The privilege of being able to go for brunch with your friends while everyone else is back at work is a luxury afforded to the select few only (read: people with a lot of free time, e.g civil servants like *ahem*). Not to let the chance go to waste, we decided that brunch . . . → Read more]]>

Levain, entrez.

The privilege of being able to go for brunch with your friends while everyone else is back at work is a luxury afforded to the select few only (read: people with a lot of free time, e.g civil servants like *ahem*). Not to let the chance go to waste, we decided that brunch in the city was in order. So to Levain Boulangerie and Patisserie we went. Yes, the place that is on every yuppie’s conversations; from the food blogger to the average foodie, from the ‘keeping-up-with-the-joneses’ to the ‘hang-out-wherevers’, from the nearby white collar workers to the plain curious. Wonder which category I belong in, hmm….

Heard from a friend who is in the foodie/plain curious category about the place that is fast becoming Delicious #2 (i.e THE hangout place for the twentysomething girl) with queues of unholy proportions and crowds to the point of suffocation. Thus, the joy of having an off day on a Tuesday and beating the crowds. Or so we thought.

We arrived there at 10.30am, only to be greeted with the miniscule carpark filled to the brim, and the RM2 jockey attendant telling me, “Parking sudah penuh, bos“. And so to avoid a parking ticket, I left my car in a nearby parking lot for an extra RM3.

The place is housed in a quaint looking bungalow renovated in a ‘Euro-lite’ manner. Past its doors, we were greeted with the bakery on our left. It was a dizzying array of breads and pastries on display, veering not too far from its European roots but with the creativity akin to those found in Japanese-style patisseries. Pastry chefs and bakers are brought in from Japan and Australia, and the owners pride themselves with the use of natural yeast and round-the-clock baking on their very own stone oven. Not your typical Malaysian high street bakery, that’s for sure.

To make it a brunch in every sense of the word, I decided to have some pastries for my breakfast and a pasta for my lunch. Selected casualties were the almond croissant and the mango cheese tart, as well as pesto tuna spaghetti.

Almond croissant

The almond croissant was slightly hard on the outside, but that may be due to its lack in usage of preservatives. I also suspect the lack of butter in the croissant contributing to its texture, but I am all for a less fattening piece of pastry. The almond filling was lovely, though.

My tea and mango cheese tart

The mango cheese tart, however was really good. Creamy texture with bits of dried mango at the base, without overpowering ‘cheesiness’ or sweetness. It’s hard to find fault with this item, save for the slightly soft tart pastry base. This warrants a return visit.

Pesto Tuna Spaghetti

My Pesto Tuna Spaghetti tasted NOTHING like pesto, but I wouldn’t call it a disappointment. The people here somehow made this dish work even with its coarsely ground nuts (I don’t think they were pine nuts) and the lack of parmesan cheese. Tasted more like aglio olio with chopped basil and nuts. However, in order not to mislead their customers (and to respect the good name of pesto), I’d prefer them to refrain from using the word ‘pesto’ on this dish. Then again, at RM9.90, who am I to complain?

Friend's dry curry chicken spaghetti. A popular dish, apparently.

All in all, the food here is very reasonable for the price. It’s definitely fathomable why this place is packed everyday of the week. Ambience makes you not want to leave, while the variety of food is just extensive. In addition to its pastries are cakes, macarons, cookies, and handmade pralines. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you are fortunate enough to come here on a weekday.

No. 7, Jalan Delima,
55100 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

(at Jalan Tun Razak, coming from the Sg Besi end, turn left into Jalan Bukit Bintang just as you see Prince Court Medical Centre. Turn left again into Jalan Delima, restaurant is a few houses down on your right)

Phone: +603 2142 6611
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One belief I hang on to when it comes to food is that there really is no such thing as the best place to eat a certain food, it all boils down to personal taste. Take the humble plate of char koay teow for example. Most of . . . → Read more]]>

Shining, shimmering, splendid. New World Park Char Koay Teow

One belief I hang on to when it comes to food is that there really is no such thing as the best place to eat a certain food, it all boils down to personal taste. Take the humble plate of char koay teow for example. Most of the locals and gastronomically-inclined non-locals would tell you that THE place to go to for the best char koay teow in Penang would be Lorong Selamat’s Kafe Heng Huat. (Although a recent boycott sparked by news of the cafe staff’s rude behaviour might take its toll on its popularity. Read about it here)

But the next time I am in Penang, I will not return until I have a plate (or two) of char kueh teow at New World Park. This is a modern food court on Swatow Lane which architecturally seemed like the cousin of Plaza TTDI. We didn’t come here for a chowdown- our sole intent was the Chee Cheong Fun (a must-have according to a friend), moreover our stomachs were still full from breakfast. A gluttonous friend ordered a plate of char kuay teow for sharing. With my stomachs still busily digesting, I reluctantly obliged in one bite of the kueh teow. But with that first bite came the next, and the next, until I ultimately did the honours in finishing it up.

It has been a while since I had char kueh teow like this, fine and silky noodles, and I suspect a dangerously satisfying amount of lard, suffice to make the whole plate of noodles glisten in daylight. Prawns were a modest size, but more importantly they made their presence felt in all its fresh and succulent glory. What was most enjoyable and hooked my tastebuds bite after bite was the fragrance of the noodles, which I suspect came from the lard. Pork joy, I would say.

Humongous prawns at Lorong Selamat

Don’t get me wrong, I love the char kueh teow at Lorong Selamat as well. There’s no denying that this woman, always bedecked in the coolest eyewear (see here), is a master of this iconic hawker dish. Their version is usually rather spicy, topped with the famous juicy and succulent giant prawns to justify its RM8 price tag. Of course a healthy dose of char is incorporated among the threads of flat noodles, like a subtle evidence of her robust frying style.

But which one is serves best char kueh teow? There really is no such thing as the best char kueh teow, or best whatever, just one that sits the most favourably on your palate. What works for others, be they a million of them, may not work for you. When it comes to food hunting, what is most important is what you like. Which version gives a particular taste that can conjure a certain emotional response, possibly a memory from your lost childhood? Perhaps when you attain a certain contentment from it, there is no need to search for any better ones.

I do not know what the foodies think about this stall, and it doesn’t matter if experts claim that there are better ones elsewhere. For the search for MY best char kueh teow has ended at New World Park for the time being.

Char Kueh Teow stall, New World Park Food Court, Lorong Swatow, 10050 Georgetown, Penang.

Char Kueh Teow @ Kafe Heng Huat, Lorong Selamat, 10400, Georgetown, Penang.

I love apong/apam/apom. This fluffy dessert is made of the simplest of ingredients: sugar, egg and flour. Yes, it’s the simple things in life that can make a person feel most contented. Pouring batter into mini woks to form thin and crispy sides encircling a thick and puffy center- . . . → Read more]]>

Apom at New Cathay, Jln Burmah. Fluffy!

I love apong/apam/apom. This fluffy dessert is made of the simplest of ingredients: sugar, egg and flour. Yes, it’s the simple things in life that can make a person feel most contented. Pouring batter into mini woks to form thin and crispy sides encircling a thick and puffy center- no wonder my Penang-ite friend tells me that apong/apam/apom is a slang word for the female genitalia.

During my recent road trip to Penang over the long weekend, I got my hands on some really good apong (the snack, mind you). It was from the place we had breakfast, New Cathay coffeeshop along Jalan Burmah (Pulau Tikus). I really hadn’t tried many other apom stalls, but I remember this one from my previous trips to Penang and rest assured it won’t disappoint. It isn’t too sweet, too crispy, or too burnt, fluffy and just right. It’s the perfect comfort food that completes my trip to Penang. And what feels more authentic than seeing it being served to you on a banana leaf? It’s one of the little things that make eating in Penang more fun than KL.

When asking for apom recommendations, a local would usually recommend another stall called Apong Guan. This stall is also located along Jalan Burmah but further up, a five minutes walk from the very popular Him Heang biscuit house. This stall here doesn’t make apom’s along the lines of  ‘female anatomy’ (for a lack of a better description), rather the batter is poured into circular molds to create evenly-shaped pancakes. These apom’s are also filled with canned sweet corn and banana slices.

I almost had the chance to try this stall’s offerings, considering that their version is somewhat different from the ones we had at New Cathay. Considering that there were only two people in front of me, I thought I was lucky. But I guess it was a rookie mistake committed only by out-of-towners, as I found out that these two customers were ordering 100 and 50 apong’s respectively. His griddle can only make 9 apong’s at one time, so I did the math, and turned back empty-handed. I guess Apong Guan is reserved for those who have the time and the patience. But I’ll be back in Penang soon (2.5 months exactly), with a vengeance. I shall buy my Apong Guan, and in similarly insane amounts even if just to spite the person after me *evil laughter*.

One more apam stall that I am keen to try is the one featured on Ah Xian’s (Astro AEC’s foodie) TV show, Taste with Jason. Seems very enticing, and as it turns out, also on near Jalan Burmah.

Any others you’d recommend?

Apom Manis stall outside New Cathay.

Go!

Apom Manis stall

outside New Cathay Coffee Shop,

425E Jalan Burma

Georgetown, Penang.

So I finally got to visit the restaurant that has apparently already been “blogged to death” after earning a reputation as the go-to place for their much-raved pork burgers. (Although my favourites for the night turned out to be something else, read on to find out) Cristang is tucked away behind PJ’s Wisma Thrifty in the . . . → Read more]]>

So I finally got to visit the restaurant that has apparently already been “blogged to death” after earning a reputation as the go-to place for their much-raved pork burgers. (Although my favourites for the night turned out to be something else, read on to find out) Cristang is tucked away behind PJ’s Wisma Thrifty in the relatively quiet commercial centre that is 8 Avenue. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive at the cosy restaurant buzzing with customers in a square that was mostly quiet (save for a handful of restaurants and bars open), ringing true the old adage that “when the food is good, the customers shall arrive”. That being said, I also attribute the good business of this place to the increasing trend of non-Muslim diners out to hunt for a good serving of pork. Probably a backlash to years of being served with pork-free fare by the not-so-daring restauranteurs. All bodes well for the diners though, but I digress.

Dining in Cristang means being dealt with a dizzying array of dishes on the menu, from appetizers to burgers, to Asian style dishes and Western mains. You can feel your inner glutton manifest itself even from the appetizers’ list, as you feel tempted to order the countless dishes that sound unfamiliar yet have a captivating description.

The only appetizer we ordered was the recommended Orgasmic Mashed Potatoes, considering that we will save the pork for our mains. The first thing that struck us when it arrived was the rather modest serving size. But of course, size doesn’t matter if it was capable of giving out orgasms right? So did the mashed potatoes make men and women cry for help? All I can say is that the mashed potatoes tasted very good, the potatoes were smooth in texture and its flavours packed a punch with its lovely cream sauce, bacon bits and chopped curled-leaf parsley on top. It was great, but not having enough to go round between four of us diners meant that perhaps one spoonful was not sufficient to make the experience ‘orgasmic’.

Orgasmic mashed potatoes. Forgive the blurry quality, bungled the live view auto-focus.

Next came our Portuguese food, the bacon ribs ambila and the portuguese baked fish.

Bacon Ribs Ambila

I was quite surprised when the Bacon Ribs Ambila arrived, for I was expecting ribs in a western sense i.e meat and two vege. I must have not read the descriptions properly. The bacon ribs lent its smoky and salty flavours while being accented by a light curry-like spiciness. These are not your typical barbecue ribs but more of a curry, so the meat was not particularly juicy, but neither was it hard nor dry. The flavours of this dish went down well with white rice, although personally I would have preferred a spicier curry to balance the strong flavours coming from the bacon ribs.

Portuguese Baked Fish

The fish was baked to perfection, succulent and not overcooked. This is not your typical hawker stall variety, spices here were pleasant and not overpowering with a nice tangy flavour from the slices of lemon.

The much awaited P3 burger

And this is purported piece-de-resistance of Cristang, a burger from their P-series (stands for Pork, I presume). Not being a fan of the idea of petai incorporated into my burger patty, I opted for the P3 that was essentially the pork burger patty+bacon+chilli con carne. When this dish came, a strong alluring aroma came from, surprise, surprise, the side dish! They were the most lovely potato wedges, wrapped in an intoxicating blend of cajun spices and rosemary. This definitely was one of the highlights of the meal. As for the burger, I thought it was pretty good but not exactly the mind blowing taste explosion I was hoping for. The chilli con carne made of pork was nice, and the pork patty was meaty. But pork, unlike beef, doesn’t possess strong flavours and with the patty not very charred its presence was somewhat overshadowed by the pork chilli. Nonetheless, worth coming back for.

P8- the Tandoori Burger

This is the Tandoori Burger which my friend had ordered. The tandoori (pork, of course), was stuffed inside the toasted pita bread and hidden from view. What you are actually seeing is the tomato raita, although I had initially mistook it as a salsa since it had more a salad dressing-like sweet taste than yoghurt like sourness. I am surprised that the tandoori was pretty well executed since it was a Kristang restaurant, although this is not something that I would order since I am not a fan of pita bread.

MY favourite for the night, Hickory Ribs!

As 3 out of four of us were guys with insatiable bellies, we were all still hungry for more pork dishes. So we decided to try ribs, this time with two veg. We went for the Hickory Ribs, if I remember the name correctly. These ribs definitely scored high on my boards, with the meat all tender and juicy and the unforgettable bbq glazing with the right tinge of sweet and sour. I devoured this like a lion does a gazelle, to the point that I almost disallowed the waiter from clearing the plate because of a streak of meat still hanging on one of them ribs. And did I mention that the ribs were served on a bed of mashed potatoes? It was seasoned nicely just like the orgasmic ones, only this time combined with the lovely barbecue sauce. De(vour)licious. If I remember correctly, this dish is still on the specials but yet to make it on the menu. I highly suggest they make this a permanent fixture in the menu, though.

Final word?

I look forward to trying the more adventurous petai-incorporated burgers , but I will definitely be back for the ribs and cajun wedges. Here’s hoping that the next time I come, the orgasmic mashed potatoes’ portion would have been bumped up a little.

Cristang

B-G-19, 8 Avenue,

Pusat Perniagaan Sek 8,

Jalan Sungei Jernih (8/1)

Petaling Jaya

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After the thoroughly satisfying late lunch in Ta Chi House we were looking for a place to sweeten our palates. At that hour, we figured that it might have been a little too late for cendol at Jonker 88 so our next option was to head to Nadeje Cafe, which was a good . . . → Read more]]>

Tiramisu, methinks..

After the thoroughly satisfying late lunch in Ta Chi House we were looking for a place to sweeten our palates. At that hour, we figured that it might have been a little too late for cendol at Jonker 88 so our next option was to head to Nadeje Cafe, which was a good alternative since I have yet to try their much talked about mille crepe. For the uninitiated, the mille crepe is essentially a French dessert whereby the cake consists of many layers of crepe (mille=thousand, crepe)

l-r: Royal Milk Tea, Tiramisu, Original, Choco Banana. Thanks Shelle!

The cakes come in many different flavours- original, coffee, tiramisu, chocolate banana, green tea are the few that I recall seeing. We came here on a Saturday afternoon, and the cakes were selling like, urm…hot cakes! The two-lot cafe was filled to the brim, and we had to wait for a table, as usual (waiting for a place to sit seems to be the order of things when in Malacca). Ordering the mille crepe is a heart racing affair as you anxiously wait at the counter for the staff to serve you the while seeing the cake flavour of your choice disappearing from the trays at an alarming rate. Fortunately we did get to try the flavours of our choice – chocolate banana, original, green tea and tiramisu ((if I remember correctly).

So what did I think of the mille crepe? The taste turned out a little different from what I had anticipated. I had imagined the mille crepe to have a light flaky texture to it, much like eating a danish or a cream puff.In reality, the mille crepe had more of a ‘batter’ consistency to it, owing to the fact that the cake was made through copious layers of crepe after all. This made the cake a little moist, spongy and also more dense than I had imagined.  Several of the other crepes a bit too cheesy for my liking, though. I am by no means a mille crepe connoiseur, but I would have personally preferred bolder flavours in the cakes to balance out the batter-y tastes from the crepes, surely you have eaten crepe before and have seen how much topping is added to just that one crepe.  Nevertheless, Nadeje’s mille crepes are not to be missed while in Malacca – I enjoyed the chocolate banana one the most.

Nadeje Cafe

Nadeje

G-23 & 25, Jln PM4,

Plaza Mahkota,75000 Melaka.

Part of our satay celup stash.

The only way to go from afternoon tea was…dinner! There was only one option for dinner, ie our main agenda for the whole trip, which was satay celup. And since we have all been to Capitol satay celup, more than once in fact, we thought it was time to try a different place. Furthermore, as delicious as the satay celup in Capitol was, their infamous 80-minute queues were not something we looked forward to, especially since we had to get back to KL that same night for another get-together. And so to Restoran Ban Lee Siang in Jalan Ong Kim Wee we went.

Plus points? No queues! But that was probably because we got there just after their opening time and had to sit at the backyard, not that anyone was complaining though. The satay celup selection meanwhile are kept in refrigerators, which gives the customers a better assurance of hygiene and freshness. All sticks are 50sen each, which means you’d bust your guts faster than your budget. Selection of satay celup here is pretty good just like Capitol’s.

The not-so-good? The satay sauce here is good, but it’s not as rich and thick as the one in Capitol. During my last trip to Capitol last year, we would see the staff busily refilling the hot pot with peanuts and what I assumed was roasted coconut shavings. It made the sauce simply yum, while in comparison Ban Lee Siang’s pre-mixed sauce tasted a bit more watered down. The other thing we missed about Capitol was the exceptionally sinful century quail eggs. It’s a shame that Ban Lee Siang didn’t have them, although they do serve the regular century eggs.

The bubbling cauldron of...fishballs.

Nonetheless, Ban Lee Siang is another formidable institution for satay celup and is definitely worth a trip.

Restoran Ban Lee Siang,

45E Jalan Ong Kim Wee, Melaka.

With our stomachs still full, it was time to bring our trip to a close with our customary kerang in Bunga Raya.

Click here for directions to this place tucked in the backlanes of Jalan Bunga Raya, famous for its kerang and other shellfish, as well as sotong kangkung and tauhu sumbat.

“The terribly authentic kerang place”

behind Jalan Bunga Raya

Melaka

It’s been so long

a) since I last updated this blog, my apologies for that

b) since I last visited Malacca for a makan trip, which was about a year or so ago.

This trip was comparatively much shorter than previous year’s but no less satisfying. Because each of us are now a little older than last year, hence . . . → Read more]]>

It’s been so long

a) since I last updated this blog, my apologies for that

b) since I last visited Malacca for a makan trip, which was about a year or so ago.

This trip was comparatively much shorter than previous year’s but no less satisfying. Because each of us are now a little older than last year, hence a little lazier and a little more reluctant to wake up early on a Saturday morning, we only arrived in Malacca in time for lunch. We called up our local host, demanding her to bring us for a Nyonya lunch. She called back, saying that she got us a table at this place in Ujong Pasir. It was a family-run place she had intended to bring us since last time, a restaurant which boasts FOUR tables, and a chef who yells at customers who don’t finish their food. Unfortunately, fate could not bring us to the restaurant for it was impossible for a bunch of 6 KL-ites without a map/GPS to find their way out of traffic-ridden Malacca town into Ujong Pasir on their own. And so my local friend had to personally cancel our booking, fortunately without having anything thrown at her direction.

We finally met up with her at the Red Square, and apologetically, requested that she bring us somewhere to whet our appetite for Nyonya cuisine. We could not go far nor wait too long, with rumbling stomachs in tow, so we ended up in Ta Chi House, slightly away from the reaches of the pedestrian tourists and just rid of the lunch crowd. While we ended up in Ta Chi House out of circumstance, the food here clearly did not disappoint. As we were trying to tame our guts, we were quite on an ordering frenzy.

We started off with the fruit rojak, presented with neatly cut fruits. But a rojak is a rojak is a rojak, moreover as I am not its biggest fan, I shall not say much other than that it tasted good. Loved the fish cracker that topped the rojak as well.

Next came my highlights of the meal, the Mee Siam and the Nyonya Laksa. The Mee Siam was not pictured here as my friends and I had devoured it within seconds of the waiter setting it on the table, and preventing them from eating it for the sake of a picture might incur an unspeakable wrath. However, I shall try to describe it in words for the sake of reliving that sweet culinary moment. If my memory serves me right (it was 2 weeks ago after all), the Mee Siam came piping hot on a plate made of woven ‘mengkuang’, lined with banana leaves, with sambal and a very fluffy omelette served on the side. I am not sure why I love their version of the Mee Siam, but I think it might be the balance of the flavours- sour, salty, spicy, fragrant- that did it for me. I didn’t even touch the accompanying sambal because there was no need for it.

The Laksa Nyonya. This was the first time I was having it, and while I have no standards to compare this with I am quite certain that this place makes the better versions of it. The broth again possessed a balanced flavour, chillies not overpowering, the ‘lemak’ effect not cloying. I have never eaten nyonya laksa elsewhere, but I like how they serve it here with 2 types of noodles- the regular yellow ‘mee’ and the white translucent ‘nai fun’ that we usually associate with asam laksa. The use of ‘nai fun’ is a good choice, given its chewy and springy texture and neutral taste to complement the strongly spiced broth. It comes with a lot of julienne cucumbers to keep the laksa light and not overly guilty, and for flavour and garnish some strips of torch ginger and a green leaf which I suspect to be limau purut leaves.

The rest of the food that came but by then I was already mentally satisfied. Still, the dishes were good overall- Lemak Prawns with Pineapple came in a very generous serving. Sorry no pictures of this dish, too busy eating it.

Ayam Pong Teh, the delightfully sweet dish which I had disliked as a child. This version with its tender meat stripped those bad memories away.

Half eaten! Taken just to capture the memory.  In the back, a  generous serving of otak-otak with genuine, flaky pieces of fish in it. In the foreground, the half eaten Pucuk Paku Sambal Belacan. We also had the Telur Cincalok, which I would have preferred if they were a bit more generous on the cincalok.

Can’t wait to bring my parents here, as my dad himself is a Malaccan who emigrated to KL as an adult. Can’t wait to come here myself for another helping of the Mee Siam and Laksa, this time without sharing it among six other people….yum.

Ta Chi Nyonya House

1, Jln Tun Sri Lanang, Melaka

Pardon the rather unimaginative title, I realise myself that its cheesiness borders on the lousy puns commonly found in local English newspapers (not mentioning which newspaper, though). However, the only other title I could think of was “Pork It”, which I felt fares worse in terms of punch and impact than the current title.

I wonder if . . . → Read more]]>

Pardon the rather unimaginative title, I realise myself that its cheesiness borders on the lousy puns commonly found in local English newspapers (not mentioning which newspaper, though). However, the only other title I could think of was “Pork It”, which I felt fares worse in terms of punch and impact than the current title.

I wonder if my current penchant for lame titles was a sign of pork withdrawal, considering today is day 3 after my excessive pork intake at Betty’s Midwest Kitchen, Aman Suria. Another possible exacerbating factor might be the excessive durian intake on that same day (before AND after the pork fest). That gastronomically challenging day began with attending a durian party at my friend’s gated community. The idea of indulging in the king of fruits before going for a pork feast seemed like a bad one, so ‘everything in moderation‘, I told myself. Moderation ended up as five above average-sized pieces of durian.

Appetizers done, off to dinner we went. Betty’s Midwest Kitchen is located in a rather quiet row of shops in Aman Suria. Yet, this diner reaffirms the notion that no matter where you are located, if your food is good the customers will naturally come. And in Betty’s case, they came in droves. The diner was full-house inside, and we had to wait (albeit briefly) for a free table.

The diner inside was charmingly decorated with American paraphernalia, and a ‘wall of fame’ of cartoon-y pigs indicated that this was the ‘go-to’ place for some pork-lovin’. The tables and chairs were simple but neat, which I took as a good indication that we were going to be served good food without having to pay through our noses for a trendy ambiance.

The menu is decidedly and unashamedly a pork-majority affair. From bacon rashers to salads to pork chops to ribs, burgers and hotdogs, our delicious snout-nosed friend was undeniably the star attraction of this diner. We started off with bacon rashers in both its available incarnations, deep-fried bacon and crispy bacon (pictured here). When I tried the crispy bacon, I now understand why obesity and heart disease run high among Americans. It’s because of sinful foods like this! Initially I had expected it to taste like the regular bacon I had been eating since I was a child – salty and grimey. But once that rewarding taste arrives on your palate soon after you are done chewing and swallowing your first piece, you can’t help but to go for the next piece, then another…then another… A guilty pleasure that I expect would go very well if downed with a bottle of Bud (also served in the diner).

The deep-fried bacon was basically crispy bacon fried in batter. I didn’t get to try this, but I heard from my fellow diners that it was equally sinful.

Our first mains were the Baby Back Ribs. Served as 4 ribs at a price of RM28, this is considerably a very reasonable price for ribs as compared to the halal ones served in the bigger American family restaurants here in KL. The ribs were perfectly grilled, just adequately charred on the outside yet very tender on the inside. The meat could easily be teared off the bone, which for me is already a thumbs up. Love the juiciness of the ribs, although I would personally would have liked a bit more of a sweet edge coming from some honey or caramelized sugar.

Next came the Sloppy Joe’s. We were all having this for the first time, and were curious to find out. When this was served however, it got us all scratching our heads. While I imagined sloppy joe’s to have minced meat ATOP a regular burger patty, it turns out that the sloppy joe’s were JUST the minced meat inside the burger buns. At Betty’s, the minced pork was served on a separate bowl, presumably to prevent the burger buns from being soaked in gravy. Eating this, each of us on the table had a questionable reaction to it. Ultimately, we decided that this was akin to having burger buns with bolognaise sauce, except for the fact that there was sweetness from the ketchup and no Italian herbs were present (I think). Some quick Wiki-ing reveal that in the US sloppy joe’s are made with ground beef and not pork. I predict the beef version to be tastier considering its strong flavours and its compatibility with tomato-based sauces.  As for now though, I think I give the sloppy joes a pass.

Our meatloaf came after. I was also having this for the first time but I enjoyed it, especially with the tangy ketchup that topped the meatloaf. This came served with beer sauce, onion relish, some lovely peas that makes me wanna say “Look Ma, I have finished my peas for the first time”, and an excellent creamy mashed potato.

We also had the Country Fried Chicken, something I personally requested. The closest thing I had to Southern food was from the newly arrived fast food chain Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, which albeit being very good had made me yearn for the real thing. In my mind I had been hoping for an authentic family-based recipe that would beat the generic ones I had tried. Unfortunately, the Country Fried Chicken came out rather dry and lacked the robust mishmash of flavours I had been expecting it to have. I guess I’ll stick to Popeyes for my fried chicken fix for now.

My friend and I, being the gluttons that we were, still wanted to try more pork items before we called for the bill. As he didn’t take beef we could not order the beef+pork burgers, so we opted for the American hotdog with pork bratwurst. The bratwurst certainly did not fail to deliver, and gave me and my fellow diner the pork satisfaction needed to close this a successful pork-filled meal. (Sorry there were no pictures of the hotdog, as the hotdog was served plain with the relish, mustard and ketchup set aside).

All in all, we had quite an awesome pork fest despite a few minor dislikes here and there. There were still so many items on the menu left to try, so many recommendations from others ( Pork Chop, Dog Food, Boston Butt, Juicy Lucy, lurid names no?). And the good thing is, the price allows for repeat visits without having to wait for the next paycheck to arrive

Oh, to cap the night off, my fellow diners and I returned to the durian buffet to finish of what was left of the durians. Talk about overdose.

Betty’s Midwest Kitchen

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, 47410

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So how was it?

Generous with their strips of pork. Seldom do I come across hokkien mee that is served with so much meat. Lean meat, for that matter, that is neither hard nor dry, but tender. Weight watchers may rejoice

I am guessing they do a very healthy version of hokkien mee. This is not . . . → Read more]]>

So how was it?

Generous with their strips of pork. Seldom do I come across hokkien mee that is served with so much meat. Lean meat, for that matter, that is neither hard nor dry, but tender. Weight watchers may rejoice

I am guessing they do a very healthy version of hokkien mee. This is not just judging from the multitude of lean pork, but also the absence of ‘zhu yau zha’ aka ZYZ (solidified lard). The way the gravy tastes also suggest that they probably do not use much lard in frying the hokkien noodles. Like I mentioned, this spells good news for the heart-conscious, but for the porkers like moi, the hokkien noodles here have left my slightly wanting something more sinful. I am of the opinion that it is the lard and ZYZ that gives a plate of hokkien mee its flavour. (In some cases, it could even blind your judgement towards healthy food choices)

The gravy also has a nice thick consistency, which is the way that I like it. ‘Wok hei’ (intensity of the flame) is no issue, either. The hokkien mee here is fried together with the liver pieces. I don’t know if it is just me, but I am pretty sure that the liver’s distinct taste has somehow changed the flavour of the gravy, however so slightly. It won’t bother most people, but I was quite sensitive to it because I am not a fan of pork liver.

Final word on the HKM?

I would come here when I am in the mood for noodles that won’t ring the heart disease alarm.

Also had…

I came here with a friend who had a bottomless stomach, so for supper we not only added the mantis prawn (’ha gou’) done in Kung Pao (dried chilli stir fried) style but even added on another plate of fish cake (’yu peng’).

The mantis prawns were freshly deep-fried in batter as ordered, which was impressive. We know this because we see the staff doing the frying in the open kitchen within our view. Texture of the mantis prawn was nice, crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside. Would have personally preferred the kung pao sauce to be more on the sweeter side, though.

The deep fried fish cake also came piping hot. This was pretty good, texture was truly springy and fish content was definitely evident.

Where?

55, Jalan Maharajalela, KL.

(Cornershop closest to the junction of Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka and Loke Yew flats)