Travel Post - Thanh Cao Lầu Hoi An, Vietnam - Part 14

I shall not give up! Here I am back again with another post ...still on Hoi An.  Yes, I'm still not done with it yet.  As mentioned before when I first started blogging on Hoi An, it is one of my fave places that I have visited (apart from Spain and of course...San Francisco).  Yes, so much so, that I just wanted to start blogging again just so that I can upload the travel pics taken (it would be such a waste to keep them only on a hard disk!).

Okay...after more than 6 months, I'm back with a quick post of the national noodles of Hoi An; Cao Lau! Having been not too impressed with the bowl we had earlier, TT did some internet research and we made it a point to have Cao Lau at  Thanh Cao Lầu.  Thank goodness for TT's impeccable sense of direction, we walked and found the place (we actually walked to wherever during our stay in Hoi An).  It is a rather inconspicuous looking place, we actually walked passed it and doubled back and finally saw the signage (which is an old looking one and isn't lit.. Look at the pic!). The place seems more like either a house or an auto workshop and had several tables placed on the front porch. The stall takes up a small area for food preparation.

We gave our order, with hand signals for two bowls and promptly sat down. The place had a steady stream of customers; mostly locals, coming in for dinner and this made us hopeful.  Sure enough, when our noodles arrived, it definitely looks more enticing that our first encounter with Cao Lầu earlier.  Having said that, not all will appreciate this noodles as in the case of different strokes for different folks.

The texture of the noodles was better - it was al dente and the soya pork broth sauce was more flavourful .  Each bite was a tasty crunch of vegetables and noodles in harmony.  The slices of pork was also tastier as they had drizzled fried shallot oil over it.  

Travel Post - Hoi An, Vietnam - Part Two

One of the most important thing to enjoying one self in Hoi An is to actually throw caution to the wind when it comes to eating.  TT and I ate at sidewalks often, trying the local food and snacks during the 5 day/4 night stay there. Staying at a hotel at a convenient location also makes a lot of difference too.  I booked the accommodation via Expedia.  It's been my go-to site for travel arrangements lately as I find it fast, easy and the prices competitive. Plus with one of my previous experience of a cancelled refundable booking (due to my own change in plans), I was pleasantly surprised when my refund was credited back after two days to my credit card account. That kinda sealed my trust in Expedia.

While being the last hotel located along the river (err.. not exactly a river), I still picked Royal Riverside Hotel in terms of best value, pricing, amenities and location.    It's really a nice hotel with great service and hospitality to boot.  I highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is keen on visiting Hoi An. The staff are courteous and very helpful. Upon checking in, Nguyen, was ever ready to receive us with a welcome drink and promptly sat us down (while we wait to check in as we had arrived two hours ahead).  She then handed us a map and showed us the location of places of interest and how to get around to the different places.  Plus I really enjoyed the daily free breakfast given and there's free wi-fi too.  There's even a free shuttle van to take us to the beach area (An Bang Beach..more on that later).  We were only 10 minutes on foot away from Old Town.  Arriving on the first day, we decided to take it easy and just explore Old Town before we decided whether we should sign up for some local tours.

The "Occupied" Staff who kept her eyes and ears glued to her phone!  The ladies at the back were busy with the mackerels.

Of course, we needed lunch first! By the time we were ready to go out after cleaning up, it was about 2pm (which is 3pm Malaysian time!).  We walked towards Old Town but we got distracted by some people and their activities on the opposite street nearby and decided to head over there to take a look. We soon stumbled across a shop, which horrors of horrors to me, had the FISH written on the side of the signboard. Hahaha...well, I am not a fan of fish but TT is and we were hungry. Fortunately, I saw a dish that mentioned shrimp ball! Yay! I could eat that! Hahaha.....So, we sat down and ordered in a sort of Vietnam-fied English (TT is good at that... Kekeke!) and hand gestures to the pots and pans and I prayed for the best!

TT's sweet dream, my nightmare! A wokful of mackerels which is the main ingredient for her Câ Thu order of noodles.

I'm Not A Chef, Kota Damansara

I'm Not A Chef  (INAC) is one of those places that I frequent as I drop by now and then when I wanna wind down for the night. You might even find me helping out there, hehehe.... That is because INAC is run by two people; Nat and Stef.  It's an incredible task that Nat (the one who is a chef but yet not a chef!) and Stef (does everything else except the cooking!) go through daily from 10 a.m. till 9 p.m. except their rest day which is on Sundays.

Regulars would end up lending a hand or just wait patiently (during peak lunch hour) for their food to arrive. With reasonably priced and tasty Western/local food, it's a routine that the regulars willingly go through. This place is a favourite with students since it's within the vicinity of Segi University.  Actually, this is good and bad for INAC.  Good in the sense that there's a steady flow of diners. Bad in the sense that some of these student diners take advantage of the free wifi.  e.g. They come in a group of five and would only put in an order for two drinks and then they spend the next three to four hours or more on the internet! So, with this explanation, do note that there is a sign that states that each customer is required to have at least a minimum one drink order.

You can hardly catch a glimpse of Nat during lunch hour (she will be cooking at a furious pace in the kitchen!) and a busy Stef who is almost too pre-occupied to even breathe as she deals with the maddening lunch crowd order and demands. However, come non-peak period, you can find Nat and Stef chatting with the regulars.  For the rest of us who are at INAC for the food primarily, it's a cozy place where one can chill. Seriously,we make ourselves at home! To get a gist of what I mean, drop by INAC :o)

Here are pics of my favourite food from I'm Not A Chef ... Oh, I must mention that Nat does the desserts herself too!

Cooling Down @ Baba Low's, Bangsar

The weather has been a killer of late...I have been seeking reprieve in the malls, cinemas, hypermarkets, restaurants but the best way has to be the full enjoyment of having an icy cold dessert.  Though Baba Low's isn't air-conditioned, there's always one thing that draws me back time and time again.  While the food fares pretty well too, it's the Cendol that gets me going! This is a place where I will usually eat dessert first, then the mains and sometimes once in awhile...dessert again! Hahaha....

Ahhh...Cendol, the current love of my life! I love the fragrant gula melaka. Combined with the coconut milk and the shaved ice, it's one satisfying concoction, spot on sweetness with a tad of saltiness that makes it good.

Then there is this Popiah Peranakan, one won't know what to make of it on the first bite. The popiah skin is akin to a soft crepe texture as you can see from the photo. I decided that I do like this popiah peranakan; turnip, fried shallots, coriander, egg strips, cucumber, bean sprouts with a dash of Gula Melaka.  Try it and decide for yourself :o)  Oh, no pics of the Pie Tee that can be seen in the background? I personally thought it was just okay.

Friday Quick Bite Series : Kafe Mee Jawa @ Solaris Dutamas

It's Friday! Another round of Friday Quick Bite ...  Been hanging around near my office of late and with the ever increasing number of eateries that have been cropping up (and some gone... R.I.P.), we are totally spoilt for choice.  As they say, it is not that we have no choice in life, it's whether we make the right or the wrong choice in life.  Such as it was that we made the right choice, when we walked around Solaris Dutamas/Publika area searching for a quick meal.  Following SYee and Cadence around, we ended up in Kafe Mee Jawa.  And when you're at Kafe Mee Jawa, what do you order? Mee Jawa of course!

Lim Kee Tang Hun off Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur

My first visit to Lim Kee (yes, just Lim Kee sans Tang Hun) was a few years back with Jason. Soon, after a few more visits to this place, the shack was torn down and I wondered where it had gone! Two years later while chatting with a new found friend of mine, I was elated to find out the new location of Lim Kee.  I was told it's now located in a proper corner shoplot and wondered whether food still tasted as good as before.

I was indeed excited at the thought of finally revisiting my long lost Lim Kee, now known to me as Lim Kee Tang Hun.  So, has any of my old fave dishes stood the test of time (and relocation)?

The Fried Abacus Seeds still tasted good to me.  The abacus seeds seem a bit softer as compared to back then.  I just love biting into the bits of dried prawns and coriander!

Fish Ball Noodles @ Penggaram Mee, Batu Pahat

I remember the time I had my first taste of Penggaram Mee, it was about 18 years ago.  I recall loving it and during my short stay of 3 nights in Batu Pahat that time, I ate a bowl of Penggaram Mee every night! Thanks to my bro-in-law and family, they took us for the noodles every night and even packed a few packets for us to take back to Kuala Lumpur.  They called it Penggaram Mee because the stall was located in Jalan Penggaram - also known as Hakka Street (for the Hakka folks were aplenty in that area).  From that time till now, there were only two other occasions that I got to eat the noodles again - once more a decade ago and the latest, in  2011! Yay! Bro had to travel to Batu Pahat for work and he got his local friends/colleagues to track down the stall (he had tasted it too in the past and was looking forward to eating the fish ball noodles again).

Apparently, the stall is no longer located there and had shifted.  Now, my bro followed his friends around and they told him there were two stalls selling Penggaram Mee; operated by different vendors who were related to each other.  Are there Batu Pahat folks out there who can fill me in as to where these two stalls are located currently?  Well, while this still remains a "mystery" to me ... what's more important is that bro accomplished his mission and came back with a few packets of Penggaram Mee for me!

Of course, it would have tasted so much better if I had the chance to eat the noodles at the stall itself but this was the next best thing! The handmade noodles had a light airy texture to it and was still as delicious as I recalled.  One can opt for normal or for a spicy version where some grainy chilli sauce is added - I love the spiciness of it. 

 

Now, aren't those the tiniest fish balls you've ever seen?  These home made fish balls were springy despite its tiny size and were nice.  I found their home made fish cakes a tad salty though (don't seem to recall them being that way back then) - maybe it's because it's Penggaram (Salt?) Mee? Hahaha....

Well, despite that ... I absolutely enjoyed my Penggaram Mee.  I hope I don't have to wait another decade to eat this fish ball noodles again.  Batu Pahat anyone? :o)

Memories...& Pun Chun Restaurant, Bidor

I had the opportunity to drop by Pun Chun in Bidor while on the way back from one my my quick out of town trips...I was swept away with nostalgic memories of the previous time I was in Pun Chun, Bidor.  It was one of the stops we made during our Drive For Food.  Our group, Fantastic Four/ACT (Apple Crumble Team) were one of the finalists.  It's been a while and posted in the past, but let's just take a trip back in time.  We had the most fun coming up with our team submission video to The Star which was the one that got us picked to be in the finals.  It always bring a smile to my face whenever I think about that time and see the videos we did.  You'll see some familiar faces there .....enjoy!  

So, stepping into Pun Chun, Bidor after all that time brought a warm feeling and yes, it was also a hot sunny day :o).  But I knew what to order, it's ingrained into me.

Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles @ SS2, PJ (New Location)

I had written about Uncle Cheng Special Beef Noodles a few years back when Julian was still operating a stall in the Restoran Khasiat coffee shop in Section 17. However, Julian got a place a couple of months back in SS2 (No. 54, Jalan SS2/4A) and is now operating in a shop lot of his own.

I'm glad it's still in Petaling Jaya and rather nearby and I've been making my rounds there once again. I just love the beef cuts and broth - yummy! I like the dry noodle (it comes with a bowl of soup on the side) while some prefer soup noodle. Take your pick together with your selection of beef cuts :o)

Pu Yuan @ Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur

(NON-HALAL)

Just before Jason moved away, we got round to doing dinner over one weekend (with Nivlac too!).  We had to go through the usual routine of choosing a place to eat and Jason suggested Pu Yuan.  So, off we went and with the help of a GPS and we found the place (the restaurant is located off the main road and is in a rather obscure lane).  Even when we arrived at the location, we still second guessed ourselves as we didn't spot Pu Yuan's "infamous" door.  Jason got down to take a walk around the area and confirmed that we had indeed arrived at the correct place.  So, what's this about Pu Yuan's "infamous" door?

Here it is...for those Chinese illiterate, would you know that restaurant lies behind this door?  Actually, a gambling den comes to mind, hehehe...But then, I'm sure a gambling den wouldn't have a Welcome sign (well, other than Genting's) Well, since we knew beforehand, we made our way through the door... still with slight apprehension, hahahah.....

Red Wine Mee Suah ! Wishing You Prosperity - Sitiawan Style

Chinese New Year will be over in another 4 days' time, too soon but I guess we all gotta get back to work (and for some who have been at work earlier after the short holidays - to REALLY get back to work, hahaha...).  I thought that since it's still Chinese New Year, it's the best time to show a photo of this house that we came across while we were driving around in Sitiawan.  So, this is it...

Prosperity - Sitiawan Style.

Seriously, I had to rub my eyes to make sure that I wasn't imagining things ... I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this house in Sitiawan.  Wishing All Prosperity indeed!

Most folks will be doing family lunches/dinners during this festive period and since we were visiting, this was yet another reason to celebrate all good things - with food again of course, Red Wine Mee Suah!

Eating Pundut, Sitiawan

Yes, we're still in Sitiawan! :o) Charles took us around for a drive to give us some time to digest our dinner as he was adamant that we try another round of Kampua noodles; better than the one he took us to eat earlier that day. When asked where, he said "It's in Pundut". When asked what's the name of the stall, he answered "It's Pundut". "It's called Pundut because it's in Pundut", he added! After our earlier experience, why am I not surprised? Hahaha....Well, I just shrugged my shoulders and prepared myself for the great food.

We arrived at this wooden house .... standing right there, I love the feel of the place. This place definitely has character.

Kampua Noodles @ Pasar Awam Kg Koh, Sitiawan

Continuing from my previous post...remember that we arrived at Yee Si too early and could only get the orders an hour later? Well, what did we do to kill time? Charles whisked us off for lunch at the Kampung Koh wet market. Check out Motormouth From Ipoh's post when he ate here too (with map and directions) during his food hunt in Sitiawan. This place opens for breakfast till lunch time (we were there around 2 plus and it was still operating).

Well known for dishing out home made Kampua Noodles (Foo Chow style) ... at the Pasar Awam Kg Koh at Jalan Simpang Dua

As we arrived for a late lunch, the lunch crowd had dispersed by then

"Kolok Mee" In Town

(NON-HALAL)

It was a really busy week and over the weekend, there was a visitor in town ... who hails from Miri, Sarawak.  We had a great time catching up and his visit had reminded me about some pics I had taken of Kolok Mee.  While I have not been to Sarawak since 2007 (was in Kuching for the Rainforest Music Festival), I was fortunate enough to be one of the recipients of some packed and air flown Kolok Mee from Miri.

*pics taken with Sony Ericsson W995

This was great potent stuff ... with added oil from the char siew "BBQ pork" (thus the red colour looking noodles) and having marinated in all that saucy goodness overnight, the Kolok Mee tasted heavenly. The char siew were mediocre stuff though.  However, I do believe that the Kolok Mee from Miri tasted even better than the ones I had in Kuching.  I am sure someone definitely agrees with me. You know who you are, don't you? ;o)

Well, apart from it being my turn to visit you over in Miri - it's also the Kolok Mee that's drawing me there.  Soon, one day soon, I'll meet you (yes, you...and the Kolok Mee, hahaha) on your home turf :o)

Till then....Take care & I'll see you soon,


WMW

Nasi Tumpang - The "Real Thing" from Kota Bahru or The Warung @ Midvalley

I've been eating at The Warung in Midvalley quite regularly as they consistently keep me happy with their Nasi Tumpang.  While not really being as authentic as the Nasi Tumpang that I first tried and fell in love with in Kota Bahru during my trip there back in 2007, it will have to do as I long as I'm hankering for Nasi Tumpang right here in Klang Valley.

 The cone shaped banana leaf Nasi Tumpang in Kota Bahru found in Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah

How it looks unwrapped - nasi impit but with bits of meat floss, prawn, egg and gravy. The tasty filling is added in the center with more rice added after this step and then compressed.

That Will Do ... Sam Kang Cheong Pork Noodles

Been really busy of late ... seems to be that way since I came back from Taiwan.  I will be blogging on Taiwan, eventually but it was interesting to know that the food in Taiwan didn't awe me as much as I was hoping for.  Maybe it's just me as taste is so subjective, right? Anyway, here's a sweet and short post today.

I came back to Malaysia craving for all sorts of our local hawker food like nasi lemak, chee cheong fun, satay, hokkien mee, char kway teow, siew yoke (roast pork) rice, Famous Seremban Favourites BBQ pork char siew and .... Sam Kang Cheong Pork Noodles.  I realise that while different stalls churns out different quality of these dishes, some better than the rest and differing in texture, colour, ingredients - one dish, the Sam Kang Cheong Pork Noodles, always seems to be the same.  This noodle is commonly found being sold in most coffee shops around Klang Valley area.  I think Bangsar and Sec 17, PJ are operated by the same folks hence the same taste.  Then there is the one in Jalan Batai and PJ Old Town and of course the one that does taste yummier and different would be the one in Jalan Imbi (or Hutong, Lot 10?).  Apart from that, I would say, the taste is similar here, there and everywhere.

One thing I would profess though, Sam Kang Cheong is one comfort food that I love.  It reminds me of my childhood days, when I would follow my parents to Jalan Alor every Friday night.   Every Friday would be family outing night as my mom would be having the night off  (having to cook dinner every other night, she needed the break, hahah).  There was a time that we would go to this Sam Kang Cheong Pork Noodles stall that was located in front of the Bolton medicinal shop every Friday.  I remember how my dad and I would happily slurp up the noodles, coupled with the green pickled chillies (a must accompaniment for this noodle) and we would love to ask for extra soup on the side!  The stall is no longer there now though the medicinal shop is still there (I think!), I wonder if the stall has shifted to somewhere else or the owner has simply stop operating.

So, no matter where and whenever I eat Sam Kang Cheong Pork Noodles (I don't really have a favourite place) - it does comfort me in more ways that any other food would.....Do any of you have a similar story to share for any food/dish that warms your heart too?

That will do....that will do (reminds me of the movie Babe)

Hainanese Taste @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

(NON-HALAL)

It's has taken me a while to blog about this place though it's been one of the few places that I have been eating at regularly.  On the other hand, there are lots of regular places which I have yet to blog on ... Meanwhile, let me tell you my usual order whenever I drop by Hainanese Taste (which is operated by the same boss of House of Fishball - 60s Teo Chew Fishball).

I still remember taking Kat and hubby here when they came back for a short holiday and I recommended this to them ...

My usual order - Dry Mee Pok (with extra sambal chilli and crispy lard).  Kat went back to Abu Dhabi, longing for Mee Pok after being introduced to this noodles.  Looking like Hakka Mee, Mee Pok is of Teochew origin.  Bursting with spicy excitement, the al dente noodles are flavourful and has enough minced pork and crispy lard topping that makes it a satisfying meal each time I have it.  It also comes with a couple of fishball and a few slices of fishcake in a small soup bowl on the side but I only have eyes for the noodles, hahaha...

All mixed up and ready for chow down!

Down it with an order of good ol' Hainanese Tea ... delightful frothy goodness and you'll leave the restaurant one happy camper!



Hainanese Taste
(Same row as Lobsterman/behind Sri Siam)
19 Jalan SS2/30,
47300 Petaling Jaya
Tel : 012-228 8328 (Micheal Tang)
Opens Daily 8am - 8pm





P.S. I'm off to Taiwan ... Stay tuned!

Friday Quick Bites - Kueh Teow Soup @ Soon Lee Coffeshop, PJ Old Town

Looking forward to the weekend, it's been a fast paced week - hence I'm putting up another one of my "Friday Quick Bites" post just before I turn in for the night! The food featured in this category is always a favourite of mine - great tasting food that I don't mind having time and time again.

This time round the spotlight is on a simple bowl of noodles....Kueh Teow Soup!

With shredded chicken, pork balls (which I requested for instead of fish balls) and the ever crucial chee yau char (crispy pork lard), this bowl of Kueh Teow Soup (Flat Noodle Soup) is simply delicious. Smooth kueh teow and flavourful soup that I just love slurping all up (not sure about the MSG part as I'm MSG tolerant! Hahaha....), I believe there's Fish Sauce it the stock though. Funny, for someone who doesn't like fish (Tigerfish, do note that I like you!), I absolutely fancy food that has fish sauce it it!. I'm sure there are quite a number of you who would agree that it's great as lots of customers throng this stall especially during peak hours. For those who are still unfamiliar with this, do make it a point to try it out. Yikes! I think I'm craving for a bowl of this Kueh Teow Soup now ....

Soon Lee Coffeeshop (around the corner after Public Bank)
Jalan 1/10
46000 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Read The Star article on this stall HERE (GPS coordinates included - 03 05 136 N, 101 38 803 E)

P.S. Check out the Char Kuey Teow stall which is popular here too, I've tried it and it's good.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND FOLKS!

Beefing Up Downtown in Chinatown Kuala Lumpur

Since I'm not a "fish" fan, my usual meat options are chicken, beef (with the occasional pork and mutton).  So, I never say no when it comes to beef noodles (dry/soup/fried) as it is on my fave list - read up on some of these beefy posts from the past ...

Ngau Kee in Tong Shin, KL
Julian in Sec 17 Petaling Jaya
Kean Fatt in SS3 Petaling Jaya
Joy Cafe in Happy Garden KL
Quinn, Jalan Toman, Seremban
Ang Kim Chwee, Johor Bahru
3U, Taynton View, Cheras

I decided to add two more to the list when I had the opportunity to go downtown on several occasions and ate at Soong Kee and Lai Foong.  Well, I've been to these two places way before my blogging days (hence, no photos till now!) since these are the pioneers in dishing out delicious beef noodles for the longest time but I had not been back till of late.  I was told that where as Ngau Kee's is inconsistent, Soong Kee still "has it".  So that's why I decided to venture back into this part of town to check it out ...

Soong Kee has been around since 1945 and had renovated their place in 2001.  Eating here now is definitely more comfortable as compared the earlier days...

Bounce baby out the door....and straight into my mouth! Hahaha...The beef balls were delightfully fresh and bouncy. Large order for RM8, small for RM6

Chinatown Essentials - Petaling Street KL (Part 2) Final

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Continuing from Part 1 of Chinatown Essentials....we move on to Madras Lane (opens from 8am to 4pm daily but quite a lot of stalls are closed on Mondays).

I haven't been in here for ages and it seems this place hasn't really change through the years (well, at least not to me). Walking passed the meat stalls was definitely a challenge for me as I'm one that doesn't like handling raw meat and the sight of all these raw meat would definitely affect me.

See the leg sticking out at the bottom left of the pic ? Hahaha....It was an adventure for me indeed but I'm glad I made my way in there as I had forgotten how it was like. And now, I remember... it was this thought of wanting to remember that made me forget the fact that I was surrounded by all these raw meat and I could even stop to take photos! Documenting this place was more important and that made me overcome my fear! Hahaha...I know Mrs Pitt will surely stay outside and can do without the memories :p.

After passing all those stalls, we got to the food stalls and then decided to order some noodles to try...