Ah Or Chu Yuk Fun @ Dataran Mentari Sunway

Literally translated into Ah Or Pork Noodles, this place serves only pork noodles which has been around for more than a year but I only managed to visit the stall today thanks to Ziling. I heard that the owner that runs this stall is related to the stall in SS15 which serves really good pork noodles as well.

For every good food stall, there bound to be some waiting time. When we were there, the shop is already at its 90% seating capacity and we have to wait slightly more than 30 minutes for our bowl of pork noodles.


While waiting for the pork noodles, you can always quench your thirst with some drinks. I had a Iced Barley and sis had a glass of Chrysanthenum which costs RM1.60 a glass. I don't mind paying such prices for a good glass of boiled chrysanthenum but the truth is, the drink was so watered down and I feel so cheated.



I ordered a bowl of pork noodles soup with "lo she fun" which is translated as "mouse tails". This is actually noodles made in rice flour and they resembles the tails. It's a good combination because the "tails" can absorb the porky soup. The soup base is cloudy, sweet and savoury with fried pork lard which lifts the taste of the soup. I like the addition of "choi boh" which are preserved radish into the soup because it really goes well with pork.



You can see that the pork noodles are really tasty because I had finished all of it except the pork livers that I don't take. I would give this a 3.5/5 as I find that there's a lacking in the robust pork taste that you get in a well-boiled pork soup. The portion is quite small and I suggest that you order a large bowl if you're hungry. Mine comes with a poached egg which is upon request and it costs RM6.80 a bowl.

Other than the long waiting time, I would say this is worth visiting for its affordable price compared to my favourite pork noodles at Champ's Bistro which serves an awesome pork base soup and generous ingredients. However, I tasted the MSG. It might not be a lot but I felt rather thirsty after that.

This shop is located in front of the Wisma TT at Mentari Sunway.


Ah Or Chu Yuk Fun

No. 3, Jalan PJS 8/17

Dataran Mentari

Sunway

Tel: 012-4288680/012-6130479

Opens daily for breakfast and lunch

Champ's "Damn Shiok" Bistro @Centrepoint BU

If there's 2 words to describe Champ's at Centrepoint Bandar Utama, it has to be "damn shiok" (literally meaning awesome). I can't believe a place like this, disguised as a pub can serve such good hawker favourites! I have yet to try the other dishes but the few dishes that I tried last week was really top notch.

One of the recommended dishes were the Chee Yok Fun (Pork Noodles). You can opt for the rice vermicelli, flat rice noodles or the yellow noodles. Pork noodles remains as my must-eat dish at any hawker centre because I simply love pork!


This is no ordinary pork noodles that you can get from the hawker stalls because the chef/owner believe in using quality ingredients and hence the ahemm ahemm... price. It's RM18.90 a bowl *coughs* and you'll certainly think twice about having it again. However, due to the "shiok" factor of the pork noodle, you don't really have to think twice to come back. The minced pork is tender and the pork cutlets are smooth and slippery and the soup is made of a mixture of pork bones and chicken, both boiled for 1 hour before mixing them together. Hence, you can see that the broth is cloudy and thick. The best has got to be the generous portions of pork lard that is visible from the picture above. The pork lard added the extra "kick" to the noodles and it provides a crunch and crispy texture.

This is the proof that I enjoy the noodles. I almost licked the bowl clean apart from the 3 pieces of pork liver. Honestly the bowl of noodles is really big and I recommend anyone to share it if you're not such a glutton like me! Or you might not want to share this at all because afterall, this is probably one of the best expensive pork noodles you can get in PJ!



Equally "shiok" is its Char Koay Teow. At RM18.90, you'll get really huge prawns and a generous portion of crab meat floss on your fried noodles. I had a taste of it and it's bursting with "wok hei" (meaning charred taste from the cast iron wok), crispy pork lard, and wonderfully fried flat rice noodles. The funny thing is, according to my friend whom is quite a serious gourmand, he prefers it when the chef/owner is frying it. So, you might want to ask who is frying in the kitchen before you order this dish.



As Richard Nah (owner/chef) takes pride in his cooking and the quality of the food, he offers dishes that are second to none. We tried the roast pork (siew yoke) and also the caramelised pork (char siew) and they proved to be worthy of praises. He used the Wong Meng Kee siew yoke at the Pudu outlet (which is the best in town) as a benchmark. I have to admit that the siew yoke here has a more crispy skin but this one here is not as melt in the mouth as the best siew yoke in town. The char siew is sweet, tender and juicy. If you don't want to drive to KL, this is where you can get equally good roast pork. This one here costs about RM30.

One more cool factor about this place. While you indulge in the superdelicious food, you can also have a pint of beer or even a shot of whisky at anytime of the day. Richard also mentions that there'll be a live band playing on Fridays. There will be another Champ's opening soon at Bangsar Shopping Centre, just above Vineria and it's have a very nice layout. I know because I've seen the artist impression!

Champs Bistro
Lot F10, 1st Floor, Centrepoint,
Lebuh Bandar Utama,
Bandar Utama,
47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
GPS: 3.137988, 101.610124
Tel: 03-7722 5800

Malacca One Day Trip

Honestly if it's not been my group of colleagues, I wouldn't be traveling to so many places around the country for some good food and fun activities. It's been such a great year and we've been going to Penang to run together and just recently we were in Malacca on a weekend for a day trip. Traveling in a group of friends is so much fun!


One of the much talked about food to try in Malacca would be the Chicken Rice. They are special because the rice are served in a shape of a ball. And the place which most people reckoned to be the best would be this shop called Chung Wah which is situated at Jalan Hang Jebat, at the starting point of the famous Jonker Street.

I don't think anyone will miss this shop as you can obviously see a very long queue outside the quaint little coffeeshop. We were there just before 11am and we had to queue for almost an hour just to get a table.



And just right in front of the shop, there's a local delicacy shop called "Sam Shu Gong" selling all sorts of local products such as coffee powder, biscuits, spices and also Durian Chendol! While waiting in line for the chicken rice, I bought a few durian chendol for everyone (who eats durian). Well, it wasn't the best durian chendol I've tasted but at least it's cooling on a warm day while waiting in the queue. Don't forget to get a few packs of their 3-in-1 coffee powder as they are very good and worth buying!


Once we got a table, the ordering process is really a quick and easy one. Someone would take your orders and usually it's just ordering the chicken and then how many plates of rice balls. For drinks, we ordered the lime barley which is a twist to the normal barley. The lime adds a zesty taste to the drink which I love.


There is only one man doing all those chopping and he must be really tired after so many hours. We ordered a whole steamed Hainanese-style chicken and the rice balls comes in 5 for each plate and it's the size of a golf ball. I'm sure it won't be sufficient for those who have a big appetite. One reason you should not over order is that there are so many things you can eat on the same street and so don't over eat at one place.

While it's an interesting concept to be having chicken rice balls instead of the normal rice, it's not something that I find worth queuing up for an hour or two. The chicken is flavourful but not silky smooth. Eating here has to be brief and quick as people are waiting for the tables outside and you won't feel comfortable to hang out here to chat. The bill comes up to about RM6 per person. I would suggest that if you have not tried this place, give it a go and I'll only come back if I don't need to queue more than 30mins.

Chung Wah Coffee Shop
18, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia
Open Daily: 7:30 am to 3:00 pm

After a chicken rice meal, you can just take a stroll along Jonker Street if you're interested in shopping. The things that you can get here includes souvenirs, antiques, some clothes and accessories but most of the shops here are selling these keychains and small items which sometimes you couldn't resist buying.

Of course we do have a second round of eating. We came to this shop called Jonker 88 where there is Asam Laksa, Chendol, rojak and Pai Tee available. It's a self-service outlet where you have to queue (yeah it's all about queuing here in malacca) and get your food and then look for a table at the back of the shop. The seating capacity is limited, so I suggest you get someone to look for a table and the others to queue for food.

I had a bowl of Asam Laksa and then a bowl of chendol. While the Asam Laksa is tangy and spicy, very much unlike the Ayer Hitam asam laksa I had in Penang, it's quite nice because I like the spicy taste with a pinch of lime juice. However, it's not the best. Food tastes average here but it's the company of friends and the spirit of trying the local food that exceeds the importance of the quality of taste.

And lastly, along the streets, you'll find stalls like this selling grilled cuttlefish. They are not cheap but they make a good snack if you have a bottle of icy cold beer in hand. On every Saturday, there's also a night market which starts at 6pm where you can start shopping and eating all again too!

By the time we got back to KL, it was past 12 midnight and we headed straight to Murni at SS2 for supper!

Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice @ Maxwell Food Court Singapore

It was such a lovely Monday morning in Singapore. It's always nice when you're on vacation right? But that very day, the weather was good, not too hot and it's a short taxi ride from Mount Elizabeth to Maxwell Food Court near Chinatown.

My plan was of course to eat the famous Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice which I've had it before here and I had to line up for it. So I thought at about 11am, there should be no crowd and I can easily get my hands on it in a breeze. Unfortunately, it was not opened. In fact, most of the stalls are not opened at that time. I wasn't sure if they are closed on Monday or it is too early.



So I decide to give a try at this stall. It's called Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice and it looked so weird with all the chicken bones hanging in a neat line. I mean, how wrong could a plate of chicken rice goes in Singapore where everywhere you go, there's always a chicken rice shop. I believe the amount of chicken rice stalls in the republic exceeds those of 7-elevens?!!


They also do provide 3 types of sauces - ginger, chilli and dark soya sauce. This is a self service food court. I was lucky as there were no queue at all and the process of ordering to getting my meal takes less than 3 shots of picture taking. It costs me SGD$3.00 for a plate.



The rice was very nicely presented. You could see that the grains of rice are in perfect shape. However, I find the rice slightly undercooked. It's very slight and I guess they must have been undercooked because it's still early. By the time it gets to lunch, it should be perfect.




As for the chicken meat, I find it funny that mine doesn't come with the skin. I want the skin!! Who the hell eats Hainanese Chicken Rice without chicken skin? Doesn't make sense right? It's like eating KFC without the crispy chicken skin. But I do like the idea of a boneless chicken. Saves me the hassle of taking out the bones. The chicken meat here is smooth and tender but it wasn't as good and as silky as the chicken from Tian Tian. The sauce lacks a little saltiness as well.

Overall verdict - I still prefer my favourite chicken rice from Tian Tian which is just located near this stall. I haven't forgotten my mission in Singapore which is to try all the best Hainanese Chicken Rice there and see which stall is truly the creme de la creme.

Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Stall 17

Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur Street
Singapore

This is the must try No.7 @ Air Hitam Penang

Seriously if you want to try the one and only listed as No.7 of the world's 50 most delicious food (according to the CNNGo survey), this is the place! It all starts with a bowl of fragrant, mouth-watering asam laksa from this particular stall here located at a T-junction at Jalan Pasar in Air Hitam.




It's a stop you must make before heading to the Kek Lok Si Temple which is just 5 mins walking distance to the foot of the hill where the temple is built.

Maybe the secret lies with the cast-iron pot they used?

I wasn't sure if there's a name for this stall because all you can see is a bold red signage with the word LAKSA printed in gold lettering on the wall behind the stall. I think there's at least 5-6 people manning this small stall here where you could catch all the action. But then, you might be disrupting their flow, just like what I did when I was trying to snap a close-up picture of them.



But this is not a place for everyone. You have to brace the traffic that passes through the narrow streets of Air Hitam, the hassle of looking for a parking (which is not impossible if you're willing to walk under the hot bracing sun), and slurp your asam laksa at the hot and sometimes smelly market under the prying eyes of customers trying to get your table.

Yes, it's going to be an uncomfortable ambiance to dine but who cares if you're having the best of the best asam laksa right? It's always worth going an extra mile for good food.

We called this an Asam Laksa masterpiece.
Don't expect a stellar dining experience but learn to appreciate this messy art.

This is certainly a different kind of asam laksa that I'm used to. The broth is thick and flavourful due to the mashed mackerel fish, lemongrass, drizzles of prawn paste, slices of onions and chilli which makes the soup spicy and tangy. The noodle is cooked "al-dente" without being too soggy and the mint leaves are refreshing. However, don't expect this to be the sour asam laksa that you're used to as this one here has more taste of the fish and the prawn paste which gives it a sweeter finish.



It's very appetising and sometimes you'll end up having 2 bowls like my colleague here. The asam laksa only come in 1 size and it costs RM3.30/bowl (which used to be RM3.00 last year). It's not surprising to be having 2 bowls of this as the portions are really small. I too, would have two bowls if it wasn't a food marathon trip!

I think it's very delicious but I'm somehow not convinced that this is the best asam laksa that is available in Penang. Maybe I've yet to discover the best but so far this is very good.



After that, you can cool down with a glass of refreshing and sweet sugar cane juice freshly squeezed before your eyes.

LAKSA

Pasar Air Itam,
Jalan Pasar,
11500 Air Itam,
Pulau Pinang

Business Hours: Opens daily from 11.15am - 7.30pm

Hawker Stalls at New Lane @ Penang

I was recently in Penang during the last weekend to take part in the Penang Bridge International Marathon 2011. No, I'm not running a full marathon but it's my 3rd 10km run for the year. I shall write more about my experience running in Penang soon. But the trip itself was also more like a food marathon - it was eating from daylight to twilight!

The ladies whom partook the run.

We stayed at the Traders Penang, which is situated along Jalan Magazine, where Komtar & 1st Avenue is just next to each other. It might look like an old hotel but I must say that the rooms are still well maintained and it's clean. A very comfortable and convenient hotel. Just down the road, within 5-10 minutes walking distance is the Macalister road which you can find a number of eateries. And along this street, you can spot a bustling line up of hawker stalls along New Lane Road (Jalan Baru) that you can feast your eyes and appetite on!

The first thing I ordered is the Chee Cheong Fun!

Cuttle Fish with Kangkung

Oyster Omelette (Hor Chien)

Pig Innards Porridge (Chu Chap Chuk)

This is one helluva porridge with crispy pork intestines. Must-try!

Fried Radish (Char Koay Kak)

Lor Bak
This is a Penang delicacy which is marinated minced pork, then roll in thin soybean sheets and then deep fried.

Char Koay Teow
This is forgettable. Definitely not the Penang quality one expects it to be.

Hokkien Mee
This is prawn noodle in Penang. Quite ok but certainly not the best.

Leng Chi Kang
Apart from Ice Kacang, this is another popular drink/dessert in Penang.

Overall, this hawker place here rates fairly well but the only disappointment here is the Char Koay Teow. It's really convenient as it's just near the hotel and for a budget dinner, this is the place! For all those food and for 8 people, the bill came up to about RM100.

Operating Hours: 7.30pm to 12am

Location: Lorong Baru, Penang

(off Macalister road, and nearby to Sunway Hotel)

Daniel's Home Made Pan Mee @ Kota Kemuning

Thank God that now Kota Kemuning has some decent food for us people whom are staying in the neighbourhood to have something to nibble on. Those were the days when a meal in the neighbourhood is solely for survival purposes. Nowadays, many better eatery has been popping up, namely the famous Bidor Pun Chun Duck noodle, Pao Xiang BKT, Jalan Imbi pork noodles and now an addition to my choice of breakfast includes the pan mee from Daniel's.

Thanks to Yiling whom discovered this place that serves home made pan mee (Hokkien style flat flour noodle) which is usually served with minced meat and sweet potato leaves.

As you can see on the menu, they serve more than a dry & soup version of Pan Mee. There's a chilli pan mee, Seafood Pan Mee and also a Hakka style pan mee. This is a good strategy to ensure that the customers don't get sick of eating the same style of pan mee every time they come here.

This is the Hakka Style Pan Mee. It resembles the Hakka Noodles with a generous amount of minced meat, fried shallots and spring onions except that the noodle is substituted with the pan mee. A light noodle but packed in taste from the meat and fried shallots and not too dry.

Yiling has the soup version of pan mee which is served with sweet potato leaves, some minced meat and fried anchovies. I find the taste of the soup acceptable but somehow the noodles wasn't as smooth and slippery as I imagined it to be. For this type of noodle, I still prefer the ones at Berkeley garden.

I ordered a Chilli Pan Mee which looks very appetising. It has minced meat, fried anchovies, dry chilli paste, fried onions and topped with a poached egg. Wow, the chilli is indeed spicy. Just spoonful of it is enough to make me sob and went all teary-eyed. Yeah, I'm really a lousy spicy eater. Not as good as the Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee but better than average for me.

Besides that we also ordered some meatballs to go with the noodles. These meatballs are RM2 for 5 pieces and they come in a size of 20 cents coins which goes right into my mouth in one bite. The pork balls are nice but not excellent. The milk tea that I ordered was a little too sweet. I wonder if sugar price has gone down?

Overall, this is not too bad a place if I have a pan mee craving and didn't want to venture too far out of the neighbourhood. This place is bright, tidy and clean which come as the plus points. I like their creativity portrayed in their pan mee art hung on the wall. It's refreshing!

Daniel's Home Made Pan Mee
38 Jalan Anggerik Vanilla M 31/M
Kota Kemuning, Selangor.
(right opposite Kota Kemuning Food Court, the row of shophouses behind Maybank)

Tue - Fri : 10am to 9pm
Sat - Sun : 7.30am to 3pm
Off on Mondays