As some of you might be aware, I’m quite a big fan of anything pork. Over Chinese New Year (yeah, the visit happened a couple months back), while driving around trying to find something to noms, we chanced up upon this relatively new restaurant at Damansara Uptown by the name of Yue Mic Ka.
Unknowing to me then, Yue Mic Ka (鱼米家) is actually an established restaurant at Sri Petaling, and this branch at Uptown is their newest branch.

mui choy pork and pork ribs noodle with fish maw
The menu at Yue Mic Ka isn’t exactly extensive, but to me this is a good thing. Anyone who are familiar with the paradox of choice will agree that it is often that much tougher to pick something out when presented with a menu filled with way too many dishes, one such example is Ben’s (it’s a lovely restaurant btw).
We ordered a fish maw noodle with extra soft ribs (RM 8.50 + RM 6), a sorf pork ribs noodle (RM 9.50), and a couple plates of mui choy pork belly rice (RM 9.50).

mango pudding, Mom & Haze, pork ribs!
I gotta say that the service was especially swift, we got our food in less than 5 minutes, and they were delicious too! The soft ribs were succulent and tasty, and while fish maw was the dried version, they were plenty good too.
Haze and my brother were rather happy with the mui choy pork rice, so much so that none of them offered me a bite.

Other than pork and fish maw, Yue Mic Ka offers prawns, fish paste, sotong balls, and of course, fish head noodles too. A pretty decent place to go for these type of comfort food, the place is also clean and air conditioned. The down side is, being at Uptown, parking can be a bit of a problem sometimes.
Address:
Yue Mic Ka
Jalan 21/60,
Damansara Utama,
47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.133092, 101.621953
This is completely unrelated, but I want you to look at the following picture that I recently obtained.

We all know that this is a magnificent shot of the Petronas Twin Towers, but check out the sky above, there’s definitely something that looks like a sign.
I used to work at the towers (for a combined total of some 7 years) and never seen something like this in the sky, this could mean something.. ermm..
Gong Xi Fa Cai and wish you have a happy and prosperous Rabbit year!
It’s been a tradition of sort for my family to come over to KL from Penang every year over CNY since 6-7 years ago. This is partly to avoid the crazy traffic in Penang (and the commute), plus I suspect, maybe giving mom a chance in having real Klang Bak Kut Teh at least once a year.

Kedai Makanan Nan Sian, Klang
So on the third day of Chinese New Year we drove all the way to Klang in search for any bak kut teh restaurant that’s open for business.
After the Klang toll and turning back into Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, there was Kedai Makanan Nan Sian. Incidentally, we also came here some 6-7 years ago at about the same time for BKT, with my late dad then, as my mom recalled. It has been that long.

dry and soup bak kut teh, klang style
While we only had the soup BKT on the first visit, there’s dry bak kut teh to go along with the more traditional soup version this time around. For those who have been sleeping over the last 5 years or so, dry bak kut teh has since taken on major stride and available at many major BKT outlets these days.
The dry version is rumored to have made popular by Lai Choon Klang BKT, not far from Nan Sian.

two types of bak kut teh, with chinese tea, of course
The dry version over here is as good as any, with plenty of sliced okra, dried chili, and I suspect, a little bit of dried cuttle fish to add to the taste. It was flavorful and intense.
The soup version is proto typical Klang style, very herbal, thick, sticky, and with a big pork bone in the middle of the clay pot too. We had it with pork knuckle, 3-layer meat, pork tripe, intestine, a bit of mushroom, tofu, fu chok, and that slice of lettuce (mostly for decoration). If you like them old school Klang BKT, you can’t go wrong with this one.

mom, brother, KY, Haze
The satisfying lunch came to about RM 11 or so per person, and we left happy with full stomach. I should go to more Klang BKT places

Address:
Kedai Makanan Nan Sian
No 145, Jalan Batu Tiga Lama,
41300 Klang, Selangor
GPS: 3.05375, 101.46694
Tel: 016-297 2489
———————————————-
MilkADeal’s latest deal is a rather timely one – Valentine’s Red Velvet Cupcakes (4 Cupcakes) or One Red Velvet Cake for only RM10 from Kitchen Guardian, don’t miss out!

Order must be made at least 3 days in advance and collect on 13th or 14th Feb this year. This is a part-time hobbyist operation so you’re sure to get product baked with passion instead of merely for profit. Check out MilkADeal.com now
A couple weekends ago I went back to Penang for a little get together with my family in conjunction with Mom’s birthday. Even though we don’t usually celebrate birthdays, it is still a son’s responsibility at least to try to make mom happier during times like this.

Soon Lai Seafood, Penang
Instead of any fancy place (she warned me not to bring her for Japanese food), one of mom’s favorite places is this inconspicuous house-turned-restaurant place that goes by the name of Soon Lai Seafood Restaurant. The eatery is located in the housing area just a few blocks away from Lam Wah Ee hospital.

scrumptious butter crab
We ordered 6 dishes for the 5 of us, with the big kahuna being their butter crab (RM 42). The way they prepared this this is a little different, crab’s cooked with butter, onion, and even some spring onion. It turned out very good, mom suspects that the crabs are sourced from Kuala Kurau, where you find the best mud crab around the country.
I actually have aunts from fishing village in Kuala Kurau.

deep fried grouper, thai style pork hand, veg, tofu, spinach soup
You can’t have a seafood dinner without fish, we took the recommendation from our friendly server and ordered the “weird taste” deep fried grouper (RM 39). I’m not so sure about the name, but the fish was good not not exactly weird. The sauce is a mixture of plum and chili (and more?) with plenty of thinly sliced fried ginger on top.
Another must-order item at Soon Lai has got to be their Thai style pork knuckle (RM 18). It’s similar to the more familiar German style pork knuckle, but this one’s with Thai style chili sauce and mint leaves draped over it. The combination of crispy pork skin with the underlying fat plus that sauce – heaven!

Mom, KY, Haze, Jerry, Sister
The other three dishes were tofu on hotplate (RM 8), spinach soup with century egg (RM 12), and vegetable with sambal (RM 6). No disappointment at all with these side kicks either.
We had rice for everyone, and a couple bottles of beer too. It was a very satisfying dinner.
The bill? Less than RM 160. Now that’s great value. You have a choice sitting semi-alfresco or in air conditioned room too.

So if you’re looking for a decent seafood at a bargain right on the island, this is where you go.
Address:
Soon Lai Seafood Restaurant
15, Lintang Batu,
11600 Green Lane, Penang
GPS: 5.386974, 100.306149
Tel: 04-658 9799, 016-441 3666
I went back to Penang over the long weekends.
toll fees: RM 93
hours spent driving: 9 hours both ways
petrol: RM 100
distance traveled: 780 km both ways
seafood noodle for two: RM32.50
having dinner with mom: priceless

Seafood noodle – pick your own ingredients
I suggested Japanese food at first, but it was mom’s idea that we go to this fish head / seafood noodle place at Weld Quay for something a bit more special.
Siong Ho fish head meehun is located within Village Coffee Shop at Weld Quay, just a couple hundred meters from the jetty, and actually quite near to where my late grandma’s place where I spent a big chunk of my childhood. It was a bit nostalgic.
Calling Siong Ho a fish head meehun place is a bit of an understatement, the choice of ingredients offered at this place is quite astounding. There’s fish ball, meat ball, fish fillet, fish head, fried fish, kidney, prawn, cuttle fish, squid, minced meat, and even crab.

fish head/seafood mee hun with all the extra ingredients, nutmeg juice
For my bowl of personalized meehun, I chose a couple pieces of kidney (they are very tasty!), fish ball, fish meat, a piece of fish head, prawn, and cuttle fish to go with mee hun and clear soup. You can also choose to have noodle, kueh teow, or thick mee hun, tomyam soup is available too. (but no version with evaporated milk, like in KL)
Mom ordered pretty much the same thing except without cuttle fish, and deep fried fish instead of the fillet.
The seafood’s fresh, the soup is sweet, and I particularly like the fact that they have this whole container full of deep fried garlic on every table. I like my seafood noodle with plenty of those, and I think I refilled probably 3-4 times, it was an awesome idea, why wouldn’t other shops do the same thing?

mom & I having a simple dinner
One other thing that’s available here (and most kopitiam in Penang) is nutmeg drinks. Blended nutmeg with a dried sour plum, prepared in a way that is similar to kedondong (umbra with sour plum) but without the bitter after taste, and more refreshing.
Dinner cost RM 32.50 in total, and for the amount and quality of ingredients we got, not to mention the good taste, I thought it was well worth it.

Address:
Village Coffee Shop
107-A, Pengkalan Weld (Weld Quay),
10300 Penang, Malaysia
GPS: 5.411949,100.338049
Tel: 019-458 8693