Evening by the Beach & Kensington Revisited

Its a day we've been deprived of a very long time.. A quiet time by the beach with the sound of waves crashing the rocks, the salty sea breeze, the orange radiance of the sun lightning up the seas and trees, and the company of each other..

Darn.. Those clouds had to put a dampen on things..Depending on which time of the year you visit these shores, the position of the sun can change quite dramatically.

This stretch of stony ground complete with benches, a small playground, public restroom, and a bridge spanning a small bay is excellent for soaking in the sight of the setting sun. Even noticed a number of people fishing. There's also a long stretch of sandy beach next to this area and for Port Dickson standards, it is quite clean.

Picked up some small delights on the way; this 'apparently' is chocolate fudge. I recommend not going to this bakery located opposite the Port Dickson Hospital :)

Standing on the bridge which is said to connect the land to Pulau Burung (Bird Island). I'm assuming those marshes in the background is the island or what remains of it during high tide.

The sun looks sad behind those cloud covers.. Hopefully it would be more cheerful on our next visit :)

The colors of the evening sky never seize to amaze me.. The variety of colors blends together to perfection and exudes the feeling of calm and content.. But for us, content is never without food! :) On the way back from PD, there's only one place we'd stop at.. The special place..

Kensington has remained largely the same since our last visit here.. The heavy rain upon arrival, the white cloths covering the tables and chairs, the warm water in clear glasses, and the indecisive looks on our faces as we want to try every item on the menu :)

Looking not to over-stuff our tummies, we ordered two to share; the first was Carbonara Pasta (RM14). The funny part came when I asked the waiter ever it was spaghetti or fettuccine, he said spaghetti. I like my carbonara with fettuccine and asked ever the chef could replace the pasta, and he said there's only spaghetti. So anyhow, when the dish came, it was fettuccine! Sweat! Why did I even waste my energy talking.. Haha.. Besides that, it was a creamy, yummy, and chicken sausage-filled delight :)

Next up was BBQ Lamb Rib (RM19.50). Typical to Kensington, the meat was very tender and fall off the bone. Easy for most to eat, but sometimes I like fighting with my meat. I must have been a carnivorous animal in my past life :p Anyhow, for a BBQ themed dish, the sauce was a bit more on the sweet and sour side.

Overall it was still a satisfying dinner at a very affordable price. The only thing that has changed is that prices on the highly rated dishes have gone up a bit. I'll give them a benefit of doubt on that. What isn't going up these days right? Oh wait, our salaries! :p At a lot of modern dining places, we pay more for the place than the actual food we eat. I could never eat peacefully in a restaurant with chandeliers hanging from the ceilings and lined with silver and gold in every corner. I'd feel out of place. Give me great food on a stool and I'm all yours! ;) Bottomline, Kensington offers you good food with a honest setup at a price that does justice to both.

Beach view

6th Mile, Beach Road

Port Dickson

Kensington

34, Jalan Era Square 3

70200 Seremban

06-7687288

Kensington @ Era Square, Seremban

Sometimes KL just becomes a tad boring when you are on the lookout for a good place to dine. Combined with the traffic and expensive car parks, it can really ruin the evening. So on a special day, I and SS decided to head south instead; to Seremban. Nestled in this relatively new and quite part of Seremban town is Era Square, and the host of the night; Kensington Western Restaurant.

Era Square is Seremban's version of KL's CapSquare; quiet and hidden location in the heart of the city, cheap car parks, and a good place to open a new dining experience.

Kensington serves primarily western cuisines ranging from soups, chicken, seafoods, to lamb, venison, steaks, and even Canadian-flown fresh oysters. One thing really noticeable when you browse upon their slightly old-looking menus are the prices; which are dirt cheap! Just as an indication, Carlsberg and Tiger beers go for RM8!

A very nice and calm ambiance and setting greets the diners. White cloth covers every table and chair, giving it a fine dining touch. To cap it off, warm water is served.

When was the last time you were served warm water? Credit to the owner and staff for this simple yet wonderful gesture. Water is often overlooked. Most restaurants would rather have diners order more expensive drinks. But some diners like me would rather pay more for the food and not waste it on drinks ;)

Kensington has been grabbing headlines in Seremban for its affordable yet tasty dishes. Time to put the mettle to the test.


First up; MUSHROOM SOUP (RM3.80). Boy oh boy.. Expecting an awesome bowl of mushroom goodness after reading about it on a few other blogs, I was quite disappointed. I'll not lie when I say it tasted pretty similar to Vono's instant soup (with a few other ingredients added). Off on the wrong foot.


If that was the worst dish on the menu, Kensington's PRAWN MANGO SALAD (RM18) has to be one of the best! This appetizer serves 2-3 people with 9 juicy prawns cooked in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce and served with salad and mango cuts. Highly recommended!


Last but not least, the BLACK PEPPER LAMB SHANK (RM18.50). A lamb shank at that price, definitely worth it. Taste did not disappoint as well, the black pepper sauce had a wassabi-like kick to it.

There's plenty of other dishes to try at Kensington. Chicken Veronique; chicken breast cooked with grapes, cream, and white wine, Baked Potato Skin, Seafood Platters and Sizzling Steaks are among others.


Portions at Kensington are big and for its price; a good evening destination, even for KL folks. You avoid the jam and the headache. A 40 minutes highway ride is not a bad trade off.

I would really like Kensington to maintain their quality and quantity. Family outing on the cards soon :)

Kensington Western Restaurant
34, Jalan Era Square 3
Era Square
70200 Seremban
Negeri Sembilan
06-7687288

Seremban Siew Pau @ Seremban

How can you leave Seremban without its Siew Pau? Well some of you might say that the franchise has expanded to every other state in Malaysia and so they should taste the same. But I have my doubts there...



So far the best Seremban Siew Pau i have tasted has been in Penang and Seremban. The other states' Siew Pau seem to fall short in taste and filling :o



Yummy porky filling with the all important green peas; an ingrediant often missing in Siew Paus which i rate as lower standard. Stuff u can eat for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, and supper. How can you ever get tired of this delight? :p


That rounds up my recent Seremban trip. The town has surely developed but has maintained its antic aura, especially the small and old shop lots along the streets leading to the market downtown. If you are bored with busy KL, just take a 30mins ride down and enjoy a more calm and easy moving town's sights, sounds, and smell =)

Rojak @ Pasar Besar Seremban

Well its about time I got back to my last but not least Seremban digg-out. Sorry for the delay but I had my hands full with thesis deadlines.

Back to food...



Its morning and I'm hungry... Where to eat before we leave Seremban and head back home to Kajang... Pasar Besar Seremban is one of the busiest places in Seremban town on a weekend morning. So theres bound to be something good hidden somewhere.




On the 1st floor of this behemoth market lies a fleet of small Chinese food businesses. The atmosphere was just awesome. No, u can't smell the fish from downstairs. But instead you get the smell of hot coffee and the sound of something simmering from pots and pans.



This place if full of old-timers as they call it; stall owners of the golden generation and something about it just says they make food not for getting rich, but as a livelihood and passing down of culinary knowledge.



A glass of freshly pressed sugar cane drink to quench the morning thirst. Quite diluted I must say.



Every table seemed to have this rojak dish on their tables and it looked quite good. I didn't know which stall it was, so I kindly asked a table having the rojak. Lot 785 it is! =) I believe its a family-run business with the husband easily making the delicious looking sauce as it finishes while the wife chops up the rojak stuff into pieces.



If you want to drool, this is the best time to do so. The best rojak I have tasted so far in this side of the states. A perfect blend of spicyness, sourness, and sweetness makes this rojak one you'll go back for seconds. The fresh and crunchy ingredients used adds to the wholesomeness of the dish. When I was done with it, there was nothing left to clean =)



After digging into the rojak. I wasn't quite full and decided to have a bowl of Yong Taufoo. Your standard taufoo stuffings in clear soup. Nothing special, but it helps having hot steamy soup after days of heavy eating :p

After all that, I tapau-ed 'the one rojak' back for my dad, sis, and a couple for the fish tankers back home. Yes..pigs.. =)

Pasar Besar Seremban
Seremban
Negeri Sembilan

Min Kok Dim Sum @ Seremban

What a better way to start the day than having Dim Sum for breakfast.. mmm.. Min Kok Dim Sum is located near the new Terminal 2, just to the right of Era Square.



The interior is like your typical air-conditioned Chinese restaurant although I prefer having my food in an open aired environment; wouldn't like my Dim Sum getting cold too fast, which what happens here unfortunately.



Now to yummy steamy food..

As usual with Dim Sum, they are served in carts which carry stacks of it. Due to the large eating area, they are a bit hard to come by and you need to be a bit patient.. A bit hard when you are starving.. :p

First item I took..

Fried Carrot Cake

This has to be the best fried carrot cake I've tasted so far. It taste even better than the Char Kuay Teow I usually have back home. Spicy, fresh, and rightly seared carrot cake cubes.

Fried Wan Tan

Fried Wan Tan filled with shrimps and pork, nothing else to say except.. tasty!



I'm not too sure what to call this, some fried stuff with shrimps inside? =) Tasty again? Yup!

Fried Yam w Pork Filling

Another tasty and flavorful addition.

Next are the steamed variations..

Forgive me as I do not know their names specifically, but nearly all of them are either shrimp based, pork based, or a mixture of the two.










But I was mystified as to how they weren't serving the most famous Dim Sum I'm aware of; Siew Mai.

Yam Rice (Spicy)

Add ons...

Steamed Siew Pau

Peeled and served Steamed Siew Pau, not bad but the filling was a tad too sweet for me.



Hot, healthy, and tasty porridge with the right flavor and ingredients.



Crushed peanuts inside a crispy sesame shell, this sweet one makes an excellent dessert!



And wash all the oil down with good old Chinese tea..


Min Kok's Dim Sum prices range from RM2 to RM4 respecfully. For its cleanliness and taste, it is value for money. But I must say its fried variations were way better than its steamed counterparts. But overall, a good place to have your breakfast in Seremban if you're out with your family or group of friends.

Restoran Min Kok Dim Sum (Beside Era Square)
No. 7645, Lot 5990
Jalan Labu Lama
70200 Seremban
06-7618458

Min Mee Food Court @ Seremban

The night before Raptor Watch 2008, mummy Gracey, Pearl and I had dinner at this food court located after the Seremban Wet Market, next to the 24-hours KFC outlet in Seremban town. Surprisingly the stalls were still quite busy close to 10pm. Being in Seremban, I was quite sure its food was going to be better than those I find at Kajang food courts.



First up, 2 plates of Popiah. Boy it was good, I can't remember the last time I had good fresh Popiah.



Then it was 2 plates of Chee Cheung Fun. Unfortunately it wasn't as tasty as I hoped. The flour was a bit thick, the sauce very light, and the chili paste a bit raw and lacking flavor.



The next one didn't dissapoint. Grace and I saw a chicken rice stall with yummy roasted pork, duck and chicken hanging. So we ordered a plate of Barbecued Pork and Barbecued Duck mixed together (RM16). It was quite tender, juicy, and tasty although a bit oily. Well the power of lard I suppose :p

Lastly, I ordered Claypot Chicken Rice (RM9 - 2ppl) which was one of my favorite dishes when I was living in Seremban more than a decade ago.



It's so hard to find good Claypot Chicken Rice these days. Its either dry, lacking taste or deprived of meat. But Seremban still has its good old recipe; thick gravy, served with generous cuts of chicken and lap chong, and minced salted fish. Having this one again on my next visit here =)

Overall it was a good dinner and my god we were all stuffed as hell. I was seriously doubting how was I going to have breakfast the next day. Hehe.. Thats for later..