I actually tried this halal bak kua (BBQ meat) a couple months ago but kept forgetting to post it until a reader emailed me the other day, the content goes:

MK wrote:
do u have any idea where to get halal bak kua in KL?

and then I replied:

No halal bak kut teh as far as I know, but there’s vegetarian bak kut teh that has similar tasting soup you can find at Taman Mayang, near the old Lim Kok Wing building. It’s a stall by the roadside that’s very near to William’s mamak stall, operates during lunch time.

Regards,
KY

Which was a wrong answer because MK was asking about bak kua, not my favorite Chinese Malaysian food, bak kut teh. So I had to sent another email to the friendly reader who politely pointed out my mistake…

my ex-colleague Abby likes the beef bak kua

Anyway, this particular stall selling halal bak kua called Grilled to Perfection is situated at the basement food court of Pavilion KL. Just a stone’s throw away from it’s non-halal counterpart Kiew Brothers that sells bacon bak kua I posted about a couple months ago.

The stall offers three types of BBQ meat: sliced beef, sliced chicken, and sambal chicken. You can also have them in rounded coin shapes instead of sheets as well. They are priced at RM 72-75 per KG, very similar to the market price of the non-halal versions

the three types of bak kua, sliced beef, sambal chicken, and sliced chicken

As for the taste, I find that the beef bak kua (the only one I tried) was a little dryer than what I am used to, possibly due to the relatively leaner meat as compared to pork. However, it does taste like bak kua, and to my ex-colleague who has never tasted something like this, it was a revelation.

So far this is the only place I’m aware of that sells Halal bak kua, so if you don’t eat pork and want to try out this Chinese delicacy, Pavilion KL is the place!

Address: (Corporate, stall at basement of Pavilion KL)
No. 73, Jalan Cemerlang,
Taman Perindustrian Cemerlang,
81800 Ulu Tiram, Johor
Tel: 03-5891 0934

Tags:  bak kua,  bbq meat,  Bukit Bintang,  food-court,  halal,  KL,  pavilion

Posted by KY | 19 Comments »

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I am a huge Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶) fan. It all started when I was a young boy when our family used to have bak kut teh almost every Sunday. The pork, the soup, the “yau char gwai”, it is simply the best Chinese food invented from this land. The last post on this category appeared some 3 months ago, so the time is right to have another one!

my personal pot of bak kut teh

Most of the bak kut teh at food courts and kopitiams that I have tried over the years have not been particularly rewarding, but that has never stop me from trying new stalls once in a while. My luck came when I found myself at Ming Tien some months ago without knowing what to order, so I fall back to my default feel-good food, the Bak Kut Teh.

ahh, the strong herbal taste of the soup

When the steamy pot of goodness arrived, I was utterly surprised by the aroma and flavor of the soup. Strong with herbal taste, the soup is pretty sweet and not over powering. On top of that, they serve old school oily rice that goes very well with the meat. No wonder there are comments on my ming tien dumpling post recommending me to this stall.

Ming Tien food court is located at Taman Megah, PJ

For a single portion, the price is in line with other bak kut teh places at around RM 8 or so. Try it out if especially if you frequent this food court. I reckon this stall sells the best bak kut teh in any food court that I’ve tried so far.

Tags:  Bak Kut Teh,  chinese-food,  dining,  eats,  food-court,  herbal,  meat,  PJ,  pork,  taman megah

Posted by KY | 27 Comments »

I have always thought that the roti bakar at PJ state was one of the bests I have had, until one of my clients bought me to the food court at KLCC to order the same thing there. Since then, this little stall at the 2nd floor food court became my favorite place for breakfast.

a satisfying breakfast for two

Like the version in PJ state, thicker version of bread is used; but instead of charcoal (which wouldn’t be allowed in an air conditioned environment), the bread is heated with electrical toaster instead. However, instead of having kaya and butter spread on each piece of the toast, this place have both pieces with kaya, and then put a thick slice of frozen butter in between.

The frozen butter combined with the hot bread and the sweetness of kaya makes a perfect combination. The taste of butter blending with kaya and bread; the texture of frozen butter contrasting strongly with soft kaya spread and the crispy toast; and even the differences temperature between the ingredients combined to a very satisfying bite.

ahhh.. thick frozen butter

The toast goes best with a cup of hot coffee and some half boiled egg. As each food court rental costs somewhere around RM 18,000 per month, the food doesn’t come very cheap. Each item is slightly more than RM 2. It makes a slightly expensive breakfast, but I simply couldn’t resist this stuff, just so good. I think I’m going to the 2nd floor food court at KLCC again tomorrow.

Tags:  breakfast,  food-court,  frozen-butter,  klcc,  kuala-lumpur,  toast

Posted by KY | 21 Comments »

If you’re longing some good traditional Malay (and pretty economical) food in the heart of KL, look no further than the nasi lemak (rice with coconut cream) and ikan bakar (BBQ fish) at Tanglin food court. Located just a stone’s throw away from the magnificent national mosque.

the stall is always packed with hungry people

We went there a few weekends ago, as usual, there is a queue in front of the famous Nasi Lemak Tanglin stall. I ordered a piece of curry chicken and some sambal squid in my nasi lemak. To make the meal complete, we also got ourselves some stingray ikan bakar from the next stall.

True to its reputation, the nasi lemak was very good. The rice not too hard, and the sambal very creamy and aromatic. The chicken was pretty decent, and the squid cooked to the illusive texture that isn’t springy nor rubbery.

these ikan bakar and nasi lemak are absolutely delicious

The ikan bakar, though not nearly as famous as the nasi lemak, proved to be an excellent side that went very well with the main dish. While the fish is grilled just like any other places, the sauce that came with it was really superb. It was very spicy and full of asam flavor. If the nasi lemak massages your taste buds, the ikan bakar with the sauce really hits them hard and gives you a wake up call on a lazy Sunday morning. It was awesome.

Tanglin food court is located near KL bird park and butterfly park

Price wise, the food court is on par with most other Malay stalls. The meal, with a Teh Ais, costs about RM 10. It was a RM 10 well spent.

Address:
Kompleks Makan Tanglin
Jalan Cendarasari, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-650 8494 (Zainol)

Tags:  delicious,  food-court,  grilled-fish,  ikan-bakar,  malay-food,  nasi-lemak,  stalls,  traditional-food

Posted by KY | 10 Comments »

The majority of people working around the KLCC vicinity are usually familiar with the 2 food courts at Suria KLCC as well as the lunch hot spot that is Wisma Sentral (Chinese food, chicken rice). However, many noobs are unaware that there is actually a food court at Menara Public Bank, hidden away at the 4th floor carpark. Even fewer people would guess that it is an outdoor establishment.

2 young boys enjoying their food, including the infamous SK

While visiting there with the Snark some weeks ago, I noticed that the mamak stall was cooking the murtabak with ghee (clarified butter). Since I love murtabak, and it is not easy to find a mamak stall that cooks them with this traditional ingredient, I decided to have the mutton murtabak for lunch that day (and had the beef murtabak a week later with Nicholas and SK, when these photos were taken).

this is some good stuff

The murtabak was served rather quickly after ordering. I guess the mamak guy must have prepared them in advance in anticipation for the lunch crowd. Chicken curry accompanied the dish. The size of the murtabak was a little smaller compared to those at KAYU or Pelita. However, I find the size just nice for lunch.

Menara Public Bank is just opposite KLCC

Though simple, the murtabak was really good. The meat patty still juicy, and the tastes of ghee complimented the meat and the roti nicely. And for less than RM 4 including a glass of teh tarik. You can never go wrong.

The food court is located at 4th floor, Menara Public Bank. Opens for breakfast and lunch.

Tags:  dining,  food-court,  indian-cuisine,  mamak,  murtabak,  public-bank,  roti

Posted by KY | 8 Comments »