Category / Eats
Last weekend Kerol decided that chicken and pork should be on the menu for brunch, and hence the lady took us to Hong Seng kopitiam at Seksyen 17 to visit the chicken rice stall with the longest queue.
In Penang, you have nasi kandar beratur, in PJ, we have nasi ayam beratur. The former is halal, this one isn’t.
chicken rice at Hong Seng Seksyen 17, Kerol in queue
Anyway, the chicken rice stall in Hong Seng is probably the most popular hawker stalls in the whole of Seksyen 17. Business starts at just before 10 am, and by around brunch time, there’s always a long queue right in front. Average queuing time is about 10-20 minutes, and yes, this is a self-served only stall.
roast chicken, roast pork, bbq pork, spicy and sour vege, soup
For the three of us, we had a big plate of roast chicken, roast pork, bbq pork, and a side of spicy and sour vegetable.
The chicken was tender and flavorful, the bbq pork (charsiu) was top notch, but the real star of the show was the roast pork (siu yoke). The skin of that siu yoke is a work of art, crispy yet doesn’t break your teeth, with the pork quite subtle in taste (not having overpowering 5 spice flavor) but pairs well with their home-made chilli sauce.
the roast pork is a must order here
The hot and sour soup though, was mere average, we thought that there’s way too much leafy vege compared to the actual soup, and the spicy taste wasn’t nearly as intense. My favorite version is still the one at Peng Heong Hakka paikut, Klang.
Overall it was a very satisfying lunch, and at RM 10 or so per pax, it is of pretty good value as well.
Address:
Chicken Rice stall
Hong Seng Restaurant
No. 1, Jalan 17/29,
Seksyen 17,
46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.128289, 101.635371
Hours: 9.30am to 1pm
Le Midi is a name that I’ve came across for quite sometime, and it was a privilege to finally be invited for a food tasting session in conjunction with the arrival of Chef Andrea Alimenti, who has some 30 years of culinary experience since graduating from Aurelio Saffi Florence Hotel School in 1983.
Chef Andrea Alimenti is a multiple Michelin star chef, with his first coming at the tender age of 20, then at age 30 he left Florence to open his own restaurant with some partners (the renowned Aquamatta in Capolona) for 15 years… which also received a Michelin star. It is not common that we have the opportunity to sample creations from a chef with such pedigree, we felt very honored.
Le Midi at Bangsar Shopping Center, with live nautilus
The restaurant is located on 3rd floor in the East wing of Bangsar Shopping Centre, the interior oozes a sense of mystic and class, with a couple nautilus in a round aquarium at the centre of the dining hall. This was actually the first time I witness these pelagic marine mollusks outside Aquaria, way cool.
Anyway, we’re here for the food, and you can’t order the nautilus.
eggplant nest with truffle egg yolk and parmesan cheese
Out first dish was eggplant nest with truffle egg yolk and parmesan cheese. A dish with deceptively simple base ingredient – poached egg and eggplant, manage wow us with it’s wonderful combination of texture and taste. The eggplant fried to a texture not unlike bacon, the egg poached perfectly, and shaved parmesan with truffle gives it that touch of complexity. I was impressed.
mozzarella ravioli in tomato consommé
Next up was mozzarella ravioli in tomato consommé, a classic Italian dish with a well balanced taste of acidity from tomato consommé countering the stronger mozzarella cheese within the ravioli.
A glass of Secret de Berticot Sauvignon Blanc proved to be a worthy companion for the above two dishes.
homemade Tagliolini in saffron butter whiskey salmon cream and crunchy almonds
Next we had homemade Tagliolini in saffron butter whiskey salmon cream and crunchy almonds. A type of pasta popular in Emilia-Romagna, a region in Italy.
While we love the soft smooth texture of the pasta, I thought the salmon cream was a little too mild, but nothing a dash of sea salt won’t help. We also had Secret Berticot Rosé to go along with the pasta. Though the Rosé was a decent pairing with pasta, we felt that the Savignon Blanc was actually suited for this occasion.
seabass with fine herb crust on spinach bed
Next up - seabass with fine herb crust on spinach bed. Seabass, or barramundi, is quite a popular fish in local cuisine, but I’ve never had it prepare this way before. The crust gives it a crispy herbal taste while leaving the texture of the fish still tender and moist. The spinach did a fine job as a side kick, and we had more white wine to go with this.
It was already a rather good night at this point.
tenderloin in old Madeira sauce with foie gras and fig
Then came my favorite dish of the night, tenderloin in old Madeira sauce with foie gras and fig.
When it comes to beef, I’m usually one who likes to have it as is. Be it ribeye, NY strip, tenderloin, of Black Angus, Wagyu, you name it. I like to have it medium rare with nothing on it.
On this occasion though, I was proven wrong. The Madeira sauce and fig really enhanced the taste of the already excellent beef. The foie gras, of course, managed to kick it up a notch. Give me this any day and I’ll be the happiest man.
Red meat deserves some red wine to go with, so we had a glass of Château Pouroutou red to go with (I believe it was merlot). Perfect.
dessert galore!
As usual, by the time we were well full, dessert is served. Not one, but five creations from the good chef. I took a bite from all of them and wished that I had a bigger stomach to properly devour them. They are:
- Millefoglie with Chantilly cream and caramel
- Vanilla panacotta and strawberry coulis
- Chocolate fondente and mini chocolate cup
- Chocolate tender heart with Amarena cherry parfait
- Orange cheesecake and chocolate drawing
KY, Haze, Mei & Josen, Melissa, Kelly, Chengyi, Chef Andrea Alimenti
It was a great dinner with even better company, thank you Melissa for being a generous and wonderful host. We will be back to Le Midi.
Address:
Le Midi Restaurant
3rd Floor, East Wing,
Bangsar Shopping Centre,
285 Jalan Maarof,
Bukit Bandaraya, 59000 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.142808,101.667448
Tel: 03-2094 1318
Several weeks ago I was invited to sample one of the latest non-halal authentic food joints in PJ at Thai Camp.
I, for one, am happy to see this emerging trend of Thai restaurants that offers pork dishes. Currently, within 15 minutes drive in PJ, we have My Elephant at Seksyen 17, Surisit Thai kopitiam at TTDI, and I’m Spicy at Seksyen 17, adding Thai Camp into the mix is certainly a good news.
Thai Camp is situated next to restaurant Mei Yun, Taman Paramount
Thai Camp occupies just half a shop lot along Jalan 21/1 at Taman Paramount, directly next door to Mei Yun kopitiam that is famouse for it’s lala dishes and Hokkien mee at night (though we found better versions these days at Alisan’s mamak row at PJ SS4).
There are only some 10 tables in the air conditioned restaurant. Interior decoration is simple but offers a conducive dining environment.
Even though the restaurant is fairly small, kitchen is manned by owner’s Thai wife and mother in law who insist on preparing food in traditional way, hence efficiency is something that they are still overcoming. Be prepared to wait for a bit before food is served. Do call in to book and perhaps speak to the owner to avoid disappointment in wait time.
Pla Neung Ma Naw, Thai steamed fish
We started off with Pla Neung Ma Naw (Thai steamed fish, RM35), steamed tilapia on a bed of Chinese cabbage and soaked in gravy with generous amount of lime, garlic, chili padi, and more. The somewhat light tasting fish combines well with the intense gravy, goes very well with steamed rice.
I can only imagine that this dish would be even better if we have Barramundi instead (though it’ll certainly be more pricey)
Tom Ka Kai (coconut milk Thai chicken soup), Moo Ma Naw (spicy pork salad)
Next up was Tom Ka Kai (Thai soup with coconut milk, RM 18), a departure from the usual tomyam soup that is served at basically every Thai restaurant. The soup has a strong santan flavor and isn’t nearly as spicy as most tomyam dishes. Those who love coconut milk will enjoy this.
Moo Ma Naw (spicy pork salad, RM15) consists of sliced pork with cabbage, fish sauce, lime, garlic, chili padi, and other ingredients, a good substitute for Thai mango salad, both are sourish but this packs a bit more punch in spiciness and porky sweetness.
Phad Phak Ruam (stir fry assorted vege), Phad Kra Pao (roast pork with basil)
Phad Phak Ruam (stir fry assorted vegetable, RM 15) comes with cauliflower, carrot, broccoli, and some small shrimps for sweetness. The sauce tastes of a mixture of Thai concoction that includes fish sauce. I really liked it, but at the same time also find that the side of shredded raw cabbage on the side (comes with every dish) is a bit unnecessary.
Phad Kra Pao (roast pork with basil, RM 18) turned out to be one of my favorite dishes here. Chopped long bean, chili padi, and roast pork can’t really go wrong.
Kai Yeaw Ma Khra Prao Grob (fried century egg)
The last dish we tried was Kai Yeaw Ma Khra Prao Grob (fried century egg, RM 18). It was really something that I haven’t tasted before. I’ve had century egg as is, or steamed, but never fried. The treatment gave it a slightly crispy exterior that I thought was pretty interesting, and the deep fried kailan accompanying the dish proved to be a worthy side.
We had a rather good dinner at Thai Camp, and I actually went there again a week or so later. This is definitely a more than decent Thai restaurant to visit, but until they improve kitchen efficiency, don’t head there when you’re already very hungry.
At the time of review, Thai Camp hasn’t yet started to serve desserts, but it is something that will come in the future.
Address:
Thai Camp
37 Jalan 20/7
Taman Paramount
Petaling Jaya,
46300 Selangor
GPS: 3.109748, 101.626287
Tel: 012-345 1768
Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Last weekends we took an impromptu trip to Sitiawan to check out something a guy was advertising online, and since it’s on a Saturday and we did not have anything planned, I decided that we should take the scenic route via Kuala Selangor to our destination.
And boy did it turn out to be a good decision.
Cendor Bakar at Kuala Selangor
Half way through our journey, Suan and I noticed this place by the road with lots of cars and people, a sort of old school expressway stop-over with a big signboard that says “Cendol Bakar”.
How do you exactly “bakar” (burn/roast) cendol? That question was intriguing enough that we stopped by to check the place out.
As it turned out, the name of the owner is Mr. Bakar, and as part of their preparation for the cendol ingredients, they also roast the gula Melaka (palm sugar).
Cendol VIP & Cendol Pulut Tapai
There are 6 varieties of cendol to choose from:
- cendol VIP – nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 2.00
- cendol VVIP – pulut + nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 2.50
- cendol tapai – pulut + nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 3.00
- cendol pulut tapai - pulut + tapai + nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 3.50
- cendol durian – durian + nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 3.00
- cendol durian pulut – pulut + durian + nata de coco + selasih + jagung + kacang – RM 3.50
I really love tapai on cendol, you don’t find it everywhere
I tried the cendol pulut tapai while Suan opted for the basic cendol vip. The gula Melaka used was authentic, coconut milk nice and creamy, and ice finely shaven. It was a proper cendol alright, and with the tapai & pulut, makes for a pretty delicious and quite filling bowl of dessert.
Oh, Cendol Bakar also offers free cendol for those who carries JKM cards (the disabled and the poor).
there are other dishes here too, like the delicious mee soto
Other than cendol, there are also giant curry puff, otak-otak, chicken wings, mee soto, and many other local delights to choose from. We tried the mee soto (RM 4) and it got the seal of approval from Suan, a Johorean who knows her mee soto.
If you’re going pass Kuala Selangor, be sure to check out this place.
Address:
Cendol Bakar
Route 54 (just off Jalan Teluk Piah Kanan)
Kuala Selangor, Selangor
GPS: 3.30344, 101.29778
I first learned about the Dato’ Keramat ikan bakar from my Malay colleagues when they tapao some all the way to KLCC for lunch. Fast forward a couple years later, I finally managed to convinced one of my colleagues to follow me there for a quick meal.
Mat Teh ikan bakar at Dato’ Keramat
After a bit of searching and asking about at the market, we finally located Mat Teh Ikan Bakar, with the stall situated within the Dato’ Keramat wet market, facing the parking area.
We immediately knew that we were at the right place, the place was packed, and on the grill was at least 30 pieces of grilled fish in the process of cooking, all neatly wrapped in banana leaves for that extra flavor.
huge slab of ikan pari, soup, and ulam
For this trip, I ordered a piece of ikan pari (stringray), which also comes with a generous amount of ulam (Malay style salad) with sambal, soup, and a plate of steamed rice.
The fish was thick and huge, it was probably meant for two person, which also explained why it cost something like RM 14-16 (but definitely worth it). The cooking method utilizing banana leaf ensures that it was plenty juicy and flavorful, and with those accompanying sambal, I was more than satisfied.
the place is very busy, and with good reasons
Mat Teh stall also offers some pretty good juices, I had a glass of mango juice which complimented the meal very well.
This is definitely a place I want to go again, but this time I’ll make sure to share the fish with someone else, Shabana can’t be just an observer drinking teh ais again.
shabana – my partner in crime
If you’re in town looking for some good ikan bakar, this is one place to check out. Getting there is as easy as taking the LRT and getting off at Dato’ Keramat station.
Address:
Mat Teh Ikan Bakar
Dato’ Keramat Wet Market
Opposite Dato’ Keramat LRT
Jalan Dato’ Keramat
GPS: 3.166079, 101.730992
Tel: 016-336 2123
