Tai Kong Chicken Rice

Sob sob... it's a sad day today. Have just found out that my favourite chicken rice at Tai Kong aka Kg Cempaka has changed operators. No warning whatsoever from the uncle who used to operate the stall.

Luckily I had managed to eat there a couple of times just last month. And on one of those occasions I managed to snap a pic of my regular order. Wait.... it's not my regular order... it's my staple order every time I go... haha!



Roast chicken with roast pork with bishop's nose (chicken's butt) and gizzard. The helpings are generous and for RM5, I get this with rice and a huge bowl of soup. Chicken is always tender and cooked just right. Roast pork always has crispy skin. Uncle always gives me generous helpings of chicken butt and gizzard. He knows they are my favourite :)

Sigh.... I have to find a new place now. Wonder if I'll ever find a replacement though. In times like these, it's hard to find any stall that is tasty yet gives good value for money.

Sisters Kitchen @ Plaza Mont' Kiara

The latest eating place to open at Plaza Mont' Kiara is Sisters Kitchen. Famous for the crispy popiah you can find in stalls at many popular shopping malls, they decided to open up a restaurant dishing out popular local dishes.

It is a welcomed change to office workers here as we now have another choice for lunch. Personally though I find the prices a little bit on the high side. Definitely not a place where I can afford to go to everyday despite the many choices they offer.

Ordering from their ala carte menu, one would expect to pay somewhere between RM15 to RM25 for a main dish and a drink. As with most eating places, set lunch is also available and more value for money. Price range for set lunches are between RM15 to RM20 and this includes a main dish, a drink and either starter or dessert together. A little more value for money.

Now with the recent economic conditions, they have a new promotion. Every day of the week, 1 set lunch goes on promotion starting from RM9.90. Now that's a steal!

My ultimate favourite is their Siam Lemak Laksa. And this set goes on promo every Thursday. So you know where you'll find me every Thursday during lunch :)

Ipoh Supermix Stall

Not many people will know of this term Supermix. It's really a term I coined out as there's no other words to describe what this stall serves up. It used to be run by an elderly uncle who has sinced been replaced by a younger couple.

My family has been patronizing this stall since I was a kid. On Sunday evenings, my dad would buy hotdogs, egg banjos, fish & chips and the like as our dinner. It was practically a feast to us. All those deep fried food...

Even until now this is still one of my favourite stalls as it has such a variety to choose from. Some of the items on the menu include hotdogs, burger, egg banjo, fish & chips, pork chop, sandwiches and etc....

My all-time fave is bacon & egg sandwich.

But... the ultimate dish is... the SUPERMIX.

It's basically a slice of pork chop, bacon, fish, burger meat, sausage, fries, bun, egg, sliced cucumber and onions all stuffed into a polystyrene box. Usually the box can barely close tight once everything is packed in. I've never had the privilege of trying this as it's just too much to finish.

Here's a pic of the stall operator who gladly obliged to my phototaking. His only concern is business might be too good and he'll have no time to rest... it's a joke!



Notice the 2 white boxes? He's preparing the Supermix!

Well, if you're interested, this stall is located along Jalan Pasir Puteh as you head towards Pengkalan. It's on your left opposite Shatin Food Court. They are opened everyday except Thursdays and Chinese festivals. So be sure to check the Chinese calendar for any festivals before you visit them.

JJ Opera Cake

JJ had just introduced a NEW celebration cake... the Opera Cake. Now I'm not too big a fan of chocolate and chocolate cake but this is really something you have to try. It's not your everyday chocolate cake you get out there.




The cake is made of layers of chocolate, coffee, fresh cream, cream cheese and finely ground nuts. And then topped with thick sprinkling of finely ground cocoa and coffee powder. Absolutely delectable!

More JJ Swiss Rolls

Over Deepavali weekend, I made a trip back to Ipoh. This time I had collected an order of 30 swiss rolls from friends in KL. People are just crazy over it!

I had asked Siew to prepare another ice box for me after taking measurements and was confident that my trustee little car can fit another box in the back seat. So here's how it looked like in the back seat...


And this time I had the opportunity to try Fresh Strawberry Roll. A strawberry lover, the roll is absolutely fabulous although I would have loved to have more strawberries hidden within the cream in the center.

Ikea Meatball Lunch

Ever since Ikea opened years ago in 1Utama, I have fallen head over heels with their meatballs. Now that Ikea has their own Ikano Shopping Centre, the meatballs remain my fave. Occasionally I will drop by there for lunch and indulge.

Ah... meatballs. They now serve this with chips but I always request for it to be changed to potatoes. Chips doesn't go well with meatballs la.... And always ask for extra gravy... yummy!

Vegetarian Pasta - if you're looking for something budget and filling, try this. Only RM5... really good deal coz it definitely fills the stomach :)

Daim Cake - be warned. It's very sweet! No second time for me.

Kong Sai Chicken

Those of you who know me well are well aware of this really great chicken rice that I've been raving about. Finally I remembered to take pics of the really superb dishes from Kong Sai Chicken. They have 3 branches having their first branch at Paramount Garden PJ followed by Bandar Puteri Puchong and Sunway Mentari being their latest 0pening.

But be forewarned that while the menu is the pretty much the same at all 3 outlets, the pricing may be different and the portions may also be different. My fave outlet is still the one at Puchong where the pricing and portions are to my liking.

This is much coveted Dai San Keok Chicken. I believe this chicken is reared at farms around Bukit Mertajam and is well known for the tenderness of the meat. They serve this chicken for individual portions of chicken rice so it gets sold out really quickly everyday! Advisable times to visit will be 12pm and 6pm for lunch and dinner respectively. Go any later and this chicken will be sold out. This has happened to me on many occasions. So be warned :)

Some people favour Kampung Chicken instead of the normal farmed chicken. Reasoning being that these chickens are left free to roam on the grounds and hence their meat is tougher unlike farmed chickens that are reared in coups. The taste is definitely but many do not fancy due to the toughness of the meat. But.... at Kong Sai, their kampung chicken is almost as tender as the farmed chicken and coupled with the sweetness of the meat, this is also a must try dish.

The famous Wu Tao Kao Yuk at Kong Sai. One of my fave dishes but not very well prepared at most places. But here, the yam is soft and practically melts in your mouth. The meat is tender to perfection and also melts in your mouth. A stealthy combination for me as I can never seem to get enough of this dish. Not healthy but hey... aren't all yummy dishes that way? :)

Another specialty at Kong Sai, Curry Pork Ribs. It is steamed while wrapped in foil hence preserving the curry fragrance until it is served how on the table. Meat is always tender when served. No disappointment here.

With the hot weather here in Malaysia, I don't usually order Pepper & Pig's Stomach Soup. Too heavy for me. But this time, we decided to have this since it was pouring that day. Nice combination with the rest of the dishes. It is peppery enough but not too spicy. Yummy again!

Fong Fun Yong Tau Foo

Chinese, in general, are well known for their variety of dishes. One all-time favourite of mine is yong tau foo. It's a general Cantonese term for only one of the various types of vegetables and beancurd stuffed with fish paste and then fried in oil and later added into a clear soup.

You can enjoy yong tau foo with noodles whether clear soup style, curry style or dry style. You can even have it with rice or if you're like me, you'll just have yong tau foo but more pieces of it.

People always tell me how great the oh-so-famous Ampang Yong Tau Foo is but personally I think it sucks! The fish paste has been added with minced pork so as to lower the cost but yet customers are still charged a higher price.

There is also the famous Ipoh Road Yong Tau Foo. The original stall at Ipoh Road is still just as good but all their other branches are just pure crap!

So, one fine Saturday afternoon, after some grocery shopping, I decided to stop by this little stall nearby my house. I have been eyeing this place for a long time ever since they put a little own-made sign at the traffic lights that they have air-conditioning. Knowing the fussy me, having air-conditioning means it's worth a try. At least the stall owner took the effort to make her customer more comfortable while enjoying their food.

The stall really doesn't look much. But since then, I've decided other yong tau foo places are not worth going, unless it's in Ipoh. But that's another story for another day.

Anyway, this Fong Fun Yong Tau Foo, which is in Puchong Utama at 13th Mile of Jalan Puchong is really something different. Albeit a small stall by the roadside, it still costs 90 cents a piece. But compared with others, I think it's really worth it.

First of all, she uses pure fish paste. There is no pork added. The fish paste is fresh and so are all the types of vegetables used normally for yong tau foo like brinjals, lady's fingers and beancurd. The clear soup is not some ajinomoto concocted soup but instead really tasty soup added with sweet potato leaves. Chili sauce and brown sauce are all made by the stall operator.

Ok ok... after all that blabbering, here's some pics for all of you to drool over :)

Oh. And they have also salted chicken and paper wrapped chicken with wine. As there was only 2 of us, we couldn't try the salted chicken since it's a minimum order of half chicken. But here's the paper wrapped chicken with wine. Really yums!!!

Fish Head Noodles With A Twist @ Soon Soon Lye

Besides roast duck, I'm also a lover of fish head noodles. So when I heard from a friend, John, that there's a restaurant in Puchong that serves up fantastic fish head noodles, I decided to give it a try.

It is really something as their noodles are served either with salmon or cod fish. Although I'm not a big fan of cod, salmon is really something different here.

Cod Neck & Belly Noodles - fish is absolutely fresh and juicy

Salmon Sashimi Noodles (only available on Sat and Sun) - the waiter recommended this as the salmon just arrived earlier in the afternoon so the fish is at its freshest. No regrets. I think when I'm craving for salmon sashimi, I'll visit this place coz it's so much cheaper to have it here than in Japanese restaurants ;)

Signature drink - Cucumber & Lemon Juice

Kedondong Juice - a 'very-hard-to-find' drink in KL and one of my favourites.

All in all, the price is reasonble considering the type of fish served and the freshness and the tastiness of the soup. It has the right amount of fish versus noodles, right amount of shiu heng wine, milk, salted vege... best fish head noodles I've had so far!

Roast Duck @ Restoran Sunrise

I'm a lover of roast duck. I cannot resist roast duck when I see the duck hanging at the stalls. My favourite parts of the duck are the neck and the wing and the "bishop's nose" although most people say it smells and taste bad. Well actually some places can't prepare roast duck the proper way so it really does smell and taste bad.

But here at Restoran Sunrise, the roast duck is absolutely fantastic. Crispy skin, fatty layer beneath the skin is just right, the duck is not swimming in oil and best of all the typical duck smell is all gone.

Sunrise serves only roast duck and is opened from "11.45am till sold out". That's what it says in the sign in the restaurant. It is packed every single day and I think it's sold out every single day.

Roast duck here is served with a special herbal sauce and salted vegetable soup. Really one of a kind soup which I absolutely love. I always ask for seconds  :)

Mum's Birthday Dinner at New Overseas Restaurant in Ipoh

So last weekend we celebrate mum's birthday. Since the new Overseas Restaurant has opened, we decided to give it a try. Knowing that it will definitely blow our budget, we still went ahead. After all, never try never know :)

Four Seasons Starter Dish - I would have to say this dish is quite well prepared. Yummy!

Chicken With Ham & Kailan - It sure looks nice but the chicken was a little overcooked hence a little too tough to chew on. My grandma really had a tough time chewing up the few pieces of chicken she had. The ham and kailan wasn't enough to go round even though we had specifically told them to prepare food for a party of 13. Something they will need to improve on.

Roast Suckling Pig - Piggy was of decent size but the skin just isn't as crunchy as it should be. The best part of the whole piglet was the face! I had half of it and daddy took the other half.

Steamed Patin Fish - Fish was fresh and steamed just right although I don't know why the skin was tearing up in certain parts. Never happens that way when mummy steams fish at home.

Stir Fried Celery With Prawns - A big plate of vege indeed. And more than enough prawns to go round for everyone. We were to find out later in the bill that this dish is labeled as 'prawns' and not 'vegetable'.

Stewed Chinese Cabbage With Dried Scallops - This is the best dish of all! Cabbage was sooooo soft and plenty of huge dried scallops swimming in the stew. Absolutely yummy!

Longevity Noodles - Now what would a Chinese birthday celebration be without this dish. But it was a pretty disappointing dish though. Couldn't quite make out how it was supposed to taste. Salty but it was bland... Confusing taste!

Water Chestnut Dessert - This is one of my favourite desserts but unfortunately it was pretty disappointing. Water chestnut wasn't chopped up fine enough although it has a pretty decent amount of eggs in it. But the worst of all is that it was way too sweet.... We had this after the birthday cake and yet it still tasted too sweet. I cannot imagine just exactly how sweet this dish actually is. My dad came up with this bright idea of bringing this back home, reheat and add water to lessen the sweetness....

Blueberry Cheesecake - Now what would a birthday celebration be without a cake. As mummy had requested for a blueberry cheesecake and yours truly here had no idea where to get that in Ipoh, I turned to JJ Cakes for help. This is now officially my favourite blueberry cheesecake. Creamy to perfection, not too sweet and a thick layer of blueberry jam on top! There's still some leftovers in my fridge which I'm going to indulge in tonight :)

Oh yah, before I forget, the damage that night was RM740!!!! Not including the cake...

More JJ Swiss Rolls - Blueberry Filling

Blueberry being my favourite, I decided to try JJ's Blueberry Swiss Roll..... It's heavenly!

Hee Lai Ton Restaurant in Ipoh

So last weekend I headed back to Ipoh to help my dad out with his school's OBA annual dinner. Being a men's gathering, nobody really pays much attention to the food served as long as there's booze to wash down everything. For me of course, it's the food that matters so here's what we had that night...

Four seasons starter dish comprising of shark's fin omelette, jellyfish salad, some sort of spring rolls and a vegetarian mushroom dish. Serving size is big and definitely enough for a table of 10.

Seafood soup - There were bit of ham, mushroom. Best served with a dash of vinegar. Better still if you add a dash of brandy or whisky.

Roast chicken - The skin was thin and crispy to perfection. Meat was still juicy just the way it's supposed to be.

Sweet sour fish - I thought the fish was deep fried a tad too long so parts of the fish meat were quite dried up but yet not crunchy enough but overall still a nice dish.

Butter prawns - Prawns were fresh but the best part of this dish are the bits of crunchy egg flakes. Really yummy!

Mushroom, beancurd and vege - Standard vege dish at any Chinese restaurant. Nothing to shout about.

Fried rice - I would have to say the fried rice here is really yummy. Fried dry and long enough to have the 'wok hei' that gives it the umph!

Sweet cakes - I know there's a name for this but I really can't recall :) Anyway, this dish totally failed as they refrigerated it and didn't thaw it long enough before serving it. So it was still a little hard to bite.

Tong sui - There was some canned longan and jelly pieces in this. Nothing to shout about too.

Meatworks @ Solaris

Rush hour lunch but we still made it to Meatworks. They have daily set lunches priced at RM10 which comes with a main course and dessert. Main course choices are usually 1 western dish and 1 asian dish while dessert is usually a small plate of fruits.

Beef stew with butter rice
Beef was not stewed long enough so wasn't as tender as it should be. Butter rice was ok.

Nasi Ayam Gulai Lemak
Despite the presentation, I must say the rice is too little to satisfy a hungry man at lunch. The ayam gulai lemak was good though. I'm guessing my colleauge is gonna start feeling hungry very soon.

As we were rushing to get back to the office, I didn't have a chance to snap pics of the restaurant interior and the plate of fruits for dessert. It's still good value for money if you're looking for something different to have for lunch on a weekday. But I would just stick to set lunches as the other items on their ala carte menu is way too pricey for my liking.

Garden Lifestyle Store & Cafe @ 1Utama

So one time my colleagues and I decided to try out this place in 1Utama that we came had set lunches. You know la, times like these, set lunches are the way to go. The set lunches are priced in the mid 10s so it's not that bad.


The whole place is decorated like a garden and I must say it is very well done up. You get the feeling as if you're having lunch in a garden. Of course without the tropical heat from the sun and with the powerful air-conditioning in 1Utama..... The place I want to be.. haha...

There's even a grand piano right smack in the middle although I'm not sure if there's ever a pianist to entertain patrons there.

Lovely flower decor on every table. Small and cute!

On to the food... which is the priority of course :)

All set lunches kick off with soup of the day. It happened that on this particular day it's tomato soup. I would have preferred mushroom soup but tomato's fine with me too. Not too sour but serving was a tad too small for my liking though.

Seafood aglio olio pasta... I think giving 3 shrimps is really miserable albeit being set lunch. Taste wise... so-so only... nothing to shout about.

I ordered nasi lemak which usually doesn't fail. It turned out quite alright although the sambal was a little too spicy. Chicken was fried too long so the meat was dried up and hardened and hardly any meat left on it... :)

I think this was chicken paprika, if I remember correctly. Taste was ok but serving was little.

Each set lunch comes with a drink and you get a choice of ice lemon tea, coffee or tea. The ice lemon tea was a little too sour for my liking and little too much ice in it. But a generous portion.

Iced coffee. Was quite nice and not too strong.