Ribs King @ Asia Cafe, Subang SS15

It definitely has a catchy tune to it. But to be the king, you must have something really good to back it up. So lets see ever Ribs King really is the king of ribs. Located in Asia Cafe food court of SS15, they cater mainly to the students of nearby colleges such as Taylor's and Inti.



And to satisfy these teenagers' cravings, Ribs King offers pork chunks or pork ribs cooked in various styles including traditional rib sauce, butter, sambal, and many others.

We tried the Sambal Spare Ribs (left/RM8.90) and the Spicy Butter Spare Ribs (right/RM7.90). The ribs are served with rice, fried egg, and steamed vegetables. Portion wise they are quite hearty with everything a student needs :p The ribs served was quite decent in terms of taste and freshness. Although I found the Spicy Butter sauce a bit too starchy, the Sambal Spare Ribs oozed flavor and provided a nice level of heat.

With so many flavors and styles to choose from, its an ideal dinning option for students there.

Ribs King

Asia Cafe, Jalan SS 15/8

Subang Jaya, Selangor

Boat Restaurant @ Pantai Tengah, Langkawi

Langkawi is renowned for its white beaches and clear waters, green padi fields sprawling fish farms. But it is not renowned for its food. Before heading to Langkawi, I spent close to 6 hours on good eateries to go to but came up with so few of them. So armed with the limited information, I and my cousins decided to hunt them down :)

On the first night, we traveled south of Cenang Beach towards Tengah Beach to try Boat Restaurant. There are loads of restaurants and eateries along Cenang and Tengah Beach, ranging from fine dining to simple roadside eateries. Choosing one without prior knowledge can be a nightmare if you're someone like me. Boat Restaurant is a Chinese restaurant located just opposite of Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa. So, it shouldn't be too hard to find if you just head towards the resort following the many tourist maps available at the airport or jetty.

Since Langkawi is an island, all seafood are fresh from local fisheries and the only available fish are the more expensive saltwater varities such as Sea Bass, Snapper, and Grouper. You therefore wont find local freshwater favorites such as the Talapia in Langkawi.

Garlic Kailan (RM8)

Kangkung Belacan (RM8)

Deep Fried Squid (RM18) was reasonable and not overloaded with flour.

Butter Prawns (RM20) was a miserable plate of 6 tiny prawns and one to definitely avoid. Who makes butter prawns using these tiny prawns?

Steamed Thai-style Sea Bass (RM30) was a good 600g portion but tasted rather flat and bland. It lacked the essence of Thai cuisine whereby spiciness, sourness, and sweetness blend together at correct proportions to give that great taste. Fish was nether less fresh.

Total bill came to RM106 for 5 people. Boat Restaurant is one of the cheaper restaurants on the island and a favorite among foreign tourists. They also serve western dishes. But for someone who has eaten really good Chinese food in the Klang Valley, Boat Restaurant falls short of my expectation.

Boat Restaurant (Opposite Holiday Villa Beach Resort & Spa)

2013 Jalan Telok Baru

Pantai Tengah, Langkawi

Tel: 012-4755662 ‎

Sentul Famous Dim Sum Row @ Jalan Ipoh

This stretch of Jalan Ipoh supposedly houses a few of the best dim sum shops in Kuala Lumpur. So since I was with my relatives in Sentul to attend my cousin's wedding, what better way to start the day with dim sum for breakfast.

Along this row, there are 2 dim sum shops located next to each other that are the most crowded. You can easily see this if you're driving slowly at the side of the road.

I decided to try Kedai Kopi Mee Bon although the two shops appear not that different from one another. To my dismay, Mee Bon didn't have much variety when it came to their steamed dim sum and also did not serve any fried varieties. They didn't have proper Siew Mai as well. What a bummer!

To make matters worse, they all tasted well below average. I would have got better tasting dim sum at Taman Connaught in Cheras.

Variety was so short that we packed some fried varieties from the neighboring shop.

And so, I'm quite perplexed as how this row got its famous name when I couldn't take anything positive from this visit. Any comments? And any recommendations for really good dim sum  around Kuala Lumpur? ;)

Kedai Kopi Mee Bon

491 Jalan Ipoh

Kuala Lumpur

Little 7 Wonders Kitchen @ Kajang

Kajang folks should know this outlet quite well. Some of you probably grew up eating their dishes. Now relocated to the shop lots just next to Convent Kajang, they became popular when their small shop was near the Kajang wet market. They are popular for the variety of dishes on offer at affordable prices.

Among their crowd favorites are Butter Chicken Rice (bottom left), ZhaCheong Ramen, Pineapple Fried Rice, and Nasi Goreng Ibu (Mother's Fried Rice). Prices for the dishes range between RM4 and RM6 unless you opt for some chicken chop combo (top left) which will set you back about RM9. But it was rather disappointing and I suggest you stick to their much better rice and noodle offerings :)

Little Seven Wonders Kitchen
18-1, Ground  Floor

Section 10, Off Jalan Bukit

Kajang, Selangor
 

Tel: 012-2268433, 019-3827383

GPS: N2.98949, E101.791033

KK - Noodles of Sabah

If Kuching was the capital of Malaysia for pork, then Kota Kinabalu has to be the capital of Malaysia for noodles! I have not seen such a variety of noodles anywhere in the country. And they just don't differ in shape in size, but in taste and texture as well. Noodles in KK are a very local and personal affair, so our host Brenda was key to understanding the different types of noodles available here.

First up is Beaufort Noodles. This homemade noodles gets its name from the district it was created in; Beaufort. At Kim Fah Restaurant located in Plaza Grand Millennium, Penampang, Beaufort Fried Noodles is stir fried with your usual ingredients of vegetables and healthy portions of pork chunks and slices.


I'm no expert when it comes to defining how noodles taste like, but I would say this dish brought out a nice smoky flavor to the noodles.



Be aware that portions in KK tend to be very large. A bowl of noodles of RM 5 or 6 can easily feed two small to medium eaters, especially those with small breakfast appetites.

At Jia Siang Coffeehouse at Lintas Plaza, Penampang, you can get the local favorite of Sang Nyuk Mien. Here, your choice of noodles is served with a bowl full of pork chunks, pork balls, and a broth that smells full of pork goodness! They also serve other dishes such as a delightful dish of homemade taufoo and dry and wet noodles. 

Mui Hiong Coffeehouse in Lintas is home to another famous variant and crowd favorite; Roasted Duck Noodles. I personally like duck. Maybe because I'm bored of eating chicken all the time. Haha, but there's something about the toughness and aroma of duck meat that always draws me to it. Anyways, duck meat and noodles? Definitely can't go wrong. But wait, whats this white thing? Pork roll; available only in Sabah is literally ground pork wrapped with egg. You got to try it if you are here as you wont find it anywhere else.

If there has to be a piece de resistance for the noodles of Sabah, it has to be this! Ye Fung Coffeehouse along Gaya Street serves Laksa that is to die for! The laksa here differs from other laksa in Malaysia such as in Penang and Sarawak as they add a lot more coconut milk, giving it a richer and more curry-like flavor. But kid me not, this has to be the best laksa i have tasted in my life! Don't you dare leave KK without trying it! Gaya Street is located in the heart of KK town and hosts a big bazaar along its entire street every Sunday morning. More on that later.

Tom Yam is another popular dish here in Sabah. Like the laksa, tom yam here is infused with more coconut milk. Together with large fresh prawns and fried fish, Dat Seng Coffeehouse in Inanam Bussiness Centre servers an excellent combination of sour and spicy tom yam noodles.





Like Beaufort, the district of Tuaran is home to noodles of their own. We had the privilege of having our host's mum cook us Tuaran Noodles and again what you get is another type of noodles which taste different from all the others tried before.Thank you aunty! :)

On our final morning in KK, Brenda brought us to our final meal. Sob Sob :(

This is another must try. Homemade noodles served with your choice of pork meats, innards or sausages, and dressed with a light sauce. This dish is really something. It may look simple but the tenderness of the noodles was amazing and it went superbly with the light dressing. This was one noodles in KK I could have had a second round of. Unfortunately, we were rushing for our flight back. But for the rest of you, remember to stop by Wah Juan Coffeehouse in Tanjung Aru along the road heading to KK airport. But be warned, they are packed in the mornings, so do remember to allocate more time ;)

KK and Sabah is home to a wide variety of noodles as we have seen here. Its safe to say that noodles are the staple food of modern day Sabahans with each district famous for their own local specialty. The coffeehouses we visited were among the countless scattered all across the land. For those not familiar with KK, I shall try to get the coordinates for these locations. Till then, happy drooling :)

KK - Arrival, Tea & Beautiful Sunset

What better way to blog my recent KK adventure with a new layout for my beloved blog. I think it was long due for a revamp anyway :) Hope you all like it!

KK is my furthest travel destination to date, the previous being Kuching. Talk about the East Coast ;) 6 days may seem long, but sadly its not enough if you truly want to experience everything Sabahan.

Imagine what life would have been without AirAsia.. Since its officially my vacation, I couldn't keep my itchy fingers away from the cabin food of theirs. Hence I and SS decided to share Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak (RM9). Yes! I'm traveling with SS! :) The meal was satisfactory, but nothing like how it was advertised; typical. Anyway, the 2 1/2 hours was spent eating, sleeping, and UNO-ing.

Upon arrival, we were picked up by our host; Brenda who we will be staying and traveling with the next 6 days. We were a bit hungry, so decided to stop at one of the local tea scenes in Penampang. The sight of "cakui kahwin" immediately grabbed my attention! Freshly fried cakui sliced in the middle and doused with butter and kaya, sinful goodness! Their Char Siew Pau was another treat, meatier and more red in colour as compared to most West Malaysian versions. A good start for my tummy I must say :)

As it was approaching late evening, we headed to Sutera Harbour Resort in KK town to catch perhaps the best sunset I've caught in the whole of Malaysia. The clear and unobstructed view from here is both amazing and breathtaking. One should not miss it if you're in the vicinity of the area. More sunset pictures here.

Keep watching for upcoming posts on the sights and tastes of Sabah.

Hoi Tong Steamboat Restaurant @ Seri Kembangan

With steamboat buffets being the "in" thing these past few months, restaurants such as Yuen of Sunway and Hoi Tong of Seri Kembangan come to mind. The former is known for their famous and succulent barbecued chicken wings.

Being probably one of the last people to try this kind of buffet, I joined SS' family to first locate Hoi Tong which is located in the older side of Seri Kembangan. No matter what day it is; Mother's Day, Father's Day, a public holiday, weekend, or even just another weekday, please make a reservation before coming here as they are the hottest destination in the steamboat buffet scene.

Hoi Tong beats out other steamboat buffet scenes with just one word; variety. Their seafood alone comprises of crabs, prawns, squids, mantis prawns, and an assortment of clams and mussels. The pictures below show the rest of Hoi Tong's buffet spread.

As far as freshness goes, it would be best to smell them and judge for yourself as freshness levels might change from day to day, but those sensitive to allergy from non-fresh seafood are advised to stay away from the crabs. The freshness of their fish, squids, clams, and prawns shouldn't be a problem as they are consumed in big amounts on a daily basis. Calms and mussels will also require you to clean them before eating.

After a few hours, whats left are sweaty people and a very messy table..

To cool down after heaps of hot tom yam soup, you can choose between fresh fruits, iced Chinese tea, jelly, or ice cream.

Hoi Tong Steamboat

Lot 12, Sri Kembangan Tambahan

43300 Sri Kembangan, Selangor

03-8943 6580

019-258 2509

012-228 3954

GPS Coordinates: N 03°01.534′ E101°41.972′

Ken-Well Seafood Restaurant @ Cheras

Celebrated mum's birthday on the 3rd of November. She likes nothing but Chinese food, so picking a destination usually isn't hard :) Choice of the day was Ken-Well Seafood Restaurant in Cheras, considering another first choice was closed. For those who are familiar with Cheras Selatan, this restaurant is located in the same shop lots area as Milwaukee Steakhouse.

You can't go wrong with the spicy Kankung Belacan (RM10)

Paired with the hot and tongue-burning Sizzling Taufoo (RM12)

This had to be the dish of the day; Marmite Pork Ribs (RM15). The meat is first deep fried and then stirred with a tasty and tangy marmite sauce. Although I ordered ribs, they served pork belly and meat portions instead, which turned out to be a good thing anyway. I don't need to tell you how deep fried pork belly taste like now, do I? Heavenly..

And specially for mum; crabs. RM28 per kilo of red crabs ala Kam Heong style. The gravy was awesomely spicy and addictive! But sadly the same could not be said about the crabs. The crabs were either cooked too fast or under too high heat as the meat was literally all sticking to the shell. What a shame..

For an overall of RM70 for 4 people inclusive of rice and Chinese tea, the prices here are quite reasonable. I have also noticed a number of people coming here for their fish dishes, be it the fried or steamed varieties.

Ken-Well Seafood Restaurant

B-G-7, Jalan Kasturi 6

Taman Kasturi, Batu 11

43200 Cheras, Selangor

016-3942588

019-2180331

012-3246367

Shi Fu Wan Tan Mee @ Cheras

One of this month's backlogs, sorry I have been away for a while. University assignments are time-consuming, boring, and brain-sapping :p Well, one fine morning after accompanying SS to her dentist, we walked around looking for something to grab for lunch and tumbled upon this neat-looking place.


My usual policy is to not get something at a franchise or high-end place which you can get at a hawker stall. A hawker stall will most likely get you a more value for money dish, if not tastier most of the time. "MOST" of the time :p I though ill excuse myself from the rule this time.


As its name implies, Shi Fu Wan Tan Mee specializes in Wan Tan Mee but also serves a variety of other Chinese-based rice and noodle dishes.


One thing you have to have here no matter what dish you are having is its side chilies; Nice vinegary green chilies and addictively hot and spicy ground oily red chilies. This burn in your mouth and ar** stuff is to die for! :)


Wan Tan Mee here is served in 4 variants; thick or thin noodles and wet or dry. Wet and dry refers to the typical soya sauce or soup serving of course and thick or thin refers to the traditional thin noodles or a broad yet thin noodles that resembles Kuay Teow but not its taste nor soft texture.


Both thick and thin versions were tasty in their own right, but I prefer the traditional thin version. Succulent barbecued sweet pork and minced pork are well proportioned and tasted good. A healthy dose of vegetable completes the dish.


Not to forget the soup and dumplings; fresh prawns and a clear soup ideal for drowning away the oils.


Overall, the dishes we ate here were good. The basic noodle dishes are priced at RM5 with addons, variants and other dishes priced above that. It is on the higher end in terms of price, but if you are having a headache on where to have a good Wan Tan Mee and not worry of its quality and cleanliness, this is the place for you. If not, just head to your nearest hawker stall :)

Shi Fu Wan Tan Mee
Jalan Manis 3, Taman Segar
Cheras, Kuala Lumpur

Tenji @ SohoKL - Part IV - Chinese Corner

Onto the better faring Chinese Counter, it oozes the variety synonymous with the Chinese culture of cooking.

Clams in Superior Stock - 3.5/5

The stock was quite tasty but a bit hard to scoop up as there were more clams than stock on the serving tray. Overall an average tasting dish.

Steamed Talapia - 2/5

Never try a dish you know you can get better at your regular Chinese Restaurant. The fish was not very fresh and the sesame laden sauce unappetizing. One to pass.

Marmite Prawns - 4/5

Big, spicy, and tasteful marmite goodness.

Bamboo Clam w Garlic Sauce - 3/5

The clams were a bit too hard and chewy, accompanied with an average garlic sauce.

Bamboo Clam w Garlic Sauce - 4.5/5

One dish saved them all; Crispy Strawberry Prawns. 5 for presentation and 4 for taste. I was a bit skeptical of the strawberry sauce at first, but I decided to give it a try anyway. The chef managed to pull this one off elegantly. The fried prawns went very well with the strawberry sauce. And the rest is history.

Coming up next : Part V - Dessert Corner

Kuching Part X : Porky Delights

Last but not least, I round up the rest of Kuching's Porky Delights!

Sio Bee (Off the shelf)

100% pork filling! Hot seller everywhere! We actually got sad when they ran out of it, and we also tapau-ed some on our last day in Kuching and ate it before leaving to the airport =(

Sio Bee (Variant)

Pork Rice

Juicy, tender, colorful... PORK!!

Char Kuay Teow

Even the standard Char Kuay Teow is loaded with pork! sweet pork slices... lard... pork chunks... *drool* =)


Okay, I don't know what is this called, but I'll call it the "Pork Stuffed Sesame Bun". This is a melt in your mouth special.. Small, cute sesame buns with pork and lard stew stuffed inside. I could have eaten 10 of those things!

Kuching was really enjoyable.. The culture, the people, the natural wonders, the way of life, and not forgetting the food.. Ideally you need 3 weeks to fully enjoy what this state has to offer =)

Till then I'll leave you with this close up... *drooooollll* I tell you!! *drooooollll*