Kum Chuan Coffee Shop: Hawker Food @ SS13, Subang Jaya

Yes, you read it right. Hawker food. I thought it was time to be blogging about my true blue Malaysian side.

Being half Penangite and faithfully paying annual visits to the Pearl of the Orient, I've appreciated hawker food for as long as I can remember; much thanks to my parents who exposed me to local cuisine. So just FYI, my foodie journey doesn't strictly evolve around cafés and coffee (:

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Time of visit: 8.15 a.m. (peak hour) on a weekday 

Kum Chuan Restaurant is a coffee shop in SS13 which has been open for quite some time. I've made several visits here before and was never particularly disappointed.

Here's the must-order for any hawker food breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper. A cup of goodness a.k.a. kopi ais (to my non-Malaysian readers, this is our version of coffee and milk).

This was pretty darn good. I'd say it's kao enough (kao - thick, bold in flavour, has "body" ... you get the idea). In all honesty, I could have gone for seconds.

As for food, these are the 3 main dishes you should order:

Curry laksa with slices of char siew. One of my foodies mentioned that this has less coconut milk than the one she typically has. I thought this was quite well done! Bear in mind that this is a KL version of curry noodles which is different from the Penang version. 

Wantan noodles with char siew. I do recommend this if you're the type who goes for a slightly sweeter and more flavourful version of wantan noodles. The noodles were well mixed in the sauce before serving.

Hakka noodles. Verdict from my Sarawakian friend: this is close to authentic. Note: close. Still a dish I recommend trying out at this place! 

And of course, no hawker food breakfast is complete without the dynamic duo to accompany all the dishes you've ordered above: roti bakar (toasted bread; typically served with kaya and butter) and soft boiled eggs/half-cooked eggs. 

Yes, I still had room in my tummy for these so you can imagine my monstrous appetite. 

The best seat in the house? Under the tree/umbrella outside. That's where you'll get to experience the hawker food ambiance. 

Note: All dishes mentioned above are less than RM5 each. Sorry, I didn't get down the exact prices. #IrresponsibleFoodBlogger

Special thanks to Hanny & Aric, two foodie friends of mine, for accompanying me!

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Address: Corner of Jalan SS13/1A, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Closed on: Sundays

Opening hours: 7.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Stay tuned for my next post on a food trail done in Damansara! Have a great day, everyone (:

Fuel Coffee, Damansara Uptown

Damansara Uptown. An area in which its culture I have yet to explore although I can strongly vouch for the fact that the availability of parking spots depends on your luck like most congested places.

Thanks to a fellow blogger friend, Carmen, who discovered and was so keen on visiting this cafe, we managed to schedule a meet up this Saturday afternoon - to which was our second time meeting in real life since the Cosans bloggers event (read about it here).

Setting

Recently opened about four months ago by a guy from Beijing, this place looks pretty hip from the outside I must say. Spot the old-school post box.

I personally thought this is clever.

Much of its decoration comprise antique subjects and mostly household items in which may seem odd in terms of its placing but somehow suit the cafe's environment. 

Matchstick pens.

Nope, not my journal. Their menu looks like this and the charm is very Vintage 1988.

 What went into our tummies

What this place is known for: Bonsai Coffee [RM10.90]. As a coffee lover, it's not a superb cuppa but I was particularly amazed at its conceptualization of a bonsai plant - the warm coffee insulated by cool whipped cream sprinkled with Oreo crumbs and topped with mint leaves. 

A tip on how to consume this: don't eat all the whipped cream at once (I know, it's Oreo but control yourselves). Instead, drink it to a point where you can taste both the whipped cream and coffee. That's where it gets interesting.

Iced cappuccino [RM10.90] and Carmen's lil bro.

Hot Mocha [RM10.90] which was different from the usual where you can distinctly taste both coffee and chocolate. This one had a nice balance but was really mild.

Old Beijing Noodles with Chicken Chop [RM10.90]. Mind you, mix thoroughly before consuming to ensure the flavour of the excellently marinated minced pork is coated on each strand of the noodles! It is served with chili which looks like the chili pan mee's chili drenched in oil.

We also ordered Leek Pork Dumplings [RM10.90 - I just noticed every thing we ordered costs the same price respectively]. In all honesty, we spent a bit too long shooting pictures of our orders so this became a little cold when we ate them, unfortunately. However, it was still pretty tasty on the inside! I personally expected a bit more filling to it.

So where's the best seat in the house? 

It definitely has to be by the window! Excellent lighting for photoshoots for you Instgrammers and photographers out there.

Before signing off, presenting the fellow blogger:

Thanks for recommending the place and for your great company. Also thanks to Benny and Carmen's little brother for being great company too as well as extra tummies!

Click on Carmen to visit her blog (:

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Address: 111G, Jalan SS21/37, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Contact number: +60377336895

Email: fuelcoffee.my@gmail.com

AH OR Chu Yuk Fun @ Dataran Mentari, Sunway

Confession: I'm a particular person when it comes to what one would claim to be a good bowl of pork noodles

Just a note before you proceed: in case you are not aware, you may follow my blog via email or with your Google account. Just check out the sidebar on the left. I regularly share pictures on my Instagram, not necessarily food, but just bits and pieces of my favourite things and news.

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Alright, back to business. This post has been structured chronologically. You'll see why by the end of the review.

Does anyone actually remember Quilin Restaurant (I actually didn't myself so I had to Google it up)? Once upon a time, many years ago (probably almost a decade ago because I was really young), there and then was a single pork noodle stall amongst the many other food stalls under one roof. Something was so unique about this simple-looking bowl of pork noodles which tested the patience of every single customer due to its waiting time. They say that waiting for just one bowl can take up to 45 minutes or even an hour. To refresh your memories, check out this blog post here.

A few years later, the restaurant with food stalls closed down and was converted to a cafe (now known as Daiki Cafe) and above situated a shop lot hotel. Fans of the pork noodle stall were wondering where the business moved to. Did they even decide to stay in Subang Jaya?

Much later (I apologize for I really do not remember the specific dates), people started to discover where they shifted to. It was still an individual stall at a restaurant called Pomander. Next to them was a chicken rice stall which I thought I'd try, but I never did because a bowl of pork noodles sounded way better regardless of how long I had to wait as compared to chicken rice.

Photo source: http://www.vkeong.com/2010/03/pork-noodles-restoran-pomander-ss15-subang-jaya/

It didn't take long for them to own the lot.

As of today.

I used to head there for lunch sometimes but I've stopped about a year ago because one of the ladies was just not very pleasant to my friends and I. So to those who would still like to head there, don't expect too much from their service. They have so much business they can afford to not smile at you. Order your bowl(s), sit, have a chat with your friends or what you might probably do is play Candy Crush Saga on your smart phone, don't leave while waiting for your order (yes, don't leave your seat), Instagram your food, eat, leave and be happy that way.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

That's the bowl. And like I said, I haven't been there in a year. If I'm not mistaken, that bowl definitely will cost you more than RM6.00. Adding an egg would cost you RM1.00 and of course, the bigger your bowl gets, the more you pay. 

During my first year of university, a friend of mine mentioned that this pork noodle business expanded to another branch in Dataran Mentari, Sunway. I remember I was craving for pork noodles that day and I was eager to check this one out.

Photo source: http://my.openrice.com/klangvalley/restaurant/ah-or-chu-yuk-fun/274133/

And good lord, I was the happiest girl in the world. From the many times I've been there, I've only waited a MAXIMUM of half an hour for one bowl (but that was because there were so many people). I usually wait 10 - 15 minutes. Apparently, this one is owned by the sister of the guy based in SS15. Ever since this discovery, I never went back to the SS15 branch again. I should add that looking for a parking spot here in Dataran Mentari is way easier too!

I like how they don't mash up the egg and leave the yolk in its original shape. I have this love for egg yolks, you see. 

The menu is as such for this branch:

Small [RM6.00]
Large [RM7.00]
Special [RM12.00]
Dry (comes with a bowl of soup) [RM7.00]

With egg [add RM1.00]


The soup for Ah Or's is clearer than Ooi Noodle House in SS15 for some reason. There is much resemblance to the flavour but I personally prefer Ah Or's mainly because of how they present their dish, the aunties are way nicer and that I do not have to wait centuries for my meal. I'm still curious as to why Ooi Noodle house takes an hour to serve one bowl whereas Ah Or's can do it within half an hour to most.

So to this date, I have not discovered anywhere serving pork noodles either similar or better than this; even in Penang (or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough). If you think there's a bowl of pork noodles out there which is way better than this one, drop me a comment/email by all means! 

They have a Facebook page with, sadly, only 24 likes when I visited while doing research for this place.

Then I spotted this flyer!

I haven't checked out the other two branches yet but if you have, let me know how it is like. I personally did not know that they have expanded to 4 branches in total for now. 

Information for Ah Or Chu Yuk Fun @ Sunway:

Address: No. 3, Jalan PJS8/17, Dataran Mentari, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AH-OR-Chu-Yuk-Fun-%E7%8C%AA%E8%82%89%E7%B2%89/302612109769427

Penang One @ Puchong

Penang food lovers, this might just be your lucky day!

I am truly a fan of Penang food. I visit Penang at least once a year (usually during Chinese New Year) and to my own surprise, I am still not bored of their food. I don't see myself going like this one day, "Penang food? Meh!" because of how nearly everything I consume there never ceases to provide a taste of not only food heaven in my terms, but also indescribably like home. The craving for Padang Brown Lok Lok just kicked in as I'm typing this out. I kid you not. Because I only head there about once a year, many at times I would be craving Penang delicacies. 

I usually end up disappointed at most of the so-called "Penang style dishes" I've tried in Selangor/KL. They do not have proper Penang Hokkien mee, the curry mee resembles the maggi mee seasoning flavour (FYI: They call it curry laksa in KL), chee cheong fun, if truly done Penang style, is done wrongly at so many levels and prawn noodles have prawns so tiny they should be called shrimps. Also, as a big asam laksa lover who has eaten 7 bowls within the span of 5 days, I should add that I don't particularly find the Air Itam Asam Laksa at Asia Cafe all that fascinating. It's like looking up into the sky without fireworks. If you get what I mean.

Dad found this place some time ago and I feel so lucky. Travelling through the Puchong jam, or for now perhaps the divergence and new routes set due to construction, is far more worth it than to be travelling hundreds of kilometers to the origin itself. Penang One's ingredients all come from Penang which I believe is possibly one of the reasons as to why they price their food as such (refer to sections below).

The signboard outside.

Founded on 30th September 2010 and located in Bandar Puteri Puchong, Penang One serves a good spread of Penang food ranging from curry mee to asam laksa, chee cheong fun, duck meat kuey teow t'ng, muar chee and more. I normally head there on Sunday afternoons and their restaurant is packed packed packed! 

The signboard inside and below is a display of all the roads where their food come from.

And if pictures on the wall ain't enough to make your tummy rumble, you can watch the screen to see how they do your food here and also in Penang tiself.

Menu

The menu displays two of the very few famous murals in Penang and hunting for them on foot/bicycles is one of the main tourist attractions.

They also display the origin of each main dish (including the coordinates, wow!).

Oh thank goodness for these! 

Nothing comes cheap in Kuala Lumpur, really.

Some might argue that is is really not worth the price seeing how one bowl of Hokkien mee costs more than twice the price of what you can get in Penang. Face it, you're hundreds of kilometers away and this is the best you can get. Close enough!

What went into our tummies

Tee Nya Kuih [RM3.50] I usually call it ee-nya kuih.

This is PRECISELY what you will get if you were to purchase this in Penang!

Chee Cheong Fun [RM3.90]

Just look at that glorious, beautifully done, thick hae ko (shrimp paste) sauce! 

Hokkien mee [RM8.50]

This is my absolute favourite of the lot! I am so glad that there's a whole half-boiled egg now instead of half. Plenty of liao in that one bowl like pig skins, pork meat and bean sprouts. I try to not dry up my bowl but most of the time, I simply cannot help myself.

Special Curry Mee [RM8.50]

This is how it's done! Not to mention the existence of this in the bowl:

Pig's Blood! Yes, that's an empty bowl.

Char Kuey Teow [RM9.50]

I don't eat char kuey teow as often as I eat Hokkien mee (don't judge me). My brother says that this is the best he has ever had.

Char Pui [RM9.50]

My brother eats a lot so he had this for seconds. It tastes a bit bland though. I think you can get a better plate of fried rice at SS15 restaurant opposite Foh Foh.

Cendol [RM5.00]

No Penang experience is complete without a bowl of either cendol or ais kacang. We opted for cendol but I was not too happy with this one. I guess it was a mistake to have left it alone for too long (because we were busy indulging in other dishes). So if you happen to order this, stir and eat this immediately! I have tried the ice kacang before and it would be a better option than the cendol, in my opinion. 

A couple of tips

If you can resist it, try to not order the lobak. The price is insane.

See? I've tried it before and it's not that it's bad but I wouldn't recommend it. 

Be careful when heading there because the roads have changed slightly due to actions taken to ease the traffic. Plan your route before going if you are unfamiliar with Puchong. A landmark would be Giant Bandar Puteri which is in the opposite area.

They only accept payment in cash.

Information:

Address: 5, Jalan Puteri 2/1, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
Operating Days: Mondays - Sundays
Operating Hours: 9.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.
Contact no.: +60380520181
Website: http://www.penang-one.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Penang.One
Parking: Public
Wifi: Available but password protected

The verdict says: ★ ★ ★ ¼ (out of 4)