Of Malaysia Day & Street Food Pride

Street Food @ O&S Restaurant, Paramount

A case of Penang Street Food in KL? (O&S Restaurant @ Paramount Garden Penang Char Kuey Teow, Chee Cheong Fun and Yong Tau Foo)

My apologies, in case you were trying desperately to reach this blog yesterday, only to view an Internal Server Error screen. After missing out on the extended 3 days break due to a haphazardly-planned regional training session at Saujana, I thought at least Id compensate by sharing a Malaysia Day story.

Only to be frustrated by an unprecedented crash.

I guess life has its own ways in telling you what to do (or in this case, what NOT to do) on a well-deserved holiday. Two days late, but better late than never .. heres an interesting piece to spice up your Sunday, and soften the blow of the impending Monday blues.

Yong Tau Foo Stall

They dont serve the Yong Tau Foo with noodles or rice here, but why should you lament when there are already 1001 stalls around selling almost everything under the sun?

Let me start off with a much belated shout of Happy Birthday Malaysia. Although 31st August has always been revered as the day we achieved independence, yet we were NOT recognized as Malaysia back then. And our eastern counterparts (Sabah and Sarawak) were NOT part of the country until 6 years later.

There was once when I published an article for an online Singapore news portal, on t! he infamous Food Fight fiasco. You know on how both sides of the straits laying claims to a few national dishes.

How petty, how absurd and how irrational.

But my point is, there was this commenter (a Singaporean, no doubt) whom had no qualms shooting projectiles at this Motormouth by dismissing my lack of wisdom, so to speak. That he/she was appalled at the thought of Singapore ever being a part of Malaysia.

To that, I merely suggested for him/her to dig up the History books. Or get the help of a psychiatrist, if he/she was still perturbed by the notion that we WERE of the same nationality back in 1963; until two years later when we became neighbouring countries instead.

Selection of Yong Tau Foo

Fresh Yong Tau Foo from the wok, these delicious stuffed vegetables and beancurd with a mixture of minced pork and fish paste might just be the essential sides you need to complement your lunch.

But sour notes aside, and letting the childish food fight saga to rest, let me share a story with you.

The 3 days regional training granted me an opportunity to meet up with people from different countries; Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, China, Korea and Vietnam.

Naturally, conversations revolved around the different cultures, belief, background, sights and of course . FOOD.

Well, blame it on this ravenous creature here. But if theres anyone asking me about what makes Malaysia so special, I must say its the cross-cultural influences in FOOD. And then maybe the languages, cultures, landscapes, racial integration, etc.

Boiled Tofu

For a less damaging effect, go for the boiled soft stuffed white beancurd instead of the fried items.

Then this Vietnam lady from Ho Chi Minh (HCM) city mentioned about how HCM may not have its own identity in a particular cuisine or dish, the food culture is a melting pot of different cuisines from the various regions in the country. Like how our own backyard of Kuala Lumpur; without a distinctive identity food-wise, yet successfully integrating the best (and at times, worst) of what the other states have to offer.

The south Korean with his limited vocabulary of the English language (yes, it was a pain to communicate with each other but then again . its the richness in diversity that brought out the essence of a good conversation) told stories about how the real Korean ginseng might not be as authentic, or genuine anymore. And how Jeju island should be on every travellers itinerary. I have yet to step on Korean soils, and dont intend to in the short run, but yet not dismissing the idea of a holiday there when opportunity beckons.

Yong Tau Foo

The crunchy pieces of deep fried rolls stuffed with the fish paste were delectable; and I could have downed 10s of these had it not been the other food we had. The pool of liquid underneath was not oil, but a soup-like broth with a distinct umami flavour. No MSG detected, thankfully.

Then, conversations morphed to a more local setting. What is there to see or do in Kuala Lumpur. They have visited the Petronas Twin Tower on their first day in town, to which they marvelled, oohed-and-aahed over the beautiful architecture, display of fo! untains, lush gardens and landscaped pathways in the middle of the bustling KL city.

The next sight-seeing event on their itinerary was a visit to Petaling Street; the Chinatown of Malaysia at night after the training has ended. Deep down inside, I knew this was not going to work, though I kept my reservations at bay and nodded in agreement. I can be such a chameleon.

Penang Chee Cheong Fun

Penang chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls served with a generous scoop of sticky, shrimp paste or heh kor, a dollop of chili sauce on the side, a handful of toasted sesame seeds and garnished with fried shallots). This was, however, an over-hyped replica of the real deal. Try the one on Lorong Macalister in Penang if you really intend to go for the best.

True enough, the very next morning most of them came back with complaints. On how the night market at Petaling Street was merely a cheap trade-off of pirated goods, stalls selling almost the same fake watches, shirts, accessories etc.

I knew. Because I have been there, done that many times before. But only because we were on the prowl for the famous ikan bakar (grilled fish and various seafood) stall with a tweak-able spiciness level, the air mata kucing (longan drinks) to tamper the heat thereafter, and the Hokkien mee that has now gone upmarket at Hutong, Lot 10.

(P/S: I am not a fan of night haunt named Chinatown Seng Kee; the famous yet over-rated claypot lou shu fun and roast pork mee, so I wont mention that in the same breath)

The uncle was working as though he was in a trance. Continuously serving up his incredibly famous Penang Chee Cheong Fun to the crowd.

Given the nature of the almost-lifeless hotel tour itineraries, can you blame them?

When I browsed the list held up by the Chinese lady given by the hotel, I saw Sunway Pyramid, Subang Parade, Citta Mall and Pavilion.

Seriously? They have way bigger malls in China and Hong Kong, do you think she will still be impressed by our local malls populated with mostly home brands? And even when there are internationally-renowned brands, these are already staples in her country?

The Pakistanis intended to extend their stay, and so Genting Highlands was ultimately drafted into a day-trip. Thats possibly the best that we can offer. Pardon the ignorance, for I believe nature walks, conservation/heritage trails and ecological challenges might be viable options, but these are not promoted in a manner thats captivating enough.

Or should I say, at a reasonable rate that even locals like me and you would be tempted to experience first-hand. Mind you, an excursion to say, Kuala Selangor may cost you an arm and a leg for an ultimately no-frills boat ride in the midst of darkness serenaded by the tranquility and lights from the fireflies. IF the poor insects have yet to succumb to the men-induced pollution.

Char Kuey Teow

Char Kuey Teow; fried flat rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, cockles and shrimps in a spicy sauce redolent with a smoky aroma imparted by the heated wok.

Then this same Chinese lady wanted ! to purch ase souvenirs to bring home. Something intrinsically local, but definitely not the goods sold at Petaling Street. How pathetic of me of not being able to point her in the right directions . But how could I have known? When all we do in our leisure time have always been a visit to the mall; catching a movie or engage in the proudly-Malaysian culture of yum cha (drink tea), lepak (hang out), etc.

There is a place called the Central Market (Pasar Seni; aptly named Art Market) a short distance away from Petaling Street. This is the place where they sell handicrafts, handmade accessories, clothings, dried foods etc. The last time I visited was back in 2008 or so. When we were made compulsory to wear batik shirts; the indigenous floral motives printed on shirts and dresses originating from Java, and I was searching frantically for one.

I cannot vouch for the quality of the products sold in this indoor market, but certainly this SHOULD be a spot heavily geared towards tourism, rather than being left to rot and face its impending doom of being sidelined in favour of major developmental projects, ie: high-rise towers with no soul or purpose.

O&S Restaurant @ Paramount Garden

Come early, or risk being disappointed. I have been through various situations when I could not even find a seat when I was alone. Imagine that.

Sorry if this post has dragged on for what seems like eternity. And defeated the initial purpose of writing this food review of O&S Restaurant; this extremely famous coffee shop in the neighbourhood of Paramount Garden in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

It just pained me to see how Malaysia is blessed with such esteemed cultural diversity, natural resources, competen! t people and utmost potential for growth, yet failing to capitalize in areas where even our much smaller (in scale) neighbour down south has managed to attain considerable measure of success.

**For more comprehensive (and REAL) reviews, read from A Whiff of Lemongrass, Kampungboycitygal, My Story, Less Than Ten, Taufulou, VKeong

O&S Restaurant (Non-Halal)
39, Jalan 20/14,
Paramount Garden,
46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Opens for breakfast and lunch only.

GPS Coordinates : 3.107703,101.624917
Google Map to O&S Restaurant @ Paramount Garden

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Petit Sucre

Slaves to sugar should be set free to frolic in KLCC's Isetan FoodMarket, where independent stalls have started selling Japanese & French-themed desserts.

The highlight could be Petit Sucre, an offshoot of Levain Boulangerie. The piece de resistance here is the Ouef Brulee, one of the most gorgeously packaged desserts we've seen this year. Essentially soft, smooth creme brulee in an "egg shell" made of thick glass.

Another worthwhile kiosk: Bites Quickie by Bites Factory, specializing in tiny treats for folks who want to avoid over-indulging. Its unique creations include the Twisted Mille Crepe (rolled crepe with raspberry jam & creme patisserie) & Mont Midori (pureed sweet potato & whipped cream set on a sponge cake).

Kids might be drawn to Milkkan's booth for a freshly made Japanese crepe, filled with kiwifruit & chocolate cream and served in a cardboard cone for convenient snacking.

Also from Milkkan: green tea & passion fruit soft-serve ice cream. Both seemed rather healthy, reminiscent of frozen yogurt, with natural-tasting flavors & not much sugar.

Petit Sucre, Bites Quickie & Milkkan,
Isetan Food Market, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.

Penang Fare @ Magic One Restaurant, Petaling Jaya

Hokkien prawn mee

I must admit I've been so busy (and pre-occupied with work) lately that I have been on auto mode with the blog. It only dawned on me today that the blog is hitting a huge milestone....5 million page views. Feels like yesterday that it hit the 3 million marker. Time does fly. Previously, I've marked the momentous occasion with a celebration but I reckon this time round, it'll be a much quieter affair. However, do stay tune for something exciting in October.


Even though I started this blog eons ago (I call them the dark ages!), I have tried to hold onto to the principle that everyone's taste buds are subjective.Blame it on family history, memories, personal dislikes and etc - what works for you may not work for others. Most of the time since the quality of ingredients is in constant flux, this also affects the taste of the food - what tasted good a few months ago deteriorates tremendously with the price hikes.


Lorbak


Take for instance, this new place I was introduced to a few weeks back. The first visit had uncovered Penang hawker fare that we enjoyed immensely. However, a revisit with others saw the assam laksa (RM6.90) chalking up the misdemeanours - "not spicy enough," claimed one friend - "watered down", said another. Despite the negative feedback from others and its inconsistencies, I admit I do have a soft spot for this assam laksa. Its mellow level of spiciness is just perfect for me especially af! ter the addition of the pungent prawn paste. Perfect for rainy nights just like the ones we have been experiencing.


char kuey teow
Equally good is the Penang Hokkien mee (RM6.90), a delicious prawn and chicken broth that we polished off the whole bowl of broth, noodles and its topping of fresh juicy prawns, hard boiled eggs and water spinach.


assam laksa


Even though it is not 100% genuine since it is not fried with lard, I thought the char koay teow (RM6.90) was pretty darn good. I also liked the chicken lobak (RM9), that was delicately perfumed with the spices. Its only problem would be the lack of the thick brown sauce on the side.


Not everything though will hit the pleasure mark for you. While the mamak mee (RM6.90) has a lovely wok hei, I felt it was just a tad sweet. The kuey teow soup dish (RM6.90) also failed since the broth just didn't taste like the read deal. Neither did I enjoy the pie tee or top hats (6 for RM9), stuffed with a thinly sliced cabbage instead of the crunchy yam bean. The belacan fried chicken wings (RM15) was pretty decent even though it did lack the pungent belacan aromas.


cendol


What I do love i! s their cendol (RM5.80) as they use this incredibly fragrant gula melaka syrup that uplifts the dessert into something so heavenly we had to order seconds. Admittedly the cendol and the rough texture of the shaven ice may not be appealing to others but for me, that rich aroma of the palm sugar hits the right spot for me.


The menu is not limited to Penang specialties as it serves a mix of Chinese cooked dishes that includes seafood (lobster!), which I admit I didn't find incredibly exciting. However families usually dine here and order those dishes. I'm just perfectly happy to slurp down my assam laksa or Hokkien prawn noodles with a side order of lorbak. Do give it a try and let me know if it fits your tastebuds. Hopefully it does.


Magic One Restaurant
275, Jalan 5/51
Gasing
Petaling Jaya


Tel: 03-77841998


(Pork Free. Restaurant is located at the Gasing area, same row as Kavitha's Indian restaurant. Open from noon to 12 midnight. Full set of pictures are in the Flickr set.


*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. This review is time sensitive; changes may occur to the place later on that can affect this opinion. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from this place for writing the review.


Restaurant 126, Bukit Tinggi, Bentong

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We were there looking for some good food not knowing which restaurant to go to. As Restaurant 126 is packed with people, we decided to just go ahead with this restaurant ;)

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Their specialty, ginger steamed frog(out of stock as it is Raya season and usually supplied by Malays), steamed chicken, ginger steamed talapia fish, claypot fish etc

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More from their menu: braised terraphin, sambal prawn, steamed prawn

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Fish prices

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We waited about an hour for the food to arrive, bought their chestnut which is popular snacks here sold by peddlers.

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Kong Sai yong-tau-fu using tasty taufo pok produced in Bentong. Fried beancurd stuffed with minced pork, RM9

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Watercress, locally grownd vege, RM6

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Braised terrapin, RM25, lots of meat and gelatinuos goodness in this pot, yummy

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Sambal Belacan vege, RM6

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Fried 3 layer pork, RM13

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Claypot river fish (Pak Sou Gong) 800g, RM48 (RM60 for 1kg, Pak Sou Gong reared ones are sold cheaper for RM35) Really fresh and yummy, there is only a light sauce t! o bring out the natural sweetness from this really fresh fish

Overall i find the food here very tasty and priced reasonably.

Address: Restaurant 126 (there are actually 2 Restaurant 126 in Bukit Tinggi, open by relatives)

Kg Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Pahang (just an hour drive from KL)

Post by other blogger:

thule food quest

I Wish You Love

Kurts (OM) Photography

Restoran Bukit Tinggi BBQ they are rave review about this place as below which i wish to frequent next time

Meals I had

Little Transformer

chaokar smokes

Tasty Foodies

Kelly C

foodcrazie (with direction to go this this restaurant)

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Italian Cone Pizza, Sunway Pyramid

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Ingredients for pizza, cone shaped pizza crust on the right

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Chicken mushroom, ~RM6, quite flavorful, cheesy and yummy

Address: Italian Cone Pizza (also available in Puchong IOI Boulevard, opposite IOI Mall)

F1-58F, First Floor,

Sunway Pyramid

Post by other blogger:

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EPICURE 2011 Malaysias Leading Lifestyle Fair!

I dropped in at EPICURE 2011 at Sime Darby Convention Centre yesterday & heres some pictures to share!

Its ongoing for 3 days 16, 17, 18th Sept (thats til Sunday folks!) & the pictures here are from the FREE EXHIBITION that is OPEN TO PUBLIC.

So yea, imported wines, food, cheeses, cookies, tea all free for sampling! :P

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So, anyone going? Anyone been there? What do you think?
There are workshops ongoing all 3 days. These are very educational classes, I wish I can attend every single session!
Check out the schedule here http://www.epicure.com.my/workshops.php

I will be there for the whole of Sunday as I will be participating in all the workshop. Do tweet me if youre there! :P

EPICURE 2011

Sime Darby Convention Centre

16, 17, 18th Sept 2011

1030am 7pm