KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

I traveled down south to the City of Merlion last month. There is no time to go any other places in the city other than the working place but the place that I’m staying in is awesome! In addition to the magnificent view and relaxing atmosphere, the beachside café serves very delicious buffet spread too. I managed to ask the BOSS and Xiu Long Bao out on my last night stay.

CARAMEL COATED WALNUT

Vivo City – 8 pm. We passed the BOSS the baton of decision making. The BOSS walked through every movement and decision to determine where to go. We reached upon a restaurant with contemporary blak themed décor called ‘BOSSES’ (hak she wui/triad society). “Boss! Boss!CompetitorS!” gasped Xiu Long Bao and I. Boss said, do not be afraid, follow me and step boldly across their territory and see what they have to offer.

The BOSS sat down, a simply gesture itself is suffice; the followers of another leading figure rushed in and greeted us with much courteousness. The trading secrets (menu) are chained in a secret compartment beside the table.First to arrive was the Xiu Long Baos. “Bite them! Bite them!” The BOSS yelled. With tears in her eyes (because it tastes horrible), Xiu Long Bao sunk her teeth into it unwillingly. BOSS thinks that “it is excruciatingly interesting to watch her devouring her own kind”.

Guess the BOSS made another not so good choice on the Lap Mei Fan (Clay Pot Rice with Waxed Meat). The waxed meat was an exercise to the jaw while the rice is just plainly…plain.

La Mien with Seafood, one of their signature dishes arrived shortly. It appeared and tasted rather ordinary. BOSS seemed unhappy and muttered something like I can cook better noodles than this. We were trembling in fear; he might get annoyed and push the table over anytime.

Fortunately, Liu Sha Bao (flowing custard bao) was the saving grace. We watched silently as BOSS popped these baos into his mouth and gave his nods of approval.

THE BOSS

XIU LONG BAO

The BOSS paid rather unwillingly and walked out in rage. No one was harmed or killed in the process. Bosses Restaurant
Tel: 63769740
#02-156 Vivo City

I’m really a nice, affectionate and caring person because I’m going to share with you guys my favourite appam (hoppers) stall – Om Shakti Chelo @ Lucky Garden Bangsar. Located directly behind TMC supermarket, the stall is not hard to spot at all. Other than appams (plain, white, brown), they offer quite a selection of Indian snacks such as tosai, chapatti, kuih gulung, vadai, etc.

There’s almost always a crowd waiting for their orders to be taken, so please be patient because good food payoff. The lady was always busy spreading circles of thick whitish rice and santan (coconut milk) batter over those small wok like pans. (hence the do-not-mess-with-me face)

Apparently, the white appams (RM 1.20) appear to be the crowd’s favourite. The appam, laced with crispy edges, has a contrasting texture of soft, fluffy, and well risen centre with sweet coconut milk. Other than that, I can taste a delicious and mesmerizing liquor tang because the batter is fermented with dashes of palm toddy. *hiccups*

The brown appam (RM 1.20) was equally good too. The centre is absolutely creamy, with aromatic palm sugar syrup.

Most the the time, we would take away the appams to the dai chou place opposite. The food is cheap and great, with Guinness Stout Pork Ribs slathered with layers of sweet and sticky sauce *hiccups again* and salted egg yolk squid with crispy batter and creamy gravy being our all time favourite.  A  3 dish 1 (free) soup typical chinese dinner costs less than RM 30, cheap no?

Please refer to the map for the exact location.

My mum has been saying that cheapness tends to become more so with age (my dad lar!), now I believe it because I’m becoming more like a cheapskate myself since working calls for more commitment and no more descending into fantasy.

I love going for value for money deals nowadays, even if it means 1 hour of walking to save rm 5 of fuel, I would do it. Other great deals that would light up my days are set lunches at posh and expensive restaurants. This time around, we went to Relish, a rather swanky restaurant that serves up gourmet burger at a price.

The cozy and modern looking restaurant seats thirty people in comfort with extra seating available upstairs. The bar area is a nice place to hang out in the evening for a drink or two.

The set lunch menu is excellent value for money; gourmet burger (chicken or beef with a choice of relish – satay, chilli, bbq and indian), fries and drinks comes at RM 12.95++.

My choice of chicken burger with satay sauce is rather delicious. The chicken strips appear to be lean but it was tender and juicy surprisingly. The satay sauce recommended by the waiter, is tangy sweet and spicy with aromatic crushed peanuts.

Colleague’s (the birthday girl) order was a thick and juicy beef patty smothered with delicious bbq sauce. No complains on the well seasoned home made patty and fluffy soft bun too.

“Would you like some dessert mdam?” Pretending to study the menu but was looking at the prices which are all RM 12 and above, “No thanks, I’m really stuffed”, I replied. Can’t help it, cheapskateness crawls in.

Relish
22 Changkat Bukit Bintang
Kuala Lumpur
03-2145 3321
Opposite Frangipani

This time around, we venture out of our comfort zone to the infamous Peel Road for Wa Kiow Hakka Yon Yofu that comes highly recommended by Boolicious and Sexy beast. You’ll be surprised at the crowd seen at this little wooden shack smacked between a hardware shop and a beauty salon.

Pictures captured beneath the hard stares from “aunty”…

The yong tofus are made and cooked on the spot. Other than yong tofu, they serve dishes such as vinegar pork trotters, assam fish, curry chicken and hakka char yoke. To order, just tick on the paper menu and indicate your portion.

Our order of yong tofu came piping hot and fresh. Each variety had its own distinguished flavor but the crowd’s favorites are fried sui kows (dumplings) and fried fu pei (bean curd) that was oh-so-crispy. T0 complement the meal, a big dose of fatty pork with wide strips of wood fungus (hakka char yoke) was ordered. The stew was strong with hint of nam yue (fermented bean curd) and the pork cubes were fork tender.

Do drop by whenever you find yourself hankering for good yong tofu. Map curi-ed from Sexy Beast. You can also refer to the Map in our website.

Wah Kiow Hakka Yong Tofu
Lorong Peel
Off Jalan Peel
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 – 9283 7576
Non Halal. Opened from 10 am to 3 pm.

Congratulations to my sister for scoring 4 flat in STPM!

You have worked really hard and your determination is so inspiring.

I’m so proud of you!

Pictures Says It All

Turning 23, it is time for me to take on more responsibilities. I am so proud of myself because I cast my vote and it does make a difference because the oppositions will form a new government in Perak after securing majority of the state seats. I am glad that I can finally stand on my own feet (welcome to the rat race!) but at the same time I can’t help but to simultaneously echoing the glory days of my pre 20’s.

So, on my birthday, I was given a dinner treat to stave off the ravages of time at Trader’s Hotel. We were torn between Gobo Upstairs and Gobo Chit Chat. Gobo Chit Chat has entrancing light animation displayed on the ceiling but it has a more casual ambience while Gobo Upstairs, with tall glass windows where you can take in a great view of KL city is simply elegant. Casual or Elegant? Fancy Ceiling or KL view? We settled for Gobo Upstairs eventually.

We were brought to a quaint little corner facing the Exxon Mobil building. At another side of the restaurant is the lounge, where you can have a drink or two while overlooking the magnificent view of KLCC.

MENU

Complimentary bread was served warm. The crusty bread was nice to be eaten on its own but it tastes even better with the truffle butter. How often do you see a restaurant serving you with FREE truffle butter nowadays?

Our order of brandy flamed lobster bisque with chocolate oil arrived shortly (RM 26++ each). It was rich and sweet and flavourful but too salty that I have to dunk thick wodges of bread in it to balance the saltiness.

Being the coward eater, we go for the recommended dishes. My order of lamb shank (RM 38++) is wonderfully flavourful and tender, the meat falls off the bone with some evil little fatty shards.

KampungBoy loves his beef short ribs (RM 38++) to every bit; the meat was cooked to perfection while the merlot based concoctions  were remarkably rich and complex.

Good Food Make A Happy Girl

The meal finishes on a sweet note where KampungBoy has earlier aligned a little surprise for me at the lounge area. The initial plan was to proceed to Sky Bar for desserts and drinks but I got suspicious when the waiter urged us to the lounge area.

Suddenly behind the bar area, I saw the waiter carrying a candle lit cake and walking towards us. It was chocolate fondant with raspberry and filo pastry with minted scrattiatella ice cream (RM 18++). Pheew what a long name!

KampungBoy sang a cool rendition of the common birthday song with tweaked lyrics. It was hilarious. The night did not end here, we proceeded to SkyBar……

A quaint restaurant plopped amidst the busy KLCC area, Gobo Upstairs has the best food and excellent services for the most reasonable price; the total bill came less than RM 200 for a 3 course meal. 2 hours of parking is free upon validation for total bill above RM 250. However, for those who pay less than RM 250, you can park your car at Suria KLCC (RM 7 flat after 5 pm) and take a slow walk  instead of going into the hotel’s parking which charge a higher rate.

GOBO UPSTAIRS LOUNGE AND GRILL
Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur City Centre
50088 Kuala Lumpur
Reservations: +603–2332 9888

Kampungboy proudly presents…

Click to enlarge

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Citygal

Pictures taken with Sony Ericsson P1i

Spurred by the recent reviews by food bloggers, we dropped by for breakfast few weeks ago. Canton-I is actually owned by Dragon-I, the famous Chinese food chain around Klang Valley. Instead of Shanghainese cuisine, Canton-I offers a different range of food, i.e. noodles, rice, congee and dim sum.

Oriental influence can be seen in interior decorating throughout Imagine you dining in Oriental grandeur among ceramic tea pots, elegant flower wood carvings and Chinese lanterns in pink hue. However, we find that the restaurant was filled to capacity, resulting in really tight seating. It’s a little uncomfortable since I had to twist within my little space and receive the stares from strangers beside whenever we try to snap a picture or two.

Our orders of yin yeong were really bad. That is an rm 9++ gone down the drain. In fact this is nothing compares to indelible ink that cost us the taxpayer a whopping RM2.4 million! Hmmmmm…I smell a rat, a stinking big fat rat…

Do not want to go wrong with our order; KampungBoy goes for the wantan noodles that comes highly recommended by Boolicious. Instead of the usual variations of wantans and barbequed pork, he opted for the Pork Knuckle Noodles (RM 11.80 for dry version and RM 10.80 for soupy version). Staring at his plate of pork knuckle, I can almost illustrate a devil, echoing the sound of “FATS…” “CHOLESTEROL…” right in front of me. Who cares because it is really good!!

The char leong (rice noodles sheet wrapped with fried crullers, RM 8.00) is nothing to shout about. The chee cheong fun is too starchy while the condiments are bland.

For desserts, we opted for the infamous non halal egg tart (RM 3). Again, I heard the echoes of LARDS……I feel sorry to my body, but the egg tarts are too good to be missed.

The pricing here is not cheap certainly, the total bill comes to RM 40 plus (including 15% tax and surcharge such on wet tissues and water). If you have never been here, do drop by for their wantan noodles and egg tarts (remember to give the drinks a miss!).

Canton-I
G-208, Second Floor
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya

Tel No: 03- 77297888

(Non Halal. Open from 11.00 am to 10 pm from Monday to Friday. Weekends, open from 10.30 am onwards.)

Located at one of the refurbished pre-war terrace houses along Tengkat Tong Shin, Max! Kitchen is not too hard to be spotted (walking distance from my workplace!). Another plus point would be the quality of food has been verified by fellow floggers.

The place just popped up in my head instantly when my KampungBoy asked me to think of a place for lunch. Fyi, Max! Kitchen serves value for money set lunch on weekdays. The 2-course set lunch priced at rm 22++ and comes with an ice lemon tea.

His choice of starter: Creamed Pumpkin Soup with Sautéed Zucchini and Smoked Duck Breast. It’s so rich and satisfying and bursting with flavour and goodness.

His main: Whole Market Fish Pan Seared laced with Fresh Tomatoes, Garlic and Caperberries. Arrived in a rather homey presentation (just like how my mum does to the fishes), the pan seared fish is very good too.

                                          a not so horrendous view for the faint at heart

Her choice of starter: White Pesto Sautéed Cod Fish Fillet with Fresh Mesclun Greens and Spanish Green Olives. No complains on the huge chunks of juicy cod fish fillets even though I’m not really a big fan of greens.

Her main: Char Grilled Chicken Breast with Marinated Eggplant and Thyme Gravy. Lightly marinated and grilled to perfection, the chicken pieces was tender and juicy.

Most of the time, we wrapped up the meal with illy’s coffee (an addition of RM 5) or desserts. This time, I happily devour on my White Chocolate Tart (additional RM 10) with marinated fruits and dark chocolate ice cream till the last bite since I feel utterly comfortable that day.

During another occasion, I had the pan seared scallop and duck fillet. Gosh it was so good! Not wanting to appear rude in front of *ahem*, I resist myself from taking pictures, still regretting over it right now. The set lunch menu varies from day to day too, been there for a few times, and the value for money lunch never failed to disappoint us

Max! Kitchen and Wines
27 Tengkat Tong Shin
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03 – 2141 8115

(Open for lunch and dinner on Monday to Fridays and dinner during the weekends)

Yes, we had a not so romantic v-day celebration this year because it coincides with the eight day of Chinese New Year (bai tin gong). Nevertheles, KampungBoy enjoyed himself tremendously for taking part in such ceremony for the very first time while I had so much fun meeting my friends and relatives. Our place is crowded by friends and relatives, chatting away or trying on their luck on a game or two while waiting for the clock to strike midnight.

I can still recall the story behind BaiTinGong vividly – During the Song Dynasty (Mongols), a massive massacre happened to the clans in Southern China (Fujian, Henan, etc) because the clans are seen as a threat to Mongols’ kingdom. The Hokkiens ran for their life and they hide themselves under clusters of sugarcane. After days of locating them but no avail, the Mongols left. It was the dawn of the ninth day of CNY. So, the Hokkiens believe that their life and prosperity are granted by the heavenly god (tian gong) and sugarcane plants are their refuge. Up to today, the Hokkiens still regard the ninth day of CNY as a significant day and a pair of sugarcane that resemble unity and strength was placed on both side of the offering table main gate.

Paper piles that will be burned after the prayers ritual

Sugar tower

Roasted pig

Did you watch the Digi Feng Sui Master advertisement? Hoping that every corner of our house will be a “hou wong” (very yellow) spot, my dad came out with a somewhat quirky idea that whoever who turn up in yellow outfit will stand a chance to win cash prizes. My mum was one of the people who wore yellow that night too!