Food & Makan Places

Madras Lane

2008-07-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

A very nostalgic piece from The Malaysian Insider

The shrinking of Madras Lane

The Chia sisters, Me Lim (left) and Ai Lian, have been dishing out curry laksa in Madras Lane for over 30 years.

By Debra Chong

JULY 26 — The signs were there. Hanging above the hawker stalls, swinging slighty in the breeze coming from the steaming hot pots, each plastic board proclaiming their individual specialities: Famous Madras Lane Chee Cheong Fun, Madras Lane Curry Laksa — and the most prominent — Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo! The entire place was a tight huddle of eight food and drinks stalls.

Yet the rusty signboard nailed to the beam outside stated differently. In fading letters, it read "Penjaja Gallery Jalan Sultan".

Confusing? You bet. But such is the way of life in this corner of Southeast Asia where things come bearing assorted labels. A road, for example, is known by different names depending on the ethnicities of the people that ply it.

This tiny, extremely narrow hawker centre off touristy Petaling Street, also known as Jalan Petaling (its official name in Bahasa Malaysia) and Chee Cheong Kai (in Cantonese) in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, is no different.

The Madras Lane yong tau foo is one of Kuala Lumpur's best-kept secrets. — Pictures by Choo Choy May

Yet strangely enough, the Madras Lane in the hawker centre's name never actually existed. It came into being through proximity with a landmark in the area that had long ago burnt down, says a cheery-faced "Aunty" behind one of the three curry laksa stalls in that decrepit row.

"The name came from the nearby Madras Cinema. It used to be where the parking lot is now," says Chia Ai Lian, pointing to a spot some five metres behind her stall.

Ai Lian, in her 40s and her elder sister, Me Lim, 60-plus, are second-generation hawkers at Madras Lane. They've been stationed there for over 30 years, having inherited the very stall from their mother.

Wan Siew Yee plans to build a chee cheong fun empire on the Madras Lane brand.

"My elder sister does the cooking. Me? I take the money," laughs the younger of the two sweet-faced women.

Ai Lian stops dishing out piping hot bowls of curry noodles from behind a counter congested with mountains of cockles, stewed long brinjals, taupok and a large basin of chicken curry and another large basin of long bean curry to give me a brief history lesson of the area.

"This place has been around for over 50 years. Madras Lane used to be much longer, going all the way till the end of the road down there," she points again, this time to the concrete alley outside the roofed structure, which swings out of sight behind a leafy plant growing out of a crack in a wall.

It used to be an open space too, she reminisces. The hawkers all operated under giant umbrellas to shield them from the sun and the rain. They were open all day. Then, the customers comprised housewives doing their daily marketing at the wet market next door to the late-night moviegoers flocking to the cinema.

It's hard to get a seat during lunch.

Business used to be far more hectic those days. There was even a time when her two eldest brothers opened up a branch stall at the other end of the lane to cash in on the boom.

And then the cinema burnt down in 1979, or was it 1980? Ai Lian forgets. She turns to ask her chubby-faced neighbour, the chee cheong fun seller.

"Hai, hai, hai, it was 1979 or 1980. I also cannot remember," Wan Siew Yee chips in excitedly. Though she was no help with the date or details, Wan is a wonder when it comes to the colourful details. She remembers clearly the fire that broke out in the cinema had quickly ravaged the building despite the firemen's best efforts to put it out.

"This place was being renovated then. They were making a cement floor… it used to be a dirt floor. All the hawkers had to move away to the other side near the temple, which was not so good for business because it was too narrow, so I decided to open up a temporary stall closer to the cinema, but it was very hot and I got very dark from standing in the sun. Hahahahaha!

K.K. Ngeow (left), a third-generation yong tau foo seller, doesn't want his children to get into the family business.

"But that day the fire broke out in the cinema, I decided to go and see what was happening, and when I came back, my stall was flooded from the spraying by the Bomba to put out the fire. Everything was wet. Aiyo!"

The garrulous woman is an animated storyteller. She tells us how she is the third-generation in the family to run a chee cheong fun business. It started with her husband's grandfather — that's right, she married into the family and the business in1977 — who already had a stall in Kampar, Perak. Business there was not good, so he decided to move to KL and uprooted his entire family in the process.

It proved to be a wise choice on his part. Until that fateful fiery day, Madras Lane was a miniature boomtown.

Wan calls out to K.K. Ngeow, 42, the only yong tau foo seller in Madras Lane, to join in the storytelling. Bathed in sweat, he seems a tad reluctant at first but does as she bids anyway. He is straight to the point. "Yes, what do you want to know?"

We tell him: your background story. He replies: he is also third-generation. His grandfather set up the stall in Madras Lane, his father took over the business after grand-dad passed away, and he himself became boss two years ago when his father decided to retire permanently. He was initiated into the family trade at age 10 when he was in charge of washing the vegetables and dishes. He continued to help out after school hours and during the holidays. Then, he stops, awaiting the next question.

The back entrance to Madras Lane.

So we ask: how is it your business is so popular? He answers: "We cut our meat by hand."

Seeing our puzzlement, he tries to explain. The fish paste for the yong tau foo stuffing is made fresh daily. They use only saito, what the Malays call ikan parang and the English know as wolf herring, because the fish forms a natural starch when sliced by hand and whipped. It gives a nice, smooth, elastic texture to the fish paste and that is what makes the ideal stuffing for the yong tau foo.

It is different if the fish is machine-sliced. The machine essentially squeezes the water out of the fish and mashes everything up, so that the end-product is a dry, flaky paste and makes poor quality yong tau foo.

Office workers pack the ramshackle hawker centre during lunch.

Come lunchtime and Madras Lane turns into a madhouse. Orders, money and sloshy bowls of soup exchange hands above heads bent over their own bowls of food. It's all chopsticks, elbows, knees, shoulders and hips everywhere as gigantic waves of ravenous office workers slam into the shaded but humid alley, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

A queue forms quickly at Ngeow's end, slithering out into the alley and snaking back in behind the yong tau foo counter. It is by far the most popular stall — each piece costs only 80 sen. The other stalls aren't shabby either. There's hardly any space to breathe, let alone sit. Some don't bother and eat standing up. The heat is intense, but the food is delicious, hearty, warming, a great relief after four hours stuck in a popsicle office.

Just as suddenly as they appeared, the horde is gone, sated. A handful of diners, looking suspiciously like lost tourists, mill about. Some of the stalls start washing up. Most of their stock is gone. The Chia sisters' piles and piles of side dishes are wiped out. Ai Lian shrugs and says, "This is normal." The hawkers open for business at about 7am and close by 3pm, after the lunch crowd disappears, and they go home.

The grimy clock at one end of the hawker centre, closest to the dingy, claustrophobic market, reads 2.30pm.

Wan says that's how it is these days. Sundays are a bit better, they get families from out of town who grew up in the neighbourhood and come back for a taste of nostalgia. But business isn't what it was like before the cinema burnt down. After that, well, things just got worse.

Rent in Chinatown skyrocketed. Back in those days, you could get a whole house for about a hundred dollars, says Ai Lian. It was so convenient then, you live upstairs, and you work downstairs. Now, you'd have to pay thousands of ringgit for a small space. That's why the shophouses have turned commercial.

Most of the hawkers here today grew up in the neighbourhood, Ai Lian adds. She used to live here with her seven siblings, watching her late mother single-handedly raise the family after her father died, all on her curry laksa income. "Mother didn't know any other skill and curry laksa was her specialty."

A decade or so ago, rent got too expensive to afford, and many moved out. They closed shop and opened up closer to their new homes. The Chia sisters moved out to Puchong, but continued to sell curry laksa from their mother's spot.

"Because people know this place. If we sell elsewhere, we'll have to start all over again. We're not young anymore," says Ai Lian.

The hawker stalls used to stretch the entire length of this alley, now deserted.

Ai Lian and Me Lim were the only ones who did not marry. The rest of their siblings settled down. None of them are interested to take over the business. When the sisters go, the legacy of their mother's curry laksa recipe too will be gone.

In Ngeow's case, he doesn't want any of his three children to follow in his footsteps. "It's not easy to do this. My job is to work hard and make sure they stay in school; their job is to study hard and only if they cannot study, then can enter the family business."

But the ebullient Wan has other plans. She wants to build a chee cheong fun empire under the brand name "Madras Lane Rice Noodles", and she's already started. The family's secret sauce recipe that was taught to her, she has passed on to her mother, sister and daughter who dish out the same dish at three different locales in the Klang Valley: Bangsar, OUG (Overseas Union Garden) and Old Klang Road. She's even made them wear some sort of uniform when they work.

The days of that famous hawker centre in the dinky, little alley may be numbered, but who knows, another Madras Lane might pop out elsewhere, like a George Lucas production.

Asam House, IOI Mall, Puchong

2008-06-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

A mouth-watering affair

By GEETHA KRISHNAN

Photos by SAMUEL ONG

ANYTHING associated with tanginess is bound to make mouths water.

This is the case with Asam House, a local café in the IOI Mall in Puchong. The photos of its many mouth-watering local dishes plastered on the wall just goad diners further after the word asam has done the trick.

Food for a worthy cause: Loh holding up a plate of Cucur Sayur and Cucur Udang. He is also the director of Community At Heart, a programme that aids the poor in Puchong.

When you decide to eat at Asam House, you are also contributing to a good cause. Café owner Timothy Loh is the director of Community At Heart, a programme that aids the underprivileged.

“We meet the grocery needs of three orphanages under Rumah Shalom in Puchong on a weekly basis. A list arrives from the homes every Monday and we work with suppliers to match the needs,” said Loh, who is keen on working with more suppliers who share his vision to help the needy.

A hearty meal at Asam House can be had for under RM10 and there are 40 dishes to tickle your fancy. When Loh took over from the previous owner three years ago, he simply added 10 more dishes to beef up the menu.

It goes without saying that the must-tries are the asam-laced dishes like Asam Fish, Asam Prawn and Asam Sotong. Regulars are also known to return for the generous helpings.

“It is common to attach the chilli factor to the tangy taste. But, our asam dishes are tempered with a touch of sweetness that even children have been known to relish,” shared Loh.

Meal-in-one: The Thai Fried Rice with chicken.

A delicate, tamarind juice-inspired sauce coated the prawns in the Asam Prawn dish we were offered. Shelled prawns are normally favoured but in this case, enjoying the medium-sized prawns whole did justice to the lovingly prepared asam sauce.

For a slight tweak to the recipe, diners often go with the Ikan Pari with Asam Sauce, enjoying the fish’s brittle exterior with the sweet-and-tangy sauce. The Butter Chicken dish, blanketed in a creamy sauce with hints of turmeric, comes in a fish version, too.

Asam House's single meal rice dishes include the Sambal Fried Rice and Thai Fried Rice. Snacks that swiftly disappear with the teatime crowd are the Cucur Udang, Cucur Sayur and Lobak, individually served with a chilli dip.

If you sneak a peek into one of the bubbling pots near the counter, you will also discover several types of sweet porridge like Bubur Cha Cha and Bubur Kacang Hijau. These offerings disappear quickly on weekends because Asam House is a popular pit-stop for those wanting to catch a flick at the cinema near the café.

ASAM HOUSE (halal) Lot 19-21, 3rd Floor, IOI Mall, Puchong, Selangor (Tel: 012-373 4488). Business Hours: Sun to Thurs (11am to 10pm); Fri and Sat (11am to 11pm).

Pancakes in Ipoh

2008-06-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

Liew Choo Keng’s pancakes are so good that people keep coming back for more.

LIEW Chooi Keng is not your average pancake maker. At her customer’s request, she will happily mix the pancake filling with peanut butter, chocolate chips, bananas, cheese and even chicken sausages.

Crunchy delight: Liew Chooi Keng

dishing out her famous pancakes at

Restaurant Tim Shun Leong in Ipoh.

And the skin of the sweet and savoury apom balik that wraps around the fillings is made so thin that each crunchy bite is a delight.

Thirty-something Liew’s pancakes are so good that people keep coming back for more. Some come from as far as Singapore for her dai gau meen, as the locals call them.

“Once, a Singaporean ordered 100 pieces on the spot,” recalls Liew. “He wanted to treat his friends and family back home”.

Liew adds that some customers had even “scolded” her for not telling them that she had moved her stall to a new spot.

Liew opened her first stall in Ipoh Garden 18 years ago, but moved to a restaurant in Kampar Garden early this year.

“Like many pancake makers, I started out making the pancakes with crushed-peanut filling,” says Liew, who learned the trade from her father-in-law.

“Three years after I started my business, I began trying different recipes for my pancakes because there is a lot of competition.

“I wanted something different, so I added kaya and peanut butter to my growing list of different fillings.”

She was even inspired by her three pizza-loving children, who asked her to use cheese and sausages.

Inspired: Liew Chooi Keng’s pancakes

are made with many different fillings.

“It tasted good and I made it a permanent order on my menu.”

Liew once tried to infuse fruits like strawberries and mangoes with the pancakes but it was not cost efficient.

“They are quite costly and must served immediately.” she says Liew’s best seller is chicken-floss dai gau meen, which remains crunchy even after two days.

“But nothing beats eating the pancakes fresh from the pan,” she quips.

Liew’s stall is located in Restaurant Tim Shun Leong at 22, Jalan Peh Kee Koh, Kampar Garden, Ipoh. For details, call Liew (016-541 1365).

Dragon-i Signature at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

2008-05-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Shanghainese, pure and true

Longing for some traditional Shanghainese delicacies? Satisfy your appetite while doing your part for charity at Dragon-i Signature.

By JOLEEN LUNJEW
jlunjew@gmail.com

Dragon-i Signature Restaurant
Pavilion KL
Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur

Non-halal

Authentic Shanghainese cuisine is hard to come by in Malaysia. But Dragon-i Signature at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur is about to change that.

They are positioning themselves at the place to get premium traditional Shanghainese cuisine.

Dragon-i Signature will be hosting a special charity weekend dinner featuring Shanghainese delicacies on May 3–4 in conjunction with the May 2 opening of its flagship outlet at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

Steamed Hilsa Herring Shanghainese Style.

The eight-course menu is specially developed by Dragon-i’s China-born executive chef Man Fong Lam and will be prepared by him and his team of highly-skilled mainland Chinese and local chefs. Eighteen tables will be offered, nine on May 3 and nine on May 4, at RM2,000 nett per table of 10 pax.

Dragon-i Chief Executive Henry Yip said they will donate the entire proceeds from the dinner amounting to RM20,000 to Persatuan Wanita Berilmu Malaysia and other women welfare organisations.

At the tasting preview, Yip explained that the dishes we were about to sample were only available at the Pavilion outlet. He said Dragon-i hoped to promote the strong and sweet taste of Shanghainese cuisine to Malaysians.

We started off with four cold appetisers – Shanghainese Smoked Fish, Japanese Cucumber with Garlic, Chilled Wine-marinated Chicken and Honey–glazed Crispy Eel – collectively named Grandeur Quartet in Harmony. The eel was was deliciously coated in honey and fried to a crisp – great for whetting one’s appetite.

Their Shanghainese Dumpling came with a twist as it was filled with crab roe. Yip showed us the proper way to savour the dumpling – place it into your soup spoon, then poke a hole at the bottom to let the soup seep out. You slurp the soup up, add some ginger and vinegar for taste and put the whole dumpling in your mouth for a delicious finish.

Tempting: Stir-fried Prawns with Signature Sauce.

Yip said that their dumplings will be filled with hairy crab flown directly from China from September to November.

Double-boiled Superior Chicken Soup with Brussels Sprouts was served next. This soup is boiled in herbs, with sponge-like bamboo piths added into the soup to absorb the flavours. The chicken used to boil the soup is served separately. The soup is very flavourful.

Next on the menu was the Stir-fried Prawns with Signature Sauce – a slightly spicy, sweet and sour sauce containing rice wine, chilli and tomato.

“This common dish in Shanghai is very popular with the customers here,” said Yip. The deep-sea prawns, obtained from fishermen in Pantai Remis, a small town in Sitiawan, Perak, were huge and fresh. I had difficulty eating them because of their size, not that I’m complaining. Yip said buying direct from the fishermen kept the cost down.

The next dish, Steamed Hilsa Herring Shanghainese Style, was unique as it is only served on special occasions. Customers may order in advance if they would like to savour this rare dish in which the fish is steamed with its scales intact. The scales were edible and it was quite interesting to crunch on it, sort of like eating cartilage. The dish is expensive, RM180 for half a fish.

So new: Executive Chef Man Fong Lam from Jiangsu, China, at work in the kitchen of Dragon-i Signature Restaurant. — Raymond Ooi/THE STAR

Deep Fried Mandarin Fish was served next, a platter of fish flesh sliced and fried to look like flowers.

After that, Braised Mushroom with Dried Scallops & Vegetables was served together with Fragrant Crispy 8-Treasure Stuffed Duck. The duck’s skin was deliciously crispy and generously stuffed with mushrooms, scallops, lotus seed, glutinous rice, chinese sausages, bamboo shoots, ham and dried prawns.

Their signature dish, Fried Rice with Scallops & Crab Meat, uses fragrant Thai rice fried with egg white, dry scallops and crabmeat. The rice tasted light and fluffy and gave off a fragrant smell.

Dessert was Bird’s Nest with Egg White & Waterchestnut Cream and Honey-coated Banana Fritters – a must-try. I fell in love with their banana fritters, apparently a traditional Shanghainese dessert.

The banana is steamed and fried before coated with thick maltose. Then it is dipped into ice water for the maltose to crystallise, creating a crunchy sweet outer layer that gives way to a soft steaming banana when you sink your teeth into it.

Lovely.

For charity dinner reservations and enquiries, call 03-2143 7688.

Ruen Urai, Bangkok, Thailand

2008-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

The house of gold

By MARK LEAN

Ruen Urai
Non-halal
The Rose Hotel,
118 Soi Na Wat Hualumpong,
Surawongse Road, Bangkok
10500 Thailand
Tel: (66) 02 266 8268-72
www.rosehotelbkk.com
Open: Noon to 11pm

Bangkok is a city of interest. On teeming Surawongse Road, in the heart of the city, for example, you encounter a bewildering blend of seedy bars, restaurants, hotels, fortune tellers, Internet cafes, and even a Starbucks outlet. It is also here that you will find Ruen Urai (which means Golden House), a five-month-old cult restaurant du jour.

Recently restored at the cost of 4 million baht (about RM400,000), the 72-seater eatery of the Rose Hotel is set in a century-old building crafted in Central Plain-style. Made from golden teak, it was once the home of one of the herbal medicine practitioners to King Rama V.

Serene: Ruen Urai boasts of 72-seater, made from golden teak. The location was once the home of a medicine practitioner to the King.

Some 40 years ago, the side-streets in the area were once canals where monks would journey on canoes, seeking alms. The waterways soon filled up as the city matured.

As its moniker suggests, the restaurant is imbued with a sense of history and offers authentic and stylish Thai cuisine.

“We’ve built upon the history of the building as a herbal doctor’s residence and created a style of cuisine that’s light and healthful, yet genuinely Thai,” explains Tom Vitayakul, the general manager of the Rose Hotel and the restaurant.

With a menu spanning 70 different varieties of appetisers, mains and desserts, Ruen Arai should please anyone but the most fickle.

I found the Pohr Pia Sod (RM9), bite-sized servings of fresh spring rolls wrapped with prawns and fresh salad, and infused with a delicate hint of mint, to be excellent. The Kratong Tong (RM9), crispy cups filled with minced prawns, garden vegetables and spicy chillies, resemble Nyonya cuisine’s famed pai tee.

For a spice-filled experience, the Mieng Pla Krapong (RM18), pan-fried cubes of red snapper in Thai herbal dressing artfully presented on betel leaves, assail the taste buds and made me a little hot under the collar.

Artistic food: Fresh mango is served with sticky rice and coconut cream. — MARK LEAN

Thankfully, we were seated in the air-conditioned section. Our much loved satay, the pride of our national airline’s business class, have a place there too. Ruen Urai’s Satay Ghoong Rhue Pla Salmon, or salmon satay (RM18) is presented with élan as four sticks of salmon fillets sit majestically atop a bed of finely chopped colourful greens, and accompanied by their signature peanut sauce.

More surprises lay in store that afternoon. Shortly after the salmon was served, an unexpected visitor paid Ruen Urai a visit. Dressed in the usual tourist garb of grey T-shirt and jeans, and without a trace of make-up, jazz superstar Laura Fygi sauntered into the restaurant. Ms Fygi was, predictably, accompanied by her entourage, presumably comprising the members of her band. We soon found out that the Dutch singer, a regular diner at the restaurant, was in town for the recent Bangkok Jazz Festival.

“I had been performing at the Oriental in Bangkok, and have just returned from a two–night stint at the Peninsula in Hong Kong,” she tells us.

No wonder she looked tired.

Ms Fygi’s surprise appearance, however, couldn’t distract from the next dish. The Dtom Yum Ghoong (RM35), or spicy soup with river prawns, had the ability to hold its own even in the presence of a true star.

It’s a privilege to taste traditional dishes in the country of their origin, and this soup did not let us down, being fiery with very fresh prawns.

For a touch of sweetness, consider Ruen Urai’s Khao Neaw Mamuang (RM11), fresh mango served with sticky rice and coconut cream. Adorned with tiny edible golden leaves, the delicacy is quintessentially Thai. As expected, the rice was lightly scented with a subtle whiff of coconut, while the juicy mango slices were just desserts.

In the few months since its opening, the restaurant has been gaining fans ranging from the Bangkok glitterati and society matrons, to clued-in expatriates and, of course, a certain jazz superstar.

This house of gold looks set to prosper.

Patrick Teoh's Steamboat Restaurant

2008-03-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Stumbled upon Patrick Teoh's blog and discover this video promoting a Steamboat Restaurant (Hot Pot).

Hairy experience

2008-03-05T07:17:00.001-08:00

By MARK LEAN

Fukuya
Pork-free
One Bangsar
63B, Jalan Ara
Bangsar Baru
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2282 1111
Openi daily: noon-2.30pm and 6.30pm - 10.30pm

Hokkaido hairy crabs make their appearance at Fukuya Japanese restaurant.

You’re doing a food review just on crabs? What about the other kinds of food at the restaurant?” asks a friend, who thinks food reviewers have one of the best jobs in the world.

Irresistible stuff: Crab leg sushi

Well, that can be true some of the time. At Fukuya, a Japanese eatery in the bustling dining and entertainment enclave known as One Bangsar, I certainly had my fill of crabs. And they weren’t any ordinary crustaceans, by the way.

The kegani or hairy crabs, which are air-flown from Hokkaido, Japan are a seasonal delicacy. Priced at RM38 for 100 grams, they don’t come cheap, either.

Fukuya’s executive chef Takao Ando certainly knows how to prepare his crabs. Originally from Hokkaido but trained in Tokyo, Chef Ando whips up a special hairy crab menu. According to him, the fresh, sweet flavours of steamed or charcoal-grilled Hokkaido crabs are best enjoyed when dipped in vinegar sauce.

I’m not much of a crab lover, and I encountered some trouble prising the meat from the shells. But before I had a chance to get a bit crabby, Chef Ando gave me a quick and simple lesson on how to flick the meat out.

“They’re best enjoyed boiled. The taste is gone when the crabs are over-grilled,” explained the friendly master chef. I asked him why the hairy crabs were popular during winter in Japan, and not summer.

“In winter, the crabs taste better. The meat is sweeter compared to during the summer when the sea temperatures were higher. The crab meat is less sweet then,” he informed me with a logic I simply couldn’t dispute.

This sweetness is amplified in the Crab Hot Pot with vegetables that come in three sizes (small, RM45; medium, RM90; large, RM180). Fortified with flavour, the soup packed a subtle punch when it came to taste. The cabbage and tofu were well cooked. But it’s the stars of the pot, the hairy crabs that came into their own.

Swirling in a light miso stock, the meat was tender, and not stringy. Everything ended up being a rubbery mess on occasions, though, when the seafood is over-cooked.

Thankfully, the crab leg sushi (RM45) was anything but rubbery. In fact, Chef Ando’s undoubted sushi-crafting skills made the dish a thoroughly authentic one. The three sushi items were delicate little morsels that looked too good to eat. Then again, I was hungry. But I did feel a tad guilty for scoffing down a near work-of-art with a speedy pop in the mouth!

The Hokkaido crab special menu features traditional recipes, but Chef Ando has also created a special dish: Japanese-style Chilli Crab (RM90).

“We’ve added chilli crabs for a more localised flavour,” he explained. Tangy and spicy, the dish is made for the local palate. Japanese cuisine purists might shake their heads disapprovingly, but the crabs speak for themselves. In fact, they can probably be considered haute cuisine chilli crabs. The dishes can be ordered a la carte during the month of March.

Appetising crab hot pot with vegetables

Interestingly, Chef Ando is also renowned for his Kaiseiki sets – 10 course degustation menus similar to the classic French style of cuisine presentation. By some accounts, they’re the epitome of Japanese dining. But the famed kaiseiki has to be tasted to be believed.

Design-wise, Fukuya (which means “house of happiness”) is a celebration of the clean, uncluttered minimalist style.

A concrete and grass courtyard leads to a cool and cosy interior. Modern but not achingly hip, Fukuya doesn’t intimidate would-be diners, as some other trend-aware places do. As part of the One Bangsar development, which resembles a mini-resort minus accommodation facilities and a swimming pool, the restaurant is part of an array of eateries with decidedly international flavours. Amble down stone-covered interconnecting pathways, and you are confronted with a United Nations’ representation of restaurants - Vietnamese, Italian and even a Rick’s Café, inspired no doubt by the movie Casablanca. However, do note that parking may prove to be a bit of a problem especially at night.

Restaurant Golden Kitchen, Dataran Sunway

2008-01-20T01:21:00.000-08:00

Brothers at work

TAN BEE HONG

Seow siblings Mun Ho and Woon Woon combine their skills at hot dishes and dim sum to keep the customers coming back for more, writes TAN BEE HONG.

IT’S just round the corner from a big Toyota showroom in the commercial square. The car sales personnel often drop into Restaurant Golden Kitchen for lunch and dinner. After all, the food is good and the prices reasonable — surefire recipes for a successful food outlet.
Restaurant owners, the Seow brothers, have a perfect working partnership. Younger brother Woon Woon, 25, concentrates on dim sum while big brother Mun Ho, 35, handles everything else — from rice, noodles and hot dishes.

With the Golden Kitchen, you need not fear having a dim sum craving at 9pm as this is one place where the little delicacies are offered throughout the day on weekdays and for breakfast and lunch on Sundays.

Though the items are not in the regular menu, there are pictures of some of them on the back and the staff can tell you what special dim sum Woon Woon has come up with for the day. Dim sum orders are a la carte to ensure everything is fresh and reaches your table hot.

Popular staples are har gau, xiu mai, lor mai gai and bao. But there are other signatures too like crystal dumplings and Shanghainese xiu loong bao. The xiu loong bao are topped with sharks’ fin and served with black vinegar and shredded ginger. Watch out for the steaming hot soup encased in the pastry skin or you’d risk scalding your lips.

I love the har gao and crystal dumplings. These are filled with very fresh whole prawns — sweet and crunchy.

The Seows have a chili sauce to go with dim sum, made for them by a supplier in Seremban. Unlike commercial chili sauce, this one has a good texture and is bursting with flavours of chili and garlic.

Woon Woon says: “We offer a good variety of dim sum everyday and more on weekends as many customers like to come in and have dim sum for breakfast or brunch.”
The brothers apprenticed themselves to Chinese sifus when they were in their teens and have garnered years of experience in the kitchen.

“We weren’t good in our studies, so we decided to learn a trade instead,” says Mun Ho. “Then I began to find cooking really interesting and I have never looked back since.”
Inspired by his brother, Woon Woon also decided to establish himself in the kitchen but he found he was better at the intricacies of dim sum. Now he produces delicately shaped dim sum like goldfish and rabbits on Sundays “as lots of families with young children come in and the kids love such figurines”.

Meanwhile, Mun Ho has his hands full with the hot kitchen, cooking, steaming and boiling. The menu is pretty extensive and lots of customers come in for the dishes to go with rice. These come in three sizes, so two people can comfortably order a couple of dishes without paying for food they cannot finish. Prices start from RM6. Otherwise one can order individual dishes like rice topped with deer meat, kung po (dried chili) chicken, black pepper chicken, or fried rice and all types of noodles — from Cantonese fried to Hong Kong fried noodles.

The Crab Meat Fried Rice (RM10) had chunks of shelled crab meat in it, not the fish-based crabsticks that many outlets pass off as crabmeat. Really tasty, with crunchy bits of sweet peas and egg.

But if you come in a group, it’s best to order dishes. Start with a soup and egg or vegetables. Mun Ho does some neat tofu dishes. He makes his own tofu which is silky smooth and has a lovely flavour. His Bean Curd With Turnip (RM10) is irresistible after the first mouthful. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the tofu is topped with a combination of fried garlic, onions and chopped preserved turnip. To these, he adds lashings of soya sauce that he has cooked with other ingredients for better flavour. I could have happily finished the whole serving by myself if there weren’t other temptations on the table.

The menu has a dish described as Butter Cream Lobster but you can substitute the lobster with prawns. Unlike the more common style of butter prawns which is dry, Mun Ho’s version comes with a bit of cream sauce fragranced with curry spices and curry leaves. Very mildly hot, even children can eat it. The prawns are naturally very fresh and slit along the back to make them easier to shell.

Golden Kitchen has a “flexible” menu and requests to substitute a main ingredient for another are always entertained. For instance, we love the flavour of Sichuan Steamed Fish-head but would rather not have fish-head, so Mun Ho obligingly uses tilapia instead.

This is one of Mun Ho’s very own recipes using an explosive sauce with about a ton of dried chili and pork crackling. With this dish, you can smell the aroma even before it arrives at your table or you salivate as the waiter walks past your table with it. The thick sauce is delightfully scrumptious, with the crackling giving a good contrast to the soft, sweet fish.

Apart from seafood, Golden Kitchen has lots of meat dishes — from frog to deer meat, chicken and pork. Sam Pui (Three Cups) Chicken (RM12) is cooked with three types of Chinese wine. It’s flavoursome but what I really am in love with is the Red Wine Pork (RM15).

For this, Mun Ho uses an unusually meaty cut of ribs, so every bite is a satisfying mouthful. Each chunk of meat is coated with a wonderful red sauce. “We use French red wine,” says Mun Ho. “That’s what gives it the taste and aroma.”

The sauce that clings to the meat is sweet, but just perfectly so and the meat is tender and succulent to the very bone. There is nothing pretentious about Golden Kitchen. Nothing pleases the Seow brothers more than the sighs of satisfaction from their customers.

Decor is kept minimal, with tiled floors and wooden tables and chairs. A bamboo partition of sorts separates the smoking area from the rest of the tables which are well placed apart, so there’s plenty of walking room.

Golden Kitchen opens daily from 10am to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm. On Sundays, it opens at 9am to cater to the dim sum crowd.

RESTAURANT GOLDEN KITCHEN (non-halal) 15-1 Jalan PJU 5/18, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Selangor Tel: 03-6140-1811

Prime Grill Room, Crown Princess Hotel

2008-01-20T01:16:00.000-08:00

Pleasures of three
TAN BEE HONG

Trilogy is the presentation of a dish in three ways, tripling the senses of sight, smell and taste in one order, writes TAN BEE HONG

It’s the power of three at the Prime Grill Room at the Crown Princess Kuala Lumpur as the pleasures of dining

Yes, it’s Trilogy of Food according to the hotel’s executive assistant manager Darren Tey. For every item ordered, you get it in three different ways, tripling your senses of sight, smell and taste.

Tay says that most places only serve food in one style. “If you order a steak, you get it either with black pepper sauce or mushroom gravy,” he says. “But why stop at one? Isn’t it more pleasurable to have more than one flavour at one sitting?”

Putting a great deal of thought into that, he and his team decided to give customers triple the pleasures with three different flavours each time.

So, for an order of steak at Prime Grill Room, you get a grilled medallion of beef with baked polygon potato, butternut and carrot. But the steak is cut into three portions and each part is topped with a creamy watercress sauce, light butter scotch sauce and roasted pepper sauce.

It’s not just the beef. Appetisers, soup, fish and lamb and dessert are also give the triple treatment in two four-course set menus priced at RM120++ and RM160++ (with three glasses of wine).

At a sampling of the Trilogy menu, we start with scallops. Three succulent scallops are presented on a plate, prettily arranged with one surrounded by capers and pinenuts, the second with anise cream and the third well wrapped up in wantan skin, deepfried and topped with hollandaise sauce.

The scallops are cooked just right, leaving them translucent and juicy. The pinenuts give it a crunch while capers a strong aroma.

The anise sauce is subtle while the wantan scallop is deliciously hot.

Next came asparagus triplets, two with toppings of herbed hollandaise sauce and mornay sauce. A third is wrapped in phylo pastry and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. While the first two are blanched, the third asparagus shoot is baked to allow the pastry and cheese to bloom in aroma.

The Trilogy menu offers two types of soup — chicken and tomato — served in dainty espresso cups.

If you like it spicy, you’d love the tomato. There’s a thick, creamy one with juniper berries and another with strong flavours of Indian spices. I love the third, a clear tomato tea made with strips of sundried tomato.

But on the whole, I tend to lean in favour of the chicken soup. Here, you can start with a cold chicken consomme to freshen the palate or leave it to the end to clean the tastebuds.

The second is a lovely clear soup with subtle hints of American ginseng (fa kei sum). The third is much stronger in taste and aroma. Chopped sweet basil lends it the flavour and aroma, which surprisingly, does not clash with the equally strong aroma of serai (lemon grass).

For main courses, there’s a choice of beef, lamb or fish. The lamb comes with fries made with pumpkin and flavoured with rosemary, minty cucumber cubes and buttered chickpeas. But it’s the sauces that gives you that triple sensation (picture). There’s Californian raisin sauce, dried apricot sauce and sundried tomato sauce.

Fish lovers would enjoy the panfried cod fillet, served with veils of crispy potato, baby carrots and asparagus. The sauces too, I feel, complement the mild cod well. There is hazelnut and vegetable pearls, a light lime and wine sauce and a delicious creamy seaweed sauce. The lime and wine sauce does a good job of bringing out the better side of the cod while the hazelnut sauce enhances its flavour with a nutty feeling.

Dessert also has two choices in three flavours. Those who enjoy ice cream and chocolate will love the Three Flavours Ice Surprise. Reminds me a little of the ais kacang ball that was so popular when I was in school. OK, maybe that’s stretching it a bit too far but I am thrilled to find, within the ball of chocolate, a scoop of vanilla ice cream and inside the vanilla ice cream is a centre of citrus fruit sherbet.

Or you can opt for crepes in three flavours and served with vanilla ice cream. The soft, silky crepes are served warm, giving a lovely toasty feeling to a night of Trilogy. Three crepes are served with a rich, seductive butterscotch sauce, a citrusy orange sauce and a fresh strawberry sauce made with a whole strawberry.

If you think it ends here, you’re in for a surprise. Right after the surfeit of sensations for the evening, you are presented with a choice of three coffees and teas.

There’s decaf espresso, a pretty strong brew but the absence of caffeine allows pure enjoyment of the coffee without worries.

If you like it normal but strong, espresso forte makes a robust ending and for those who want “kopi kaw”, ristretto coffee is guaranteed to awaken all your senses.

For tea drinkers, there’s peppermint tea, red berries tea and camomile.

Prime Grill Room is open daily for dinner only.

PRIME GRILL ROOM
Crown Princess Hotel
Jalan Tun Razak, KL
Tel: 03-2775 1022

Restoran Nasi Padang Minang, Penang

2008-01-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

From The NST

The unassuming facade of International Hotel with
the Restoran Padang Minang on the ground floor

Several kinds of curries are available such
as korma chicken and fish and beef curry

RESTORAN Nasi Padang Minang is probably the longest-running nasi padang stall on Penang island. Another reason for its fame is its authentic padang dishes.

The family-owned business is a stall located in a Chinese coffee-shop at Transfer Road and has been in business since the 1940s. For the uninitiated, nasi padang refers to a style of cooking that originated from Western Sumatra, Indonesia.

Down History Lane

First, here’s a bit of history about Transfer Road to whet our appetite. The area was originally inhabited by the Jawi Peranakan community. A canal linked Transfer Road to the Prangin River, allowing boats to come up to the area.

In the early 20th century, the Jawi Peranakan community moved out and was replaced by Tamil Muslims from Kadaiyanallur. However, pockets of Indo-Malay houses still remain in the area.

In 1867, when the Straits Settlement Government was transferred to the Colonial Office in Singapore, Transfer Road was so named to commemorate the occasion.

Tempting Spread

Owned by Alias Rahman, Restoran Nasi Padang Minang offers 40 dishes of delectable Sumatran delights that have wowed Penangites for three generations.

The array of dishes displayed looks extremely inviting. First, the rice is steamed to perfection — neither too hard nor too soft. With your plate of rice in hand, you are now ready to choose whatever you fancy.

Alias’ wife, Ardaini, has been helping out at her grandfather’s stall since she was 16. She and her team rise at 4am to prepare the food and all dishes are ready by 10am. They are transported to the stall which opens at 11am. During the time of Ardaini’s grandfather, the dishes were ferried on a tricycle. Today, a van is used.

What’s Special

The signature dishes are rendang Minang, fried keli (catfish), ayam bakar (grilled chicken) and crispy fried beef lung. Ooh, the rendang Minang practically melts in your mouth! I also ate acar (pickled vegetables) and sweet potato leaves cooked in coconut milk. They provided a much-needed relief to the richness of the rendang.

For a nice kick, eat the fried keli with sambal belacan. The prawn-with-petai was also a love-at-first bite affair. The list is long, including ikan bakar (fish marinated in tamarind and grilled), cincaru sambal (horse-mackerel stuffed with sambal), sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk), chicken korma, tempe, etc.

Though Padang cooking is characterised by lots of chilies, lemon grass and turmeric, surprisingly, most of the dishes are not very hot.

For salad lovers, there are various types of ulam, young jackfruit, sliced cucumber and several kinds of sambal. There are also other vegetable dishes such as beansprouts in coconut gravy, brinjal in sambal and long beans fried with shrimps.

Drinks served by the coffee-shop operator include all kinds of soft drinks and fruit juices as well as sweet sirap Bandung!

Opening Hours

The stall opens daily from 11am to 9pm.To avoid the crowd, go at 11am when all the dishes are fresh, hot and delicious. Parking can also be a bit of hassle for late-comers.

Restoran Nasi Padang Minang is located in a coffee-shop on the ground floor of International Hotel at 92, Transfer Road, Penang.

Ulek Mayang Restaurant, Pulau Duyong, Kuala Terengganu

2008-01-15T06:01:00.001-08:00

From The NST

Fiery Monsoon laksa, nice match to stormy season

Spicy mee mamak with fresh seafood and tofu

The fried rice comes with keropok lekor

“WOULD you like to try our Monsoon Laksa?” the petite waitress asked as I switched my gaze from the pouring rain outside to the menu she handed to me.

Not a bad idea, I thought, as the annual year-end north-easterly monsoon wreaked havoc outside Heritage Bay’s Ulek Mayang Restaurant in Pulau Duyong near Kuala Terengganu.

The menu offered a tantalising list of both local and traditional cuisine. I was especially attracted to the interesting names given to the dishes.

Imagine tucking into a spicy Monsoon Laksa and cooling down with an icy cold Ais Kacang Lambaian Kasih (love wave). I was not sure whether the former could rival the storm raging outside or if the dessert would encourage me to wave lovingly to all present after dinner.

But the laksa it would be for me. My friends Natasha, Din and Husrin decided to have Pulau Redang Special, Heritage Bay Club Lekor Fried Rice and Nasi Lemak Traditional Seberang Takir respectively. Add to that ais kacang, mixed fruit platter and bubur pulut for dessert.

We had a good chuckle over the noodles. Imagine a name like Ah Chew Fried Noodles. To us, it sounded more like “Ah Choo” and we imagined the chef having a tingling sensation in his nostrils and the sudden “wooosh” that would normally follow. So we gave that a miss altogether.

Jumbo Serving

Food arrived in a jiffy, which was surprising considering the packed Thursday evening crowd. The tables were well spaced and the sail-like partitions provided diners with a private dining feeling although practically every table was occupied.

Servings were more than generous. My bowl had twice as much noodles as what I would normally get back home while the ice cream topping on the ais kacang was way beyond the capacity of a normal person, so my friends and I decided to do the natural thing — share!

At the end of the meal, we were really satiated. I enjoyed the rich laksa gravy, heavily laden with deboned fish. It was definitely one of the best I have ever eaten. The keropok lekor that I pinched from Husrin’s fried rice was crunchy and not too oily nor salty. Just the way I like it.

The Pulau Redang Special turned out to be a foot-long chicken sausage served in a warm bun. Although the sausage itself was a bit chewy, we loved the homemade sauce that had a hint of coriander. It took all our concerted efforts to finish the whopper!

The only snag of the day was the bubur pulut hitam panas bersantan. The black glutinous rice was a bit overdone and the santan too diluted.

Natasha’s nasi lemak was prepared using a recipe from the villagers of Seberang Takir, a quaint fishermen’s kampung nearby. It had an aromatic pandan smell and the chicken stew it was cooked in gave it a unique taste. There was also the dried squid sambal and usual side accompaniments of ikan bilis, cucumber, egg and peanuts.

By now, the storm had abated. As we were leaving, I turned around and saw the waitress who had taken our orders. Unconsciously, I waved farewell.

Hmm, was it an after-effect of the Ais Kacang Lambaian Kasih?

Where It’s At

Ulek Mayang Restaurant, located on the ground floor of the main clubhouse, offers all-day dining on local and western cuisine.

Address: The Heritage Bay Club Marina & Resort, Pulau Duyong, 21300 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. Tel: 09-627 7888, Fax: 09-622 9903, e-mail: info@heritagebayclub.com, website: www.heritagebayclub.com

The Green House, Penang

2008-01-15T05:55:00.000-08:00

From The NST

The Green House in Muntri Street

Pat and Alan have happily settled in

Impossible Pie with butterscotch topping

IF you are a homesick Aussie in Penang, craving for the familiar taste of Vegemite, don’t fret. A generous spread of Vegemite on two slices of toast is within reach. This and a taste of home-cooked Aussie flavours at the Green House will make you feel right at home.

This little café is a haven for connoisseurs of Aussie food, delightful desserts and free advice. Pat and Alan Jones, the affable Aussie couple who owns and operates the Green House, serves a mean menu of sandwiches, pasta, pizza, pies and yummy desserts — dished up with helpful tips and advice.

Pat explains that they are a friendly information bureau for visitors who need tips on places of interest, transport, schools, health care and even on where to buy a size 18 dress!

Aussie Impossible

Customers are always welcomed to enjoy a cuppa and share a yarn with the hosts. If Alan is not busy turning out pizza and pasta dishes and Pat has made her pies and desserts, the Joneses are more than happy to stop and chat.

If, like me, you’re always saving some space for dessert, this is where you can satisfy your sweet tooth the Aussie way. Made with fresh ingredients, Pat’s Impossible Pie and Sticky Date Pudding are synonymous with the Green House.

The signature Sticky Date Pudding is served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The blending of fantastic flavours melting in my mouth is simply heavenly.

As its name implies, it is impossible to deduce what goes into the Impossible Pie but sinking my fork through three delicious layers of this delectable dessert, drizzled with Butterscotch sauce, I am content to just enjoy it.

Second Home

Six years ago, the Joneses ran their own motel business in Victoria, Australia. Then, captivated by TV and magazine advertisements promoting Malaysia’s natural attractions, food, racial unity and diversity, they came to Penang for a holiday.

It was to be the first of many visits and they spent up to four weeks here every three months. But each time, they found it harder to leave and Pat and Alan seriously considered making Malaysia their Second Home. Their plans finally became a reality in 2005.

Today the Joneses are where they want to be — happy and kept busy serving Aussie favourites and dishing out free advice for foreigners who want a better understanding of the benefits of the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

Where It’s At

The Green House is located at 102, Muntri Street, Georgetown, Penang. Open from 9.30am to 5pm from Wednesday to Saturday and from 10.30am to 4pm on Sunday. Closed on Monday and Tuesday. Tel: 04-261 0681 or email: patalan@streamyx.com

Pictures by PEGGY LOH

Pahn-Thai Restaurant, Langkawi

2008-01-15T05:38:00.000-08:00

From The NST

Scenic setting at the restaurant.

Wong won a gold medal at the World
Chinese Golden Chef Competition.

MANY visitors to Langkawi make it a point to ride the cable car to Gunung Macinchang where they can enjoy an unbridled bird's eye view of the surrounding land, including the southernmost Thai islets of Tarutao.

This brings to mind a lovely restaurant that offers great Thai cuisine. No, you needn’t swim across the narrow straits or brave stinging jellyfish to get to Tarutao to satisfy your craving for Thai food. Indulging in such culinary pleasures is much easier than you think.

The Pahn-Thai Restaurant in Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort is just a 15-minute walk from the Oriental Village where the cable car is located.

Take a leisurely walk there in the evening as apart from enjoying the scenery along the way, you can also work up a healthy appetite. At the resort lobby, board an open-air van to get to the restaurant on the other side of the property.

The ride is an experience in itself and you can imagine yourself riding a tuk-tuk (taxi) in Thailand. Hold on tight as the driver manoeuvres along the meandering road but keep your eyes open for a picturesque view of chalets in a jungle setting.

Upon arrival, you will need to cross a bridge that connects the main path to a large house-like structure. Enjoy the cool evening sea breeze brushing against your face as you choose the best table for a good view of the glorious sunset.

Chefs On Hand
The menu is very diner-friendly. Look out for little chili icons next to the listings that denote the pedas (hot) level — very useful, especially for those not used to eating chili. Ask for recommendations. If you’re early, the chef himself may come along to help you decide.

Executive sous chef Wong Chin Yee heads a team of three Thai chefs in the kitchen. Wong won the individual hot dish category gold medal at the recent World Chinese Golden Chef Competition.

Thai chefs Hasadee Pooh Pra Khon, Anek Sae Thaw and Dutsadee Khueng Nok Khum have worked at renowned restaurants in Thailand and all over the world!

While waiting for the food to arrive, feel free to walk around and enjoy the famous Langkawi sunset. On a clear day, it is breathtaking to see the evening sky glow as the blazing ball of fire slowly makes its descent below the horizon.

What’s Special
The appetiser to try is Phla Goong or spicy Thai freshwater prawn. It’s not on the menu but the staff will not fail to recommend it to all diners. After all, it is the restaurant's signature dish.

The huge crustacean used is more than thrice the size of prawns we get at the market. Its pincers are gigantic, at least six inches long. Take a bite and you’re immediately stimulated by the liberal use of fragrant kaffir lime leaves, fish sauce, lemon grass and a generous helping of tom yam paste. The prawns are succulent and fresh, almost as if they had just been caught.

Yum Som O, a pomelo salad with shrimps and minced chicken, has its origin in eastern Bangkok. In fact, every dish comes from a certain part of Thailand, so a meal here is like going on a Thai culinary adventure without travelling around the country.

Yum Som O, with only one chili icon, is unique as each bite causes the small pomelo sacs to burst and release the sourish juice to combine with the fish sauce and Thai palm sugar.

After this, move on to the southern provinces with Hor Mok Tha Lay or steamed seafood with chili mousse served in a young coconut. Southern Thai cuisine prominently features coconut milk. For this dish, not only is the milk used to cook the squid, prawn, mussels and fish but also the water from the young coconut as it adds to the aroma.

Next is the Chiang Mai-style Pla Kra Phong Yum Ma Muang Sud. Quite a mouthful to pronounce, this is basically deepfried seabass with a mixed mango salad on top. Eat it quickly or you’ll be disappointed. The moist salad, unfortunately, turns the crispiness of the fried fish into something leathery.

Those with a sweet tooth will adore the dessert selection. Top of the list is definitely Tub Tim Grab, a colourful dessert with yellow jackfruit, white santan and ruby red water chestnut.

Night Magic
At night, Pahn-Thai looks like a magical fairyland with its many small hurricane lamps lighting up the place and the walkway linking it to land. Viewed from afar at high tide, it appears to be floating in the Andaman Sea.

Located near the Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort's premier chalets on water, it was once a kelong where fishermen came to harvest the bountiful fish. Most of the original structure has been maintained and customers can see what a traditional kelong looks like.

Pahn-Thai Restaurant is open from 5pm to 10.30pm. Come early to enjoy Mother Nature's pre-dinner show of lights, at no extra cost. Reservations are a must. The restaurant is located at Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort, Burau Bay, 07000 Langkawi, Kedah. Tel: 04-959 1888, Fax: 04-959 1886, E-mail: resvn@b-langkawi.com.my, Website: www.berjayahotels-ressorts.com

Banana Pancake (Apong), Penang

2008-01-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

From The NST

Soft and fluffy pancakes on the griddle, almost ready

The combs of pisang mas used as filling

Guan uses lots of eggs for his pancakes

HE may not be a film star or a politician but Uan Cheng Guan, 61, better known as Apong Guan, is probably one of the most well-known sons of Penang Free School.

Not only is his apong or apom stall popular with locals who can’t get enough of this pancake snack but he has also found fame through the media and is listed in travel and food guides.

Those driving along Burma Road can’t miss his green pushcart stall on the left side of this one-way street. The constant crowd around his pushcart tells a lot about his popularity.

The sprightly Guan says he has been selling the apom at the same place for almost 40 years, and that the adult customers now are probably the children who used to frequent his stall. He claims he’s among the earliest apom sellers in Penang.

Flour And Eggs

What is so special about Guan’s apom that people are willing to queue up for a taste? Made of batter comprising corn, rice flour and eggs, the pancakes come with fillings of corn and sliced banana.

Priced at only 30 sen each, the apom are snapped up as soon as they are removed from the nine-hole griddle. Soft and fluffy, even an hour after they are made, the apom literally melts in your mouth.

“My customers come from all over though most of them are locals,” says Guan. His ability to converse well in English also stands him in good stead as he tends to customers of various nationalities and races.

Phone For Apom

Some regulars call in to make phone bookings and then pick up the pancakes later. To keep track of these orders, Guan has a board with the car registration plates of regular customers! How’s that for good service?

The orders are scribbled against the car numbers and Guan keeps track with the help of a small alarm clock placed above the noticeboard.

“Things get busy from noon. I have to tell waiting customers to be patient. I can’t hurry or the apom will not be properly cooked and so will not taste good.”

Getting There

Guan operates from 9am to 9pm daily except Sundays. If you are in Burma Road, Penang, and want a bite of Guan’s apom, go early. Be there at about 11am and you won’t have to wait too long.

If you don’t know the way there, call him at 016-409 3701 for directions.

Pictures by E.S. TUNG

Kim Kee Restaurant, Sekinchan

2008-01-15T05:21:00.000-08:00

From The NST

This dish uses shark meat with its skin and is best
eaten with hot white rice

The shark congee is popular and mothers
would order it for their children

ON one side are fishing boats and on the other, rows and rows of padi fields. Sekinchan, one of Selangor’s well-known rice-growing areas, is a haven for seafood and on weekends, the place is crawling with city folks.

Most of the “foreigners” head straight for seafood restaurants near the jetty, an area often referred to as Bagan. However, the local residents prefer somewhere smaller, less pricey and close to home.

One of their top choices is the Kim Kee Restaurant in the heart of town. The owner, Loo Kim Boon, has become a friend to many residents there. For him, the restaurant is a place where his family and friends hang out.

Loo, 55, started small, in a little coffee-shop selling drinks, bread and kuih. But he has moved on and now, in his restaurant, he offers culinary delights that he first created in his coffee-shop.

He whips up many of the seafood dishes which he has concocted over the years when he first had a small coffee shop.

Something Different

The place looks rather run-down though, as it stands opposite some big, fancy seafood outlets with large, colourful neon signs. But it has dishes with a difference indeed, like tiger shark congee, fish head in special sauce, stirfried shark in spicy sauce and many others.

For Loo, it is all about keeping his old faithful customers — who come from a cross-section of society — happy with the food he serves.

Everyone is treated equally at his restaurant, whether they are millionaires, wage-earners or hungry padi farmers who often walk in for a warm bowl of shark meat porridge which is said to be good for health.

On his menu, Loo says this is because he wants to serve dishes not found in the other restaurants. After all, he doesn’t want to compete with the “big boys”.

“We only serve what I know the locals would enjoy, including the shark dishes. We use the whole fish, including the skin. People outside Sekinchan don’t know my shop and those who do, are usually friends and relatives of the locals or are former residents of this town,” says the former fisherman.

Loo sold his boats and fishing nets to start the coffee-shop and for six months, he worked to perfect the art of making a good cuppa. Soon, his regular customers started pestering him to cook them something more substantial.

“I couldn’t boil an egg then because I didn’t know how to cook. When the pestering continued, I spoke to my wife about it. Of course, she was all for me to learn how to cook and to open a decent restaurant.”

Loo went home and experimented on some dishes on his own. He worked on them further until he thought they were good enough to serve to his customers.

“This is how I got into the food business. That was more than 10 years ago and I have no regrets whatsoever,” says Loo who runs the restaurant with the help of his wife and children.

Every recipe is kitchen-tested, and has to be given the green light by his wife and children before it goes into the menu.

“In my restaurant, what customers want is most important. These are the people who have supported me all these years and I cannot afford to neglect them.”

What’s Special

Kim Kee is non-halal. Speak to the owner if you don’t know what to order. Some popular dishes include shark meat congee that comes with shredded tiger shark meat, bittergourd with egg and prawns, claypot fish head cooked in a black sauce with salted vegetables, garlic and ginger, steamed clams, shark fried in sauce, fried squid, tofu and other seafood dishes.

Regular customers are known to tapau (pack) what’s left of the claypot fish head dish as the sauce is delicious when eaten with white bread and roasted pork. Prices start from RM6 and five dishes for a family of four, including the claypot fish head, will cost slightly over RM70, inclusive of tea and other beverages. The shark served comes from nearby waters or are brought in from Kuala Terengganu.

Customers who want a dish prepared in a particular way, can tell Loo who is more than willing to oblige.

Opening Hours

Kim Kee Restaurant in Jalan Pasar is open daily from 11am till 2pm and from 6pm till 11pm. For details and directions, call Loo at 012-236 9960 or 012-312 5725.

Getting There

Sekinchan is about two-and-a-half hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. To get there, you have to get onto the North-South expressway and exit at the Sungai Buloh interchange. From there, head straight to Kuala Selangor and then onto Sekinchan.

The C. Club, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

2008-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Little pleasures

By BOEY PING PING

The art of dining and diamonds come together in The C. Club, the newly opened restaurant-cum-retail outlet in Kuala Lumpur that seeks to define the difference between merely living and living well.

Good food is a pleasure to enjoy. The same goes with diamonds. By fusing necessity (we all have to eat) with luxury, The C Club co-proprietor Chan Boon Yong seems to have it made. But does he?

When Chan, 44, first set up diamond jewellers The Carat Club 10 years ago, many thought him crazy for being unconventional — setting up shop in an empty bungalow in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, when there was a shopping complex across the road.

On top of that, 1997 was the financial crisis. Instead, The Carat Club took a chance and opened in KLCC, banking on young executives who would get married and celebrate with diamonds. Their hunch proved correct and the company weathered the storm.

Today, The Carat Club has grown from a five-man team into a 150-strong company. “What it is today is not what I had envisioned. I was quite happy to be running a small business,” says Chan.

Five-Flavoured Breaded Squid with Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce.

The last 10 years have been a journey of discovery for the former stockbroker who says he gets a kick out of doing things people say cannot be done. Like creating a haven of indulgences, the result of what his mother calls his “itchy fingers”.

“A lot of people look at The C. Club and say I’m mad. Jewellery is the ultimate luxury. People don’t buy it unless they’re celebrating a milestone in their life. It’s a challenge to generate traffic here,” says Chan.

In the last three months, about three million square feet of retail space has opened up at the Pavilion, and everyone has been fighting for staff, contractors and the like.

Add to that, the second-generation diamond specialist is a newbie as far as dining establishments are concerned.

“It’s about learning a new industry, investing money and going from ground zero.’’

Well, not entirely new as the concept of combining food with retail has existed since the days of The Carat Club.

Over the last decade, the Carat Club “family”, a unit of loyal customers has grown so large that the little bungalow is no longer able to contain the burgeoning brood. The need for space resulted in a search within the Klang Valley.

Approximately 800 sq ft popped up and The C. Club was born.

The C. Club continues to uphold the principle of The Carat Club: With knowledge comes passion.

Not only do you get to toast your birthday, engagement, wedding proposal or anniversary with champagne, you get a crash course at the Champagne, Oyster and Caviar Lounge on the hows and whys of the sparkling golden liquid.

You’ll have the chance to appreciate and differentiate between Fin de Claire oyster and Belon oyster and discover how paying an extra RM100 for caviar can make a difference on your tastebuds. All this while being surrounded by hundreds of thousands ringgit worth of Lalique crystals protected by glass and tinted mirror showcases.

“If people can drink coffee at Starbucks at RM15 a pop, they can indulge in a RM300 Lalique pendant while having a meal,” reasons Chan.

The eloquent entrepreneur has dreams of reaching a broader spectrum of people and getting them to indulge in what life has to offer.

Purchasing a diamond is no longer a luxury but a necessity or as Chan puts it: life’s necessary luxuries. “People work so hard, they often forget to reward themselves.”

He explains, “The purpose of The C. Club is to introduce you to something different. People perceive the place as expensive. But it’s really about educating customers so they can see the difference.”

Scoring some C’s

So what makes the lamb here different from the one served at the restaurant next door? For starters, a lot more ingredients go onto the plate than just a slab of meat.

For instance, to prepare the Sirloin with Shitake Sauce and Whipped Potatoes (RM50), the beef is first aged for two weeks until it is tender and the juices are sealed in before grilling it with shitake sauce, cream and butter which makes for a scrumptious garlicky, butter sauce.

Fruit & Prawn

And the soba noodles that accompany the Salmon with Sweet Ginger Sauce (RM40) isn’t any old Japanese noodles, it’s green tea noodles tossed with sesame oil and seeds, mushrooms and edamame beans drizzled with mayonnaise spiked with a tinge of wasabe.

Unfortunately, the chef couldn't accomodate my request for a medium-rare salmon. It came overcooked with a ginger glaze that was hardly detectable.

The Lavender Lamb Loin with Herb Potatoes and Mesculin Salad (RM54) fared a little better but only if you know how to appreciate the natural sweetness of lamb. The prime cut of meat isn’t marinated with salt and pepper, just dried lavender and garlic; it isn’t tenderloin so it can be rather chewy.

If you prefer something with more flavour, try the Lamb Loin Marguez with Coriander Couscous and Tangy Sour Cream Yoghurt (RM52).

Assistant head chef, Rajesh Khanna describes the menu as modern Australian with an Asian twist to suit the local palate. So how did the Mexican Seafood Broth (RM15) come into play? The salads come in disappointingly small portions as do most of the main dishes leaving you hungry for more.

But I couldn’t get enough of the Fruit & Prawn (RM23), a refreshing appetiser of prawns cooked with a medley of raspberry, raspberry coulis and mango. Don’t be fooled by the similar sounding Grilled Prawns with Honey Mustard and Mango Peri Peri (RM21) whose mango peri-peri seemed to have lost its zing.

The Cream of Forest Mushroom with Truffle Chantilly (RM14), or in layman terms, mushroom soup, is supposedly well received but it is a matter of personal preference. Some might prefer this fine blend infused with white truffle oil, while others like me, enjoy a thick, creamy soup with tiny bits of mushroom that I can chew on.

It takes skill to suss out the subtle flavours of the mushroom mousse made from three different varieties — shimaji, shitake and button — stuffed inside two pieces of hollowed zucchini, baked with a topping of Gruyere cheese.

And I couldn’t taste the creaminess of the crab meat in the Soft Shell Crabs with Creamy Ratatouille and Spinach (RM18) as they had been over-fried. But I enjoyed the Five Flavoured Breaded Squid with Garlic Periperi Peparade (RM16) marinated in five spice powder and sautéed with chilli and garlic.

The dessert menu didn’t do much to excite my tastebuds. The list includes Lavender Crème Brulee, Cassatta (three types of ice-cream — strawberry, vanilla and chocolate on a cookie base), Lemon Diamonds with Vanilla Cream (tart with lemon filling), Mix Fruit Blintzes (crepes), Jackfruit, Rhubarb and Apple Pastry with Ice-Cream and Raspberry Charlotte with Chantilly Cream.

What? No chocolate sauce, cake or even a spray of cocoa powder to satisfy my chocolate fix? Chan apologetically promises more next time.

Chilling out

Chan’s brief to its interior decorator, SWOT Design Group: make the place interesting, sophisticated yet approachable. Interesting. That pretty sums up the, I beg your pardon, rest room. Hidden behind a mirror that is essentially the wall, the rest room is surrounded by ceiling-to-floor mirrors.

The piped-in music, frosted mirror frame and sleek, black floor makes you feel almost like the dancing doll trapped inside a musical box.

Sophisticated. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Even then, the place lacks the classy, refined facade it should command. The furniture is a letdown with the sofa being a little too low for comfort and the chairs looking like they’ve been sprayed with silver paint.

Approachable. The Moon Terrace, is where you can dine al fresco. The furniture selection boasts Philippe Starck’s chunky bubble club sofas and Louis Ghost armchairs which are not visually appealing but weather resistant, thus suitable for the outdoors.

There’s still a lot of unfinished business, like the carpeting on the staircase and the cocktail menu which is supposed to read like exotic jewels.

There’s still room for improvement in the food and the dessert menu needs to include at least one chocolate element. At any rate, the complimentary cup of coffee served after the bill has been paid is a pleasant surprise.

Still, Chan is confident things will turn around. He says: “I believe in giving people the opportunity to grow with the company.” It is this earnestness that will take The C. Club through another decade and prove the sceptics wrong. By then, Chan will probably be itching to take on a new project.

The C. Club
Lot 5.11 & 6.11,
Level 5 & 6,
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur,
168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL

Opening hours: 10am to 10pm (weekdays)
11am to midnight (weekends)

Tel: (03) 2141 3160, 2141 8190

Maria's Cafe, Damansara Perdana

2008-01-01T02:27:00.000-08:00

Cafe of English favourites

By ESTHER CHANDRAN

JOINING the ladies' social circle, having lunch and afternoon tea and regular meetings at clubs may seem unfruitful to some but not to Maria Tan. For, it was her role in the Ladies' Hour Charitable Club Ipoh that led her to realise her potential as a businesswoman.

As past president of the club, Tan was frequently involved in fund-raising events for charity. She also organised cooking workshops for members by inviting guest chefs from around the world as well as local chefs to teach new recipes.

Warm and inviting: Maria's Cafe in Damansara Perdana is a place for friends and family to meet and indulge in a serving of English favourites like pies, steaks and fish and chips.

Tan paid close attention to what the chefs taught and at home, she would put into practice what she had learnt, sharing the details with her late husband Philip Tan - an avid cook himself.

Both husband and wife would also bring back lessons learnt during their travels abroad and try to replicate dishes they had eaten overseas.

Throwing large parties for friends was a joyful experience for Tan as she enjoyed cooking for her friends.

The couple's passion for food, cooking and taste culminated in the opening of Maria's Café in Ipoh seven years ago and on Dec 12, Tan opened her second outlet in Damansara Perdana.

»Everything here is homemade and we insist on doing it ourselves at Maria’s« MARIA TAN

The Petaling Jaya outlet was opened by Raja Puan Sri Noora Ashikin Raja Abdullah, president of the Malaysian Women's Hockey Association.

Maria's Café is all about Western cuisine and everything is made from scratch.

“Everything here is homemade and we insist on doing it ourselves at Maria's.

“Like the dressing that is drizzled over your garden fresh salads and the sauces on your meat – though we recommend you enjoy our succulent meats without any sauce,” she said.

Tan believes in serving only prime meats like Australian Wagyu or Black Angus and New Zealand spring lamb.

“The restaurant serves English favourites like pies (Chunky Meat Pie, White Sauce Meat Pie and Brown Sauce Meat Pie), Roast Beef and Fish and Chips, just to name a few,” said the chef who has been cooking for more than 30 years.

Tan runs the outlet with the help of her sister Jane Low and daughter Mary Ann.

Maria's is located at C313A, Center Wing, Metropolitan Square, Damansara Perdana.

For details, call 03-7725 2313

Sagano Japanese Restaurant, Renaissance KL Hotel

2008-01-01T02:19:00.000-08:00

Sushi and sashimi exquisitely presented

By YIP YOKE TENG

IN TOKYO, different varieties of sushi and sashimi are appreciated in the four seasons, based on the quality and availability of the fish.

Sagano Restaurant keeps diners abreast of the culinary trends in the Japanese capital – whose eateries together have been bestowed the most number of Michelin stars – with a new chef at the helm.

Artistic: Honda perfecting the presentation of the sashimi.

Born and bred in Tokyo, 42-year-old Toshiya Honda, whose forte lies in sushi and sashimi, is set to treat diners to the best that each season offers. The fish is flown in from Japan every week.

Diners will have the opportunity to savour fish rarely seen in Kuala Lumpur. This season, the outlet is bringing in flying fish and sole.

The fish are displayed at the restaurant every evening from Tuesday to Friday.

“I think it's my special hand,” Honda replied with a chuckle when asked what made his sashimi special.

Lip-smacking: A delectable selection of sushi.

The chef, who has 22 years of experience, explained that the manner in which the fish was sliced affected its taste and texture. It has to be carried out according to the size and shape of the fish, and a chef normally takes up to 10 years to perfect the skill.

“It took me five years, because I was very hardworking,” joked the chef who has worked in various parts of the world, including New York, Germany, Bali and Langkawi.

Similarly, even though sushi is essentially vinegared rice and seaweed, it tastes best if the chef has the skill to perfect the flavour, shape and texture.

As icing on the cake, the sushi and sashimi are served in exquisite and elaborate presentations.

The Japanese appetiser is another manifestation of Hon-da's mastery. Made in accordance to Tokyo tradition, it brings together winter delicacies, presented in a three-dimensional layout reminiscent of a present in Japanese-style packaging.

Fresh from the ocean: Teriyaki codfish tempts with its glossy, golden sheen.

Small pieces of sashimi are lined next to Japanese green plum and mushroom topped with sea urchin which has been infused with a dash of sake. Two short glasses are filled with fish roe salad and seasoned seaweed. A hollowed-out orange contains fried prawn wrapped in mulberry leaves.

While respecting tradition, Honda also experiments with the ingredients to create new flavours. His creations include Beef Teriyaki using Australian beef and homemade sauce, and Teriyaki Codfish that tantalises with its golden, glossy sheen.

Honda also makes full use of ingredients available locally. This is exemplified in a simple dish featuring lobster from Sabah, lightly stir-fried with homemade sweet sauce and sprinkled with Japanese green pepper.

SAGANO JAPANESE RESTAURANT, West Wing, 1st Floor, Renaissance Kuala Lumpur Hotel, corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-2162 2233). Business hours: Lunch (12to 2.30pm), dinner (6.30pm to 11pm).

Nasi Kandar, Penang

2007-12-29T23:16:00.000-08:00

From The Star today:

Too good to miss

Craving for some really great nasi kandar? Here are some places in Penang you can check out.

NASI Kandar, among others, is a must-have dish when you visit Penang. It is actually rice with several different curries and side dishes poured over it.

Tantalising: The dishes available at Kayu Nasi Kandar.

Many who visit Penang would pack several packets of Nasi Kandar to bring back home to their family.

A long time ago, rice vendors would go around on foot selling Nasi Kandar. They would carry the rice and dishes in food carriers which they’d balance on their shoulders using a long bamboo pole or stick. This is basically how the name Nasi Kandar came about as nasi means rice and kandar means balancing.

The name has stuck on till this day and the dish itself has been commercialised and made popular by the Indian Muslims or “Mamaks”.

Some of the famous Nasi Kandar outlets in Penang are Line Clear, Nasi Kandar Pelita, Kayu Nasi Kandar and Kassim Restaurant.

Nasi Kandar Pelita is the largest Nasi Kandar restaurant chain in Malaysia with 21 outlets located in Malaysia and an overseas restaurant located in Chennai, India. Its headquarters is in Taman Chai leng, Prai.

Popular: Many people also make a beeline for Nasi Kandar Pelita.

Line Clear, on the other hand, is the oldest Nasi Kandar joint, said to have been around for the past 45 years.

Located along a small narrow lane on Penang Road in George Town, the stall attracts customers 24 hours of the day.

The crowd starts coming in at around 10am as it is a tradition among people in Penang and other northern states to have a full rice meal for breakfast. It is also advisable to come in before the lunch crowd as there are limited chairs and tables.

According to locals, the name originated from workers shouting “Line Clear!” to indicate that a bill had been settled and the table cleared.

They hardly ever shout that anymore but a table still gets cleared as soon as a customer leaves the place.

The stall offers a whole range of dishes including curries, honey chicken, fried fish roe and vegetables. Just point to what you want and the workers will pile it onto your choice of briyani or white rice.

They then banjir (flood) your rice with a few types of curries – this is the traditional way to eat Nasi Kandar. If you would rather not have your rice ‘flooded’, let them know.

A satisfying meal of succulent honey chicken, beef rendang and vegetables will tally up a bill of about RM6.

Latest Recipe at the Le Meridien

2007-12-29T03:13:00.001-08:00

New in town

By MARK LEAN

Hotel dining in KL heats up with the addition of Latest Recipe at the Le Meridien.

IT’S the time of year to throw plans for a svelte new you out the window. There’s a new dining destination in town – Latest Recipe at the Le Meridien, Kuala Lumpur.

Despite its unimaginative-sounding name, the all-day-dining restaurant serves up inspired Asian and international fare.

Variety is key: Seafood, authentic indian cuisine, tapas, vegetarian and desserts are available at Latest Recipe.

Latest Recipe gives new meaning – and taste – to the term “melting pot.” The establishment is the flagship for a series of similar eateries at Le Meridien hotels across the globe.

The predominantly white interior of the former restaurant One on One, has been given an Eastern makeover, courtesy of Thai-based consultancy firm, Hansell Design.

Now, jade green and vibrant orange flow through the curved space. The Asian theme is taken further with a New Age soundtrack to accompany your meal.

That’s all well and good, but does the food manage to excite? There’s a lot of it, for sure. And if you’re not careful, you might end up quaffing super-size portions.

The restaurant works on a tried-and-tested concept. Chefs are positioned at individual food stations, preparing a remarkable array of familiar offerings, reinterpreted by the hotel’s award-winning executive chef Antoine Rodriguez.

You may begin at the teppanyaki section. Here, sea-fresh scallops, prawns, squid, beef and chicken get the hot plate and melted butter treatment. The key words here are “sizzling” and “yummy”.

Those who enjoy sashimi and sushi, might like the unlimited servings of salmon, mackerel, butterfish, abalone, octopus and other oceanic selections.

Asian vibe: Jade, green and vibrant orange give it a contemporary look and feel.

Watch the friendly chef cook up a storm of stingray, prawn, slapper, lobster, green mussels, bamboo clam and prawns. Special sauces add local flavour (read: spicy) to your flame-cooked meal.

If fresh Chilean oysters, Pacific Prawns, Blue Yabbies and other delights are more your thing, make your way to the “Seafood on Ice” section.

Have an oyster or two or three, and wash them down with a glass of chilled sauvignon blanc. Now, isn’t this the life?

The restaurant is also particularly proud of its signature Hainanese chicken rice prepared steamed, sesame glazed and roasted. And if pastas are more your scene, the six varieties: tortellini, panzerroti, spaghetti, squid ink fettuccine, ravioli, and cappelinni, are bound to crank up the gastric juices.

The roasted marinated ribeye roll, is also bound to tempt meat lovers.

Indian cuisine is well represented here, too. Besides the usual tandoori and roti, there’s also a spice-rack worth of curries that are as authentic as they come.

Take your pick of mutton, squid, fish, chicken, and prawn concoctions, lovingly created by chefs.

Non-meat eaters are not forgotten, either. Check out the large spread of aubergine, potato, bittergourd, cottage cheese and cabbage curries.

At the heart of Latest Recipe is Chef Rodriguez’s signature tapas selection, which changes daily.

Delights such as smoked duck, salmon confit, seared lamb, and tomato terrine are prepared creatively.

Mouth-watering desserts like waffles are available.

The “live” theme is taken further at the dessert sections where the waffle counter creates delicacies that one normally would have for breakfast. But hey, who’s complaining?

A personal favourite would be waffles smeared with peanut butter and chocolate. Decadent? Definitely.

Even more so are the three chocolate fountains proffering endless streams of milk, dark and white chocolate.

The piece de resistance of the dessert section must surely be the ice cream teppanyaki “live” counter.

I initially wondered how that would work. Ice cream, after all, melts when heated, and there’s probably nothing as hot as a tepanyaki stove.

The answer soon became clear. A vast array of candy shop-type condiments such as croquants, gummy candy, cookie crumbs, feullantine, chocolate chips and the like are “cooked” together with the ice cream. Sound like a clever concept? Well, the results were interesting, to say the least.

The more conventional among us will also find the sugar rush-inducing variety of cakes and other confectionery something to look forward to.

Besides the usual buffet spread (dinner: RM78++ for adults and RM48++ for children), a special dessert buffet (RM38++ for both adults and children) is also available daily.

Toast of the town

2007-12-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

From The NST

When in Kluang, you don’t have to go all the way to the Railway Station for a taste of its famous kopi, kaya toast and other signature items, writes PEGGY LOH

Laksa noodles, mee rebus and chicken curry

Chocolate brownie topped with ice-cream

Jack serving his regular customers

“DO beh chia mea?” I was puzzled by this question on the little menu. After asking for a translation, I learned that it’s Hokkien dialect for “What would you like to eat?”

My eager but silent reply was “everything”. But I politely settled for a little of everything instead. It’s hard to resist the classic kopi, kaya toast and every other specialty at Kluang Rail Café, a new branch of the famous Kluang’s Railway Station Coffee Shop that has been whipping up the goodies for 68 years!

Just Like The Rail Thing

It’s obvious that “racial segregation” is unheard of here. Coffee shops such as this are still places where friends of every race swap stories or seal business deals over cups of coffee.

Chinese, Malay and Indian youths, office workers and families and even Europeans employed by multinational companies in Kluang and Batu Pahat are frequent patrons who appreciate the café’s ambience and array of food. Some are such regulars that they order without looking at the menu.

Jack Lim, a fourth generation Lim of Kluang’s Railway Station Coffee Shop, has taken over a corner shop in Kluang new town, turning it into the “Toast of the Town”.

Its nostalgic railway theme and décor is keeping in line with the “rail tradition” of the original coffeeshop that operates at the Kluang Railway Station.

There are wooden tables, stools and plank walls with wire-net windows and lots of natural light, but in air-conditioned comfort. Pointing upwards, Jack proudly drew my attention to double railway tracks suspended from the ceiling!

As I lingered over my cup of aromatic Kluang Rail coffee, I watched Jack exchange greetings with familiar customers. Two obviously good friends studying the menu and discussing choices, made a pretty picture of what it meant to be truly Malaysian. Heads close together, the Chinese lady’s curly head nodded in agreement with the Malay lady whose head was covered by a modest pink tudung!

The affable Jack said: “People are just comfortable here, sitting and eating together.” The right mix of trendy ambience, mouthwatering menu and fair prices is clearly bringing people back for more.

What’s Special

From toast and sandwiches to noodles and rice, there are choices of Eastern and Western favourites to suit every taste.

For me, roti khawin (with kahwin spelt the old way) was simply irresistible. Melting butter and kaya oozed out from charcoal-toasted slices of bread and buns, served in white and wholemeal choices. It’s the perfect “marriage” of butter and kaya in a combination that titillates, bite after bite.

Served on greaseproof paper, nasi lemak and mee siam were fond favourites while spicy mee rebus and curry noodles looked equally yummy. I savoured Rail Sandwiches made of mantou (plain pau) filled with sardine, tuna or sambal ikan bilis with crispy cucumber and pungent onion slices.

I was glad I saved some space for a superb sweet ending, a rich blend of creamy coffee with Milo and vanilla flavours in the cool Railway Float and a wedge of Rail Chocolate Brownie topped with vanilla ice-cream.

How To Get There

Kluang Rail Café is located at No. 33, Jalan Manggis and open daily from 7am to 10pm. Closed on Mondays. You can reach Kluang either by rail or by road on the scenic route from Johor Baru or via the North-South Highway and exit at Air Hitam toll to Kluang town.

1 Stop Cafe, Jalan Ipoh, KL

2007-12-01T05:47:00.001-08:00

Modern touches at Hainanese coffee shop

By TAN KARR WEI

TUCKED away in a cosy corner shop lot on Jalan Balam, just off the busy Jalan Ipoh is 1 Stop Cafe, a modern take on the classic Hainanese coffee shop.

Owner Heng See Soon's grandfather had actually started the business at its current location in 1961.

With 10 years of experience as operations manager for a big Malaysian restaurant chain, Heng decided to take over the family business about three years ago.

Together with three chefs experienced in different gourmet styles, they revamped the look and also the menu of the shop.

Unlike older coffee shops, the interior of 1 Stop Cafe is bright and cheerful yet simple and unpretentious with no fancy decorations or gimmicks, very much like the food they serve.

Sweet snack: The Crepe Couple.

“We were able to come up with a variety of food items because one chef specialises in Chinese dishes, another in Western food and the other in Chinese snacks and desserts,” said the 36-year-old Heng.

He explained that on top of serving regular dishes like noodles and rice, there was a need to have some special dishes that could only be found in 1 Stop Cafe.

“We are continuously experimenting with new recipes to come up with interesting dishes to stay ahead in this competitive market,” he said.

One of their signature dish is the pumpkin pie, a finger food with a delectable steamed pumpkin filling with a crispy outer pumpkin shell coated with bread, painstakingly crafted to resemble the actual pumpkin fruit.

Another must-try is the pumpkin paste, a creation of chef Pang Chee Teck.

“The sweetness of the paste comes naturally from the pumpkins so we don’t even need to add sugar. You can have it on its own or with our homemade tau fu fah (soft beancurd),” said Pang, 39.

Another one of Pang’s innovations that has become a best seller is the Snowman Brownie, a chocolate cheese brownie.

Tempting: The Masala Chicken Nasi Lemak and natural juices.

Another light snack to munch on is the Tortilla: a tortilla skin with a thin layer of omelette on top wrapped around a filling of cheese and chicken ham cooked in char siu sauce (a sauce used to make roasted pork).

The Crepe Couple is an innovative dessert: bananas and grated coconut wrapped in a soft crepe. The alternating green pandan crepes and yellow egg crepes give it a creative touch.

To create the Sandwich Roll, the chefs came up with an interesting twist to the regular sushi roll stuffed with cucumbers, carrots and omelette by replacing rice with bread.

“With bread, this makes a light snack that doesn't fill you up too quickly,” said Heng.

For those who would like to stick to the more common kopitiam food, Heng suggests the Massala Chicken Nasi Lemak and Fried Meehon with glass noodles.

The cafe also has an extensive list of natural juices that was thoroughly researched and tested by Heng and the chefs.

“We go through books that recommend certain juices for certain health benefits and we’ll try it to see if it tastes good as some of the concoctions can taste quite awful,” said Heng with a laugh.

They have about six signature mixes like Summer Holiday (mango and watermelon) and Purple Lady (beetroot, starfruit and apple) that they retain and they change the rest every three to four months, depending on the demand from customers.

Some of the other blends on their menu include Memory Mender that has tomato, cauliflower and orange, Triple C with cabbage, carrot and celery or the Popeye Power that combines apple, spinach, parsley and celery.

Even with a contemporary decor and new fusion dishes to keep things fresh, 1 Stop Cafe has also successfully maintained that time-honoured aura of a Hainanese coffee shop.

“That's why the ‘Stop’ in our name actually stands for ‘same time, old place’,” said Heng, adding that some of his current customers were descendants of customers who frequented the shop during his grandfather’s time.

A team: Heng (left) and Pang standing in front of the café’s juice bar with some of their signature dishes.

There is the unmistakable aroma of hand-roasted coffee served in the familiar cup and saucer with floral design.

The coffee is flavourful and strong, unlike the run of the mill coffee that is commonplace in many restaurants and eateries these days.

Heng explained that they sourc-ed the coffee from the very same supplier that his grandfather had bought from: Hainanese relatives who still roast their own coffee beans.

“Even the craft of making the perfect cup of coffee is a dying trade. Our tea lady has been working here for more than 20 years. Not many youngsters want to learn the art of making coffee. Even I myself did not pick up the skill,” he admitted.

The cafe also provides catering services for small parties and functions.

1 Stop Cafe is open daily from 11am to 11pm. It is at No 2 , Jalan Balam, Batu 3 Jalan Ipoh, 51100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-40426880.

West Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant, Sunway Resort Hotel

2007-12-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

A celebration of food and wine

By JADE CHAN

WEST Lake Garden Chinese Restaurant at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa celebrates food, wine and good taste with Flavourlicious, a month-long celebration to coincide with the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) 2007.

Master Chinese Chef Chan Choo Kean, 40, uses an interesting mix of seafood, meat, vegetables and herbs to create the Liu Xiang Festival Menu I and II, and Jin Yu Festival Menu I and II (paired with wine).

For starters: Double-Boiled Lamb Consomme with Morel Mushroom and Lamb Rack (left) and Clear Lobster Soup with Lobster Medallion, Crab Claw and White Beancurd.

His philosophy lies in using the freshest and finest ingredients available, adopting a personal touch for preparations, and considering the overall mood of diners and ambience to create an exquisite dining experience.

“Based on customers’ recommendations, I’ve picked the best dishes out of those I’ve created over the past few years, improved on the recipes, and created them for the festival,” said Chan, who has been specialising in Chinese cuisine for 21 years.

The Jin Yu Festival Menu I is a unique melange of Combination of Steamed Squid Ink Dumpling Filled with Boletus Mushroom and Fresh Scallop Emerald Dumpling in Golden Pumpkin Puree for appetiser; Double-Boiled Lamb Consomme with Morel Mushroom and Lamb Rack for starter; a choice of Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloin with Piquant Mongolian Dressing served with Cheese Wrapped Tofu or Shallow-Fried Canadian Cod Swirled with Savoury Cream Sauce and Shanghai Wok-Seared Bun Filled with Shrimp Mousse and Chicken for main course; last but not least is the Chilled Avocado and Aloe Vera Coulis and Custard Filled Filo Dough Dumpling with Ice Cream for dessert.

Sweet and sour flavour: The Combination of Stir-Fried Lobster Tail with Fresh Milk and Lemon served with Baked Pomfret.

For the Jin Yu Festival Menu II, diners can indulge in the colourful Trio of Braised Quail Drum Stick with Star Anise served with Fresh Spring Onion Salad, Steamed Dumpling Filled with Gourd Vegetables and Served with Dough Fritters, Red Cherry Tomato Stuffed with Sea Scallop and Choya Umeehu Wine Jelly served with Sesame Sauce for appetiser.

Warm your tummy with a bowl of Clear Lobster Soup with Lobster Medallion, Crab Claw and White Beancurd, then choose either one of these for your main course: Combination of Stir-Fried Lobster Tail with Fresh Milk and Lemon served with Baked Pomfret, or Wok-Fried Australian Rack of Lamb in Green Chili Sauce, served with Chinese Lettuce.

End your meal with Deep-Fried Durian Puff with Sour Sop for dessert.

Wine selections for both Jin Yu Festival Menus are Banfi Le Rime Toscana IGT for the appetisers, Banfi Col di Sasso Toscana IGT to set off with main courses and Peter Lehmann Botrytis Semillon to complete the dessert pairings.

The Liu Xiang Festival Menu I and II feature the same dishes as Jin Yu Festival Menu I and II but without the wines.

Chef Chan: Uses an interesting mix of seafood, meat, vegetables and herbs to create the dishes.

Chef Chan’s speciality is the Deep-Fried Durian Puff with Sour Sop, which he assured does not have a very strong durian flavour.

“To make the puff, I blend durian flesh, corn flour and milk to form a paste that’s similar to ice cream, then wrap it with pastry.

“It’s best to eat the durian puff first, followed by the fresh fruits and soursop, to balance out the taste.”

Available from now till Nov 30, the Liu Xiang Festival Menu I and Menu II is priced at RM88++ and RM138++ per person respectively, while the Jin Yu Festival Menu I and Menu II is priced at RM138++ and RM188++ per person respectively.

The Flavourlicious celebrations also include deals on cigars, beverages, group bookings, a la carte menus, cooking classes and complimentary rewards in the Big Spender Programme.

WEST LAKE GARDEN CHINESE RESTAURANT, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya. (Tel: 03-7492 8000 ext 3181). Business hours: Lunch, Mon-Sat, noon-2.30pm; Sun & public holidays, 10am-2.30pm; dinner, Mon-Sun, 6.30pm-10.30pm.

The Olive, Genting Hotel

2007-12-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

Fine flavours

There’s nothing quite like French cuisine; the variation of the food is almost a reflection of the country. One Frenchman explains.

By ALICE CHING

THE OLIVE
Lobby Floor, Genting Hotel
Genting Highlands
Pahang
Tel: 6105 9668
www.genting.com.my

Chef Arnaud Lallement is considered one of the rising stars in the French culinary world. Not only did he assume leadership of L’Assiette Champenoise (a charming turn-of-the-century restaurant in Château de la Muire, just outside Reims) when he was just 24, he also earned the restaurant a Michelin star two years later. It was a personal triumph of sorts for Lallement as the coveted recognition was previously held by his father, Jean-Pierre, for 18 years.

Chef Arnaud Lallement

Lallement was intent on following in his beloved papa’s footsteps. After completing his hospitality studies in Strasbourg, he worked under several fine chefs such as Roger Vergé, Michel Guérard and Alain Chapel before he returned to join his father at La’Assiette Champenoise in 1996.

After launching his cookbook titled ‘Carnet des saveurs en champagne’ (Notebook of Champagne Flavours) in 2003, Lallement was invited by Alain Ducasse to participate in the legendary master chef’s Fou de France project in which talented provincial chefs are invited to showcase their culinary skills in Paris. At 29, Lallement was one of the youngest chefs to be selected.

Ducasse was not the only one impressed by Lallement. In March 2005, Chef Lallement earned a second Michelin star for L’Assiette Champenoise. So it came as no surprise that under Genting’s Michelin Star Dining series, two champagne powerhouses – G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jouët – stepped up to showcase their elegant champagnes with Chef Lallement’s culinary creations.

At the media luncheon hosted by Pernod-Ricard (M) Sdn Bhd, the self-assured Lallement managed to share some of his food philosophies via a translator.

Tasty delights: Roasted Brittany Langoustines with Lettuce, Onion and Lemon Nage.

“I never compromise on the quality of raw ingredients,” he said. “One must know the actual process behind the products – how they are grown etc. Then we need to treat these products with respect. As such, seasoning must be used judiciously to enhance, not mask their natural flavours.”

Citing master chefs Michael Bras and Alain Ducasse as inspirations, Chef Lallement said that he prefers a minimalist approach to cooking, emphasising one or two ingredients.

A fine example was his Tomato Water, which tasted like a refreshing gazpacho but looked nothing like it. Presented in a wine glass, the clear yet intensely tomato-flavoured broth was studded with tiny, colourful pearls. They turned out to be gelatinous droplets of liquefied courgette, yellow and green peppers. Complementing this was G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge NV which lent a sparkling freshness to the unusual concoction.

Something different: French Seabass with Carrot Confit, Vegetables and Star Anise.

The Roasted Brittany Langoustines with Lettuce, Onion and Lemon Nage was presented in three separate dishes to showcase Chef Lallement’s penchant for this shellfish.

“In France, – chefs will present various preparations using a main ingredient to entice diners,” he said.

We knew the langoustines’ freshness was up to mark, courtesy of a fellow writer who told us the fresher they are, the faster her shellfish allergy would be triggered. True enough, she had to forgo the remainder after she sampled it. The rest of us, though, relished the exquisite langoustines – the first was complemented by a light creamy lettuce sauce whilst the second came with sliced radish, finely chopped onion and tartar sauce. The third was accompanied by a lemon nage (a thick, well- seasoned reduction of cream, white wine and lemon juice topped with a sliver of preserved lemon).

The subsequent French Seabass with Carrot Confit, Vegetables and Star Anise tasted almost humdrum by comparison, had it not been for the balsamic vinegar and star anise reduction dotting the plate. The fish’s delicate sweetness made a nice match with the fresh, slightly herbaceous Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV.

Lemon Strawberry Tart, Almond Mirabelle.

Chef Lallement’s creation of Lamb with Minted Green Peas and Coco Milk didn’t go down too well as we found the competing coconut milk and lamb flavours too strong. We then discovered lamb was used as the substitute in place of the chef’s original choice of pigeon due to the latter’s limited supply.

Lunch rounded off with Declinaison of Lemon Strawberry Tart, Almond Mirabelle and Red Fruits Vacherin. The sweet Lemon Strawberry Tart was a delightful treat after our last course but the overly sour Red Fruits Vacherin (mixed berries topped with a slice of meringue) was a jolt on the palate. The best was the Almond Mirabelle, a dainty tart with an almond crumble base and sweet yellow cherry plums which went like a dream with G.H. Mumm Grand Cru NV.

As we departed, most of us felt we had only caught brief glimpses of Chef Lallement’s real talents. His best, we believe, is yet to come.

Genting’s Michelin Star Dining 2007 will conclude with Chef Christian Moine from December 1-7.

Hearty breakfast meal

2007-11-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

From The Star

Storey Otak-Otak in Johor Baru serves up splendid otak-otak and delicious nasi lemak to boot.

IF you are craving for otak-otak that is delicious and different from its Kempas or Gelang Patah counterparts, then check out Storey Otak-Otak.

Located in Jalan Storey, near the Johor Baru (South) Traffic headquarters and behind the abandoned Pacific Mall shopping complex, the shop is famous for its nasi lemak and otak-otak.

Unlike other otak-otak, which is reddish and has the sweet taste, Storey’s otak-otak is rich with the meat of ikan tenggiri, coupled with a spicy and savoury taste.

Easy does it: Shop owner Chung Wei Sun (second from left) grilling the otak-otak with another family member.

Grilled to perfection, the smell of the otak-otak, wrapped in coconut leaf, is enticing, luring customers to the shop. Eating it with nasi lemak completes the recipe for a good and hearty breakfast.

Shop owner Chung Wei Sun, 36, says the shop has been around for over 20 years and boasts of a huge number of patrons.

“We start business at about 6am and the shop closes only in the evening.

“However, the otak-otak and nasi lemak would be sold out by 10am,” he says, adding that Singaporeans were also frequent customers.

Chung says they make about 2,000 sticks of otak-otak daily and they would be snapped up quite fast.

When asked about the secret of the otak-otak, Chung only mentions that they used imported chillies to add to the fish meat.

Even though it is a Chinese shop, Chung says the nasi lemak and otak-otak are halal and they have a great number of Muslim customers.

For food lovers and curious eaters, here is one important tip: come to the shop early, preferably at about 7am, as the shop is less crowded then.

My Kitchen, Sunway, PJ

2007-11-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

From The Sun

THOSE from Melaka will appreciate this Hainanese and Melaka restaurant opened by the

enterprising Candy Wong whose late grandfather started the Heng Hong Tin Kee Restaurant at

Jalan Tengkera, Melaka, serving Hainanese specialties. The Melaka restaurant is now managed by her father. Now in its third year of operations, My Kitchen, run by this plucky, hands-on lass, who calls herself a business development consultant, is busy preparing a new menu for November

2007. Candy, 32, who uses online marketing to promote her outlet, is assisted by seven staff.

Specialties

· Hainanese mutton soup with over 20 varieties of herbs used to dispel the mutton smell and enhance the taste. Served with a sauce containing chili, ginger and garlic and a small bowl of coriander leaves, it is available in three portions or sizes

· Hainanese stewed meat using five spices, black fungus and cuttlefish strips

· Hainanese chicken rice balls set using village chicken

· Hainanese lotus leaf chicken

· Hainanese ketchup chicken or pork chop

· Melaka chincalok omelette

Address: 26-1 Jalan PJU1/3B, Sunway Mas Commercial Centre, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Tel/Fax: 03 7880 8726

Mobile: 012 395 7191

Email: candy@candyfoodgallery.com

Website: www.candyfoodgallery.com

Business hours: 11am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Monday to Saturday/Public Holidays); 10am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm (Sunday)

Payment: Cash

Type of food: Hainanese and Melaka specialties

Category: Non-halal

Budget: $ (Value meals from RM5.90, inclusive of drink, soup and dessert)

Baby chair: Yes

Air-conditioning: Yes

Parking: Difficult, especially during lunch time on weekdays

Noise level: 3 (moderate)

Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant, Terminal 3 Subang, Selangor

2007-11-03T04:03:00.000-07:00

From the sun

MR YIM, the owner of Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant, prefers to use the nickname given by his customers -- Mr Lala. He started cooking in 1985, when he was only 13, at Yee Kee Restaurant, Old Klang Road (near the Guinness brewery). In 1999, he opened his own seafood restaurant called La La Pond in an oil palm estate surrounded by many ponds in Subang. It was moved to Terminal 3, Subang Airport in 2001 and renamed Lala Chong Seafood Restaurant.

Specialties

· Siong thong lala (fresh lala cooked in a soup with garlic and cili padi)

· Crabs fried with salted egg

· Butter prawns fried with black beans

· Tau foo kang with sea cucumber (a thick soup with tau foo and sea cucumber cooked in the style of shark's fin soup)

· Special salted grilled tilapia (snow mountain grilled fish)

· Steamed kampung chicken with ginger and garlic sauce

· Special Lala Chong claypot chicken with garlic and ginger (Taiwan-style)

Address: Lot PT 6824, Terminal 3, Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, 47200 Subang, Selangor

Tel: 03 7859 1906

Business hours: 12 noon to 3pm (lunch) and 5pm to 11pm (dinner); open for dinner only on Sundays

Close: Open every day (dinner only on Sunday)

Payment: Cash and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and Amex)

Type of food: Chinese seafood

Category: Pork-free

Budget: $$ (RM10 to RM20 per person)

Baby chair: Yes

Business friendly: Yes

Parking: Ample

Noise level: 3 (moderate)

Related links: (1) Lala Chong outlet at Ara Damansara (2) Clams (3) Tilapia

Related places on rasarasa.net: (1) Tau foo kang at Happy Village (2) Salted grilled tilapia at Wou Sou Sang

Woo Sou Sang Restaurant, Seri Kembangan, Selangor

2007-11-03T03:54:00.000-07:00

From The sun

"WOO SOU SANG" (bearded Sang) is the nickname for Swa Woon Sang, a former salesman who liked to go fishing with his boss every weekend.

In 2001, he resigned from the company and started his restaurant in Seri Kembangan.

He is an expert in cooking fish in different styles, the most popular being salted grilled tilapia -- you can see this dish on almost every table. He is also very good at steaming.

Specialties

· Salted grilled tilapia (It takes about 20 minutes to grill the fish, which must be fresh and cleaned of all internal organs. Some salt is added to the fish while it grills on the charcoal. When ready, the skin is removed and the fish meat is delicious eaten with the sauce provided)

· Hot & sour steamed fish

Steamed sang yee (haruan) with Chinese white wine

· Nyonya-style steamed fish

· Deep fried home-made taufu

· Deep fried pork ribs with marmite

· Nanking fried pork ribs with mayonnaise sauce

· Say tai tin wong (four types of beans -- petai, kacang botor, brinjal and long beans -- fried with sambal)

Address: 249-B, Jalan 2, Kawasan 6, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor

Mobile: 016-288 8089, 016-234 0847

Business hours: 5.30pm to 12.30am; Saturday until 1.30am

Close: Monday

Payment: Cash

Type of food: Chinese

Category: Non-halal

Budget: $$ (RM10 to RM20)

Baby chair: Yes

Parking: Be prepared to walk

Noise level: 3 (moderate)

Happy Village Restaurant, Berkeley, Klang

2007-11-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

From the Sun

ON most tables at Happy Village, you will see a claypot and a metal plate over a burner.

The first contains its famous claypot tau foo soup (top left) and the second its equally famous steamed fish head with lots of ginger (top right).

The crowd is incredible during weekends prompting owner Lim Chian Teck to say that he had to be very apologetic many weekends because people had to wait quite a while before food is served.

If you do not want to wait, go during weekdays.

Specialities

Steamed fish head with ginger
Claypot tau foo kang (soup, yummy with a bit of ginger)
Honey chicken
Pork ribs cooked with coffee (kopi rib)

Address: 39, Jalan Satu, Kawasan 16, Jalan Batu Tiga Lama, Berkeley, 41300 Klang, Selangor

Tel: 03-3343 0933

Mobile: 012-234 6864

Business hours: 11am to 2.30pm (lunch); 5.30pm to 10.30pm (dinner)

Close: Alternate Monday (Call to find out)

Payment: Cash

Type of food: Chinese

Category: Non-halal

Budget: $$ (RM10-20 per person)

Baby chair: Yes

Parking: Be prepared to walk (during weekends)

Noise level: 3 (moderate)

M. Nasir Soup Kambing, Malacca.

2007-11-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

Aromatic soups beckon

By BONNY WEE

Many are drawn to the hot, herbal spicy soups at M. Nasir Soup Kambing in Malacca.

FOR a delicious bowl of piping hot mutton or chicken soup, make your way to M. Nasir Soup Kambing at ‘Medan Selera Datang Selalu’ located along Jalan Tun Lanang in Malacca city centre. The food court is sandwiched between two hotels, namely, City Bayview and Orkid.

For Mohamad Nasir B. Mohd Ahmad or popularly known as ‘M. Nasir’, age 44, who has been operating the stall since the food court opened in 2000, the demand for his “aromatic, herbal, spicy and thick” soup dishes has been growing steadily over the years.

Apart from dishing up mutton, beef and chicken soup using his own “secret recipe”, he also serves speciality dishes like those with bones, tongue and stomach.

According to Nasir, the torpedo soup is among the top sellers and his customers comprise not only locals but also those from out of town and who are attracted no less by claims of its aphrodisiac value. For side orders, there are cube slices of white bread or white rice available.

Hard at work: Mohamad Nasir dishing up his special soup.

“The soup takes seven to eight hours to prepare and cook and it’s done over a slow fire to ensure that the meat is tender and cooked just right.

“I have to be careful not to under-cook or over-cook the meat, and to use the right amounts of fresh herbs and ingredients, otherwise it won’t taste nice.

“I also go to the market every day to choose the right meat which I make sure is fresh. Above all, I cook it on a daily basis and there’s no keeping of left-overs,” says Nasir.

He readily admitted modifying the “flavour” in the initial years after checking it out with his customers and has now got it “perfectly right – not too hot nor too spicy” – and which everyone can enjoy.

Over the years, foreign tourists have also dropped by to try his mutton and chicken soup and some have even made return visits. With the aptly named food court, Nasir says in jest, “When craving for hot herbal spicy soup the customers ‘selalu datang’ (come always)!”

His stall is open daily from 6.30pm to 12.30am.

Simply Spice Restaurant, Bangsar

2007-11-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Keeping it in the family

By SALINA KHALID

Photos by CHUA KOK HWA

IT IS said that a family that eats together will stay together but how about a family that operates a restaurant together?

For Simply Spice Restaurant manager Azmi Ahmad, the move enabled him to spend more time with his family.

Cool dessert: Ayesha holding up her home-made cheesecake.

Azmi, along with his wife Maria Lee Abdullah and daughter Ayesha opened the cafe and restaurant at Kompleks Niaga Utama in Bangsar Utama about three months ago. His son, who is studying at a local university, also drops by to help during his free time.

While Azmi takes care of the management and operations of the restaurant, Maria shares her culinary skills and family recipes in the kitchen.

Ayesha helps with the serving and keeps the staff on their toes to ensure that customers get what they want.

The restaurant, tucked away in a corner of the building, has injected a certain charm to the previously bare area.

Despite its simple design and decorations, the restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining for customers.

Colourful: Nasi Tumpang is a popular choice at the restaurant.

Minimalist style seems to be the key for Simply Spice.

“We want to keep it simple but with food that people enjoy. There is nothing fancy here - simple design and simple food but it's simply delicious,” Azmi said.

The menu only has about 20 local and Western dishes.

One of the highlights is the Nasi tumpang - flavoured yellow rice served on a plate in the shape of a cone with a choice of vindaloo mutton, masala fish or the restaurant's special ayam panggang bersenggek, which is oven-grilled chicken.

The rice dish is also served with pineapple pajeri and acar. Though the rice dish originated in Indonesia, the recipe used at the restaurant is Maria's own.

“The recipe for ayam panggang bersenggek is part of her family's recipes and we are sharing it with the customers.

Flashback food: According to Azmi, the Chicken Chop is prepared like it was at the old colonial rest houses.

“All the spices used in the dish are ground and hand-mixed by her,” Azmi said.

He explained that bersenggek actually means grilled with coconut milk (santan).

The spices and santan gave the chicken its rich flavour, similar to rendang.

Another must try dish at the restaurant is the mee rebus Utara.

Unlike the Southern version, which uses keledek for its rich and thick gravy, the Northern version uses a combination of pumpkin and potato.

Mashed and boiled potato and pumpkin not only thicken the gravy but also give it a tinge of sweetness.

“We also serve our mee rebus with sambal sotong on the side to add flavour and spice for those who like it hot,” Azmi said.

Something light: Caesar's Salad is also available on the menu.

For those who prefer Western dishes, several choices are available, including several pasta dishes and salads.

However, Azmi said most would opt for the Oriental Chicken.

The chicken is dipped in batter and then deep-fried. Served piping hot, the chicken comes with baked beans on the top. Though the outer layer is crispy and crunchy, the meat itself is juicy once cut - just like the way it was once served at the colonial rest houses.

“I used to follow my parents to stay at rest houses like the one in Taiping and that was how they served their chicken.

“I am trying to bring back that memory,” Azmi explained.

The outlet also serves chocolate cheese cake made by Ayesha.

Simply Spice Kafe & Restaurant,
2-LG-6 Kompleks Niaga Utama,
Bangsar Utama, 59000, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2283 2727. Business Hours: 7am to 7pm.
Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays.

Hawker fare in Ipoh

2007-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

From The NST

John Tiong

Ipoh is a food paradise. JOHN TIONG checks out two places that offer a large selection of local delights and a sampling of international dishes

Yong tau foo is Yeoh’s forte

IF you are in Ipoh and hungry, check out Wooley Food Court or the Gourmet Square in Jalan Lengkok Canning as both places offer a large selection of local delights. They are just a few minutes walk from each other.

While the Wooley Food Court features over 20 stalls offering local fare such as yong tau foo, chicken rice, Indian curry rice and laksa, Gourmet Square has a stretch of some 50 covered stalls with a more international flavour, from pizza and spaghetti to Hong Kong dim sum, Sichuan noodles, Taiwan braised noodles, tom yam and other Thai specialties.

Local cuisine includes the famous Ipoh kai see hor fan (shredded chicken noodles), bean sprout chicken and rice, pan mee, lobak and fried oysters. Malay favourites such as nasi pandan and nasi kunyit as well as nonya kuih are also available.

Wooley has a few stalls serving yong tau foo. One stall worth visiting is Yeoh Kee Kim’s.

Good Food, Good Prices

At Yeoh Kee Kim’s stall, you can have soft and flavourful yong tau foo with a large choice of stuffed vegetables such as brinjal, chilies and lady fingers at 50 sen a piece. He also has minced ikan parang or red snapper rolled in kailan.

Yeoh’s most original creation is three-in-one rolls in which he mixes chicken with fish and prawn. These are priced at one ringgit each. Fu chuk (beancurd sheets), fish rolls, fish biscuits and chicken rolls are the other attractions.

The yong tau foo and other items are served fried or with soup. You can also have kuey teow, bihun, loh shi fun or other side orders.

Yeoh says he uses only ikan parang and red snapper for the stuffing. He does not mix the fish with other ingredients as practised by some hawkers.

“In this competitive business, it is important to make sure your food tastes good. That will get the customers coming back,” says Yeoh who has been in the business for 20 years.

Yeoh also makes his own chili sauce which he says is very important. “It is the chili sauce that ultimately brings out the flavour of the yong tau foo.”

Yeoh’s stall opens from 11am to 6pm. Gourmet Square opens only from 6pm till late at night.

Another place in Ipoh that offers a delicious kai see hor fan is the Restoran Hotel Embassy in Jalan C.M. Yusof in the city centre. The soup is tasty and it comes with a generous helping of kai see (shredded chicken) and bean sprouts — at coffeeshop prices of about RM3.

Croquette

2007-10-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Preserving culture and tradition through unique snack

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ

Photos by SIA HONG KIAU

THE croquette, which is a snack with meat or vegetable base encased with breadcrumbs and deep-fried, may be a French invention.

This is how we do it: (right) Serena making the croquettes with her daughter Renita’s help.

But over the years, through colonisation, word of mouth and cultural influence, the recipe has spread to many countries.

The ingredients have gone through many changes thanks to the different countries that adapted the recipe to its convenience.

At Serena Djatnika’s home, the snack is made during major or minor celebrations, or sometimes just for tea.

Djatnika, an Indonesian who is married to a Malaysian, said, the croquette was brought to Indonesia during the Dutch colonisation and ever since had become part of Indonesian cuisine.

“It had probably started off with the Indonesians working in Dutch kitchens. They picked up the recipe from them and it had stayed over the years because it’s good.

“In my family, we have had the recipe for years; handed down from generation to generation.

“I learnt the recipe from my mother,” said Djatnika who lives at Taman Aman, Petaling Jaya with her husband and four children.

The retired businesswoman said that her early exposure to making the croquettes was when she helped out her maids at the kitchen.

“My father was with the foreign ministry and we used to travel from country to country. So when we had parties, I helped out in the kitchen and that's how I remember making the croquettes,” she said adding that she has yet to come across croquettes or anyone making it in Malaysia.

Simple yet delicious, the dish is made from finely minced chicken, canned mushrooms and onions.

The best combination: The croquettes are usually eaten with gherkin mustard.

Other ingredients include flour, ideal milk, full cream milk, powdered nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Lea & Perrins (L&P) Sauce.

Chicken, mushrooms and onions are fried in butter, then salt and pepper is added and finally the L&P sauce.

Separately, the flour is roasted slowly and milk is added. Once the mixture is blended well, the chicken combination is added and mixed well with some nutmeg.

Ready for action: Dipped in egg, the croquettes are coated with bread crumbs before they are fried.

Using hands, cylinders of about 8cm long are formed with the dough, then each cylinder dipped in egg whites and coated in breadcrumbs before they are deep-fried.

“It is served with pickle made from mustard and gherkins,” she said when StarMetro visited her home for a cooking demonstration.

Helping Djatnika was her daughter Renita Che Wan who had also learnt the recipe from her mother.

Renita said, she and her sister picked up the recipe from their mother when they were teenagers.

“The tradition has to carry on. If my mother didn't make the effort to learn the recipe from my grandmother, it wouldn't have come to me,” said Renita.

The other snack: Pastels, the Indonesian version of curry puffs with beef and egg filling.

Served along with the croquettes was another Indonesian traditional tea-time treat called Pastel - something like curry puff, but only with finely chopped beef, carrot and green beans filling.

“Curry puffs are on the spicier side, the Pastel is a little sweeter because comparatively, Indonesian cuisine is milder,” explained Djatnika as she served us some Indonesian tea.

The 39 Restaurant, KL

2007-10-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

From The Star

All for the love of mum

By YIP YOKE TENG
Photos by LOW LAY PHON

Stylish: Chef Ashar with a plate of Nasi Daging, served contemporary style.

HIS love for his late mother is the main thing in chef Ashar Daud's mind when he is preparing the spread of modern Malay delicacies for The 39 Restaurant in PNB Darby Park.

“I miss my mother,” said the soft-spoken 35-year-old from Kelantan. “I think the dishes she cooked were the most tasty in the world. I don't think I have managed to re-create the lovely flavours, but I have given my best and will work harder in time to come.”

Most of the dishes, which feature traditional goodness in contemporary presentations, are prepared to the recipes of his mother who passed away two years ago.

Ashar has 17 years of experience in Western cuisine to help him conceptualise the menu of modern Malay cuisine that has replaced the restaurant's fusion selections.

“I'd always had the basics of Malay cooking, but had seldom applied them before my mother passed away, even though I loved Malay food,” he reminisced, with a tinge of sadness in his tone.

New look: The Lompat Tikam dessert, served with palm sugar and coconut milk, takes on a modern appearance.

He shared the stories behind some of the dishes, which obviously are the recommended ones.

Gulai Kampung Ayam (Village-style Curry Chicken) reminds him of the Hari Raya he celebrated with his mother.

“I am from a poor family. My mother would slaughter the kampung chicken we reared behind our house only when it was Hari Raya, and she would put many ingredients into the cauldron to cook the dish,” he recalled.

He said Pindang Lautan soup was derived from another “pauper's delight”.

“We could not afford a refrigerator in those days, so my mother would cook fish with salt, tamarind and galangal, and we could keep the dish for two or three days,” he said.

As its name suggests, Ren-dang Warisan (Heritage Ren-dang) is made to a recipe pass-ed down the generations. “Un-like other cuisine, Malay food does not have standard recipes. Rendang, for instance, is different in every state.

“My family recipe does not use spices because we feel that they will overwhelm the flavours of lemongrass, turmeric and other ingredients,” Ashar said.

Wife's creation: Daud uses his wife's recipe when it comes to Cucur Udang.

While his mother is irreplaceable, the other woman in his life has a special place in his heart, too, and Cucur Udang (deep-fried prawns), among others, is prepared to his wife's recipe.

“My neighbour, who is an old man, once requested specifically for my wife's Cucur Udang when he was ill. I was curious so I tasted it, and found that it was really good. “I don't know where she learnt it from, but I guess having a picky husband helps her improve her cooking skills,” he said.

The restaurant that overlooks the city's skyline serves a la carte and buffet meals.

Ashar has given “crazy names” to the dishes and invites diners to have fun figuring out how they would taste.

For example, Kasih Menanti (Love Awaiting) is a dessert made of durian paste and glutinous rice and there are options like Tiga Dara (Three Maidens), Teruna Kampung (Young Man from the Village) and Dusun Pak Mat (Pak Mat's Orchard) to titillate your taste buds and imagination.

THE 39 RESTAURANT, PNB Darby Park Execu-tive Suites, 10, Jalan Bin-jai, Kuala Lumpur (Tel: 03-7490 3939). Business hours: Daily, noon to 3pm (lunch); 6.30pm to 11.30pm (dinner). Closed on Sun-days.

Banquet, Bangsar

2007-10-27T05:49:00.001-07:00

Grand banquet

Get ready for a good blend of stylish setting and unpretentious selection of dishes.

By ALICE CHING

BANQUET
1F-28 Bangsar Village II
2 Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2282 3228

Pork-Free

Spicy: The Prawn Noodle has the strong taste of prawn.

What happens when a talented cook and a creative designer join forces? The answer is, a banquet of good food served in a stylish setting. In an outlet named – what else? – Banquet.

It is the latest brainchild of Ben Yeong and Toto Ooi who also own chic Parisian-style eatery, Café Café at Jalan Maharajalela in Kuala Lumpur. We stumbled upon Banquet when we went to check out the newly-opened Bangsar Village 2. The eatery’s pristine white ambience is saved from being cold and clinical, thanks to clever accents such as classy chandeliers and beautiful hand-painted black and white Moroccan-patterned tiles. Its spacious rectangular dining space has a nice outdoorsy feel about it, furnished with comfortable white wicker chairs and marble dining tables in addition to the rows of potted fir trees that demarcate the area.

To reflect the outlet’s colour scheme, the service team is immaculately garbed in white uniforms. It certainly gives us the impression that we are being waited on hand and foot by a battalion of professional cooking experts.

Despite its rather highbrow setting, the menu turns out to be surprisingly down-to-earth, consisting of both Asian and Continental specialities. Chef Yeong has ensured Banquet’s sizeable selection remains rooted in tradition but with a contemporary presentation.

Clipped: These aromatic Chicken Wings are crunchy.

“Even our European-style salads, appetisers and mains will strike a chord with local tastebuds especially Malaysians who are intrepid travellers, said Yeong.

A fine example is the luxurious Pan-Seared Foie Gras. Served with olive oil and fruity apple reduction, this sensational treat is memorable for its light crispiness on the outside while remaining supremely smooth inside. No self-respecting escargot fan should miss the Baked Escargots with Anchovy Garlic Butter. The anchovy-infused butter spread generously on crisp bread slices alone is worth sacrificing your low-fat diet for.

Good salads are hard to come by in KL but I can vouch for the outlet’s imaginative creation of Wild Rocket, Parmigiano, Sliced Pear and Roasted Pine Nuts drizzled with Foie Gras Reduction. With such distinct flavours and textures, it is a clever way of seducing diners into going green.

Deep-fried chicken wings are always a popular choice with Malaysians and we anticipate Banquet’s Aromatic Chicken Wings will enjoy flyaway success. Thanks to its batter concoction that includes ground-salted fish, the juicy wings are not only crunchy but also imbued with an unusual brininess.

All good restaurants should have a unique dish that defines it. In Banquet’s case, the Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato and Duck Skin Croutons fits the bill. Yeong was inspired by an unforgettable peasant dish when he was touring France years ago, “It was a provincial delicacy where they serve fresh slices of baguette together with a huge pot of duck lard. I finally thought of this dish after wracking my brain on what to do with the leftover duck skin from our duck confit.”

He decided to deep-fry the chopped duck skin until crisp and toss them with pasta, olive oil and sun-dried tomato. The simple approach worked like a dream.

Lending a subtle yet well-rounded gamey aftertaste to the pasta, the crispy bits of duck skin emphasises the sun-dried tomato’s delicate piquancy. In turn, the latter tempers the dish’s cloying richness.

Perennial Asian one-dish meals are deftly prepared too. Our vote goes to the Prawn Noodles, which has all the requisite flavours nicely balanced – spicy but with prawn sweetness. According to Ooi, the recipe comes from one of his relatives who runs her own prawn noodles shop back home in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Served with decent size prawns, blanched beansprouts, sliced chicken and hard-boiled egg, it has quickly emerged as one of the hot favourites amongst Banquet regulars. My only beef is the absence of crispy fried shallots to give the dish that finishing touch.

Luckily, I was appeased by the delectable Mee Jawa, a rare find in new hip joints around Bangsar. I devoured the delicious noodles covered in mildly spicy sweet potato and crab gravy accompanied by sliced fritters and fried beancurd, crunchy flour cracker, prawns and beansprouts.

Classy: Banquet has a white stately interior.

Thai food fans will probably like the Wok-fried Rice Vermicelli for its spicy-tangy nuances. Another tantalising option is the Kedah-style Asam Laksa. Yeong remarked, “The sourish broth is less fishy compared to the Penang version but we are delighted it has become quite a crowd puller.”

No banquet is ever complete without dessert, so don’t miss the outlet’s decadent creations. Good things come to those who wait and, believe me, it’s worth the 15- minute-wait for the Classic Chocolate Cake at Banquet. Here, the melted chocolate with a molten centre is infused with white truffles or peanut butter. The truffle-accented version is to-die-for even though it costs the earth at RM40 a pop.

Equally notable is the Lemon Tart and Tiramisu. The former tastes like a burst of sunshine on your palate whilst the latter is a fabulous ‘pick me up’ thanks to its dulcet smoothness.

Overall, Banquet is well worth a visit if you want a mixture of local and Western fare. Service is prompt and prices reasonable for the quality you are getting.

So go ahead and have a feast at Banquet.

Golden BBQ Steamboat Restaurant, Penang

2007-10-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

The key to good steamboat

By MARIE TAN KIAK LI

PENANG folk are famous for recognising a good deal when they see one – especially when it comes to matters of the stomach.

And wallet-conscious gourmands would surely agree that they have found the perfect place in Golden BBQ Steamboat Restaurant.

Wide array: An assortment of food to go into
the pot or grill.

This eat-all-you-can buffet-style fusion restaurant, run by partners Joseph Yeong and Dennis Lim, occupies three lots of the heritage buildings along Nagore Road. This place offers its customers both outdoor and indoor seating options and exudes a welcoming, communal and festive air.

The steamboat set comes with a pot for the soup and a circular grill.

Some steamboat pots come in two halves so that you can choose to dip your sticks into either the clear soup, or the super-spicy Tom Yam soup for which Golden BBQ Steamboat has become famous for.

Diners are truly spoilt for choice, with a plethora of barbecue and steamboat food items to choose from. One will find at least four or five different varieties of marinated beef, fish and chicken; and a grand selection of assorted fruits de la mer. On certain “lucky” days, value for money pickings also include mantis prawns, better known in the Hokkien as heh-kor. A free flow of different types of drinks are also available.

There are also no artificial food enhancers that go into the making of the soups. Yeong reveals without hesitation that, “It’s no secret recipe, we just use lots of fresh ingredients, and put many different types of vegetables into making the stock, with lots of corn included.” Indeed, one can taste the unadulterated flavours that are satisfyingly delicious in their own right.

Come join in: Yeong (left) demonstrating how to cook it right.

A local Penang boy himself, Yeong believes Golden BBQ Steamboat has continued to attract diners because of its authentic food offerings. Golden BBQ Steamboat Restaurant is open from 4.30pm to 11pm daily, except for the first Monday of each month.

For more information, check out the restaurant’s website at http://www.goldenbbqpg.com .

List of Makan Places

2007-10-27T05:30:00.000-07:00

From The Star

A taste of porridge

THE Benteng Coffee House at Quality Hotel City Centre is now offering its Teow Chew Porridge buffet from Monday to Saturday for those who enjoy supper.

The buffet offers rice porridge with condiments like Black Bean Fish, Soya Sauce Chicken Teow Chew, Assam Kembong Fish, Egg with Choy Po, Salted Egg, Salted Fish, Pickle Lettuce, Fried Peanut, Fried Shallots, Spring Onions, Chakoi, Braised Salted Vegetable and lots more.

The buffet is available from 10.30pm to 2am, priced at RM9.90++ per person. Call 03-2693 9233 ext 8023.

Middle Eastern fare

Crowne Plaza Mutiara Kuala Lumpur is presenting the exotic cuisine of the Middle East at Planters’ Inn.

The Arabic specialties will feature a healthy combination of herbs and spices.

Chefs have prepared well-loved offerings like Hummus, Taboleh, Fatoush, Magdous, Mojhalil, Dajaj Ala El-fahm, Fasolia Nashfah Bil-lahim, Molokhia Bil-jambari, Khodar Mishakel, Kofta Bil-tahina, Samk Ma Khodra and Roz Shakriah.

For desserts, there’s Baklava, Bashusah, Sharin, Khoshaf and Fawakh to name a few.

The buffet lunch is priced at RM69++ while dinner is at RM79++.

Call 03-2148 2322 ext 3820/ 3821

Thorny delights

Crown Princess Kuala Lumpur has durians for diners at Spring Garden Chinese Restaurant.

The Durian Egg Tart and Durian Pancake are available for eat in or take away, priced at RM10++ per serving.

The tart shells are filled with durian custard while the pancake is filled with lovely durian filling. Call 03-2162 5522 ext 5511.

PINK LOTUS VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT, 32 Batu 5, Jalan Ipoh, KL (Tel: 03-6258 9618/016-274 1190 (Cheng). Business Hrs: Daily, lunch (10.30am-3pm); dinner (5.30pm-11pm). Halal. Ingredients used in the vegetarian dishes are guaranteed of quality and nutritional values. The mock fish is made of fuchok, seaweed and taufu.

SODA CAFE, Lot PT4512, Jalan 23/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas, KL (Tel: 03-6201 4029). Business Hrs: Weekdays (11am-midnight); Weekends & Public Hols (11am-1am). A lifestyle café blending food and fashion. Catch fashion shows on the telly or attend the many fashion-related activities.

HIDEKI JAPANESE RESTAURANT, One Bangsar, 63B Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru, KL. (Tel: 2282 1111) Business Hrs: Daily, lunch (noon-2.30p); dinner (6:30-10.30pm). Offers a unique menu of over 200 dishes created by its master chef complemented with a fine selection of sake, shochu and wine. Weekend Buffet Lunch on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. Daily Set Lunch and Set Dinner available. Private rooms available for corporate or private functions.

LUDHIANA STATION, 28 Jalan Telawi Dua, Bangsar Baru, KL (Tel: 03-2287 1359). Business Hrs: Daily (8am-midnight). A spacious outlet with a large open kitchen. Serves traditional Punjabi cuisine alongside Western and fusion favourites. Breakfast available.

ZOHARA’S RESTAURANT, 9137 Jalan Bandar 4, Taman Melawati, KL (Tel: 03-4106 9137). Business Hrs: Daily, lunch (11am-3pm); dinner (6pm-11pm). Specialises in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Signature dishes are Mulligatawny Dum Briyani Mutton/Chicken and Sultani Murgh Massalam.

LUCA’S PIZZA RESTAURANT, G02 & G03, Ground Floor, Wisma diCor, Jalan SS17/1A, Subang Jaya (Tel: 03-5631 0505). Business Hrs: Daily (noon-10pm). Halal. Authentic Italian pizza made with imported ingredients. The 37.5cm pizzas with eight different toppings are sold whole or as quarters. Delivers to offices and residences within the area.

ITALIANNIES, F355, First Floor, Rainforest (New Wing), 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, KL (Tel: 03-7727 1399). Business Hrs: Mon-Fri (11am-11pm); Sat & Sun (10.30am-11.30pm). Halal. Italiannies quaint ambience is conducive for conversations over traditional Italian fare.

D’ FORTUNE WESTERN CUISINE & CAFE, 83 Jalan Radin Tengah, Bandar Sri Petaling, KL (Tel: 03-9058 7851). Business Hrs: Mon-Fri (11.30am-11.30pm); Sat & Sun (11.30am-midnight). Brings to mind scenes of cowboy movies of yesteryear. D’Fortune offers Western cuisine with a local twist like the D’ Fortune Seafood Spaghetti with Cili Padi. Features a different set lunch menu each day.

WENDY’S BISTRO, 20 Jalan PJS8/18, Dataran Sunway Mentari, PJ (Tel: 03-5630 1699). Business Hrs: Daily (11am-11pm). Non-Halal. Incorporates a deli and bar with an extensive menu to boot. Popular for its variety of pork dishes.

BAKERZIN, G-312, Ground Floor Highstreet, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, PJ (Tel: 03-7729 4493). Business Hrs: Daily (10am-11pm). Halal. Styled after a French teahouse and offers Warm Chocolate Cake Strawberry Shortcake and Creme Brulee. There are breads, soups, salads and sandwiches too.

FOOD FOUNDRY BG-8, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Section 17, PJ (Tel: 03-7955 3855/03-7955 3885). Business Hrs: Daily (11.30am-10pm). Pork-free. The ideal place for a quiet lunch or afternoon tea. Western, Italian and local delights with top points awarded for the Mille Crepe Cake, made of layers of custard-filled pancakes.

RESTORAN KING CRAB, 103-105 Jalan SS25/2, Taman Mewah Jaya, PJ (Tel: 03-7808 2388). Business Hrs: Daily (11am-2.30pm); dinner (6pm-11pm). Non-Halal. Extremely popular so getting a table requires some waiting time. Some dishes need pre-ordering.

ROYAL CHINA BUKIT BINTANG, 239 1st Floor, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL (Tel: 03-2142 2625). Business Hrs: Mon-Sat, lunch (11.30am-2.30pm); dinner (6.30pm-10.30pm). Sun & Public Hols, breakfast/lunch (10am-2.30pm); dinner (6.30pm-10.30pm). Non-Halal. Known for its unique Thai-Chinese seafood dishes like Baked Lobster with Butter Thai-Style, Baked Crab with Vermicelli in Claypot and Thai Shark’s Fin Soup.

SAYANG RECIPE, 4 Lorong Ara Kiri 3, Lucky Garden, Bangsar, KL (Tel: 03-2094 0662). Business Hrs: Tues-Sun, lunch (11.30am-2.30pm); dinner (6pm-10pm). Pork-free. Serves traditional Penang Nyonya fare based on recipes handed down the generations.

SRI NYONYA RESTAURANT, 14 Jalan 22/49, PJ (Tel: 03-7875 1031). Business Hrs: Tues-Sun, lunch (12.30pm-2.30pm); dinner (6.30pm-9.30pm). Pork-free. The owners’ family recipes like the Sri Nyonya Fried Chicken and Perut Ikan span four generations. Set Lunch available from Tuesday to Friday at RM10nett per person.

H&H RESTAURANT, 31, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama (Uptown), PJ (Tel: 03-7728 5459). Business Hrs: Daily, lunch (11.30am-2.30pm); dinner (5.30pm-9.30pm). Halal. It enjoys a simple decor with basic lighting and neatly arranged red-topped dining tables with a family theme. Food is cooked according to customers’ preference. Also serves noodles and Western dishes, which are prepared to order. Set menus available. Does catering service for all types of functions.

NEW TASTE STEAMBOAT RESTAURANT, 24 Jalan Siput Akek, Taman Billion, Cheras, KL (Tel: 012-386 2855/016-432 2296). Business Hrs: Nightly (6pm-midnight). Non-Halal. Its speciality is steamboat made with bak kut teh, a soup-base flavoured with 15 herbs and spices. Servings come with a variety of seafood, vegetables and other dishes served with homemade dipping sauces.

AI KOPITIAM, 8 Jalan Serunai 1, Taman Klang Jaya, Klang (Tel: 016-348 8633). Business Hrs: Mon-Wed, Fri-Sun (11am-10.30pm). Pork- & Beef-free. Typical coffee shop with large menu featuring local and Asian dishes.

KAFE SAKURA KRISTAL, 301 Jalan Bandar 11, Taman Melawati, KL (Tel: 03-4108 5897). Business Hrs: Mon–Sat (noon-1am); Sunday (4pm-midnight). Halal. Asian, Thai, Western and Malaysian cuisine with enough options for vegetarians too.

THE RANCH CAFÉ, 14 Jalan Anggerik Vanilla Y 31/Y, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam (Tel: 03-5122 7706). Business Hrs: Mon–Sat (11am-11pm); Sun & Public Hols (6pm-11pm). Halal. Western food and a segment on Mexican favourites with house specials like Tacos and Sizzling Beef Fajitas.

DECANTER 3, 5 Jalan 17/56, PJ (Tel: 03-7968 1300). Business Hrs: Mon-Sat (noon-midnight) / 7 Jalan Setiakasih 5, Bukit Damansara, KL (Tel: 03-2095 2507) / Decanter Too, Prisma Ville Business Centre, Jalan 19/70A, Sri Hartamas, KL (Tel: 03-6203 5448). Business Hrs: Daily (noon-midnight). Halal. Great ambience, prompt service and ample parking. Choose from over 80 Western and local favourites. Popular for its Oxtail Stew and Penang Assam Laksa.

Tsingtao Beer

2007-10-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Getting global recognition

By CHOW HOW BAN in Qingdao, China

Tsingtao Beer Museum

FOR a long time, Tsingtao's status as the world's top-selling Chinese beer was somewhat hollow because it had gained little acceptance outside China. However, things have changed in the five decades since it began its journey to go international.

Now that it has a toehold in foreign markets, Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd, based in Qingdao in Shandong province, can now press on for a bigger slice of the pie, particularly in the United States.

Li: Our emphasis is still on the domestic market but our export market remains firm

Says international headquarters vice-general manager Chu Liangjing: “Our priority is to expand our market share to the middle-income group.

“We have enjoyed tremendous success in the US as our beer is sold in many restaurants and outlets. We are now set to carry out a campaign called 'Out of Chinatown To Downtown'.”

Over the decades, he adds, the company has worked extensively with marketing agents and restaurant and supermarket operators to promote and market Tsingtao Lager in the US.

Tsingtao Brewery chief brewmaster Fan Wei says overseas consumers have a good impression of Tsingtao beer and it has become a brand synonymous with the Chinese.

He recalls: “While in the US, I heard a New Yorker saying, 'Tsingtao beer – China's beer' to a Chinese man when they met. I can see that it has a good reputation in the US.

“Tsingtao Brewery must continue to expand and grow as we have a rich history of more than 100 years. We are paving the way for the next 100 years.”

Fan says the company will build on its domination of the domestic market and at the same time, promote the brand internationally.

“We'll continue to improve our management, production, marketing, technical skills and network. Our mission is to use our enthusiasm to brew the beer preferred by our costumers,” he adds.

During the German colonial period (1897-1914) in China, Qingdao – one of the 14 major coastal cities in China – became an important wharf. The Germans have left their mark on the city, and this goes beyond the architecture.

In 1903, the German settlers founded the brewery. Tsingtao Brewery is today funded by the Chinese government and international investors, but it maintains the recipe of its founders.

The old factory in No. 56 Dengzhou Road has been turned into the Tsingtao Beer Museum, where visitors can learn more about the history and production process of the brewery.

“The German influence has taken root in Qingdao. Their brewing and production methods are still evident in our brewery,” says Fan. Much of the machinery and equipment are still imported from Germany.

Tsingtao Brewery imports raw materials from France, Canada and Australia. Fan explains: “This is not to say materials from China are not good. This is simply because the supply from China cannot meet the demand of both the domestic and international markets.

“The Chinese beer industry is growing fast. Beer production in China made up about 14% of the world's total last year. Chinese brewers produced 34 million tonnes of beer, making China the world's largest beer producer. So, when supply cannot meet our needs, we have to import from elsewhere.”

He adds that the domestic supply of raw materials can only cater for 40% of the domestic market's demand. The brewery buys materials from suppliers who can fulfil its needs and offer the best deals.

He notes that there had been revolutionary changes to the company's brewing recipes since 1903 to suit the consumers' preference for light beer.

“The younger generation prefer milder beer and if we produced beer with typical strong German beer, I don't think they would love it. This has affected the sales of German beer in China,” he says, adding that the brewery still produces strong beers for the international market.

Asked about quality control and the spate of negative reports on Chinese products of late, Fan says: “We've exported our beer overseas for so many years and gone through the strenuous tests globally.

“We turn our anxiety into confidence. We have to meet over 1,000 different standards used across the industry. With such standards and our own quality control, I'm upbeat about our overseas sales.”

The brewery began to export its beer to the Britain in 1954 before entering the American beer market in 1972. The beer is now available in more than 70 countries and is the largest beer producer in China.

Tsingtao Brewery operates more than 40 breweries and malt plants in 18 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, but none overseas. The company was listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai at the same time in 1993. Even though the company has been exporting its beer abroad over the decades, it has yet to invest heavily in any expansion programme outside China.

But now, the company plans to intensify its global marketing and branding campaign. Says Tsingtao Brewery chairman Li Guirong: “Our emphasis is still on the domestic market but our export market remains firm.

“The Chinese market has a big potential and we should put in more efforts to do well in China but I have not given up on the overseas market.”

He adds that the company is studying various ways to bolster its position internationally, such as by setting up factories and diversifying its production abroad.

In the last five years, Tsingtao Brewery has recorded a two-digit annual growth rate in terms of profits and output volume. The company focuses on the integration of its management and production.

Says Li: “We didn't have any big investment in the past five years. Last year, we had a total gross value of 11bil yuan and a sales volume of 4.5 million tonnes, compared with 8.6 billion yuan and 2.5 million tonnes in 2001.

“You can see we still have some progress even though we didn't invest much.”

“At the end of last year, the board of directors made a decision to move ahead with new strategies, following our results for the last five years. By the end of this year or early next year, we will have the capacity to invest in new factories.”

Li predicts that the growth rate of the company in years to come will surpass that of the past five years. “We expect a 15% to 20% growth rate every year.”

Bite into history

2007-10-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Compiled by SHARON TAN

At last count, there were more than 100 stalls and restaurants in the country that are over 50 years old, with a handful over a hundred years old, and a dozen edging towards the century marker.

Most of them are trading the same food that they started the stall with, or are carrying on their forefathers’ trade. These dishes have withstood the test of time, and many of them have become famous for the excellent quality of their food.

They have become a part of Malaysia’s culinary heritage, gastronomic bastions proudly weathering the years and changing lifestyles.

Visit these old favourites not just for their culinary offerings, but also for the history that each serves up.

Uniquely flavoured and prepared: The Kimberley Street char kway teow.

PENANG
Kimberley Street char kway teow

A stall outside Kedai Kopi Sin Guat Keong Comer of Kimberley Street and Cintra Street

One of Penang’s hottest woks, the secret to the longevity of this char kway teow stall lies in the seafood-infused oil that owner Lean Joo Suan uses to fry the flat rice noodles over a charcoal fire. He has been serving up the tasty noodles for the past 51 years.

Lebuh Carnarvon lorbak

Kedai Kopi Seng Thor, 160, Lebuh Carnarvon

Friendly owner Bor Choo Kooi is proud of the fact that he has been peddling his lorbak, wrapped in banana leaves for a better aroma, since pre-Merdeka days.

Ever since 1955, his now weathered pushcart has been parked outside the same coffee shop every day, come rain or shine, except during Chinese festival days. Today, business is as brisk as it has ever been.

Argyll Road roti canai

Sheikh Usman Gerai Roti Canai, 67, Argyll Road

This tiny blue stall sits in the shade of a large pokok sena, and has been both a landmark and a favourite breakfast place for many Penangites since it opened on this road 51 years ago.

It has plenty of charm and a laid-back, somewhat rustic ambience to it, which draws an eclectic crowd of all races, ages and social backgrounds to enjoy a morning meal of fluffy roti canai (made with two eggs) and some spicy curry.

KEDAH

Hainanese fare

Hai Kee Kedai Kopi Dan Makanan, 80, Jalan Pekan Melayu

This 72-year-old restaurant is located in a pre-war shophouse with narrow, rickety stairs and creaky floorboards to complete the look.

The kitchen is equipped with traditional charcoal stoves, and spices and chillies are pounded in a stone mortar and pestle.

The restaurant was founded by Cheah It Ling’s father. Cheah and his siblings took over the restaurant a few years ago and have no plans to modernise the antique kitchen, insisting that food cooked with these traditional implements taste better. His many loyal regulars – who come here for the traditional kopitiam fare like chicken chop and asam fish – would doubtless agree.

Hameediyah’s murtabak

Hameediyah Restaurant, 164-A, Campbell Street

This narrow, family-owned restaurant on Campbell Street is over a century old and one of the oldest coffee shops on the island. It wears its age well and has even installed air-conditioning for patrons who want to beat the heat. It is whispered to serve the best murtabak in the country, the meat nicely flavoured with spices and enveloped in a thin, crispy roti.

Bangkok Lane mee goreng

Seng Lee Coffee Shop, 270, Jalan Burma

Even though this stall is on Jalan Burma, it is known as the “Bangkok Lane mee goreng” . . . because it faces that lane.

Is this the birthplace of mee goreng? We cannot say for sure but Penangites do not dispute the claim that the stall is the first on the island to sell the Mamak fried noodles, a petty trade which has been in Mahboob Zakaria’s family for 81 years, and started by his father.

The friendly man speaks Hokkien like a native and is quite the showman, swirling the wok furiously for the entertainment of patrons who line up for his tasty noodles.

Padang Brown popiah

A stall at Padang Brown, Jalan Johor

The late K. Sulaiman set up this stall here 51 years ago. His simple popiah became so famous over time that he counted members of royalty and VIPs among his customers.

Originally from Tamil Nadu in southern India, Sulaiman was a dock worker before he ventured into the popiah business, spurred on by his own love for eating the fresh spring rolls!

He passed away in June 2006, and the stall is now run by his family.

Majestic rojak

New World Cafe, 10, Swatow Lane

This is Penang’s most famous fruit rojak stall. Before moving to this coffee shop, it operated outside the now-defunct Majestic theatre.

It was started over 65 years ago by Loh Moon Kan’s mother. Today, he helps his wife Helen Cheah at the stall. His mother’s original recipe for the thick, gooey sauce remains a closely-guarded secret.

Moh Teng Pheow Nonya kuih

53, Muntri Street

In the kitchen of the kuih shop run by the Mook family, trays jostle for space with the steamers and huge woks used to cook the traditional cakes and filling for curry puffs.

The scene hasn’t changed for the past 60 years; these kuih are well-known, and sold all over the island.

Until 30 years ago, itinerant hawkers were plying the streets carrying the kuih in two trays balanced on opposite ends of a wooden pole (kandar).

FMS Bar & Restaurant

2, Jalan Sultan Idris Shah (Brewster Road)

Many claim that this is the oldest bar operating in Malaysia, complete with an antique decor that has survived the ravages of time.

It is housed in a building built at the turn of the 20th century, and became a bar and restaurant in 1906.

FMS stands for “Federated Malay States”, a union of states under British administration, one of which was Perak. In its heyday, this colonial institution was frequented by planters and traders, and was a favourite after-match hangout for sportsmen. Today, it remains popular with townfolk.

Curry mee near the police station (ma ta lui kari meen)

Restoran Xin Quan Fang, 174, Jalan Sultan Iskandar Shah, Ipoh

This 60-year-old stall is always called the “curry mee near the police station”. It has moved from its original location, but the new place is just a few doors away, so the nickname still applies. Kok Tong Choon now runs the stall, after inheriting it from his mother. He uses her original recipe, admitting to have tweaked it slightly.

Yin Yau Kui Hakka Mee

153, Jalan Sultan Iskandar, Ipoh

In his Chinese village, Foo Yee Hing learned to prepare a dish of Hakka-noodles and meatballs. According to him, the dish was so widespread there that “everybody knew how to prepare it”. He started this stall 51 years ago after moving to Malaysia. This famous Ipoh Hakka mee stall is now run by his three grandsons.

Just the sight of the nasi ganja makes you drool.

Nasi ganja

Nasi Kandar Ayam Merah, Yong Suan Coffee Shop, 2, Jalan Yang Kalsom, Ipoh

Now 51 years old, this was the first nasi kandar business to open in town. It is currently run by the founder’s grandson Ahmad Haris; his grandfather originally peddled his rice and curries door to door.

The nasi kandar is affectionately referred to as “nasi ganja”, thanks to the very addictive sambal accompaniment and deep-fried ayam merah.

Ipoh white coffee

Sin Yoon Loong, 15A, Jalan Bandar Timah, Ipoh

Ipoh’s famous white coffee kopitiam was opened in 1937. Sin Yoon Loong is located in a part of town known as “old town”, and is always busy. The white coffee is made from beans roasted with margarine but without sugar, giving it a lighter shade.

Sin Yoon Loong’s coffee is “pulled’’ teh tarik-style, which gives it a lovely, foamy head. Ipoh white coffee has become a much-franchised product around the country but nothing can replicate the experience of having a cup of coffee in this atmospheric kopitiam, permeating with the aroma of roasting coffee.

Heng Kee claypot chicken rice

Wing Loke Yuen coffee shop, 123, Jalan Idris, Kampar

The origins of the famous claypot chicken rice dish can be traced to this stall in a corner coffee shop, started by owner Lai Lie Kong’s father 51 years ago. As is tradition, the rice is cooked on a charcoal stove. Unlike other dark, soy sauce-doused versions, the fragrant, fluffy rice of the original is white.

Bismillah Restoran

138, Jalan Taming Sari, Taiping

Bismillah Eating Shop opened its doors in 1900, and is the oldest restaurant in Taiping and probably the country. It’s famous for its tender beef rendang and fluffy roti canai.

The pakcik who makes roti here still makes it on a marble table, a rare sight nowadays. The rendang is different from those found elsewhere, and is worth the journey from wherever you are. It must be the country’s best-kept secret.

SELANGOR

Bak kut teh below the bridge

Kedai Makanan Seng Huat, 9, Jalan Besar, Klang

People either refer to this place as the “bak kut teh under the bridge” or “the bak kut teh next to the police station”.

It’s one of two outlets embroiled in the long drawn-out debate over who is the original inventor of the dish.

This outlet is 61 years old, and run by the third generation of the Lee family. The herbal soup here is thick, yet light on the palate, and well-infused with herbal flavours.

The original bak kut teh is always served in small, shallow bowls, not claypots, and with a choice of meats and innards only.

KUALA LUMPUR

Yut Kee Restaurant

35, Jalan Dang Wangi

An old-fashioned Hainanese kopitiam, Yut Kee is affectionately viewed as an integral part of the capital’s history by its many regulars who come here to enjoy pork chops drenched in gravy and accompanied by roti babi.

It’s over 70 years old, and wonderfully atmospheric with its dark wooden chairs, marble-top tables and peeling paint.

Jack Lee owns and runs the shop with his family; he inherited it from his father, a Hainan immigrant who opened the shop in 1928. A framed portrait of the elder Lee takes pride of place on one of the walls.

Coliseum Cafe & Hotel

98-100, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

Step into the Coliseum and you are immediately transported to the colonial days. This Kuala Lumpur institution was opened in 1921 and remains a legend to this day.

It was once the haunt of the British and affluent locals who sipped gin and tonics in the planter’s bar on the ground floor or enjoyed sizzling steaks and chicken chops which the restaurant still serves to this day.

As the country headed towards independence, the upstairs rooms of the hotel were often occupied by prominent politicians such as the first Malaysian Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Sek Yuen

313-1 & 315, Jalan Pudu

Looking more like an association house than a restaurant, Sek Yuen is 58 years old and was one of KL’s premier Chinese restaurants in its heyday, a favourite for wedding banquets in particular.

Should you venture into the kitchen, you’ll see lots of chopped wood stacked in a neat pile because the cooking is still done on wood stoves. There is no menu here but regulars know the good stuff by heart, such as the pipa duck and steamed chicken doused in soy sauce.

Petaling Street porridge

Kedai Hon Kee, Jalan Hang Lekir

This stall operates out of a small alcove and has been dishing out bowls of steamy porridge for the past 60 years. It’s especially popular with traders in the area. The stall is run by Herbert Wong, a third generation trader.

Soong Kee Beef Noodles

3, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin

Opened in 1945, Soong Kee is regarded as the beef ball noodle pioneer in Kuala Lumpur. This famous outlet, which occupies an old corner shop, draws a huge crowd daily. Once rather run-down, it was given a face-lift and air-conditioning recently.

Lien Bee Hokkien Mee

Lorong 1, Jalan Cheng Lock (behind Lai Foong Restaurant)

Located in a tiny alcove behind the coffee shop, this shop is run by the founder’s grandson, Kua Choon Chuan. His grandfather started the business in 1946 and he is continuing the tradition of frying the noodles over a charcoal fire. Diners enjoy their Hokkien mee in the lane next to the stall.

NEGRI SEMBILAN

Seremban beef noodles

Stall 748, Pasar Besar Seremban, Jalan Pasar, Seremban

Even folks from KL think nothing of making the drive here to enjoy the beef noodles at the stall run by Goh Chuen Mei. It was started over 60 years ago by her father, Goh Hian Hai. The beef noodles are cooked according to her father’s recipe, brought over from his Hainanese village of Haikou when he immigrated here.

MALACCA

Capitol Satay Celup

41, Lorong Bukit Cina

Satay celup is a dish peculiar to Malacca, and is believed to have originated at the now-defunct Capitol theatre.

That was over 60 years ago. Today, it is owned and run by Low Yong Cheng, a third generation member of the family.

Satay celup’s popularity rests on the thick, spiced sauce which the meat is dipped into, a recipe handed down by Low’s grandfather.

JOHOR

Kedai Roti & Kek Hiap Joo

13, Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Baru

The scene has changed very little at this old-world bakery since it opened 90 years ago. A wood-fired oven is still used for baking, and regulars attuned to the baking schedule queue up outside for piping hot bread, coconut buns and banana cake. Latecomers have to return later, when the next batch is baked.

The pressure for this bakery to relocate is great as it is sitting on prime land. When that day comes, it will be a great loss to food lovers. The owners said the oven, made from red bricks, is special and can’t be replicated.

“The bakery cannot be relocated, it will end here if the shop is demolished,” said a family member who helps run the shop.

Kluang Train Station canteen

Jalan Station, Kluang

Opened in the 1940s, this is the most famous train station canteen in the country. Jack Lim is the third generation to take charge of this remarkable canteen, housed in a wooden building with wired windows and a whiteboard where Lim writes his quote of the day. The fare has always been the same: kopi and charcoal-toasted bread slathered with home-made kaya and butter, curry puffs and nasi lemak bungkus.

PAHANG

Tong Nam Bee

55, Jalan Tun Razak, Raub

More than 50 years old, this Hainanese kopitiam has been a hub for local townfolk since it opened in the sleepy town. There’s a real old-world feel to it, furnished as it was with marble-topped kopitiam tables and dark wooden chairs and cabinets. Tong Nam Bee is located in a row of pre-war shophouses.

KELANTAN

Kedai Kopi White House

1329-L, Jalan Sultanah Zainab, Kota Baru

The White House, facing the state mosque, is a Kelantanese landmark.

This Hainanese-run coffee shop predates the country’s independence. It’s a quaint shop seating only about 25 people, but is considered the place for coffee and toast in Kota Baru, and is a popular night-time hangout.

In addition to the regular kopitiam fare, they have East Coast specialties such as nasi tumpang, compressed rice with serunding, and either prawn sambal or masak lemak.

TERENGGANU

Kemaman coffee

Kedai Kopi Hai Peng, 3753, Jalan Sulaiman, Kemaman

This coffee shop helped put Kemaman on the map, thanks to its brand of Hainanese coffee. Wong Sang Hai opened the kopitiam in 1935 when he first arrived here from Hainan. It is now managed by his daughter, Elaine Wong, who expanded the menu to offer Vietnamese coffee and ice-blended drinks. It remains a hub for locals and travellers to this day.

SABAH

Mengatal curry and kaya puffs

Kedai Kopi Kheun Nam Hin, Lot 7, Blok G, Mengatal New Township, Menggatal

The original shop, founded over 50 years ago, was located near the Menggatal bus station. The business relocated to this new spot nearby after the original burnt down. It’s owned by Hainanese Johnny Wong and his family, who jealously guard their recipes for the popular flaky curry and kaya puffs sold here.

SARAWAK

Teochew temple yong tau foo and pork satay

A stall at the Teochew Temple Carpenter Street, Kuching

This family-owned stall has been here for over 50 years and business continues to boom. Along with the rest of the stalls here, the pork satay and yong tau foo stall was once in the temple courtyard but were recently relocated just across the road.

Jelly Mooncakes

2007-10-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Game for jelly mooncakes?

By LOOI SUE-CHERN

WHILE big commercial mooncake makers introduce new flavours using less-traditional ingredients like cheese, chocolate, raspberry, mango, strawberry, coffee and butter, a baking and cookery teacher in Penang is making them out of jelly.

Amy Tan, who teaches cooking and baking at her home at Jalan Lim Lean Teng, is busy making ‘icy cold’ mooncakes which are free of meat and egg for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

Tan, who has over 20 years of experience in baking these festive delicacies, said her cold mooncakes come in a variety of flavours, including dragon fruit, mango, honeydew, water chestnut, soya bean, red bean, cendol and chocolate.

When cut open, the centre of the mooncake will reveal a fake egg yolk, which is actually made of carrot.

“We use only fruits, beans and vegetables to make these jelly mooncakes.

“The carrot is prepared first to make the yolk. Then the fruit is blended to pre- pare the filling. We later mix them with jelly powder, agar-agar powder and sugar but that depends on the recipe,” she explained.

Festive creations: Tan with her colourful mooncakes and other delights.

The idea of making jelly mooncakes came to her after a friend introduced her to the recipe she had found on the Internet.

“I tried making the mooncakes but they came out too soft and turned watery after a short while. So I made some changes to the recipe,” said the 41-year-old Tan, who has been teaching cooking and baking for over 10 years.

Tan, who learnt mooncake making from her husband’s relative many years ago, said that she would be busy making mooncakes when the festival draws nearer.

“We only use natural ingredients like fruits and beans to make the jelly mooncakes. As they will not last long, we will be making them a week before the festival,” she said.

Tan also has her own Ping Pei (snow skin) mooncakes, which are rather unusual as they come in the shape of small colourful fishes.

“We use glutinous flour, oil and icing sugar to make the snow skin, and pandan and lotus paste for the filling. For the fishes’ eyes, we use chocolate chips.

“These refrigerated ‘mooncakes' are rather special because of their size, shape and bright colours. We also make round ping pei mooncakes that look like the traditional ones, only with many colours,” she said.

Other than these special delights, Tan makes more than 10 other types of mooncakes. She bakes Teowchew Mooncakes, Shanghai Mooncakes, ang kong ngah pneah (literally means doll biscuit) and traditional mooncakes, just to name a few.

She explained that each type was made using different ingredients and has different fillings.

“For example, traditional mooncakes are filled with bean paste and lotus paste,” she said.

The Chinese Mooncake Festival falls on every 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This year, it falls on Sept 25.

Tai Cheong Bakery, Hong Kong

2007-10-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

From The Star

The perfect tart

By MARK LEAN

Soft on the inside: The egg tarts made at Tai Cheong Bakery are legendary.

Made with the same dedication for over half a century, the egg tarts – as well as the other tasty baked offerings — at Tai Cheong Bakery in Central has created a legendary Hong Kong tea-time story.

Amidst the snaking alleyways and cobblestone paths at Lyndhurst Terrace in Hong Kong, you're bound to find something great to eat at every corner. A sushi bar, a pizzeria, a Chinese medicine hall, Indian eateries, stalls selling roasted duck, freshly blended fruit juices, fried fish balls and tau fu far, and even a Russian restaurant — all peacefully co-existing like a well-run mini United Nations, catering to every tastebud and budget. At a particular bakery on the same street, it’s not uncommon to discover people queuing up every day — to get a taste of Au Yeung Tin-yun’s fabled egg tarts as well as an assortment of other baked delicacies.

Tai Cheong Bakery is a Hong Kong institution of over half a century, which is also the same length of time Au Yeung has been in the trade. He has brought smiles to the faces of Hong Kongers, young and old, as well as a certain former Governor, Chris Patten. In fact, Patten, having been introduced to Tai Cheong’s tarts by his chauffeur, would eventually become the bakery’s staunchest fan. For a while, the bakery’s most popular item was affectionately known as “Chris Tart.”

So what makes the tarts so special? “Let me ask you one thing. Is your mother’s cooking better than yours?” Au Yeung quizzes me. Naturally, my answer is in the affirmative. “There you go. It’s as simple as that. Both of you use the same ingredients, but there’s something that makes her cooking better, right? Well, it’s the same with my tarts,” he says with a modest smile.

“The kinds of eggs we use also make a big difference. Chinese eggs have a stickier texture than Malaysian ones, which is why it’s hard to replicate (the taste of) my tarts,” explains Au Yeung. He should know what he’s talking about having spent the last 58 years perfecting the art of creating the humble yet sublime egg tart.

Perfect to take away, the egg tarts (RM1.60 each) stay fresh for three days. All you need to do is reheat them in the toaster or rice cooker. But when savoured straight from the oven and washed down with a cup of Earl Grey or café latte, the tarts taste the best.

Originally known as the custard tart, which was heavier and richer in taste, the Hong Kong egg tart evolved in very much the same way the city did, with a recipe based on Chinese zeal and Western methods. With its golden yellow centre and flanked by butter pastry that doesn’t flake, the tarts are believed to have been brought to Hong Kong by immigrants from Guangzhou in the 1940s.

But, there’s also a contention that the Chinese adapted the British egg tart to suit local tastes. And in the absence of cheese, the simple egg tart, by the inventiveness, determination and creativity of people like Au Yeung, was able to claim its rightful place as Made with the same dedication for over half a century, the egg tarts – as well as the other tasty baked offerings — at Tai Cheong Bakery in Central has created a legendary Hong Kong tea-time story.

Hong Kong’s pastry of choice — undoubtedly a hit during Sunday morning dim sum with the family or as a weekday afternoon treat.

Tai Cheong’s cookie crust egg tarts might be the most famous item sold at the bakery, but the sugar puffs (RM1.60 each) come a close second. “Our egg tarts are the biggest sellers. At the shop in Central, we sell around 2,800 every day. Our second biggest sellers are the sugar puffs. Our sales average around 1,000 per day,” says Au Yeung.

Looking very much like sugarcoated profiteroles, they were invented by Au Yeung who spent several years as a pastry chef at one of Hong Kong’s top hotels.

Tai Cheong Bakery

Made from deep fried dough, the puffs wouldn’t look out of place at a French patisserie, but after a taste, you’ll know that they’re a Chinese creation. While profiteroles might have a soft texture, Tai Cheong’s sugar puffs are crisp and crunchy, and you’re bound to eat more than one.

The same goes for the coconut puffs (RM1.60 each). Perfect weekend tea-time treats, the offerings from Tai Cheong have the irresistible knack of ruining the best laid diet plans — a sentiment that Au Yeung echoes:

“I tell my customers that my tarts won’t make them fat as the pastry is light. They’re good for people who want to lose weight,” he says before breaking into one of his trademark grins.

TAI CHEONG BAKERY
35, Lyndhurst Terrace,
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (+852) 2544 3475

Loke Yun Ampang Restaurant

2007-10-26T06:37:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Lessons learnt from father contributes to restaurant's success

By TAN KARR WEI

One of the best in town: The Loke Yun Ampang restaurant in Pekan Ampang.

Good food, cleanliness and excellent service secured Phang Kee Kim the 'King of Hainanese Chicken Rice' award. Phang who runs the Loke Yun Ampang restaurant, was given the title by Guang Ming Daily in July.

“When my father passed down the business to me, he said we have to treat customers well to make sure they keep coming back. He also stressed the importance of cleanliness when running a business, from the front of the shop all the way to the back,” said Phang.

His father Phang Kwi learnt how to make Hainanese chicken rice when he worked at the Kim Hing coffee shop in Jalan Tun H.S, Lee, then known as Jalan Bandar.

The senior Phang then decided to open his own chicken rice stall in 1971 in Pekan Ampang.

“When we were younger, my sister and I would help out at the shop. After I got married, he handed the business over to me and we've been running the business since,” said the 42-year-old Phang.

His sister Phang Kim Lian, 48, said they used fresh raw ingredients to ensure the taste and quality of the food were never compromised.

“We get the chickens from a supplier who already knows our requirements as his father used to supply chickens to our father,” said Kim Lian.

A family recipe: Phang chopping the Hainanese steamed chicken into smaller pieces.

“My brother sells vegetables and we buy it from him so he makes sure we get the best produce,” said Phang's wife Kareen Lim, 38.

Besides the usual steamed Hainanese chicken dish, they also serve a variety of side dishes like steamed vegetables, braised chicken feet, chicken intestines and fishballs.

Customers can opt for the regular steamed chicken or village (free range) chicken.

“We have regular customers who frequent our restaurant every week. Some of them used to come with their parents during my father's time and now they are bringing their own children to eat our chicken rice,” said Phang.

Loke Yun Ampang Restaurant is located at 158, Jalan Besar, Ampang, Selangor (near the Ampang Jaya traffic police station). Telephone: 03-4291 9884. Business hours: Mondays to Sundays, 10.30am to 3pm and 5.30pm to 8.30pm.

Boer Goat Junction, Petaling Jaya

2007-10-26T06:16:00.000-07:00

From The Star

Goodness, the Boer goat

By RENITA CHE WAN
Photos by DARRAN TAN

renita@thestar.com.my

Care for some chevon, cabrito or capretto?

FORGET everything you’ve been taught about mutton. Contrary to what we have been told at school, goat meat is not mutton. Lamb meat is.

Goat meat is actually known as chevon, cabrito or capretto – depending on the ages of the goats when they are slaughtered.

And did you know that compared to other meat like beef, poultry and pork, goat meat is extra lean, with 3g of fat or sometimes less, and has less than 2g of saturated fat?

Eating healthy: A Boer goat munching on the Napier grass at the organic farm in Tapah.

This is especially true of Boer goat meat. Production of the Boer goat meat was developed in South Africa in the early 1900s. The word “Boer” actually means “farmer” in Dutch. Because of the manner in which they are reared, Boer goats provide meat that is naturally lean and nutritious.

Not only is it an excellent source of protein and iron, Boer goat meat also has higher potassium content, with a low sodium level.

A place that rears Boer goats is the 20-acre Highland Organic Boer Farm in Tapah, Perak. It is managed by Majestic Nature Boer Farm Sdn Bhd.

The farm rears over 2,000 Boer goats which are put on a strict 100% organic diet.

They are fed naturally grown Napier grass to ensure that they receive the optimal intake of fibre and protein.

Apart from that, they also consume clean mineral water that comes from the same source that feeds the Lata Kinjang waterfall near the farm. Considering all the above factors, this probably explains why Boer goat meat is much healthier than other red meat.

According to Majestic Nature Boer Farm managing director Yeow Joo Kwang, the Highland Organic Boer Farm provides a clean and dry environment that is crucial for the healthy growth of the Boer goats.

Fried Goat Meat in Pepper Sauce

Therefore, all the essential amino acids are present in the goat meat, with no hormonal, chemical or bacterial contamination.

Even the American Heart Association recommends the goat meat to those who suffer from heart-related problems, as the meat is high in protein, with a healthy fat ratio.

Sunday Metro was invited for a tour of the farm recently.

Coincidentally, celebrity chefs Ismail and Florence Tan were among the invited guests as well.

“When I first tried the Boer meat, it was a thrilling experience as it didn’t release some foul odour compared to other meat,” says Chef Ismail.

Gulai Kambing Berempah

“We didn’t have to marinate the meat that long either and, amazingly, it is much more tender,” says Chef Florence.

To add to the excitement, both the chefs surprised the guests by serving six different dishes of Boer meat.

On the menu were the Mint Nutty Salad, Shepherd’s Pie, Goat Meat Cumin Rice, Fried Goat Meat in Pepper Sauce, Gulai Kambing Berempah and Goat Varuval.

“We each came prepared with a recipe for the public to try out at home,” says Chef Ismail, adding that the step-by-step recipe is simple and anyone can try it at home.

“The Boer goat meat is so yummy that I even serve them in my restaurant,” adds Chef Ismail.

Yeow says that the problem most Malaysians face is that they do not know where to get the Boer goat meat.

If you would like to get your hands on Boer goat meat, Majestic Nature Boer Farm will open a special shop called Boer Goat Junction next month.

The shop will be located at No.43, Jalan SS21/60, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya.