Southeast Asian food – Eris Goes To

Best Tom Yum and Fried Squid @ Thai Thai, Sunway Pyramid

August 13, 2019February 19, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, dinner, eating, eats, Featured, food, food review, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian food, Sunway Pyramid, Thai, Thai cuisine, Thai food, tom yumLeave a comment

Been awhile since I went to Sunway Pyramid! The original plan was to have hotpot with C, but we ended up getting Thai food instead at Thai Thai. Despite being rather pricey, they’ve been consistently good on previous visits, and they did not disappoint this time either.

The interior hasn’t changed much – but they added some colourful murals of plants/flowers and animals on one side of the wall.

Thirst quenchers: Ice blended coconut shake and iced three-layer Thai milk tea. A bit hard to drink because they don’t give straws anymore, but gotta do our part for the environment! The coconut shake was refreshing and sweet – good ice to coconut ratio. Milk tea was milky but not too sweet.

I highly recommend getting the Tom Yum (you can choose from chicken, seafood or shrimp). We ordered the chicken for 2 pax (RM39++). It was hard to get the soup out with the spoon because the pot was kinda narrow – but taste wise, this is one of the better tom yum soups that I’ve had in the Klang Valley. Sour with a spicy kick (but not to the point that you breathe fire; just makes you sweat a little), it’s chock full of flavour from the lemongrass, chilli and other herbs. The chicken meat was also cooked to tender perfection. You can easily polish off bowls of rice with this.

I also suggest getting the fried squid appetiser. Coated in crisp batter, the springy pieces of squid come with a sweet Thai chilli dip.

We only ordered two dishes to go with our rice because the stuff is rather pricey, but they have loads of other dishes as well, such as the popular Thai basil chicken, fried omelette, steamed fish, mango sticky rice, and more.

Prices average from RM20+ up to RM60++ for dishes such as the whole fish.

Thai-Thai Restaurant
LOT G1-135.Oasis Boulevard, Sunway Pyramid, No.3, Jalan PJS 11/15, Bandar Sunway,46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel: 03-74919428

Business hours: 10am – 10pm (daily).

Juicy Korean-Style Fried Chicken @ Dokebi Chicken, Tamarind Square Cyberjaya

August 11, 2019August 13, 2019Posted in FoodTagged Asian cuisine, Asian food, Cyberjaya, dining, Dokebi Chicken, eating, eats, Featured, food photography, food review, fried chicken, Korean food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, restaurant review, Southeast Asian foodLeave a comment

Those who know me know that I’m absolutely. obsessed. with fried chicken. And whether it’s Korean or American-style, I’m always on the lookout for good places!

My three-point system for determining good fried chicken:

a) Is it crispy (even after it’s been sitting for a bit)?
b) Does it have tender, juicy meat?
c) Is it flavourful?

Dokebi Chicken at Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya ticks all the boxes. Newly opened last month, the resto which serves Korean-style fried chicken went viral on the Internet, thanks to a video of their Boneless Chicken with Cheese (their signature dish ie fried chicken wrapped in melty, gooey cheese). That aside, they have eight other sauces to choose from, and an Instagrammable cotton candy drink.

It’s always heartening when you go to a Korean restaurant and you see actual Koreans dining there.

The interior is cosy and hip, with K-pop playing on the TV overhead, a long communal table for large groups and swing seats.

Since I was dining alone, I couldn’t order the cheese option (it’s RM50+ and best for sharing between 2-3 people) – but I did get the Garlic Soy (RM19.80) which came in a set of 4 drummettes and wings, and topped it off with a bowl of steamed rice.

Food came pretty quickly, fried fresh to order.

What can I say? Its just really good fried chicken. The exterior was extremely crispy and crunchy, and stayed that way down to the last piece. The sauce was garlicky, savoury and slightly sweet – to borrow from another fried chicken chain’s tagline, “finger licking good”. One thing I abhor about some fried chicken chains is when you know the meat has been frozen for a long time (the meat has a weird bloody, iron-like aftertaste) but the meat here tasted fresh and juicy. Was honestly impressed by how tender it was on the inside, so you get this really nice contrast of crispy chicken skin + tender insides.

Verdict: One of the better K-fried chickens out there, and I’d love to try other items once I’ve rounded up a few friends (I have those?)

DOKEBI CHICKEN

D3-03-08 Tamarind Square, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyber 11, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor

Opening hours: 11AM – 11PM (Daily)

Review: Sawadeethai, Bandar Puteri Puchong

February 3, 2019Posted in FoodTagged dining, eats, Featured, food, food review, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian food, Thai, Thai foodLeave a comment

The Pops celebrated his b’day recently. The initial plan was to head to a Nyonya restaurant in Bandar Puteri Puchong for dinner. Upon arriving however, we discovered that said eatery had been replaced by a place selling Thai food. 😦

Not wanting to waste any more time, we decided to give Sawadeethai a shot.

Quite empty despite being a weekend. The interior looks pretty generic: marble tabletops and dark wood furniture; the only indication that it is a Thai restaurant being the framed elephant tapestries at the back.

Our orders were served up reasonably fast. First, fragrant Thai rice, served in a classic silver rice pot.

Green curry chicken, loaded with an assortment of vegetables and tender, boneless chicken chunks. The coconut milk was pronounced but not overpowering, and it was not too spicy (which can be good or bad, depending on how much kick you like).

One of my favourite things to order at a Thai restaurant – grilled pork skewers! These were the right balance of lean and fat, tender and flavourful with a slight char.

Stir fried kailan. The red chilli was just for garnishing as it was not spicy. Vegetables were fresh and crunchy.

Pandan chicken – boneless chicken pieces wrapped in fragant pandan leaves and deep fried. Again, flavour was just right without being overly salty, and the chicken was juicy with a nice, crisp exterior. Good stuff.

The only hit and miss was the squid. Unlike the Chinese-style which usually has a crumbly coating, this version’s batter resembled the Malay-style cumi-cumi goreng more. Each piece was probably 60-70% batter over squid, and the coating was tasteless. It was only decent with the sweet lemon sauce.

All in all our bill came up to just over RM100, which was pretty reasonable, as the portions are generous. A good place to go to if you’re craving Thai food and don’t want a long line.

SAWADEE THAI RESTAURANT

22, Jalan Puteri 2/3, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10AM – 3PM, 5PM – 10PM

Review: Mun Ji Chop Noodle Zone, Bandar Puteri Puchong

May 29, 2018May 29, 2018Posted in FoodTagged Asian food, Chinese food, dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, food review, Malaysia, noodles, Puchong, restaurant review, Selangor, Southeast Asian foodLeave a comment

Moo hasn’t been feeling too well lately, so we’ve been eating out alot.

Dinner on the weekend was at a place called Mun Ji Chop Noodle Zone in Bandar Puteri, Puchong. They specialise in pork noodles, but they also serve items such as curry mee.

It was raining so the restaurant wasn’t too full. There’s an open kitchen at the front so you can watch your meals being prepped.

Pop’s had the curry mee, topped with steamed chicken and tofupok (bean curd). Unlike conventional curry mee, this one lacked cockles. Didn’t get to try the soup but Pops gave it an ‘okay’.

Bro’s pork noodle with hor fun (glass noodles).

I went for their signature, which came with all the works, including innards. There was beef intestine, stomach, liver and tongue, alongside minched pork patties, pork belly and pork balls. The soup was flavourful, but it might not be to everyone’s taste since it has a layer of oiliness from the pork lard. I opted for pan mee noodles, which were nice, thick and slightly chewy. Overall a good bowl of pork noodles, except that the intestines had a bitter aftertaste.

Prices were average for such an establishment. Service was quick and efficient.

Food: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3/5
Service: 3.5/5
Price: Average (Below Rm10 per bowl)

MUN JI CHOP NOODLE

16, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10AM – 9PM (daily)

Review: Poppo Kanteen, Bandar Puteri Puchong – Nasi Lemak and Fusion Cuisine

May 22, 2018January 22, 2021Posted in FoodTagged dining, eating, Featured, food, food photography, food review, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Malaysian food, nasi lemak, Poppo Kanteen, Puchong, restaurant review, Southeast Asian food3 Comments

Weekend usually means eating out and giving the Moomikins a well-deserved rest from cooking. We decided to go check out a Nasi Lemak place that was recommended by one of her colleagues, called Poppo Kanteen in Bandar Puteri, Puchong.

Cosy interior, mishmash of modern and traditional elements. Like its namesake, it sports a ‘canteen’ style look but more upscale.

Their signature is Nasi Lemak, but there are hundreds (yes, more than 100) of dishes on the menu, from local favourites like Briyani Gam and fried rice, to toast, pita wraps, Western food, spaghetti and more. Because there are so many dishes, one can’t expect each one to be tasty, as we soon found out.

Service is poor, and staff do not seem well trained. I would think desserts like Cendol (above) would come after a meal, but it was the first item that they served. Taste wise, it was alright but still can’t beat the cendol at PJ Old Town’s Medan Selera.

We ordered three glasses of water. Only one came (together with the dessert). They forgot about the other two glasses until much later when we reminded them. Funny, seeing that the orders were keyed into a system and printed out onto a slip; which clearly showed three glasses. Do you not prepare the same items together?

Bro and Pop’s Nasi Lemak with Ayam Berempah (fried chicken thigh) came to the table early.The rice was thick with the fragrance of coconut milk, served with spicy fried anchovies, emping (fried cracker), fried egg and spiced fried chicken, which was crunchy on the outside, flavourful and tender on the inside. Sambal delivered a spicy kick.

Moomins and I ordered dishes that required firing up the stove so it was understandable that it would take longer. By the 20 minute mark, however, when we saw other tables getting their dishes, we were certain that they had, again, forgotten our orders.

Moomin’s garlic fried rice. Somewhat wet and greasy, although it did have a nice garlic fragrance.

Ala carte chicken curry, which also arrived late and was obviously forgotten, since curry chicken is pre-made and would have only involved scooping it into a bowl.The meat was extremely tough. Sauce was meh.

After more than half an hour, my order of Chicken Pita finally arrived. All my family members had finished their food by then and I was left to finish mine alone. The pita was cold – the heat came from the chicken which had just been fried (they obviously forgot to prepare my order). No sauces, only a slab of cheese, so it was extremely dry. It wasn’t that bad but not something I would waste my time waiting for.

Do you guys not prepare orders table by table? What kinda system are you using in the kitchen; that you key in orders into a computer and still somehow manage to mess it up?

All in all, their nasi lemak was decent but I’ve had better, and it was definitely not worth the wait and the bad service. There are better alternatives offering better service in the area. Would I come again? Maybe not.

Food: 3/5 (good nasi lemak, meh everything else)
Service: 1/5
Ambience: 3/5
Price: not too expensive, value for money

POPPO KANTEEN

55G, Jalan Puteri 1/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Business hours: Daily (8AM-12AM)

Phone: 603-8066 3923

Crispy Friday by Swallow @The Saw Emporium X Penang International Food Festival 2018

April 14, 2018April 13, 2018Posted in Events/Happenings, FoodTagged Asia, Asian food, dining, events in Malaysia, Featured, food, food festival, food photography, Malaysia, Malaysian food, Penang, Penang International Food Festival, pop up, Saw Emporium, Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian food, SwallowLeave a comment

Love all things crispy? A trip to Swallow @ The Saw Emporium is in order, as the pop-up dining joint brings together the crunchiest goodies from Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore – for one night only – at the annual Penang International Food Festival 2018.

Crispy Friday, happening on 20 April from 5 – 11PM, will feature local street food vendors, a food eating contest and local music bands. Meanwhile, kitchen takeovers, guest shifts and a beer party continue throughout the weekend.

Kicking things off at 5.30PM is the Crispy Fryday Food Eating Competition, comprising two rounds where participants consume either gourmet burgers by WOLF Burgers or a Mega Japanese Curry Rice by Teppei Syokudo in the fastest time possible. Up to 5 two-person teams can compete to win up to RM250 cash prizes. The contest is open to all nationalities, genders and ages where pre-registration is strictly required.

Local street vendors will pop up in dedicated food stands including Hock Seng Rojak King @ Lebuh Macallum with its signature sticky rojak sauce, fried banana fritters by Ah Boy Pisang Goreng @ Penang Road, as well as Keropok Lekor, Murukku and Belachan Chicken.

Look out for Crispy Fryday special menus from Swallow dining partners, featuring Assorted Tempura, Pork Tonkatsu, Seafood Kakiage, Deep-Fried Soft Shell Crab With Pork Floss and Assorted Kushikatsu Sticks by Teppei Syokudo, Sesame Street Deep-Fried Chicken Cartilage by WhatSaeb แซ่บ Boat Noodles, Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls by Pho Viet.

Throughout the night, enjoy live music with acts such as a 4-piece rock band helmed by guitarist Kelvyn Yeang, as well as three-piece acoustic band Wedding in Charlie.

Swallow mainstay partners such as TAPS Beer Bar, Qwenchers Juice Bar and Norm Café continue to operate as usual from 11am to 12am.

Patrons can look forward to extended Weekend Kitchen Takeovers from 20 to 22 April, so if you missed out on the action on Friday night, fret not. Gourmet burger specialists from Pasarbella Suntec City in Singapore, WOLF Burgers will take over the kitchen at Embers BBQ Grill to showcase their burgers and fries including the signature Classic Wolf Burger, Honey Mustard Fried Chicken Burger and Pulled Pork with Chipotle Sauce & Corn Salsa, plus fan-favourite Kimchi Cheese Fries and Crispy Fries.

MICHELIN Guide Singapore Bib Gourmand Owner-Chef Teppei Yamashita at Teppei Syokudo will launch a new menu following the kitchen takeover as he curates new dishes daily alongside signature Ten Don, Salmon Belly Don and Tonteki Fried Rice.

Kuala Lumpur’s sole entry on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2017 and #10 the year before, speakeasy Omakase + Appreciate will take over the DaVinci Gourmet Cocktail Bar as three-time Diageo World Class Malaysia Champion, mixologist and co-owner, Shawn Chong guest shifts to showcase specialty and personalized cocktails true to the “I leave it to you” Japanese essence of omakase.

KL Bar Awards Best Beer Bar Winner, TAPS Beer Bar will hold the TAPS Beer Party, a sequel to the TAPS Takeover in January which invites beer drinkers on craft beer tasting flights from more than 50 international craft beer bottles and on tap, including ciders from global breweries including small batch brewers.

PIFF 2018 Crispy Fryday
20 April 2018, 5 – 11pm

Swallow @ The Saw Emporium
1 Gat Lebuh Macallum, George Town 10300, Penang Follow the Crispy Fryday event updates at http://bit.ly/CrispyFryday

Review: Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun @ New Seaview Restaurant, Paramount Garden PJ

March 17, 2018March 7, 2022Posted in FoodTagged chee cheong fun, Chinese food, Featured, food, food review, Hong Kong food, Malaysian food, Paramount Garden, Petaling Jaya, Southeast Asian food, street foodLeave a comment

Confession: Even though I’ve been working in PJ for the last few years, I barely know the neighbourhood lol. Mostly because the routine is usually home – office – home, and I’ve never explored other places in my free time.

The officemates and I don’t drive out for lunch often, since we just walk to the eateries nearby. The few times that we do, I can always count on them to bring me to good spots. Reently, AD was raving about an excellent Hong Kong-style chee cheong fun (steamed rice rolls) which he dubbed ‘better than those from expensive dimsum restaurants!’. My curiousity was piqued.

Enter New Seaview Restaurant at Paramount Garden, a kopitiam-style establishment that is very popular with the locals and office crowd. Place was packed even though we got there late-ish at 1PM. There are several stalls to choose from, but I was told that the most popular ones are the pork noodle stall and the much touted about HK Chee Cheong Fun stall.

I went for a large plate of shrimp chee cheong fun (RM7). The dish did not disappoint, as the slightly translucent rolls had a nice, chewy texture to them, and the sambal had a definite kick. I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve ever tasted coz the sauce was a little too oily + the shrimps were small, but it was tasty nonetheless. I’d rate it an 8/10!

RESTAURANT NEW SEAVIEW

81-129, Jalan 20/7, Paramount Garden, Selangor, 46300 Petaling Jaya

Opening hours: 7AM – 4PM

Review: Kong Sai Zai, Bandar Putri Puchong – Poached Chicken and Curry Ribs

January 19, 2018January 15, 2018Posted in FoodTagged Asian food, Bandar Putri Puchong, casual dining., dining, Featured, food, food in Puchong, food photography, Kong Sai Zai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Puchong, restaurant review, Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian foodLeave a comment

Ask any Puchong-ite about where to get poached chicken and chances are, you’ll be directed to Kong Sai Zai in Bandar Putri, Puchong. In the restaurant’s early days, they occupied just one corner shoplot, but have since extended to two, with an upstairs dining area to boot. The quality of the dishes has not changed much: a good thing, since many establishments lose their QC once they’ve become popular – but the price has gone up significantly as well.

There are two chicken options available – regular (RM25 – half) or free-range/village (RM30- half). Village chicken has less meat and is pricier, because unlike their farm-bred counterparts, the chickens are allowed to ‘roam’ free and are raised using traditional farming methods. Some people therefore see them as a healthier alternative to commercialised chicken factories, where the chickens are often cooped up with no room to run around, and injected with all sorts of antibiotics to stimulate growth.

We went for half village chicken coz the guy said they ran out of the regular ones. The portion was still hefty! The meat was soft and tender, but what really elevated the dish was the sauce, which seemed to be a blend of soy sauce and (presumably) sesame oil. It is sweet rather than salty, and the meat soaks it up well, so that the natural flavours of the chicken are highlighted rather than being overpowered. It’s not the best poached chicken I’ve had, but it’s still quite a good one nonetheless.

Stir-fried veggies were pretty good – fresh and crunchy.

BONUS: I recommend ordering this! Curry pork ribs (RM13 – single portion). It doesn’t look very appetising since it’s served in an aluminium tin foil. It’s messy and the curry looks (and probably is!) very oily. But the flavours are good, and the ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Wish they had chopped this up more evenly though coz there were some really humongous pieces vs tiny ones.

KONG SAI ZAI (BANDAR PUTERI PUCHONG)

44G, Jalan Puteri 5/2, Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Business hours: Lunch (11.30AM – 2.30PM), Dinner (5.30PM – 10PM), closed Mondays

Phone: 019-208 8249