Yup, I miss those days. But of course, what I miss most was weekend family outings to my favorite Bak Kut Teh shop in Pandamaran. We used to compete for the most plates of rice we could finish and you could see stacks of plates after we finish our meals. Sad to say, my favorite shop was long gone. And I stopped enjoying Bah Kut Teh ever since. I just couldn’t find anyone that could make Bak Kut Teh that good …. anymore. And I moved out from Klang …..

Nah …. just kidding. I moved out of Klang a long time ago, after graduating college to look for a job in the city. I still visit Klang occasionally but not as often as I wished to.

But recently, I stumbled upon another good Bak Kut Teh outlet in Klang. And suddenly, I am visiting Klang more often again.

The place is Restoran Weng Heong which is located at Taman Intan, Klang. Drive around Taman Intan and chances are you will easily find more than 5 other Bak Kut Teh outlets including the popular Teluk Pulai Bak Kut Teh. So what’s so different about Weng Heong? Well, externally you won’t spot much since all Bak Kut Teh shops look alike. Simple setups, plastic chairs and tables, kettles with hot water and practically no decorations whatsoever in the shop. You’ll find out the difference when you sink your teeth for the first bite. But first, you have to know how to order your food.

Ordering is simple enough if you know how to. Everyone has a personal preference when Bak Kut Teh is concerned. There are those who watch their diets …. i.e. they only take lean meat. With all the oily stuffs in the soup, I wonder how ‘lean’ can the meat be. But generally, you’ll need to know what you want to order. You make your order by specifying the “cuts” of pork that you want : fatty, lean, half-fat / half-lean, ribs, leg, spare parts (meaning intestines, stomach etc). My favorite is the leg and knuckle.

And if you’re into bones, just order “big bones” and this is what you get. Trust me, you’re need some sort of ’skills’ to really enjoy this choice of cut.

So what makes a good Bak Kut Teh. Again, this is personal preference but I’d like to share mine. 2 things to determine the quality of a good Bak Kut Teh. First is the soup, since that is the first taste. My choice of soup has to be thick with strong herbal taste that leaves a sticky after-taste in your mouth. Second is the meat. A good Bak Kut Teh chef knows how long it takes to cook the meat to a perfect taste that practically melts in your mouth. Read this … you can practically suck the meat off the bones. Now, that’s a good Bak Kut Teh. According to me, that is ……

Anyway, here’s the address to Weng Heong.

Restoran Weng Heong Bak Kut Teh
28, 30, Jalan 5,
Kawasan 16,
Taman Intan,
Klang, Selangor
Tel : 012-382 4408

Note : Is Bak Kut Teh halal? No? Haha .. silly me. But do read this interesting article.

I’ve been away for quite a while. Yup … job obligations. No choice. But that’s what everyone says, right? I actually miss doing this. I miss the rantings and bitching of culinary preferences among us ‘reviewers’ or better known as ‘foodies’. So here I am again, now that what I have to do is all done and the next one is not until June 2010.

For my new article, I could probably summarize it into a single sentence but then again, where’s the fun in that? So I shall elaborate further ….. here’s how it goes…..

I was at Cineleisure Damansara to catch a movie. The movie was a major letdown but let’s not go there … As I was saying …. I went there for a movie and usually followed by dinner like I always do (well, I do live just around the corner and cooking isn’t exactly my best traits so eating out are some of my best options …). Yup. I chose Mr Teppanyaki because I must have walked past it a million times but I just never went in. So here I am, finally … deciding to check it out.

Time check …. 6:45pm. The place was deserted. Probably too early for dinner, I told myself … and proceeded to find a place to sit. I sat next to the chef’s workstation to get a good view of him cooking and of course … for opportunities to capture a few shots.

Ordering food was a breeze, as long as you don’t speak. All you need to do is to point out what you want on the menu. Don’t get me wrong, you can ask but chances are, you don’t get your answer as the waiter can hardly speak properly. Or it’s probably just me. I ordered Lamb Teppanyaki, which is twice as expensive as the price of a Beef Teppanyaki (I wonder why). Anyway, I asked the waitress if the Beef Teppanyaki comes in dinner sets.

She stared at me …
I looked back at her …
She glanced at the chef …
The chef looked back at the waitress …
And finally both of them just stared blankly at me …
I gave up.

Yup, I could almost hear the deafening sound of silence at that moment. Anyway, they started cooking and what comes next didn’t exactly surprise me. There were 2 chefs (I am assuming they are, since they’re dressed as one) and if I am not mistaken, one was teaching the other to cook. Yup …. right in front of us. And trust me, it’s Cooking 101 …. Live! They went on for a while and finally served our orders.

Time check … 7:05pm. Great! My movie starts in 10 minutes and I am still getting a focus on my camera. Very quickly, I got a couple of shots and started digging in. Lamb Teppanyaki. Beef Teppanyaki. Tasted pretty much the same. Yet I paid almost double for the Lamb compared to the beef. Tempted to ask about it but decided not to. Not to be mean but I really doubt there’s anyone with the authority to provide me with a satisfactory answer.

I made a conscious decision on the spot. Never …. to step into this outlet. Ever … again. Was my decision a little harsh. I think … not.

Having said all of the above, it is still after all …. my opinion. Ever heard of …. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure? So, it’s up to your own judgment, eventually. If you’re up for a little challenge, by all means …. Cineleisure Damansara or now known as E@Curve is where you want to be.

Here’s more of the same views (if you fancy a little more reading) …
Live To Eat
J.Sanctuary
Limfy

Tucked in the far corner of Kuala Lumpur, there’s a place known as Segambut. I looked it up on Google and found that Segambut actually covers a much bigger area. Did you you know that from the high-end condominiums of Mont Kiara and Sri Kiara to the middle-class areas of Taman Sri Segambut and Bandar Manjalara, and the rural areas of Segambut Dalam and Kampung Sungai Penchala are all under the Segambut constituency? I was like … wow, I never knew. So much for my geographical and political knowledge.

ANYWAY, I shall bring you back to what I know best. Located at Segambut Utara (Segambut North) is a little township sprawled with small/medium industrial lots. And amidst these workshops and factories, is Restoran Yu Ai … a very popular spot for their Seafood Noodle. This place is actually a stone throw away from Mont Kiara/Solaris if you’re familiar with that area.

Yu Ai is a simple food eatery that serves only what they do best which is seafood noodle and their new menu, fish head noodle if you fancy that. Having been in the business for more than 11 years, they family recipe of the much acclaimed seafood noodle has been a favorite for many.

When you step into the outlet, you’ll be greeted by rows of seafood noodle condiments displayed along the entrance, followed by gigantic pots of soup bases. Plain, Curry and Tom Yam. And those are exactly the choices of order you can make. Perhaps this might help :

Step 1 : Choose your preferred soup base. Plain, Curry or Tom Yam
Step 2 : Choose your noodle type. Mee, Meehoon or Kuay Teow
Step 3 : Finally choose your choice of seafood. There’s prawn, fish, oyster, cuttlefish and clam.
Step 4 : Determine the size you want depending on your appetite (try small if it’s your 1st time)

Here’s a little hint, if your spicy intake level is moderate, go for curry. And if you do choose tom yam, try not to speak too often when you’re eating. You never know when you might get choked over the strong, thick taste of the tom yam. I knew … speaking from experience…. if you know what I mean.

You can also mix and match the choices of seafood, for example I only go for fish and prawns since I don’t exactly fancy the rest.

The price in Yu Ai isn’t exactly the cheapest in town and in fact, it has been steadily increasing over the years. A large bowl of seafood noodle will set you back by RM17.00 while the small one cost RM15.00. Might be a little pricey for many but if the place is still pack during meal times, who’s complaining?

Budget aside, I don’t mind visiting them occasionally and I love bringing my friends visiting from abroad to this place.

As mentioned, some might think this place is expensive while some thing otherwise. Here’s what some others wrote about Yu Ai.

Buurps
WeAteThis
Lots of Cravings
WAntAn Productions
Boredworkers.com

More information about this place.

Contact Details
Restoran Yu Ai (Segambut)
Address : No. 42 Jalan Segambut Utara, 51200 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours : 8am – 5pm
Telephone :012-335 5563

Restoran Yu Ai (SS2)
Address : No. 58, Jalan SS2/10, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening Hours : 11am – 9.30pm
Telephone :03-7877 8177

Ratings
OVERALL RATING : * * * (An expensive yet satisfying meal)
Environment Rating : * * (Typical coffee shop setup, choice of indoor and outdoor dining)
Food Rating : * * * * (Spared no expense on seafood. Love it!)
Service Rating : * * (Can be a little irritating during peak hours)
Budget Rating : * * * (It’s a choice meal. It’s a good deal if you’re a fan)

Operation Details
Average Price : RM17.00 (Large) RM15.00 (Small)
Operating Hours : Daily 8:00am to 5:00pm

I love steamboats. My friends used to tell me that maybe it’s a Klang thing. Perhaps it’s true to a certain extent. I come from a big family and when there’s a cause for celebration, we dine out. In a town like Klang, there’s only 2 places you can go if you have a family of more than 10. You either go to a seafood restaurant or a steamboat restaurant.

And I guess that why I grew with a certain preference for chinese food … and trust me, steamboat is as chinese as it can get.

I still remember the days where steamboats were served on aluminum pots heated up with charcoal fire. And to top it off, most steamboat restaurants were open-aired. The heat … the sweat … yet we enjoyed our food. These days, air conditioned steamboat restaurants are normal and steamboat pot were heated using gas or electric source.

One such outlet is the Grand Steamboat Garden in Taipan USJ. I was there recently as an invited guest by Wilson from PlacesandFoods.com to try out their new concept which I find quite interesting. Imagine a cross between sushi and steamboat. Well, you don’t exactly dip sushi’s in the hotpot! What I meant was … a conveyor belt. Choices of food were displayed along a conveyor belt, just like those you see in fast food japanese sushi restaurants. You pick your choice and eat your heart out. And that’s where the similarity ends.

At least you don’t have to eat and count the colors of your plates like you usually do. This is because you’ll be charge a flat fee instead of how much you eat. But do bear in mind that if you waste food, they charge your leftovers. Can you imagine that? Well …. let’s put it this way, people go hungry on the other side of the world. I am sure you feel for them. So don’t waste, ok?

Range of dish choices are good … from paper-thin beef slices to seafood balls and of course, the usual vegetables and noodles. Occasionally you spot a couple of eggs roll by the conveyor belt that’s pretty much in your face. I made an attempt to count how many different types of dishes they offer by staring at the conveyor belt and stopped counting at 10. Cross-eyed.

If I am not mistaken, there should be easily more than 50 different types of dishes offered. Talk about spoilt for choices, eh? But I believe they could do more to add value. Besides raw stuffs, there’s also choices of ready-to-eat dishes such as my favorite .. the Honey Chicken .. yum yum …. and a couple of other items.

And the next most important thing to steamboat is the soup. There’s nothing like a well-prepared soup and these guys at Grand Steamboat really pamper you with choices. Available soup choices are chicken, herbal, prawn, tomyam and finally extra-spicy soup. I was contemplating between prawn and extra-spicy (I am a sucker for spicy stuffs) and finally the prawn won.

What I like most about the place is the ambiance. It’s bright and cheerful although I must admit that they should do something about the plain cement walls, that’s a little out of place. Otherwise, seating arrangements are pretty well spaced out.

I wouldn’t say this is the best steamboat restaurant I’ve been to but given the benefit of doubt, Grand Steamboat Garden could grow into one.

Contact Details
39G, Jalan USJ 10/1F,
Taipan Subang Jaya,
47610 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

The restaurant is located on the same row as Standard Chartered Bank in Taipan. It’s an intermediate corner lot.

Ratings
OVERALL RATING : * * * (plenty of room for improvement)
Environment Rating : * * * (could do with a little more identity)
Food Rating : * * * (decent, can be better)
Service Rating : * * * * (Well served. You may want to check back again during peak hours)
Budget Rating : * * (Could do with a little more value-adds)

Operation Details
Average Price : RM26.80 nett (adults) RM16.30 nett (children)
Operating Hours : Daily 11.30am – 2:30pm, 6.00pm – 11.00pm
Accepted Cards: : Master Card , Visa Card

Miscellaneous Details
Halal : Yes (but no certificate though …)
Dining Method : Dine-In lah of course. How to ta-pau steamboat???
Food/Cuisine : Chinese hotpot
Ambiance/Features : Simple and bright
BYO (Bring Your Own) Allowed? : Erm … I think I can sneak some pork chop into my hotpot?
Reservations : Yes

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

WMW
KL People KL Food
Malaysian Food Guide
Precious Pea
FoodPOI
Black Tie White Lie
Iamthewitch.com
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.

KampungboyCitygal
WaiSikKai.com
Memoirs of a Chocoholic
Food4Thot
Plusizekitten
Boredworkers.com
A Whiff of Lemongrass
Lessthanten

When you are in Ipoh, you must try Funny Mountain …… that’s what I was told when I visited Ipoh.

For those of you from the North, looking for good food may be a breeze to you. But for us Central folks, it’s like looking for needle in a haystack. It’s a good thing that good foodies from Penang and Ipoh are never lacking too. I speak for myself when I say …. whenever I visit Penang or Ipoh, I must comb through some food blogs to make a “hit list”. That’s right …. what should I hit and where should I miss … on purpose.

When I first heard of Funny Mountain, it did came across my mind that this could be the name of a new theme park or hotel. Until I found out the full name, which is Funny Mountain Traditional Soya Bean and Tau Fu Fa.

Yup …. desserts.

And this is no ordinary dessert, I might say. Started back in the early 1950’s, it was said that the quality of their serving remain unchanged since the early days. Funny Mountain serves the smoothest Tau Fu Fa (Soybean Custard/Curd) in town. It’s so smooth that it slides down your throat one spoonful at a time. Before you know it, you are ordering your second serving.

But do bear in mind that Funny Mountain’s produce is well known all around Malaysia therefore when you decide to have the next one, they might be sold out.

There are 2 ways to savor the delicious, silky smooth Funny Mountain Tau Fu Fa. You can either drive-thru or eat in. For drive-thru, just stop your vehicle in front of the stall, signal a little and the workers will deliver your orders. Or better still, enjoy it fresh at the stall.

Specialties
Soya Bean milk (tau cheong sui). Smooth and thick; one glass is obviously not enough
Soyabean curd (tau fu fa). Try mixing it with soyabean milk or cincau
Cincau (lengkong). Try mixing with soyabean

Try to be creative in Funny Mountain such as mixing the stuffs from the menu. You never know what you might come up with.

Here’s some fusion tips
If you want to mix soyabean milk with soyabean curd, say “pak pak” (white and white). If you want to mix soyabean and cincau say “hak pak” (black and white). If you want to mix the three, just say, “sam yeong cham” (mix three types). This is to avoid confusion as they deal with many customers all the time.

Check what the others say about Funny Mountain
Rasa Rasa Malaysia
Sixth Seal
Mywisewife
Kampungboycitygirl
Sooyin.com
Eiling.com

Address
Along Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar,
30300 Ipoh, Perak
(near to the Tanjung Rambutan taxi stand)
Tel: 05 546 9968
Mobile: 012 516 1607

Business hours: 10.30am to 7.30pm
Opens: Daily

Here’s one from across the bridge. Yup …. occasionally my career would require me to venture to this neighboring country of ours, Singapore. And old habits die hard. Where I go, the camera goes. And where the camera goes, the clicking continues …. right? This isn’t my first review on Singapore food. I’ve done quite a few and it get’s better along the way. The food, I mean.

Anyway … about the food. Pardon my pun but I’ve always thought Singaporean food is nothing to shout about. Apparently I can be wrong. Simply because …. I have to know where to look for good food. I guess it’s the same here in Malaysia, or specifically Kuala Lumpur. Or even Penang for that matters. But the thought vanished in an instant as I stepped into Dian Xiao Er.

Looks like they really put in a lot of effort to produce the olden days dining experience. Rustic timber sheds adds to the ambiance of traditional Chinese inn dining.

There’s also a story behind their specialty servings which is Herbal Roast Duck. Chinese Herbs are distinctive culture heritages of the Chinese. It was said that combining herbs with roast duck was the brainchild of a Xiao Er (Waiter) in a roast duck restaurant. It started out as an attempt to help his bedridden master on the route to recovery. After a few feeding sessions, the master showed remarkable improvements in his condition, making a speedy recovery and even emerged stronger than before. From then on, Herbal Roast Duck became the specialty of the restaurant. And this … is something you don’t want to miss in Dian Xiao Er.

The rest of the dishes below are selected from a list of their “set menus”. Pricing is quite reasonable for these set menus. Averagely, you pay about S$38 for a 2 person meal consisting of 5 items. And as for Malaysians …. try not to convert the amount to Ringgit value. Then of course it’s expensive, right?

Generally, I should say this place serves good food and is a real good deal. Do check it out. Alternatively, you can also read what others wrote about Dian Xiao Er

HungryGoWhere
SgFavouriteFood
SingapuraDailyPhoto
Yum
Five Senses

Location
#02-203/204 Marina Square
Tel: (65) 6337 1928

Dian Xiao Er is also located in these venues:
VivoCity
Ang Mo Kio Hub
Causeway Point
Changi Airport T3
Lot One
Jurong Point
West Coast Plaza

Opening Hours:
11:30am – 2:30pm,
5:30pm – 10:00pm (last order 9:30pm).

No Reservations but you can call the restaurant
between 2:30pm – 5pm for a priority queue-number.

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

My first visit to Ah Cheng Laksa for a review was way back in January 2009. It was a casual visit without the restaurant owner attending to me. And you can read about what I wrote here.

I was invited to visit this restaurant again recently to do a “food sampling” together with a few other fellow foodies. If you’ve been frequenting food blogs, you may have heard of Feedmelah.com … by a team of foodies consisting of Stephen, Sue Ann and William. Here’s their article on Ah Cheng Laksa.

And if you’ve not been to Ah Cheng Laksa, it’s located on the lower ground floor of e@Curve (formerly Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara). If you’ve read my last article, I mentioned a little about what they serve i.e. Assam Fish (my favorite), Nasi Lemak Petai and etc. During this visit, I had the opportunity to sample a few other items from the menu. Of course, boss belanja (paid by the boss) … definitely choices are wider.

If you’re a Malaysian, chances are …. you’d be familiar with dishes such as Assam Laksa, Curry Laksa and Nasi Lemak. If you haven’t ….. let’s question your nationality! They are of course …. national dishes of Malaysia. The Assam laksa is a sour fish-based soup. Asam (or asam jawa) is the Malay word for tamarind, which is commonly used to give the stock its sour flavor. It is also common to use “asam keping” also known as “asam gelugor”, dried slices of tamarind fruit, for added sourness. Modern Malay spelling is asam, though the spelling assam is still frequently used.

And the Curry laksa (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include tofu puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles (see ham). Ah Cheng Laksa prepares their laksa using chicken instead of shrimp. Cockles is a must in my bowl of Curry Laksa. Add in a little sambal and garnish it with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf, which is known in Malay as daun kesum, and I am fixed.

Nasi Lemak is available on almost every street corner and in almost every local-themed restaurant in Malaysia, served with everything from chicken to beef to cuttlefish. That makes preparing a GOOD Nasi Lemak more challenging, since there’s many choices to compare with. Ah Cheng whips up a pretty decent plate of Nasi Lemak …. good enough to cure your hunger pang, but they’ll have to do better to make it to the Top 10. Yup, the Top 10 Best Nasi Lemak in the Klang Valley.

Venue
Ah Cheng Laksa, e@Curve (formerly Cineleisure Mutiara Damansara)
Lot LG 9(i), Lower Ground
Cuisine: Local food
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm
Halal : YES
Tel/ Fax: 03–5632 6101