Two Indonesian helpers work behind the hot station at Restoran 38 in Old Klang Road, blanching noodles in hot water and tossing them in dark sauce or soup. They’re loud and cantankerous, almost as though the customers owe them a living. But that’s how they’ve always been apparently – grumpy but harmless. It was my […]

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Coco Steamboat along Old Klang Road is always packed with people – a sign that the food must be good. Or so I thought. You’re encouraged to make a reservation, or risk waiting for a table to free up. The place is huge and sits easily 1,000 pax at once; maybe more.

Superior Beef Set

The place is known for its pork knuckle broth (RM20.90), both milky and relatively thicker than the clear soup base, and you can choose to order the steamboat items a la carte or in a set. We opted for the latter (RM89.90) for a superior beef set that is large enough for 3 pax and added on a platter of pork slices (RM12.90) and some deep fried fish skin (RM7.90) to snack on.

Dinner crowd on a Saturday

As the place is significantly larger than their first outlet in Old Klang Road, service was rather poor. It was difficult to order or get the staff’s attention, and our drinks took ages to arrive. My advice would be to order at one go, rather than add ons because you might end up feeling frustrated when your food doesn’t arrive.

Steamboat dinner for 3 pax

Deep Fried Fish Skin

The soup was delicious no doubt, and the ingredients added more flavour to the broth. Some people might find the soup too rich for their liking, but I like it this way. Until I got really thirsty towards the end of the meal. Obviously, they didn’t skimp on the MSG.

Pork Knuckle Broth

Beef Balls

Pork Slices

While the food was quite good, I didn’t like the after effect of drinking the soup. Food was reasonably priced considering the amount we ordered (our bill came up to RM158 for 3 pax inclusive of drinks), but I would think twice about going back as I find Coco Steamboat somewhat overrated.

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: I found the steamboat pretty good, but they use quite a bit of MSG.

Coco Steamboat (Old Klang Road)

Coco Steamboat
No. 1 Batu 4 3/4,
Jalan Kelang Lama,
58200, Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 019-277 6596
Facebook Page

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I was exposed to the world of Peranakan food since I got to know rif, whose father comes from Malacca and grew up the “Baba Nyonya” way. Meals at home comprise chicken pongteh, jiu hu char, ayam buah keluak, popiah, asam prawns and a whole lot more. Which is why I never felt the need to rush to the newest Peranakan joint in town.

Spot Uncle Wee (also known as Big Baba)

Big Baba in Taman Desa is the newest of Peranakan restaurants in town and the family, I was told, comes from Tengkera in Malacca – same as my father in-law. rif and I paid them a visit a couple of days ago with our friends, one of which comes from Malacca as well.

Some of the items weren’t available that night, like the tenggiri cili sumbat and asam fish, so I suggest you call them ahead to check. We tried the chicken pongteh, curry dabael, beef rendang, itik tim, otak-otak and terung masak tempe.

A Peranakan feast

Service was efficient that night; our food didn’t take long to arrive and I liked how attentive the staff were. The chicken pongteh (RM26) was quite decent – a savoury-sweet dish that features fermented bean sauce (taucu), gula Melaka, chicken and potatoes. My mother in-law makes hers more savoury, which Big Baba’s version is sweeter. Both good, so it depends on personal preference.

Chicken Pongteh

Curry Dabael

Curry Dabael (RM26) can be a fiery dish for some. Also known as curry devil, the gravy is spicy and aromatic from the sautéed chili, shallots, garlic and galangal mix. This reminded me of rif’s nanny’s curry devil, but milder. Her version was so fiery it would leave my mouth tingling and my tummy, in somersaults.

Itik Tim

Itik Tim (RM26) is an acquired taste and until today, rif doesn’t fancy this dish. I love it though, because it’s so simple yet so comforting to eat. The one at Big Baba is by far the most robust I’ve had – every spoonful was savoury and sour from the asam keping and tomatoes.

Beef Rendang

Otak Otak

The beef rendang (RM26) didn’t exactly rock my boat, though it went well with rice. I would have preferred it spicier to add oomph to the rice. According to rif, there are several kinds of otak otak made in a Peranakan household – there’s the one where the fish is shaped into little balls and cooked in otak otak gravy and one that’s packed in banana leaf. Big Baba serves the latter (RM12), and it’s quite good. I did however, wish there was more fish inside.

Terung Masak Tempe

Terung Masak Tempe (RM12) may look unassuming, but this dish packed quite a wallop. The eggplant slices were cooked till tender and seasoned with dark soy sauce and tempe, and chilli slices for an added kick.

Cendol

The cendol (RM6.50) comes with gula Melaka on the side, so you get to control the amount of sugar yourself. This, I didn’t like very much. The cendol strips lacked (pandan) flavour and aroma, and while the gula Melaka was quite fragrant, this didn’t taste ‘complete’.

Vietnamese Coffee

Our bill came up to RM200 for all the above, inclusive of drinks for four pax. While I’m considered very blessed to be able to indulge in Peranakan food on a regular basis, Big Baba is a great alternative for those who want a taste of what it’s like to dine in a Peranakan home.

Interior

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 6.5/10 (pork free)
Verdict: A great alternative for those who wants a taste of what it’s like to dine in a Peranakan home.

Big Baba — love the colour of the door!

Big Baba
No.34, G/Floor,
Jalan 2/109E,
Desa Business Park,
Taman Desa,
Jalan Klang Lama.
Tel: 03-7987 7755
Facebook Page

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Ishin Japanese Dining along Old Klang Road has been around for more than 5 years if I remembered correctly – a popular spot for Japanese expats to kick back over sake and beer, coupled with good Japanese food. Until today, Ishin still boasts a steady stream of regulars even on a Sunday, where the place was crowded on both time rif and I dined there.

Tatami-style dining upstairs

Chicken Katsu Curry Rice Set

While the food pricing tends to be a bit higher at Ishin, their set lunches (also available during weekends) are affordable and portions are generous. I tried the chicken katsu curry rice set (RM37) and found it to be quite decent. Though I wished the curry was a bit spicier – personal preference.

Fresh oyster

Tori Karaage

Tori Karaage (RM30) is done well here – boneless chicken pieces, seasoned, battered and deep fried to crispy perfection. The Gyoza (RM21) was also pretty good, stuffed with minced chicken and scallion for extra bite.

Gyoza

Unagi Avocado Oshizushi

Unagi Avocado Oshizushi (RM51) came with a generous cut of eel; thick and melt-in-the-mouth tender, with a chunk of avocado at the centre for extra richness. No wasabi is needed for this as there’s plenty of flavours going on in one bite.

Chawanmushi

Ishin’s Chawanmushi (RM16) is one of the better ones I’ve had – smooth, custard-like texture with a burst of umami from the chicken pieces underneath. I liked how wispy the batter is for the Tempura Moriawase (RM45), an assorted platter of deep fried items served with dipping sauce. The batter retained its crunch even after 15 minutes of being served and there was hardly any oil on the parching paper.

Tempura Moriawase

Unagi Yanagawa

Yaki Udon

The Unagi Yanagawa (RM69) is a specialty dish at Ishin and rightly so. Thick, tender slices of eel simmered in stock with vegetables and egg – this was delicious. Noteworthy is the Yaki Udon (RM37), essentially stir-fried udon with chicken and vegetables, topped with bonito flakes for extra flavour. The noodles were of perfect texture and I liked how balanced the flavours were; there’s a bit of sweet, savoury and spicy in each bite.

Mango Parfait

Macha Ogura

Ice cream lovers will like the Mango Parfait (RM21), although do note that portion is large enough for 2 or 3 pax. Alternatively, go for the Macha Ogura (RM17) – green tea ice cream with red beans – for a lighter end to your meal.

Chef Special Sashimi

We also checked out the omakase menu (price depends on the type sashimi requested and number of courses) where the chef impressed us with a sumptuous 5 course lunch that began with the Chef Special Sashimi. There were surf clams (akagai), giant scallops (karatsuki hotate), striped jack (shima-aji), tuna (maguro akami), shrimp (botan ebi), hirame roll with radish sprouts (kaiware), engawa with caviar, salmon belly, kampachi belly and fresh salmon roe. Each sashimi was fresh and flavour packed. If only they served sea urchin as I love that too.

Surf clams, giant scallops, striped jack, tuna, shrimp, hirame roll with radish sprouts, engawa with caviar, salmon belly, kampachi belly and fresh salmon roe

Grilled Sea Salt Fresh Sanma Roll with Shishito

The second course featured Grilled Sea Salt Fresh Sanma Roll with Shishito, a creative play of Japanese green pepper, wrapped in mackerel. A squeeze of lime was all it needed. I usually don’t like too many fish courses in my omakase, but the Teppanyaki Komachi (pregnant fish) with burdock red miso was really good stuff. The savoury flavour of the red miso really accentuated the taste of the fish, while the pickled scallion gave it a sweet yet sharp finish.

Teppanyaki Komachi

Wagyu Kakuni

Wagyu Kakuni was meltingly tender and tasty from the fat marbling. This was simmered with Japanese turnip in sweet sauce and was begging to be eaten with steamed white rice. A bit of pickled ginger was served alongside to cut through the richness of the dish. Dessert was light and refreshing – yuzu ice cream, Kyoho grape ice cream and peach ice cream – a great end to the meal.

Yuzu ice cream, Kyoho grape ice cream and peach ice cream

A meal at Ishin starts from RM35 for the set and an omakase menu will set you back at RM250-350 depending on what’s available on that day. The food is consistent and to me, better than a lot of (pricier) Japanese restaurants in town. The only thing Ishin lacks is a view of the twin towers, which doesn’t bother me much.

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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (pork free)
Verdict: There’s something for everyone at Ishin; from basic Japanese favourites to a more indulgent meal.

Ishin Japanese Dining

Ishin Japanese Dining
No. 202, Persian Klang Batu 3 3/4,
Off Jalan Kelang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-7980 8228
Website
Facebook Page

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I stumbled upon EaThai Food when I was waiting for my pan mee dinner not too long ago – a simple setup that occupies half a shop lot next to Wai Kei Restaurant. The menu is relatively extensive but note that not all items are available. On one night, we were told they had no mangoes and basil, and another night, no fish.

The restaurant is small, and seats about 15-20 pax per time

Seafood tomyam

The seafood tomyam (RM18 – small, RM35 – large) here is pretty good; thick, creamy and fiery with a generous amount of seafood. Don’t be fooled by its creamy appearance, as this tomyam makes sweat trickle down your head and back. Apparently, I turned bright red after two bowls so butter tongues beware.

Red curry pork

Red curry with pork (RM18 – small, RM25 – large) is also worth checking out if you ask me. Then again, I’m generally a fan of rich curries so this one hit the spot. You can opt for chicken or seafood if pork isn’t your thing. The grilled pork with Thai spicy sauce (RM20) was pretty average – while the spicy sauce was alright, I still found the meat dry and lacking flavour from the fat.

Grilled pork with Thai spicy sauce

Grilled squid

You will need to wait an additional 20 minutes for the grilled squid (RM20), which wasn’t much to shout about unfortunately. This didn’t have that sweet-smoky flavour and aroma you expect in grilled seafood, and thus, lacking oomph.

Thai sausage

EaThai Food makes their own Thai sausage (RM20) which you eat with shallots, peanuts and birds eye chili for extra kick. This had a tangy finish to offset the porky flavour, so if Thai sausages are your thing, go for it. It’s not the same as Chiangmai sausage though, so don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Fried fish with chili sauce

Deep fried morning glory

I rather enjoyed the fried fish with chili sauce (RM45) as the fish was deep fried to crispy perfection and retained that way despite the coating of sauce. The deep fried morning glory tasted like vegetable tempura, albeit an oily version. Not bad, especially when you eat it with the seafood dipping sauce provided.

I’ve eaten there three times so far and on the other two occasions, had the green curry and minced pork with basil. Those were quite good too. All in, I like EaThai because the food is relatively authentic (though there were some misses) and service is friendly. Be prepared to sweat as they don’t cut back on spice to accommodate the locals.

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Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (non halal)
Verdict: While I didn’t care much for the grilled items, the tomyam and curries are good.

EaThai Food
3-B Jalan Klang Lama,
58100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 010-295 5001

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Mention pan mee and one will tend to assume it comes in the form of soup (spicy sometimes) or dry style (dark sauce or with chilli paste). Fried pan mee isn’t very common but rif and I recently tried it for ourselves, at this place called Big Tree Fried Pan Mee, just off Old Klang Road.

A wok-ful of noodles

Playing the waiting game

Fried pan mee

Dark, saucy and full of umami

The stall has been around for quite some time and customers would wait patiently for their plate of pan mee, despite the humid weather. I thought the pan mee was quite good – similar to Hokkien mee but instead of yellow noodles, pan mee is used. This has no alkaline taste or smell, which is a common thing in Hokkien Mee. Texture-wise, I would have preferred the noodles to be springy but this was slightly on the softer side.

Loh Mee

Mushrooms are used to give the noodles a meatier texture

The loh mee is pretty decent here; darker and stronger in flavour. It’s also slightly different compared to the regular loh mee one gets elsewhere; this one comes with slices of black mushroom for a meaty texture. I liked that the stock was flavourful enough to hold its own, so a bit of vinegar was all this dish needed to kick things up a notch.

Fried hokkien mee

Average at best

We also tried the Hokkien Mee which was very average. Unlike the pan mee, this dish was missing “wok hei” and the flavours didn’t seem to bind together quite as nicely. Eating this with sambal chili helps but that’s not quite the point I feel. One good thing though — they are quite generous with pork lard so you’ll get plenty of crunchy bits to go with your noodles.

Fish head noodles

Milky, but lacking tang and savoury notes

Fish head noodles is also available and the preparation for this is quite different from many places I know. It’s milky but minus the tangy-savoury accents you usually get from tomatoes and pickled vegetables. I didn’t care much for this, though I spotted quite a few people ordering it.

All in, I found the food just alright though pricing is reasonable (RM6 per portion). While the pan mee and loh mee were not bad, they weren’t spectacular either. I wouldn’t recommend the fish head noodles and Hokkien Mee as you can get better ones here and here.

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Ambiance: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Apart from the pan mee and loh mee, the others failed to impress.

Big Tree Fried Pan Mee
Jalan Sepadu, Taman United,
Seputeh 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
GPS Coordinates: N 3 05.054, E 101 40.461
Business hours: 5.30p.m to 11p.m
(Closed Thursdays)

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fixated on steamboat or any sort of hotpot where food is cooked in a pot of broth. The only “hotpot” I don’t fancy as much is lok-lok, because I don’t get to drink the soup. BeBeHo Steamboat in Old Klang Road is relatively new and uses seafood from Pulau Ketam, so they claim.

BeBeho Steamboat — interior

Tomyam and pork bone soup

The restaurant occupies the corner shoplot of Batu 3 along Old Klang Road and they serve steamboat sets (RM14.80 per pax) as well as a la carte items ranging from meats and vegetables, to assorted meat or fish balls. You get four types of broth to choose from – clear soup and tomyam are complimentary, whilst the pork bone soup is priced at RM8 per half portion and century egg soup at RM4 per portion. It’s double the price if you were to go for the full portion.

Don’t be fooled by the “mountain”. There’s a lot of cabbage at the bottom.

The pork slices are from the a la carte menu

Shabu shabu style

We tried the pork bone soup and tomyam, and ordered a steamboat set each. Honestly, I was really disappointed with the set as we got a lot of cabbage and not much of the other items (fish, fishball, tofu, dumplings and prawns). For RM30, I think we would be better off ordering from their a la carte menu.

Mushroom meat ball

Bomb ball

I liked the mushroom meat ball (RM4.30) but didn’t care much for the “bomb” ball, which was essentially pork meat ball with minced pork filling. Texture was dry, especially after cooking, though the Fuzhou fish ball with minced pork filling somehow tasted better. They ran out of pork belly so we opted for the leaner cut – pork loin slices. Didn’t see beef or mutton in the menu so if you’re into those, you’ll be disappointed.

Pork slices (RM9.30)

Fuzhou fish balls

The tomyam soup wasn’t very good if you ask me – it was one-dimensional in taste, mostly spicy. Didn’t do much to bring out the flavour of the meat. The pork bone soup was better (slightly on the milky side) but I prefer the one at Coco Steamboat and Harbour Steamboat. The latter two had a better aroma and flavour.

Sauces available

They only have two or three types of chilli dipping sauces so if you’re into sauces, you’ll find the offering at BeBeHo Steamboat somewhat limited. I like the selection of sauces here. Service was disappointing when rif and I went – the staff weren’t attentive and we had to wave our hands several times to get them to take note. A customer even walked up to the counter to refill his own soup that night.

Fried fuchuk

Pricing is reasonable here (our bill came up to RM76 for the above); I reckon BeBeHo Steamboat is currently the most competitively priced steamboat restaurant in the area. That said, I didn’t find the food particularly memorable and the service didn’t help make the experience a good one.

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Reasonable pricing but the food was average.

BeBeHo Steamboat

BeBeHo Steamboat
No.99, Batu 3,
Jalan Klang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 014-637 5391, 019-662 2779

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I absolutely love hot pot; it’s something I can eat almost every other day if Jien permits! Which is why I have a few hotpot buddies who would indulge with me whenever the craving hits. When Chunciou Hot Pot in Old Klang Road opened, I was excited. My friend Emily notified me about this “really big hotpot place” coming up and that “it was from Taiwan”.

Full house

Tonkotsu and Spicy broth

Chunciou Hot Pot is an “All You Can Eat” Taiwanese hot pot with six types of broth – sukiyaki, tonkotsu, spicy, herbal, lake salt and tomyam – with an assortment of meats, meatballs and vegetables to choose from. I tried the tonkotsu, herbal and spicy broth over two visits, and liked the tonkotsu best.

Tonkotsu and Herbal broth

The herbal broth was too mild for my liking while the spicy, said to be “ma la” tasted anything but. I thought it tasted like a cross between Maggi kari and ma la, which was disappointing as the spicy (mala) hot pot soup I had in Taiwan was really good.

Lamb slices

Pork shoulder

Assorted meatballs

There’s pork, beef, chicken, duck and lamb to go with your hot pot and throughout the meal, the staff will go around with a pushcart of assorted meatballs for you to pick from. I particularly enjoyed the wasabi meatball and squid ball, which packed flavour and had a decent texture. Seafood is also available, but you only get a portion per table. This is non-refillable.

Dipping sauces

Chunciou’s house special dipping sauce

The hot pot ingredients go best with dipping sauce which you can customise from the many sauces available at the counter. Alternatively, allow the staff to make you their house specialty of egg yolk, chopped spring onions and chilli flakes.

Lou rou fan

Service is friendly but they can be a tad slow (or forget orders) when it’s a full house. You might need to remind them several times if your order doesn’t arrive. It happened to me during my second visit. Lou rou fan (Taiwanese braised pork rice) is also available as part of the buffet and I found this quite tasty. Not quite the same as the one in Taiwan but I like this better than the original version as the rice was saucier.

Lemon slices

Ice cream and tong sui

You get a choice of ice cream, tong sui or lemon slices as dessert. The lemon slices with sugar was surprisingly a good palate cleanser. I didn’t care much for the ice cream but their glutinous rice tong sui was alright. Soft drinks and tea are included as part of the buffet. Last I checked, they weren’t sure if there’s a corkage fee if you were to BYO alcohol so it’s best to call and check if you plan to do so.

Pork slices

Pork belly

Beef slices

The hot pot buffet at Chunciou is priced at RM60 for lunch (RM69.90 after GST and service charge) and RM75 for dinner (RM87 after GST and service charge). A tad steep if you’re not a big eater or if you’re a slow eater, because each table gets a duration of 120 minutes (2 hours) to dine-in. I didn’t find it an issue because I eat quick and I have an appetite of a bear haha!

Fried chicken

I do have one concern though – am not sure why the management feels the need to get “nice looking girls” to promote the outlet. Highly unnecessary and frankly, quite tacky. But then again, I’m just there to eat, not to tell them how to run their business. Whatever makes them happy…

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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: If you love hot pot and have a good appetite, this is an option to consider. Go for the tonkotsu broth and don’t bother with the spicy soup. 

Chunciou Hot Pot Malaysia 春秋战锅
No.306, Batu 3,
Jalan Klang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 018-375 6368
Business hours: Noon till 11pm
Facebook Page

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These days, writing consistently is a challenge for me as I juggle between my new role as a mother, the creative head of my marketing agency and the author of this blog. There’s plenty I want to write about but finding a couple of hours to spare isn’t easy. But here I am today – with about an hour to myself, writing about our recent food hunt; Kung Fu Smooth Pan Mee in Taman Sri Sentosa.

Jien took me here on weekend, telling me (based on his sources) it might possibly be the best pan mee we would ever eat. And I do love a good bowl of handmade noodles – even more so if it’s the traditional sort with anchovies stock and sayur manis. Taman Sri Sentosa is just off Old Klang Road where plenty of old school shoplots and apartment blocks still exist.

Look for this signboard and you’re at the right place

We tried locating stall no.28 but with Chinese wordings as the display banner, we almost went to the wrong shop. I spotted a few people tucking into what looked like 2-3 feet long noodles from afar and figured that was the shop we were looking for. I was right.

Aunty is shy, but check out the length of the noodles!

Ordering is straight-forward – you’re given the one page menu comprising the types of pan mee available, on top of the side dishes they offer such as sui kow and wantan. We tried the sui kow (RM6.50 per bowl) and a large order of pan mee soup and dry pan mee (RM8 each). Portion isn’t very big so if you like pan mee in general, I suggest you order a large bowl.

Soup pan mee

The noodles are at least two feet in length

The term “kung fu” probably came from the technique of the cook, yielding silky smooth hand-pulled noodles that is springy in bite yet glides down the throat easily. I like how it’s moderately thick yet not doughy at all and the anchovies broth is sweet from the sayur manis.

Sui Kow — decent enough

Dry pan mee

For added kick, eat the pan mee with the chilli sauce provided but go easy on the amount as it packs a wallop! I prefer mine with just a dab of chilli to keep to the original flavour as much as possible. The dry pan mee is also pretty good – the same silken consistency with plenty of bite. This comes tossed with what seems like a combination of pork lard, onion oil and dark sauce, topped with savoury pork mince, anchovies and sayur manis.

This is tasty too

Smooth texture with a good bite

I like them both but if I had to choose, I’d go for the soup version as the soup gives the noodles more umami. Besides, nothing beats a piping hot bowl of freshly made pan mee with soup. Unless of course, the weather is sweltering hot (doesn’t bother me one bit). Then by all means, opt for the dry version.

The pan mee is so good I polished off another bowl on my own. No regrets as I walked away very satisfied albeit a teany bit overstuffed. Is this the best pan mee I’ve eaten thus far? Quite possibly.

I know I wouldn’t bother driving all the way to Klang for pan mee now that I have a good option just 15 minutes away from home.

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Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 8/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Silky smooth and toothsome handmade noodles. The best pan mee I’ve had in a long time.

Kung Fu Smooth Pan Mee
No.28 Jalan Sri Sentosa 9A
Taman Sri Sentosa
Off Jalan Klang Lama
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-288 3911
Business hours: 8am to 3pm
(Closed Mondays)

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I stumbled upon EaThai Food when I was waiting for my pan mee dinner not too long ago – a simple setup that occupies half a shop lot next to Wai Kei Restaurant. The menu is relatively extensive but note that not all items are available. On one night, we were told they had no mangoes and basil, and another night, no fish. :(

The restaurant is small, and seats about 15-20 pax per time

Seafood tomyam

The seafood tomyam (RM18 – small, RM35 – large) here is pretty good; thick, creamy and fiery with a generous amount of seafood. Don’t be fooled by its creamy appearance, as this tomyam makes sweat trickle down your head and back. Apparently, I turned bright red after two bowls so butter tongues beware.

Red curry pork

Red curry with pork (RM18 – small, RM25 – large) is also worth checking out if you ask me. Then again, I’m generally a fan of rich curries so this one hit the spot. You can opt for chicken or seafood if pork isn’t your thing. The grilled pork with Thai spicy sauce (RM20) was pretty average – while the spicy sauce was alright, I still found the meat dry and lacking flavour from the fat.

Grilled pork with Thai spicy sauce

Grilled squid

You will need to wait an additional 20 minutes for the grilled squid (RM20), which wasn’t much to shout about unfortunately. This didn’t have that sweet-smoky flavour and aroma you expect in grilled seafood, and thus, lacking oomph.

Thai sausage

EaThai Food makes their own Thai sausage (RM20) which you eat with shallots, peanuts and birds eye chili for extra kick. This had a tangy finish to offset the porky flavour, so if Thai sausages are your thing, go for it. It’s not the same as Chiangmai sausage though, so don’t say I didn’t tell you.

Fried fish with chili sauce

Deep fried morning glory

I rather enjoyed the fried fish with chili sauce (RM45) as the fish was deep fried to crispy perfection and retained that way despite the coating of sauce. The deep fried morning glory tasted like vegetable tempura, albeit an oily version. Not bad, especially when you eat it with the seafood dipping sauce provided.

I’ve eaten there three times so far and on the other two occasions, had the green curry and minced pork with basil. Those were quite good too. All in, I like EaThai because the food is relatively authentic (though there were some misses) and service is friendly. Be prepared to sweat as they don’t cut back on spice to accommodate the locals.

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Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 7/10 (non halal)
Verdict: While I didn’t care much for the grilled items, the tomyam and curries are good.

EaThai Food
3-B Jalan Klang Lama,
58100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 010-295 5001

Mention pan mee and one will tend to assume it comes in the form of soup (spicy sometimes) or dry style (dark sauce or with chilli paste). Fried pan mee isn’t very common but rif and I recently tried it for ourselves, at this place called Big Tree Fried Pan Mee, just off Old Klang Road.

A wok-ful of noodles

Playing the waiting game

Fried pan mee

Dark, saucy and full of umami

The stall has been around for quite some time and customers would wait patiently for their plate of pan mee, despite the humid weather. I thought the pan mee was quite good – similar to Hokkien mee but instead of yellow noodles, pan mee is used. This has no alkaline taste or smell, which is a common thing in Hokkien Mee. Texture-wise, I would have preferred the noodles to be springy but this was slightly on the softer side.

Loh Mee

Mushrooms are used to give the noodles a meatier texture

The loh mee is pretty decent here; darker and stronger in flavour. It’s also slightly different compared to the regular loh mee one gets elsewhere; this one comes with slices of black mushroom for a meaty texture. I liked that the stock was flavourful enough to hold its own, so a bit of vinegar was all this dish needed to kick things up a notch.

Fried hokkien mee

Average at best

We also tried the Hokkien Mee which was very average. Unlike the pan mee, this dish was missing “wok hei” and the flavours didn’t seem to bind together quite as nicely. Eating this with sambal chili helps but that’s not quite the point I feel. One good thing though — they are quite generous with pork lard so you’ll get plenty of crunchy bits to go with your noodles.

Fish head noodles

Milky, but lacking tang and savoury notes

Fish head noodles is also available and the preparation for this is quite different from many places I know. It’s milky but minus the tangy-savoury accents you usually get from tomatoes and pickled vegetables. I didn’t care much for this, though I spotted quite a few people ordering it.

All in, I found the food just alright though pricing is reasonable (RM6 per portion). While the pan mee and loh mee were not bad, they weren’t spectacular either. I wouldn’t recommend the fish head noodles and Hokkien Mee as you can get better ones here and here.

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Ambiance: 4.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Apart from the pan mee and loh mee, the others failed to impress.

Big Tree Fried Pan Mee
Jalan Sepadu, Taman United,
Seputeh 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
GPS Coordinates: N 3 05.054, E 101 40.461
Business hours: 5.30p.m to 11p.m
(Closed Thursdays)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fixated on steamboat or any sort of hotpot where food is cooked in a pot of broth. The only “hotpot” I don’t fancy as much is lok-lok, because I don’t get to drink the soup. BeBeHo Steamboat in Old Klang Road is relatively new and uses seafood from Pulau Ketam, so they claim.

BeBeho Steamboat — interior

Tomyam and pork bone soup

The restaurant occupies the corner shoplot of Batu 3 along Old Klang Road and they serve steamboat sets (RM14.80 per pax) as well as a la carte items ranging from meats and vegetables, to assorted meat or fish balls. You get four types of broth to choose from – clear soup and tomyam are complimentary, whilst the pork bone soup is priced at RM8 per half portion and century egg soup at RM4 per portion. It’s double the price if you were to go for the full portion.

Don’t be fooled by the “mountain”. There’s a lot of cabbage at the bottom.

The pork slices are from the a la carte menu

Shabu shabu style

We tried the pork bone soup and tomyam, and ordered a steamboat set each. Honestly, I was really disappointed with the set as we got a lot of cabbage and not much of the other items (fish, fishball, tofu, dumplings and prawns). For RM30, I think we would be better off ordering from their a la carte menu.

Mushroom meat ball

Bomb ball

I liked the mushroom meat ball (RM4.30) but didn’t care much for the “bomb” ball, which was essentially pork meat ball with minced pork filling. Texture was dry, especially after cooking, though the Fuzhou fish ball with minced pork filling somehow tasted better. They ran out of pork belly so we opted for the leaner cut – pork loin slices. Didn’t see beef or mutton in the menu so if you’re into those, you’ll be disappointed.

Pork slices (RM9.30)

Fuzhou fish balls

The tomyam soup wasn’t very good if you ask me – it was one-dimensional in taste, mostly spicy. Didn’t do much to bring out the flavour of the meat. The pork bone soup was better (slightly on the milky side) but I prefer the one at Coco Steamboat and Harbour Steamboat. The latter two had a better aroma and flavour.

Sauces available

They only have two or three types of chilli dipping sauces so if you’re into sauces, you’ll find the offering at BeBeHo Steamboat somewhat limited. I like the selection of sauces here. Service was disappointing when rif and I went – the staff weren’t attentive and we had to wave our hands several times to get them to take note. A customer even walked up to the counter to refill his own soup that night.

Fried fuchuk

Pricing is reasonable here (our bill came up to RM76 for the above); I reckon BeBeHo Steamboat is currently the most competitively priced steamboat restaurant in the area. That said, I didn’t find the food particularly memorable and the service didn’t help make the experience a good one.

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Ambiance: 6/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Reasonable pricing but the food was average.

BeBeHo Steamboat

BeBeHo Steamboat
No.99, Batu 3,
Jalan Klang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 014-637 5391, 019-662 2779

I absolutely love hot pot; it’s something I can eat almost every other day if Jien permits! Which is why I have a few hotpot buddies who would indulge with me whenever the craving hits. When Chunciou Hot Pot in Old Klang Road opened, I was excited. My friend Emily notified me about this “really big hotpot place” coming up and that “it was from Taiwan”.

Full house

Tonkotsu and Spicy broth

Chunciou Hot Pot is an “All You Can Eat” Taiwanese hot pot with six types of broth – sukiyaki, tonkotsu, spicy, herbal, lake salt and tomyam – with an assortment of meats, meatballs and vegetables to choose from. I tried the tonkotsu, herbal and spicy broth over two visits, and liked the tonkotsu best.

Tonkotsu and Herbal broth

The herbal broth was too mild for my liking while the spicy, said to be “ma la” tasted anything but. I thought it tasted like a cross between Maggi kari and ma la, which was disappointing as the spicy (mala) hot pot soup I had in Taiwan was really good.

Lamb slices

Pork shoulder

Assorted meatballs

There’s pork, beef, chicken, duck and lamb to go with your hot pot and throughout the meal, the staff will go around with a pushcart of assorted meatballs for you to pick from. I particularly enjoyed the wasabi meatball and squid ball, which packed flavour and had a decent texture. Seafood is also available, but you only get a portion per table. This is non-refillable.

Dipping sauces

Chunciou’s house special dipping sauce

The hot pot ingredients go best with dipping sauce which you can customise from the many sauces available at the counter. Alternatively, allow the staff to make you their house specialty of egg yolk, chopped spring onions and chilli flakes.

Lou rou fan

Service is friendly but they can be a tad slow (or forget orders) when it’s a full house. You might need to remind them several times if your order doesn’t arrive. It happened to me during my second visit. Lou rou fan (Taiwanese braised pork rice) is also available as part of the buffet and I found this quite tasty. Not quite the same as the one in Taiwan but I like this better than the original version as the rice was saucier.

Lemon slices

Ice cream and tong sui

You get a choice of ice cream, tong sui or lemon slices as dessert. The lemon slices with sugar was surprisingly a good palate cleanser. I didn’t care much for the ice cream but their glutinous rice tong sui was alright. Soft drinks and tea are included as part of the buffet. Last I checked, they weren’t sure if there’s a corkage fee if you were to BYO alcohol so it’s best to call and check if you plan to do so.

Pork slices

Pork belly

Beef slices

The hot pot buffet at Chunciou is priced at RM60 for lunch (RM69.90 after GST and service charge) and RM75 for dinner (RM87 after GST and service charge). A tad steep if you’re not a big eater or if you’re a slow eater, because each table gets a duration of 120 minutes (2 hours) to dine-in. I didn’t find it an issue because I eat quick and I have an appetite of a bear haha!

Fried chicken

I do have one concern though – am not sure why the management feels the need to get “nice looking girls” to promote the outlet. Highly unnecessary and frankly, quite tacky. But then again, I’m just there to eat, not to tell them how to run their business. Whatever makes them happy… ;)

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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: If you love hot pot and have a good appetite, this is an option to consider. Go for the tonkotsu broth and don’t bother with the spicy soup. 

Chunciou Hot Pot Malaysia 春秋战锅
No.306, Batu 3,
Jalan Klang Lama,
58000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 018-375 6368
Business hours: Noon till 11pm
Facebook Page

These days, writing consistently is a challenge for me as I juggle between my new role as a mother, the creative head of my marketing agency and the author of this blog. There’s plenty I want to write about but finding a couple of hours to spare isn’t easy. But here I am today – with about an hour to myself, writing about our recent food hunt; Kung Fu Smooth Pan Mee in Taman Sri Sentosa.

Jien took me here on weekend, telling me (based on his sources) it might possibly be the best pan mee we would ever eat. And I do love a good bowl of handmade noodles – even more so if it’s the traditional sort with anchovies stock and sayur manis. Taman Sri Sentosa is just off Old Klang Road where plenty of old school shoplots and apartment blocks still exist.

Look for this signboard and you’re at the right place

We tried locating stall no.28 but with Chinese wordings as the display banner, we almost went to the wrong shop. I spotted a few people tucking into what looked like 2-3 feet long noodles from afar and figured that was the shop we were looking for. I was right.

Aunty is shy, but check out the length of the noodles!

Ordering is straight-forward – you’re given the one page menu comprising the types of pan mee available, on top of the side dishes they offer such as sui kow and wantan. We tried the sui kow (RM6.50 per bowl) and a large order of pan mee soup and dry pan mee (RM8 each). Portion isn’t very big so if you like pan mee in general, I suggest you order a large bowl.

Soup pan mee

The noodles are at least two feet in length

The term “kung fu” probably came from the technique of the cook, yielding silky smooth hand-pulled noodles that is springy in bite yet glides down the throat easily. I like how it’s moderately thick yet not doughy at all and the anchovies broth is sweet from the sayur manis.

Sui Kow — decent enough

Dry pan mee

For added kick, eat the pan mee with the chilli sauce provided but go easy on the amount as it packs a wallop! I prefer mine with just a dab of chilli to keep to the original flavour as much as possible. The dry pan mee is also pretty good – the same silken consistency with plenty of bite. This comes tossed with what seems like a combination of pork lard, onion oil and dark sauce, topped with savoury pork mince, anchovies and sayur manis.

This is tasty too

Smooth texture with a good bite

I like them both but if I had to choose, I’d go for the soup version as the soup gives the noodles more umami. Besides, nothing beats a piping hot bowl of freshly made pan mee with soup. Unless of course, the weather is sweltering hot (doesn’t bother me one bit). Then by all means, opt for the dry version.

The pan mee is so good I polished off another bowl on my own. No regrets as I walked away very satisfied albeit a teany bit overstuffed. Is this the best pan mee I’ve eaten thus far? Quite possibly. ;)

I know I wouldn’t bother driving all the way to Klang for pan mee now that I have a good option just 15 minutes away from home.

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Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 8/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Silky smooth and toothsome handmade noodles. The best pan mee I’ve had in a long time.

Kung Fu Smooth Pan Mee
No.28 Jalan Sri Sentosa 9A
Taman Sri Sentosa
Off Jalan Klang Lama
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 016-288 3911
Business hours: 8am to 3pm
(Closed Mondays)

I first visited Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World in August 2022 and menu looked quite promising. Jien and I went on a day they were doing stock count so there wasn’t space to dine inside the shop, which is also a Thai sundry shop.

Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World is also a Thai sundry shop

The folks at Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World kindly offered us a space by the sidewalk (which we didn’t mind) since it was raining. We shared a portion of Tom Kha Gai with rice (RM16.90), Thai green curry chicken with rice (RM16.90) and Ne.Nenebubu seafood tomyum noodle (RM18.90).

Food during our first visit. Pretty good!

Tom Kha Gai

Thick, creamy and packed with flavour

I found the tom kha gai quite tasty – rather thick and creamy with a layer of red oil which I assume comes from chilli paste. Flavours are richer and stronger compared to the average tom kha gai, which tends to be more soupy. This one feels almost like a stew. Good stuff.

Green curry chicken

We also enjoyed the green curry chicken; creamy but not as spicy as one would expect for a green curry. Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World isn’t stingy with the use of Thai basil so the curry gets plenty of sweetness and aroma from the leaves.

Ne.Nenebubu seafood tomyum noodle

Ne.Nenebubu’s seafood tomyum noodle comes with a whole chargrilled prawn, squid flowers, lala and pork patty. The broth is spicy, savoury and tangy – quite refreshing and definitely very suited for the rainy weather we experienced.

Thai milk tea

The Thai milk tea (RM8) boasts plenty of tea flavour and creaminess from the use of evaporated milk. This is one of the better Thai milk teas I’ve had in KL so far. Since we didn’t get to try the other dishes, Jien and I made another visit to Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World a few weeks later.

Thai braised pork leg rice

While our first visit had us singing praises about the food, our second experience was more disappointing. We ordered different dishes second time around – Thai-style chicken chop with mango salad (RM17.90), Thai braised pork leg rice (RM16.90) and Thai classic chili flake tomyum noodle (RM16.90).

Quite tasty, but I prefer the gravy darker and thicker.

The Thai braised pork leg was cooked till tender, but I find the seasoning (braising liquid) quite diluted. I was expecting it to be darker in colour and thicker, but Ne.Nenebubu’s version is lighter but still tasty.

Thai style chicken chop with mango salad

Less impressive was the Thai style chicken chop with mango salad as it lacked oomph. We were expecting the mango salad to be spicier and tangier, but what we got was pretty mild. Portion is pretty good as you get a whole fried chicken leg, but taste wise, not my cup of tea.

Thai classic chili flake tomyum noodle

Compared to the seafood tomyum noodle we had during our first visit, the Thai classic chili flake tomyum noodle missed the mark. The broth lacked depth in flavour and tasted mostly of chilli flakes and vinegar. I suggest you stick to the seafood tomyum noodle.

Overall, I find flavours quite tapered down – presumably to suit the locals. Service is friendly and pleasant, which adds to the charm of this place. We’d only return for the tom kha gai and seafood tom yum noodle. That said, if you’re in the area, it’s still worth a shot. Who knows, you might enjoy Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World more than we did!

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Ambiance: 5.5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Try the tom kha gai and seafood tomyam noodles.

Ne.Nenebubu TomYum World
15, Jalan 2/137B,
Resource Industrial Centre,
Off OKR, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 016-494 3497
Business hours: 11.30am till 9pm
(closed Sunday)