Cendol Sulaiman @ Restaurant MSS Maju, Off Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur
"PUDU for cendol?" said Splashie Boy with raised eyebrows. I nodded my head.
It seemed like an urban legend I had read about. This Indian man that spoke Cantonese and doled out the "green worms" dessert in the most unlikely place, a.k.a. the heartlands of chaotic Pudu.
cendol two ways - with creamed corn and a dollop of pulut (glutinous rice)
Armed with vague directions and a foursquare listing that just didn't pinpoint the place, we walked aimlessly around the market.
In between the crazy maze of stalls, we managed to find time to go snap happy. It's a colourful atmosphere...charged with people of all races and even countries looking for the best fresh deals in town.
rojak sotong
There's all kinds of fish (we spot baby sharks and even spotted sting rays), prawns, vegetables, meats that you wish you had a big basket to scoop it all up.
After failing to interpret those directions, we finally did the typical fail-safe method, ask a local where it was and we trooped to the other corner of the market...walked through an alleyway and lo behold, discovered the cendol stall.
super fast service guaranteed
Phew! I was just thinking to myself it'll be wasted early morning trip to Pudu. One can imagine someone snapping off my head in anger if we came out naught with cendol.
It was all systems go at the stall and everything is done at breakneck speed that even a DSLR can only burst as much to capture the gula melaka tinged coconut milk moving around like a Matrix movie...uncle, please slow-mo!
even faster service
The cendol is good...they're generous with the "green worms" ladling large scoops of it. The creamy coconut milk broth has a faint scent of gula melaka. I especially liked how fine the shaved ice is since everything melts quickly.
It's a great refresher that we order another bowl to share. Also sharing the table was the rojak sotong. Not overly sweet with a tinge of chili, the rojak was not the best in town but still pretty decent.
ice ice baby, too cold, too cold...sings the ice shaver
With our tummies well satisfied...it dawned on us how easy it would have been to arrive here from the main road.
I guess the fun is just taking the wrong turn or else I would not have been able to capture these wonderful pictures in the following trio of collages. Splashie Boy also contributed with the Olympus PEN.
Cendol Sulaiman
In front of Restaurant MSS Maju
Off Jalan Pudu
Kuala Lumpur
(Halal. Open from 8.30am -5pm daily. To get here, from Jalan Pudu, turn into an alleyway where it is fronted by green wooden stalls that house the Hakka Mee stalls. Go straight and you will see the cendol stall. For more pictures, see my Flickr set on the Cendol Stall and the Pudu Market.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Restaurant Siu Siu @ Robson Heights, Kuala Lumpur
"WHAT would you like to eat for your birthday?" began to sound like a broken record after a while.
Every time that question was posed to me by friends and family, it was the same answer without hesitation, "crabs of course!"
While I didn't subject poor Splashie Boy to that crustacean threat, we did get to dine at Cilantro over some beautiful fresh French produce including a melt-in-the-mouth lamb and fresh white asparagus. He forbade me to snap any pictures so evidence of that beautifully cooked meal by maestro chef Takashi is instead etched in my memory bank.
I'm pretty lucky to have friends who indulged me in my crazy cholestrol-rich request and I admit I had a wonderful time feasting on crustaceans in all different forms these past few weeks. Best of all I reckon has been the company I've been keeping as good friends + food = wonderful memories.
Expect more crabby posts coming but I thought I'll work backwards with the last crab dinner we had.... at the famous Siu Siu Restaurant.
Getting here seems pretty easy - plow down the traffic-ridden Federal Highway, make a few turns away from civilized land and you'll end up at this place that is at the side of a secondary forest.
Visiting here late in the dark can be kinda scary as the mists gather around and it suddenly dawns on me that just beyond that crest of the hill is the infamous graveyard filled with possible ghostly apparitions.
I've often wondered what would I do if I was faced with such spiritual intervention. Would I be sensible and ask for the winning numbers or just freak out? Luckily I didn't need to answer such questions that night as the only question was, how many crabs could we polish off that night?
The menu for the night saw us woofing down:
Salted egg yolk crabs (RM45) - the salted egg yolk mixture is a little moist that drops off from the shells waiting to be eaten indulgently. It crumbs well and hugs each piece of the crab that requires you to do some serious licking. Voted the most lick worthy and scoop up those sinful salted egg yolk sauce to eat with your rice.
Claypot crab rice (RM55) - Charred crab pieces with a hint of kam heong sauce top rice cooked in a claypot. It's got a smoky flavour and the best bits are the crusty grains at the bottom of the claypot. Exercise some elbow grease to dig out the crunchy grains.
Nonya steamed fish (RM39) - The key to this dish is the aromatic sauce with hints of ginger flower. I especially loved the vegetables (aubergine and long beans) that accompanied the smooth steamed fish. Best eaten with lots of white rice.
Char siu (RM20) - Sticky, black coated melt-in-the-mouth porky goodness. Definitely one of the better roasts in town.
Beancurd with minced meat (RM12) - Homestyle comfort food whereby smooth wobbly bean curd meets comforting minced meat with crunchy long beans.
Stir-fried sweet potato leaves with belachan (RM15) - Fibre at its best with soft sweet leaves and slightly fibrous stems all given a boost of taste from the sambal belachan it was fried in.
It was great fun that night, as we chow down to good food and started planning the next eat trip already.
We also made a new friend that night, a colourful character that was the owner's pet bird. It's a big sweetie who can even kiss on demand. Too bad it didn't look like Ryan Reynolds or else, that'll make my day *wink*.
Restaurant Siu Siu
15-11 Lorong Syed Putra Kiri
Robson Heights
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-3708555
(Non Halal. Closed on Mondays. Open for lunch and dinner. More pictures in the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Elegant Inn Third Anniversary Promotion - Sturgeon Fish Feast
The Chinese can sniff out a good thing especially exotic fish. First we had the Soon Hock flooding restaurants, then came Empurau which was touted as the most expensive fish in town, now we have the latest craze in town...the sturgeon fish.
It was by fluke I ended up sampling this pre-historic fish as I was asked to go for an impromptu dinner one night. "Sturgeon?" Isn't that the fish that produces caviar?"... I was asking when I got the invite. I admit my curiosity was piqued.
Turns out the ancient fish (it is claimed to have lived during the dinosaur's time) may be endangered in China but a nifty group of fellas had decided to rear them here. They had seen similar fish farms in Taiwan and they had brought in the fish and its technology as it needs very clean water to survive. The fish is also high in calcium, packed with antioxidants and fatty acids and collagen rich since it has a cartilaginous skeleton. The fish was highly sought after in the olden days in China and reserved for the Emperor that earned its nickname wong yue, literally translated in Chinese as Emperor's Fish. It is also known as chum loong yue in Chinese.
Luckily we don't need to be an Emperor to dine on this fish as it is now on offer at Elegant Inn for its third anniversary promotion. The eight course meal starts off with the sturgeon fillet cut sashimi style and one of the best ways I reckon to enjoy this fish. Orange hued slices of the fish is artistically draped over an ice bowl to keep it cool and make you go wow! The sashimi has a sweet taste with a slight bite to it, which I reckon is best eaten without dunking it in soy sauce.
Nothing is wasted for this 3.8kg fish and the cartilaginous bones are deep fried till crisp with a light batter coating. Diced garlic and pepper round up the flavours for this dish. Unlike the usual fish bones deep fried, these one are a little special since you can taste the fatty bits in your mouth that melt away. Even the head is chopped away and double boiled with herbs for soup. We didn't manage to try the soup that night but I can imagine it'll be wonderful (a smooth mouthfeel to each spoonful) since I've tasted shark bone soup and the fish structure reminds me a little of the shark with its firm flesh and rich collagen.
The next course is all about contrasts - the deep fried crunch of the sturgeon tail paired with the velvet smoothness from the firm sturgeon fillet. I'm always partial to the side bits of a fish (give me the fin and tail to crunch on and I'll be a happy camper) so I really enjoyed the deep fried taste of the sturgeon tail with the ginger shreds. It's interesting to eat the rich flesh deep fried as it leaves an oily mouthfeel but unlike the Empurau fish, I felt the balance between the flesh and the omega 3 oil within it to be much more balanced (the Empurau felt like it was just oil only). The omega oil also seems to give the fillet pieces a velvet-like sensation that contrasts with the crunchy asparagus and wood ear fungus. We had also compared the fish fillets with the fish belly slices, that was also stir fried (not available in the menu). The fish belly slices had a richer taste since it had a little bit of the skin.
Instead I preferred the fish belly cut into chunks and braised in a claypot with red dates, waterchesnuts, bamboo shoots, soy bean skin (fu pei), mushrooms and roast pork. Each bite is wonderful with the rich collagen - yields a little in the beginning and crumbles on the tongue to a smooth mouthfeel taste. For the feast, it's a choice between the braised and the traditional steamed version. While Elegant Inn does a lovely steamed fish, I must admit it felt a tad ordinary after sampling the fish in so many more exciting ways. If you're choosing which one to eat the fish belly, my recommendation is go for the braised version for a more unusual taste.
For the 8-course meal, there's two courses that are not sturgeon fish. Here you have the first one, a choice between braised six head South African abalone and sea cucumber or Japanese Kobe beef done in Elegant Inn's garlic style (I've blogged about this before in my beef post and it is gorgeous!). The next course is the last one before dessert - you get twin claypots, one where the sturgeon oil is used to fry rice and the other which contains brown rice porridge to add the sturgeon fish slices. We didn't get to sample the rice dish but the porridge version was wonderful with the sweet sturgeon fish slices. I especially liked the colour of the fish slices as you could distinctively see the golden hued fat glistening under the skin. Bird nest tartlettes and double boiled hasma with imperial dates round up your wonderful feast.
Definitely a chance of a lifetime to try this fish. If fish is not your thing, there are other things on promotion from 13 June to 10 July - RM3++ weekday lunch specials, RM33++ twin delights for weekly dinner and even RM333++ lobster meal for 3 persons. Also on offer is their Japanese Kobe Beef for RM333++ for 300grams. The feast is priced at RM3,333++ for a table of 10 persons. Pre-order 72 hours prior notice required. For the full list of items in the feast, see this link and this one. More pictures are found in my Flickr set.
Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine
2.01, 2nd Floor
Menara Hap Seng
Jalan P Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2070 9399
Elegant Inn Hong Kong Cuisine
16, Jalan Waras 1
Taman Connaught
Cheras
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9130 2626 (Open Friday to Sunday only)
* This review was an invited one.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Moroccan food @ Min Fes Hammam and Cafe, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya
I'm eternally grateful to my friend S....it's because of her that we discovered this little Moroccan gem of a place hidden in suburbia. NST's Sunday Times had clued her in on this cafe's existence but she had scouted it for us and gave her lip smacking approval before we stepped into this cosy cafe.
The cafe and the Moroccan Hammam bath next to it is owned by a couple (one half is Moroccan while the other is local). The space is given a Moroccan feel with intricate lamps, terracotta engravings and there is even a fountain in the front. As S had thoughtfully booked ahead, we had the private room to ourselves, where we lounged on long couches. Since it was quite a few of us in that space, we knocked elbows a little as we dined. Nevertheless one does enjoy the whole ambience inside the room especially with the beautiful shadows casted from the carved lamps. Completing the whole ambience was the bold patterned plates our food came in.
I've always loved Moroccan food and one of my culinary heroes is Claudia Roden who is famous for her Middle Eastern cookbooks. Their food is fragrant with a lovely subtleness that has a magical appeal which draws me back. At Min Fes, we felt the food exudes a one of a kind home-like feel (from what I read they use the owner's mother's recipes) making it a class above any other restaurant in town.
As usual, we order a feast that the table is literally groaning from the weight of the food. Chief favourites voted by many tummies (7 to be exact) were the lamb aukdah (RM15) and the chicken couscous (RM20). The lamb aukdah is perfect for lazy eaters. No wrangling with bones as the lamb is all shredded up and mixed with diced tomatoes and onions. What makes it perfect are the subtle spices that go into it, as you eat each bite, you can feel each layer on your tongue - a hint of cinnamon, a hint of sweetness and so forth.
Only available for Friday is Morocco's national dish, the couscous. They serve two varieties: lamb (RM25) and chicken. The chicken version is far superior in taste compared to the lamb. The couscous is said to be steamed five times over the chicken broth, which produces these aromatic fluffy grains. It is topped with chunky fork tender portions of carrots, celery and pumpkin.
We had two types of lamb tagine (RM20 each), one with vegetables and the other with prunes. The meat is soft and the juices of the dish is superb as everything cooks down to a light tasty broth. Appetizers came a little late during the meal but the hummus (RM7), chickpea puree and tahini sauce with lemon juice is smooth and moreish with the soft pita breads. We also enjoy the warm falafel (RM7), ground chickpea patties. The Moroccan salad (RM7) is a refreshing combination of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and onions with a special house dressing that hinted of olive oil with a dash of lemon juice. Being a great fan of eggplant, I loved the zaalouk (RM7), grilled eggplant mashed with tomatoes, cilantro and garlic that was so moreish. We also had the chicken kabsa (RM15), boiled chicken with spices served with a fluffy briyani rice and a spicy tangy sauce on the side.
To end, it was creme caramel (RM3) and a refreshing fruit salad (RM7) that is served with a lovely thick yoghurt. We also enjoy thick Moroccan coffee and the traditional Moroccan mint tea. The tea is very sweet but I love the mint aroma that didn't stop me from sipping down one glass. I reckon more visits to this place is warranted since we have yet to try their mixed grill items, the fish chermoula that is by special order. They also so mandy lamb but only for special catering. Hop over here for a slice of Moroccan magic.
Min Fes Hammam and Cafe
19-1, Jalan PJU 7/7A
Mutiara Damansara
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7722 5049
(Halal. Open from 11am to midnight daily. Turn into Mutiara Damansara from the main road opposite the Curve. Go straight, the row of shophouses is on the left hand side before the roundabout. Min Fes is at the corner. More pictures in my Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Surisit Thai Kopitiam @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Nowadays, the pig seems to have found a new home in Taman Tun Dr Ismail...in the numerous pubs sprouting around the Lorong Rahim Kajai area and now, the latest is this no-frills Thai kopitiam.
In Thai cuisine, pork is often used in many dishes. As most of the Thai places opening up in Malaysia are mindful of the religion restrictions, they tend to omit the porcine element. Moreover most of the Thais come from the Southern region that is still very much influenced by our Northern states.
Opened about two weeks ago, this kopitiam is run by Sita, one of the founders of Bangsar's Montien and her two nephews. The name Surisit is an amalgamation of their names. It does service the whole day hence you get breakfast, lunch and dinner with different menus. Breakfast is pork noodles, porridge while there are different lunch and dinner menus. As they are still very new, the menu is still going through changes as the owners are still experimenting with what dishes appeal to the diners.
We sampled the dinner menu and of course, it was zoom into the pork dishes since these are so rare. There were three choices of tom yam soups (seafood, chicken and pork), of course we chose the Tom Yam Ka Moo (clear tom yam soup with braised pork hocks, RM25.90) - light, well balanced with the salty, sweet and sour taste, and of course the fork tender pork.
The big winner of our meal was the Mun Thod Gapi (crispy fried pork with shrimp paste with deep fried lime leaves and chilli sauce, RM16.90 for small and RM24.90 for large). At first we joked that we're eating Hakka char yoke but a taste of it revealed its differences - the subtle taste of shrimp paste, its crusty top and of course the burst of flavour from the deep fried kaffir lime leaves and the chilli sauce. Incredibly addictive that we even ordered a second dish. Instead, the classic Phat Krapao Moo Sap (mince pork with Thai basil, RM12.90 for small, RM17.90 for large) seemed bland and uninteresting. Somehow the aromatic Thai basil leaves just didn't manage to carry the flavours through.
While we would have loved to gone completely pork crazy, we did also balance out the meal with the Pla Thod Nam Pla (Crispy Thai Style Garlic Fried Fish, RM32.90). Essentially this was deep-fried siakap fish served with a sauce on the side. The sauce was a bit of a let-down. A little too watery and we detected soybean paste within, spring onions and etc that reminded us a little of a similar Chinese dish. Instead we went for their amazing chilli sauce - it looks fiery but it was sweetish and addictive. That sauce when paired with the fish, saved that dish. Also on the table was the Khai Luk Koei (Son in law eggs, RM9.90). These hard boiled eggs are deep-fried, doused in a thickish slightly sweet sauce and garnished with lots of shallot crisps - a combination that worked well but wasn't very exciting to the palate. One must not forget the greens that came in the form of Pucuk Paku Yam Pla (kerabu pucuk paku RM12.90 for small, RM16.90 for large). A friend had earlier eaten here and raved about this dish but this time round, it wasn't so good she admitted. The elements of the ferntops, prawns and coconut milk - seemed to lack that sourish tangy taste needed to balance it.
No desserts for us as they ran out but we did end it with some fresh mango. Usually they do serve Thab Tim Krob and mango glutinous rice. It's still very much early days for the kopitiam but I reckon they're going to be a big winner once all the wheels are greased properly. Am curious to return for breakfast as I heard the pork noodles are wonderful. I would love to compare that to the Section 17 market's version. For me, I reckon they have me literally hooked on that crispy pork dish. Just give me a bowl of plain rice and I'll be a happy camper with that meal.
Surisit Thai Kopitiam
No. 17, Grd Floor
Lorong Rahim Kajai 13
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7710 0173
(Non Halal. Place is further down from Penang Village. Open from 8am-10.30pm daily. More pictures in the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Dining Out @ Bistro à Table, Section 17, Petaling Jaya
We have been haunting this little bistro tucked away in Petaling Jaya ever since it opened last week. Run by private chef Isadora Chai, food here is wholesome and cooked with a lot of heart. Occupying Patrick Teoh's former Music Machine's premises, the place has been done up in a simple yet effective manner - suspended lightbulbs on closer look resemble flowers from below with their draping wires, hanging glass vases, French themed prints, black mosaic tiles and a quirky door frame with their name. Don't also forget the Francophile theme as the inside doors and the front step get a slick of the red, blue and white colours from the French flag.
Back to food. It's simple with a one page menu for appetisers, mains and desserts that does change accordingly to what's fresh in the market. While it does not rapidly change daily, if you dine here regularly enough you may find some favourites making way for other dishes that Isadora wants to introduce to you. In a way, it's a good thing as she's got quite a wide repertoire of yummy dishes. Do leave room for desserts as they're all divine. Being a good girl, I won't dive into desserts yet but start in a proper manner with appetisers.
Zoom in on the one-of-the-kind Caesar Salad Soup (RM18), Isadora's quirky creation. It's essentially a deconstructed dish - cos salad soup, soft egg hidden behind a wall of sliced toast, duck prosciutto slices, parmesan crisp with a dollop of cream. Simply divine and makes you feel happier to have eaten your greens with a spoon! We also loved the creamy duck liver parfait (RM19) that we hoovered quickly through with our soft and crusty topped baguettes. Equally good is the coddled egg with maple syrup served with an asparagus spear and crouton dust (RM16). For heartier appetites, there's also the seafood (mantis prawn and lobster) bisque topped with a gruyere souffle (RM35).
We move on the mains (and one step closer to desserts). Splashie Boy loved the gnocchi with burnt butter, tomatoes and zucchini (RM28). The gnocchi has a pillow soft texture that paired well with the fragrant brown butter, while the vegetables helped cut through the richness. A specialty here is the traditional duck cassoulet (RM48) - slow cooked duck for 8 hours with beans. It's a very hearty dish that you will keep spooning down your throat. It can be a teeny weeny bit salty though but I reckon it'll be perfect with a glass of white wine. For decadent palates, go for the slipper lobster and sea urchin tagliatelle (RM119) - a super rich concoction laced with a decadent lobster oil. The second time we dined here, the steak had been changed to a herbed crust lamb rack (RM96) that was cooked perfectly with a red wine sauce on the side and creamy mash potatoes. We had also ordered side dishes: truffled mash (RM12) and steamed French beans with hazelnuts in vinaigrette (RM10).
Finally we reach desserts, always a high point for me. We love the warm chocolate fondant with its oozing chocolate centre that melds with the vanilla creme anglaise (RM18) that hugs it. My other favourite was the dragonfruit coconut pavlova topped with candied ginger (RM14). The combination of the lightly coconut scented cream with the ginger is perfect with the crunch from the meringue. For a very rich end to your meal, you have two choices of tiramisu - an alcohol drenched one (RM29) or the deconstructed version (RM18) that is extremely chocolate-ly. Oh and don't forget one of my personal favourites, the kaffir lime and lemon tart (RM15), one of the best citrus themed tarts in town with a slightly soft centre.
The place is still very very new and feeling their way around. There's also plans to introduce a degustation menu. Do pop by and get a feel of the place and try the food. You'll find a friendly cosy place that reminds one of dining overseas. For the adventurous, try the long communal table in the middle. Who knows, you may end up chatting with your fellow diners and discover you know each other.
Bistro à Table
6, Jalan 17/54
Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7931 2831
(Pork Free. Place is behind Decanter at Section 17. Closed on Mondays. Open for dinnertime at the moment. Call for bookings. More pictures are in the Flickr set.)
*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.
