Chicken Rice rush

"Soup is not soup if it's cold" were quoted from the mouth of the fashion savvy Wilhelmina Slater of Ugly Betty. Right. Well, the the meal here ain't cold but, the weather is very very cold. That said, I've always hear people talking about the oh-so-famous chicken rice in Damansara Perdana. It's like this little midget in my head that keeps singing that damn annoying song in my head over and over again. I get it. The chicken rice is good. Or so you say. I'm sure I've had better. It's chicken how good can it get? Well, apparently, good enough for people to triple park on the road outside. Double parking is a common sight here but triple? Really? Hm....

That's it. The triple parking thingy sparks the curiosity in me. Well, at least enough to make me want to coax my companion of the day, Brian, Ashley and friend to give it a try.

The verdict? It IS good. The chicken is tender and my steam chicken is not over done like most places giving it a nice smooth texture. I also love the chicken offal. The beansprout is also very juicy. Done.

Eh, why such a short post? Because I've had better. This is good but NOT the best. -ends-

Restaurant TK Chong,

Jalan PJU 8/51,

Petaling Jaya.

Durian-formers

I remembered the days when my whole family will go on a hunt for durians during it's seasons. I do love the way we would spread newspapers on the floor and sprawl ourselves around the heaps of durians in the little kitchen. Every now and then, there would be a few durians that just doesn't make the cut and would be put to one side for my mum to make lempuk with.

Traditionally, lempuk is made by cooking the meat of the durians with sugar. Many have mistaken the lempuk for durian dodols which it is most certainly NOT!! Dodols have a very smooth texture while the lempuk tends to have a stronger durian taste to it and also lots of durian chunks in it.

Ah, yes, those were the days when lempuk are abounded and I was still naive. But seriously, I have yet to find lempuk anywhere at all in this big big city. So, I have to make to with other things made from durians. Lets start with this little delicacy.

I don't know what this is called but it resembles a kuih kuachi in it's triangular banana leaf packing. It's made of santan flavoured glutinous rice with some fragmented durian topping. It's really savoury. too bad my cardiologist friend have thrown the whole pack away since he thinks its really bad for my heart. Er... right.

Next, let me introduce you to a little place in Petaling Street called the Happy Meal. They served a lot of durian paste delicacy. Their durian tart is made with a very crunchy crust while the durian filings are a little too sweet for my liking. Then they also have some durian cake and the all famous durian cream puff.

Okok I do like the durian cream puff from that shop and would not mind downing a whole bunch of it in one session. But, I must say that the the durian puff from Sweet Delights in Ikano is the best durian made delicacy that I've tased since lempuk. Now, don't get me wrong, this is just one persons opinion. And this person happen to L-O-V-E durians. The durian puff in sweet delights have a VERY strong durian flavour to it and I'm voting base purely in that sense.

For those who would prefer a milder taste, I would recommend the durian puff from the renowned Vietnam outlet, the Duviet (one could also get it in its sister outlet, the Oviet). This version has a slightly milder durian taste to it and would appeal more to those who would not want a durian after breath. But do be forewarned that a durian puff will still taste like DURIAN no matter how mild it is. So, for all those anti durian friends, please don't come back to me and say that it DOES taste like durians. I will smack you. Period.

Next up is another two dessert from 32 bistro. We have the Durian tart and Durian Misu which is yet to be put in their daily menu. Theese two delicacy is really one of it's kind. The durian Tart have a soft crust that goes very well with the even softer duin pureed fillings inside. I really love how it has manage to sustain the rich flavour but at the same time, it isn't overwhelming. But the best part is that it isn't overly sweet. The Durian Misu on the other hand is made to resemble a tiramisu. The only different is that it has a tinge of durian flavour in it. I know durians could have a very strong pungent smell and was half expecting it to overwhelm the rest of the flavour. Well, it doesn't. Not only does it complements the rest of the flavours perfectly well, the durian flavour actually help to bring out the flavour of the rest of the ingredient. I just love this. -ends-

Canton - I'm

Recently, I've not been feeling all that healthy. Probably it's because of all the haze and all those H1N1 going on. No, I'm not having a fever of flue. It's just that I've been feeling a little under the weather, sort of like what my grandma use to call it "heatiness". Thus, I've been craving for foods that are slightly more healthy, like porridge. Knowing those facts Akiko had been kind enough to bring me to a nice and comfy place at one utama. Frankly speaking, this is my first time here at Canton I. Yes, a Canton(ese), I am. I was impressed by the interior and well, my 'healthy diet' plan went down the drain once I saw the char siew yuk and siew yuk that Wen Way (Akikos' boy friend) had ordered.

A good char siew or siew yuk must consist of the three layers.The fat, the lean meat and the very crunchy skin. Now, these particular ones are very good. Ok, let's not judge this against the better ones in Pudu. For the price and such comfortable settings, it is good enough. The char siew is not too sweet and it is properly marinated and barbecued to perfection so that every bite oozes out the sweet taste of premium pork.

I myself had ordered a bowl of porridge with mixed offal of the pig and a nice plate of Yau Char Kueh. What I like about the porridge is that it does not have that awful smell of an unclean offal in it. The porridge is soft and not over watery. As for the Yau Char kueh, it may be slightly more expensive then the ones on the road side but, it is very crunchy and not as oily. It goes very well with the porride. Oh, and the porridge itself contains a few pieces of Yau Char Kueh. The ones that are already in the porridge are extra crispy so that it does not become too soggy.

Akiko herself ordered a very cute platter of Yam Bun and some dumplings. I like how the bun looks. It sure win hands down in the presentation department. Anyway, the bun was really fluffy and soft while the dumplings were really nice too. Those cute little dumplings have spinach and prawns filling it it. The sweet taste of the prawns blends really well with the spinach and the two different texture of ingredients mix with a little bit of reddish makes it a delicacy.

I finish of my meal with a nice dessert. The sweet taste of the mango pudding completes the whole dining experience. Thanks Akiko. I'm looking forward to all my "Fridays" with you.

Red Velvet Cake

The red velvet is as legendary to me as the unicorns. Well, not as extinct but that's just my personal view. First off, let me just apologise for my absent on the past few weeks. I've been busy. Period. The more said, the more harm it would do. So, a little on the "Red velvet" which also happened to be called the "Devils' Food". In the olden days, the reddish colour of the cake was cause by the beets as well as the chemical reactions between the acidic vinegar and buttermilk which would cause the cocoa to turn a reddish brown. Those were the days before the "Dutch Process" cocoa were widely available. Now a days, the red tinting are probably cause by some amount of food colouring.

The above Red Velvet was bought from Pink Sage in Cap Square by a good friend of mine. I've never really eaten any Red Velvet before. Thus, I don't have a certain standard to compare this with. But what I do know is that this is indeed very moist. Probably made using buttered milk and the texture is indeed fluffy. The frosting is of cream cheese and did I mentioned I love cheese? So, yeah, this one have my vote. Still, I did a little research on it and found out that the more legendary recipe have ground almonds for texture. Hm... interesting.

I was so entice by the little Devils' Food that I've also bought another version from A slice of Heaven. Now excuse me while I sink my teeth into it. -ends-

The little "Pondok" in Dataran Sunway

Dataran Sunway is famous for it's notoriously heavy traffic during lunch time. To get a parking anywhere at all is consider a blessing. So there we were, driving round and round the area looking for a parking until the very hungry and bitchy me suggest that we just park somewhere, ANYWHERE and eat in the shop right in front of it. My dear colleagues, being very nice people who understand how bitchy I could be when I'm hungry just nodded and found a parking 'somewhere'. Yup, exactly in front of 'Pondok'. Eh, isn't that translated into a 'hut'? What does a hut serve? Tarzan food? Er.. no. Actually, Pondok serve a variety of GOOD Malay food, including nasi dagang. Yes, I love nasi dagang!!. And no, darling, it's not a hut, it's a proper restaurant with really cosy ambiance and this place is TAX FREE. What ever price you see on the menu is EXACTLY the price that you would pay later on. No service charges or any fancy extra charges. So, yeah. This is totally civilised!!

I didn't order the nasi dagang on that day because it's a MONDAY and nasi dagang is ONLY available on a THURSDAY!!. Why oh why must it be this way?!!!! Sigh.. fine... I'll settle for a sup Suzy. Sup what? Wait... if sup tulang is made with bones (tulang) and sup daging is made of meat (daging) then would sup suzy be made out of a Suzy? Muahahah.....*evil snickers*...Well, as much as my inner psycho self wants it, sup suzy is a stewed oxtail broth with lots of beef chunks in it. The beef is really tender and the spices used in it really does enhance the overall flavour. It is also comes with a few pieces of toast for dips. Ok, so what up with the Suzy? I don't know... could be the name of the chef or..... I really didn't want to ask because I would have rather keep my fantasy of it being made out of a Suzy..... *evil snickers*....

We also tried the nasi lemak rendang ayam which is actually a top ten favorite of the customers. Yes, they have a top ten list!! It's posted on the board and it is actually listed according to the sales of each dishes!! Doesn't this just show how devoted the owner is to the restaurant? Oh, and for a little side note, the owner is friendly and funny. But he was a little too busy because the restaurant was pack during lunch time, so I didn't get to chat with him longer.

Then there is the little Rachel's corner. Erm... I guess she is a regular customer because she have this little corner with her picture and signature on it. And who is Rachel? Bets me but she must be one hell of a regular customer.

And about the nasi lemak. Ah, yes. It has all the traditional nasi lemak traits. The sliced cucumber, the fried anchovies, the 'sambal ikan bilis' and the rendang ayam. YUM!! And if that is not enough, one could always have additional servings of fried eggs or fried chicken or cuttlefish sambal.

But, oh, wait... what in the name is a nasi no name?Hm.. Curious.... Well, actually, according to the owner himself, the no name rice actually have a name on that particular day. It's the chicken curry rice with garden vegetables on the side. Lol. Ok,ok.. the deal is that the no name rice is the special dish of the day. So, yes, it changes according to whatever the chef cooks for the day. I find this dish interesting. It's like a little treasure box of surprises. Hm... I wonder what they are having today....-ends-

17-1 Jalan PJU 5/4,

Dataran Sunway,

Kota Damansara,

47810 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor

Tel: 03 6140 8170

pondokcafe@gmail.com

http://www.pondokcafe.blogspot.com/

Herbal Jelly at Hoi Tin Tong

I have a habit of eating the herbal jelly or more known as the Gui Lin Kou at Hoi Tin Tong after my pole dancing class. But what is so special about the herbal jelly here? Take a look at the price list below:

Expensive, no? Each bowl of the fresh good stuff would cost around RM18. My personal favourite is the Fresh Pearl Herbal Jelly which is really good and effective. And the best remedy for a cough would be the Chuan Pei Herbal Jelly. I took this one that particular day because I was actually caughing and guess what? It stoped completely the next day. Oh, but I did add mine with some of the in-house pei pa kou which they claim to be really good and it is said that the effect differ from each person. Guess it works on me.

So, what makes this herbal jelly so expensive as compare to the usual RM4.00 that one can get in other stores? The herbal jelly here is actually made from real turtle shell with quality herbs and the fresh ones are shipped all the way from Taiwan and is said to have the shelf life of only one week. The texture is soft and smooth with a little spongy feel to it.

Yes, I know it sounds very cruel that they are using real turtle shell, but rest assure as the owner of the shop had explained that the founder is actually one of the few who have the approval from the wildlife federation to do such activity because the founder have set up a turtle farm to harvest the shell. I couldn't remember much but it was something between saving life and having enough turtle count that actually enable the founder to be approved.

Anyway, they do serve sugar on the side as well as a cup of tea for those who can't stand the bitter taste. As for me, I love mine raw. I can take bitterness. Be it in my life or in my foods, a helthy serving of bitterness is needed for the balance. -ends-

Hoi Tin Tong

No 30G, Jalan PJU 5/21,

The Strand,

47810 Kota Damansara,

Selangor.

Breakfast at 32

Ok, so here is the deal. I live in PJ. 32 Bistro is in Puchong. So why am I here again? Because I'm bloody bored and I like the ambiance here so I decided to drive all the way down here for breakfast on one fine and sunny morning. Fine, fine. It's a lie. Whatever. Why I drove myself here is not important. The point is that 32 Bistro have recently launch their breakfast set and I'm bloody hungry. I've even manage to persuade one of my friend to come with me but would rather remain anonymous since he is suppose to be 'working'. Darling, EVERYONE knows your not. But if pretending makes you feel better, then by all means dear. Does this version sounds better? No? Damn, it's hard to please everyone.

Anyway, I ordered the Morning Baby set with Marmalade Pancake. Yes, did I not mentioned that I'm bloody hungry? The marmalade used in the pancake is home made and I could really taste the bitter sweet taste of a real orange. Top it on the pancake and it turns into one hell of a savoury dish. In a glance, the morning baby set isn't really that different from most of the western breakfast serve in the local store. But wait... look closer.. Damn! aren't those the most perfect bulls eye eggs? The yolk is just perfect!! Slurp~~

Oh, and since it's brunch, I've also ordered some tapas to share with my friend. There is the brinjal, sambal prawn, chicken kebab and the oh-so savoury button mushrooms. The lamb cutlet would always and forever be my favourite among all the foods served here. It's moist and succulent and oh-so tender. Ok,ok.. I'm not doing much justice describing all these foods right now. They deserve much better. But hey, I deserve to be bitter since I'm not in the best of health right now. I've been coughing rather badly since yesterday. So, I'll now lay and rest my heavy head on my rather hard desk in my office as I wait to attend the whisky event tonight. -ends-

32 Bistro Bar,

No.32, Jalan Puteri 2/6,

Bandar Puter Puchong

47100 Puchong.

Tel: 03-8062 8216