China Town Seng Kee @ Jalan Sultan, KL

Feeling hungry while touring the infamous flea market at Petaling Street? 

Look no further! Plop your buttocks down and enjoy the signature dishes offered in this Chinese operated restaurant. Obviously, this place is non-halal as most Chinese like to incorporate lard into their cooking. *ahem*..Chant with me, "We love pork!" 

Located at one of KL's most bustling streets, China Town Seng Kee has got to be one of my favourite 'go to' restaurants for dinner/supper.

Ha-ha, SURPRISE! Not a very GLAM place to bring your date, huh? Although this place falls short on its sanitary standards, I'll have you know that every dish served made me a very satisfied customer!

I'm sure you have heard of this phrase, 'The dirtier the place, the better it tastes.' ...No? Well, you have now.

*Do bring your own tissue to wipe the cutleries if you are peeved by Seng Kee's lack of hygiene.

Siu Yuk Meen (RM9 for 1 pax)

Crispy roasted pork belly with noodles is one of Seng Kee's signature dishes.

Dude, it was yummy! I do have to tell you in advance that the food served hasn't been very consistent during my past visits, which is probably why it tasted so good when I had it the other night. Topped with  roasted pork belly and fried sugar-coated garlic, the whole dish was ace. The egg noodle was cooked to perfection and the sauce compliments all the elements on the plate. I would have liked it even better if some of the pork belly were a little less chewy.

Claypot Loshifan (RM9 for 1 pax)

Since I'm a pearl noodle (loshifan) kind of girl, this is my favourite dish to order whenever I visit!

DIE DIE ALSO MUST ORDER! I frowned a little when my hubby ordered one serving instead of two. I'mma glutton that way. 

Throwback story time! About 5 years ago, I used to enjoy Murni's Claypot Loshifan in SS2. Ya'll know where/what Murni is, right? If you're a Malaysian and you don't know what/where that is, kamu 'bagai katak di bawah tempurung'. Anyway, Murni's claypot loshifan's standards began to drop after a year or two. Not only was I disappointed that one of my used-to-be-favourite restaurant's quality has declined, I now have to seek a new loshifan place to nest on.

One fine night, a friend of mine brought me to try Seng Kee's "tikus noodle" and I was hooked since then. The end. That pretty much sums how I came across this restaurant.

For the price of RM9, Seng Kee's claypot loshi is almost double the cost of Murni's version. Instead of minced chicken, the former adds minced pork and liver in the pot, giving the noodles an extra oomph to its taste. I really like it, I do. As I mentioned previously, the dishes lack consistency. Once, the pearl noodles served in the claypot was a tad burnt... bummer.

However, the claypot loshifan served the other night was good. WHICH MADE ME SOOOO HAPPYYYY.

By the way, Seng Kee's Claypot Loshifan is one of their signature dishes too :)

Sweet & Sour Pork (RM16 - small)

Pretty pricey for a few cubes of pork meat. Nothing to shout about, just a typical Chinese dish to fill our stomachs. Tasted better ones.

Mantis Prawn in Butter Milk Sauce (RM18 - small)

Lai liu har a.k.a. mantis prawns! The thought of mantis prawns always give me the creeps. Go google it! Just my perception, I think mantis prawns belong to another time frame.. let's say, 10 000 B.C.. Don't you think they look rather fossil-like? THANK GOD they're underwater creatures. *shudders*

We ordered fried mantis prawns in butter milk sauce (dry). Beneath all that flossy-buttery-oily goodness, the prawns are diced into cubes and deep fried. Despite all the negative remarks on how mantis prawns look like when they're alive and crawling, the dish is actually not bad. One can never go wrong with butter milk sauce. It makes a good snack. Still, a little pricey for a small plate of lai liu har.

*******

In Kuala Lumpur, parking is never cheap as someone will MAGICALLY appear, demanding for RM3 or so once you parked your vehicle. Pretty sure they don't have the appropriate license to collect your money as the road side isn't even a proper parking spot. Technically, we're paying them security fees to avoid getting ourselves trapped in unwanted circumstances. (e.g. People scratching our cars/breaking in) *if you know what I mean*

I'm hungry! This restaurant opens till late. Perfect for clubbers or pub-goers to sober up before heading home. Not too sure if the chef works a double shift. If he does, that's a probable explanation for Seng Kee's inconsistency.

China Town Seng Kee

50, Jalan Sultan

Kuala Lumpur

Yours truly,

Jx

Selera Jaya 223 @ PJ

Selamat pagi semua! (Good morning to all)

Today, let's go back to basics to remind ourselves the reason we're called 'Anak Malaysia'.  

Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Malaysia's national dish,.. Nasi Lemak! 

What exactly is 'nasi lemak'? If this word is directly translated from Malay to English, nasi lemak would mean 'fatty rice'. Fatty in the sense of rich or creamy. 

Technically, the rice is cooked in santan a.k.a. coconut milk & pandan leaf a.k.a. screwpine plant which allows the rice to be fragrant and "fat". 

Traditionally, nasi lemak is served with cucumber slices, roasted peanuts, small fried anchovies, hard boiled egg and not forgetting the most important element, SAMBAL (spicy sauce)! 

Okay, enough with the history talk. 

Let's grab ourselves summa dat fatty food @ Selera Jaya 223! 

Selera Jaya 223 

Yeah, it's really packed at night. (btw, this is 10 p.m.) We 'tapao-ed' our supper so I didn't manage to snap any pictures of the food court's interior. There are many other stalls selling different varieties of food such as fried rice, noodles and mutton soup.

Note: Some might find this place a little dodgy so try not to flaunt any branded items to attract unnecessary attention. I like to come here when I'm all sweaty & disgusting-looking ;)

VOILA! Back at home with our goodies.

6 packets of nasi lemak, 5 sticks of otak-otak. 

GUESS HOW MUCH THESE COST? RM12! That's like 4USD for 6 packets & 5 sticks! Probably enough to feed 2 hungry men or 3 hungry women or 1 hungry American :) 

1 packet = RM1.50 whereas you can purchase 5 sticks of otak-otak for RM3.00. 

We bought 3 packets each of red labeled & blue labeled fatty rice. Red & blue are sold from different owners hence, different taste. 

Yatie's Nasi Lemak (red label)

Suri's Nasi Lemak (blue label)

THIS. IS. THE. SHIZZNIT!

Okay, I only took one nasi lemak picture so this is how it looks like inside the banana leaf :) 

Are you salivating yet? 'cause I am currently lau nua-ing!

A packet of fatty rice mixed with peanuts, anchovies, egg & sambal. Such a beauty. 

Before you say that this meal looks unappetizing, I would like you to close your eyes and try it. Just trust me,.. close your eyes and EAT IT. You'd want 2 more packets when you're done with the first spoon. 

Verdict time. 

Red- Yati's version is my favourite. She knows me well. The sambal is SPICY and I LOVE SPICY FOOD. However, there weren't any traces of cucumbers in it. The rice wasn't as fragrant as one would imagine but the sambal won me over anyways. Last night's sambal was sweeter than usual too, weird in a good way as the sweetness is supposed to be Suri's trait. 

Blue- For those who can't challenge the heat, I recommend Suri's fatty rice. The sambal is supposed to be sweeter (but for some reason it was a tad salty last night.. I really do not want to know the reason) and the gravy is wetter. Similar to Yati's, Suri's nasi lemak lacked the aromatic fragrance and cucumbers as well. 

Otak-otak

Traditionally wrapped in banana leaf as well, otak-otak is supposed to be a 'cake' made of fish meat & spices. 

One might beg to differ, but this isn't my favourite version of otak-otak. It tasted so processed :( AND WHY IS IT SO RED? As red as a male dog's thingy. YERRRRR.

Anyway, my hubby & many other friends are able to bag 5 pieces of these red sticks into their stomachs without any hesitation but I. Just. Can't. Do. It. 

Since I know many others who're able to enjoy the otak-otak without any complains, you should give it a try. If you don't like it either, we must be long lost twins, triplets, quadruplets etc.

Be sure to give our national dish a go whenever you're visiting Malaysia. To all locals who are currently overseas, fatty rice will always be here waiting for you.

Selera Jaya 223

Jalan 223

Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Waze the place if you're not too sure of its location!

Anak Malaysia,

Jx

SOULed OUT @ Desa Sri Hartamas, KL

Need a chio-looking restaurant for parties & reunions? Send your virtual invites, let your hair down & grab your friends to dine in this swanky eatery located @ Hartamas. 

I'm sure many of you have been to Souled Out. 

I can't remember the prices of each item and for some reason, I couldn't download their menu online either. SO, you'll just have to google the prices yourselves! 

Sake San 

*DRUM ROLLS* This dish is one of Souled Out's House Specialty! 

Sake San has alwaaays been my favourite pick. If I'm able to recall correctly, the 8 inch-pizza costs about RM28++? 

ISN'T IT WORTH IT THOUGH!??! Just feast your eyes on the amount of salmon given! Apart from the smokey goodness, the thin-crust pizza is topped with fresh lettuce, cherry tomatoes, japanese mayo, roe & a hint of wasabi. My eyes widened with delight as I bit into it. Trust me, sink your teeth in this fusion creation and your tastebuds will be sent into space! There's just a burst of flavours as all the elements come perfectly together.

I just need to point one thing out. Something is different about Sake San's recipe... 

Back then, Sake San was served on a plain dough topped with all the hoo-haa-ingredients mentioned above. 

What has changed, you wonder? Well friends, *whispers*.. they smothered cheeeeeeeese onto their dough~...AND I LIKEEEE IT! CHEESE! *applause!* It's amazing how much difference a simple ingredient can make, huh?

Deep Fried Calamari

Umm, I'm staring at this calamari-picture and I can't seem to find anything good to say..

Okay *Breathes in, breathes out* Here we go, the squid wasn't overcooked so it has a nice texture as we nibbled on it..you know that non-chewy feeling?? I'm sure you can think of ONE restaurant that serves OVERCOOKED CALAMARI which results in you gnawing through your squid. Urk! Those chefs should really empathize with people whose teeth are about to fall off! Shame on them...

Anyway, if that's a good enough reason for you to say 'Yes' to this appetizer, go ahead & order it! 

Now that I'm done with the pros, it's time to review the cons of this dish. 

The taste was bland, the batter needs to be fluffier (if that's a viable term at all) and the dipping sauce didn't do any justice to support the squid. Overall, nobody raced to fork the squid off its plate. Hint to future restaurant owners: You know your dish is in trouble when the crowd doesn't race to finish an appetizer. 

Lamb Shank

One of their house specialties, the Lamb Shank (costs APPROXIMATELY RM35?)

Okay, I was madly in love with their mash potatoes because it tasted so creamy & cheesy. I'm not even sure if there was cheese in it, the only thing I knew fo'sho was that it tasted great! *smiles with joy* I felt like a baby again each time I scoop a spoonful in my mouth. I WANT MORE! HUNGERS!
Depending on your personal preference, it might not be as soft or mushy as you may like it to be. Luckily for mua, I like ma mash as thick as it can be!

As for the lamb itself, it was OK. It didn't take me out of this world and it certainly wasn't as 'Lip Smacking-ly Delicious' as they claim it would be. The lamb was accompanied with chunks of carrots, capsicums & zucchinis. I'm a capsicum lover so all these assorted colourful veges tasted good to me! Definitely a man's dish.

Seafood Marinara

Approximately >RM25?? I'm not a fan of marinara sauce so you can see where this is going. The spaghetti was al dante. The seafood served include shrimps, mussels, fish & squid. 

My next statement may probably hinder anyone who plans on ordering this plate of pasta..

So, *ahem* Brace yourselves..

-The prawns were not fresh- 

-The fish fillet was not properly seasoned hence, tasteless- *maybe it wasn't even seasoned..*

Sorry to disappoint, but this was really quite a let down as one would expect the freshest produce to be used especially if the dish is named "SEAFOOD" MARINARA. 

On a lighter note, the spaghetti and its accompanying sauce was alright. heh. 

Tandoori chicken with rice 

Asian time! I don't know how much this costs but it tasted surprisingly goooood :) 

The rice was fragrant! The tandoori wasn't dry at all! It was juicy and well-seasoned. Dip the chicken into the mint sauce for an extra kick! All the sides tasted great, including the re-heated-frozen peas, carrots & corn. Souled Out has done well with this dish. I'm not a big fan of Indian cuisine but this is a must try! 

********

The food served in Souled Out may not be the best but this place is still worth a try. 

Business seems to be going well in this eatery. I had dinner @ Souled Out last Tuesday and it was packed! Be sure to call in for reservations to avoid walking in to a full-housed restaurant. Personally, I prefer dining upstairs (indoors) where air-cond is available. The ambience is also much cosier compared to dining outdoors (duh). For individuals who love watching sports, I recommend getting a table outdoors as they have a pretty huge screen. This is a place where you can gather with yo' buddies for a round of booze & cheers the night away.

SOULed OUT

No. 20, Jalan 30/70A

Desa Sri Hartamas

50480 Kuala Lumpur

Website & Reservation info: Souled Out

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday [ 12pm - 3pm ] [ 6pm - closing ]

Saturday & Sunday [ 6pm - closing ]

Jx

Hokkaido Sushi @ One Utama, Pickle & Fig @ TTDI.

Rise & shine! Good morning, folks.

I hope you're not feeling the Monday Morning Blues. At least the morning sun wasn't as beaming bright as it was a couple days back. By the way, is it just me or was the air a tad polluted this morning? *chokes*

Just in case you're feeling a little dull this morning, perhaps you could head over to one of these two restaurants after office hours. Nothing like a hot cup of green tea or a well-blended smoothie could soothe the nerves of a soul. 

****************

Let's start off with Hokkaido Sushi @ One Utama, PJ.

For those of you who were raised in PJ, we have something in common! One Utama Shopping Mall was and STILL IS my second home. Before the renovation & mall extension of the 'new & improved' Old Wing commenced, I could've been one of the best tour guide/talking directory/information counter you would ever know. Muahahaha. I'm sure many of you can relate.

Anyway, Hokkaido Sushi is located at the lower ground level of Old Wing. Yep, the same floor as Mcd's, Pizza Hut & KFC. 

Instead of a massive queue at Sushi Zanmai, you may opt for Hokkaido Sushi instead. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm puh-retty sure that Hokkaido Sushi & Sushi Zanmai's menu offer similar items. Different names, same menu. But of course, each foodie item listed on Hokkaido Sushi's menu is charged a ringgit extra compared to Sushi Zanmai's menu. *All these statements are based on my observations* I hope Sushi Zanmai hasn't hiked up their prices :p

Cha Soba (RM8.80++)

Cha Soba a.k.a. green tea soba noodle (cold) was my pick of the night.

I'm really going against my ritual meal here as my usual order would've been Niku Udon (Beef Udon). 

Did I regret it?

Yep. I guess I'm a meaty-soupy-udon kind of girl.

Let me paint you a picture of how this cold soba noodles tasted. This is actually my second time ordering soba noodles and yet, Soba-san & I still refused to be the best of friends. Boo.

I thought I didn't mind my noodles cold, but BOYYYY WAS I WRONG. Blame it on my Chinese genes, we love our bowl of piping hot soup. We like our food hot, hot, hot. 

Anyway, a bowl of dipping sauce, seaweed, spring onions and omg-i-don't-know-what-that-tasteless-grazed-white-stuff-is-maybe-it's-sengkuang-aka-white-turnip was served alongside the noodles. Frankly speaking, I thought that if the condiments were mixed with soba, everything would've tasted better. It didn't. 

The seaweed and spring onions didn't help one bit. I wasn't a fan of the dipping sauce either. 

All in all, I would only recommend you to order this if you scorched your tongue and all your tastebuds have gone haywire. This is simply not my cup of tea. 

Tsukimi Ramen (RM7.80++)

Tsukimi ramen a.k.a. Ramen noodles with egg. Wow, doesn't this bowl of noodles look "appetizing"? Priced at only RM7.80, tsukimi ramen is not served with meat. I'm not a fan of this dish either, but my hubby seems to click well with Tsukimi. 

The broth tasted like artificial seasoning and it wasn't shoyu-based. I only had a sip of the soup and I was worried that my hair would fall off.  Everything else in the bowl was very ordinary. 

As the broth is the most important element for me, this dish was a let down in my opinion. Sorry!  

Gyuniku Enoki Roll (RM12.80++)

Gyuniku enoki roll a.k.a. grilled beef & golden mushroom roll. I ordered this side dish to go with my very plain cha soba. For three beef rolls, I wouldn't say that this dish was price worthy. I would've enjoyed it  better if the beef slices were thicker. The golden mushrooms were a tad overpowering and unfortunately, the beef stood behind it. 

It was pretty tasty. The sauce reminded me of home-cooked food.... *closes eyes to savour the familiar taste* .. WHY does this sauce taste so familiar? Ahh!.. Finally I was able to recall. Thick soya sauce. That must be it.. 

My grandmother fries bullseye egg with thick soya sauce. Freaking delicious when it's not too oily. 

So, verdict on this side dish: One can live without it. 

But if you haven't tried something like this, you can always order it for fun  :) 

Salmon Salad Maki (RM4.80++)

Eeep. The salmon filling was too salty for my liking. I reject! HAHA! I must be ordering all the wrong dishes today!! Everything seemed to be a let down. I must say that the food served in this restaurant is really not that bad. *Learn from my mistakes people, don't order the dishes above unless you want to challenge my tastebuds*. 

Inari Sakura Ebi (RM4.80++)

Sakura prawns with sweet beancurd wrap. As written in my previous Mikan post, I am not a fan of inari. This plate of sushi contains mayo, sakura prawns topped with very stingy amount of fish roe and wrapped with inari. Maybe inari fans can give this a go. You can hardly go wrong when mayo is involved, right? Another let down would be the taste of the sakura prawns. As it was deep-fried, I couldn't taste the microscopic-sized prawns well. 

OVERALL, I think that Hokkaido Sushi Restaurant is an affordable japanese eatery. Although every dish ordered today was a miss for me, I now know 'what's Hot & what's Not' in the menu. Just to relate, Thomas Edison didn't successfully invent the lightbulb on his first attempt. Despite failing many times, he didn't take it as a failure. Instead, he knows the 100 over elements that can't be used for the creation of a lightbulb. 

Hokkaido Sushi 

LG101, Lower Ground (Old Wing)

1 Utama Shopping Centre

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Next up! Pickle & Fig @ TTDI, KL. 

This is definitely a place where friends can enjoy one another's company and chirp the night away. P&F is known for their healthy smoothies, containing only pure ingredients. I didn't manage to take a picture of P&F's interior but I do recommend giving this cafe a try! It's nice, quiet & spacious. 

Blue Healer (RM10.00)

Mmm, I loved this. Really refreshing and SOUR! Blue Healer contains a blend of blueberry, blackberry, banana & apple. Suitable for individuals who absolutely love drinks that make their eyes squint! 

Goji Me (RM12.00) 

Something different from your everyday smoothie selection, Goji Me. The beautiful orange drink consists of strawberry, pineapple, goji, apple & yogurt.

Nachos (RM12.00)

Hmm, I can never turn nachos with melted cheese down. Nachos & cheese are like bread & butter. The combo goes really well together. In this case, P&F's nachos are a definite MISS for me. Sorry, I didn't enjoy it. The nachos were a tad burnt and there wasn't enough cheese to go with. The salsa drizzled over the nachos were too dry to be considered a 'salsa'. Kudos to them for adding olives in, but the appetizer needs a lot more effort to be saved. More cheese, maybe?

Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese (RM19.00)

Smoked salmon & cream cheese?!?! COUNT ME IN! I love focaccia bread! They even served capers in the sandwich! Although all the elements seemed to sound majestically delicious put together, the sandwich only tasted alright. Maybe 'cause smoked salmon & cream cheese sandwich is already widely available in most cafes. Unfortunately, P&F's version didn't shine enough to make a stand in this dog-eat-dog-world. On a side note, I love their wedges! Thinking about it makes me hungry. 

 Rotkraut Pastrami (RM19.00)

This is the bomb diggity! Beef salami, basil pesto, mozzarella & butter spread in wholemeal bread. It's different! I've never tasted anything like this before so it's hard to describe..Hmm herby, cheesy, beefy is all I can say. What a bad description, Jess. I've only had a bite of this and my day has already brightened up. Definitely a thumbs up and a must try when dining @ Pickle & Fig. 

There are MANY OTHER smoothies & sandwiches available in this cafe! Can't wait to try every one of them. 

Pickle & Fig

26, Jalan Tun. Mohd Fuad 2

Taman Tun Dr. Ismail 

60000 Kuala Lumpur

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pickleandfig

Cheers to a healthy start,

Jx

Famous Seremban Favourites Restaurant @ Aman Suria, PJ

Hello friends!

This post is specially dedicated to pork-lovers. 

Before I continue babbling on about this place, I'm going to apologise for not snapping a picture of the restaurant's entrance & its bright yellow sign board! 

My mind was a little preoccupied as I was picturing the sweet succulent charsiew melting in my mouth.  Writing this post is probably going to make me hungry.. but let's soldier on! 

FSF'S menu!

Despite having quite a wide variety of items to choose from, customers from all over PJ & KL travel to  Aman Suria just for FSF's specialty dish, Char Siew. Although this restaurant opens until 4pm, their charsiew may already be sold out by then! Let us always remember this idiom, 'the early bird catches the worm'. 

Char Siew  (small : RM7.00)

*Tum tum tum tum!* THE MOMENT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! ......yeah well, I wished this plate of barbecued meat was presented in a more enticing manner. Today's presentation looked rather...ugly.

SIGHS. Maybe other bloggers made a special request to the owner for a beautifully arranged plate of charsiew with extra glaze on its skin or somethin'. I've seen a few pictures of FSF's charsiew featured on other blogs & they even have fine slices of spring onions decorated on top of its meat! Looked super delicious, OKAY?! On a side note, I'm using an iPhone 4 so please pardon the quality of my pictures. HEHEHE

Anyway, try to ask for 'poon fei sao' which means 'half fat, half lean meat 'when placing an order for the charsiew. I forgot to request for it so as you can see from my picture above, one of the charsiew had no fats in it. Dipping sauce for the barbecued meat is provided as well so please put it to good use! It does make a lot of difference.

In all seriousness, I thought the serving today was a tad dry. I've had better days..
Perhaps the parts of charsiew served to us this afternoon weren't as great. It's alright, let us forgive FSF.
I'll definitely be back some day soon to give it another shot. haha

Wan Tan Mee (small: RM5.50)

Wow, does this plate of WTM look ridiculously plain or what? Usually, FSF's wtm is topped with a few slices of yummylicious charsiew & a small bowl of soup containing 2 miserable pieces of wanton. Since we've ordered a plate of barbecued meat, we told the waiter to replace the meat with wantons instead. 

Voila, we now have a plate of noodles with vege & a small bowl of soup with 5 wantons.
Honestly speaking, WTM is one of my least favourite hawker food, so my interest for this plate of noodles can only go so far. Having said that, I would still recommend everyone who orders wtm to eat   it with pickled chili. It gives an extra twist to the noodles! Still, don't you think that a small-sized wtm served in FSF is a little pricey? RM5.50 for a small plate of plain noodles with boiled wantons. 

Lo Shi Fan w black sauce (medium: RM5.00)

I love minced pork! AND. I. LOVE. LOSHIFAN! One of my favourite type of noodles in the world. Probably cause it doesn't require much chewing and the texture is super smooth! It's like you can chuck one spoonful in your mouth and SWALLOW IT JUST LIKE THAT, y'know what I mean?!

Anyway, I find it reasonably priced for a medium-sized serving. In my opinion, this is the kind of staple food one can eat errday! The RM5.00 bowl of deliciousness consists of loshi-noodles, minced pork, spring onions & black sauce. Since it's SO simple to eat & I'm extremely biased when I come across something I like, I'm giving this bowl my stamp of approval. HAHA. *Please note that it doesn't taste special, extraordinary or lip-smackingly yummy*. It tasted fine, but I like it that way. Simple & filling!

Famous Seremban Favourites Restaurant

78-1 Ground Floor, Jalan PJU 1/3B

Block F, Sunway Mas Commercial Centre

47301 Petaling Jaya

Operating hours: Monday, Wednesday-Sunday [ 8am - 4pm ]

Closed on Tuesdays

Over & Out,
Jx

Restaurant Soon Soon Pan Mee & Fish Head @ Damansara Perdana, PJ

Although there are many eateries at Damansara Perdana, this tiny coffee shop is ALWAYS packed during lunch hours. 

For the record, I've been having my lunch here AT LEAST once a week. *Fan girl mode!* One fine day, I'll be the mayor of Soon Soon Pan Mee & Fish Head in Foursquare!!!! Muahahaha. Just you wait.

There are approximately 20 tables in this kopitiam. Based on my noob-y calculations, the owner of this restaurant must've found themselves a pot of gold. Why? They nailed the recipe for fish head noodles and I reckon that their overhead cost is low as they only have pendaflour lights and ceiling fans to maintain. Plus, this restaurant's turnover is pretty high. 

Hanging on the wall of fame, these noodles are amongst the many selections available on the menu.

For individuals who are not a fan of pan mee & fish head, simple western breakfasts are offered as well.

..But seriously? Come on, you're dining at a restaurant named 'Soon Soon Pan Mee & Fish Head' and you're ordering toasts with eggs?!?! 

F1 : Fried Ling Fish Head Meehoon (RM8.80)

You may be wondering, "Whoa, damn a lot of things going on in this bowl right. How to eat?? Where should I start??"

My dear, Let sensei Loh teach you the ways in culinary life:
1) Pick up your spoon
2) Scoop a spoonful of soup
3) Put that milky broth in yo' mouth!
4) Close your eyes & savor it..Savor it.
5) Smile with delightfulness like you've just received your paycheck.

Once you have tasted the milky goodness, everything else will fall into place and you'll gobble the whole lot in no time.

I must say that this is the best fish head noodle I've ever tasted. If you've already tried this and think there's a better one out there, let me know! :) I tend to be a little bias and over exaggerate when I find something I like. HAHA. What a bad habit, Jess.

So far, taste wise.. fried Ling fish head meehoon has never let me down. It has been pretty consistent. If this dish was a human being, I'll sing 'Just The Way You Are' to Ling. Because I truly am happy just the way the whole dish is made.

Instead of thin vermicelli noodles, I opted for thicker ones. (Additional RM0.50). In my opinion, the thicker noodle goes wayyyyy better with the broth & fish head.

Oh yeah, before I forget..The waiter will inevitably ask if you want 'susu' (milk) in your soup. Just say yes! 

It goes best with milk :)

Before you go all, "Urk..eww, stahp! This picture is not pleasing to my eyes at all..."

I just want to prove my point on how great this is! 9 out of 10 times, I'd finish everything in the bowl (except the fish bones & ginger slices.. duh). 

"If it's so good, why didn't you finish everything served 10 out of 10 times?", says your mind subconsciously. 

Answer: As the coffee shop is really packed during peak hours, it is pretty common to share your table with a stranger or two. I find it kinda awkward to sit directly opposite with somebody you DON'T KNOW whilst having lunch/dinner/whenever. Therefore, I can't enjoy my meal to the absolute fullest! I hope I'm not the only one feeling this way..Also, I think that it's a little embarrassing to finish the whole bowl of soup in front of a complete stranger. He/she may think that I'm a 'tam chiak lang' (glutton) or that I don't have enough to eat. 

P2: Dried Pan Mee (RM5.00)

Praise after praise was given to the fish head noodle in this coffee shop. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the dried pan mee offered at Soon Soon. It only tasted ordinary and I'm pretty sure you can get this elsewhere for a cheaper price. It doesn't taste bad but it doesn't Wow me as much as the fish head noodle. It's edible, it's OK, it's very ordinary.

To avoid the working crowd during peak hours & sitting with total strangers, I suggest you visit this place before 12pm or after 2pm. Hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do. I PRAY THAT YOU DO! Maybe I'll see you around during lunch hours some day! 

Soon Soon Pan Mee & Fish Head

18-1, Jalan PJU 8/5C

Damansara Perdana, 47820

Petaling Jaya
Operating hours: Monday-Saturday [ 6 am - 5 pm ]

Until next time,

Jx

J&D Espresso @ Oasis Bandar Utama, PJ

My, oh my..

Hasn't it been a rainy day?

Gloomy skies led to kids' dismay,

for they were all dressed up, ready to go out and play.

...Aaanndddd, my brain has reached its poetic limit. 

**********

Good day, mate! 

I was craving for charsiew from Famous Seremban Favourites Restaurant @ Aman Suria. HOW DID I END UP AT J&D INSTEAD?! I'll tell you how it happened. As we were driving to Bandar Utama for lunch, BAAMM!! It rained. And it rained heavily, alright. If I was still in Australia, they would've termed this as "severe thunderstorm". haha

Anyway, as Aman Suria is always packed with cars and auto repair shops are found at almost every corner, we would probably need to double park somewhere further and walk under the rain. So kids, that's how I met your mother (inside joke to himym fans...) we took a rain check & detoured to J&D Espresso! BT-dubs, there's ample parking space around this area! *Plus points*

Lo and behold, J&D Espresso @ Oasis, Bandar Utama.

Monkeys, monkeys everywhere. 

"J&D Espresso started off in August 2012 by 2 young entrepreneurs who wanted to bring back what they had learned in Sydney, Australia to their home country in Malaysia..." -J&D Info

I'm assuming that this cafe is Australian-themed/inspired? Which leads me to my next mind-bottling question. Why are there monkeys plastered all over the walls in the restaurant instead of cute, cuddly koalas? Anyway, that's not important.. I came here to dine, not to whine. 

Menu taken from J&D's facebook page. 

J&D's set of choices solely comprise of 2 pages. Although it doesn't give you a wide array of selections to choose from, I can assure you that everything on the menu seems delectable! 

Spaghetti Carbonara (RM19+)

Hello there, precious. What else would a sucker-for-carbonara choose to order when dining in a restaurant for the first time? You guessed it pal, carbonaraaa. Did I like it? Hmm, the portion was really small. Suitable for individuals with petite appetite. Contrary to the believe that food served in smaller portions taste better, this tiny plate of pasta only tasted o-k-a-y. As most of you would've already known by now, I like creeaaammmy cheeeeesy pastas. This one tasted a lot more like aglionara. (aglio olio + carbonara). The dish was a tad oily and it lacked any sign of creaminess. As the grass is always greener on the other side, one who prefers their spaghetti to be less creamy (like totally leaving the cream out of the picture) would've loved this dish. 

Hot & Sour Glass Noodle (RM18+)

The only asian selection served in J&D Cafe. I thought it was simple, pleasant and nice. Served with a slice of lime & a saucer full of spicy chili padi (drools) on its side, this hearty bowl of glass noodles would've been one of the healthiest dish if you shut a blind eye on its deep fried lard. Having said that, the soup wasn't oily despite the presence of 'zhu yao cha' (pork lard). Like a cherry on top of the cream, the Hot & Sour Glass Noodle was topped off with 2 seared scallops. I didn't taste the scallops so I can't comment on it. Though from the looks of it, it seemed a little charred. The most important thing about soupy noodle is its broth, right? As for this asian dish, I find that it lacked a little bit of kick. Not that I'm complaining, the lime really does help to give an extra 'oomph' so it's all good. Plus, they served chili padi!!! *smiles whilst my tongue catches on fire* 

Eggs Atlantic (RM19+)

Eggs Atlantic consists of a piece of toast (which was a little soggy), topped with smoked salmon, spinach, 2 poached eggs, thin slices of avocados & hollandaise sauce.

As I was almost done with this serving, I thought they forgot to include the hollandaise sauce!! After referring to my picture, I reassured myself that the sauce was Definitely there. It simply missed its 'je na sais quoi'.  Pity. The salmon was kind of salty in my opinion, but it goes well with the other elements on the plate. (You can never go wrong with salmon, bread & eggs + avocados!) The poached eggs does look really appealing doesn't it? Taste wise, it was just a TINY BIT watery. Still edible. Honestly, I haven't tried all these fancy breakfast spots in Malaysia (e.g. Red Bean Bag, Antipodean) because I've already tasted one of the best in Melbourne (Hello, Mart 130!!!). The standard is just different. It's not that Malaysia serves bad western-y breakfasts, it's just not there yet. Anyhoos, please don't allow my words to discourage you because after all, it's just an individual's opinion. You can still give it a go! I'll probably try J&D's baked eggs next time :)

Time to wrap this up, J&D Cafe is a nice place to play catch up with friends. It provides a nice, chilling ambience where one can bring his/her laptop for assignment or work. I hear that J&D's coffee is their specialty. For coffee lovers out there, you know where to go. Will definitely revisit this place since mi casa is pretty near to Oasis!

G.B06, Oasis BU11

Lebuh Bandar Utama, PJU 6

47800 Petaling Jaya

Facebook page: J&D Espresso

Opening hours: Errday, everyday! [ 8am - 10pm ]

Au revoir,

Jx