We have heard a lot of Din Tai Fung 鼎太丰, and this trip we had the opportunity to get a taste of what they have to offer. We were sceptical at first, as we have had some not so satisfying experience with chain restaurants that offers the famous ‘Siao Long Bao’.

While waiting for our orders to come, we tried their century egg appetiser which tasted like it should be creamy yoke and firm jelly like whites. The usual century eggs or ‘pei dan’ that we having nowadays has loss the seductive fragrance, taste and texture.

The ‘Siao Long Bao’ or broth dumplings we had at Din Tai Fung was juicy, consistent in texture and taste verses the previous not so happy experience in other chain restaurants that also serves this classic Chinese dish as one of their specialties.

The dough casing was pretty standard, not easily torn. There was sufficient amount of superior broth in each individual ‘pao’ and the mince meat was evenly cooked.

The ‘wantan dumpling’ was nothing to shout about, but then nothing much can be complain about too.

The next dish we had was their ‘Shanghainese Smoked Fish Fillet’. The fillets were smoky, sweet and not too dry. Its a good mate to go with rice.

For vegetables, we had their ‘Green Beans with Mince Pork. The beans were still green and crunchy and for taste it was salty and porky. pretty good.

And for soup, we had their spicy beef soup. This is something that I won’t mind missing on my next visit. The soup was not bad, but not my bowl of soup. It came with a big bowl of soup but just had a few medium chuck of beef.

The lunch visit at Din Tai Fung was not a disappointment at all, food was standard and the service was efficient, friendly and neat.

After lunch, we went on to check something and before we left Mid-Valley we went to the much talk about ‘Krispy Kreme’ to try some of their doughnut. We lucky that we only decided to get 4 for our first try. They krispy alright, but were too sweet for our liking. I guess, I am still a ‘J Co’ person.

After we left Mid Valley and left for my sister’s house to pick-up our car, we left for Penang and reach at around 9:00pm.

I guess it is time to add some spice to our food focus blog that we have got here. Many readers or fellow-bloggers might have read that we have been running a Strategic Marketing and Food Related Business Consultancy business ever since I left my previous job as an Area Manager for a German lubricant company.

We have been wanting to write about what we have seen and encountered through the pass months from our encounters with restaurant owners, chefs and service crews. And most importantly we would like to share some of our view points on the viability and problems encountered by the Restaurants, Cafes, Food Courts, Food Manufacturers, etc in the Malaysian market. Thus, we have decided to introduce a new category, ‘Busi.Body’.Other than explaining the downsides, we would of cause share some of the points that have help build brands and business.

No names would be mentioned, only the business nature would be brought up as simple case studies!

And for our disclaimer ‘The reviews and opinions expressed here in this blog are entirely based on our personal taste preference and observations and may vary from others. We have not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant or business establishment for producing our reviews‘, it still holds ground.

With my sister and brother-in-law with us, we were able to order more dishes to try this time. We ordered ‘Black Vinegar Pork Trotters’, ‘Terrapin Soup’, ‘Stir Fried Bitter Gourd with Roast Pork’ and ‘Stir Fry Mutton with ginger and scallion’. The total bill came to around RM 80 which is quite expensive to my standard. The last time we visited this eatery the prices were also similarly expensive, the only reason we went back is for their exotic menu and the quality of its dishes. The current trip was a bit of a disappointment for us as the taste and flavour of the dishes were lacking.

The Black Vinegar Port Trotter was overly sweet with very little sourness and the portion was limited.

Terrapin Soup was very light and had little herb taste. It was not as appetising as what we had experience before when he was still operating at Jalan Theater.

The Stir Fried Bitter Gourd and Roast Pork was the acceptable dish for this occasion.

The Stir Fry Mutton was over cooked and the meat have not absorbed the flavours of the ingredients. We guess the meat was pre-cooked which can explain for the dry and tart mutton meat.

The overall experience for this occasion at Ah Yee would only be 2.5 out of 5.

After Ah Yee, we head to Lorong Pasir Pinji 5 for our dose of ‘Chee Cheong Fun’ but is was closed. I spoke to uncle who is always seen in the kitchen making the ‘chee cheong fun’, he told me that since early in the year they would rest on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. And he has started to limit take-aways to a maximum of 30 packets per person to relief those who have to endure the wait for dine-in.

With the ‘chee cheong fun’ closed, we had no choice but  take a pit stop at the famous ‘Big Tree Young Liu’, or I should say once famous. Before it redevelop the place into what it is now, it used to be an old wooden house with some stalls infront selling the specialty ‘yong liu’ or fish paste stuffed snacks. After the disappointment at Ah Yee, we are again faced with the same agony at this ‘Big Tree’ place. The soup base and ‘yong liu’ have all lost their shine. I guess development is not always for the better of man.

The experience at the ‘Big Tree Foot Yeung Liu’ was dropped tremendously, they would get 2 out of 5 from my judgement.

Luckily the day did not ended with another disappointment. As my brother-in-law wanted to visit a place that they visited many years ago some near the Ipoh stadium, we went around searching and finally found the stretch of food stalls that are divided into 2 division, one group for day time and the other for night time. It was a new unexplored place for me and Gill, thus we walked around and saw many people enjoying their tea break at this area. Our walk got us noticing these 2 particular, ‘Low Kwan’ and the one next to it.

‘Low Kwan’ sells ‘Rojak’ or mixed fruits salad, ‘Sotong Bakar’ or BBQ Squid, ‘Kerang Rebus’ or Poach Cockles and ‘Sotong Rebus’ or Poach Squid. We had their ‘Rojak’ as we noticed many order were coming from their stall. It did not disappoint us, the ‘Rojak’ was filled with the bitter sweet taste and pungent aroma of our local shrimp paste or ‘har ko’. The cut fruits were naturally sweet and fresh too. To our surprise it also have in the plate, strands of ‘oung choi’ or water spinach.

For refreshments, we ordered ‘Ai Yu Ping’ or shaved ice with lemon and corn jelly and ‘ice kacang’ or ice shavings with sugar syrups and red beans. The ‘Ai Yu Ping’ was tangy and sweet which was good pick-up for hot lazy afternoon. The sourness of the lemon juice and the sweet syrup was well balanced.

The ‘ice kacang’ we had was drenched in palm sugar as requested with lots of evaporated milk to make it rich and creamy. In fact it was even better some of the ‘ice kacang’ stalls in Penang.

The ‘chee cheong fun’ that we had came from another stall just 3 stalls away from ‘Low Kwan’. The chee cheong fun was silky smooth and tasted standard, but it lack some firmness.

The overall experience at the stretch of food courts next to the Ipoh stadium was not bad, I would give it a 3.6 out of 5.

Pearl Palace Restaurant is on the 1st Floor of SP Setia country club. The dining area could easily accommodate 30 tables with plenty of space left for wedding banquets, company functions, etc.

There is a full view of the Penang International Airport and Bayan Lepas industrial area  from their dining hall during the day time.

And during the night time, diners can enjoy the night lights of the airport and the surrounding area.

Upon entering the Pearl Palace’s, the interior is full of typical Chinese statues, displays filled with the many dried and canned ingredients used in their dishes, a collection of tea pots and other decorative items.

After all the attendees of the review arrived, the diner began with their much sort after ‘Fish Pot or Fish Steam Boat’. The main ingredient would be the fish, but without a good stock to begin with would be futile. The ‘Fish Pot’ soup had other than their base stock; there were pieces of deep fried fish bones, fish head, Chinese cabbage and ginger.

The usual fish used for their ‘Fish Pot’ is the common red snapper, but it was grouper for us as they did not get any nice red snapper for the day. In fact, the fish is determined by the market supply as freshness is of the utmost importance. After the fish has been deboned and sliced, its bones and head are used to further enhance the flavour of the soup.  To compliment the fish fillets, tofu, raw spinach and rice are served with ‘Fish Pot’ set.

Chunky fresh Grouper fillets laying on a bed of spinach and tofu.

Their friendly waitress is seen here putting the fish, tofu and spinach into the boiling hot soup.

The fish was fresh, soup was indeed flavorful, smooth and sweet. Good till the last drop! [My rating : 4.5/5]

Before we could stop savouring the ‘Fish Pot’, the ‘Steamed Bean Curd with Prawn and Salted Egg’ was served. It is a light dish but full of flavour. The dish is made up of Japanese round tofu stuffed with fish paste/patty and topped with a unshelled prawn, which is later put to the steamer.  After it is cooked, a starchy sauce is drizzled on and topped with sands of salted duck egg yoke. To contrast the texture of the soft tofu and fish paste, Brussels sprout was used to offer a slight crunch texture to this dish and also a a garnish. But my wife thinks that broccoli would be more attractive in terms of colour contrast compare to the pale color of the sprouts.

Gill in her notes mentioned that the fish paste was kind of bland in terms of taste and colour, and suggested that may be chopped spring onions could mixed into the paste to some colour and flavour. As for the prawn, it was quite fresh and sweet. The salted duck egg yoke gave some sense of savouriness and fragrant, but it was a bit dry.

Overall the ‘Steamed Beancurd with Prawns and Salted Egg Yoke was a light, sweet with a slight savory dish which would appeal to many if not all.  Price of servings: small  RM25, medium  RM35 and large RM45.  [My rating : 3.9/5]

‘Braised Bamboo Shoot with Enoki Mushrooms’ is a vegetarian dish which looks plain and simple but the addition of tomatoes made it look more attractive to our sense of sight. This vegetarian dish offers more in the area of texture rather than taste as the shoots and Enoki mushrooms do not have much flavour in them. The taste comes from the preparation process and the sauce.

As usual the Enoki mushrooms had an earthy flavour with a light sour after taste. The bamboo shoot was flavourful as it has soaked up the tasty sauce and the texture was what we had experience before, soft and fibres with some crunch to it. But the uncooked tomatoes were exactly complimentary to the taste, but for garnishing is gives colour..

Overall the Braised Bamboo Shoot with Enoki Mushroom is not something that we personally fond of. Price per serving size: Small RM15, Medium RM22, Large RM35. [My rating : 3/5]

Other than some arduous abalones and slight saltier taste, it would have been an excellent dish and the gravy would be great to go with rice or noodles. Price per serving size: Small RM80, Medium RM160, Large RM220. [My rating: 3.8/5]

Chicken was served next, ‘Deep Fried Chicken with Marmite Sauce’. The chicken tenders were lightly batter coated and deep fried until golden in colour, then stir fried in their marmite base sauce. Gill thought they were fish fillets due to the soft texture. The chicken was very tender and moist, but the dish felt a bit dry as the marmite has dried up after the batter coat soaked up the sauce.  She prefer to have more sauce on the dish so that the chicken would not feel dry in our mouth. If too much sauce was applied, then the batter would turn soggy, Mr. Wong explained.  Or just let the deep fried chicken pieces be served as they are without any sauce. Crispy on the surface and tender moist chicken meat inside and serve with the marmite sauce on the side is what we might have tried. But then, the taste would have been different!

Deep Fried Chicken with Marmite Sauce, a common taste presented differently, was something that we have not tried. Overall the taste was fine, just that some pieces felt slightly drier than others. Price per serving size: Small RM12, Medium RM20, Large RM30 [My rating: 3.7/5]

This time it is really fish, ‘Pomfret in 2 Preparations’. This dish shows the difference between ‘Normal Restaurant’ and ‘Hotel or Five Star style Restaurants’ chef’s cooking experience. Mr. Wong was put to task to make is fish dish that call for the fish to be stir-fried and the other half steamed. It would need a well synchronisation of timing and flavours to have this dish served hot and able to have the flavours differentiated but not overwhelming each other.

The stir fried portion was a thumb up for everyone who was present, except for the nuts that had stale after taste. The smooth fish fillets were stir fried with celery, cashew nuts and carrots, with light gravy to glisten and moisten the dish. But the steam version had some comments that it was dry. I guess this because the steam version’s sauce was not the usual watery type, but of a thicker consistency to have it clinging to the fresh fish fillets for plating. May be the duration of photographing the dish also took its toll on the steam fish.

Overall a good flavour contrast with more preferences to the stir fried version.  And a barrier between two different preparations would have a better visual effect. Price per serving size would be base on the daily market price of the fish.  [My rating: 4/5]

We are all filled to the brim after the 6th course, but we still have to find ‘parking’ space for their ‘Fried Wet Hor Fun with Sliced Abalone’. The ‘Hor Fun’ had the wok sear or ‘wok hei’ aroma and taste. As for the gravy it was light and sweet with an eggy flavour. After all the photo shooting, I could still find yellowish streams of liquid egg yoke floating in the gravy. Just nice! Accompanying the ‘hor fun’, were shitake mushrooms, chicken slices, sticks of ‘bak choi’ and slices of abalone. The abalone is an optional topping to have. For me simple is gold. Just simple ingredients made or cooked to perfection to have their flavours and texture shine is the best skill a chef could have.

Overall a well presented simpletons dish made to shine, but the ‘hor fun’ was lumpy and mash up as it was kept in the fridge to prevent contamination. The price per serving size: Small RM12, Medium RM24, Large RM38 [My rating: 3.9/5]

Finally, the last sampling of the night was the dessert. As there more Ying than Yang, the chef made something especially for the ladies, ‘Double Boiled Aloe Vera with Red Dates’. The dessert had Aloe Vera, red dates and wolfberries double boiled and sweeten with rock sugar. It is simple to make but full of nourishment and goodness. The aloe vera was boiled with the other ingredients so that the flavours and goodness are infused and to present a jelly like texture.

The aloe vera with red dates dessert was a good ending to a hearty meal. But it was a bit too sweet for some. We believe the extra sweetness may have come from the red dates that were used.  The price per serving size: Small RM8, Medium RM18, Large RM30 [My rating: 4.5/5]

The last photos show the chef and manager of Pearl Palace asking for honest feedbacks from the attending food bloggers that faithful night. He also shared some tips and experience he had gain through the years in his line of work.

To sum up our experience at Pearl Palace Restaurant:

Taste & Texture: 3.8/5
Money Value : 3.5/5
Service: 3.8/5
Cleanliness: 4.5/5 (way to hotel standard)
Atmosphere: 4.5/5 (relaxing place with the airport and seaview, where else you can get? )

Personal liking(s):

1. Fish Steamboat

2.  Steam Bean Curd with Prawns and Salted Egg Yoke

3. Fried Hor Fun

4. Double Boiled Aloe Vera with Red Dates

List of attending Food Bloggers:

AllAboutPenangFood

Allie Food Talk

Buzzing Bee

Cariso Delicacies Corner

Criz

Food Promotion

Steven

Allen

Pearl Palace Restaurant

Tel: 604-643 9888, 644 9355 Fax: 604-645 9888
Business Hour: 11am – 3pm and 6pm – 10pm (Close on Monday)

View Bayan Lepas Food in a larger map

This newly set-upped cafe is located just opposite the Apex cafe in Raja Uda. Upon arrival, the out look of the cafe seems to have brought in some liveliness to the other otherwise dull looking place. It has an open concept with full height glass panels and no doors. It looks like something that one would find shopping malls or upmarket areas. Bryan’s intention is to bring something fresh, good food and enjoyment to the Raja Uda area. We could see that much effort has been put in to refurbish the old and run down corner shop unit, which used to serve as the storage area for a ‘nasi kandar’ business.

But if you are a person who are allergic to the warm and humid weather, then it would be advisable to visit the place during the evening.   It is not hot during the day, but because of the open concept it would not be as cool as in malls. The food that one would find in Who’s Bryan’s menu is similar to those of Dome, Segafrado, and the likes of it. It is mainly fast western dishes like soups, sandwiches, burgers, chops, snacks, coffee base beverages, sodas, etc.

Before we arrived, Bryan had already arranged for some of their specialties for us to sample, which include their coffee and coffee base drinks, a snack and 3 main courses. First to be served were the drinks, all coffee drinks in fact, which I have forgotten their  exact names. The coffee was said to be freshly brewed on order. Presentation wise they look standard, but the taste of the coffee base was a bit bland. It lack that nutty taste and pungent aroma of the coffee beans.

Then we had their Affogato which was served ice-cream and coffee in individual cups. The Espresso tasted a bit stronger than the previous cups but the vanilla ice-cream lack that luxurious vanilla flavor and the ice-cream did not have that rich creamy after taste. Overall verdict on their coffee drink is that effort was put in to present an otherwise common drink to look outstanding, but more care should also be placed on brewing a better cup of coffee and also to look into the beans itself.

A short chat afterwards, their kitchen started to roll out their main courses and a plate of bruschetta Bryan’ style. The bruschetta had raw garlic and a mixture of cheese and mayo, which did not appeal to us as the mayo had overwhelm the supposing rich dairy flavor. But the texture of the bread base was just nice, crisp on the surface and slightly soft inside.

We were also give a ‘preview’ of their ‘Pumpkin Soup’, which look presentable and safe. The texture of the soup was average, but it lack the sweetness of the pumpkin and was bland to taste. I guess the best pumpkin soup we had this year was at Louise Cafe, which we have been to since March.

The ‘Who’s Lamb Shank’ gave me the impression of ‘Lamb Mole’ due to dark brown color of the gravy. The gravy did not stand out from the crowd of lamb shanks that are available at other restaurants, and it was a bit over salty which with some mash potato can help neutralize. Meat wise, it was tender but it did not have the flavor of the gravy infused in to it. Thus, without the gravy this dish would have been bland.

‘Who’s Crumbly Chicken’ is the signature chop. It is different from other chicken chops as the tender boneless whole chicken  leg was encase in a crispy casing of light batter and corn flakes, not breaded or heavily battered with seasoned flour mix. The corn flakes gave it the extra crunch and corny fragrant. And the mushroom sauce was standard with slices of button mushrooms.  After this dish, it struck us that it would more sensible to have the corn flakes downed size a bit to give ease to diner’s chewing motion.

We also had the luxury to try out their homemade beef patty burger with cheese and egg  and fries and salad on the side. It was good attempt on their part. The patty was well cooked, tender and moist. The only set back for this dish was that the minced meat was slightly over minced which led to a finer texture. My preference of a good beef patty is that I could still see and feel the grains of minced beef and its fats after every bite of the burger. Other than that, a look in the seasoning the herbs used should also be looked into. With the suggested tuning of the beef patty, with the well melted cheese to added extra flavor  and well prepared sunny side-up egg to give it some moisture and richness, the burger would give the road side burger stalls a run for their money.

To sum up our experience at Who’s Bryan:

Taste & Texture: 3.2/5 (The chicken whole leg, bread, beef patty were fresh without the frozen meat taste texture, but the tastes of the dishes should be looked into)
Money Value : 3.5/5 (For a place like this and with the price they charge it is considered quite reasonable, but food also plays an important role for our consideration)
Service: 3.0/5 (Their staff would have to pay more attention)
Cleanliness: 3.8/5 (The place is new and well kept, the toilet was also well maintain, but due to the open concept plus the surrounding environment there tends to be flies)
Atmosphere: 3.5/5 (A bit warm for us during the mid afternoon, but the interior looks refreshing for that area)

Address & GPS: 65(GF), Lorong Teras Jaya 2, Pusat Perniagaan Teras Jaya, 13400  Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.

Tel: +60 (4) 3329097

The chicken rice shop/stall that we had our lunch was call ‘Sang Kee’. They serve poached and roasted chicken, ’suen choi’ or sour vegetables soup and ‘char siew’. The chickens that they have are quite big in size and very meaty, plus customers can choose from either farmed chicken or free range chicken depending on your preference.

On that hot Friday afternoon, we only had desire for poach free range chicken and ‘char siew’ with a side order of ’suen choi’. The poached chicken skin was yellowish in color similar to those seen on Hong Kong serials, ‘wong yau kai’ or direct translation yellow oil chicken. The last time I had chicken that looked like this was last year in Setiawan and Pangkor Island while attending wedding dinners of relatives. The poach chicken at ‘Sang Kee’ was quite meaty but a bit bland for my taste buds. The skin was firm and rich though.

As for the ‘char siew’, it had quite a good ration of lean meat and fats, and the taste was above average with a sweeter after taste. A must have for me, if we do go back again.

I can’t speculate about the ’suen choi’ for I was afraid that my stomach acid was acting up again, but from Gill’s feedback was that it also have an above average taste.

The chicken rice was normal, it had a very light seasoning with chicken essence which some may not have even tasted its presence if he she is accustom to out side food.  And the accompanying broth was very light, clear and sweet, with a hint of cabbage flavor in it…very comfortable soup. And that was all we had for lunch.

To sum up our experience at Sang Kee Chicken Rice:

Taste & Texture: 3.0/5 (Chicken was slightly bland and the rice was just mediocre)
Money Value : 3.0/5
Service: 3.0/5
Cleanliness: 3.0/5
Atmosphere: 3.0/5

In the early evening we had attended the AFC preview party at NEO, after which we headed Jalan Kasah for ribs at Ribs by Vintry. We have been to that area for Italian food, but not to either Ribs or their sister restaurant Vintry.

We were told ribs, be it beef or pork, were their specialty at  Ribs by Vintry, so for our mains we ordered 2 variations of pork ribs. One was their ‘Saute Butter Cream Sauce Ribs’ and the other was their BBQ pork ribs. And for desserts we shared their, also specialty, ‘Tiramisu’.

Gill was praise for the ‘Saute Butter Cream Sauce’ which was different, or fusion in taste. This variation of cream sauce was surprisingly fresh with the usage of some Asian herbs (lemon grass and some hint of orange peel) and not too overwhelming in terms of the after taste. The accompanying sautéed potato was equally tasty and creamy with a fluffy texture, but not much could be said about the side vegetable salad. Ribs wise, my only complains are that there were not enough meat on them and there was a hint of that ‘frozen’ meat taste left in the ribs. I was told that the ‘frozen’ meat taste was the effect of importing the ribs from Europe to acquire the the cut and taste that the chef wanted to present to their customers. Local pork ribs could have been sufficient, but then it is hard to get consistent supply of the cut and texture that the chef want. We too also have found that same cut of pork from different pork sellers in different areas have varied taste and texture. This may be due to the feed, age and condition of the pigs reared in.

The BBQ pork ribs also shares the same ‘frozen’ taste problem and insufficient meat on the bones. Taste wise, it tasted similar to the common BBQ ribs offered else where except the extremely smooth potato mash that was hidden at the bottom of the ribs.

The ‘Tiramisu’ was at first the most criticised item we had for the night at Ribs by Vintry. The ‘Tiramisu’ was bland(no cheesy richness or taste), no liquor taste and the biscuit was already soggy. This biscuit actually reminded me of water soaked dry corn cereal(Nestum). And it was one of the reasons or products that gave us a better insight of the confidence and responsibility of the staffs of the restaurant. After we made our complaints known on paying, we were assured that our grievances will be looked into. And immediately the cashier, Edmund, went into the kitchen to look into our feedback and brought another glass of their signature ‘Tiramisu’ for us to reevaluate. We tried it and it was a lot better than the glass that we paid for. The cheese taste was richer, there was a stronger hint of ‘Kahlua’ flavor and the biscuit was still firm.

To sum up our experience at Ribs by Vintry:

Taste & Texture: 3.3/5 (The pork ribs were slightly hard in texture and lack meat, but the fusion type sauce was something refreshing to our taste buds)
Money Value : 3.0/5 (not a whole lot, but sufficient to last out the whole bowl )
Service: 3.9/5 (not much attention during our dining due to under staffing, but the effort to answer our complains were main decision maker in our grading here)
Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3.5/5

First stop, Funny Mountain Soya Bean Curd and Milk shop near to Jalan Theatre in Ipoh town. This particular shop has been in the print media and online media for quite sometime, but we only had the opportunity to try it for the first time on that faithful day.

The soya bean curd or ‘taufu fah’ is still kept and served from the wooden barrel like the old days. The bean curd was very smooth, until I could not sense any form of firm texture. The soya bean curd also lack that distinctive beanie and earthy fragrant and taste. And the sugar syrup was nothing to boast about too. But then again, who am I to criticise about it when it has been on the news because of its uniqueness.  The usual ‘taufu fah’ that I have had although is not as smooth, it still had body, the light fragrance of the soya beans and the earthy nutty taste. Syrup wise, it would be either pandan scented clear sugar syrup or the common palm sugar. Oh, another experience! The proprietor or worker was bit arrogant at first before I took out my DSLR. He really annoyed my Gill Gill.

Not feeling satisfied, we headed, truthfully, I headed to another ‘taufu fah’ shop that may have just ‘pop-out’ just a corner’s walk away.  It seems that there are many me-too business that have begun operating in the Ipoh. I guess the Chinese saying “Pigs are scared to be fat” is true. Not only Funny Mountain has its work cut-out, even the Au Keng Lim bake salted chicken is facing stiff competition from newly set-up salted chicken shops and stalls around its own turf.

The next ‘taufu fah’ shop that I went to was ‘Lai Kei Soya’. The bean curd had more body but still lack the fragrant and taste, but the sugar syrup was a tad better. They have at least a choice of 3, palm sugar (gula Melaka), plain ‘pandan’ sugar syrup and ginger sugar syrup. I had the ginger syrup which was quite strong and spicy. At ‘Lai Kei’ they emphasise that their soya bean curds do not contain gypsum powder. Gypsum is a very soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate. It is use to coagulate the soya bean milk to make the curds. In Asian society it used to be a major source of dietary calcium.

After the pit stop in Ipoh  town, we headed to Menglembu in search of the coffee shop that I used to patronise for the famous Ipoh White Coffee, ‘Meng Meng Kee’. But to our untimeliness, the shop has only closed for the day. A check with its neighbor, they told me that the coffee is not as good as before. May be on my next trip, I would have to sample the white coffee one more time to be sure.

Thus, a drive to the near by ‘makan’ spot was needed before we continue our journey to KL. For this, we went to the ‘Wai Sek Kai’ near Jalan Lahat and found ‘Michael Home Made Noodle’. What actually attracted my attention was first the sign saying it was home made noodles and the pungent aroma of boiling anchovies base soup. It is one of the traditional recipes of making ‘wantan’ noodles’ soup stock. The wantan noodles were springy and crunchy, but the ‘dry’ sauce was just average. The soup was sweet and fragrant, and the wantan was quite good. In whole the experience was comforting.

After the plate of comforting noodles and the bowl of soothing wantan and soup, we continued with our journey to KL. After we reach KL, we immediately went off to delivered the ‘ta pau’ baked salted chicken from ‘Au Kheng Lim. After that it was off to ‘Rocket United Cafe’ in PJ SS2 for a very late dinner.

Yea, The DAP “Rocket United Cafe”, First Political Party’s Concept Cafe in Malaysia!

Stay tune…

A food critic is a writer who specializes in writing criticisms of food. Similar to critics from other fields like stage plays, movies and music, food critics are supposed to provide thoughtful, well-informed, and unbiased information to the public, so that members of the public can make decisions about where to spend their money. Food critics primarily write about restaurants, ranging from fast food establishments to fashionable and very exclusive restaurants. Sometimes street foods would be of highlight too.

Becoming a food critic takes time. Most food critics pursue professional experiences in the world of food be it attending culinary schools, working in restaurants, or even in the line of consulting restaurant, and so forth, so that they can learn about every aspect of the food industry. A good food critic is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of food, from how certain foods are prepared to the history of various dishes to acquiring a well-developed palate.

Professional responsibility is of very importance  for a food critics. As in any type of authoritative position, food critics describe the meals they order, talking about how the food is presented, what it looks like, and what it tastes like. In short, they would write about their actual experiences while dining at a certain place. Anonymous visit to restaurants are made to get an idea of how a restaurant serves ordinary customers.Repeat visits are recommended to provide fair and balanced assessments of a restaurant, its offerings quality and consistency.Even the history and facts of any dish or cuisine that is being reviewed should be researched and generated in proper to prevent from giving wrong information to those who seek it.

Professional integrity is also part and partial of being a food critic, which there is difference from any occupation. Thus, avoidance of commercial gifts from restaurateurs, offers of free food, etc is needed to prevent implications of bribery or favouritism which can discredit the food critic or tarnish the reputations of critics. If an offer of an invited review, it is still the ethics of the food critic to provide untainted criticism and view, and it is the responsibility of the restaurateur or business owner to provide their best and not provide less and expect for more. BE READY AT ALL TIMES REGARDLESS IF IT IS A NORMAL PAYING CUSTOMER OR A FOOD CRITIC.

Food critics do not only evaluate food offerings, but also the service, the ambience of the facility, price and location factor, and s forth. In cases, a food critic may utilise or provide contrasting comparisons, opinions on the quality of the food, and discussions of similar dishes and or other establishments.  Sometimes, the input of the chef or restaurateur would be sort to clarify certain question. Therefore, after considering all of the aspects of the dining experience, the food critic generates ratings which can be used as a quick guide or rule of thumb readers who are trying to decide whether or not they want to visit a particular restaurant.

The preview party was held at NEO in Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. It is just beside the KFC building/HQ. NEO is a new setup and may need some time to get their things right.

Before the preview screening began, we were served with some refreshments, and then it was show time. We were given a briefing by the AFC’s co-founder and MD, Hian Goh, just before the screening began.

We were told that Daniel was a very nice, gracious, incredibly passionate and meticulous person. To me personally, it is these trades that differentiate chef from a cook. From the screening you could see how Daniel chooses the ingredients, experiment and creates dishes with them. From the one hour programme, you could also see how he manages the chefs he brought with him and directs the kitchen and service crew from Singapore’s famous The Fullerton boutique hotel to provide well choreographed experience for the senses.

If you are a avid follower of programmes broadcast by Asian Food Channel, Daniel Boulud would not be foreign to you. He has a TV series, ‘After Hours with Daniel’, which shows him visiting different restaurants and enjoying a meal with some friends and fellow chefs after service hours. Daniel Boulud is Chef-Owner of ten award-winning restaurants and the Feast & Fetes catering company. Originally from Lyon, France, he has made it big in New York, so much so that he is today considered of Americas leading culinary authorities. Other than United States, his brand name has also reached the shores of Canada and China.

After the screening which lasted for about 60 minutes, we had the opportunity to sample some of the ‘tapas’ that NEO has to offer. First out from their kitchen was a combination of ‘otoro’ and grilled Baby Romaine.

Then there was the dish with either steam or poach scallop with leak cream sauce and Grade 7 Wagyu Beef cheek with some sort of mushroom sauce.

Then for sweets, we were served with strawberries and (I guess) chocolate brownies.

Basically, much still could be done for the taste and flavour of what we had for that eventful evening. As for the ambiance, NEO was seen playing with the aqua theme.  From the main entrance to their dining area to their bar it was waterfalls and flowing pools. It would be a nice place to relax if you like the sound of cascading water.

We greatly appreciate AFC and Alice George Communication for bringing such events to Malaysia, and exploring the word of mouth effect that blogs have in this current technological age. I do hope that may be next time they would consider Penang for their next event.