Fascinated with the way chicken is cooked using the SPICES!

by Stephen Ng | Oct 4, 2017 | Food

Fascinated with the way chicken is cooked using the SPICES!

It is no surprise that the Portuguese sea explorers in the early sixteenth century travelled as Far East as they could looking for the spices.

It is these spices that were once the biggest trading commodity between the East and the West. I can understand why. Of late, I have become a fan of all sorts of cuisines cooked using the spices.

This is what gives me the ‘ooooumph’ which is not necessarily unhealthy. The spices used are all natural ingredients and without preservatives.

After trying out Pok Nik Nasi Kukus Ayam Kampung in Taman Bukit Permai Cheras, I was told to check out Azizah Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah in Bandar Sri Damansara, which is just a small stall beside SMK Bandar Sri Damansara 2.

During lunch hours, there is always a long queue here as office staff pack their favourite Ayam Rempah, Ayam Khurma, Ayam Masak Merah and Curry Chicken to bring back to the comfort of their own airconditioned office environment.

Business has been good since Azizah Ishak who is now in her fifties first started the stall in 2000. Through word of mouth, she now has her regular customers.

Her son, Mohamad Johari Yusuff was very young but he was already helping with the family business.

Now, the 33-year-oid is married and is still running the stall at Persiaran Melati most of the times, but he aspires to bring the business to the next level by setting up a restaurant proper in the near future.

Although to some, this may be a small hawker stall operated by a mother-and-son team from Kota Baru, but a lot of people do eat here and enjoy the way the dishes are prepared ala Kelantan.

One thing I can say for sure is that after the food tasting session, I became a repeat customer, especially for its Nasi Kukus Ayam Goreng Rempah (steamed rice with deep fried chicken with five or six different spices) and Khurma Chicken.

The ayam goreng rempah is the one that gives me the ‘oooumph’ the first time I tasted it. It is also my children’s favourite, when I bought a packet for them to try out.

The beauty of these natural spices is that it leaves behind a great taste in the taste buds, but you never get thirsty unlike those foods cooked using MSG.

Because Gerai Azizah is open till 8pm, it is convenient to pack for dinner as well, since the chilli can be separated from the main dish. There are many other options available as well besides the ones that I packed home.

They also have the Ayam Masak Merah dengan Tomato (Tomato Chicken) and Curry Chicken, which I would also recommend especially for those who love these dishes. The prices here are about RM7 per pack.

According to Johari, who prefers to be known as “Jo”, the spices are mainly brought in from Kelantan.

“Yes, we buy those spices that we cannot find here locally,” he said. “However, the family recipe is a family kept secret for many years.”

Gerai Azizah is located at Lot 3, Persiaran Meranti, Bandar Sri Damansara, beside SMK Bandar Sri Damansara 2.

Tel/WhatsApp:
+60 18-988 6873

Business Hours
10am – 8pm (seven days a week)

Waze location:
https://www.waze.com/location?h=w2860j5n7

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

Two little Secrets about Briyani

by Stephen Ng | Oct 2, 2017 | Food

Two little Secrets about Briyani

For those familiar and who have savoured the Nasi Briyani from the original founders of Restoran Sri Pinang (see Recognition: http://www.heritagebriyani.com/recognition/), let me tell you a secret.

You can now order it online and have it delivered to your home or office using the services of Go Get at www.heritagebriyani.com. You can also ask to collect the packs from its pick up point in Ampang.

They currently have the Briyani Mutton, Briyani Chicken and Briyani Fried Chicken, which were inherited from the original secret recipe, passed down over four generations.

Later, they will also have the Nasi Kandar combinations – White rice, Lamb curry, Beef masala, Squid or sotong thick curry, Fried egg with onions n green chili, Prawn masala, Boiled egg, Curry fish, Fried fish, Ladys finger or bendi, Curry chicken and Fried chicken.

Did I miss anything? Yes, the Chinese tea. A sumptuous dinner like this would not do without the Chinese tea. In fact, I would call this my own secret to dining with Nasi Briyani.

It is a perfect combination, which I hope will gain traction especially in fine dining Indian restaurants and in a setting like Malaysia, it is a nice fusion of two great cultures.

I once wrote an article titled, “Living like an Oil Sheikh, Dining like the Chinese emperor” (read it here), for this combination, I would call it “Experience a meal with the great Nizam of Hyderabad and the Chinese Emperor”. After all, fine dining is all about an unforgettable experience with a loved one.

Couples where one of the spouses is Indian, and the other is Chinese, would find the experience really enriching.

The Chinese tea has a nice soothing effect after a heavy meal and it does help with digestion. For children who are learning to eat spicy food, a small cup of Chinese tea works better than a bottle of water to clear their tongue of the spices. When one orders from Heritage Briyani, there is always the flexibility of setting up the table and trying out my secret to the fusion of cultures.

By the way, the nasi briyani can by quite spicy but that’s the “oooumph” that one gets from Heritage Briyani. It is cooked using basmati rice, local mutton, chicken and home ground spices served with their special Dalcha and Raita.

We can easily spend up to RM100 for a meal at any Western restaurant for a family of four, so the Nasi Briyani home dining with the Chinese tea would not be considered too expensive. More importantly is when the children enjoy the food.

However, as the people at Heritage Briyani advise on orders, you have to take their word for it:

“As the preparation of authentic Briyani is a complex process with many steps and long slow cooking time, please place your orders one day earlier. This one day notice will ensure you get the best flavor at all times.”

And I understand it is by 6pm the day before. So, if you do not feel like cooking tomorrow night, go to www.heritagebriyani.com and have the Briyani delivered to your doorstep.

They also do catering for small parties and events by special request (contact them at +6012 2590786). Their pick-up location is at Heritage Indulgence Sdn Bhd, No. 314, Jalan 4, Ampang Utama, 68000, Ampang (GPS coordinate: Latitude: 3.152334, Longitude: 101.75192).

Website:
www.heritagebriyani.com

(For catering only) Tel:
+6012 2590786 / Nisha: 013 3131272

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Heritage-Briyani-708882962546090/

Recognition:
http://www.heritagebriyani.com/recognition/

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

At Kung Fu Restaurant, Great Cooking is Like Martial Art

by Stephen Ng | Sep 29, 2017 | Food

At Kung Fu Restaurant, Great Cooking is Like Martial Art

Usually I would not travel as far as Cyberjaya for food, but nothing is more compelling than to check on some good restaurants there especially after a visit to the administrative centre of Putrajaya.

Just a short drive from Putrajaya, Shaftsbury Square which houses the Kung Fu restaurant has ample of parking lots in the parking block just behind.

I picked Kung Fu restaurant because despite getting a few negative comment, it has been getting a lot of good reviews as well in TripAdvisors. What was most comforting to see when I walked into the restaurant was that every table was occupied during lunch hours.

Food taste is always very subjective, and sometimes, the reviews put on social media is partly due to just one bad experience by the client, and it may not even have anything to do with the food or its prices.

According to restaurant manager, Winnie Chan, although the restaurant is located at Level 3, the restaurant is often packed for lunch. For one, eighty percent of their menu are prepared using steamed cooking instead of deep-fried; the other reason is because the ambience is good.

Clients can pick the airconditioned environment indoor or the alfresco dining outdoor on Level 3, away from the busy street below.

Some of the expatriates from India also eat here often. When met, one of them said that he has been eating in this restaurants for the past few years and never get bored with the food.

There were other locals I met who said that they like to hang out here because they enjoy certain dishes of their own likings.

For lunch, I find that the coconut herbal soup a healthy starter. It is freshly prepared using the steamer and still kept warm when served, although I would have preferred it real hot so that I can enjoy every sip of it.

Because it is sometimes hard for the chef to find coconuts of the right size, they can only sell a limited number of coconuts in a day.

“A family who loves the soup usually orders eight coconuts one day in advance because by evening, most of the stock would be over if they do not pre-book,” Chan says. “It is also very tedious to prepare the soup. The coconut must be of the right sizes, too!”

For the dishes, the Baba Sauce Fish is still my favourite. I like the way it is cooked with lemon grass and petai, and the fact that they only use the grouper. This is the dish that gives me the ‘oooummph’ factor that spices up the rest of the day for me. I would not trade this dish for anything else.

The grouper that they use for their Kampung-style Giant Grouper dish is from the deep sea of Sabah, with the smallest being sent to the kitchen here is about 40kg and the largest so far is 80 kg.

Their two other signature dishes are definitely worth the try – their Curry Spare Ribs and the Dongpo Pork Belly. Although I merely wanted to taste a small portion of each dish initially, the fact that I took another last bite before leaving clearly shows that the two dishes are somewhat irresistible.

Kung Fu Restaurant is located at Level P3A-12 & 13 (or 4th Floor), Shaftsbury Square, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Tel:
03-83221660
Business hours:
11AM–10PM (six days a week, closed on Sundays)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kungfurestaurantcyberjaya/
Waze location: https://www.waze.com/location?h=w2829khn3

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

Whenever you crave for some grilled patin…

by Stephen Ng | Sep 27, 2017 | Food

Whenever you crave for some grilled patin…

When we were craving for some grilled patin fish, the first thing that came to mind was Mamimia Patin Champion in Laman Melati Kuang.

Again, with Waze and Google Map these days (just key in Mamimia Patin Champion), it only took a 20-minute breezy drive for us to the location from Taman Megah, especially on a weekend in the morning where there is hardly any traffic jam.

After a sumptuous lunch of grilled patin fish in what is a truly kampung setting, the whole family can then take a short drive to Tasik Biru Kundang for some fresh water fishing.

Kids, especially from the city, would love it when they can see monkeys playing up on the trees. It is a real good experience for urban kids.

For those who know Bukit Rahman Putra well, Laman Melati Kuang is just a short drive away although the name `Kuang’ may sound like thousands of kilometres away out of Petaling Jaya.

But like I have always told my friends, it takes just a bit of courage to venture out of their comfort zone and experience the kampung environment, where food is often homecooked, more delicious and prices reasonable.
After having lived in Australia, where getting from one suburb to another can easily take half-an-hour, a 20-minute drive on the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP) and Jalan Kuala Selangor is nothing to complain about.

What is important is the trip is worth the effort when the appetite is met and the children have an enjoyable outing.

Mamimia Patin Champion is in fact a small stall operated by Ahmad Mazlan and his wife, Radziah who goes by her nickname, “Dee”. They are not the typical stall operators; both were previously from the banking industry before they retired. Mazlan speaks good English.

Because Mazlan is originally from Bentong and Dee is from Pekan, and since we were already warming up to each other and enjoyed the chat together like family friends, I dropped a punch line: “So, is that the reason why you get the patin fish from Temerloh then?”

Temerloh, located between Pekan and Bentong in Pahang, is famous for its Patin fish. They can be found either in the wild or bred in ponds or rivers but Mazlan says that they only get their supply of patin that is bred in cages on riversides in Temerloh.

Patin is their specialty. They take pride in their dishes which they prepare according to their family recipes which they love to serve to their clients. I learnt from Mazlan that he was in fact using the gerai to teach his family how to conduct a successful business.

“We enjoy good family bonding as a result,” he adds.

Since I am a fan of all sorts of spices, I particularly like Dee’s Patin Percik (RM18) because her homemade sauce gives me the `oooomph’ to compete with my family members for the leftover from the dish. The word ‘percik’ means to sprinkle, so literally it means the grilled Patin fish is ‘sprinkled’ with Dee’s special homemade sauce.

The other signature dish is Sup Tulang Hitam Warisan (RM10). According to Dee, their sup tulang is prepared using the bones of oxen. I strongly recommend clients to try out these two signature dishes of hers, besides her Patin Tempoyak Champion (RM12), which are all simply delicious.

The Patin Tempoyak Champion uses her homemade fermented durian condiment and a little of chilli, otherwise known as the tempoyak.

The dishes can be eaten with rice. This is truly a family business where the entire family are helping out with the business. “You cannot taste the Patin Percik in any other restaurants anywhere in the world but here,” Mazlan laughs.

Gerai Patin Mamimia is located at 3017, Laman Melati Kuang, Lorong Melati, Pinggiran Rahman Putra, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia

Tel / Whatsapp:
+60 12-233 7529 and 017-947 8797
Business hours:
11am – 4pm (open six days a week for lunch. Closed for dinner every day and on Thursdays).

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mamimiapatinchampion/
Waze location: https://waze.com/ul/hw284qu820

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

Seremban Seafood Village Still Popular After 30 years

by Stephen Ng | Sep 26, 2017 | Food

Seremban Seafood Village Still Popular After 30 years

Despite more seafood restaurants being set up, Seremban Seafood Village at Jalan Tuanku Munawir is still packed with guests who love to savour its famous crabs here.

There are some that claim to be branches of Seremban Seafood Restaurant, but according to the restaurant owners, they have only one outlet in the whole country.

It is run by three brothers – Kong Min, Kung Choy and Kong Yoke Keong. The eldest sibling, Kong Min had worked as a chef for more than 40 years, and Kung Choy, 53, and his younger brother, Kong Yoke Keong, 50, have some 30 years of experience as chefs each. So, in total, they have about a century of cooking experience.

Judging from the response from their clients through the years, their signature dish is the BBQ Crab dish, which uses the Ketam Batu imported from Indonesia. It is best eaten on its own for the gravy taste although some may prefer it with the Kong brothers’ special chilli sauce prepared using fresh milk.

Despite more seafood restaurants being set up, Seremban Seafood Village at Jalan Tuanku Munawir is still packed with guests who love to savour its famous crabs here.

There are some that claim to be branches of Seremban Seafood Restaurant, but according to the restaurant owners, they have only one outlet in the whole country.

“Over the years, we have developed over 30 different ways to cook the crabs,” he added

“It depends on our customers, whether they like it hot and spicy, or steamed, or cooked with salted eggs, black pepper, herbal, or fried with Tom Yam.”

The “Kam Heong” crab dish is prepared using belacan and curry is also a favourite among the patrons. “Because our crabs are fresh, they are tastier,” added Kung Choy.

To enjoy the crabs, you have to forget your table manners and just use your fingers, instead of forks and spoons. And if you think it is prepared in the same way beef or lamb chops are barbecued, you might as well forget about eating crabs.

With thick shells, Kung Choy said there is another way the crabs are barbecued. “We use the Chinese wok instead of the barbeque grill set,” he said.

The bigger crabs can weigh anything between 700 and 800 grams, whereas the smaller ones are around 400 to 500 grams. It may be costly depending on the season, but it is worth trying the bigger crabs especially for those who want their crabs to be meaty.

Another of their signature dish, the Marmite Crabs which uses Marmite as the condiment. In the review written by a guest on TripAdvisor it is true that one would hardly think of using Marmite as a condiment but it gives a great taste when used to cook crabs and even the chicken.

“If you are looking to have a crabby evening, you definitely have to be here! I’ve never tasted such a good Marmite Crabs!” he wrote.

Besides the famous BBQ Crabs, they also serve the deep-fried prawns marinated with soya sauce. It is slightly salty and most importantly it tastes fresh.

“Like our crabs, we also have many different ways to cook the prawns,” said Kung Choy.

“We have deep-fried prawns, sweet and sour prawns, and prawns marinated with salted eggs. In all, you can choose from a long list of 30 different tastes from our prawns menu.”

Another dish worth trying out is the squids (or even prawns), which are deep-fried with salted duck eggs and batter. It tastes crispy, moderately salty and most suitable for young children.

A number of day trippers from Kuala Lumpur would end up having their sumptuous meal here before returning home. After all, the drive is just one hour away on either the PLUS or the LEKAS highway.

It is hard to imagine that the crab business can be so good that after 30 years, people still eat the crabs here. When the restaurant first started in 1983, the Kong brothers were the only ones selling crabs in Seremban.

People were teasing them saying that the business would not take off. Back then, it was known only as Restoran Makan Seremban, but it has evolved into its new name and concept as the Seremban Seafood Village. When the business picked up subsequently, other restaurants also started jumping into the bandwagon, but they are not doing as well as the Kong brothers.

At a time when there was hardly any social media, when I first met Kung Choy some ten years ago, he told me: “Our reputation was built on word-of-mouth.

Seremban Seafood Village restorant is located at N45 (or No 190) Jalan Tuanku Munawir, Seremban. Tel: +60 6-764 1260. Turn towards the backlane and there are ample parking there.

Business hours: 12 noon – 1 am seven days a week.
Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hw22rx9d2s

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

Famous SS2 Porridge has a new look, but porridge tastes just as good

by Stephen Ng | Sep 25, 2017 | Food

Famous SS2 Porridge has a new look, but porridge tastes just as good

When Alex Lock May Onn started operating his stall in SS2/1 Petaling Jaya more than two decades ago, his wide variety of porridge was one of the most popular ones in the Klang Valley.

He was operating the stall with his wife and younger son, Kenny Lock Weng Heng. After they moved to Kelana Jaya, I lost touch with Lock. Just three months ago, Restoran Kenny’s Food Cart was launched in June at Aman Suria Damansara and it has attracted a lot of the old clients.

The son, Kenny still maintains the food cart that was used in SS2 food corner when Alex was operating the stall. Alex has since gone into retirement and Kenny, together with two other partners of the same age, 32, are working hard at building up the business.

When I first met Kenny, he was only 23 years old. He had joined his father’s business after finishing his Form Five.

“My father needs someone in the stall, and I always like to cook,” he told me. “I have never regretted doing the business.”

I am glad that he is back in business with the porridge served with white snapper, salmon porridge, fried paste, fried fish paste, shredded chicken, chicken breast, minced pork, oyster and peanut.

Their signature dish is still the same Boat Porridge (RM8 a bowl) served with century eggs, peanuts, fried fish paste and ikan bilis, but Kenny has added another two more signature dishes to his repertoire which are really yummy and worth trying – the Lardy rice (RM8 a bowl) and the Cantonese Lao Tze Fun (RM7.50 a bowl). Prices here are between RM7.50-9.50 a bowl.

In 2010, their chicken porridge was only RM3 a bowl and the Boat Porridge was RM4.50 but that was when they were operating from the hawker centre in SS2/1.

My take on Kenny’s Cantonese Lao Tze Fun: Excellent. The Lardy Rice has just sufficient lard to make the rice tastes good, explained business partner, Ivan Teoh.
They also have a wide variety of noodles which Kenny personally cooks for the clients. There is the Sze Chuan Fish Noodles which is served along with some char choy, spring onions, ginger and pepper, and fresh Red Snapper.

Fish Head Meehoon, Fish Paste Noodles, Yee Meen Noodles served with shredded chicken meat and SS2 Cantonese Noodles are also still available.

Kenny’s Food Cart is now a partnership between Kenny and Ivan Teoh. Their restaurant is located at
K-G-11, Jalan PJU 1/43, Aman Suria Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 016-3755304.
Open: 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm. Closed on Mondays

Waze: https://waze.com/ul/hw281zb4bt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k.foodcart/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kfoodcart/

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in all sorts of gastronomical delights – Western, Middle Eastern and Asian.

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