Harbour Steamboat in Bandar Puteri Puchong is known for its hearty, belly warming hotpot dishes, which are available for dinner. It’s not common to eat hotpot during the day though, so the restaurant has affordable rice and noodle dishes for the lunch crowd – and they serve some pretty darn good pork noodles.
The restaurant is cosy and air conditioned, and has Japanese touches, with rows of Japanese sake bottles lining the walls. This is because the owners of Harbour Steamboat also run a Japanese yakitori place upstairs, called Minato Yakitori. (Also one of the best places in Puchong to get Japanese-style skewers!)
The star for me is the signature pork noodles (RM14.90), which is what I order every time without fail. The portion is large and will easily satisfy big eaters. If you’re a small eater, you can even share the bowl between two people. Choose from a choice of different noodles such as kuey teow, mee, beehoon and meesua (my preferred choice).
The noodles are soft and silky, but the winner is the soup. Chock full of ingredients, you get generous portions of pork belly slices, pork mushroom balls, offal (intestines, kidney, liver), tender minced pork, squid and shrimp, all swimming in a cloudy broth that is bursting with flavour. To top it all off: a smattering of deep fried pork lard, which really adds extra flavour to the soup.
Not in the mood for noodles? You can always get the pork soup with rice.
HARBOUR STEAMBOAT
G, 49, Jalan Puteri 2/3, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
Opening hours: (daily) 11AM – 2PM, 5.30PM-10.30PM. Pork noodles available for lunch only.
Phone: +603 8063 5776
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DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearlySatisfy Your Pork Cravings @ Truly Wine, The Starling Mall
Since the MCO started, I’ve been bringing homemade lunches to work, so I haven’t really had much chance to explore The Starling, the neighbourhood mall near my office. My ex-boss asked V and I out for lunch recently, so we dropped by to see what was good. We settled for Truly Wine, where they offer pork-heavy set lunches and fusion fare.
Wide selection for RM19++ per set, inclusive of a drink and ice cream. You can top up RM5 for soup of the day, and RM5 to upgrade your drink to a latte. On the menu are pastas, pizzas, noodles and rice. The restaurant seems to pride itself in its pork dishes, such as Hainanese Pork Chop, Roast Pork Indomee, Roast Pork Hokkien Mee, Roast Pork Nasi Lemak and Roast Pork Pizza.
Cosy interior with a nice looking wine rack. They also have a wine room next door.
If you’re up to a more fancy lunch (or dinner), the restaurant has seafood offerings the likes of cheesy clams and fresh oysters.
“Say no to pot”
S and V both had the Nasi Lemak Roast Pork. It came served with a crispy fried cracker atop a bed of fragrant coconut rice, a side of roast pork, fried egg with luncheon meat, peanuts, anchovies and sambal. The portion is right for ladies, but V had to get another bowl of rice. Tried a piece of the pork – it had nice crackly skin and a good balance of lean and fat.
Some people might think the Indo Mee Goreng with Roast Pork isn’t worth RM19+. After all, its just spruced up instant noodles. I beg to differ. I think there’s an art to elevating the humble yet extremely versatile IndoMee, and Truly Wine does it right with the flavour, the al dente texture, and the generous chunks of fragrant roast pork begging to be uncovered like hidden treasure – topped off with a golden, oozy fried egg.
Ice cream for a sweet end to the meal.
Truly Wine is a nice place for a good, porky lunch – will come back to try their other dishes like the intriguing Roast Pork Hokkien Spaghetti next!
TRULY WINE
G-033 & G-033A, The Starling Mall, No, 6, Jalan SS 21/37, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: 10AM – 12AM
Review: Thai Hou Sek, 1 Utama – Thai Food With A Twist
You need to understand Cantonese to get the cheeky wit behind Thai Hou Sek‘s name. Tai is a homonym for ‘very/too much’, and hou sek means delicious. It can therefore be translated as ‘too delicious’, or simply, ‘Thai food is delicious’.
Ignoring the semantics, Thai Hou Sek prides itself in Thai food with a Chinese twist, served in a distinctive setting reminiscent of Bangkok’s colourful Yaowarat Road. Speakeasy vibes abound, accentuated by cosy lighting, a neon-lit elephant and a wall papered with newspaper clippings and vintage posters of Thai ads. Across the room is a mural of King Bhumibol Adjulyadej – in shades. It’s a perfect representation of Thailand, a modernizing country that still holds dear to its roots and traditions. Meanwhile, a bar at the back dishes out both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, from creative signatures such as Thai Hou Yum (jasmine tea, assamboi, lime) and Sparkling Ribena Lychee, to cocktails like Lemongrass Mojito and Cucumber Sake Madness.
The menu is extensive. Choose from mains to share if you’re in a group, or single rice and noodle dishes. The restaurant also offers lunch sets to cater to the weekday office crowd. While you can opt for chicken and seafood, it is clear that pork takes center stage. Expect classic flavours with a modern touch when you tuck into dishes such as Pad Thai with Seafood and Bacon, Pad Kra Pao Pasta, Papaya Salad with Luncheon Meat, and Siu Yuk Tom Yum.
Despite the full house, service was fast and efficient during our visit. C had the classic Pad Kra Pao; stir fried minced pork with basil and chilli padi, served with steaming white rice, fried egg, and a side of crackers. Portion was generous.
Also ordered one of their bestsellers: Siu Yuk Tom Yum. The dish is good enough for 2-3 people, and comes loaded with chunks of roast pork and juicy mushrooms. The soup is everything a good tom yum should be: sour and appetising, great with rice, and spicy with a kick.
I got one of their lunch set options: Tom Yum Mama Noodles with Siew Yuk (RM16.90). The pork is served on a platter with a side of crackers, while the noodles are served in a bowl, topped with egg (look at that beautiful yolk!). Mama Noodles are the Thai equivalent of what Maggi is to Malaysians, and I like the springy, al dente texture. While the soup is not as thick as the Siew Yuk Tom Yum dish, it still packs a punch. Pork skin is crispy and crunchy, and the meat has layers of lean and fat that literally melts in your mouth. If you eat it on its own it might feel a bit greasy, but you can set this off by dunking it into the sour tom yum soup.
You can get a drink with your set lunch for a few extra ringgit. Can’t have a Thai meal without iced Thai milk tea: sweet, cold and refreshing!
For dessert lovers, Thai Hou Sek offers a selection of classics like Mango Sticky Rice, Tab Tim Krop (water chestnut rubies, jackfruit, mango slices, served with vanilla ice cream and coconut milk) as well as Pumpkin Custard and Coconut Ice Cream Surprise.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my first time at Thai Hou Sek – service is fast, warm and friendly, food’s great, and the ambience is cosy. It can get pretty crowded over lunch time though, so either come earlier or expect a wait. Prices are above average.
THAI HOU SEK
S132, 2nd Floor, Old Wing, 1 Utama, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Tel: 03-7731-7933
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM
Review: Hong Kong-Style Hotpot @ Bone & Pot, Bandar Puteri Puchong
Update 8/2/2021: This restaurant is permanently closed.
Puchong-ites seem to have a love affair with hotpots – just drop by Bandar Puteri Puchong or Bandar Puchong Jaya, and you will be spoilt for choice with the number of establishments serving the specialty. One of these places is Bone and Pot.
Even among hotpots, there are a variety of different styles, from Ma La (Sichuan) to Sukiyaki (Japanese). Bone & Pot touts itself as a Hong-Kong style hotpot, specialising in pork bone soup which is rich in collagen – good for the joints, bones and complexion!
S and I were early so the place was empty – they get quite busy during peak hours on weekends.
All-you-can-eat hotpot is the in-thing now, but we didn’t want to gorge ourselves – which is why we went to Bone & Pot, where you can order individual dishes. S and I are both meat eaters, so we only got the needle shrooms as our ‘greens’ (technically they’re not even vegetables, lol) + pork slices, bursting beef balls, shrimp and pork dumplings, cheese-stuffed tofu and pork stomach.
Everything was fresh and tasty, but the soup was awesome (though S said Genting’s Beauty and the Pot is better). Bone & Pot’s version was rich, milky and full of lip-smacking goodness, especially after it had absorbed the flavours of the ingredients. The meat on the large pork bone was so tender after having been cooked for so long, it literally flaked off.
Just dip the slices into the boiling broth for a couple of seconds and voila! Tender, juicy meat. Best with plain soy sauce and a bit of chilli for that spicy kick.
For snacks, I recommend the fried salt and pepper squid which was seriously crunchy and addictive; although it was more batter than actual squid.
Our bill for two came up to RM90, which was quite pricey considering that some hotpot buffets are cheaper, but the quality of the food was above average, especially the pork bone broth.
BONE & POT
No.47, Jalan Puteri 2/3, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
Opening hours: 5PM – 1AM (Daily)
Review: Elsie’s Kitchen @ Happy Mansion Section 17 Petaling Jaya
On the recommendation of AD, hunting for lunch spots brought us to Elsie’s Kitchen at Happy Mansion in PJ. Tucked in a corner, the place is still new and still has congratulatory garlands decorating its entrance.
A very Instagrammable swing and flower background.
The interior is very basic; almost canteen-like.
There are several affordable set lunches to choose from, most of which are porky-themed.
JW’s Mee Siam (RM9.90 – comes with lemonade drink). The portion was generous and the noodles tasty, but it needs a tad more salt and moisture.
I went for the curry pork rice (RM13.90). Rice came draped in a beautiful sunny side up egg. The pork was nice and tender, but again, needed a bit more salt to make it perfect.
Also ordered a side of roast pork belly (RM18) to share. This was divine – nice balance of fat and lean, and the skin was extremely crispy. Loved the mustard dip it came served with.
AD’s pork chop was not part of the lunch set and quite pricey for the small portion (RM19.80). Didn’t try but looked rather dry.
All in all, a decent lunch spot to satisfy porky cravings.
- Food: 7/10
- Ambience: 7/10 basic, no frills but comfy
- Service: Very fast and friendly. 8/10
- Price: Affordable set lunches, RM10++
ELSIE’S KITCHEN
AG-6, Grd Flr Blk A, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: Tues – Suns (1130AM – 10PM), closed Mondays
Bak Kut Teh in Puchong – Review: Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh, Bandar Puchong Utama
Klang may have the best bak kut teh, but for Puchong-ites who aren’t able to drive that far (or are just lazy to, like me :D), a closer alternative may be at Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh in Bandar Puchong Utama, Puchong (not to be confused with Taman Puchong Utama. The resto is in the area near SJKC Han Ming).
The place is quite popular as they have appeared on numerous TV shows and in magazines. Brought N to try it on a Friday night. Spanning several floors, we managed to find a seat on the second floor that was less crowded.
Simple but comfy dining area.
Their specialty is the ‘dry’ bak kut teh, but wanted N to try it in the original form, so we ordered a small (RM14) soup mix instead.
What is bak kut teh?
For those of you reading this who aren’t from Malaysia, bak kut teh (which literally translates to pork bone tea) is a pork dish served in herbal broth, usually accompanied by ingredients such as garlic, beancurd, beancurd sheets and needle/Shiitake mushrooms. The conventional version features a mix of meat cuts such as ribs, belly and offal, but one can opt to have just offal or just ribs as well.
The one served at Yap Chuan Bak Kut Teh was pretty good – the broth had a well balanced herbal flavour that was not too thick or thin, and it complemented the porky flavour of the meat well. Meat was tender, although not fall off the bone, and had soaked up the broth’s taste.
Also ordered a separate bowl of pork intestines. Was disappointed with this though – wasn’t cleaned very well and still had a gamey, iron-like taste with a lingering bitterness.
The single portions were large enough for two, to the point that we regretted our order of extra fuchok (bean curd sheets) (Rm4 – although it was tasty). Of course, one can’t have bak kut teh without yau char kuai (fried Chinese crullers) which when dipped into the soup soaks up the broth and tastes heavenly.
YAP CHUAN BAK KUT TEH
53, Jalan BPU 2, Bandar Puchong Utama
47100, Selangor
Opening hours: (Daily) 9.30AM – 9PM
Bonus: Took N for some boardgame fun at Meeples! We played Mr Jack, a two player game that pits Mr Jack (the criminal) and the detective in a battle of tactics and wit.
Is This The Best Tonkatsu in Malaysia? – Tonkatsu by Ma Maison, Main Place USJ
There are two things that make me want to blog about a restaurant pronto.
a) The food is so bad I had to rant to dispel the psychological trauma caused; and
b) The food is so good I can’t contain the excitement lol.
Thankfully, Tonkatsu by Ma Maison at Main Place Mall, USJ is the latter.
I’ve been having an intense craving for tonkatsu (aka Japanese breaded deep fried pork cutlet) since last week…and I finally succumbed to temptation on Tuesday night. Popular opinion on Google suggested I head to Tonkatsu by Ma Maison.
The brand, founded in Tokyo in 1976, was started by one Akinori Terazawa – who after failing to find the perfect tonkatsu, set out to make his own specialty outlet. To date, they have 16 outlets across Japan, five in Singapore and three in Malaysia.
The original in 1 Utama was too far from my workplace, so I decided to head closer to home where they have a branch in Main Place Mall, USJ.
The outlet was rather quiet (maybe coz weekday night) and service was friendly and efficient. The outlet looked classy, with light grey walls and matching dark furniture, decorated with subtle Japanese/porky touches – a pig in a chef’s hat hanging rom the wall, scrolls with Japanese writing, a glass window kitchen at the back.
Every table had a tray of sauces: sweet and spicy sauce, sesame dressing, soy sauce, roasted sesame and salt. Traditionally these sauces/condiments are eaten together with the tonkatsu.
After much pondering over whether to get the small (160g) or large, I decided to go the whole hog (lol) and get the Jumbo Rosu Katsu (250g) (RM32.90) – a humongous slab of breaded pork loin, deep fried to crispy golden perfection. All their sets come with a side of either white/brown rice, pickles, shredded cabbage, miso soup, radish, hot/cold roast tea and a dessert after. Considering their generous portion, I think it’s very value for money.
Kicking things off with the radish ball, drenched in soy sauce for flavour. Cold and mushy, this made for a great starter to clean the palate and whet the appetite.
I usually hate cabbage, but this was fresh and didn’t have that yucky, earthy aftertaste – it was refreshing, especially when topped with roasted sesame and the dressing. The mustard was crazy and nearly knocked me out (or at least my throat and nostrils) with its pungent aroma so I gave that a pass.
Now let’s get on to the real star, shall we?
OMG I cannot. Even. Begin. To describe this.
Look at that juiciness. That tenderness. The wonderful balance of lean and fat, all enveloped in a crispy outer shell of bread crumbs and crunchiness. Since the cutlet was fried in vegetable oil, it didn’t have that cloying greasiness that often happens with deep fried items. Sometimes pork is notoriously hard to get right coz cook it too much and it gets dry and tough, but there was no such problem here. Firm without being tough, soft in all the right places – just a beautifully done pork cutlet. The sauces complemented rather than overpower the taste of the meat.
As testament to its deliciousness, I finished the whole 250g jumbo portion all by mahself.
#noregrets
PS If you’re a big eater, good news: FREE rice and soup refills!
Speaking of soup, the miso wasn’t the thin sht some cheap Japanese joints here give you. This came chock full of veggies and ingredients, including onion slices, mushrooms and konnyaku. To round off the meal was a jelly with a hint of honey.
Tonkatsu by Ma Maison certainly did not disappoint, and I’m wondering if their outlet in 1U is even better. Will pay a visit when the next tonkatsu craving hits! 🙂
Food: the tonkatsu gets a 10/10.
Ambience: 9/10
Service: 9/10 – servers were courteous and attentive.
TONKATSU by MA MAISON (USJ Branch)
Lot 2F- 2nd Floor, Main Place, 19, Jalan USJ 21/10, Usj 21, 47630 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Open daily: 10AM-10.30PM
Sam Kan Cheong Style Pork Noodles @ Fong Lye Restaurant, Pusat Bandar Puchong
The first Sam Kan Cheong noodles were said to have been sold in a stall in KL – but now the term is generic to a specific style of pork noodle that features three items: minced pork and siew cheong (BBQ sausage – a mix of lard, liver and more minced pork) tossed in a dark soy sauce over noodles, and served with a side of rectangular-shaped pork balls (well, they’re rectangular so technically they aren’t balls anymore! :D)
Fong Lye Restaurant in Pusat Bandar Puchong has a stall serving this dish. Moo was recommended this place by a friend, so the fam and I went to check it out on a Saturday for lunch.
Packed with customers.
We all got the same item – ‘dry’ noodles (you can choose from lou shee fun/rat tail shaped noodles, yellow noodles and kuey teow/flat noodles).
Oh it was dry alright.
A good bowl of noodles with mince should have a nice texture that coats each strand of noodle, but these were just bone dry and clumpy, with all the soy sauce sitting in the bottom. The sausages were some of the worst BBQ sausages I’ve tasted; dry with a sandy aftertaste, and more salty than sweet (which isn’t how it’s supposed to be).
I know people say that everyone’s taste is different, but I’m really questioning Moo’s friend’s judgment lol.
There are other stalls within the vicinity, so if you’d really like to check it out…
FONG LYE RESTAURANT (Opposite Tesco Puchong)
