For many of us Malaysians, driving to work everyday is a ritual we’re all familiar with, and since we are also a country not particularly blessed with great parking situations, stopping by for breakfast can be a challenge. In fact, it is found that one in four Malaysians ended up skipping breakfast.
PETRONAS breakfast at only RM 5
When it comes to breakfast, there are three things most of us look for:
accessibility – how am I going to get to that breakfast place?!
choice of food – what do they offer? will it be halal? how does it taste?
value – I don’t want to spend RM 10 just for breakfast!
pick any combo of food & drinks to go
The good thing is, PETRONAS Mesra has got you covered in all three aspects.
accessibility: Many of will pass by a participating Kedai Mesra en route to work
choice of food: sandwich, nasi lemak, pulut, kuih, and more!
value: combination of main dish with a drink of canned milo or coffee for only RM 5!
If I’m on the go and have little time to spare, a combination of tuna sandwich and canned Milo is the way to go. Sandwich because I can actually even eat it in the car, and milo to give me that extra protein and feel good stomach.
If a little bit of Malaysian flavor is what I crave, the nasi lemak and coffee provides a great alternative. I’d tapao this and have it at the leisure of the office’s pantry when I get to work.
If you love pulut and a bit of curry, or some good old fashion Nyonya kuih, grab those instead. All for RM 5 per set.
So, remember, feed your stomach in the morning, and now there’s no excuse you can’t grab something filling before hitting the keyboard to start the day.
As a Penangite, I’m always on the lookout for a good plate of Jawa Mee, one of those Penang hawker dishes that receive little attention outside the island. For those who may not be familiar, jawa mee is basically the Chinese version interpretation of Mee Rebus.
Park Way kopitiam Jawa Mee, Subang Jaya SS 19
When I posted an instagram video of the jawa mee at Segambut (one of my favorites), my friend Julea (also from up North) suggests that I should check out this stall at Restoran Park Way in Subang SS 19.
The kopitiam operates in the morning to about brunch time, and just like the stall at Segambut, this one also offers another Penang delicacy – Prawn Mee. Of course, I went ahead and asked for jawa mee.
Jawa Mee is basically a Chinese version of Mee Rebus
The version here come complete with every ingredient that makes up a proper plate of jawa mee – crackers, the indian kuih thingy, tofu, eggs, lime, vege, potato, and even a few slices of red chili for that extra color. I thought the chili paste was the only slight weak point in this plate of otherwise very on point jawa mee. Will visit again for sure.
Address: Restoran Park Way 1, Jalan SS 19/6c, Ss 19, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor GPS: 3.064752, 101.579960
I’m always on the lookout for new bak kut teh places, and since we now stay a stone’s throw away from Klang, this isn’t an issue at all when there are some 400-500 BKT stalls/restaurants in the area.
Teong Bak Kut Teh, Klang
My latest exploit was this old bak kut teh restaurant by the name of Teong Bak Kut Teh situated at Jalan Miri right across the more popular Nan Feng bkt restaurant, which is also one of our regular go-tos.
Teong is one of those restaurants that is so old when the sign board is first hung on top of the shop, internet didn’t exist, and you still have to physically dial the phone instead of pressing buttons. If a shop is this old, chances are there’re good reasons they’re still around.
pua pui chiak – my favorite cut
After hearing a friend mentioned about his friend who may have said some good things about Teong BKT, I decided to pay a visit. The restaurant is set up like most other BKT places, with plastic chairs & tables, a “kitchen” by the front, and kettles with boiling water for your tea making convenience.
what’s a better way to start the day?
I ordered a portion of pua pui chiak (half fat half lean) for brunch. The bak kut teh came in a small china bowl with the meat almost as tender as the version at Teck Seong, and a soup base that’s not overly thick but still carries a good herbal note, with a hint of sweetness in a good way. As for condiments, you have fried shallots, chili padi, and soya sauce – plenty good enough in my book.
Teong BKT is now in my “will return for more” list of BKT places in Klang.
Address: Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Teong Jalan Miri, 41400, Klang, Selangor GPS: 3.0521, 101.448601 Hours: breakfast and brunch
A couple weeks ago one of my friends, Michael, a true born & bred Klang guy sent me a picture of a bowl of old school bak kut teh via WhatsApp and claimed that this place is so good they usually sell out by 8:30 in the morning. The name oft the shop – Teck Seong bak kut teh.
Teck Seong bkt, Taman Intan Klang
Coincidentally, this restaurant also happen to be located just minutes away from where I stay, makes visiting for weekday before-work-breakfast perfect. So I did just that the very next morning.
It is true that bak kut teh is mostly a breakfast dish in Klang, and some of the best outlets only operates in the morning. Like many of these places, Teck Seong starts early in the morning, at 6 am.
“pua pui chiak” cut, or 3 layer pork
The offering here is of the most old school style – one bowl of pork of your choice per person to go with steamed rice. You do get chili padi and soya sauce as condiments.
I’ve tried “pua pui chiak” (半肥瘦) and “tua kut” (big bone) at Teck Seong and the experience has been great. The soup, while a bit more subtle than the likes of Mo Sang Kor, it still holds a strong herbal note. The flavor of meat though, is among the best I’ve had, then there’s the fat, they just melt in you mouth. Excellent.
one tua kut is definitely a good way to start the day
A single portion with rice is RM 11, so prices are more than reasonable, if not slightly cheaper compared to some at the area. If you’re a fan of old school style BKT, this is surely one to check out.
Address: Teck Seong Bak Kut Teh 29, Jalan Batai Laut, Taman Intan, 41300 Klang, Selangor GPS: 3.055686, 101.473612 Tel: 016-213 1161 Hours: 6 am to 8:30/9:00 am
A couple years ago when the topic of coffee came up, I believe it was probably David, an avid coffee drinker of mine who mentioned the name Podgy and the Banker as one of his favorite places for a good cuppa, and thanks to that rather unique name for a cafe, it stuck to me.
Fast forward to last week, we decided to give it a try. If a cafe manage to stay in business more than a couple years, it is usually at least more than decent.
podgy and the banker, sri hartamas
Podgy and the Banker is located at Sri Hartamas, the opposite side across from the much busier Desa Sri Hartamas. As a result, parking never takes more than 10 seconds to locate, and therefore the morning is never ruined from having to go round & round for 10 minutes prior to getting a spot (I’m looking at you, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar)
The cafe itself can be a bit tricky to locate though, from the front it looks almost like an office (or bank?), but if you were to look from the side you won’t miss it.
Haze & I both really enjoyed the latte here
First up, the coffee.
We both had latte and agreed that they were absolutely on point. Strong aroma, and really smooth steamed milk, no super fancy presentation or anything as such but such a really well prepared cup of coffee. Really one of the better latte I’ve tried.
poached egg with beef bacon
My choice of brunch was poached egg with bacon (RM 16). Presentation was quite minimalist but the two eggs were perfectly poached, only proper bacon would elevate this dish but the beef version did its job just fine here.
scrambled eggs with salmon, lemon meringue cake
The wife went for scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (RM 15), another simple yet properly prepared dish that received no complain from her. We complete the brunch by sharing a lemon meringue cake (RM 14) together, which turned out to be quite a lovely dessert.
I foresee us going back there again one of these days.
Address: Podgy and the Banker 2, Jalan Sri Hartamas 8, Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur GPS: 3.157306, 101.650839 Hours: 9am to 11pm, closed on Tuesday Web: www.podgyandthebanker.com
