Tag / subang-jaya
A couple weeks ago while getting myself a band saw from a hardware supply shop in Subang SS15, we walked past a restaurant with no name that seems to be enjoying quite a healthy stream of customers. Upon closer inspection, the nameless restaurant is called Uncle Seng, and they just didn’t bother fixing up the sign board that has half its letters fell/worn off.
Uncle Seng at SS15, a short walk from the colleges
I’ve not heard of Uncle Seng before, but a shabby restaurant that has a good crowd is usually a positive sign, so we went in and took a table.
Ordering system here is pencil & paper sort of affair, and we ticked our options without too much trouble. The choices consists of combinations of char siu, wantan, shredded chicken, chicken feet + mushroom, deep fried pork, and curry chicken with their homemade noodle. They’re priced at RM 7 to RM 10 depending on your choice of combo.
what ingredients do you want on your plate?
For lunch, I chose chicken feet with mushroom + charsiu wantan while Haze had the noodle with deep fried pork plus charsiu.
The order did take some 15 minutes to arrive, and at first, we thought while the texture of homemade noodle was good, the overall taste was pretty average. It was not until the owner came over and informed us that the unique thing here is their chili sauce, and that you have to mix it all in.
Well, that sure made a whole lot of difference. The chili sauce give the otherwise muted tasting noodle dish quite a kick and added dimension, it was quite enjoyable.
mixing the chili sauce up is the way to go here
At the end, it was clear to us that there isn’t a secret why this place is packed even in a lazy rainy afternoon over the weekends. If you’re around the area, Uncle Seng is worth a try, they have a branch at Puchong too.
Address:
Restoran Uncle Seng
68, Jalan SS 15/4b, Ss 15,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.076391, 101.588652
Tel: 012-254 6482
While curry may be originated from Indian cuisine, here in Malaysia, the local Chinese has since adopted many of the same spices and cooking methods and embraced the dish as their own. Of many curry dishes out there, one of my favorites has got to be fish head curry, one of those dishes that may raise an eyebrow or two if you try to describe it to Westerners.
One of the many restaurants that can cook up a pretty awesome curry fish head is Ah Lye Curry Fish Head at Subang SS19.
Ah Lye Curry Fish Head with the gang
Nestled within the housing area of SS19 in Subang Jaya, Ah Lye is one of those old school type of “tai chao” restaurant that has embraced the fact that Malaysian weather and dinner is sometimes not the best combination, hence the place is equipped with air conditioning, albeit with otherwise very basic set up.
Parking is quite a straight forward affair as well since it is not a busy commercial area like other shop lots areas in Subang.
curry fish head, asam prawn, fuyung egg
It was a dinner for 7 pax, and we naturally ordered 6 dishes to share around.
The claypot curry fish head was definitely on point. Loaded with generous amount of okra, brinjal, and fish head, it reminds me of the Nyonya version that mom used to (and still) makes. I love it.
The asam prawn here is quite proper as well, with thick soya sauce covering those pretty decent size prawns. It would have been perfect if they make it slightly more charred.
Fuyong egg provided even more seafood on our third dish with bounty from the sea, if you have a history with gout, this may not be the most healthy diet.
fried tofu skin, namyu pork, vege
Stuffed tofu skin and fried namyu pork provided some differing texture to our dinner, they were crunchy as they are savory, goes well with steamed rice.
Of course, we always have a vegetable dish to provide a bit of balance to the whole menu, choy sum served this purpose well in this case.
Expect to spend around RM 20-30 per pax here, and it will be well worth it.
Address:
Ah Lye Curry Fish Head
No. 28, Jalan SS19/1G,
47500, Subang Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.075912, 101.575388
Tel: 03-5638 0468
Back in 2007 I wrote about one particular mee goreng at Restaurant New Yew Sang that I really liked, but unfortunately the operator passed away just a few months after that due to heart attack. For the next 6+ years, I wasn’t able to find another comparable mee goreng in Klang Valley, the version you find at most mamak restaurants is just not up to standard.
Seeni Mee Goreng at Asia Cafe, Subang Jaya
Not long ago, on one of my many breakfast sessions at Restaurant Okay’s curry mee, one of the regulars whom I share table with everytime I go there, mentioned about mee goreng in Klang Valley and recommended this particular stall at Asia Cafe.
Being a fan of good hawker food, I had to give it a try, and I’m glad I did.
now this is a version of mee goreng I like
The stall is located at SS15’s Asia Cafe with the signboard that says “Seeni Mee Goreng”, “Mee Goreng Master” etc, quite a big dose of self confidence I must say.
Luckily, the mee goreng mamak is indeed very good, with a healthy portion of classic Penang mee goreng ingredients, including the marinated squid, potato, lime, vegetable, and fritters. I also particularly like the spicy and sweet sauce that moist up the whole plate of noodle. If you’re a fan of mee goreng, you will enjoy this.
I’m going to try their mee rebus next.
Address:
Asia Cafe
Jalan SS 15/8a,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.074278, 101.590452
Tel: 03-5636 4653
A couple weeks ago I was invited to Di Wei Chinese Restaurant at Empire Hotel to sample their mooncakes for the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival as well as a few of their new fish dishes.
It was my second time visiting this rather classy non-halal Chinese restaurant, with the first time sampling some alcohol product that was never brought into the country commercially (Yuzu!), hence the lack of prior blog entry.
Di Wei Chinese cuisine restaurant at Empire Hotel, Subang Jaya
The restaurant is accessible from the hotel as well as directly from the top floor of the shopping mall. Like most Chinese restaurants, Di Wei carries a pretty decent selection of dishes, from bbq meat, traditional double boiled soup, dried seafood such as abalone and sea cucumber, live seafood, beef, pork, chicken, duck, beancurd, egg, vegetable dishes as well as fried rice and noodle.
On our review session, we sampled three new fish dishes as well as their mooncakes.
Braised Marble Goby Fish with Iced Beancurd and Pork Belly
First dish was braised marble goby fish with iced beancurd and pork belly (RM 168++ per portion).
Marble goby is one of the most prized freshwater fish for its smooth texture and layering meat. The usual preparation method usually by steaming, but the chef at Di Wei decided to deep fry the fish and braise with special sauce with addition of pork belly and iced beancurd.
The beancurd, being frozen prior has many air pockets that soaks up the sauce, which makes for an interesting way to enjoy the dish. The fish did not lose it’s original taste with the deep frying process, but gained extra smoothness from pork belly. I love it.
Steamed Seabass in Assam Sauce
Next up was steamed seabass in assam sauce (RM 122++ per 100 gram). It was basically a high class version of asam fish that is quite common in many Chinese restaurants, with seabass doing the major lifting in the quality department. This dish should be consumed quickly if served in the heated bowl, as the heat may otherwise overcook the fish over time.
Pan Fried Giant Grouper with Green Apple Sauce
Pan fried giant grouper with green apple sauce (RM 23++ per 100 gram) is a dish that may not get approval for giant grouper lovers who love to have this fish the traditional way – steamed with superior soya sauce.
I tend to agree, but pan frying the fish gives the skin a new and exciting texture to ponder about, with the addition of apple sauce making it pretty interesting. It is a bold attempt no doubt, but one that hasn’t surpass the traditional cooking method of this prized seafood yet, I’m afraid.
traditional baked mooncakes, RM 18-23 each
So then, lets move to mooncakes.
The traditional mooncakes from Di Wei we sampled are as follow:
- pandan lotus single yolk
- white lotus single yolk
- black sesame single yolk
- pure lotus single yolk
- red bean
- bamboo charcoal single yolk
My favorite being the bamboo charcoal and white lotus single yolk, and my complain is – why not double yolks? or even better, quadruple yolks?
snow skin mooncakes, RM 18-23 each
As for snow skin mooncakes that are best chilled, we had the following:
- snow skin white lotus single yolk
- snow skin green tea single yolk
- snow skin black sesame single yolk
- snow skin bamboo charcoal single yolk
I like them all, but my favorites were black sesame and bamboo charcoal versions.
Di Wei’s 3 meat platter
Since mooncakes and three dishes of fish weren’t exactly fulfilling enough to our collective stomachs, we ordered Di Wei’s three meat platter as extra (small – RM40++, medium – RM60++, big – RM80++).
The BBQ pork (chasiu) was perhaps not the best I’ve had, but the roast duck very good, and roast pork turned out to be really excellent.
So if you’re into mooncakes, Di Wei offers some excellent choices, and for good quality fish in some non traditional cooking style, this is also a place you should check out.
Address:
Di Wei
L1, F20 & F21
Empire Hotel, Jalan SS16/1,
Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan
GPS: 3.082109, 101.582716
Tel: 03-5565 1228
After sampling Dorsett Grand Subang‘s Sunday (and public) dimsum buffet spread, we returned for another review session to check out some of Emperor restaurant’s signature dishes as well as their mooncakes offerings for the Mid Autumn festival happening a month from now.
wok-fried egg noodles and fresh water prawn “Cantonese” style
Emporer Chinese Restaurant is a pork free restaurant, and the mooncake they prepare should be safe for those who don’t consume pork as well. Something to think about if you would want to use mooncake as cross-cultural gifts.
As with any proper Chinese dinner, we started with soup. The double boiled fish maw soup with bamboo pith & vegetable (RM 55) is perfect to warm the stomach and prepare the our palate for what’s to come.
The big ticket item was Wok-fried egg noodles and fresh water prawn “Cantonese” style (RM 60 regular), a dish that’s executed rather well with really massive fresh water prawn that’s packed with the roe, providing it with that extra jolt of savory taste. Certainly a good version of Sang Har Mee.
deep fried crispy spring chicken, braised homemade spinach beancurd,
stir fry mix vege and fresh scallop
I initially thought that the deep fried crispy spring chicken (RM 30) was pigeons at first, and to be honest, it provides little difference other than packing more meat. I find it just a tad dry and lacking fats, but I am also one who dislike kampung chicken, so your mileage may vary.
Braised home-made spinach beancurd with shimiji mushroom (RM 60) was one of my favorite dishes. The freshly made tofu was soft and I really liked how the addition of spinach gives it a different dimension.
The stir fry mix vegetable and fresh scallop in “Teow Chew” style (RM 60) came with quite a different selection of vegetables, including mushroom, lotus roots, asparagus, carrot, celery, and more; forming a cacophony of taste & texture in your mouth. Of course, the presence of scallops definitely help.
wok fried peeled prawn with homemade butter sauce
Lastly, the wok-fried peeled prawn with home made butter sauce (RM 52 regular) looks a little bit like the more familiar egg yolk version, but coated with butter and light breading instead. I like that the prawns are shelled for easy consumption.
Dessert came in the form of chilled mango puree with fresh mix fruit & sago (30), cold and refreshing.
classic and crystal skin mooncake, pandan, lotus paste, egg yolk etc
The mooncakes from Dorsett Grand Subang are priced from RM 15++ to RM 20++ per piece, and as stated, they are pork free.
Mooncake came a long way since its existence over a thousand years ago. You can now find a huge variety of fillings and different skins, it’s now easier than ever to find one that you like.
Some of the mooncakes offered here are:
- pandan lotus paste with egg yolok
- pure red bean paste with single egg yolk
- white lotus paste with double egg yolk
- crystal skin pandan lotus paste with egg yolk
- red bean, sweet potato with egg yolk
- green tea lotus paste with single egg yolk
- pure sweet potato paste with single egg yolk
- white lotus paste with single egg yolk and pure white lotus paste
I’m a simple man when it comes to mooncake though, give me anything with egg yolk (especially double egg yolk) and I’m happy.
eat all the mooncakes! Chef Chong Foo Tuck – dimsum chef
If you buy 10 boxes of mooncake (4 pieces per box) at Dorsett Grand Subang, they will throw in two dining voucher for the Sunday dimsum branch. Pretty good deal if you ask me.
Additionally, CIMB credit card holders & Enrich members get 15%, with Dorsett Prestige members enjoying 20% off at The Emperor.
Happy dining!
Address:
The Emperor
Dorsett Grand Subang
Jalan SS12/1,
47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.079211, 101.595999
Tel: 03-5031 6060 ext 1954
Hours: Sundays & Public Holidays 10 am – 2:30 pm
