits! Risotto lovers take note :)

Jenn's choice of Conchiglioni marinata al cartoccio @ RM40 was a right one - baked parcels with seafood (clams, scallops & lobsters to name a few), extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs and tangy tomato sauce. Topped with melted cheese on top, shell pastas were used to "trap" the sweet & flavourful sauce and went straight into your mouth. The result??? Fantastic is all that I can think of to describe this dish!

I was in the mood for something alcoholic so I ordered this Vibetini @ RM30 - lychee, sugar syrup, vodka and a dash of midori. Sweet but I think that the alcohol content was not potent enough!

Cassata @ RM20 - layered ice-cream with a few different type of flavour. The recipe remained a secret that Chef Antoine & his friend (who gave him the recipe and made him swear not to reveal it) know. I wonder why all of you didn't try it as this was perhaps one of the best ice-cream I'd tasted in my life!!!

Leo's verdict - Before my starwood card expires end of Sept 2010, I definitely will come here to savour on their other dishes again! Two thumbs up for Favola as it made into my Top 10 Italian restaurants!

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.