Chicken rice is perhaps one of the most popular lunch options for Malaysian, a plate of rice, with a portion of the nation’s favorite meat on top and maybe a few slices of cucumber will satisfy most people as a quick refuel option during the day.
Wan Shoon kopitiam, Damansara Kim
When it comes to chicken rice, we’re usually familiar with those offering roast chicken or steamed chicken, but the less popular third option exists – and that’s our topic for today – Fatt Kee’s soy sauce chicken rice.
Fatt Kee is located within Restoran Wan Shoon in Damansara Kim, a small township nested right next to TTDI, on the border of KL & PJ.
Like many other chicken rice stalls, other than chicken, they do offer roast pork (siu yok) as well as bbq pork (chasiu). While I’ve yet to try their chasiu, their siu yok is uninspiringly average and something that I would definitely skip the next round.
The star here is their soy sauce chicken, a version I can only describe as the cross between steamed and roast chicken that managed to have the best of both worlds. It’s flavorful, tender, and succulent all at the same time. The soy sauce blend here is addictively delicious, and I also felt that they put a bit of effort into the accompanying soup as well.
soy sauce chicken rice with roast pork, Fatt Kee
Prices here is a little higher than “usual”, the portion above for two pax came up to RM 18, but well, sometimes it’s worth paying a little more for good food. On my next visit I’m going to only have the chicken and forgo the pork, a position I don’t usually stand for.
Remember when we used to go to the office to work daily? Yeap, I remember such time, and there was even a period where I would make a stopover for a glorious breakfast before heading to office, I mean, what’s a better way to start the day?
mix pork porridge, Chun Heong kopitiam
One of my regular breakfast spots is Lucky Garden, Bangsar. The small stretch of shops facing housing area by the roundabout houses three rather excellent kopitiam that offers quite a selection of dishes for the early risers. Today, let’s look at one of my favorite stomach warmer in the morning – mix pork porridge at Chun Heong kopitiam (the shop at the middle).
For those who are not familiar with this dish, mix pork porridge consists of mainly deep fried bits of pork intestine, some sliced pork, pork blood, yau char kuai, and often with salted vegetable. I used to crave for it back in Penang and have my fix at New Lane, but this version at Bangsar is every bit as good.
mix pork porridge in all its glory
For a few ringgit, you get a piping hot bowl of porridge with all the above mentioned ingredients, I like to add a bit of soya sauce and generous amount of white pepper to give it a bit of kick. Do enjoy it while the intestine are still crispy and not wait till they are soggy from moisture absorbed from porridge. If you love a good bowl of porridge, this should satisfy.
crispy intestine, pork blood, and all
Address: Chun Heong kopitiam 16, Lorong Ara Kiri 2, Bangsar, 59100 Kuala Lumpur
GPS: 3.1274699, 101.66989 Hours: breakfast & brunch
A couple weeks ago I found myself at the South of KL for some work related assignment near lunch time. Naturally, after our appointment, we went to the most famous nari briyani restaurant for some well deserved lunch.
Our destination was none other than Kafe Beriani Gam Putrajaya.
Nasi Beriani Gam Putrajaya
Getting there can be a bit tricky as the restaurant is located right beside SKVE, you can only get onto SKVE from the restaurant but not the other way around. However, Waze/Google Map is your friend, so do use the link below for your convenience.
It is a bit of a road side set up with upgraded roof and rather proper table and chairs, there’s also some ceiling fans, though one should still prepare to sweat it out a bit on a hot afternoon.
lamb or chicken, which would be your choice?
Ordering is simple, get your nasi beriyani, then pick the type of meat you want to go with. There’s normal ayam (chicken), ayam kampung (village chicken), daging (beef), kambing (lamb), and our favorite – kambing kuzi – all of us ended up ordering the same, with an additional ayam kampung as center plate.
kambing kuzi, hands down
The briyani rice itself were perfectly cooked, fragrant and delicious enough you can have this even just with some sauce. As for the kambing kuzi, we love the tenderness and the rather heavy tasting marinate that makes it a little sweetish, compliments the rice perfectly. The accompanying sambal was on point too.
Expect to pay some RM 20 or more per pax, but if you love briyani rice, this is definitely worth checking out.
Address: Nasi Beriani Gam Putrajaya Lot Sub 4, Jalan Kajang – Puchong, 43000 Kajang, Selangor GPS: 2.976269, 101.725893 Tel: 017-288 4876
Several weeks ago I found myself at Desa Park City at Yee Hou’s place, with the boy promising that he’d bring me to one of the better wantan mee stalls around the area – Ming Kee Wan Tan Mee at Taman Bukit Maluri.
Ming Kee Wan Tan Mee, Taman Bukit Maluri
The restaurant is located at the heart of the small township, basically surrounded by the busy morning market. If you go on a weekends, expect to spend some time in getting your car parked, but you’d also be rewarded by the energy and joy of the market, with fresh produce and freshly slaughtered meat for your picking, all at rather reasonable prices too.
The restaurant itself has a single stall set up straight out of the 80s, with the operators probably still wearing the same cloths and enthusiasm from a few decades ago, when TV had a dial, and you’re interrupted by Berita Malam Ini in the middle of your favorite CNY movies.
chicken feet, or curry chicken? Take your pick
Anyway, the stall offers wantan mee in a few different options – the classic chasiu & wantan, curry chicken, or chicken feet. The latter two being the recommended options, so that’s what I tried.
Curry broth was thick and flavorful, with a healthy portion of chicken drumstick too, but if you eat chicken feet at all, the version here is definitely one of the better ones I had this part of Klang Valley, they’re soft, tender, and almost melt in your mouth, no teeth required!
the “sui kao”, or dumpling, is proper delicious too
Sui Kaw here is proper delicious as well, and I’d definitely asked for more pork cracklings the next time I’m there, and yeap I’d wan to go there again.
Address: Ming Kee Wan Tan Mee 33, Jalan Burung Tiong, Taman Bukit Maluri, 52100 Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.200758, 101.631882 Tel: 03-6251 0032
We’re definitely blessed with a great selection of street food in Malaysia, from your typical char kuih teow stalls to burger tepi jalan, to nasi lemak shacks.. but if you look harder, you can also find authentic street food originated from neighboring countries, case in point – Little Rara with its authentic Thai fare.
Little Rara Thai Noodle House, Kia Peng
The restaurant is located at the carpark next to Menara HLA by Jalan Kia Peng, a stone’s throw away from Pavilion KL. The set up is as “authentic” as they get, seemingly putting up together by someone who happened to have a set of table saw, hammer, and nails. There’s no such thing as air conditioning or tinted windows, but you are somewhat shielded from rain should it starts pouring.
The place starts operating by 5:30 pm and does work up a crowd pretty soon. While the set up is old school, they do have a proper digital queuing system, color me impressed.
tomyam talay meggi
Like most proper “street food” stalls, the kitchen is pretty much open. There’s a BBQ grill where they prepare beef/chicken/corn, a stall for noodle (wet & dry), plus a drinks’ kitchen.
We started out with their famous tomyam talay meggi (RM 19 for small), it was basically tomyam maggi on steroid. Packed with prawns, mussels, squid, egg, and ultra strong tomyam flavor. Love it.
bbq beef, pad thai
BBQ Beef (RM 13, Australian beef apparently) goes well with the accompanying sauce, and it wasn’t over cooked either. Portion though was a bit small I thought.
However, the must-order from the grill turns out to be their BBQ Corn (RM 7 for 2). They were ultra sweet and almost half caramelized, I need this for movie night!
mango sticky rice & the excellent bbq corn
We also had seafood pad thai (RM 12) which I thought was quite competent, and a dessert in mango sticky rice (RM 8) which turned out to be just average.
Over all thought I really liked the place and the intense flavor of their tomyam & those corns. Will definitely order those two again when I revisit, and perhaps try some of their other dishes.
Address: Little Rara Thai Noodle House Menara HLA, 3, Jalan Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.151342, 101.713584 Tel: 012-372 2706 Hours: 5:30 pm to 12 am, Closed on Sunday