kajangfood

Tai Ho Jiak @ Kajang Prima

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:52:00 +0000

Tai Ho Jiak @ Kajang Prima

This place has been drawing a steady crowd since opening a few months ago, and I finally managed to drop by on a quiet weekday evening. The atmosphere was relaxed, with moderate noise levels and no wait time—ideal for a casual dinner.

The food was generally good, and I found the set meals to be excellent value for money. The Braised Pork was tender and flavorful, pairing beautifully with warm rice. The pickled cucumber added a refreshing tartness and chill that helped open the appetite, while the seaweed soup was simple but satisfying.

The Handmade Dumplings were a standout—tasty, well-textured, and something I’d happily order à la carte next time. Definitely a highlight of the meal.

For dessert, I preferred the Brown Sugar Brûlée over the Signature Herbal Jelly. The brûlée had a deeper, more indulgent flavor, although the boba balls didn’t quite add to the experience. The herbal jelly was light and refreshing, but less memorable.

Service was prompt and friendly throughout, and the overall dining experience felt well-balanced. With prices ranging from RM 20–40 per person, it’s a solid dinner option that delivers on both taste and value.

I’ll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

A Decade Later: Revisiting Cibiuk Kajang

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 06:18:00 +0000

Ten years ago, I walked into Cibiuk Kajang and left with tears streaming down my face—not from sadness, but from the fiery sambal that made this place unforgettable. It was a culinary experience that etched itself into memory. But after a long hiatus, especially post-Covid lockdowns, my recent visit felt like a shadow of its former self.

Atmosphere & Service

The once-vibrant ambiance now feels dim and subdued. While service was fair and the QR ordering system worked efficiently, the energy that used to define this outlet seems to have faded.

The Sambal Station: A Diminished Legacy

Previously the crown jewel of the restaurant, the Sambal Station now offers just four small bowls—none of which packed the heat or complexity I remembered. The blanched vegetables (carrots, long beans, bitter gourd) lacked freshness and crunch, making the experience feel underwhelming.

What We Ate

Nasi Liwet with Ayam Bakar
The shallot-infused rice was still fragrant and satisfying. The chicken, though smaller, retained its sweet-spicy glaze. Sides of cucumber, salad leaf, fried tofu, and tempeh were decent. A tomato sambal was provided, but again, it lacked the fiery punch.

Nasi with Lele Goreng (Ikan Keli)

Similar sides as the Nasi Liwet. The fish was small but acceptable. The tofu stood out—crispy outside, soft inside. The tempeh, however, didn’t impress.

Avocado Blend
A creamy, cooling drink that helped balance the mild sambal heat. Recommended.

Final Thoughts

This visit was tinged with nostalgia and a bit of disappointment. The food wasn’t bad, but compared to the early days, the spark has dimmed. Prices have risen, and quality has slipped. For longtime fans, it’s hard not to measure today’s experience against the golden past.

Back to Blogging: Kajang's Hidden Culinary Gems

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 06:55:00 +0000

After years away from food blogging, I’m making my comeback in 2024 with a meal that was too good not to share!

This post features an unexpected find in Sungai Chua, Kajang, at a small, unassuming restaurant. What drew me in? A golden-hued poached chicken and a rich Eight Treasure Duck that instantly caught my attention.

After chatting with the chef, he advised, “Bring at least 10 people!” And so, the gang and I came together, pre-ordering an epic feast. Here's the rundown of what we had:

Poached Free Range Chicken
Beautifully golden and tender, this chicken was perfection. The texture was spot on, and the accompanying ginger dipping sauce added a zesty kick. My only tweak? A sprinkle of chopped green onions in the sauce would have made it even better!

Hakka Char Yoke (Pork with Black Fungus)
Wow. This dish truly surprised me! It was almost as good as the slow-cooked, home-made version. The flavours were bold and hearty—an absolute must-try for anyone visiting this place.

Sweet Potato Leaves with Fermented Bean Curd
This dish was a clear winner! The 'fu yee' (fermented bean curd) added a unique depth of flavour, and the balance between the leafy greens and the fermented bean curd was just right. A simple yet standout choice.

Eight Treasure Duck
Braised for hours, this was the star of the day. While I'm more used to the non-rice-stuffed version, this rendition had its own appeal. The ‘treasures’ packed inside were flavourful, but I must admit, I missed the simplicity of the version I grew up with.

Garlic Stir-Fried Vegetable
A simple, straightforward dish that delivered exactly what it promised—clean, fresh flavours with the perfect touch of garlic. Sometimes, simplicity is all you need!

Stir Fried Chayote Squash
This was a new one for me, and I’m glad we tried it. Simple, fresh, and a great palate cleanser among the richer dishes. Sometimes, venturing into the unfamiliar pays off!

Peppery Pork Rib Soup
Interestingly, the soup arrived last! Loaded with pork ribs, chicken feet, and daikon, it had a strong peppery punch that was different but satisfying. Chef whipped this up without us even asking—a nice surprise!

Finally, the master himself...

PS. You need to pre-order your Eight Treasure Duck and Poached Chicken at least a day earlier, I was told.

Kok Ping Restaurant
Jalan 22, Kampung Baru Sungai Chua,
43000 Kajang, Selangor
Tel: 016-365 1294

Happy Restaurant a.k.a Oscar’s

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 06:07:00 +0000

If you have been following this blog for long enough, you would know that we've been patronising this restaurant ever since the new cook (Oscar) took over in 2016. In fact we wrote about the new cook taking over from the Old Man about 8 years ago (click the link here to go to that post).

Happily, the restaurant has prospered, thanks to consistent good food, reasonable prices and a relaxed vibe with abundant parking at night. This may be one of the hidden gems of Kajang and possibly one of my favourite restaurants at the moment.

Highly recommended (and consistent in taste since the start of their operations) are the Fried Fish with Garlic Sauce; their signature Tofu with Minced Meat and Stir Fried Four Angle Beans with Lotus Root. These dishes are a Must Try and are Highly Recommended. Here are some of the dishes we would recommend:

Must Try : Fried Fish with Garlic Sauce

Must Try : Stir Fried Four Angle Beans with Lotus Root

Recommended : Smoked Chicken

Must Try : Tofu with Minced Meat

Recommended: Kangkung in Claypot

Indonesian Glass Noodle in Curry with Prawns

Deep Fried Kangkung topped with Squid Sauce

Pork Belly with Salted Fish

Generally, all the food here is good. Be prepared to wait, especially at peak dinner hours and on holidays as Oscar does all the cooking himself, although he has an assistant to help with the prep.

Dress casually (shorts are recommended) as there is no air-cond and it can get stuffy when there is no wind and on hot days.

CLOSED : Lo Ma Zhi

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sat, 13 Apr 2024 02:45:00 +0000

Unfortunately, this restaurant has ceased operations on 18 August 2025. However I'm keeping this post here in memory of the good food and good times I had there.

Somebody commented that it's been 8 years since my last post on this blog. It's true, and much water has flown under the bridge in that time - career move, studies etc. Eight years ago, my workplace was at Jalan Ipoh in KL and one of my favourite restaurants, Lo Ma Zhi was located just down the road along the same road. The restaurant relocated in 2018 during the MRT construction works on Jalan Ipoh and I moved to an office in the heart of KL business district. After losing touch with restaurant for almost 8 years too, I had a pleasant and memorable reconnect during the Raya holiday. Taking advantage of the toll-free and almost traffic-free roads, I made my way to the somewhat obscure location in Tropicana Selatan. Located among the landscape and plant nurseries is the (not so) new location for Lo Ma Zhi Restaurant at Lot 10, Kawasan Landskap & Nurseri, Jalan Tropicana Selatan, Persiaran Tropicana, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Some of the dishes for lunch were:

Steamed Ikan Patin - wild patin fish steamed in a simple soy sauce with some cili padi.

Smoked Platter - smoked pork belly and duck breast with smoked lychee and braised peanuts - highly recommended.

Doggy Duck - a traditional Hakka braised duck dish cooked with ginger and spices - highly recommended.

Drunken Emperor Eggs - egg in rice wine - highly recommended.

Kam heong la-la.

Pa Wong Chicken Chop - fried chicken chops.

Salted Spice Brinjal - highly recommended.

Nanyang Vegetables - a variation of Lo Hon Chai but with added red fermented beancurd.

All the food were either excellent or good. My only complaint was that the Nanyang Vegetables were a little soggy by the time it reached the table.

This was a trip down memory lane for me. And now that I know where they are, this will not be the last visit too. Do give it a try if you're in the area. Reservations are required so do call 010-2421132 before you visit.

My top 10 breakfast and lunch places in Bandar Mahkota Cheras

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 02:13:00 +0000

I've been frequenting the Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) and Sg Long (SL) areas on Saturdays for the last few years and have had the opportunity to try various breakfast and lunch spots. BMC and SL are predominantly Chinese areas so the food outlets are primarily Chinese with some Western, Indian, Mamak (a unique Malaysian cuisine actually) with only a spattering of Malay stalls (no proper Malay restaurant I believe).

There are many coffee shops and cafes , but most produce (with a few exceptions) average or mediocre food for the masses. I personally prefer the shops which specialise in particular dishes as they tend to make them well.

Here's my list of favorites in BMC in no particular order. Follow the links for location and other details on Google Maps.

1. Family Pho (Vietnamese)

Run by a Vietnamese family, this place has been around for some time. Besides the ubiquitous Pho, their Bahn Mi sandwich is worth trying too. Full meals with dishes are available too and what I've tried so far has been good.

2. Yeng Kee Noodle House 2

This is a branch of a noodles house from Taman Yulek Cheras. Their various fish head noodles are good and regulars even store their bottles of rice wine at the shop, to be added to the noodles for extra aroma and taste. My favourite here however are the Tendon Pork Noodles soup. The pork slices have an extraordinary texture and the broth is light and refreshing. Highly recommended.

3. Restoran Wa Bao Zai Claypot Chicken Rice

This is a recent discovery and the Claypot Chicken Rice ticked all the right boxes - slightly burnt crust, tender well cooked chicken, pork sausages and add-on salted fish. Their Chicken Soup in Coconut was good and is recommended as well. The owner's wife is Vietnamese and she sells fresh Vietnamese tea and cashew nuts at the counter.

4. SK Pork Noodles

A branch of the famous Seri Kembangan Pork Noodles, this is another regular go-to places for pork noodles in BMC.

5. Rojak Stall at 63 Food Station

A hard working Chinese guy runs this stall single-handedly and manages to serve a very good version of the Mamak style rojak.

6. Beef Noodles at 63 Food Station

The chef at this stall is pretty old but his expertise shows in the flavourful beef noodle broth which has been boiled for hours. All the meat and innards are tender, and the slices of melon melt in your mouth. Highly recommended.

7. Hock Kee Ulu Yam Loh Mee

Their signature Ulu Yam Loh Mee is good. But my favorite here is their Hokkien Mee. Cooked with hand made thick noodles with generous amounts of pork lard, this noodle might be even better than the other famous speciality Hokkien noodles place down the road. Give it a try and tell me what you think.

8. Nasi Kandar Pokok Cheri

The most authentic Nasi Kandar or Mamak restaurant in BMC. It will not earn any points for the dark and dingy interior but the food, especially the curries, bring me back to Penang. Have your favourite dishes and don't forget to tell them to "banjir" the rice with "kuah campur".

9. Woo Pin Fish Head Noodles

Another branch of a famous fish head noodle shop from Taman Desa, this place lives up to the reputation of its original shop. Good fish head noodles which are well executed.

10. Ah Teo Pan Mee & Zhu Ro Fen

There are a few pan mee shops around BMC, some with queues for tables. But I personally like the pan mee here. Both the sop and dry versions are good. Also good are their Pork Noodles and Curry Mee.

Do give them a try and let me know in the comments if you have any other favourites that are not on this list.

Lakeside Hometaste Restaurant (tepi rumah)

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 05:29:00 +0000


Front Entrance to Lakeside Hometaste Restaurant (side of a house next to lake)

On a cloudy late Sunday morning, decided to go food hunting in Sg. Chua with my partner-in-crime, the unexplored territories. Following my GPS to a so called 'free range chicken' place nearby - which we presumed had closed, we accidently found this place as there were many cars parked there. We decided to try it out. It is right opposite the lake from the famous Thai restaurant, A-Wet.

Loh Pan-Mee before adding black vinegar

Basically its a noodle place with most of them going for pan-mee base. There was Yee Mee, Pan Mee, Loh Mee, Curry Mee served dry (kon lo) or soupy. I tried the Loh Pan Mee in thick Pan Mee (they also have thin Pan-mee) - which I found it to be tasty but a little thick on the broth. My PIC went for Kon Lo Pan Mee which was quite tasty too. Side dishes were fried dumpling and fish ball soup. Fried dumpling was a little small but very tasty where as the fish ball soup was big but the fish ball lack the springy texture and ordinary in taste. I do intend to try other side dishes next time there.

Kon-loh Pan-Mee & fish ball soup

The airy spacious enviroment was a plus point, it has lots of fans too, clean and nice. There was a constant flow of customers but it was not crowded/congested.

This place gave me the feeling you were seated at the verendah of your house, overlooking the lake in front and enjoying your Sunday morning brunch. They also make lovely kampung styled kopi-ais which went great with the meal. Nice place, nice food and some SYTs to serve you - what else could you ask for? BTW. I was told, there have been in business since 2015, so its not that new.

Fried dumplings

Ex Oldman, Restaurant Happy

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Tue, 14 Jun 2016 23:56:00 +0000

To write or not to write, to share or not to share - the million dollar question we always ask. To be honest, I am reluctant to share this place as it is ‘damn good’ and I don’t want to end up waiting when I go there once he become famous, but.......what the heck!

Famous Oldman (retired)

Farewell Oldman, welcome Youngman and I am indeed happy to blog about Happy Restaurant - it’s kept me happy for the last month or so since they appeared on my food radar.

Located at the parking lot of Pasar Kajang where the Oldman Restaurant used to be, it is now renamed as Happy Restaurant and run by a young tattooed Chef and his Cantonese/Mandarin speaking and ever-smiling wife. Nice couple they are.

I was a bit skeptical when this new guy appeared about 2 weeks after Oldman Uncle decided to retire. He told us his son’s friend will be taking over after a quick renovation. Now I have been a faithful customer for the last 3 weeks or so and I have to admit, I am kinda addicted to this place, swearing to come back again next weekend!

'Youngman' Chef

Today’s dinner even inspired me to get back to my blogging, so here it goes - Kajang’s new secret food hideout @Pasar Kajang parking lot - Restoran Happy.

Husband wife team with a child in tow, the wife greets you with a big smile (every time without fail), she even remembers what you had there the last time and ever willing to recommend something new for us to try. Although a Myanmarese, she speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently and some Bahasa too.

What have we tried so far and recommendations: at the top of the list will be the simple fried Talapia topped with lots of fried garlic-chili-api mix - superb, will make your crave for more! Well executed for a very simple fried fish but full of flavour from the garlic-chili api sauce.This is a must have. (FYI: There is a guy under a tree in Sg. Way who does this style of frying Ikan Kembung for lunch, laced with similar garlic sauce - very famous - behind Cycle & Carriage, 200m from new Krishna Curry House - Federal Highway)

Fried Talapia with garlic-chili-padi topping

Next, pork ribs cooked with lots of onion and tomato plus some samsu (rice wine) - as normal as it look, has a fantastic aroma/flavour to it (reminds me of really good claypot musang from the good old days) - its a very 'old school' way of cooking with fantastic results.

The Bitter Gourd and Salted Egg came as the biggest surprise - we were expecting the normal stir fried green bitter gourd, but was completely surprised when it was served as deep fried and looked much different from our expectation - it was very tasty and strangely, not bitter! Makes a good appetizer.

Retro-tasting Pork Ribs with onion-tomato & samsu

I also have to mention the pork ribs (or even fried chicken) topped with crushed peanuts sauce we had - very tasty and flavourful.

We had eggplant/brinjal with salted fish and this was also a winner - flavourful but a little oily (he admitted, he forgot to drain the eggplant after frying it - give him the benefit of the doubt this time - still new).

Fried Bitter Gourd in Salted egg

Other dishes we tried here were kangkong in claypot - not sure why the claypot but just average stir fried kangkong. It was ok, little different. The curry sea-food claypot of parwns/sotong/fish was very tasty, worth a try too. There is also a dry fish head curry - garupa fish with some vege - also tasty and worth the try.

What was amazing, my kaki makan friends all kept telling me, this place is like an addiction, we keep wanting to go back there week after week for his cooking! Must be good. He is open from about 10am in the morning to about 3pm after lunch, then a break till 5.30pm, then to 9.00pm. Youngman has taste and can dish out some awesome dishes, tell us what you think. Keep up the good work Chef Youngman!

GPS Location 2.990527, 101.793127
Address: 824, Jalan Changkat, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
(Pasar Kajang Car Park area)

(more photos to whet your appetite below)


Garupa Fish Head


4-angled beans with lotus root - very good!

Fried nam yee pork - simple, nice

Steamed brinjal - yes, white in colour! nice.

Fried squid/sotong with salted egg - nice

Pork ribs in special peanut sauce


Signature fresh fried talapia & loads of garlic-chiliapi! RECOMMENDED!

Live & Fresh Talapia in 'Samsu' - sorry, only for regulars ;-) (1/3 bottle of samsu!)

Fried Ikan Kembung with young garlic-chilipadi - also for regulars only, sorry ;-)

Sunday Breakfast - Roti Canai & Nasi Lemak

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 02 Aug 2015 11:42:00 +0000

So what does a foodie do on a lazy weekend? Sunday breakfast starts on Saturday night, 'spying' on other foodie's post for some breakfast ideas. I spotted one untested in Sg. Chua titled Roti Canai 17 as 'one of the best food places in Kajang' - OMG! and I didn't know about it! Set alarm for early breakfast and jumped out of bed and headed there on this lazy Sunday morning, so here goes - my field report.

Finding the place was easy, just look for Sek. Agama near the Old Town White Coffee place, it is right next to the school.

Go to Jalan Wan Siew in Sg. Chua, at the traffic lights turn left if you are coming from Bangi/Giant Supermarket/SILK Highway, look out for the Sek. Agama signage on the left. You should see Roti Canai 17 as you turn left here. Ample parking around the shop. If you are coming from Sg. Chua main road/Kajang town, you turn right at the traffic lights in Jalan Wan Siew.

What caught our eyes was, its an Indian shop but there was a Chinese altar outside the shop and Indian deity inside the shop. What gives? This was seen pasted on the wall and I guess explains the reson for it being so.

Religion aside, we came for the food. So as per the 'norm' with other patrons, we ordered roti canai, roti telor and nasi lemak, plus an extra plate of 'kari ayam', which was served in a big plate, a whole drumstick. Nasi Lemak + chicken curry was RM6.00 - not bad for the size.

To down it all, we had teh tarik & teh ais - the tea was excellant I must confess. Roti canai was off the mill, nothing spectecular - I felt it was rather 'thin'. The dhal curry plus 'sambal' was so - so, but freshly made and fast service. They used the same 'sambal' used in the nasi lemak - which was just onions, no ikan bilis sighted. Nothing great, but not bad too to be fair. My Kajang roti canai reference is this mamak stall next to the old APEX building near Crystal Oriental Hotel, beside the river (behind Texas Chicken). The freshly made roti canai and 'kari ikan' is the best I have tasted in Kajang and its cheap!, comes with 60" LED TV entertainment too ;-)

Now for the nasi lemak - it tasted average, I won't write home about it. I just found their fried egg was very small/thin and didn't fell like a full egg. The plus point, there was fried 'kacang' and 'ikan bilis' the traditional way, how we all remember nasi lemak to be. The rice was done well.

Now when you have eaten Kak Maznah's Nasi Lemak in Sek. 5, Bangi (behind the Shell Station along Jalan Reko), that really sets the standard of 1st Class Nasi Lemak, possibly the best I have eaten (ever) - this turns out to be very average - then again, I have been spoilt with the best. We took a dig on the curry chicken, it was a nice generous drumstick but to a seasoned taste-bud, the curry lack the Indian finesse. To me, it tasted like the curry powder used was not properly 'fried till the oil separated', thus giving it this 'curry powder taste'. However, this curry seem popular among patrons. Also, there was those going for the mutton curry - both popular.


Chicken Curry/Kari Ayam


Roti Telur with Dhal Curry/Sambal

BTW. We also did spot other Indian food like Tosai but did not have the oppurtunity to try it. I plan to give it a 2nd try to see how other Indian food tasted, perhaps even lunch spread. We can sure do with a nice Indian restaurant in Kajang. Ravi's Corner, Basil Leaf and Sri Pandi just don't cut out anymore.

Roti Canai 17
6, Lorong Kajang Raya 2,
Taman Kajang Raya,
43000 Kajang

Sibu - A quick guide

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 00:31:00 +0000

Here's some highlights from a recent short trip to Sibu, Sarawak.

A must try is the 'Kompia', a localization of 'Kong Piah' or King of Biscuits? It's actually just a oven baked plain bun but is usually served stuffed with meat or other fillings. This was one stuffed with a sweet chicken filling from Sarawak's ubiquitous Sugar Bun franchise restaurants. A nice snack indeed.

I managed to try some seafood and this was at a Chinese Muslim restaurant. A word of warning though - many of the seafood available in Sibu are actually obtained from elsewhere so it may not be as fresh as you would expect of a coastal town. And not exactly cheap either.

Traditional biscuits are available on the streets. The two types shown here had peanut paste and red bean paste. Both were good enough for me to pack back home as gifts!

'Kampua' Noodles - perhaps a distant cousin of Kuching's Kolok Mee? Very simple homemade noodles, slightly springy and chewy. Served dry, tossed in pork lard and topped with char siew and chopped spring onions. Definitely a must try when visiting Sibu.

I did not have enough time to try some other signature noodle dishes like the river prawn noodles, which is enough reason to make a return visit in future. Maybe take a slow boat ride up to Mukah too.

The Gift Tilapia Restaurant @ Seremban

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 00:06:00 +0000

A word of thanks to Sivin Kit for bringing this restaurant to our attention. On a recent visit to Seremban, we made a short detour to try the food here.

A must try would be their signature farm fresh tilapia. We chose the plain steamed tilapia fish with chili padi (birds eye chilli). The fish was indeed fresh and firm. It had a clean taste and no 'muddy' smell. Highly recommended and good value at RM35 (before GST ya). Perhaps one of the best we have ever tried.

We had to try their version of the Japanese unagi (eel). However their version was made with the humble ikan keli (catfish). The fish had the right amount of fat and was slightly sweet from the sauce. It was very good but could have been better with a little more caramalization and more teriyaki sauce. The bed of shredded cabbage and carrot is a bonus vegetable dish too. Quite good value ar RM15.

The nyonya style Kapitan chicken curry was decent only at RM13 for a small portion.

The paku (fern shoots) with sambal belacan (shrimp paste) was exceptional and highly recommended. For RM10, it's a steal.

Overall, a great little restaurant. Lunch time is a good time to visit as it gets crowded come dinner time. We'll definitely be back to try more. Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Location: No.11, Lorong Merbok 6/1, Taman Bunga Blossom, 70100 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan.

Contact : 010-251 5340

Kedai Makan Pok Nik @ Sg Ramal

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 08:00:00 +0000

A random link on Facebook lead me to Kedai Makan Pok Nik in Sg Ramal. I read a few good reviews about the place as well and decided to give it a try during the CNY holidays recently. The food was packed for take-away so my apologies as appearance is not so appealing.

Nasi Dagang Ikan Tongkol - RM6.50

First up, the Nasi Dagang. Brown rice - check; thick kuah ikan tongkol - check; pickled cucumber - nope; salted egg - nope; solok lada - nope. Instead, there was a red chilli, half a hard-boiled egg and some spicy brinjal. Overall the taste was good. I would recommend the Nasi Dagang here.

Nasi Kerabu Daging Bakar - RM6.00

Next up, the Nasi Kerabu. I decided to have it with the Daging Bakar (Grilled Beef). Blue rice - nope; raw vegetables - check (albeit very stingy with this); kerisik and sauces - check (but not really sufficient); daging bakar - check (but too tough and stringy). There was also a packet of gravy included which added some taste to the otherwise bland rice (due mainly to lack of ingredients). If only they were more generous with the ingredients......

Nasi Lemak (RM3.00)

I also packed a Nasi Lemak which was packed in a styrofoam box. The sambal had a real chilli kick. On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give this a 4.5 on the heat scale. However overall taste-wise, it was not particularly outstanding.

Lompat Tikam (RM4.00)

Kelantanese kuih such as Lompat Tikam were available although I did not have any. I understand that more kuih are available on normal days but their kuih maker was on leave ?

The Breakfast menu

Overall I would only recommend the Nasi Dagang. I would return for that and also to try the Laksam. It's close to the highway, so if you're travelling south and need a convenient place for breakfast near the highway, give this a try.

Location : Jalan Ramal 2, Taman Ramal Indah, Sg Ramal, 43000 Kajang
Contact : 012-501 5194
Facebook Link : https://www.facebook.com/KedaiMakanPokNik?fref=ts

CLOSED- Kafe Vietnam @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 07:05:00 +0000

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone celebrating! It's a long weekend and with most Chinese restaurants closed, we decided to venture further for something different. That's how we ended up in a quiet part of Bandar Puteri Puchong is a nice little cafe called Kafe Vietnam. Note the mannequin dressed in Ao Dai (traditional Viet costume) outside that seems to be calling you to enter.

The quintessential Vietnamese starter - Cuon Tom or fresh spring rolls - with fresh herbs and prawns - a great start to any meal. Dip it in the spicy peanut sauce for full effect.

Fresh spring rolls - RM7.90

Next, Goi Rau Cau Tom Thit - a pork, prawn and jelly salad. Sounds weird on paper but it came together very well on the dish. Best when scooped up and eaten with the provided prawn crackers.

Salad of prawn, pork and jelly served with crackers _RM13.90

Another quintessential Vietnamese dish, Bahn Xeo - a crispy crepe with various fillings. This one came with slices of pork and prawns. Best eaten wrapped in the salad leaves and dipped in the accompanying chilli sauce.

Bahn Xeo - RM15.90

For many, Pho is to Vietnamese food what laksa is to Malaysian food. There are many variations, and this this premium version of Pho Bo Dac Biet came with tender slices of beef, brisket, tendons and beef balls in a light but flavorful broth. Add whatever herbs and vegetables you wish and a squeeze of lime or some chilli padi or fish sauce. This would be a perfect brunch for me.

Pho Bo Dac Biet - RM16.90

A dish that is found everywhere in Vietnam is Com Tam (broken rice), almost like chicken rice in Malaysia. Usually served with pork chop or fried chicken, other side dishes are a sunny side up and runny egg, a slice of steamed minced pork and egg, pickled vegetables and slices of tomato and cucumber. The marinated pork chop here is flavorful and is a perfect foil for the broken rice. A simple dish that I could happily eat everyday.

Com Tam - RM14.90

Another noodle dish, Bun Moc is a rice noodles soup with various pork ball, minced pork slices, pork cuts and sprinkling of fresh spring onions and herbs as well as fried shallots. Again, you can add fresh herbs, lime or chillies to your own taste but for me, the stock was flavorful enough as it was.

Bun Moc - RM14.90

For the Lunar New Year or Tet Festival as it is known in Vietnam, a rice dumpling similar to the Chinese chang is served. They did not have the dumpling but we sampled Com Chien La Sen a fried rice in lotus leaf. The lotus leaf imparts a lovely fragrance to the rice, which is fried with slices of pork sausages.

Com Chien La Sen (Fried Rice in Lotus Leaf) - RM19.90 for 2 pax

The iced coffee is thick, strong and sweet just like in Vietnam. Highly recommended as well. You can also pick up Vietnamese coffee, instant noodles, fish sauce, rice paper, pickles and a few other supplies from the store.

A lovely place for a weekend brunch, we understand that it is considerable crowded at dinner time.

Overall, this was a great find. The food took me back to my trip to Ho Chi Minh City. We spotted groups of Vietnamese workers eating here too, so the food must be pretty authentic for them to be here too. Service was lovely too since it was pretty quiet when we visited. Possibly the best Vietnamese restaurant in Klang Valley? Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Location : No 1, Jalan Puteri 4/1, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong

Contact : 03-80527472

FB Link : https://www.facebook.com/kafevietnam?ref=ts&fref=ts

Food Taiwan Restaurant @ Bandar Teknologi, Kajang

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 23:47:00 +0000

Fans of Taiwanese food can rejoice with the opening of a new restaurant tucked away in a obscure location in Bandar Teknologi Kajang.

Looking like a normal coffee shop, it offers up some variations to the usual local fare. These include:-

Beef noodles - a thick beef stew with springy noodles. It was a little salty and just average in taste.

Fried rice with pork. Very generous with the pork but rather average taste.

The highlight of the visit - the famed Taiwanese Stinky Taufoo. And wow, did it stink. This was a real Fear Factor moment for me. Both Ros and Jeremy were nauseous from the smell so it was left to me to wolf it down. The first mouthful smelt like sewage in my mouth. And the chilli topping and pickled cabbage did little to add flavor to this dish. It tasted flat and disgusting. Anyway, as per my personal motto - I'll try anything once - I persevered and finished the whole plate. And for that, I was left with a disgusting taste and smell in my mouth for the rest of the day! Once is enough for me unfortunately.

The desserts here were more promising though. This red bean, grass jelly and bubble tea thingy was huge for RM6.90 (I think) and enough for 3 persons.

The honey tea was thick and nice. Enough for two persons too.

Overall, this is a nice little Taiwanese cafe. Go for the desserts and snacks.

Location : No 3 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Off Jalan Semenyih, Kajang

No 1 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Selangor Darul, Seminyih, Selangor, Malaysia - See more at: http://my.nusalist.com/restaurants/all/2.965659/101.826843/no-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangorno-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangor-malaysia#sthash.YFdwcdB6.dpuf

Narak Tomyam aka Kak Su Nasi Kerabu dan Nasi Berlauk @ Batu 12 Jalan Cheras

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 00:16:00 +0000

I'm always in search of good nasi kerabu and I chanced upon a spot in Batu 12 Cheras when I was there recently to fit new tyres for my car. Batu 12 Cheras is a rather quiet kampung area after the SILK highway bypassed this stretch of road and it is dominated by used car dealers. Narak Tomyam is situated between used car dealers and is rather difficult to spot initially. Look out for the Perodua dealership and service centre and this outlet is located somewhere on the opposite side of the road.

The frontage of Narak Tomyam

I had to try their signature nasi kerabu (rice with shredded herbs) and chose to have it with another East Coast favorite, ayam percik (barbecued chicken coated in a spicy sauce). The nasi kerabu had sufficient amounts of herbs but maybe too much bean sprouts (taugeh) for my liking. There was enough gravy, sambal and budu (fish sauce) as well. Only thing missing was some crispy keropok (fish crackers). I should have asked for some as they did have it in sealed plastic bags.

The best nasi kerabu in Kajang?

The ayam percik was tender and tasty. Thumbs up.

Grilled fish, sambals (on the left side) and lots of dishes on display

There's a wide array of lauk (dishes) including ikan bakar (grilled fish), ulam (raw vegetables) and curries.

The ikan and ayam percik

Various ulam (raw vegetables)

This is a great breakfast and lunch place for some authentic Kelantanese fare. They open early but some dishes may only be available closer to lunch. Possibly the best nasi kerabu in Kajang. Do give it a try and leave a comment about what you think.

Location : Narak Tomyam, JC80 Lot 717, Batu 12 Jalan Cheras, 43200 Kajang
Contact : 016-2752070

IOI City Mall - New food haven

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 14:04:00 +0000

We made a pre-opening visit to the spanking new IOI City Mall. We spotted lots of new restaurants and outlets there with great potential. Here are a few that we plan to try in the near future :-

CLOSED - Kafe Imiki @Jalan Bukit

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:22:00 +0000

It opened its doors on 28th Oct. 2014 and this review could be a bit premature as they could be going through teething issues in the kitchen. The cafe was decked with loads of flowers from well wishes both inside and outside. Deco was simple but tastefully done, a partly wallpapered wall, 'unique looking plastic chairs' along with modern tables decked this cafe - first impression, a nice place in town to bring a date for a dinner and they have broadband WiFi! Yey!

My partner in crime (PIC) and I visited this place on 30th Oct., two days after opening to try out this new cafe in town. It is located next to the The Crystal Oriental hotel or behind AmBank along Jalan Bukit. The ex-market Old Man Restaurant is located just two doors away.

Jokbal Yam Rice

Menu was very well done, looked so impressive and gave me the impression that we were going to have some Japanese fusion food. My partner ordered what seems to look like a 'bento box' named 'Jokbal Yam Rice' and I went for some porky dry Japanese looking noodles - named Teppan Pork Rib Ramen, comes with vegetables and french fries. The Jokbal Yam Rice came in a nice looking Banto Box served with a fried egg, 'dry' cabbage and carrots and some 'chili sauce' and 2 small slices of watermelon which somehow tasted more like 'chap fan' serving. The Yam was cooked with some pork in soya sauce and was pretty much flat tasting. The flavour or texture of the yam was non existent.

Teppan Pork Rib Ramen

My Teppan Pork Rib Ramen (I asked for the dry one) came with an egg, sunny side up and french fries, the same cabbage-carrot 'dry vege' salad and two stingy pieces of fried pork (see pic). The description on the menu and what was served was far apart. My guess, they had a good photographer and copywriter. They forget the 'cooking department'. The noodles was so flat tasting, I had to 'steal' some of the gravy from the Jokbal Yam to add some flavour to the noodles. Mixing the egg with the noodles did not help either was there was 'no salt'. Disappointed, I moved to the side dish we ordered, Tempura Fish. From the colour, it looked like tempura coated fish strips, but it seriously tasted like fried 'kerpok lekor'. What gives?

Tempura Fish

For drinks, I decided to play safe and ordered a hot cup of coffee being a cold day outside, and this was exceptionally good - the saving grace. My PIC got herself a fusion drink - Apple & Cucumber called J6 and that went terribly wrong. It tasted more like a health drink one would make when on a liquid diet, to put it mildly. There was no sense of pride in mixing this fusion drinks. There was no colour/presentation to the drink either - blend, dump into glass, dump straw into it and served by a 8 year old kid on his playful mode.

To make matters worse, there were two kids 'working as waiters', my guess the mother owns the eatery with the father in the kitchen. One was aged about 8-9 yrs old (you heard me right!) and the other higher secondary - both of schooling age. The mother occasionally appears when a customer goes to the counter to pay. Service was non-existent. FYI. We wrote the order ourselves (pencil and order form given) and went to the counter to give it to the kid. The killer: we were charged 5% Service Tax! Adding all up, it certainly felt over-priced. I was not in the mood to kick a fuss, just paid and left.

I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt for being only 2 days old when I dined there, so if you have a better experience then I did, do write to us, we want to hear from you.

PS. I do hope Imiki take my criticism as feedback and improve as I like their concept and the menu looked so inviting plus the lack of a fusion outlets in Kajang. Also, I would love to have a cosy hangout with reasonably good food in my neighbourhood. Please la....

Imiki Cafe
12 Jalan S10/3
43000 Kajang
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Tel: 03 8740 2755

DISCLAIMER

This is a personal blog. All content is based on my opinions and experiences. This means that my posts are not factual, but rather subjective to my views, tastes and background. Though one should keep this subjectivity in mind, I hope that my posts will be informative and interesting for readers and perhaps, lead you to form your own opinions and preferences. Thank you for reading.

Y Y Fish Ball Noodles @ Pearl Avenue, Sg Chua

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:53:00 +0000

Rainy days always give me cravings for something hot and soupy. With the current rainy spell, we decided to visit YY Fish Ball Noodles at Pearl Avenue for a bowl of hot noodles.

It has the look of a kopitiam / cafe. Simple and clean.

First up, the 'Special" Seafood Noodle Soup. It came with about 5 springy fish balls, fresh pomfret fish slices and several medium sized prawns. All the seafood were fresh and tasty. The soup was clear and slightly sweet from the fresh seafood. Some green vegetables gave a healthy balance and the topping of spring onions with fried shallots lent the noodles a lovely fragrance. Add some chilli padi if you need some heat. This really hit the spot for me, although it was a tad expensive at RM16.50 a bowl.

Next up was the fried fish head noodles. The fish head was fresh and juicy. You can have the noodles with or without the evaporated milk. I had it with and it lent a nice creaminess to the soup. The preserved vegetables however made the soup a little salty. The mee hoon had a nice bite. A tad expensive also at RM10.50.

We ordered a side dish of Braised Fried Pork Belly (RM11 for a small portion which was quite generous actually). It was crispy on the outside and moist inside. The meat had absorbed the lovely marinade flavors during the braising and this was brought out by being fried. This is a recommended dish.

Lime and Sour Plum and Hot Barley drinks to wash it all down.

Overall, it was a little pricey but you do get freash and and tasty seafood in the noodles. Good for a rainy evening meal. Give it a try.

Location : PA-S-37, Pearl Avenue, Jalan Pasir Emas, Kajang, Sg Chua, 43000

MyLim Restaurant and Kang Master Chef Restaurant @ Semenyih Sentral

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 14:27:00 +0000

If you've been to Ipoh before, you may have noticed a red and white building in the heart of town selling salt baked chicken. It's practically an institution in Ipoh and I make it a point to pack back a few chickens every time I visit Ipoh. The good news for Kajang and Semenyih folks is that you need not have to travel to Ipoh to taste this delicacy. We have our own version of

it in Semenyih called MyLim.

MyLim and Kang Master Chef - side by side

If you visit the shop, you'll find rows of ovens with chicken slowly baking in salt crystals.

The chicken are wrapped in paper which retains all the juicy goodness or 'chicken essence'.

You can have the chicken chopped and served with rice at the restaurant.

Or you can eat it at the next door restaurant called Kang Master Chef Restaurant. Supposedly famous for fish head noodles, we found the signature dish there to be quite uninspiring.

Ditto for the seafood curry noodles. Not worth talking about.

But do give MyLim a try. You can also get it shrink wrapped and ready for the freezer. It makes an excellent spare dish when you need it, just take out from freezer, steam, chop it up according to your personal liking and it's ready to serve. It's RM22 for a whole chicken, either freshly baked or shrink wrapped. They also do delivery so give them a call to find out.

Location : Jalan Semenyih Sentral 6, Semenyih Sentral, Selangor

Contact : 03- 87248820 (MyLim)

Fook Loy Restaurant @ Sg Chua

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 09:41:00 +0000

Another leisurely Sunday family lunch, this time at Fook Loy in Sg Chua. This is a restaurant that has remained the same over the years. This is what we had:-

Their signature must-order dish - prawns in fresh coconut. This is NOT a Thai style tom yam, so you have to get your expectations right. Fresh medium sized prawns are cooked in a spicy broth, using fresh coconut water. The coconut water and fresh prawns impart a delicate sweetness to the soup. Don't forget to scoop up the soup, it's the best part and good to the last drop. RM55 for a large serving for 13 persons.

Fook Loy serves roasted duck and chicken rice at lunch time for a quick lunch. Their duck is worth ordering, and this half duck portion (RM23) came with a tangy lemon sauce. Recommended.

Another signature dish, braised taufoo with seafood. Nice.

Steamed pak su kong fish. The fish was fresh (the use live fish from tanks), but the sauce was rather bland. The fish is RM5 per 100g.

We asked for the roasted chicken (RM46 for a whole bird) to be served with a Thai style kerabu gravy. The chicken was rather dry and the gravy was not sufficiently spicy/piquant or sweet. This was quite disappointing.

For vegetable, we had the stir fried bean sprouts with green dragon leaf (Ching Long Chai). A simple dish with different textrures and tastes. Well executed.

The lunch cost us RM255 for 7 dishes (we also had a claypot pork with salted fish dish) with rice and tea for 13 persons. Overall, the food was good, but not outstanding. As I mentioned earlier, this is a restaurant that has remained very much unchanged over the years, which in the ever evolving food scene and with customers having more discerning palates, is not a good thing.

Location : No 61, Jalan Kima (Kg Bukit Angkat), Sg Chua, Kajang (at the junction of the road leading to the Jade Hills project)
Contact : 03-87333985

Lek Kee Chicken Rice @ Taman Kajang Utama

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 15:16:00 +0000

Here's the new location for Lek Kee Chicken Rice

It's situated opposite the Hyundai service centre in Taman Kajang Utama.

Location : Jalan Seksyen 1/19, Taman Kajang Utama, 43000 Kajang, Selangor

Wan Fatt Restaurant - Revisited

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 09:45:00 +0000

This is probably our favorite restaurant in Kajang at the moment. Almost everything they churn out is good and they keep innovating and adding new dishes too. See our previous post on this restaurant in 2009 and 2010 They've moved to a new premises now, not far from their old place. This location is easier to find - it's just behind the Maybank Kajang branch and located in the compound of a large Taoist temple there.

The fascade of new premises

We had a leisurely Sunday lunch here today. For a Chinese restaurant, they do a pretty tasty and satisfying fish head curry. You'll find plenty of brinjals, ladies finger, long beans and tomatoes in the curry.

We tried a new dish - pork ribs with purple dragon fruit sauce. It needs more work though, maybe a touch more lemon piquancy.

This was described as a 'midin' kerabu. We've only had midin or a type of fern shoots in Kuching, Sarawak before. It had all the elements of a good kerabu - sweet and tangy, although we would have liked some chilli heat and more deep fried shallots. It's served cold which is great for an afternoon lunch. Give it a try.

Deep fried soft and smooth tofu served with broccoli.The tofu is topped with deep fried shrimp powder and drenched in a light salty soy sauce.

Location : Bangunan Tin Hong See, Jalan Belakang, Off Jalan Mendaling, 43000 Kajang

Contact : 012 6566 553/0122469169

Facebook : Kedai Makanan Wan Fatt Kajang

pH Pastry House @ Lakefields, Sg Besi

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 09:06:00 +0000

I read about pH Pastry House in a recent issue of Time Out KL magazine and decided to see if it was as good as reported.

It was my first visit to the Lakefields area in Sg Besi and on arrival, I must say that I was impressed by the external fascade and lighting (we visited at dinner time).

A display counter showed off their selection of cakes and desserts. There were quite a few cheesecakes and tarts on display. We were impressed.

To begin, we selected a Starter - Honey Barbecued Short Ribs. The honey barbeque sauce was thick and tasty but the ribs were tough and contained too many chewy sinews. Some trimming of the meat would have elevated this dish.

Our Main Course arrived next - Beef Wellington. The beef for this dish fared better - lean and juicy. The pastry was buttery and flaky but overall the dish needed more seasoning. The sides of mashed potato and boiled vegetables were rather flat and uninspiring.

Our Salad arrived after the Main Course. Perhaps the crab for the Soft Shell Crab Salad took time to be deep fried first? When it arrived at the table, we were not sure if it was our order. It looked more like a main dish rather than a salad. Anyway, there were two large pieces of soft shell crab coated in a thick batter and deep fried until crispy and topped with a tomato salsa sauce. The salad (on the side) came with avocado, olives, lettuce, baby tomatoes and cream. A real mish-mash salad which didn't really work for us. Perhaps it should be moved to the Main Course section and renamed Deep Fried Soft Shell crab with a side of salad?

Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks are available. We picked a drink described as Passie (Passion Fruit). It arrived in a shocking blue color and had only a mild passion fruit flavor in it. Hmmmmm.

There were more misses than hits thus far, so we were hoping the dessert would fare better. We chose the Lady Royale (fancy name for a Blueberry Tart). It looked great, and tasted OK. But the crust was just too thick and hard. In fact it was so hard we just ate the topping and left the crust behind. For a place that calls itself a pastry house, this was disappointing.

The total damage was RM112.75.

Final verdict - mediocre. I don't think I'll be making another drive to Lakefields to eat here again.

Location : 1, Jalan Tasik Utama 3, Medan Niaga Tasik Damai (Lakefields), 57000 Sg Besi, KL

Contact : 03-90548339

My Kuali does it again - Penang Hokkien Prawn Mee

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 08:41:00 +0000

After the phenomenal success of My Kuali's Penang White Curry Noodles, we were waiting in anticipation for their follow-up Penang Hokkien Mee and Tom Yam. We managed to get our hands on the former:-

And here's the result (we added pork balls, some fresh prawns and a hard boiled egg).

The verdict ? Absolutely brilliant! It gets the Penang Hokkien Mee flavor down exactly. In fact, it's so good, I would have this any day over any hawker version around the whole South Klang Valley area. My advice to enterprising hawkers out there; find a good location, set up a stall, get some fresh prawns, sliced pork, hard boiled eggs and dish this out. Customers will be queing up for it.

Well done to the guys at My Kuali. You're doing Penang and Malaysiaa proud. Keep it coming.

Available at Giant supermarkets and some morning markets for now.

Hajah Restaurant @ Sg. Ramal Luar

rosalind.chang.dcruz@gmail.com (Jon) — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:33:00 +0000

Here's one for all of you working or living around Sg Ramal, Sg Chua, Serdang or even Putrajaya. If you're looking for authentic and simple Malay food, look no further than Hajah Restaurant.

Don't be fooled by the dilapidated shack looks - the spread of good food here will be enough to entice you.

At noon time, you can have rice with various lauk (dishes) and some fresh ulam (raw vegetables).

Make a bee-line for the fried kampung (free-range) chicken or...

....ikan bakar (grilled fish).

Rice with pajeri nenas and lauk ayam kampung

Nice vegetable salad with peanut sauce a-la gado-gado

Don't forget the cecah for the ikan bakar. The fish goes well with the dark soy sauce with cili padi or sambal belacan. The latter is not for the faint hearted as it really packs a punch. Keep the tissues close at hand.

The damage for everything including 2 iced lime drinks was only RM13.00. Good food and good price too. Two thumbs up for Hajah Restaurant.

Location : Lot 9406, Jalan Persiaran Sg Chua, Sg Ramal Luar, 43000 Kajang, Selangor.