KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Happy Chinese New Year!

KampungBoyCityGal wish YOU a prosperous year ahead. Gong Xi Fatt Cai!

Picture from: www.corporategiftscompany.com

We were wandering around One Utama last week. One Utama is buzzing with activities as many people started to do their last minute shopping as the Chinese New Year is fast approaching.

To avoid the crowd, we wanted to sit down and grab a quick bite somewhere. My appetite goes thru the roof staring at the attractive banner ad of the new zinger tower and the classic KFC smell leaded us into it. The next thing we know is that we were already queuing behind the counter.

The Zinger Tower Set

I (kinda) forced KampungBoy to take the Zinger Tower Set (RM 15.90) which comprises of  1 zinger tower, 1 pepsi max (R), 1 mango pudding & 1 zinger time watch. I needed a non metallic, i.e. plastic watch for my weekly hike but was too kiam siap to spend on one.

The burger looked impressive; with layers of soft bun, fresh lettuce, zinger fillet, cheese, hash brown and a dressing of zesty chili lime sauce. I slowly but surely devoured my zinger tower, and talk about hitting the spot! Personally, I love the refreshing and citrusy chili lime sauce (despite some thinks that it tastes like dish washer) and the oh-so-crispy hash brown.

My fat stubby fingers and my new outdoor watch in vibrant yellow. Nice?

Talking about putting my own waste-line at great personal risk to answer the question “is the zinger tower a total rip off?” Well, go for the ala carte zinger tower (RM 6.60) or the X meal set (RM 10.50) with an additional chicken drumstick and drink which give more value for money if you are not interested on the zinger time watch (RM 9.90 with every chicken meal purchased). KampungBoy, can I have another three colors of the zinger time watch please? One for hiking, one for running and another one for tennis.

A food crawl isn’t complete with only satays right? Our walking food guide, Simon suggested Kou Lou Chao Fern (Tall Man’s Fried Noodles) at Kepong Dai Gai (Jalan Besar Kepong) as the next destination. Our eyes lit up immediately, and everyone started to nod frantically because we were famished!

“Take us there, NOW!”

So here we are, at this nostalgic looking coffee shop name Seng Yuen. The coffee shop was full, with tables spilling out onto the corridor as well. We leave it all to Simon to take the orders while we found ourselves busy snapping pictures around.

Our food took forever to come, so we subjected our hunger to warm tea, and more warm tea which did not help one bit. We were here before 11 pm and we started eating only at 12 am!

Simon’s Expression – an hour before

Simon’s Expression – an hour later

My favourite – Kong Fu Yin Yeong (RM 6) was the first to arrive. Drenched in eggy starchy sauce, laden with generous helpings of vegetables, fishcake, pork slices and prawns, it sure looks good. However, I took a bite and was disappointed that the noodles tasted pretty bland. Down it with more chili sauce, says WMW.

Kou Lou’s signature noodles – Hokkien Mee (RM 12). This was alright; the only let down would be a lack of wok hei. Down it with more lards, says WMW. All were forgiven after I stirred in those deep fried greasy cubes into my bowl of noodle. The hokkien mee emerged as the best dish that night.

Braised Yee Mee (RM 6) – Palatable and nothing fantastic.

Guess the old uncle was too tired dealing with the massive crowd that night. Given Simon’s raving and witnessed the number of patrons that wait patiently for their plate of hokkien mee, it still warrants a possible future visit.

Despite feeling rather full from the food that we had, desserts always have an extra space. So, we dropped by Tim Pan Gor Gor (opposite Carrefour) for some sweet soups and desserts.

*shy*

almond sweet soup + black sesame sweet soup (RM 3.30)
almond sweet soup + red bean soup + lotus seed (RM 3.30)

I love the varieties this place has as they are not the usual things that you get, ie flavored taufufa, mango noodles, mochi and various mixed tong sui.No complains for the sweet soups as the combinations were really nice an special.WMW and Jason shared the mango noodles. The strands of noodles sure look like the usual hor fun but they were actually jellies.

We called it a night at 1 am and guess how much we spent? RM 15 per person! Pretty amazing isn’t it? Next food crawl – Seri Kembangan? Old Klang Road? Or Puchong?

Four crazy floggers embarked on a gastronomic journey to Kepong one night (for full story, read here). Without knowing every nooks and crooks beyond the Damansara/Kepong toll, it was an impromptu trip – we just got to know the destination after we hopped onto the car!

WMW and I dreaded to read the map. The reason? Read up “why men don’t listen and women don’t read map”. So we put all our faith and trust to Jason to guide us to (da dum!) Taman Ehsan Jaya for duck satay that was introduced by vkeong not long ago! Half way through, we picked up Simon who resides in Kepong and was told that we were heading towards the wrong direction! Jason ar Jason…

Makan Kaki

The spicy and creamy peanut sauce complements the smoky-sweet elements of the satays beautifully. Jason downed the sauce till the last drop.

The satay came piping hot in a short while after we placed our order. The duck satay is very similar to the usual chicken satay that we ate, being a little sticky, a little sweet and smoky. The distinctive difference would be the very interesting texture – grease free and extra chewy but with a crunch.

I love the chicken satay to every bit because it is full of flavor and the chewy texture of duck meat. The best thing is it costs only RM 0.60 per stick, which is slightly cheaper than my (old) favourite Satay Haji Samuti. WMW and me even ordered extra sticks to go!

When’s the next food crawl, fellow floggers? :p

Sen Kee Satay
Jalan 12, Taman Desa Jaya
Kepong
Tel : 019-218 7538/019-249 2572
Opens from about 6pm – 10.30pm
Close on Mondays

Teaser on Kepong Food Crawl Part II:

KampungBoy loves his meat and he is one of those who sneer at the idea of vegetarian food just like how some of us sneer at the Malaysian party of balance scale. To celebrate his pal YJ’s birthday, he has no choice but to make a reluctant move to Yishensu because the birthday boy wants to do vegetarian on his big day. Clean up the toxic waste in your body, my dear.

Yishensu is tastefully decorated and the restaurant’s interior has a refined and tranquil literary atmosphere. The restaurant was almost full by the time they arrived, with ½ of the restaurant having a wedding celebration for a Chinese couple.

To start off, Vege Bread Roll with Fruit Salad (RM15) made of vegetarian ham, cucumber, carrot wrapped with bread and deep fried is ordered. Appearance wise, it was a winner with the myriad of colors but taste wise, it was a let down.

Fried Rice (RM 9). Never judge a book by its cover. It turned out to be the best dish. Full of wok hei, the fluffy fried rice was very aromatic. A must order item in Yishensu, so said KampungBoy and the rest.

Abalone served with Mushrooms and Brocolli (RM 18). A simple dish, added with splashes of luxury – (mock) abalone slices.

Emperor ToFu (RM 16). The smooth silky home made tofus were stuffed with some mock meat. Even without a blindfold, it is often impossible to different the mock meat from the real deal.

Braised Mushroom and Chicken with Noodles (RM 9). The home made noodles are meant to resemble wantan noodles, but they’re way too starchy and soft for a braised dish.

The Dried Curry Fish (RM 22) is truly delicious. The curry was thick and creamy but not overly. Good to go with some white rice.

Fried Oat Prawn (RM 18). The outer layers coated with oats were really crunchy, while the mock prawns tasted a bit off which the guys did not enjoy very much.

Yishensu has certainly changed our perception towards vegetarian food because the only thing that we can relate to vegans is the conventional stuff such as greens and bean curds. If you are willing to try something new, do drop by but mind you that the prices are a little steep and there’s some hits and misses in their dishes. They are charging RM 3 each for green tea and white rice, so the total bill comes to about RM 150++.

The night ended with a drinking session at Long Bar, One World Hotel. Happy birthday to YJ. Wishing you another year of happiness and joy.

Yishensu – A Vegetarian Connoisseur
1 Utama Shopping Mall, Petaling Jaya
Telephone : +603 77294313
Fax : +603 56201150

Few months back, we stumble upon Wang Chiew Seafood Restaurant by chance and have never looked back since. Cheap, decent dai chow in a air-conditioned place is hard to come by nowadays.

The Indonesian Seafood Curry Tofu (RM 8 ) came in a beautiful hue of yellow was laden with chunks of seafood and long bricks of tofu. The creamy curry sauce was definitely flavorful and gives the tofu a spicy satisfying kick. To savor every bite of the concoction, drizzle the curry sauce over your bowl of fluffy white rice. Mmmmmm..

Here comes the porky goodness – Claypot Pork Ribs (RM 10). The ribs were coated with a glistening, sweet-tart, tangy sauce that is very appetizing as well. The pork ribs looked chunky and dry, which concerned me at first, but I was oh so pleasantly surprised at it’s wonderful flavor and tenderness.

The stir-fry kang kong (RM 6) was decent enough to provide interesting diversions from all thing meaty but some how it lacks the wow factor.

Total damage? RM 28 for two but the food can easily feed four because we ended up take away the leftovers. We think that Wang Chiew provides great food at a very reasonable price. This Indonesian Seafood Curry dish and Assam Steamed Fish (on a separate occasion) was excellent and worth going back for anytime.

Wang Chiew Seafood Restaurant
30, Jalan ss2/103
47300 Petaling Jaya,
Tel: 03-77223662
Business Hour: 11.30am-10.30pm

If you are coming from Damansara, turn left after the balai bomba ss2, go straight until you see Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan SEA. Wang Chiew (3 shoplots at the middle) is somewhere behind the school.

After hearing SO MUCH of good things about Sage, TWO failed attempts in securing a table for two, and getting rejected for walk-in ONCE, we were here finally (drum roll please).

We took a lift next to Isetan Departmental Store and my heart jumps, thinking that we were just a few steps away from Sage – the talk of the town. Initially, we were rather surprised to see that The Sage is tucked away at a secluded corner next to the parking lot. Once I shoved through the heavy glass door, a young lady greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile and a jovial presence. We were promptly seated near to the open kitchen where Chef Takashi and crews were busy creating superb rendition of dishes. The ambiance is perfect – classy, lush but not intimidating, with the occasional melody of glass clinging, soft whispering and sizzling at the background.

We were taking our own sweet time in reading through the one page menu. Read aloud some of the names in the menu and you’ll be condemned to a near eternity of grueling tongue twisters (Is it just me?). We settled for Sage Dinner at RM 140 nett because it offers more value for money than ala carte pricea as such: Starters at rm58, main course at RM78 and desserta at RM30. Do the math. One can opt for an additional course (Chef Special )at RM160 nett or the degustation menu at RM240 nett where advance booking is required.

Complimentary Bread. The breads were all good; crusty, warm and soft.

For starter, I chose the Feuillete of Anago with Foie Gras and Duxelles, loosely translated as puff pastry with salt-water eel, foie gras and mixture of finely chopped mushrooms, shallots and herbs. The dish offers a myriad of flavor and texture! Think crispy layers of sweet and caramelized puff pastry, soft fatty salt-water eel and velvety smooth foie gras that leaves a trail of bovine juice in your mouth. Mmmmm…

Carpaccio of Wagyu with Sesame Vinaigrette and Asparagus. He had the wafer-thin slices of raw wagyu beef served cold, seasoned with sesame vinaigrette. The wagyu slices melts on your palate like the most sublime foie gras, and leaves a rich flavor behind.

What a great start to our meal!

My choice of main is the Lightly Salted Cod with Foie Gras, Roasted in Wood Paper (not foie gras again?). The cod and foie gras are impeccably fresh, with chock full of fragrant juices. Sauces are subtle, accentuating the natural flavor of the lightly salted cod and pan seared foie gras.

Rump Steak with Carrot Puree and Anchovy Sauce goes to KampungBoy, who is a steak person. The rounder pieces of steak with pink centre are actually the medallions, a cut of from the wagyu beef type. It is succulent, tender and very very tasty. On the side, we were given the braised ox shank topped with carrot puree. It is pleasingly tender and not at all gamey.

I was not entirely blown away by the Roasted Kougyoku Apples with Vanilla Ice Cream. Immediately, my face was contorting into a frown and later found out that Kougyoku apple is a kind of very sour apple from Japan. Sorry, I’m just not a fan of all things sour.

He made a smart choice by ordering the Ricotta Souffle served with Espresso Sherbet. Light, fluffy and airy, with a barely perceptible brown crust on top, the souffle is a perfect sweet ending.

The End – Coffee/Tea ?

What can I say? It was a very satisfactory dinner, the starters and mains were beyond excellence while we think that we are going to give it a pass to the desserts the next time (wrong choices maybe, as other floggers raved about the desserts).We will definitely be going back and would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone. Ooo yes, Sage is perfect for Valentine’s Day celebration and to impress your dates as well. Reservation is a must, unless you want to try your luck and get turn down.

Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar

The Residences Level 6

The Gardens, Mid Valley City,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 KL.

Tel: 03-22681328

Email: sagekul@gardenshtlres.com

 Ever feel like having some good old western food but is living on a tight budget? California Express BBQ and Grille Station answers your quest.

I’ve eaten here numerous times and still crave for it from time to time! It is definitely not the most comfortable place to dine in, the menu is limited but who cares because the meal itself comes fully flavored.

Mushroom Soup

Digging out my old archives, I can only find ONE SINGLE thing that I’ve tried and love it to bits – chicken chop with frankfurters, mashed potato and pasta. It can be a very fulfilling lunch for a petite girl like me, but I’m not complaining because EVERYTHING is nice! The chicken chop drenched in some starchy mushroom sauce is very tender and flavorful, the mashed potato is rich and creamy, the pasta lightly tossed in herbs and fresh garlic is delicious nonetheless and the frankfurter is err frankfurter-like, with a slightly smoky taste.

The above-mentioned food, with a drink comes to about RM 15, which is very reasonable considering that it is located in the mall. The next time a pasta craving hits you, remember California Express BBQ and Grille Station, located opposite the Jaya Jusco Supermarket at One Utama Old Wing.

 On the 30th of December 2005, KampungboyCitygal was borned and we were grateful that we have manage to go this far (3 years / 36 months/ 1095 days) because I have not always been a persistent person. To my dear readers and dear floggers, thanks for your supports, suggestions, advices and love. You guys are simply awesome!

Anyway, Happy New Year and wishing all of you the best in life and health!