Qin Han Lou Pun Choy

It was Kor Thung (Winter Solstice celebration), a day more significant than the Chinese Lunar celebration, and the day of the year for tong yuen (glutinous rice balls), which signifies completion of another year.

Grandma was in Bentong, with khaw foo and khum mou. Adrian and I made a trip there to celebrate the day with them. At dinner, we had the opportunity to try Qin Han Lou's seafood pun choy for dinner. First for me, it was quite a lavish looking dish. Quite a variety of seafood well arranged in the wooden tub, colourful and enticing :). On a personal note, it was not enticing enough to be worth the price paid (and there were three table that night), though I never got to know (will check with my khaw foo and update).

Among items in the tub were large prawns, scallops, clams, sea cucumber, abalone, shark's fin, and fish maw. Served with broccoli in clear gluey gravy, the portions were reasonabley adequate, though some had more and some less (understandable since it was seafood and some people do go nuts about seafood). The items appaered to have been steamed, braised or blanched before they were placed into the tub, hence the taste was light with a tinge of seafood sweetness.

Seafood pun choy

We had another dish of steamed fresh fish, lined with springy fishballs in light soy sauce. The fish was really fresh, hence the meat was crunchy and intact. Needless to say, the fish balls were made from fresh fish paste, rendering them crunchy and tasty. A another dish came along not long after the steamed fish was served, and it turned out to be lightly salted crispy fish scales (that of the steamed fish). Unordinarily, they turned out to be rather good :)

Steamed fish with springy fishballs, and crispy fried fish scales (that of the steamed fish)

This was definitely a Malaysian Chinese thing to have fruits served right after dinner. I would have had the fruits first if I had my say. The platter that came onto the table was quite pretty and colourful with oranges, watermelons, strawberries, and black grapes. Then they were all gone. :)

Golden Court Restaurant

It was a Saturday morning, and we were on our way to Bentong, this time for the wedding dinner hosted by my cousin-in-law to be, Mei Yee's parents for family, relatives and friends. The Mooi family was given a table for ten at the 30-over table dinner at the Qin Han Lou restaurant in the evening.

My Tai Yee and Tai Yee Cheong, together with two other cousins, Clavin and Kenix were invited too. Two cars travelled the Karak Highway. I always enjoy the scenic landscape along this highway, lovely and green.

We arrived close to lunch time, and Khaw Foo had booked a table at the Golden Court Restaurant, just few rows away from Qin Han Lou for lunch. A mini feast before the main feast. Boy, I remember telling myself I had to go on a week's diet after that.

The fried rice vermicelli was rather delicious with quite a generous splash of ingredients - shredded capsicums, sliced fish cakes, bean sprouts, minced pork, sliced onions, and chinese lettuce.

The tasty claypot yee mee was soft yet springy, with sliced pork, prawns, cuttle fish and romain lettuce (yau mak).

The thin, crispy pork slices were heavenly. Deep fried and coated with salty-sweet sauce, and served with fried anchovies and fresh cucumber cubes, the dish was mouth-watering, and certainly a must-try.

The stir-fried young watercress (sai yeong choy) was fresh and supple.

Homemade beancurds with angled loofah was light with the sweetness of the loofah. The fragrant beancurds were lightly fried on the outside with smooth inside.

Oriental Cravings

Oriental Cravings, located in the Rainforest section, is a semi open-air, al fresco-styled dining restaurant that combines the old kopitiam charm with contemporary minimalist aesthetics. Service is informal and speedy. The ambience is simple, accentuated by retro decoratives like charming vintage lamps, old family photographs, floral Malaccan Nyonya tiles, and vintage collectibles reminiscent of the days of old Malaya.

This was probably my tenth visit to this eatery after many months of not visiting it, and finally remembered to photograph some of the items offered by this non-halal restaurant.

Charcoal-roasted Segamat coffee with milk and ice was nice but nothing exceptional. There used to be another drink item, 'cham' (coffee-milk tea mix), which I found was a lot nicer and satisfying.

Charcoal-roasted Segamat coffee was a better choice as it was slightly more fragrant but might not appeal to non-coffee lovers.

Toast bread with butter and kaya was mediocre. The fragrant kaya (coconut-egg jam), however, was sufficiently sweet (though I would have preferred it to be smoother in texture), and that blended well with the saltish butter. Often referred as yin-yang by the Chinese, such simple snack, more often than not, gives very satisfying pleasure as one enjoys it with coffee, or tea :)

One of its signatures, the roast pork curry laksa that I had came with thick soup and few pieces of siew yuk (roast pork), and tasty red chillie-shrimp sambal paste. Priced at RM13.90 per bowl, though quite a generous portion, the laksa was only mediocre. The taste was not at all impressive, and definitely not a match to some of the laksa sold by hawkers in the northern states, namely Perak and Penang.

Stewed pork in black soy sauce with rice looked adn smelled really good when it was served up. The lean-fat pork chunks were soft and tender, and pork lovers would relish feasting on them with the tasty and fragrant gravy.

Another signature item, the rice wine chicken mee suah (wheat flour vermicelli) came steaming hot, and the chinese rice wine fragrance crept up our nostrils. The generous use of chinese rice wine in the soup rendered the soup rich with alcohol without an overpowering taste.

Generally, the pricing of the dishes are pricey for the standard and quality with exception to a few items such as the above. This eatery can be a once-a-while option on the list of places for eating out.

Oriental Cravings

359, Ground Floor (Rainforest section, New Wing)
1-Utama Shopping Centre
Lebuh Bandar Utama
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: 603-7727 2581/7726 3801
Business Hrs: 10am-10pm Daily
(Non-halal)

Restoran Famous Seremban Favourites

It was after my chiropractic session in Sunwaymas Commercial Centre in Dataran Prima, and we decided for lunch at this kopitiam (coffeeshop) further down the road from the clinic. The restaurant name was kind of lengthy, the place looked bare and cluttered at the same time.

Only one stall located at the main entrance. That was where one can order its famous char siew (BBQ pork). It was almost two in the afternoon, and char siew was running out. We managed to order some of that and siew yuk for two. Adrian had them with rice whilst I had Hakka Mee.

The char siew, available in quantity of small, medium, large and extra large for the price of RM5, RM10, RM15 and RM20 respectively, was good. Bit crispy on the outside, it was sweet and fragrant, with fats melted in our mouth. Too bad we could not order more. We would make it a point to go early the next round.

The siew yuk was not that good as they were bland and fragrantless. Then again, the restaurant is famous for the former and not the latter. I would say it's the best in PJ that I had, not considering the Meng Kee restaurant in Glenmarie Shah Alam.

Priced at RM3.50 for small and RM4.00 for large, the Hakka Mee was plain looking noodles topped with minced pork and some spring onions. This version was without the dark soy sauce, hence it was light but tasty.

Restoran Famous Seremban Favourites
80-1, Ground Floor
Jalan PJU 1/3B
Sunwaymas Commercial Centre (Aman Suria)
47301 Petaling Jaya
Business Hrs: 7.30am-4.30pm daily
Call 017-279 8582 (to check if still got stock)
Closed on Tuesdays

Taiping Ho Chiak Restaurant

Cham ping (iced tea-coffee)

We came across this place when we were actually looking out for Yu Ai restaurant in Cheow Yang area in SS2, PJ. My better half got 'diverted' when he saw this place and thought we should give this place a try. Well, perhaps it was because he married a Taiping girl, and Taiping is well known for good food. So I guess I can't really blame him for changing his mind ...haha :P

We ordered top hats, a.k.a pie tees which was priced at RM4.80 for six pieces. Whilst the filling was quite tasty, the pie tee cups weren't up to our expectations. Not crispy and were bit pale in fragrance for our liking.

Pie tee

Nyonya curry was mediocre for the price of RM5.90, but definitely not Taiping style nor as good as the ones in the Land of Peace, which soup is fragrant with curry leaves, smooth and rich with coconut milk.

The dry curry noodles was a disappointment as it turned out to be something skewed from, and below our expectations. At RM 6.90, the oily fried mee was served with chicken curry gravy and generous sprinkle of fried shallots. The curry was well flavoured and fragrant but the noodles should not had been pre-fried.

Roti babi, rather geniusly (or carelessly to perhaps some other race) named, was really good. Minced pork and crab meat sandwiched by two pieces of bread, dipped in egg and deep-fried. This dish is also found in some Hainanese restaurants, and would taste a little different as the filling would be at the creativity of chefs.

The restaurant adopted a traditional chinese theme with red ceiling, walls painted with windows and doors of olden chinese houses, as well as marble top tables and wooden chairs. The wall on the left inside the restaurant was mural with paintings of famous spots in Taiping, particularly the lake gardens. Outside, a wooden signage with chinese calligraphy hung atop the main entrance. On the left, there were glass shelves with kuih and other desserts such as curry puffs, kuih talam, yam cakes, ang ku and tong shui.

Taiping Ho Chiak

28, Jalan SS2/10

47300 Petaling Jaya

Tel/Fax: 603-7876 6648

(in Cheow Yang area, row behind the corner Cheow Yang restaurant)

Luk Yu Tea House

Luk Yu Tea House is quite an interesting looking restaurant among the many in the Feast Village in Starhill Gallery. As one steps onto the escalators from the ground floor down to the Feast Village, this restaurant is on the right below the escalators.

Restaurant entrance taken from the escalator leading up to the ground floor of Starhill Gallery

With grill looking wall panels of oriental chinese motifs, the place looking almost like a giant bird cage, which probably explains the empty bird cages hanging from the ceiling of the alfresco dining area as decors.

Gourmet dim sum of steamed crystal prawn dumpling, minced chicken and prawn dumpling, and minced chicken topped with strands of shark's fin dumpling was really good. Well flavoured and delicious, the prawns were fresh with crunchy, sweet flesh.

Deep-fried crispy beancurd skin roll with prawn and cheese was good. Warm crispy skin on the outside and large fresh prawns and chewy cheese filling. The crisp-fried chicken and yam spring roll was a little over-fried but nevertheless, tasty and not dry.

Century egg with chicken strips congee was quite smooth in texture (as many restaurants nowadays blend the porridge) and fragrant, though the century eggs were not all that smmoth and fine. Served hot, the congee was a warming meal for the stomach.

Fried noodles (yee mee) was mediocre but came with large prawns with crunchy flesh.

Salted fish and diced chicken fried rice was not fantabulously good; nothing to shout about and was bit dry.

Almond with cubed honeydew and sago was a lovely finish to the meal. Not overly sweet, with smooth milky texture and chewy sago.

Vinegar and chillie paste

Dining area inside the restaurant


Luk Yu Tea House

LG5 Feast Village

Starhill Gallery

181, Jalan Bukit Bintang

55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 603-2782 3850

Fax: 603-2782 3818

Oriental Pavillion

Table snack of braised-fried peanuts, beancurds and french beans

Cousin Anthony and cousin-in-law, Mei Yee had exchanged vows at the Thean Hou Temple in KL earlier and both families and immediate relatives and close friends gathered for dim sum brunch at Oriental Pavillion in Jaya33, Section 13 Petaling Jaya. Formerly the Oriental restaurant in the Old Jaya on the opposite side of Jalan Semangat.

As the food quality by the Oriental Group was quite a reputation, I had expected the same of this outlet that had also been given a new look. Rather disappointed as most of the dim sum items were not up to par; they were way too mediocre, too fishy or too porky, or too fat for the freaking expensive prices.

Pan-fried Shanghai dumpling

The pan-fried Shanghai dumplings, priced at RM6 for three pieces, were mediocre as I had better ones in Ramen in Damansara Uptown, PJ as well as Tai Thong restaurants. The freshly shredded ginger with chinese black vinegar was so little that we were not sure who should have the dumpling with the condiment.

Baked BBQ pork tarts, deep-fried prawn dumpling, steamed BBQ pork buns

Tai Thong's BBQ pork tarts are a lot better than these that we had. For three small pieces at RM5, the pastry was bit too thick, and the filling was just so so; neither tasty nor bland. The deep-fried prawn dumplings served with mayonnaise were dry to me and the pastry was not crispy. That RM6 for three pieces was not worth paying for. The BBQ pork buns filling had too much fatty pieces, and we had dig them out so as not to get too stodgy, though the bun skin was soft and not overly thick. They were served in three for RM5.

Roasted pork (siew yuk), BBQ pork (char siew), steamed beancurd

The roasted pork, BBQ pork and steamed beancurd (tofu) came in a platter. The roasted pork were way too thick and the skin were hardly crispy with an overly strong porky taste. The tofu was nothing to shout about, plain, hardly any fragrance and were flavoured by the light soy sauce. The BBQ pork was the only item that was good. Sweet, crispy fragrant chargrilled outer layer and tender on the inside, the proportion of fats was just nice and that melted in the mouth.

Braised Phoenix Chicken, steamed cheong fun with prawns, steamed fish balls

For RM6, the braised chicken feet was mediocre and were bit too oily yet dry to my liking. The steamed cheong fun (steamed rice sheets) with prawns, priced at RM10 per portion, were way too below standard as the skin were bit coarse and rather thick and hard. For that price, I had expected soft, smooth skin with tasty filling and it was real shame that Oriental compromised on its long standing reputation. The version that came with BBQ pork filling also needed tastier and flavourful filling. Steamed fish balls were far too fishy for a restaurant of such standard, as though they were made from some cheap rotten fish and we paid RM5 for a plate of three pieces.

Fried noodles, stir-fried chinese lettuce and pan-fried radish cakes

Fried noodles could do bit more with flavour and taste as I found it rather bland. The stir-fried chinese lettuce was not too bad as the lettuce were fresh and crunchy with the right hint of taste. Pan-fried radish cakes were bland and fragrantless. The pan-fried radish cakes sold in the night market in SS2 on Mondays and Cheow Yang on Thursdays by the one-man-show chinese hawker are far better than these, and they definitely cost less than RM6 with bigger portion.

I guess it's time to bid goodbye to this outlet as we would unlikely to re-visit it.

Oriental Pavillion

Level 1, Jaya33

Jalan Semangat

46200 Petaling Jaya