Some old favourites

I still remember those good ol' days when the Big Mac was not in town yet, and we happily visited A&W Restaurants regularly on Tuesdays because it was Coney Dog Day. The had a drive-in A&W at Upper Thomson Road, and one A&W along Dunearn Road that was perched above the canal just outside the Bukit Timah campus of the University. Those were the days.

I still love the Coney Dog and every opportunity I get to be in Kuala Lumpur, I will go visit the Bukit Bintang A&W restaurant situated diagonally across from Lot10 to get my fix. Of course must also have the fabulous A&W rootbeer float. Recently, they had a promotion offering xxtra long Coney Dog. The price was attractive, but it was served in a paper box which made it extremely difficult to eat from. I suggest they reconsider the packaging.

The last time I visited Charn Kee, I had their fantastic nonya curry noodles. So this time round, I went back with a friend to try some of their other dishes.

 

My friend had the minced pork noodles which were quite good. Quite unlike the ones we have in Singapore, the minced pork came with a dark sauce similar to "zha jiang mian" but not so overpowering. I had the claypot seafood noodles. Although it was tasty with clear soup, I found it alittle common. Tastes almost like any prawn noodle soup.

But what really deserves mention is their dumpling and meat balls. Just simply irresistable and you certainly will be back for more.

A View from the Top

What a view! Feels like I am on top of the world. In New York, there is the Empire State Building, nearer home in Kuala Lumpur, there are the twin Petronas Towers. Finally in Singapore, we also have a building that allows us a bird's eye view of the city of Singapore.

Ever since they started construction on The Pinnacle several years back, I have wanted to go up to the top floor to have a look. I finally got the chance when I attended the baby shower of some friends there. And it was breathtaking. The timing was just right, as the sun set and the moon began to rise.

The roof top garden walk connects all the blocks of 50-storey HDB apartments in Cantonment Road. However, access is through the use of keycards. If you have friends living there, naturally you can borrow their keycards (each family is given 2). If you just want to go up and have a look and don't have friends living there, then you have to pay $5 per person.

I am quite ashamed to admit that I spent more time on the roof than at the baby shower. But it was worth the effort getting to the top. You can see Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar, the Container Port, the Central Business District, Sentosa and miles around. And they landscaped the gardens to include a lounge area, a viewing deck and even a beach. Lots of photo opportunities and many places to just relax and enjoy the view.

Just before leaving, standing there looking out, I told myself : "I'll Be Back!".

More of KL's Chinatown

I love to visit Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. Every visit to KL is never complete without going to Jalan Petaling and the surrounding streets to savour the wonderful food and great atmosphere there.

In the day time from early morning to early afternoon, you can find the wet market selling vegetables, poultry, seafood and groceries.

And of course there are also plenty of food stalls selling anything from wanton noodles to chee cheong fun to fish and chicken congee and so on. Through recommendations from a friend, I found 2 stalls which deserve special mention. One is the curry laksa noodles and the other is the Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo. 

 

The curry laksa gravy was alittle salty but the ingredients including fried pig skin, egg plant, long beans and cockles makes the dish very palatable. In fact, curry laksa is so popular that there are a total of 3 stalls side-by-side selling the same. I was told, the one in the middle is the best.

 

The Madras Lane Yong Tau Foo is really something else. The fresh ingredients arrive every morning at the stall around 10.30am, so don't go there too early. The last time I was there before 10am, and the stall was not open yet. Once the stall opens, the crowd would rush to select the pieces of stuffed lady's fingers, beancurd skin, chilli, taupok, egg plant, fishballs etc. Join in or you will be left waiting for a long time. You cannot be shy about it.

I am really glad I made an effort to try the food from this stall. It is one of the best yong tau foo I have ever eaten. The fishball is crunchy, and the tauhu is soft and smooth. I strongly recommend that if you are ever at Jalan Petaling in the morning, find this stall and try it. A must try! The stall is located inside the Jalan Hang Lekir wet market near the Jalan Sultan end.

 

There is also a street market selling second-hand stuff, something like a "thieves market" along one of the backlanes. You can find almost anything there, from old electrical goods to mobile phones to sarong cloth to antiques etc. But you need to be there early, they start from around 8.30am and will disperse once the sun shines into the lane (around 10am).

Another of my favourites is the Kiew Brothers barbecue meat shop near the junction of Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Sultan. Before I return from my trips to KL, I must visit this shop and buy our family's favourite snacks.

Bak Kwa or barbecue pork is not only cheaper in KL, but I find the texture and taste better than the Singapore version. And although the pieces of pork slices are thicker, the meat is tender and less chewy. Furthermore, you can choose whether you like the meat minced or not. There are also different types of meat including chicken, beef, duck and prawn. You can also get pork floss, fish floss, prawn floss there.

 

When you return to Jalan Petaling in the late afternoon and early evening, you would find that it has transformed into a night market or pasar malam, selling watches, clothes, shoes, bags, pirated DVDs, sun shades and lots of other foods such as roasted chestnuts and seasonal fruits.

In fact, KL's Chinatown is full of buzz any time of the day and night. And you cannot claim to have seen the sights and sound of Kuala Lumpur, if you have never been to KL's Chinatown.

The Sweet Things in Life

Just returned from another fruitful trip to Kuala Lumpur, and I don't just mean food wise.

Since things are going well, I thought it would be quite appropriate to share with you some of the sweet things in life - viz. desserts. I simply love sweets and I cannot live without them. Here are a few that I discovered during my trips to KL.

This is the UFO device that they will give you when you order at SnowFlake, a very popular dessert kiosk at the KL Pavilion. When your order is ready for collection, the UFO will start to beep with flashing lights - like this:

SnowFlake, a Taiwanese import, serves cooling grass jelly-flavoured ice topped with taro balls. They also serve soya beancurd, pearl milk tea and barley desserts. But the Grass Jelly with iced grass jelly topped with yam and sweet potato taro balls and a sprinkling of milk cream is simply fabulous. You must try it!

Another very interesting dessert can be found inside the Parkson department store at the KL Pavilion. On level 4, hidden in one corner of the ladies section, you can find the Zang Toi Cafe (or West 57th Street Cafe). They serve their signature Banana Chocolate Cake, simply sinful. Another must try when you are there.

If you are more health conscious, then I would recommend the Herbal Grass Jelly. The Koong Woh Tong outlets are located everywhere within Kuala Lumpur. I like the one at Times Square. Their herbal jelly or gwei ling go is not too bitter and the honey syrup is not too sweet. It is smooth and melts in the mouth, giving a very pleasant after taste.

Also try their "Five Flower Herbal Tea", to reduce heatiness and cools the body in addition to quenching your thirst.

Another of my favourite dessert shop can be found at the corner of Jalan Sultan and Jalan Petaling. It is called the Washington Cake House. 

My favourites are the walnut cornflakes cookies and the spongerusks (like toasted sponge cake slices). They also sell other homemade cakes and pastries. However, the spongerusks is something you cannot find elsewhere. They are crunchy and is a great snack throughout the day.

And finally, how can you leave KL without having some King of Fruits, the kampong version. Recently, I have the good fortune of feasting on my favourite fruit, during a thunderstorm in the Jalan Alor area. I was huddled under a makeshift shelter, and while the rain drops fall relentlessly, I was enjoying my finger-licking good Pahang D24 durians.

How can you beat that?