M’sia – Eating out

(Found this from the unposted drafts, so here's one from a while back)

Try asking someone in Malaysia where their favourite food place is and the answer is usually, ‘That place by the so-and-so building’ or ‘The second stall in that market by the durian stall’. Who needs names when you have reference points?

It could be because lots of these stalls don’t actually have names, so the best you can do when trying to remember where they are is to remember what they’re next to. Thing is, when these places then become famous and they open actual shops, they actually name their shop after what they’re commonly known as.

Due to the fact that there are so many good places for so many good things in Malaysia, I’ve decided to come up with my own list of where our favourite places are. Different places for different things, of course.

My favourite kaya pau comes from Restoran Cheow Yang. The kaya here is the original version (ie not green), and is thick, gooey and very sweet. Perfectly balanced with the bland taste of the white bun.

It’s tough trying to find a decent kaya pau in London. The fact that there aren’t any mainly makes up the tough bit, but there are substitutes. Kaya buns can be found, but the kaya in the bun is usually not up to scratch.

Our favourite wantan noodles comes from Restoran OK in Cheow Yang. Sometimes known as the ‘3pm noodle stall’ (because at that time of day, it’s one of the few places opened for eating), this place serves both soup wantan noodle and dry ones.

The dry version comes with a choice of char siew, wantan (in separate soup) and braised chicken feet. Choose all three, choose none, hey, your choice. The portion size can also be specified, ie one noodle, one and a half, two.

Prawn mee or har meen – our favourite comes from Restoran O&S in Paramount Gardens. The soup is rich and thick with prawn essence, and the noodles are always nice and al dante, never too soft.

Lots and lots of shallots, prawns and egg on top of the noodles. The guy who owns the stall is generous like that, and he’s pretty much the only guy we have our prawn noodles from.

You can even add pork ribs for that little bit more, and the pork has been boiled in the prawn soup, making it even tastier.

Yong tau foo, again from Restoran O&S. We love the fried sui kau and foo chuk here. It’s very crispy, not at all greasy (crisp and dry) and the meaty-fishy filling tastes better than any others I’ve tried. Definitely one of the better ones.

Details of the places mentioned:

Restoran Cheow Yang - 157 Jalan SS2/6, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Restoran OK – Jalan SS2/10, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Restoran O&S - 55 Jalan 21/12, Paramount Garden, 46300 Petaling Jaya

M’sia – Goon Wah Restaurant, G13 Jalan 3/115C, Taman Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur

I was sitting around with not much keeping me busy, and thought I'd go through all the draft posts I have. Whaddya know! Found this one which I'd been meaning to post about for a while, but it must have got lost in the queue somewhere along the line (ha ha).

Anyhow, this was one of the places we went to quite some time ago, and for all the food in the world, I don't know where it is (I googled and found the address which you see in the title bar, but that's about all I know).

Once you get there, parking is pretty much impossible. If you see one, then you almost HAVE to park there (even if you weren't considering eating here) because how can you let that parking opportunity go by.

Setting-wise and all that - it's 2 shoplots joined as one, with one side being air-conditioned and the other not. Which explains why all the customers are in one side of the restaurant. Maybe now they've decided to air-condition both, don't know for sure, not been there since this time quite a while back.

There's not much pretense about this place. You sit down if you get a table. The waiting staff put some chopsticks, hot water bowl (to rinse the utensils with), and a few small plates for the chilli dip on the table, and off you go with the order. I'm not sure if they have a menu but there were quite a few pictures of what was on offer on the walls, so maybe the pick-and-point technique might work too.

Because this was eaten so long ago, and because I didn't know the price of these things back when I was eating it, chances of me actually knowing what they cost now are ... slim. Starting off with the fish head bee hoon which is one of the popular dishes here (actually, this useful link says that it's about RM14 for a pot).

On a side note, this is one of those restaurants which don't serve you all the dishes under the sun, but they do what they do really well. So, if you're not one of those fussy pots who only have their Big Macs a certain way and are willing to try what they have to offer, then you're off to a good start.

So, the fish head bee hoon. This was served in a big clay pot which made sure the dish was kept hot right up to the point when we'd almost finished the dish. The soup was flavourful with plenty of fishy stock to beef it up, and a good generous helping of pickled mustard to lift the fishy-ness up and give the dish a tangy, more-ish feel. They don't use the usual bee hoon (thin, rice vermicelli) but instead, it's the thicker variety that they put into the dish. Guess it helps ensure that the noodles are not all mush by the time you're through with the hot soup.

We also ordered the Stout Chicken Wings (RM12 per this link) which I didn't know were made with stout when I was eating it. So, trying to describe that taste - the chicken wings were first deep fried until the skin was nice and crispy, before being coated in what I describe as a sweet, sticky sauce which tasted a lot like BBQ-sauce. I really liked this dish, but then again, it's hard not to like a deep fried chicken wing in BBQ sauce dish, isn't it.

I couldn't find much about this dish on the blogs I was searching, and from what I can recall, it was a lamb chop dish served in pretty much the same sauce as what was used in the Stout Chicken Wings dish. It worked well with both meats, as the lamb cutlets were only small ones so the meat was tender with a slight chew (I like it when there is a slight chew).

This was the Sang Cheong (intestines) dish which, in most restaurants, have to be ordered the day before as it's not always available from the markets. Usually stir-fried very briskly over a hot flame, the tiny pieces are cooked with a mixture of chives, dried prawns, garlic and chilli.

I've only been here once and liked the food that was on offer, but as I mentioned previously, if you need variety, then this place doesn't have much of that. However, if you like the dishes I've featured (which make up more than half the menu, I reckon) then this restaurant does them well, so I would recommend you try it out.

M;sia - Ah Sang Bak Kut Teh, No.531, Jalan SS9A/12. Seri Setia, Sungei Way,

Whenever we want to eat Bak Kut Teh, there isn’t much room for discussion as to where we’d go as this HAS to be THE best place for it in PJ / KL. Sure, there may be other more famous places in Klang which is famous for its BKT, but in my opinion, this version tastes better than any I’ve ever tasted.

If you’re into your BKT, then you’ll know what I mean when I say that some soups are just quite … airy-fairy. Without substance. Without colour. Without taste.

Ah Sang’s BKT is nothing like that. It has pizzaz! Ooopmh! A nice, dark soup with lots and lots of herbs, punchy tastes and such confidence to it that it struts down the alley with a delicious after taste that makes us go back time and again for more of that soup.

Despite the humble surroundings, actually, scrap that, it’s not really that humble for a BKT place. I’ve seen much worse, some without fans. This place has maintained the brightness, clean interior for as long as we’ve been here, and the yau char kuay / garlic counter seen above has remained in the same spot too – perfect for my frequent to and fros to get more garlic. Nothing much has changed here except for the fact that …

There is now a poodle at the counter watching over the tissue dispensers.

The last time we were here, the poodle was just a little pup sitting in a carrier bag, sniffing the air hungrily while giving little peeks every now and then.

My, how it has grown. Now, big burly men tip-toe their way to the side of the counter, their hands hesitant and quick – ready to swipe at the tissue dispenser when Poodle Doodle is not watching. He ain’t stupid, this one. Quick as a dart, he’s heard them, and barks / growls / stares meanly at the tissue-opportunists as they bid a hasty retreat back to their tables; still sweaty, slightly greasy, and very frightened.

Oh well, have another sip of iced tea hey?

While we wait for the main star to turn up, the extras slowly trudge up the red carpet. First, we have the rice which forms the base for the souper star (ha ha). There are 2 versions here – the normal white rice and the yau fan, which is rice cooked in some sort of stock which involves oil, I guess, since yau is oil.

After that, we have the other usual sideshow Bob, the yau char kuay. These little things are more commonly found in market, being fried fresh for consumption – really nice eaten with hot coffee. Kinda like Tim Tams dipped in tea, but more deep-fried. They’re also really great dipped in herbal soup, something about the soup squishing out of the now slightly soggy and chewy flour stick that is very appealing.

Now we come to the underdogs – the guys who don’t usually get the credit they deserve. Namely the garlic. Boy oh boy do I love garlic. Especially the raw ones. I know, social life? Not much, but nevermind hey. There is raw garlic here, everyone please bring the dark soy sauce, and clear the social calendar.

I could, and usually do, have about (and I’m not joking here) just slightly less than 10 little plates of these in one BKT meal. When I exhale, people look away. And these are people on the other table. In the other restaurant. I don’t know why I like it so much, might be something to do with the contrast of sweet from the sauce, herby from the soup, and sharp garlic which immediately brings out the beauty of the whole mixture.

The limo pulls up, the cameras are flashing, the heat is on (literally) – here comes the claypot Bak Kut Teh!

The claypot was full to the brim with meat, mushrooms, vegetables, and my favourites – the foo chuk, straw mushrooms and offal.

You can tell that these claypots have been well-seasoned, and have been churning out pot after pot of delicious, bubbling soups with meat.

The best bits, foo chuk and vegetables. We asked for extra and filled the pot to the brim again just as it was being depleted.

The meat was tender, and cooked well in the soup to allow all the flavours to soak through.

OK, so you might wonder what all this looks like in a bowl, when it’s just about to be slurped up? This was my bowl, and I tried to put a little of everything in here, but my mom kept adding more! (which is why there is another picture below this) The pai kuat (pork ribs) were tender, and falling off the bone just perfectly. The yau char kuay had absorbed the goodness of the soup, made all the more flavourful by the garlic and dark soy sauce.

Turning the bowl to another angle, we have the foo chuk which was not only crispy, but also managed to soak the soup up like the yau char kuay. Fabulous, fantastic, excellent choice for lunch. Would definitely recommend this, we’ve been coming here for years and each time, the food is consistently good, the people friendly as ever, and the overall meal, very enjoyable.

M’sia - Ah Khai Char Siew, No. 63, Jalan 20/7, Petaling Jaya, opposite Seaview Restaurant

This is guy who makes the nicest char siew I have ever tasted. While we’ve not even come close to finding something similar in London, he’s pretty hard to beat in Malaysia also (there is one place in KL but that’s not the point of the post today). He loves posing for pictures with us whenever we’re there, which makes a nice change from the usual sulks and distrustful stares I get from some places. This guy is all smiles whenever we’re there, maybe that’s why his char siew tastes so good.

Anyway, back to the point. He runs a small little stall in a coffee shop across from Seaview Restaurant, and despite there not being too many other stalls in this place, tables are filled with customers – so the assumption here is that they are all here to eat his char siew.

However, if you’re not that into your roasted, delicious, sweet and slightly crispy pieces of pork, then there’s the chicken option too. They do pretty good roast chicken here; the meat is tender and moist, and the gravy very delicately flavoured.

I do find it difficult to eat anything else but the char siew when I’m here though. I mean, look at it. Look at how each piece is perfectly marinated, perfectly roasted, and perfectly crispy sweet on the outside, and mouth-meltingly … melting on the inside.

The secret to all this perfection in his cooking, I guess, is mainly down to the cut of meat he uses. This is definitely not weight-loss food – the reason the meat is melt-in-the-mouth is because it’s mainly fatty pieces of pork, which also explains why the pieces char so well.

If you’re around Seaview and don’t fancy the same bowls of noodles, you have to try this place out. The dude is really nice, and has been featured in quite a few articles (I know this because he has them stuck on the side of the stall). He’s really proud of what he does, and rightly should be too as this is one of, if not THE, best char siew we’ve tasted. Don’t even have to ask the question, I’d most definitely one hundred percent recommend you try this out.

Update: Now moved to a new location a few shops away.

M’sia - Soo Kee Beef Noodles, 14 Medan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur

Where’ve you been? I know, I’ve not posted anything for a while, and even then, the things I post aren’t exactly hot off the press type stuff either. We’ve been busy, and only just returned (last week) from a 2.5 week holiday in Malaysia (absolutely wonderful trip). Thus, the week so far has been spent recovering from jet lag (surprisingly quick – it took us about 2 days to get used to London time again. And then the clocks went back.) We also had to get used to Tube again – and how we live miles from any good places to eat, except for Peninsula which is quite fabulous.

Anyhow, the next few posts are gonna be about what we had in Malaysia, and I really like the pics taken (even if I do say so myself, and it’s usually myself saying so) because sunlight really does out the best in a photo. On a sidenote, we went to a really good Korean restaurant near Tottenham Court Road last night, kinda near Centre Point, called Assa, and I was so annoyed I didn’t have my camera with me! This calls for a repeat visit, and even if I have to eat every dish we had yesterday again, and even if  have to enjoy myself there so much, I’ll do it just for you.

OH-KAY, back to this one. So, Soo Kee is where we go to for soft, silky, smooth and absolutely delicious beef hor fun. Not any hor fun, but the most slurpylicious, eggy noodles with tender, thick-cut slices of beef. I’ve often wondered how they make the beef so tender as I can’t do this when I’m cooking beef, but that’s probably why they get paid for cooking and I don’t.

This place has been around for ages, as far as I’m aware anyway. The guy who serves us (not entirely sure what role he plays here – either the owner / chef / waiting staff / senior staff, who knows) usually stops for a chat, and despite my fiance and I only having been here about 2 times before, he remembers who we are, and tells us stories of when he used to work in Germany. The guy speaks German too, fluently.

This coffee shop looks and is traditional. In fact, there is nothing about the place that suggests it’s ever been refurbished at all, which adds to the charm of it all. The tables are the proper green stone ones which are an absolute pain to move (so don’t even try joining those tables together), and the menu is a whiteboard, handwritten affair on the wall.

Condiments which go best with the beef hor fun are chopped chillies – either pickled (like the ones above), or the actual red chillies (like the ones below).

Utensils are fancy-free, the way they should be.

The tools of the trade are top-notch equipment which have seen better days, but how’s that for quality when you can still use them to produce first class food, hey. I love taking pictures of these things, because it’s not often you get to look into someone’s kitchen, let alone photograph their utensils. Over here in this restaurant though, everything is open-plan, so as long as you’re not too in the way, they’re OK about the occasional camera about.

Our German-speaking friend who talks the talk, and fries the noodle From this humble wok comes the most amazing beef noodles I’ve ever tasted in the whole of KL and London. A few quick dips in the sauce bowls, a couple of quick tosses over the fiery flames, and a few stirs from the master – we have what we call …

Ngau hor – translated as beef hor fun.

Underneath all that beef is soft, silky and smooth rice noodles with just the right amount of chewiness to them. When you lift it up, the noodles quiver ever so slightly on the chopsticks – each quiver threatening to break the noodle and ping it back onto the plate. The ones which succeed remaining on the chopsticks slowly get raised to the mouth, and when chewed on, slowly melts to release the most delicious noodley sensation.

One little stove picture while I pause to savour that noodle.

If you want something more than noodle, Soo Kee does pretty good paper-wrapped chicken, sang har meen and also sang cheong (pic above) – which is stir fried intestines with chives. This is sort of a specialty as the sang cheong is not available every day, so when it is, it gets sold fast. The chives were so fresh, each mouthful a wonderful crunchy sensation with a bud at the end of the stalk.

The food here has been consistent, and the quality always good. My fiance absolutely loves it – and I can understand why. In London, there’s just nothing like it. You get wat tan hor if you know how to ask for it (and describe in detail what you mean), but the way they fry the noodles just isn’t the same. Believe me, we’ve mentioned this to the chef in our pursuit to get similar versions of this in London, but until he decides to open a stall there, this remains the best place for beef hor fun that we know of.

Would I recommend this place? Slightly pointless to even ask this question but since I try to do it at the end of every post as a benchmark, I’ll answer the question. You betcha. If you’ve been before, you’ll know what I’m saying. If you’ve never been before, then you definitely should try it out soon. And ask for extra beef.