Category Archives: Location: Golden Triangle

Scoop Ten Dessert House, Sungei Wang Plaza

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I’ve always been fascinated with Sungei Wang Plaza. This is the place to go to if you don’t want to visit a replica of 15 other malls in the city. You can find anything from the cute to the extravagant, from trendy harajuku fashion to goth.

On the 6th floor of Sungei Wang Plaza is a little-known gem. No, I’m not talking about Green Box Karaoke where Jay Chou wannabes congregate. Neither am I referring to the shop selling the multi-coloured bikinis.

On the far end of the 6th floor, right next to the lifts, is a tong sui (chinese desserts) shop. The leaflet advertises the following (presumably direct translation from chinese): Desserts: Mark Jook, Ma Tai Lu, Mook See, Kufar Sam Su, Fun See, Mei Fun Min, Choon Fun, Put Chi Koo, Nasi Lemah, Loxi Fun Egg Tar, Wokok and Cared Kuih. *grin* If you can get past the ludicrous spelling, be prepared for a treat.

tong sui
If you do visit this place, you must try the tong sui. I had the pak kor foo chuk yee mai (gingko barley with foo chuk dessert) which, despite being a little watery, was full of flavour and not too sweet.

bak chang
char siew pau

Because it was lunch time, we decided to try the savoury items on the menu. Barbie had the bak chang, while Eeyore and I tried the char siew pau which had a substantial amount of pork filling which was not over-minced.

porridge
I also ordered a bowl of porridge which was served with lean meat, century egg and yau char kway. The generous portion of finely sliced ginger and spring onions, and a dash of sesame oil enhanced the flavour of the porridge. I was certainly pleased with this find.

It’s no wonder that Eeyore used to frequent this place twice a day for tong sui.

Scoop Ten Dessert House
No. 6F-38, 6th Floor, Sungei Wang Plaza, KL.

Saigon Village, Jln Imbi – Vietnamese food

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Considering the fact that lemongrass is used a lot in vietnamese cuisine, I should be a big fan. But, in reality, I must admit that I am not very exposed to vietnamese food, having sampled it only 3 times in my life. My ignorance stems from the fact that I have yet to collide into a vietnamese restaurant that makes my senses tingle, but it could very well be a case of the chicken and the egg. Unfortunately, if I don’t consciously look out for one, then it’s quite unlikely that the mountain will come to Mu….on second thoughts, scrap that. All we need is another Rosnah/TV3 incident.

So as far as food blogs go, once upon a time, Barbie and I found ourselves in a situation where we were sick of eating chinese food for lunch, and coupled with the fact that we found a parking space 10 metres away from Saigon Village, we knew it was our destiny to have our Friday lunch at this restaurant. I suppose, in all honesty, it was the parking space that predominantly dictated our decision; it would be a lie to say we were sick of eating chinese food. Laziness does cause one to make new discoveries.

Saigon Village

The restaurant looks like it has been around for ages, as I’ve noticed it everytime I take the turn around Jalan Imbi towards Soo Kee (Sang Har Meen). About 5 tables were occupied when we entered the place. Most of the diners were huddled in quiet conversations. The restaurant was running a lunch special (RM8.90) consisting of a main rice or noodle dish from a long selection of dishes, a bowl of soup and a chinese/vietnamese tea. With only less than an hour to go, we agreed to order the lunch hour special.

Noodles with spring rolls and lemongrass chicken

Barbie’s order of rice vermicelli with spring rolls and lemongrass chicken came with a bowl of sweet sauce which is supposed to be poured over the noodles. A sprinkling of peanuts stirred together with the rest of the ingredients (including bean sprouts and sliced cucumbers) reminds me of a refreshing salad made of crunchy ingredients. According to Barbie, the sweetness of the vegetables enhanced the flavour of the dish, which would otherwise have been rather bland.

Duck curry noodles

I like duck, and was immediately drawn to the picture of the duck curry noodles on the menu. The waiter recommended this dish too, so I ordered it. This dish was generously topped with sliced roast duck which had just been added to the bowl of noodles; the meat had yet to fully absorb the flavours of the curry resulting in a delicate balance of flavours, both from the duck and from the lemongrass flavoured curry. The curry was, in my opinion, rather thin, but to its credit, it was more drinkable than a thick, coconut milk-laced curry. A substantial amount of ladies fingers and cucumbers were added to this bowl of noodles. I didn’t care much for the vermicelli which was bland, and I thought the vegetables were too raw, but I certainly enjoyed the tender flesh of the roast duck and wolfed down every piece.

Soup

The accompanying bowl of soup (which tasted very much like hot and spicy szechuan soup) was nondescript.

Probably not a place I’d be in a hurry to introduce my friends to.

Saigon Village Restaurant

No. 45, Jalan Barat

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 KL

Tel: 03-2142 6296

Meng Kee, Jalan Alor – grilled fish and sotong

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Food bloggers’ gathering – Part 2 of 3

You know how when you’re on a blind date and you discover new things about the other person and you don’t want it to end so you look for reasons to make sure the evening never ends? That must be how it was with us as we proceeded to our next stop just a few restaurants away from Wong Ah Wah. That, and the fact that we were still ravenous (translated: greedy). Sucking and licking the sauce off balitongs (whelk?) just don’t cut it.

Meng Kee
Grilled fish was next on the menu, and Meng Kee grills a mean fish! Nestled among several stalls, it is easy enough to spot (and smell) this place. Be prepared for a barrage of sales talk as several waiters try to persuade you to sit at their stall, thereby securing your business. Once we sat down, several dishes were promptly ordered. I did say, after all, that we were famished.

hor chien

char koay teow
A plate of hor chien (fried oyster omelette) and two plates of char koay teow (fried flat rice noodles) were placed in front of us. Although the char koay teow had the vital ingredient, cockles, it still lacked oomph. But when you’re hungry, everything is edible and delicious!

grilled fish
Shortly after that, two plates of grilled ikan pari (stingray) and a plate of chilli fried sotong (squid) arrived. The grilled fish tasted lovely, with a nice thin crisp skin and moist (!) flesh without being overdone (which can be a problem if you don’t grill the fish correctly). Unfortunately, the first piece that I picked up had some slime at the bottom, which brought to mind a tale of lonely fishermen in the deep seas related by WMW just minutes before, and I held my breath for a moment before savouring the fish. Who says I don’t have balls? Seriously though, the grilled fish was very tasty. Honest!

sotong
Everyone agreed that the chilli fried squid was the best dish at this stall. The spicy dish was fried with lots of thick cut onions and curry leaves and the squid was not at all rubbery.

All the above were achieved together with enigmatic discussions about personal lives and food interests under open skies dotted by fairy lights and chinese lanterns. Very much like a first date.