Wednesday 30 March 2016

Wan Tan Mee Stall In Kedai Kopi Hup Hing @ Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur

This isn't my first visit to Kedai Kopi Hup Hing. Previously, I visited the Indian Food Stall that is located inside this restaurant and was impressed with the food. At that time, I noticed that there was another Wan Tan Mee stall that also seemed to be famous with the patrons and the noodles looked good. I made a mental note then to try that the next trip and here I am today. 

The Restaurant Along Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur
This restaurant is located opposite the main entrance to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital and is just a few minutes walk from Grand Seasons Hotel. It would not be possible to miss this place. The Wan Tan Mee Stall starts as early as 8.00 am and business goes on till around 2.00 pm . Usually, by 11 am, specialty items like chicken feet are sold out and you would only get Char Siew and Roasted Chicken after that hour. 

Local Coffee @ RM 1.60
Having been hooked onto their coffee, I ordered the same this time as well and it was one that did not let me down. A perfect mix of local ground coffee and milk. This is one drink that one should not miss. Perfect bliss!!! I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Wan Tan Mee Set (Small) @ RM 4.50
The elderly couple is assisted by their son and they are quite fast when it comes to preparing the dishes. In a matter of minutes, my plate of Kon Low Mee was ready. I opted for the smaller portion and this was priced at RM 4.50 . The set came with some Kon Low Mee, Char Siew, pickled chili's and some Pork Wan Tan in a clear soup.

Loved The Egg Noodles and Char Siew
Their Egg Noodles were so good. I wonder if they make them on their own. It surely did not taste like those factory made ones. It was creamy, springy and light and went so well with the base sauces. And those Char Siew, what can I say. Those too were so good. The springy noodles, salty sauces, sour pickled chili's..... together it was just a burst of flavours. I must confess that this was one of the better preparations that I have tried. For me, I would rate this at 9/10 .

Pork Wan Tan
These Pork Wan Tan were another treat. Small and perfect bite size bits that tasted heavenly. The clear soup itself was nothing much but the Wan Tan's were superb. I would rate these at 8.5/10 .

Overall, I am very happy with the food here. The food is good and the prices are very reasonable. The next time around, I should perhaps try their Chinese Chap Fan stall. That is the only one that I have not tried yet. The other two that I tried i,.e. the Indian Food Stall and this Wan Tan Mee Stall, both were excellent. Definitely a place that I would highly recommend!!!

Address: No. 20-7, Jalan Pahang, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 1430  (Closed On Sundays)

Monday 28 March 2016

Yop @ Kulaan Char Kuey Tiaw @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

It has just been two weeks that I have been away from Tanjung Malim and on my return, I see a line up of new eateries. To start with, here is the first one called Yop @ Kulaan Char Kuey Tiaw that is located in Taman Anggerik Desa. It is just a small stall which is  most likely operating illegally as that spot which they occupy is not one for commercial purpose. Anyway, business seems to be good. These guys must be from out of town, not exactly born and bred here and I strongly feel that they must be from one of those Felda establishments. Coming back to the place, it is located at the open space opposite Donino's Pizza and they are open daily from Mondays to Saturdays. Sunday's, they would be back to Felda Sg. Behrang. 

The Stall Opposite Domino's Pizza

Their Menu

Cutlery
The place is run by two partners and both are on site daily. Not a very big space, perhaps sufficient for their kind of crowd that they would get and they are open from 6.30 pm till 1.30 am. Only three varieties of Char Kuey Teow are available and they are the wet version, wet version with an omelette and the common dry version and they are all reasonably priced. I love the way they arrange their cutlery, complete with serviettes for customers' convenience. Not one that you'd expect in a simple set up like this.

One Of The Partners Preparing The Dish

Just A Few Tables
One of the partner handles the order taking and the other is the one that actually prepares the dishes. Fairly simple actually and it is great that they have clearly delegated the responsibilities among themselves. One major problem here would be insects. Since they use small generator sets to power the lights, you do get a lot of those insects and that can be a pest. Otherwise, not much of a disturbance.

Teh O @ RM 0.80

Teh Ice @ RM 1.30
As far as the drinks are concerned, they have all been made at home and none are fixed on site. As such, only Teh O and Milk Tea is available and you could choose to have them hot or with ice. Firstly, I went for their Teh O and that was priced at RM 0.80 . All cups used are the disposable ones and that is such a brilliant idea. They actually do save more this way. The Teh O was good, truly nothing to complain and I would rate it at 8/10 . Subsequently I ordered a glass of Iced Milk Tea and this was priced at RM 1.30 . The Milk Tea was terrible, tasted very odd and seemed like it had been fixed by one who's just getting a hang of this. No way I am going to finish the latter. This I would rate at 3/10 . Comparatively, the former was a much safer bet.

Char Kuey Teow Wet + Kerang + Shrimps @ RM 5.00
This is the standard Wet Style Char Kuey Teow that is commonly available and the preparation here was very good. Yes, as you noticed to avoid washing the dishes, they had used plastic sheets on the plates which they could easily dispose later on. Another innovative thought. Ingredients wise, there were two prawns, some clams, pickled chili's and the broth was extremely creamy and tasty. That was the wow factor that gave a boost to the dish. If I were to rate this, I would give it at 8.5/10 .

Dry Char Kuey Teow @ RM 5.00
Having tried and been impressed with the wet version, I then opted to try their dry version. This one however didn't impress me. Though it had all the right ingredients, the dish just did not take off. The rice flat noodles also tasted quite bland. If not for the pickled chili's and a bottle of light soy sauce that I had requested for, it would have been bad. I would rate this at 4/10 .

In short, I would only recommend their Teh O and Wet Style Char Kuey Teow and honestly, don't expect much of a hospitality from these guys. Maybe over time, if I happen to be a usual customer, then things might be different but not for first timers. Well, there's my review on this place and I hope that they are here to stay. Back with another review on Wednesday. Cheers!!!

Address: Along Jalan Cahaya, Taman Anggerik Desa, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 1830 - 0130

Telephone: +6017 662 1665 Zuan & +6019 332 7433 Yop Ayai

Friday 25 March 2016

Fuel Shack @ Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya

With the sudden growth of Burger joints in the Klang Valley, here we have another player that has had some tremendous growth over the last year. I believe they started their very first outlet in Suria KLCC followed by the one in KL Convention Center and now they have successfully established 11 outlets across Malaysia. This particular outlet that we visited is located in E@Curve, Mutiara Damansara.

The Outlet Located In E@Curve, Mutiara Damansara

Located On The Ground Floor Of The Mall

100% Self Service

Food Collection Counter
The place was simple, not as trendy as some of those burger joints, even the local grown ones. They had a small indoor seating area and a small area along the common walkway. They were very much a self service restaurant. From my observation, there was one guy manning the counter and another one working in the kitchen. The kitchen staff was obviously a foreigner. One is expected to go through the menu, place your orders, pay for them and later self collect from the collection counter. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

Our Bill For The Day
They had a very interesting menu, one that allows you to mix and match your orders but be careful when the final bill is tabulated. Always check the items. There were three of us tonight and so we ordered one Burger, one Hot Dog, one sides and three drinks but we were charged for four drinks which I only realised when I reached home. Sadly, there is nothing that I can do about it now.  Well, if I was the one paying, I would have realised it immediately upon collection of the receipt but since it was my brother's treat, I only got hold of the receipt once we reached home. Anyway, just sharing my experience. I have no qualms with the prices as long as the food is good. They claim to serve the meatiest burgers in town and so I am hoping for some good stuff to arrive soon. One good thing here is that nothing is pre made like those fast food outlets. All burgers are made to order and that ensures that the food is fresh and hot. 

Coke @ RM 3.20

Sprite @ RM 3.20
The drinks were ready to be collected almost instantly. Nothing much to shout about, standard prices for such restaurants and nothing shocking. Variety was sufficient. I believe that they are famous for their milkshakes too but none of us tried them tonight.

Cheese Fries @ RM 8.50

Cheese Fries @ RM 8.50
In a matter of 15 minutes, the dishes that we ordered were ready for collection. The above is their Cheese Fries and this was priced at RM 8.50 . Regular shoe string cuts were topped with sweet chili sauce, barbecue sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese. The portion was okay but their presentation was extremely messy. The cuts were too thin and when they had topped the sauces, it was all soaked tasted horrid. Even the shredded mozzarella cheese didn't completely dissolve. To be honest, this was the worst Cheese Fries that I have come across. Some of the Malay restaurants do this better. As for me, I would only rate this at 4/10 .

Big Dawg @ RM 12.90

Nothing Much There
My brother went for their Big Dawg and it was another huge let down. Priced at RM 12.90 , this again was topped with Bolognese Sauce and shredded Mozzarella. The presentation in the menu and actual were completely different. Whoever prepared this was surely not skilled as he seemed to have just dumped everything on the frankfurter with very little care. And taste wise, the cheapest Hot Dog from A&W is way better than this one. No, not one that I would recommend!!! I would rate this at 4/10 only.

The Lamb Supreme @ RM 17.00

This The Meatiest Burger in Town?

The Ground Lamb Didn't Taste Great Too
Their Lamb Burger which is priced at RM 17.00 is possibly the worst Lamb Burger that I have tasted. Even the push cart guys do this better. They claim to be the meatiest burger in town and the photograph speaks for itself. Have they not tried any other gourmet burger joints? So many of them out there who make some excellent burgers and this was not even 40% there. Even the meat didn't taste that good. Nope, not a recommended burger and I would only rate this at 3/10 .

Other Outlets

Something must be terribly wrong at this outlet or their food is truly bad. After doing some research, I have come to know that it is a outlet based issue and they face a similar issue at some other outlets as well. Either way, I would expect to have so good food for the price paid as these are not cheap and today was surely a huge disappointment. Based on today's dining experience, I would never return again. 

Address: G30 & G31, Ground Floor, E-Curve Shopping Centre, 
                 No. 2, Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara,
                 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily


Friday 11 March 2016

Hoagies Hauz @ NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

Thought of catching a movie this evening and popped in to NU Sentral Mall. Having bought our movie tickets, we still had about an hour left and neither one of us have had our lunch.Well, my heart urges me to head out to Brickfields for a sumptuous Banana Leaf Meal but my mind says that that would be a terrible idea as I wouldn't want to sleep off during the movie and moreover, one hour wasn't really enough for us to get there, have our meal and return in time for the show. Having tried most of the places here, I decided on giving this Hoagies place a try. They have been around for almost a year now and are located right beside the GSC cinema on Level 5. And the idea of having Hoagies seemed good as it would be very much a light meal and perfect timing wise as well.

The Outlet on Level 5

Simple Yet Elegant

Beautiful Design

Set Meals Were Available
Once I reached the cafe, I saw that they had a number of set meal's available and the lady boss was urging me to give them a try, notably their Chicken Chop as that is apparently one of their signature dishes along with the Buttermilk sauce. Seduced by the idea, we thought of going along. So, we got one Mushroom Chicken Chop and one Buttermilk Chicken Chop and these came with a tall glass of Lemonade each. The place was nicely decorated, not too fancy but practical. Once the orders were placed at the cashier, just like a typical cafe, we had to pay first and a number was provided to be placed on the table. 

Lemonade
In a matter of minutes, our drinks were served. I guess they might have had these prepared as it seemed to be the only drink available for the set meals. The Lemonade was truly awesome, concentrated and with a bold tangy aftertaste. Loved it and I would rate this at 9/10 .

Mushroom Chicken Chop @ RM 17.80

Grilled Chicken Topped With Mushroom Sauce
It took them a while to prepare this Mushroom Chicken Chop but the wait wasn't too long. It came with a large chunk of grilled chicken, some salad and potato dressed with mayonnaise. I was very impressed with the portion size as it was really huge. The chicken was grilled and that was a plus point. I don't really fancy those deep fried ones as it isn't really an authentic preparation and those should invariably be termed as Chicken Maryland instead of chops. The chicken tasted good and seemed to be pre marinated with some spices. That was a great idea and so the dish didn't have to solely rely on the sauce alone. The mushroom sauce was a medium bodied one and came with some diced button mushrooms. In my opinion, this sauce might be a commercial one and not one that they prepared themselves as it does taste quite similar to Campbells. Anyway, that's just a guess based on the taste. As a complete dish, it was good no doubt and I would rate this at 8/10 .

Buttermilk Chicken Chop @ RM 17.80

Generous Topping Of Buttermilk
Just like the earlier dish, this Buttermilk Chicken Chop came with those sides too and with a generous topping of Buttermilk. Goodness.... this was really good and I very much enjoyed the sauce. Sweet, creamy and delicious. A unique preparation it was and I loved it. This, I would rate at 9.5/10 .

Salad
Their Salad was very impressive and it came with a dash of lemon. One of the best salad's that I have tried. Simple yet tasty. It really takes a great amount of skill to get a simple dish like this to taste so good. I would rate their Salad at 9.5/10 .

Potato
These steamed potato's were another treat and they were served with some mayonnaise and topped with carrots. A cold dish and it was very good. The potato cubes were steamed to just the right level, when it was not too soft and not too hard and just the right bite size. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Our Bill For The Day
It is just surprising how I came here for hoagies, got diverted to try their Chicken Chop sets and was pleased with that decision. The portions were good, the prices reasonable and a great place to have a conversation over a meal. Definitely a place that I would recommend.

Address: L5-11, Level 5, NU Sentral Mall, No. 201, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 
                50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Monday 7 March 2016

Tea PODs Cafe @ Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

It was late afternoon and I wanted to have some some snacks. Well, in Brickfields we have the usual South Indian food but I was in the mood to try something different. That was when I sighted this cafe that is attached to a backpackers inn. Located along Jalan Thambipillay, Tea PODs Cafe has been operating for a number of months now and seems very popular among those western backpackers. They have been rated positively in many of those online sites both for their hospitality as well as food. That gave me a boost of confidence on the place and decided to give them a try.

Tea PODs Cafe along Jalan Thambipillay, Brickfields

Simple Yet Cosy Homelike Feel

Cutlery And Sauces
I was very impressed with the place. Seemed like a second home. The hospitality of the people manning the place, the ambiance and the way those tourists were chilling and interacting with each other, it was all such a lovely sight. Now I know why this place has been getting so many positive reviews. Even those personalised and friendly banter between the guests and owners clearly showed how comfortable they were with this place. I too was at perfect ease. Books, TV, Live Band, Internet Surfing Stations, everything that one would possibly need was there. It wasn't like a conventional cafe at all. Reminds me of the TV series Cheers.... that was exactly the feel in there. Besides snack and all day long breakfast sets, they do have a good range of dishes to offer both during lunch and dinner. All their breakfast sets were priced at RM 10.00 and I chose one of those sets and it comes with a drink. Once again,  a very friendly experience and no one even pressed me to pay first. I ordered and went over to one of the tables and within minutes, the cutlery and my coffee was served.

Black Coffee with Sugar
A simple cup of Black Coffee served with sugar. The coffee was good, not one of those coffee bag concepts and I really liked it. What I admired even more was the fact that they served these in quality cups and saucers. I would rate their coffee at 8.5/10 .

My Breakfast Set
This set came with a toast, some scrambled eggs, two chicken frankfurters and some sauteed baby tomatoes and mushrooms. Pretty decent deal for RM 10.00 and just perfect for a snack.

Toast and Scrambled Eggs
The toast was perfect, not over done and those scrambled eggs were awesome. Most places would kind of spoil the preparation but I absolutely loved it here. And to make things convenient, it was spread on the toast itself and not as a sides on the same platter. Simple things that make life much easier and I truly appreciate them for thinking about these small things. 

Chicken Frankfurters
These Chicken Frankfurters were not the best of quality but were still good. I mean you can't expect the sky for RM 10.00 and for the price paid, the choice of frankfurters were good. They were perfectly done with skill and tasted good too.

Mushrooms and Baby Tomatoes
These Sauteed Mushrooms and Baby Tomatoes were absolutely delicious. I think they may have done this with a little butter and as a result, it tasted so good. Overall, I would rate this meal at 8.5/10 . Truly worth it and they have around 7 or 8 breakfast sets to choose from. 

Contact Details

Location Map
Good food, friendly people and a great place to chill. And the prices were very reasonable too. Surely a place that I would recommend.

Address: G-6, No. 30, Jalan Thambipillai, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 2276 0858