Peng Heong Hakka Paikut @ Jalan Gudang Nanas 3, Klang

Back to Peng Heong Hakka once again and this time with Jenn & Sher Ryn along. The image of the delectable image of the signature hakka paikut kept running inside my head after my first time going there. So I brought Jenn & my little princess along this time... not for lunch but breakfast!!! I admit that the meal was quite heavy for breakfast but since people had equally heavy BKT for breakfast, so why not??? Plus morning is the only time suitable to bring Sher Ryn there, as the weather was still cool. Traffic is a breeze and parking spots are plenty...

It was piece of cake to find a table in the morning too! Most people were still in the dreamland at this moment :P

This time I noticed that they also served various baos and siew mai. But these stuffs are easily available in PJ or KL area so why waste your time driving here for these?

I ordered the usual barley drink... served in a bottle.

Hakka meatball at RM1 each is a must! Minced pork meat stuffed with spices before it is deep fried, each and every bite was a delight!

Asam fish @ RM6 (big) - with only RM1 difference between the big and small, why not opt for the former? Its sourish & slightly spicy gravy was good enough to go with rice.

Claypot chicken in peanut sauce - the sauce was similar to those satay sauce. However this dish was quite ordinary to be honest. The sauce was quite watery and not oomphhh enough. Definitely can skip this unless you want variety.

Signature Peng Heong paikut.. when one mention paikut, he/she might think that the dish was bony. Actually these are super soft pork fillet (something like pork chop.. being chopped into little pieces). I simply love the sweet taste of the tender pork meat. Jenn was hooked immediately after the first bite! So good that she ta pao-ed some for her sister in Cheras.

Leo's verdict - They start business as early as 7am until 5pm. With reasonable price, fast service and delicious food... it's time to plan a trip to Klang for the legendary hakka paikut. if you are bored with the usual BKT everytime you go to klang, then this is what you should have! Traffic can be a nightmare if you come during lunch time so plan ahead ok? I'm already thinking of the third visit... this time might ask some bloggers along. And I have a few names in my mind already.

Mr. Mak Fish Head Noodles @ Restoran Kopitiam Que-Up, Subang Perdana Court 2, UEP Subang Jaya

One fine Sunday, I was sitting at home reading The Star newspaper (which I always did without fail every weekend) before I spotted a write-up featuring this stall located in UEP Subang Jaya (I fondly refer this as Taipan area). However, I didn't get to visit on the same day due to shortage of time. My plan was shelved for a few months before I've got the opportunity to come to this area again. The thought of horrendous jam which was a nightmare which deterred me from coming here for the longest time.

To cut the story short, opportunity came one day when I had something to do in Taipan area. After that, my brother & I went to search for this place. I had no idea on where Subang Perdana Court 2 was... so it took me quite a while to locate it. Luckily the traffic was still bearable at that moment. Mr. Mak had just shifted his business here from USJ 16. I had the chance to talk with Mr. Mak (the owner, of course) for a while to check on his recommendations.

We started with a plate of deep fried fish fillet. According to Mr. Mak, he only uses ikan jenahak (anyone know the English name for this fish?) for all his fish dishes. Lightly battered and deep fried to perfection, the fillets were not oily at all and were very crispy. The plate was licked clean even before the main dish was served.

The fish head noodle came next... I was surprised to see the bowl filled with various seafood, particularly the two huge prawns. The soup was done just right with a dash of sweetness due to the usage of evaporated milk (which is used in most fish head noodles in Klang Valley). The presence of prawns and other seafood further enhanced the sweetness of the soup, making it a delight to eat. Oh did I forget to mention that the seafood was fresh too???

I thought that my brother's choice of tomyam seafood noodle was just ordinary. The soup was a tad too sour to my liking but the ingredients were fresh though.

Leo's verdict - Total bill came less than RM30. I simply love their deep fried fish fillet and of course, the fish head noodle. Never mind that you just want the regular fish head noodle or with seafood, it was still warrant a trip to eat here. Parking shouldn't be a problem as the kopitiam was located under the apartment area. The only thing that you should worry is the traffic :P

Nasi Ayamui @ Jerantut Pahang

After posting on Krabi, it's time to get back on track... clearing up my backlogs which has been put aside for quite a long time. Been wanting to write after Chinese New Year but my hectic schedule has not been too nice to me. Went up North last weekend using the coastal road starting from Kuala Selangor up to Butterworth but didn't take any photo of some of the amazing restaurants that I'd gone to, because it was not convenient for me to take pictures in front of my customers.

Anyway, my friend had told me about a famous chicken rice restaurant in Jerantut. On my way back to Kuala Lipis, I passed by this little quiet town again. The clock showed 3++pm which was already past lunch time. Feeling hungry, I decided to try my luck to search for this place. It wasn't long before I spotted this sign.

How do I know that this IS the place??? For one, it is located next to the famous Guan Yin temple in Jerantut.

Lucky for me, it was still opened at that time... we were actually the very last customers of the day. The lady owner was kind enough to accommodate us even though she was preparing to call it a day. While she prepared our order, I started to utilise my camera.

She only had a fried chicken left so it left me no choice but to go with that selection... half of it to be precise. From the look, it looked very tempting!

Complimentary acar was given but it was forgetable.

The stewed eggs served as perfect side dish for our meal.

The half chicken came in a plate drizzled with sweet soy sauce. The skin was crispy while the meat retained its moist and very tender too. Perfect comfort food to my hungry stomach!

Leo's verdict - No doubt that this is the best chicken rice shop in Jerantut but I wouldn't suggest you to drive all the way to Jerantut JUST for the dish. They had opened a branch somewhere near the town area but I didn't get the exact location. Apparently they had tried expanding to Puchong area (the new parking mall opposite IOI Mall) but was closed several months later due to the poor crowd. Find your fav chicken rice shop to fix your cravings

Crispiest Siew Yoke Ever + Krabi's Street Food

Dinner on our 3rd evening was a disaster, so I won't talk about it at all... plus the fact that we went snorkelling in the afternoon itself, the below average dinner didn't help to satisfy our hunger. Oh well, better luck next time I guess. On our 4th day, it was time for us to go to Krabi's outskirts (out of Ao Nang)... Khlong Thom Hot Spring + Emerald Pool + Tiger Cave Temple to be exact! Initially we were planning to go with the tour group but knowing that the itinerary is limited, we deviced a brilliant plan by engaging the service of one hotel worker (where we stayed) who was on leave on Saturday. He sacrificed his off day just to drive us to where we wanted to go.

It was 2pm by the time we came out from the hot spring and all of us were feeling hungry. We asked So (the guide) to look for one restaurant in Khlong Thom town. As it was only a small town, it didn't take long before we spotted this particular restaurant by the side of the main road. It was definitely what was displayed at the main entrance that attracted us like a bee to the honey.

Crunchy siew yoke (roasted pork) got the most of my attention.

Also the fried fish fillet and pork sausage.

Now knowing which dish to be ordered, we let So to make the decision for us.. started with Tom Yam Goong. Spicy, slightly sourish.. it opened up our appetites immediately.

Also the clear soup with seafood

Curry fish fillet - for those who love basil, you will love this dish. It was so aromatic and full of flavour that we couldn't stop eating it.

Khao pad - this was something that I learned before coming to Krabi. Being a fan of fried rice, we ordered this dish and it didn't disappoint. Full of wok hei with distinctive spicy sauce, we ordered another plate to share among us.

Highlight of our lunch - stir fried kai lan with the siew yoke. The meat still retained its crispy-ness despite being soaked in the gravy for some time. Kailan on the other hand was very fresh too!!!

Fried egg - as simple as it gets! Crispy on the outside while soft and moist on the inside, an addictive dish. They threw in dried tomatoes as well.

Leo's verdict - Sorry as I don't have the address nor contact for this restaurant. But you can look at the red & green roof as a pointer. Most of the time, you won't be taken to this place if you follow tour as they would bring you to eat outside the hot spring itself where the choices are limited too. We paid only 700 baht for the meal and went to Tiger Cave Temple full and satisfied!

At night it was time to visit Krabi town! We went to the Walking Street at Sukhon Soi 10 which had converted into our version of pasar malam during the weekends. Needless to say, expect cheap street food here. Not going to elaborate much but these pictures will mark the end of my Krabi post here. Enjoy!!!

Fabulous som tam + BBQ chicken & Aree Ba Ba Seafood

After having one of the best meals in Ao Nang on our first day, we were looking forward to our second day. We had breakfast most of our times in Aree Tara Hotel (where we stayed) and to tell the truth, the selection was not that extensive and just mediocre. Even though my favourite BACON was practically unlimited, other things just simply failed to excite my taste bud.

So what we did is to rent a bike which only cost 200 baht for the whole day. And I can assure you that it will be the best mode of transportation while you are in Ao Nang, unless you are planning to drive far. Of course, you can always choose to walk a few kilometres on feet, under the scorching sun. But I think that I had enough of the sun back here in Malaysia so thanks, but no thanks.

On our way back to Ao Nang after 2 hours in Susan Hoi, we saw this stall selling papaya salad or commonly known as som tam plus tasty-looking BBQ chicken & fish. There is no signage so I don't know its name.. there is absolutely no need to locate this stall as there are many stalls along Ao Nang main road up to Noppharat Thara Bay that sell this traditional Thai fare. The trick is to see which stall that has the most local swarm at... and this is exactly what we did! Most of you should know that som tam is Thai salad comprising mainly shredded young papaya, with peanut, tomato, bird eye chilly and local spices. As usual, my order of som tam must be "ped ped" :) coupled with a pair of BBQ chicken thigh, our lunch couldn't be better.

We spent the rest of the afternoon going around Ao Nang, went to Noppharat Thara Bay and also Thai massage. We waited for this before going out to search for dinner. Initially we planned to go to the famous Ao Nang Seafood Street which is facing the beach of Ao Nang for dinner but the high price tag for their selections changed everything.

All of us were very hungry and therefore I took out my Krabi food guide which I pulled from the internet and found this rather funny name.. Aree Baba. It didn't take us a long time to locate this place, as it's located opposite McDonald. Their selection of seafood was not bad, although not as impressive as Ao Nang Seafood Street. You can choose your own seafood in front of the restaurant and they will prepare it right away.

Everything looked fresh

The tiger prawns were huge and cost only 150 baht/100g.

They had a few hut-like dining area in front of the restaurants.

Barbequed squid @ 125 baht - simply delicious! Squeeze the lime onto the squid and dip into the spicy sauce... a great way to start our dinner

Pork satay @ 110 baht for 10 pcs - forget this dish. Tasted mediocre and the meat was not-so-tender. The accompanying peanut sauce was bland as well.

Tom Yam Goong @ 140 baht - the prawns were fresh. However, the soup was a tad salty (which was fine for me by the way). Not as good as Lae Lay's version

Fried pakachad @ 140 baht - this veggie had a crunchy texture but Jenn said it was quite tough to chew.

Fried rice with shrimp paste @ 120 baht - is this what you called fried rice?? LOL.. more like economy rice :P

Steamed mussel in a pot @ 120 baht -as original as it gets for its flavour. Its clear soup was very sweet too

Oyster @ 50 baht per piece - fresh! Squeeze the lime, add some shallots and chilly sauce... good to go!

Deep fried red snapper in Thai chilly sauce @ 200 baht - crunchy skin, firm + flaky meat and sweet Thai chilly sauce... appetising!

Highlight of the evening - barbequed tiger prawns with garlic pepper sauce @ 700 baht. I'll let the picture to do the talking

Leo's verdict - total bill came at 1800 baht (no service + VAT here) to our delight. No great view of the beach but our stomachs felt pampered. Burppppp!!!!