8 ROAD, Puchong, Selangor

Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni Ya! Gong Xi Gong Xi Gong Xi Ni!

Gong Xi Fa Cai or Happy Chinese New Year to all our Chinese friends and fans out there.

As you all know, it’s almost impossible to find a Chinese restaurant that’s open and not overly priced during this festive season. =( =( =(

Not to worry, as we have the perfect solution for you Chinese food lovers out there!!!

Sek Sek Sek!!!

Egg Foo Young (Literally means Lotus Egg. Also means Chinese Omelette) (RM10)

Shiv: Pretty good. The edges were crispy and they were generous with the ingredients used. Also, marks awarded for not being soggy and not having an egg-y smell.

Gaj: I am not a big fan of egg, but enjoyed this dish immensely. Agreed Shiv, no egg-y smell.

Kav: One of the better Egg Foo Young’s that I have tried. The dried shrimp and onions made for a savoury and flavourful egg. To top it off, the egg was fluffy and moist. Loves!!!

Claypot Bean Curd (Handmade) (RM15)

Shiv: Mediocre, as the flavour of the thickened broth was way too subdued. But again, they were very generous with the assorted mushrooms and vegetables. Not too shoddy, as the tofu itself was delish!

Gaj: The ingredients were great, but something was amiss with this one! Missed the mark by a tad!

Kav: Love the handmade tofu used, as it was soft and the texture and flavour of the fried tofu was perfect with the gravy. The gravy itself was only average, however they were generous with the ingredients.

Spare Ribs (RM15)

Shiv: Disappointing! The ribs were fresh and tender, but the sauce coating it was just tooo sweet, almost dessert-like. Sadly, the pig gave its life in vain for this one.

Gaj: The sauce was waaayyy too sweet, but the pork itself was very tender and done well. Perhaps order a different variation of the pork if you are not a big fan of sweet sauces.

Kav: Way too sweet!!! Also the pieces were a little dried out.

Butter Cream Tiger Prawns (RM35)

Shiv: Absolutely brilliant! Unlike the creamy butter prawns you find nowadays, the butter flakes were super light, fluffy and flavourful, and the prawns were huge and fresh. A real bargain for the price and a definite must have here.

Gaj: Freshness, check! Fluffy flakes, check! Super yummylicious, check! A must must have!

Kav: WOW!!! It’s been a long time since I’ve had butter prawns that were this good. It was authentic, with the texture of the flakes done to perfection. The prawns were fresh and cooked perfectly. Just YUMMY!!!

Fried Sambal with Four Beans (RM12)

Shiv: Simply scrumptious! The greens were fresh and abundant, and the sambal belacan was super aromatic, spicy and salty. Savour it with plain white rice for a heavenly mouthful.

Gaj: A staple in most Chinese restaurants and this was just perfect!

Kav: Loved this dish. The vegetables were crunchy and not overdone. The sambal was not overly sweet like most other belacan dishes and it was savoury and infused well with garlic and shrimp.

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Very reasonable. Tiger prawns were really cheap as there were 6 big pieces. (RM90.90 for seven items – 4pax, inclusive of two plates of rice at RM1.20 each and three glasses of Chinese tea at RM0.50 each)

AMBIENCE: Typical Chinese restaurant, complete with fish tank in the corner and white board on the wall creating an authentic ambience and hence a bona fide oriental experience.

SERVICE: Excellent. Waiters were more than willing to explain the dishes on the menu and were very obliging to our requests.

FOOD: Amazing food. Authentic and delicious Chinese cuisine!!!

8 ROAD

12A/15, JALAN KENARI 8,

BANDAR PUCHONG JAYA,

47100 PUCHONG, SELANGOR

Tel: +603 8070 2852

Mobile: +6017 329 1119

Opening Hours:

11.00 am – 3.00 pm

5.00pm – 11.00pm

(Open daily except the second Tuesday of every month)

Canoodling, Bangsar Village II, Kuala Lumpur

Let’s CANOODLE!!!

Another one of The B.I.G group restaurants, Canoodling serves Chinese hawker food in a very convenient and affordable way.

These are what we had:

Dan Dan Mein (RM12.90)

Hand-made noodles tossed in a peanut buttery spicy Szechuan sauce with minced chicken heaped with curly cucumber & crunchy peanuts.

However, we replaced the hand-made noodles to charcoal noodles... SCORE!

Mien: This is my usual at Canoodling. Love the peanut-y taste, mixed with the taste of the charcoal noodles. Tasty on its own or with the Pan Mee chilli. LOVES! Peanut butter lovers... this is the one for you!!!

Shiv: The pleasant and aromatic taste of peanut sauce, married with the earthiness of the charcoal noodles make this a go-to dish here. Simplistic and fresh – reminiscent of rojak pasembor.

Kav: Nicely done dish. The peanut sauce and charcoal noodles are a good pairing. Taste better with a heaped spoon of Pan Mee chilli (not for the faint of heart though).

Gaj: Enjoyed this dish, a big favourite amongst peanut butter lovers!

Pasta Pad Thai (RM14.90)

A classic reinvented; linguine stir-fried Thai-style with prawns, squid, egg & bean sprouts, garnished with fresh coriander & peanuts.

Mien: Tasty... Just the right amount of spice and sourness! You can taste the ‘Thai-ness’ of this dish!

Shiv: Loved this. The linguine was al dente and the Thai-style base coating the pasta was not sweet, as you find in most pad thai noodles. Not too spicy, and the freshness of the seafood is worth a mention.

Kav: Loved this dish. The tanginess of the sauce was perfect together with the crunchy bean sprouts and earthy coriander. Again add a little Pan Mee chilli for a little spice!!!

Gaj: I am usually not a big fan of pad thai as it is has a sweetness to it, but this dish was good, not too sweet and generous amount of ingredients.

Wok Fried Loh Shu Fun (RM14.90)

Thick rice noodles wok-fried with seafood, egg, beansprouts, chives, a touch of chilli and garlic.  

This noodle comes with sambal.

Again, we decided to become chefs, and requested for the thick rice noodles to be replaced with yellow egg noodles.

Mien: One of the better Loh Shu Funs I have tasted in a loooong time. Really good. The sambal is sour and spicy! Yummy!!

Shiv: Fantastic! They managed to achieve the brilliant wok hei flavour, and the garlic adds a nice pungency to the dish. This one needs no help with additional condiments.

Kav: The garlic-y flavour combined with the wok hei and seafood flavour was just sublime. The replacement of the noodles were brilliant as egg noodles are more flavourful than the Loh Shu Fun noodles (not a big fan of Loh Shu Fun noodles).

Gaj: Probably the best dish of the night! Love the spiciness of the dish and the yellow egg noodle actually taste better than the thick rice noodles. Great swap idea, Kav!

XO Chee Cheong Fun (RM6.90)

Wok-fried rice flour sheets in our special XO sauce, made with dried shrimps, scallops, chillies, garlic & spices.

Mien: This has a very unique taste, but in a good way! The portion is small as this is an appetiser.

Shiv: The xo sauce had a deliciously unique flavour, but I wish they had been a little more generous with the shrimps and scallops, as the chee cheong fun can be quite floury without the host of other ingredients to help it. Also, I wish they would serve this in a regular portion so big eaters, such as moi, can have our fill… =)

Kav: Agree that it should come in a bigger portion, as I couldn’t get enough of it. This was hands down the best dish of the night. Was very much like a classic Char Kuey Teow except with thicker rice flour sheets. My only complaint is that there was a lack of ingredients as the noodles were thick and it drowned the other ingredients and flavouring. Loves!!!

Gaj: This dish is interesting, I have never had this variation of Chee Cheong Fun before. It was really good, the spiciness and XO sauce complimented the Chee Cheong Fun. A perfect dish if you are not too hungry and a small portion is sufficient.

* Canoodling is now closed until further notice. Their rental contract with Bangsar Village II ended, and it is in the process of finding a new home! QUICKLY FIND A HOME CANOODLING!!!!!!!!!

** Ricetaurant, under the B.I.G group as well is located directly next to Canoodling, and one can order from the Ricetaurant menu in Canoodling and vice-versa. However, Ricetaurant is also closed due to the same reason as Canoodling.

Auf Wiedersehen Canoodling, until we meet later!

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Reasonably priced for hawker style food in an accessible, clean and convenient environment.

AMBIENCE: Simple decorations and child friendly. They provide crayons for doodling and most of their utensils are plastic, so no danger of tiny tots breaking anything.

SERVICE: Prompt, good service, and the waiters are more often than not willing  to oblige our requests to swap to different varieties of noodles.

FOOD: Good, tasty hawker style food. We will definitely revisit when Canoodling sets up shop at another location.

CANOODLING,

2F-29, SECOND FLOOR,

BANGSAR VILLAGE 2,

NO.1 JALAN TELAWI 1,

BANGSAR BARU,

59100 KUALA LUMPUR

Opening Hours:

11am -10pm, daily.

(9.45pm: Bar & Kitchen last order.)

Hao Kee Seafood Restaurant, Kuala Lukut, P.D.

You know how it feels when life gets monotonous, boring and tiresome, and it’s time for a vacation? Those were the sentiments of Kav and Shiv in the beginning of July. 

Thus, plans were made, bags were packed, and they were headed for Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan with their parents (Guest #1 and Guest #2).

The obvious thing to do was to try one of the seafood restaurants, and we spent a good hour scouting for one. Our search ended at Hao Kee Seafood Restaurant in Kuala Lukut, Lukut.

The restaurant was situated in a very obscure location, on the way to one of the Kuala Lukut jetties, thus freshness GUARANTEED!

*The adjoining temple added a unique touch to the restaurant.

We brought our own alcohol, and to our pleasant surprise, they did not charge a corkage fee.  We had the 2009 Hardys Merlot Varietal Range and a bottle of Tiger beer for daddy dearest.

Shiv: When it comes to wine, we are quite clueless, but nevertheless, it was light, slightly fruity, and a good way to whet our appetites.

Kav: I really liked this wine. Agree with Shiv that it was mildly fruity, and it went well with the food.

Our first dish to arrive at the table was Kangkung Belacan, or morning glory with shrimp paste (RM8 – small).

Shiv: This was soo good! The belacan was just pungent enough, and it coated the kangkung well. It also did not have small stones (due to inadequate washing) that you may sometimes find in other Chinese restaurants.

Kav: The one thing I love to order in a Chinese restaurant is kangkung belacan. This one was exquisite. The belacan was extremely savoury, just the way I like it. The kangkung was cooked to perfection, it was crunchy and yummy.

Guest #1: Excellent. Good blend of ingredients.

Guest #2: Agreed. Really delicious.

Next up was Sautéed Brinjal and Longbeans (RM10 – small).

Shiv: The sauce was like none other I have ever tasted. So garlic-y and the brinjal was cooked to perfect firmness, and the long beans was very crunchy. Off the hook!

Kav: Delicious. The brinjal and long beans combo was a hit. The gravy was thick and savoury. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Guest #1: Mouth-watering, and it reminded me of Nyonya cuisine.

Guest #2: Not a common combination, but nevertheless, it was very tasty.

Then came the Butter Prawns, and we ordered the shelled version (RM24 – small).

Shiv: As a self-declared butter prawn lover, this was a HUGE, I repeat, HUGE disappointment. The sauce was sweet (hate that in my savoury dishes), and lacked flavour. Credit must be given though to the freshness of the prawn, as it was seriously fresh – no complaints about that.

Kav: This was the only dish that I was disheartened with. From my previous experiences, I believe that there are two common preparations of butter prawns – a creamy base and a dry, flaky, floss-like preparation. Personally, I prefer the latter. However, the one we had was the former. It tasted like a modified thousand island sauce, and was too sweet. The only consolation was that the prawns were really fresh.

Guest #1: Mediocre, but prawns were fresh.

Guest #2: The preparation left much to be desired, although the freshness of the prawns compensated to a certain extent.

Chilly Crab was next on the list (RM45 per 1kg).

Shiv: The gravy was aplenty, and the crabs were ridiculously fresh. Best dish of the night. At 

the end of the meal, we ordered an extra serving of rice to polish off the balance gravy. #toogoodtobetrue.

Kav: Crabs! Crabs! Crabs! Loves! Loves! Loves! The crabs were simply scrumptious, and it was so fresh, and although it didn’t need any flavouring, the accompanying chilly gravy was just to die for.

Guest #1: Fresh, juicy and definitely calls for a revisit.

Guest #2: Being my all-time favourite food, it was craby-licious!

We then had Steamed Ikan Jenahak, or Golden Snapper Fish, in Ginger and Soy Sauce (RM50 per 1kg).

Shiv: The sauce was light and salty, and the ginger shreds went well with the fish. Good.

Kav: I suspect that they may have overcooked the fish as it was a little dry. Nevertheless, the gravy was very well-flavoured. The heat from the ginger, and the saltiness of the soy sauce perfectly complemented the fish.

Guest #1: As fresh as it gets. Taste-wise, excellent.

Guest #2: One of the better steamed fish preparations I have tasted in a while.

Our meal concluded with Claypot Pai Kuat, or pork ribs (RM12 – small).

Shiv: Ordered out of sheer greed, as I love myself some good pork ribs, and let me just say, it did not disappoint. The gravy had a herbal taste to it (imagine bak kut teh broth thickened with corn flour), and it was DIVINE!

Kav: For you pork lovers out there, this is a must have! The meat was so tender, and it just melted in my mouth. The gravy was viscous with just a hint of sweetness, and it carried the earthy flavour of the claypot.

Guest #1: The variety of ingredients complemented the pork, and added to its taste.

Guest #2: Despite being full, it brought back memories of comfort food, and was a very pleasing way to end our meal.

Verdict: WOK ON!

PRICE: Very reasonable. Our bill came up to RM164.90 (inclusive of 6 dishes and 5 small bowls of rice).

AMBIENCE: Very serene atmosphere, which can be credited to the adjoining temple and the fact that it was in the middle of nowhere.

SERVICE: Excellent. Small town hospitality at its best.

FOOD: Fresh, delicious food par none (with the exception of the butter prawns). Will most definitely come back for round two!

HAO KEE SEAFOOD RESTAURANT,

NO.19, KAMPUNG KUALA LUKUT,

LUKUT, 71010,

PORT DICKSON, NEGERI SEMBILAN

Tel: +6016 666 8811 / +6016 626 0321