1. 

If you were born in the 80s or earlier, the fervent cry of Thunder Thunder Thunder Thundercats may be nothing new to you.  After all, there were only 3 TV channels those days:  RTM1, RTM2 and TV3 and like it or not, one didn’t have much choice and everyone watched the same TV programmes.  That is, if one even bothered to tune in.  But now, just like how I am repulsed at the sight of ikan kembung goreng (fried mackerel), the only type of fish which was forced down my throat on a daily basis at the university’s dining hall by those affable makciks for four traumatic years of my life, similarly, I have the same repulsion for the 3 local TV channels.  I am accumulating my therapy bills in my tattered Badminton Master shoebox…..bills which will make me rich one day when I find a lawyer foolhardy enough to take my case.  Thunder thunder thunder……..

2.

Since my Chinese ethnicity is as watered down as the toddy served in most restaurants these days, you will understand how my mind normally draws a blank when someone mentions Hakka food.   Khaw yoke, a dish of pork belly and yam slices is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but really, there is a myriad of wonderful food that I’ve always enjoyed, not knowing its origin until I researched it further.  I later found out that two of my favourite dishes, chicken in rice wine and pork trotters in black vinegar had Hakka roots.

Last night, after the usual humming and hawing about where to go for dinner, we ended up at Ho Boh Hakka Restaurant at Bukit Tinggi Klang.  On an aside, I am amazed how Bukit Tinggi has exploded into a culinary diamond in the rough, when only 20 years ago, it was an undeveloped piece of land.  Where did all these restaurants come from?

We had the house specialty – Lui Cha (Thunder Tea Rice) (small – RM5.90).  It consisted of a bowl of rice covered with various crunchy vegetables like chopped long beans and leek, a mixture of dried shrimp and hard bean curd, and roasted peanuts.  A serving of mint tea in a bowl stood by the side;  one can choose to either pour the tea over the rice or drink it separately.  I found the tea refreshing, although somewhat thin, but was assured that they could make it thicker to my liking if I so preferred.  It had a rather grainy texture due to the combining of mint leaves, peanuts and tea leaves which were ground to a paste and later diluted with water to form a soupy consistency.  The overall flavour of the Lui Cha was very refreshing, partly due to the illusory effect of its green appearance.

Naturally, I couldn’t resist the Chicken in Yellow Wine (small -RM7) but found the wine a little too strong…..

…and the Pork Trotters in Black Vinegar (large RM9.90) which was just perfect.

Also check out Jules Eating Guide to Malaysia for more Hakka favourites at this restaurant.

Restoran Ho Boh
No. 8, Ground Floor, Jalan Batu Nilam 3,
Bandar Bukit Tinggi, 41200 Klang.

Tel: 03-3324 0547/ 012-322 6781

Open 10.30am to 10.00pm

Mum turns 60 next week. Since all my siblings were down, we decided to throw her a birthday lunch today. Mum is well-travelled and is exposed to various cuisines, but when it comes to special occasions, she’s old-fashioned and only a chinese meal would be good enough for her. Coupled with her various demands when it comes to chinese food, we felt that she would like our choice of restaurant.

We started our meal with the Five Seasons, a dish consisting of five different appetisers. The springrolls were nice and crispy but I found the minced sausage (in the foreground) a little salty. The salted eggs (on the right) was delicious, especially since the flesh had been mixed with fish paste.

We ordered two different types of chicken; fried, with sliced mangoes to give a nice, tangy taste, and steamed.

The pièce de résistance was the roasted suckling pig which we ordered a day earlier. The skin was crispy and done to perfection.

The steamed fish was just okay. The hot and spicy thai sauce that went with it somewhat made it a little more acceptable.

The vegetable dish consisted of celery with tofu.

We ended the meal with sang har meen (fried egg-noodles with prawns). Although it still ranks behind Green View Restaurant in PJ (which, incidentally, I think serves a mean sang har meen), this dish was pretty decent, the gravy rich with the flavours of the prawns.

And since we were celebrating mum’s birthday, there had to be a cake! We got this lovely chocolate cheese cake (I think they called it “Pralinosa”) from a mom & pop bakery called Australian Confectionary at Jalan Imbi. It was a welcome break from the usual stuff we get from the normal bakery chains in Malaysia. The proprietor, Susan Chan, was very accommodating to my quirks.

Loke Fook Moon Restaurant

No. 29, Lebuh Pulau Pinang, Pusat Perniagaan NBC, Jalan Meru, 41050 Klang

Branch: No. 30-32-34, Lrg Lang, Berkeley Garden, 411050 Klang

Tel: 03-3341 8241, 012-238 9531 (mobile)

Australian Confectionary

No. 74, Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2142 1759