And just to think, I live very near to these place and that means all these good food is within my reach, anytime. Gosh, there goes my diet ….

Choices aplenty, I tend to crave for a certain food especially during dinner. On one occasion, I could practically smell the aroma of Bah Kut Teh, so I drove towards the first Bah Kut Teh shop I can find along the way out of my house. Cheow Sang Bah Kut Teh is located on the main road of Jalan PJU 1/3A facing Aman Suria gated residence, so this place is not at all hard to located.

Being a Bah Kut Teh shop and all, I would assume their specialty is Bah Kut Teh and all I could think of is which part of Bah Kut Teh I’ll be ordering. To my utmost dismay, most of the favorite Bah Kut Teh parts are already sold out. So I reluctantly ordered whatever leftovers there are, mostly lean meat. You do know what are the favorite Bah Kut Teh parts right? By Bah Kut Teh parts, I meant the the parts of the pork. My favorite parts are the knuckles and the legs. Done right and it’ll come out juicy …. hope I am not grossing you out!

Since they are all out of Bah Kut Teh, I had to order other dishes. Here are some of their highly recommended dishes.

Generally this place is alright if you’re not too choosy. Aside from the disappointment of not having my Bah Kut Teh, the other dishes are just ok. Perhaps I did not order the right dishes but then again, nobody recommended me to. And would I visit them again ? Perhaps …..

And here’s their details in case you would like to try them out

Address
SunwayMas Commercial Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
13A-1, Jalan PJU 1/3A, SunwayMas Commercial Centre,
47301 PJ. Tel : 03-7880-4930

Location Map

The bitter gourd (also known as bitter melon) looks like a cucumber but with ugly gourd-like bumps all over it. As the name implies, this vegetable is a melon that is bitter. There are two varieties of this vegetable: One grows to about 20 cm long, is oblong and pale green in color. The other is the smaller variety, less than 10 cm long, oval and has a darker green color.

Now that you’re gotten acquainted with the bitter gourd, let’s get to the interesting bit. Bitter gourd is often used in Chinese cooking for its bitter flavor, typically in stir-fries (often with pork and douchi), soups, and also as tea. And more recently, I’ve discovered a restaurant here in Klang Valley that serves everything bitter gourd. That’s right … from bitter gourd juice (yup, you heard me right) to dish and soup.

Fu Kua Restaurat (Fu Kua translates to bitter gourd in chinese) is located in Taman SEA, Petaling Jaya, just right behind Hong Leong Bank. Out of curiosity, I checked out the place one day. The crowds swells up during dinner so it’s advisable to go get a table earlier. Ordering seems easy enough, especially if you can read chinese menus. Fortunately for me, the menu has english translation.

Since I don’t really fancy bitter gourd (it’s a childhood thingy …. just don’t ask ….), it was tough for me to order the dishes. Especially when almost every dish is made up of bitter gourd … in some way. There’s like bitter gourd with black beans, bitter gourd with meat, bitter gourd with ….. sigh, you get my point.

Anyway, after some contemplation … I manage to order something basic. Bitter gourd soup, bitter gourd with salted eggs and another meat dish which I can’t recall the name. And here’s the surprising thing! I actually ordered bitter gourd juice. Yup, call me crazy but I just couldn’t’ resist the temptation!

So the drink came and I took a sip. The facial expression on my face was priceless, or that’s at least what my dinner date told me. After recovering from the initial shock, my first reaction was to totally abandon that bile tasting drink! So I did. I order something a little more decent …. coke.

The dishes weren’t that bad and in fact it tasted quite alright. Not as bitter as I expected it to be. The soup was quite tasty and the bitter gourd with salted egg was quite good too. As I was taking it all down, I felt like as though I am going through a detoxifying diet. Yup, that was pretty much it.

And just before settling the bill, I challenged myself to finish my bitter gourd juice. And to my utmost surprise, the drink was bearable. The bitter taste was not as bad as it is on the first time. My theory is that all the bitterness in the dishes may have neutralized my taste bud …..

Looks aside, did you know that the bitter gourd has excellent medicinal virtues. It is antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative and that’s why the bitter gourd is used in native medicines of Asia and Africa.

So if you got what it takes, I challenge you to finish that glass of Bitter Gourd Juice ……

Fu Kua Restaurant
Unit 19, Jalan SS23/15,
Taman S.E.A.,
47400, Petaling Jaya
11am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 11pm

I must have walked past this restaurant at Gardens MidValley many, many times but I just never attempted to check it out. Perhaps there’s just too many restaurants of this genre around? But when Ken called recently to offer a session with Din Tai Fung, it was an offer I could not refuse.

After all, Din Tai Fung was ranked as one of the world’s top 10 restaurants in 1993 by The New York Times.

I did a little research about Din Tai Fung before attending the session. Finding out the restaurant’s specialty is the least I could do to prep myself. And here’s what I found from an excerpt in Wikipedia.

Din Tai Fung is an award-winning restaurant of Taiwanese origin, specialising in Xiao Long Bao (small steamed buns, marketed as “dumplings” in the West). Outside its native Taiwan, Din Tai Fung also has its restaurant chains in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States.

Almost immediately I have this burning desire to ask the question. What … makes a good Xiao Long Bao?

Armed with the ultimate question and a big appetite (the session was set at 10am … and trust me, I am NOT a morning person) I went for the session. I made it just in time as the session was about to begin and I was greeted by the owner of Din Tai Fung Malaysia herself, Ms. Lim Meng Lu. I was truly impressed with her gesture as she personally made time to attend to us despite her busy schedule.

And so our journey through culinary perfection began with a tour by Ms. Lim across their open-kitchen. First stop … the Xiao Long Bao station. This Shanghainese specialty, named after the small bamboo steamer (xiao long) it’s typically served in, is without doubt the dumpling lover’s dumpling. Xiao Long Bao should be sheathed by a skin that’s delicately thin yet resilient enough to encase its steaming, soupy contents.

There’s an art to making Xiao Long Bao – a dumpling nimbly crafted by the most expert dim sum chef should boast an amazing number of tidy little folds. Count ‘em – 18 at least, in good hands of a master chef.

Eating Xiao Long Bao required a certain amount of skills as well. Did you know the condiments to compliment the taste of Xiao Long Bao has to be accurate to get the taste “Just Right”? The ginger that is mixed in the sauce for dipping Xiao Long Bao has to be young and fresh ginger. The soy sauce use by Din Tai Fung has been pre-selected from 20 different brands to find the right taste that matches the original sauce from Taiwan.

1 part soy sauce
3 parts vinegar

That’s the right combination for the right taste. Why … to mix with your Xiao Long Bao of course!

Satisfied with my newly acquired knowledge, we moved on the dishes served. Laid on the table were several specialties of Din Tai Fung. The appetizers, according to Miss Lim were some of their best selling items in the menu. As I looked across the table, there were a few varieties of choices … none of which is my favorite. At least not before I tried them. I was never friends with stuffs like cucumber, bean curds or worst …. Century Eggs!

Someone wise once said … never judge a book by it’s cover and I guess it’s very true in this sense. After trying a little of every dish I found my new love! Especially with the one I never liked … Century Eggs! But after trying their Taiwan Century Eggs, my perspective towards it changed totally. Specially imported duck eggs with slices of pickled ginger and guess what? The usual pungent Century Egg after-taste is gone! And suddenly, I love century eggs. The magic hands of a chef ….

I am definitely going back again for their appetizers ESPECIALLY their Taiwan Century Eggs. Besides appetizers, Din Tai Fung is also popular for their La Mian which is type of hand-made or hand-pulled Chinese noodle. Here’s a good list of their latest menu items.

See what others say about Din Tai Fung

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SloppyChic

And here’s the address to Din Tai Fung Gardens MidValley
LG207 The Gardens
MidValley City
Tel : +603-2283-2292

I read somewhere that Nasi Lemak is the national dish of Malaysia. Well, I haven’t really thought about it but that’s quite true to a certain extent. Nasi Lemak is available on almost every street corner and in almost every local-themed restaurant, served with everything from chicken to beef to cuttlefish.

Best of all …. you can have Nasi Lemak for breakfast, lunch or dinner but I seriously doubt you want to do that, especially for health reasons. And I guess it’s a national dish because …… almost everyone enjoys a simple dish of Nasi Lemak ….

So what exactly makes a good Nasi Lemak? The rice? The sambal? or the condiments? It is a very personal preference but personally, I would go for all 3. It’s the combination of all 3 that makes the taste of Nasi Lemak … “complete”.

And I am happy to announce that I’ve found this perfect combination at Village Park Restaurant in Damansara Uptown. Well, at least according to my taste. What I like most about the Nasi Lemak in Village Park Restaurant is …. like what I said earlier, the right combination of …..

Coconut milk fragrant rice – not to mushy and not too dry. Just nice.
Sambal (Chilli) – not too spicy, not too sweet. Just nice.
Condiments – crispy anchovies, crunchy nuts. Just nice.

And if you fancy a little ‘extra’ on your dish, go for the fried chicken which looks equally good as well. Otherwise, there’s also cuttlefish and other choices of side dishes that suits your taste. As for me, my ‘complete’ combination of Nasi Lemak will be just plain Nasi Lemak with a piece of fried chicken drumstick. Medium done.

A little while ago, some folks decided to find out the best Nasi Lemak in town and Village Park Nasi Lemak was nominated. And here’s the result …..

11th April 2009 : The 1st Annual Foodsters Award : Village Park came in Champion !
20th May 2009 : KLue – Top 10 Nasi Lemak in the Klang Valley : Village Park came in 4th

So if you’re interested to try some ‘award winning’ Nasi Lemak …. do check out Village Park. And here’s their address …. with a map just in case you get lost.

Village Park Restaurant
5, Jalan SS21/37,
Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: +603 7710 7860
Business hour: 7am – 8pm daily, 7am – 6pm on Sunday and public holidays

What others say about Village Park Restaurant.

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It’s a Sunday morning and you woke up early. Put on your jogging shoes and did a couple of rounds in your neighborhood and hit the shower. You’ve just started what we like to call .. “A Great Healthy” morning and what follows on would most likely to be a great healthy breakfast. That’s right …. cereals, cornflakes, some fruits and a dash of fresh, low-fat milk. Right?

Wrong. Haha.

My usual Sunday morning would be … opening my eyes to the loud sound of neighbor playing his favorite tune on the radio and children screaming away playing next door. My dogs .. Pepper the Boxer, Chilli and Ginger my Shih Tzus would probably be screaming away for breakfast too. By the time I get out of my house, it’s already 11am .. yup, just right in time for lunch.

I headed towards Damansara Uptown as I was told about Ho Choong Tuck Restaurant that serves pretty decent Tim Sum. Now, that’s my favorite Sunday morning …. starting the day with a good (not necessarily healthy) breakfast. Something like Tim Sum. Yup…..

As said, they serve pretty good Tim Sum, although not the best. Choices are good with the usual steam dishes, fried stuffs , glutinous rice (lo mai kai) and of course, pau. Unfortunately, not all the dishes are good especially the Siu Lung Pau. I had to drill my way through the thick skin before being able to taste the “oh so plain” soup inside.

Generally it’s quite a good choice for occasional visits. Alternatively … there’s a good place selling Nasi Lemak a few doors away which, I presume is good since it’s always packed. I’ll be checking out that place ….. soon. Meanwhile, there’s the address in case you are interested.

Restoran Ho Choong Tuck
21, Jalan SS 21/37
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya

Marco’s Pizza.

The restaurant is vibrantly surrounded by bright red walls, tables and of course … how can you miss the metallic red bar stools. With mirrors covering the walls of the restaurant … one might take a look from outside and thinks this is a huge place. But once you’re in there, you can’t shake off the feeling of a cozy family restaurant. Very much like the feeling you had when you visited Burger King for the first time. A little “fireplace” adds to the uniqueness of the place.

I am no fan of western food especially Pizzas and Spaghetti but Marco’s Pizza does churn out some pretty good choices.

The latest addition is the new Marco’s Pizza branch located in Bangsar New Village. Setups in this new outlet is pretty much the same as the one in Taman Bukit Emas, except for the level of service. On a personal note, I have visited both the outlets and I am happy to say that the level of service at the Bangsar New Village branch is commendable.

With 2 huge flat screen TV’s and a reasonably big children play area, this outlet is very ‘child friendly’. That means, you can enjoy your meal in peace. For those parents with young children, you will appreciate this.

Their specialty is of course pizza, hence the name. And I am sure you are interested to know which pizza is good. Well, depending on your preference … the menu is packed with a whole long list of pizza options. Here’s 3 that I had …..

The good stuffs are not limited to pizzas only … also check out their spaghetti … my favorite is the angel hair. Specifically … Angel Hair Gamberoni. Huge prawns …. basil … and napolitana sauce. Drooling yet?

Details
Address: G18, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1, 1 Jalan Telawi 1, Bangsar Baru, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
Contact: 03-2287 2933 | Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (daily)
Budget: RM15 to RM40 | Cuisine: Mediterranean | Pork-Free: Yes
Credit Card: Yes | Smoking: No

Some say this is the “best kept secret in town” and I couldn’t agree more. I first heard this from a friend … insisting that I MUST try dining at this place. It’s simply called Checkers.

And their specialty? Non halal Pork ! Yup….

I love porky stuffs. Bak Kut Teh. Char Siew. Now this ! Pork Knuckles … Yippee !

This place is not easy to find. And not only that, you better be sure to book your table in advance because they have limited tables and it’s always full during dinner. Checkers is ideal for couples or ‘Yuppies’ to hangout …. sipping wine while savoring delicious .. succulent dishes.

Checkers is tucked deep in Damansara Heights or Bukit Damansara to the locals along Lorong Setiabistari 2. And no, I don’t really know how to get there but I hope the attached map will guide you to this porky haven.

When you get there, look around and you will know what to order. Their most popular dish would be the Lord of the Ribs .. or LOTR in short. With a name like that, you can be sure it’s definitely a hit ! There’s also the Roasted Pork Knuckle. Crispy and chewy. Another one is Scampi … this is one dish you never want to miss … dip bread to appreciate !

Finally, you have to get their Rum Cendol. A special mixture of ice cream, red beans … lychee among others. And a dash of rum to finish it off …..

Not every dish is available everyday, this depends on the cool and the availability of ingredient. Nevertheless, someday you might have Lord of the Ribs and other day …. Harry Trotter ! And you must miss the Pork Knuckle. Here are some pictorial experiences.

Here’s the address to Checkers … with the map. Good luck finding it !

Checkers Restaurant
19, Lorong Setia Bistari 2,
Damansara Heights, 50490 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: +603-2095 3304
Operating Hours: 6pm ~ 10pm, close on Monday

NEVER bite more than you can chew.

I went to Frontera Bar and Grill recently based on recommendation by Derek, a close friend of mine. He’s a foodie … not the blogging sort but the eating type i.e. he’d travel to the end of the world if there’s good food there. And if he tells me there’s good food, I would believe him.

And incidentally, his recommendation came as a challenge or at least that’s what I felt! His exact words were “if you like spicy food, you have to try this place!”. And I was like …. “aww .. no amount of spiciness can take me down … not Timothy !”. And that was it. I made up my mind that I must try out Frontera.

And I did.

Went with my family and hunted for Frontera which is located in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya. If you’ve never been to Jaya One, just check out the map below. Jaya One has over 30 food outlets …. yup, 32 … to be exact. So NEVER complain there’s no place to bring your date for a dinner date.

So I visited Frontera … and the place does look a little Mexicana …. well, not that I’ve been to Mexico .. guess it’s just the feel. Only thing is they played pop music and not La Caracucha. Anyway, I made my order to the friendly waiter and guess what … I ordered the most spicy item in the menu.

Camarones Chipotle. It’s Jumbo marinated prawns sauteed in fresh garlic, lime and chipotle chilies. Served with Mexican rice and fresh vegetables.

I asked if this IS the spiciest item on the menu, the waiter just smiled and ask me not to worry. I will be satisfied. Curious. So I waited. And waited.

My food arrived on my table and I looked at it. Harmless. The ‘Mexican rice’ looks a little brownish, otherwise smells fine. And the prawns …. was just plain prawn. Next, the waiter brought a little plate with a single piece of chili. A fat, short chili. And I was like …huh, that’s it? The waiter explained that this is Habanero Chili … so I went like .. ok. So I started on my dish and cut a small piece of the Habanero Chili … a very, very tiny piece …. and put it into my mouth.

Then came the explosive effect. It started very slowly … the burning effect …. and it grew, and grew. I swallowed it in a gulp but somehow the spicy feel stayed in my mouth. I tried to cover the spiciness with the rice, no effect as the rice is spicy on it’s own! I downed a glass of water, and asked for another. Still burning ! I started perspiring …. drops of sweat trickled down my face …. Then came the effect in my stomach … a little pain appeared, I rushed to the toilet but the pain went off.

Finally and eventually, the feeling went away. And gosh …. I don’t think I will ever try another piece of Habanero Chili. Phew !

Besides burning sensations, Frontera is also building a reputation as the restaurant with bar that serves the best margarita cocktails in PJ and KL. They hosts the only bar in the two cities where you can indulge in a margarita prepared with the legendary Sauza Hornitos Reposado. Now that’s prime tequila made from 100% blue agave and aged in white oak barrels for 150 days for a smooth and mellow flavor with virtually no burn.

Here’s the address if you like to try on a piece of the Habanero Chili ….

Frontera Bar and Grill
Palm Square at Jaya One
Corner of Jalan Universiti and Jalan 13/6,
Petaling Jaya.
Phone 603 7958 8515.
Fax 603 7958 8125.

If you haven’t, it’s about time you make a trip there. I used to dislike going to MidValley simply because the parking there is horrible! It’s sometimes practically impossible to get a parking there. But since the opening of The Gardens at MidValley, I’ve been going back there … again and again. Because of the food, I guess.

There’s quite a few good restaurants in The Gardens. Alexis, Flying Chillies, Sushi Zanmai, Fong Lye Tea House, YO! Sushi .. just to name a few. Rak Thai is a Thai restaurant located on the lower ground floor of Gardens MidValley, which is also where most of the other restaurants are located.

Rak Thai is owned by a Thai couple who was inspired by the food in the streets of Thailand. The outlet design also depicts traditional Thai culture with a slight touch of modern architecture. Warm, friendly waiting staffs greet you as you enter the restaurant.

Ordering Thai food isn’t that difficult, ESPECIALLY when there’s english translations in the menu. This is my 3rd visit to this restaurant, therefore I am pretty sure what’s nice here. Wink, wink! Here they are, in no particular order.

Notice that the dishes above are pretty …. home-cooked? Anyway, if you’re drooling already … here’s how to get to MidValley (if you don’t already know) and Bon Apetit !

That is a very subjective question with variable answers. A meal should let you get up from the table feeling like you have had enough to eat to last you awhile. Your meals need to satisfy you, give you pleasure, and provide you with enough energy to function. For a meal to feel satisfying it should have the following components:

1. Taste Good.
2. Combine Protein Carbohydrate and Fat.
3. Something chewy.
4. Something bulky.
5. Something “filling”.

For most of us, to enjoy what is listed above … you would have to be in the comfort of your own home, with dear mommy’s lovely cooking. Unfortunately, not everyone is that lucky. Some of us stay miles away from home and probably the only opportunity to have some home-cook food is during festive seasons. So if you’re staying with your parents now, please … treasure these moments.

Then again, it’s not the end of the world for “outstation” folks. There’s always places you can go … to savor home-cooked food. I can tell you a few … but for now, I shall let you in on this particular restaurant or .. “Kedai Kopi” as the signage on the shop says.

It’s located not far from Section 14, PJ … if you’re familiar with your PJ roads. Drive towards Paramount Garden, it’s just at the shop houses located opposite Giant Hypermarket. Don’t expect the fanciness of an upmarket restaurant. It’s just a ‘coffee shop’ as the name foretells. Ordering food is simply a breeze for most of the waiters speak english (probably family members of the owner).

They serve quite a good variety of food but I usually order the crowd’s favorites. First on the menu (they don’t actually have a menu, or probably they do but I haven’t seen them …) is the Braised Potato with Pork. This is one dish that I never fail to order whenever I visit this place. I wouldn’t say it’s the best dish ever, in fact … a little salty at times … but I still love it. And so does the crowd.

Next dish is the Deep Fried Baby Kurau with Ginger. The Kurau or Threadfin fish is more popularly known in chinese as the “Ma Yau” fish. Never ignore fish when you are planning your weekly diet. Fish is a fabulous food – lots of variety in taste and texture, versatile and low in saturated fat. It’s also low in calories – the perfect healthy diet food. Aim to include a fish dish in your diet at least twice a week – and more is better!

And finally, a good home cook meal is never complete without the soup. In this case I ordered the White Carrot Soup with Cuttlefish. So what’s this ‘white carrot’? Most of the time we associate turnip with ‘carrot cake’ or ‘lobak-ko’ that most dim-sum places offered in their menu. In the Chinese context, turnip is regarded as ‘white carrot’, thus the given name for that particular dish.

Generally, this place would be the first in my mind whenever I am within it’s vicinity or if I feel a little ‘homely’ and would like to have some home cooked food. And here’s the location map to Kedai Kopi Ping Wah.