Marts Cili Padi - MartuisMartapau's Culinaria Adventure

OUR WORLD THEIR WAR

2011-06-15T19:52:00.001+08:00

I know this is a food blog but I wanted to win movie passes for my favorite movie, Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon.

So I choose to defy Autobots and destroy the world.

TEAM : DECEPTICONS

CHARACTER CHOSEN : MEGATRON

MISSION : TO DESTROY AUTOBOTS AND THE EARTH

Now comes to the part on how to destroy Autobots and the Earth. I am a Decepticons, I want my method to be grand and unbeatable. I can squish and trample all the humans, or shoot all the buildings but that would be too easy and would only make those Autobots interfere with my plans. I want my method to be inexplicable.

Think Megatron. Think. Surely an organic being of million years of civilization and evolution can think of something to destroy the Autobots and the young Earth. I am, after all, Megatron.

Megatron commands that you visit the links below for more information on the thing that kept interrupting his flawless and brilliant plan. Apparently, his ultimate plan has the same resemblance with the thing - they are both ultimate!!!

GSC-EON Ultimate Movie Card | GSC Ultimate Movie Card Facebook Fanpage

RM15 for 2 persons @ Kell's Restaurant & Cafe

2011-06-02T08:27:00.001+08:00

RM15 for 2 persons. Macam best je ni, dekat Solaris Dutamas. Jom!

Please read more on this deal by clicking on the link above.

MAT AYAM KAMPUNG

2011-06-01T00:48:00.001+08:00

The food during my first visit. Tempting.

A few months ago, a friend of mine said he wanted to take me to new place to eat - knowing that I love to eat and how much I like to take pictures of their food. It is quite funny because nowadays my friends will wait for me to take photos of the food before they start eating.

"Ayam kampung", that was all he said. So the four of us went to Seri Kembangan to a restaurant called Mat Ayam Kampung(not related to me in any way). The food didn't disappoint. I love the deep fried ayam kampung(free range chicken) served at the restaurant. Ayam kampung basically has less meat compared to our usual chicken but it has a pronounced and distinctive flavour. Tastier and more flavourful. You'll want to eat every bit of meat from the chicken. The restaurant serves other dishes as well such as siput sedut, pucuk ubi, jantung pisang, daging salai, tempeh, etc - basically kampung style dishes. They also have various ulam to go with your food. If you miss your mum's cooking, this is the place to go.

Today I went to the restaurant again. We were lucky to arrive early because not soon after we arrived, the place was fully occupied and some patrons had to wait for tables. We ordered 6 pieces of deep fried ayam kampung(they were 3 of us, 2 pieces each), and I added a few fried daging salai, sambal ikan bilis and salted egg on my plate. My friends truly gorged on the chicken eaten with various fresh ulam and sambal tempoyak. The food was good, really good. I'd recommend you to try out this place if you have the chance. The price is reasonable too, 6 pieces of ayam kampung(bear in mind, ayam kampung is slightly expensive than the regular chicken), 6 glasses of drinks and several side dishes only cost us RM40. Try google Mat Ayam Kampung, you can easily find the address and the map.

Salted egg, fried daging salai and dry sambal bilis.

Star of the show-deep fried ayam kampung.

The restaurant.

WE MEET AGAIN

2011-05-31T11:17:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I am writing again after a long hiatus. I am still active in my other blog(I stopped writing after my mother passed away in January) and now I think it is time for me to start writing again. I have plenty to write as this is what I like and what I know best - food. You have to like what you do in order to have fun.

This is not a food review blog, I don't do that. My friends from my old blog should know that. I merely documented my experiences with food, from trying out new eating places(or the same food over and over again) to rummaging my kitchen whipping out recipes taken here and there. Of course, some I made up myself by improvising.

By the way, if you have Facebook add me Martuis Martapau in you list.

FRIED RICE

2010-01-08T10:30:00.001+08:00

Fried rice is always one of my favorite food. When I was still in my primary school, breakfast was always fried rice(sometimes cucur kodok, pau or roti bom) from the leftover dinner. My mother would woke up as early as 5.00 am and prepared the fried rice, I could tell by the sound of rice being stirred in the big wok. At 5.30 am, time to get up and ready for school. We cycled so we had to get up early. Mum's fried rice was very simple, it was always plain fried rice or plain fried rice with belacan(shrimp paste). She didn't even bother to put any vegetables or meat or seafood into the fried rice but hers was very special and delicious. Her fried rice was always accompanied by salted fish, dried fish or simply deep fried freshwater fish such as keli or haruan or sepat. Somehow I think salted fish or dried fish goes really well with plain simple fried rice. Try deep fried haruan with fried rice too, it's really good.

By the way, I found out later why mum's fried rice always tasted so good. First she used rice that has been left overnight, secondly she didn't use new oil to fry the rice, instead she used oil that has been used to fry fish, salted fish, anchovies, etc. Basically the oil that she used had been flavored and infused with various things that she didn't have to put seasoning in the fried rice anymore. Let me tell you this, try making fried rice using used oil(kalau ada tahi minyak lagi best! ha ha...) instead of new and see the results. During my primary school years, I remembered a friend who always shared his mean fried rice with me, cooked by his mother. I found out his mother used the same method as well - used oil with tahi minyak!

Yesterday, I made a fried rice using leftover rice kept in the fridge. I didn't think I was that hungry actually but more like finding excuse so that I can cook. Cooking is like a therapy for me, I like being in the kitchen, slicing onions, cutting vegetable, playing with ingredients, flavoring, etc. I have cooked various types of fried rice before from elaborated version to the more simple and humble version. I even cooked fried rice for the whole office to eat once!

I like spicy food so my fried rice has lots of cut chili padi in it. I added mixed vegetables and scrambled egg too and finally served with fried anchovies and an egg. This was very simple, and you can find thousands of fried rice recipes over the internet. So I'm not going to paste a recipe here. Happy googling! :-D

IRELAND'S POTATO MALAYSIA

2010-01-07T14:51:00.000+08:00

Last week, I was waiting for a movie to be shown and I had about 30 mins before the movie starts. So, I decided to try the fries from the Ireland's Potato outlet located right in front of the cinema. It is a small outlet with just a few seats available, but the food serves here is put in a convenient 'paper cup' and you can just carry it around without having to sit down to eat. It's like finger food.

I tried their fries with sour cream. The fries is prepared fresh and hot and served with a dollop of sour cream and chives. They were thick and big, at least bigger than those from fast food chains fries. It tasted okay but perhaps I should have tried the one with cheese or minced meat, I didn't really like the sour cream version.

Besides fries, they have other snacks as well, as you can see from the pictures below but of course their main attraction is the fries with various styles of serving it. For a cup of fries, they might be quite expensive, but then again they are of high quality, freshly prepared and not the usual plain fries.

Oh by the way, the cinema has made it clear that you are not allowed to bring the Ireland's Potato food inside the cinema even though the shop is right in front of its door step. The shop is not part of the cinema. Don't get confuse and embarrass yourself.

Visit www.irelandspotato.com.my for more information.

BEST DEEP FRIED CHICKEN

2010-01-06T14:42:00.001+08:00

This is sooo good. Really.

I found this fried chicken about 3 weeks ago from Taman Datuk Harun night market. As I've been frequenting the night market quite often, I knew the stall is new since I've never seen it before. The first time I saw the stall there were only a few customers waiting for the flattened deep fried chicken being sprinkled with chilli powder and pepper. Chicken has always been my favorite, so I bought a piece.

The deep fried chicken look very much like the regular chicken chop. The chicken is flatten, dip in batter and crumbs, then deep fried till golden. When you order, the chicken will be sprinkled with chilli powder and pepper before it's cut into bite size pieces. It's certainly easier to eat that way.

Last weekend I went to the night market to look for the chicken again. This time, people were gathering around the stall with multiple orders. Words about this stall must have got around. I had to wait for a good 15 minutes before I got my chicken. The stall has new items including deep fried battered sotong and deep fried battered jumbo hot dog. The chicken is flatten but is it not boneless, and I like my chicken with some bones as I like to collect bits of meat around the bones.

The chicken is really good actually. It's one of the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. It's crispy, crunchy but not dry. I like the spiciness from the chilli powder and pepper. This thing is best eaten hot(that's why it is prepared as you ordered) right from the paper bag! By the way, a small bamboo skewer, like a tooth pick but bigger is given so that you can stick the chicken pieces with it.

I wonder if I can emulate this chicken at home? I think I should give it a try.

LAKSA

2010-01-05T07:45:00.000+08:00

I love laksa especially Penang Laksa or Laksa Utara.

I find that the best laksa is always the one sold on the streets or home made laksa. I remembered my mother used to boil sardines and painstakingly removed the bones from the fish and the flesh is later turned into laksa soup. Actually, the fish thickened the soup. The hard work is shown at the end product-a mouthwatering laksa.

I have tried different versions of laksa from a few upscale restaurant and most of them failed miserably. There are a few good ones but most of them simply tried too hard. In order to be 'different', 'unique', 'trendy' and all that, these restaurants butchered the original taste of laksa. I think laksa should be simple, moderate without all those fancy ingredients or 'sampah-sarap'. Trying be generous with fish will only make the soup fishy. When I was in secondary school there was a rumour that some laksa sellers used tissue paper to thickened the soup!

A few slices of raw onions, cucumber strips, egg slices and calamansi are enough. The rest is on the sourish soup with a balanced taste of fish, daun kesum and bunga kantan. Back in my kampung(nothern region), there is another ingredient included in the laksa, some kind of floury chewy cucur that is cut into small cubes and added into the laksa. I missed that one actually, here in Petaling Jaya or Kuala Lumpur, I have never found any laksa yet with that little morsel.

I know there are many versions of laksa such as laksa Sarawak, laksa lemak, laksa Johor, laksa Kelantan, etc. As for me, I always prefer the famous laksa Penang or laksa Kedah.

This is the orginal laksa Kedah. Can you see the simplicity of the laksa? The soup is not too thick neither too thin, just nice with enough fish flesh. Other ingredients are used moderately such as cucumber, onions and boiled egg.

BEEF BURGER ala ORANG BUJANG

2009-12-27T18:16:00.001+08:00

Makanan orang bujang. Quick, simple and easy to prepare. It can be extended as well to your liking, creativity and whatever you have in hand. I usually have beef burger patties in my fridge but sometimes I get tired of eating chewy, shrinked when cooked patties or tired of making burger of my own. The patties are more delicious in a bite size pieces, still soft inside but crispy on the outside.

The ingredients are very basic, beef burger patties and onions. Depending on what you have you can eat it on its own or serve with instant noodles, eat with bread(like kebabs) or like what I did, served with fried macaroni. When I just want to eat this on its own, I usually add vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber or aubergine and break an egg or two at the end of the cooking time so that I have that eggy sauce coating the vegetables and the torn patties.

Try it.

Tear the patties into bite size pieces. Slice the onions. Ignore the tomatoes, it was used as a garnish later.

Stir fry the torn pieces with little oil. The pieces released oil, remove the oil if there is too much oil in the pan.

Stir fry till brown and crispy outside, add the onions. Next add the seasoning, salt, chili flakes, black pepper or whatever seasoning you prefer. You can even add chili and tomato sauce if you want the spicy sour coating. Add sugar if you like, I like sugar because it'll caramelized the onions and the patties.

Done. This time I eat it with fried macaroni. Delicious.

CARL'S JR SUNWAY PYRAMID

2009-12-15T09:17:00.000+08:00

Having fun with the kids at Sunway Pyramid recently. As usual, burger is not my favorite food but Carl's Jr is definitely better than the rest of the burgers offered by other fast food joints. I like the fries and the free flow pickles. :-D

PROSPERITY BURGER

2009-12-05T16:53:00.000+08:00

Prosperity Burger from McDonald's is back again. I am not a McD person but I love their Prosperity Burger very much. The burger is only available during Chinese New Year's time, once a year. Last year I think McD introduced the chicken variety but I found that the chicken simply didn't go well with the black pepper sauce. However, I understand though that the chicken variety is probably to cater for those who cannot consume beef due to religious beliefs. Well, at least they can still have a bite on the burger even though it's chicken.

The burger is very simple, sesame bun, beef, onions and nothing more. The black pepper sauce is of course the main star since it is the sauce that makes the burger special, giving it a hot and peppery taste. I have already consumed three of these burgers since it is on sale this year. I think I am going to get some more before it is gone again. :-D

EXPRESS CHICKEN SOUP

2009-12-02T19:50:00.000+08:00

Down with cold and fever. So last night I cooked clear chicken soup with just chicken pieces, tomatoes and onions with pre-packed herbs for the broth. I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't bother to cut the chicken into smaller bite pieces. I simmered the soup over low fire to tenderize the chicken and to make sure the chicken flavored the soup well. It did help as I felt much better after consuming a bowl of the delicious soup. :-D

ICHIBAN RAMEN

2009-11-24T17:48:00.001+08:00

Went to watch A Christmas Carol last Friday at Sunway Pyramid. I came early, so I decided to have my dinner at my favorite restaurant first, Ichiban Ramen. Read my other entry on this restaurant here.

I had a rice dish that came with pan fried chicken and some kind of leafy preserved vegetables. The chicken was good and I think overall it went well with the sourish leafy vegetables. I also ordered a side dish of silken tofu, lightly coated with batter and deep fried, served in a bowl with light soy sauce with bonito flakes, sea weed and scallions. The tofu was crispy on the outside and obviously smooth inside but I think it is best eaten immediately since the crispy coating becomes soggy and absorbing the salty soy sauce if left too long immersed in the bowl.

Note : Pictures are taken using camera phone.

FRIED ELBOWS(MACARONI)

2009-11-22T14:34:00.001+08:00

It's raining season now, and it rains almost everyday and usually for the whole day. I was stuck at home yesterday and the cold weather made me sluggish and lazy too. I haven't eat anything for the whole day and by night I was ravenous.

Upon checking my fridge I am left with eggs, quail eggs, long beans, onions and carrots, and I have a jar of elbows(macaroni) left. So I decided to make fried elbows with whatever I have in the fridge. I have cooked countless number of fried rice so I think I can use the same recipe for the fried rice to make fried elbows.

Cut the carrots into a matchsticks, long beans into a two inches sticks and slice the onions. Boil the quail eggs. Beat an egg and make an omelette, rolled and cut into strips. Cook the elbows according to instructions. In a wok heat some oil and stir fry the vegetables, next add the cooked elbows and stir evenly. I used chicken granules to season my fried elbows but you can use any instant fried rice seasoning or whatever you have handy at home. Add salt, black pepper and chili flakes. I like my fried elbows hot, so I added chili padi as well.

There, that was quite easy actually and I was hungry no more. :-D

MINANG FOOD - GERAI SAKATO

2009-11-16T00:21:00.064+08:00

Gerai Makan Sakato.

The name itself should give you a hint or two about the owner or the food serves at this modest restaurant. Sakato is definitely not a Malaysian name. Frankly, I never paid any attention to this restaurant for a few years, from the outside it doesn't look very appealing and you don't even know what is being sold here except that you know it is an eatery. Most of the time the patrons are elderly, with Indonesian looks and accents, and they gather around a few tables in front of the restaurant.

Then, one day out of curiosity I tried the food. Minang food to be precised. One thing I noticed, the food look like the usual Malay food sold at any nasi campur stall but upon close inspection I can see the differences, as well as the smells. The sambal is different I noticed, rather than red and smooth, it is green and coarse. The deep fried dishes such as fish and chicken are marinated first, creating a wonderful aromas and appealing colors.

My favorites are daging salai, daging berlada, ayam goreng Minang style and begedil. You can also find a few types of curries here, from fish curry to tripe curry. On certain days, you can find fried dried eels as well. I remembered I bought the eel thinking it was some kind of fried fish. The eels were filleted and cut till it bore no resemblance to eels at all. Well, the eel tasted quite delicious actually. There is always a first time. As long as it doesn't look like a snake, I am okay with it.

The rice uses here is of high quality. It's a long grain type, fluffy, smells good and doesn't stick to each other. It tastes good as well. I think that is why the price of the food here is bit more pricey than the usual nasi campur restaurants or stalls. However, it is still cheap considering the different is only RM1 or RM2.

I was expecting to see the daging salai, unfortunately it wasn't on the menu today. So I opted for tilapia goreng, daging berlada, bitter gourd and a kind of green sambal(it wasn't hot and taste more like a pickled-relish rather than sambal). Last time I ate some kind of red sambal here and I think it has pickled cuttlefish in it.

The modest restaurant doesn't offer too much dishes but I can assure you the food is delicious and the home-cooked quality is more than enough to make up the lack of varieties.

Gerai Makan Sakato is located next to Masjid Jumhuriyah(Taman Datuk Harun mosque), Petaling Jaya.

CHAO PHRAYA RESTAURANT

2009-11-11T23:19:00.000+08:00

In my previous blog, I have mentioned quite a few times about my visits to Chao Phraya Restaurant in Pandan Indah. I love their food very much, from Ayam Pandan to their extremely addictive seafood red tomyam. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed suddenly and I was totally lost without any information on the restaurant. Even a few friends who live there didn't know whatever happened to the restaurant.

Luckily, I just read a comment left by one of my blog readers in this post, Naz, on the development of the restaurant.

Oh my I love the food at Chao Phraya Pandan Indah. I ate there at least once a week for the last 3 years. Even had dinner there the last night they were open but not a single person mentioned the fact that they were closing up for good.

Luckily I had the owner's number with me. About a month after it closed, I called and she said that she was moving abroad to follow her husband for work. She said she was planning to come back and reopen the place in 2 years, around 2010. I'm hoping she does come back - I am running out of good places to eat in Pandan Indah!

Just thought I'd share the info :)

Btw, there's a pretty awesome authentic & Thai restaurant in Pandan Indah called Bangkok House. Its the only one that is halal. You should definitely check the place out. When they say authentic, they mean authentic :)

Well, I sure hope the owner will come back and resume business as usual. I really miss all those great foods served at the restaurant. Can't wait!

Here are some of the pictures I have taken at the restaurant during those good old days. I am drooling now.

Sweet and sour sea bass.

Spicy fried quails.

Seafood tomyam.

Kerabu sotong.

Udang celup tepung(deep fried coated prawns).

Ayam pandan(fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves).

Sweet and sour pomfret.

LUNCH AT MY PLACE

2009-11-11T21:22:00.002+08:00

I invited a few friends to have lunch at my place a few weeks ago. Frankly, the last time I organized a makan-makan event was about two years ago.

Early morning, I went to PJ Old Town wet market to look for giant freshwater prawns(udang galah) but unfortunately those prawns were not on sale that day. I was told that those prawns is not something that you can but everyday. They are very expensive but they are worth it. I can easily find them from the upscale supermarket but they won't be as fresh as those from the wet market. The prawns are very big with meaty, juicy and bouncy flesh. You can grill them or use them in the tomyam soup but I love them simply deep fried.

I spent the whole morning cooking as I have prepared all the ingredients the night before such as marinating the chicken and cutting the vegetables. While everything was prepared in advanced it was still quite tiring doing it by myself. There were less than eight people invited but still it took a lot of time and energy to organize the makan-makan. Anyway, I love cooking and I love food, so I wasn't complaining and it turned out everything went just fine as I have expected - except for the missing menu of the giant freshwater prawns of course!

'BAWAH POKOK' KELANA JAYA

2009-11-10T21:27:00.002+08:00

Today my workmates invited me to join them to have lunch at a place they called 'bawah pokok' or literally translated as 'under the trees' in Kelana Jaya. It turned out that this place was the place where I bought my pakoras and rojak/pasembor. The place is called bawah pokok because all those mobile stalls are located under big trees, shading the areas from the heat and the scorching sun.

Besides the pakoras and the pasembor, there are many other stalls here including a kuih stall selling varieties of kuih from karipap to cakoi, a nasi campur stall, a drink stall, a noodle stall and a few other stalls that sell various street food. I ordered a char koay teow from one of the stalls.

The char koay teow was no match for Zai's char koay teow. It was just adequate to surpress my hunger since I haven't eat anything since morning. The gravy was strangely sweet, something that I think is not a good characteristic for a char koay teow. I think the sweet taste came from the sweet sauce used to make the gravy. Well, it wasn't a complete failure either. As I have said, it's not easy to find a good char koay teow indeed.

Anyway, do try the place. It has a lot more to offer. The kuih stall looks very tempting, and so does the rojak/pasembor stall. Unfortunately, the pakoras stall was closed today, so I missed a chance to have those tasty little treats.

CHAR KOAY TEOW

2009-11-08T10:51:00.000+08:00

Let me remind you, char koay teow and fried koay teow are two different things, and do not confuse yourself either when you find something that says koay teow with gravy or Cantonese koay teow.

Fried koay teow is a dry version of fried koay teow, you can almost find this in any food stalls or restaurants anywhere. The usual ingredients are flat noodles(koay teow), beansprouts and other vegetables. Some might add chicken pieces, prawns or even beef. Char koay teow on the other hand is some kind of specialty, it is fried koay teow with gravy and usually has prawns and cockles(kerang) in it. Some people call it char koay teow kerang. Char koay teow might not be so hard to find but to find a good char koay teow is something hard. Penang probably has the best char koay teow in Malaysia, that is why sometimes people referring this special food as Penang char koay teow.

I spent years in Penang, so I have had my shared of eating plenty of great char koay teow there. I remembered bringing my friends there to have char koay and each of them ordered a second plate of char koay teow! It was that good. I think that the secret to delicious and mouth watering char koay teow is the gravy. The gravy is barely there actually, it is just enough to wet the noodles. Cockles and prawns, the staple ingredients for char koay teow really add something extra to it.

The char koay teow above was bought from a char koay teow seller from a pasar malam at my place. The char koay teow is as good as the one I had in Penang. I think it's about time for me to learn how to cook char koay teow at home, and using minimal fire of course. :-D

LAKSA SHACK

2009-11-07T19:56:00.001+08:00

Today, my friends invited me to have lunch at Laksa Shack Sunway Pyramid. Of course I didn't tell them that I didn't really like the restaurant's assam laksa actually, and I can always have something else there.

Laksa Shack has extended their menu since the last time I went there - that was a long time ago. Now they are offering rice menu as well. I didn't go there to have rice so I ordered a laksa set menu that comes with your choice of laksa and sirap bandung. I ordered Singapore Laksa Lemak while my friends had Nasi Beriani and Assam Laksa.

I made the right choice, my Singapore Laksa Lemak was really good, thanks to its thick creamy coconut milk broth. It was almost like a thick gulai kuning(masak lemak) with milder taste. There were generous chunks of chicken and two big prawns in there as well. The laksa used is thinner and somehow more translucent than our usual laksa. I finished my laksa without any complaints and even my friends were tempted to try some.

I think my friend who ordered the assam laksa shared the same opinion with me about the laksa served. He only ate half of the laksa and end up eating the otak-otak instead. Clearly, he objected about having too many fish chunks added in the laksa. Somehow, the fish used tasted like something that come from a can! Like canned sardine instead of fresh boiled fish. Unlike the usual laksa where the broth is thickened and fully flavoured by mashed boiled fresh sardines or eels.

I didn't have a taste of the otak-otak or the Nasi Beriani as I am not a fan of both. The laksa set menu is priced at RM15.00++. For more information on Laksa Shack, visit the website at www.laksashack.com.my.

RAK THAI KOAY TEOW WITH BEEF & GINGER

2009-11-05T15:33:00.002+08:00

Koay teow(flat noodles) with beef and ginger from Rak Thai Restaurant, Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya. Try not to come here during lunch break because this place is super packed. By the way, the koay teow was great. You might want to try their tomyam as well but skip the udon noodles.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS CAFE

2009-11-04T17:46:00.000+08:00

Strawberry Fields Cafe is just a walk away from my office. So, the cafe has always been a place to visit whenever my friends and I have the urge to have something more than just our usual mamak and nasi campur restaurants. While the prices of the food here are reasonable, we definitely can't afford to spend around RM20 everyday for a meal and a drink here. I am not that rich yet. :-D

Today I invited a friend to have lunch with me at the cafe. I ordered buttered fried fish(dried), Thai green curry chicken and sizzling squids. For drinks, we ordered mango longan and sour plum lime. The sizzling squid was nothing to shout about but I definitely love the green curry, it was generously filled with chicken strips, long beans, aubergine and of course chili padi for that extra kick. The buttered fried fish(dried) was similar to the buttered prawns except it used fish slices instead of prawns. I like the golden egg threads that came with the dish, it was crispy and crunchy, adding extra texture to the deep fried fish.

Three dishes, two plates of white rice and 2 glasses of special drinks, the bill amounted to RM44.25 including 5% service tax. Strawberry Fields Cafe, Lot 14 Jalan Tengah PJ New Town, Petaling Jaya.

WANTAN MEE KICAP

2009-11-04T11:46:00.002+08:00

This is the place whenever I have a craving for Wantan Mee Kicap. A halal wantan mee kicap. Wantan mee is basically a Chinese food, so in order to enjoy the noodles you need to find a place that sells halal wantan mee.

There are many ways to serve wantan mee, be it in soup, curry or just with plain simple kicap. I have tried them all but I love wantan mee kicap the most. I tried the one served in Ayamas Restaurant, it was too sticky, quite tasteless, and I didn't like it very much. It may looked presentable and nice but in the end how it tastes is more important than how it looks.

Curry Maju House is located in Jalan Maju Jaya, Old Klang Road. I was introduced to this restaurant by a friend who loves the restaurant's wantan mee kicap very much. I was wondering why he always ordered two plates(yes, two) of wantan mee kicap whenever he came here, I found out why only after I tried the wantan mee myself.

The wantan mee kicap comes with a bowl of soup containing deep fried wontons, and the wantan mee is served with small pieces of boiled chicken and cut chili padi. I think what makes this wantan mee special is the soy sauce itself. It's not too thick or too salty and I find myself slurping the sauce whenever I have finished eating the noodles. The noodles do not stick to each other either, a character that I usually do not find with other wantan mee. By the way, the soup and the deep fried wonton is just okay for me.

Do you know any other places that serve delicious halal wantan mee?

KAYU NASI KANDAR

2009-11-02T15:18:00.002+08:00

I went to Kayu Nasi Kandar in Petaling Jaya today. My friends and I were thinking about having roti canai for breakfast but when we arrived, the restaurant was ready to serve lunches(it was 11.00 am ++ anyway). So we all went for nasi kandar instead.

Did you know that Kayu Nasi Kandar has been voted as one of the best restaurants for nasi kandar in Malaysia? Their nasi kandar is great, no doubt about that but I am sure in Penang, where nasi kandar is extremely famous and said to be originated from, there are a lot more small scale nasi kandar sellers that have nasi kandar as good as Kayu Nasi Kandar. Some of them are even better. I know because I have been eating nasi kandar in Penang for years.

I remembered eating fabulous nasi kandar a few times a week when I was working in KOMTAR. It was just a small stall in one of the many food courts, manned by an old mamak guy. The choice of food was very limited, it was either chicken or fish. I usually had a piece of sliced fish, hard boiled egg and cockles. It was very simple but his nasi kandar was delicious and definitely addictive. I had to endure a queue just to buy his nasi kandar. Caravan Nasi Kandar is another example of great nasi kandar in Penang. If you have the oppurtunity to be in Penang try scouting the Georgetown area, the nooks and corners in that town might just surprise you with an unforgettable nasi kandar.

However, don't be surprised by the price for nasi kandar sold in Kayu Nasi Kandar. A 'basic' nasi kandar can costs you as much as RM8.00 per plate. Mine, such as in the picture costs me RM10.50, with deep fried chicken and 4 small pieces of fish roes. Yes I know it is quite expensive to think that even nasi campur with a few dishes won't cost that much actually. If you prefer a much cheaper nasi kandar though, you can always go to much simpler nasi kandar establishments such as the one in Jalan Tandang(KL Glass) area, dead cheap but very kandalicious.

I find that I prefer nasi kandar offered by Kayu Nasi Kandar in Penang rather than the one in Petaling Jaya. The one in Penang offered more choices and tastes better in my opinion. I love their fish head curry, squid roes and giant prawns. Expensive but you can always indulge yourself once in a while.

Kayu Nasi Kandar. Petaling Jaya. Klang. Penang. Kota Damansara.

DELI NASI LEMAK

2009-10-31T11:29:00.001+08:00

Deli Nasi Lemak. Yes, they sell varieties of nasi lemak such as such as nasi lemak rendang, sotong, ayam goreng, paru goreng, kerang and ayam masak merah. Apart from nasi lemak, they sell a few varieties of laksa, mee goreng, koay teow goreng, mee bandung, etc. Actually, their laksa is quite okay, better than Laksa Shack laksa in my opinion.

I went there for their mee bandung actually but somehow I came too early(but it's 12.30 pm already) said the waitress, their cook hasn't arrived yet and only nasi lemak and laksa are available. So I settled for their nasi lemak ayam goreng instead.

The nasi lemak was okay but it would have been better if the ayam goreng was hot and the deep fried anchovies were crisp and not flaky and crumbly. If you are lost in Suway Pyramid and tired of the many fast food joints there, maybe you can try Deli Nasi Lemak. A meal and a drink cost less than RM10. Deli Nasi Lemak, Sunway Pyramid. Lot No F1.100.

ICHIBAN RAMEN CHICKEN KARAAGE

2009-10-29T23:12:00.000+08:00

Chicken Karaage from Ichiban Ramen Japanese Restaurant in Sunway Pyramid. I come here like twice a month to have their spicy ramen or bento set. For side dish I love their crispy boneless chicken karaage and baby octopus. They have a few other outlets too and most of their outlets are located within AEON Jusco supermarkets.

I've never been to their other outlets, so I do not know about the taste of the foods at the other outlets. Sunway Pyramid's outlet is fine for me. Unlike Seoul Garden, I heard that apart from the Plaza Pantai's outlet, other outlets are pretty disappointing. I'll just stick to Plaza Pantai's then. :-D

BRAISED TOFU WITH MUSHROOMS

2009-10-27T18:29:00.002+08:00

Or perhaps braised mushrooms with tofu since the mushrooms clearly dominating the taste and appearance of this dish. The mushrooms flavor is very intense for this dish, if you like mushrooms, then you'll love this dish. :-D

I used three types of mushrooms for this dish, fresh shiitake and button mushrooms and canned straw mushroom. You can use any mushrooms that you like such as oyster or shiimeji. Other ingredients are tofu, minced garlic and ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, water/stock and seasoning. I used the mushrooms whole, no slicing needed. Just remove the stalks. Cut the tofu into cubes and marinate with soy sauce and black pepper.

It is quite easy to create this dish. First, stir fry the minced garlic and ginger, then add all the mushrooms. Stir fry again for a few minutes and then add water/stock together with soy sauce, oyster sauce and seasoning. Let it simmer for a few minutes.

Thickened the sauce with corn flour mixed with water. Next, put in the marinated tofu. Be careful not to break the tofu too much. Simmer for a few minutes more. Serve, garnish with scallion.

Clean mushrooms using damp cloth or paper towel. Do not wash them or they'll become soggy. Store the mushrooms in the fridge in a loosely fold paper bag. Allow the air to circulate.

FEND IKAN BAKAR

2009-10-27T01:02:00.000+08:00

I went to Fend Ikan Bakar in Kelana Jaya for lunch today. The restaurant has quite a long history from a modest stall under the trees to the current spacious two lots of shop houses.

I reached the restaurant around 1.30 pm, and the place was swarming with customers, almost all the tables were occupied. I assumed most of the customers were from the nearby offices. A friend told me that restaurant is much less crowded in the late afternoon or during weekend. So you know when to come to avoid those crowd.

The food the is very simple. Ikan bakar or grilled fish. You go to the counter and select what you want. Each serving of ikan bakar comes with a bowl of white rice and two types of dipping sauce. Spicy sauce and another one is a sourish sauce. I was told that the fish and rice set is sold at a flat price, meaning they charge the same price for whatever type of fish you select. Besides ikan keli, they have sting ray and ikan kembung too. I wasn't sure if they have other fish as well, I couldn't remember. By the way, the have grilled chicken too if you don't prefer fish. Ulam-ulaman is available too, they'd go nicely with the grilled fish, sambal and the dipping sauce.

I had ikan keli bakar(grilled catfish) with soy sauce, cili padi and shallots dipping sauce - besides the spicy and sour dipping sauces. I'd say the catfish tasted was quite nice, the flesh was moist, not dry and the marinade or sambal used didn't overpower the fish. It might not be the best but it was good nonetheless - I finished mine without any complains. I wasn't sure about the ikan kembung(mackerel) though, my friend said it was just okay since the fish was already cold. So it hardened a bit. Grilled fish definitely taste better when served hot.

Fend Ikan Bakar Restaurant is located at Dataran Glomac, Kelana Jaya.

TOMYAM

2009-10-23T21:43:00.000+08:00

Seriously, I like my tomyam soup thick, spicy, a bit sour and red. Most of the tomyam soups I have tasted were watery, runny, colorless, and some I have detected putting too much lime or tamarind juice to create the sourish taste.

So far my favorite tomyam is still the one from Chaophraya Restaurant in Pandan Indah, and next is from Sri Melaka Restaurant. Sri Thai's tomyam not bad as well. I learn to cook tomyam since I was in secondary school, back then I used to watch my mother or my sister cooked the tomyam. Of course, now days, ready made tomyam paste or cubes are readily and easily available. All you need is the extra ingredients such as lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal to make your tomyam more 'authentic'. Some people do not use galangal in tomyam but I find that using galangal adds extra flavour to the tomyam. I read that the original tomyam from Thailand is much simpler both in preparation and the ingredients.

When I make my own tomyam soup, I prefer to use tomyam paste rather than tomyam cubes. The paste type creates a thicker tomyam than the cube type. They are many brands available but I usually used tomyam paste from Thailand - more chilis(hotter and spicier), thicker and redder. In Malaysia seafood tomyam or chicken tomyam or mix of both are the most popular. Obviously, what you use to put in your tomyam can affect the taste of the tomyam as well. So, think before you throw your ingredients into the pot. If you go those fancy or pricey restaurants that serve tomyam, you might find different versions of tomyam ranging from the clear soup tomyam to the tomyam that has coconut milk in it. I prefer the version I am used and familiared with.

I like to use chicken or seafood for my tomyam such as prawns, squids and crabs. Just before serving I throw a handful of coriander leaves into the piping hot tomyam for that extra taste, smell and crunchiness. I know the color seems too red. It is red but the flash from the camera seems to enhance the color even redder.

NASI KUKUS D'NAIM

2009-10-20T00:01:00.000+08:00

I was told that Nasi Kukus D'Naim Jalan Gasing branch is no longer operating. I am not sure why because their nasi kukus(steamed rice) is very well known but I guess Jalan Gasing is quite isolated, far from the main road and not many people know how to go there or know the existence of the branch there.

No despair though, you can still savour their fluffy nasi kukus and ayam goreng berempah(spiced deep fried chicken) from the main stall at Pantai Dalam. I heard that the queuing line is getting longer these days. I just hope with the rising number of customers flocking the stall, they won't compromise the quality of the food that makes D'Naim special.

Nasi Kukus D'Naim is located a walk away from the Pantai Dalam Komuter Station, along the wooden shops and stalls, just right after the bike crossing bridge.

PINEAPPLE SALAD(KERABU NENAS)

2009-10-17T01:42:00.051+08:00

This is fairly easy to make, no cooking is needed. It's a very fresh kerabu with a burst of flavors from the sweet and sour of pineapple and calamansi to the hot and addictive sambal belacan The bunga kantan dan limau purut leaves lend an exotic smells and flavors to the kerabu. Pineapple is rarely used in kerabu, so try making this one for a change.

Ingredients :

Medium size pineapple, not too ripe. Peel and cut into bite size pieces. Refer to pictures.
A handful of dried shrimp, soaked in water, drained and finely pounded or blended.
Sambal belacan, about 4 tablespoon or according to your taste.
Limau purut leaves(kaffir lime leaves), 3 leaves. Thinly sliced.
1 bud of bunga kantan(torch ginger flower). Thinly sliced.
Limau kasturi(calamansi) juice from 4 or 5 calamasi(s).
6 shallots. Sliced.
Sugar and salt, to taste.

Mix all the ingredients together and season with salt and sugar.Serve.

Sambal belacan is made by pounding/blending together bird's eye chilis, salt, shrimp paste(belacan) and shallots. You can use regular red chilis as well if you don't want your kerabu to be too hot but it is common for sambal belacan to be made using bird's eye chilis. I rarely measured my ingredients whenever I am cooking something, my mother taught me to use my instinct, eyes and tounge instead.

Kerabu is usually served as a side dish with rice and rarely eaten on its own.

Back in my kampung(village), we used to have our own pineapple trees. The land is very fertile and the hot and humid weather makes them grow really well without much efforts My mother loves to cook pineapple pacheri using pineapples - a dish almost similar to curry but using additional ingredients such as pounded dried shrimp, kerisik(dry fried grated coconut) and coconut milk. It goes really well with rice. Pineapple is called Nanas/Nenas in Malay language and the scientific name for pineapple is Ananas Comosus.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS CAFE - SEAFOOD CANTONESE KOAY TEOW WITH GRAVY

2009-10-16T03:53:00.002+08:00

I went to Strawberry Fields Restaurant today(again) for lunch. I like the restaurant, the foods are great, lots of varieties and they are dead cheap. I'll write about my many visits to the restaurant in other posts.

Today I am having Cantonese Style Koay Teow(seafood) with gravy at the restaurant. The portion they are serving is very big, with prawns and cuttlefish in it. The koay teow is smooth and slippery and drown in delicious eggy gravy. I couldn't finish the koay teow actually, because of the portion and perhaps because I have eaten fried bee hoon for breakfast today. Anyway, don't forget to ask for cut cili padi(bird's eye chilis) to accompany the koay teow, as for me, I like my koay teow hot and fiery.

Strawberry Fields Restaurant is located in Petaling Jaya, right beside Menara MBPJ, Saito College and State Cinema, you can't miss it.

MUSSELS TEMPURA

2009-10-14T10:55:00.000+08:00

I used fresh mussels to make this tempura. I went to Malacca and along the beach I saw a few stalls selling freshly picked mussels. Frankly, I did not know what to do with the mussels but I was tempted to buy the mussels since they were so big and fresh - the mud and soil were still sticking to the mussels.

I used tempura flour bought from Japanese store mixed with a little water and some ice cubes to make the batter. It was fairly easy, you just have to follow the instructions on the packaging. The mussels were steamed first and then I squeezed out most of the water from the flesh.

The result was fresh tasting, crunchy, salty and chewy at the same time. If you have the opportunity, try making this tempura. Why stick to just prawns and vegetables?

A bivalve called lokan is thriving in my kampung(village) for as long as I can remember, and so does another variety called remis which is smaller than the lokan but is sweeter in taste. The canals used to irrigate the rice fields is full of these bivalves, so they are freshwaters. The lokan thrive in the deeper and bigger canals while the remis can be found both in the deeper as well as the shallow canals. When I was young, collecting these bivalves was more like a playtime for me than collecting them for food. Perhaps because they are so many, the people in my kampung don't really pay attention to these delicious morsels

RESTORAN SRI MELAKA

2009-10-13T20:01:00.001+08:00

Sweet and sour chicken.

There used to be two outlets of Restoran Sri Melaka in Petaling Jaya. One was located directly in front of Menara MBPJ and another one was inside the Amcorp Mall Petaling Jaya. Back then the one inside the Amcorp Mall was located at the ground level near the escalator, quite small, and not at its current location at level 2 of the same building. I used to frequent both outlets pretty often since I work nearby. However, a few years back the outlet in front of Menara MBPJ suddenly closed for business.

The new location of the restaurant in Amcorp Mall is bigger, spacious and nicer with private dining room as well as separate dining area where you can smoke and eat. Their previous location, you might end up dining under the escalator or dining where people walk by non-stop in front of you. I had the opportunity to experience that many times.

I have enjoyed most of their tasty and exquisite dishes as the company where I work quite often organizes special lunches here, so I get to eat all those quite expensive and I-can't-afford dishes for free.

So far, I really have no complains about the food served here. Yes, the price can be quite pricey than the usual but you should at least know something about the place you want to patronize, but trust me it's not that expensive actually. A plate of fried rice or a bowl of noodles and a glass of drink, you can get them for below RM20. I think that is quite reasonable, Kenny Rogers costs more!

I like their Nyonya Fried Rice very much, definitely my favorite item on their menu. It has minced meat/chicken, fried eggs slivers, cucumber slices and my favorite ingredient is the slices of raw Indian shallots.

This was my second visits to Restoran Sri Melaka with Uncle Senget. I don't meet Uncle Senget very often but whenever he's in Malaysia our meetings always take place at somewhere where we can eat. This time we ordered buttered prawns, tomyam soup and sweet and sour chicken. The chicken was just nice for me although I think I'd like it better if they had fried the chicken longer.

This was my favorite dish - buttered prawns. The prawns were big, fresh, juicy and bouncy. The golden thread of the egg floss added a nice texture and crunch to the prawns. Next time, I should have ordered more.

The tomyam was thick, not too hot or too sour - you can drink the soup with ease. Everything was just nice for me. Instead of putting celery before serving like any other tomyam establishments, the restaurant simply uses spring onions. Somehow, that worked for me. My only complaint was that the restaurant was not very generous with the ingredients for its tomyam and it has been like that for years.

That's Uncle Senget, we were dining at the smoking area. Don't be shy to ask for more rice, the waiters and the waitresses are always ready.

Restoran Sri Melaka is located at level 2, Amcorp Mall Petaling Jaya. Tel 03-79561388.

TAKOYAKI

2009-10-13T11:52:00.000+08:00

Octopus takoyaki. They are tasty and they are bouncy. I try to buy these balls whenever I go AEON Jusco but my favorite is the takoyaki from Sunway Pyramid AEON Jusco. I am already making friend with the seller there because I keep on frequenting her stall, and she already knew my favorite takoyaki. By the way, she is pretty too. :-D

Besides octopus they have chicken ham, unagi and prawns variants as well. Still, my favorite is the octopus. I like the takoyaki with extra mayonis and extra bonito flakes - but you have to pay extra RM0.30 as well.

I am always amazed by the skillful girls who cook the takoyaki. It may looks easy but I know it is not easy to flip, roll and turn those balls.

The various balls are sold for RM4.30 for 3 pieces. You should be able to but them wherever AEON JUSCO is available.

According to wiki;

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese dumpling made of batter, octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, green onions and topped with sauce, mayo and fish shavings.

BUSY MAN

2009-10-13T08:36:00.002+08:00

The blogger new editor seems to be working again. I had to switch to the old editor last night in order to make posting.

Anyway, I would like to share some pictures related to this entry. Busy man.

POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN

2009-10-12T08:13:00.000+08:00

I went to Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at Sunway Pyramid today. Popeyes is fairly new in Malaysia. If I was right, Popeyes was brought in to Malaysia around in the middle this year. They do not have many branches yet but I knew they are expanding. However, I googled and found out that Popeyes was actually here in Malaysia a very very long time ago and then it was gone, just like Carl's Jr.

For those of you who do not know, Popeyes is a fast food chain restaurants and it serves chicken and seafood. Their chicken is very much like Kentucky Fried Chicken and tastes almost like Kentucky Fried Chicken except that they are offering chicken tenders as well as seafood. They have burgers, fries, mashed potatoes, etc - the usual stuffs. I haven't tried their seafood yet but I think their chicken is quite tasty(the spicy variety) and honestly I think it's even better than McDonald's or A & W fried chickens. I like their biscuits, it's fluffy, soft and tasty.

I did not find any website for Popeyes Malaysia yet but you can read about Popeyes at www.popeyes.com.

You can find Popeyes in TTDI, Sunway Pyramid, Wangsa Maju and Mid Valley Megamall. Please add if you know where else they have opened.

AYAM GOLEK MEK SOM

2009-10-11T21:55:00.004+08:00

Ayam Golek Mek Som is probably one of the best ayam goleks I've ever had. It's also commonly known as Ayam Golek Kerinchi or Ayam Golek Nara. The chicken is marinated well with spices and herbs, infusing the chicken with intoxicating smells you cannot resist. The best part is the chicken is very tender and juicy, not dry and bland like some other ayam golek I have had. The chicken is accompanies by a sweet and spicy sauce, marries well with the chicken.

If you are having the chicken in the restaurant, it will be served together with crunchy chinese cabbage and ulam selom(water celery). I have been buying the ayam golek for many years. The exquisite taste remains the same, although I think the chicken is getting smaller and smaller and yet the price keeps getting higher and higher. That can be understood though. Now they are selling the chicken for RM18/bird. I know that's quite expensive but it's worth it.

Do try the food from the Nara Restaurant as well. I especially like their Siakap Tiga Rasa, it's fiery hot and the sambal is delicious. I'll blog about my many experiences eating there later.

Ayam Golek Mek Som/Nara Restaurant is located in Kg. Kerinchi. After Angkasapuri(from Bangsar) turn right on your first traffic light, the restaurant will be on your right. Basically, if you know where Angkasapuri or Pantai Hillpark is, you should be able to find the restaurant.

Literally and loosely translated, ayam golek means spinned roasted chicken.

PASEMBOR/ROJAK

2009-10-08T09:44:00.017+08:00

I was born in Perak but spending most of my life in Penang. When I come to Selangor, I always get confused whenever people mention rojak but referring to something else actually. The Northerners do not call this famous street food as rojak, it is known as Pasembor there. In Penang, you can have pasembor from almost any mamak restaurants or mamak stalls. Basically they are all using the same basic ingredients such as cucur udang, tofu, cucumber, jicama(sengkuang), hard boiled eggs, cuttlefish, etc. I think what makes pasembor special is the sauce used to coat all the ingredients.

By the way, rojak to me is always the fruits rojak and not the pasembor. I bought this pasembor from Ali Rojak in Kelana Jaya, his stall is not far from the pakoras stall. Depending on the ingredients you ask, he is selling his rojak from RM2.50 to RM4.00. His stall was quite busy yesterday, I had to wait almost 15 minutes before I get my order. His pasembor was good and he was very generous with the portion as well.

Have you tried rojak(or pasembor) from Subang Jaya? My brother said there is a pasembor seller in Subang Jaya and he's very famous for his pasembor.

PAKORAS

2009-10-07T20:11:00.006+08:00

As long as I know, the stall has been at the same place for more than 7 years, it could be ealier than that. I used to live in Kelana Jaya for a few years, and it has been quite a habit for me to stop after work at this stall and bought this tasty crunchy dhal pakoras. I think they are best eaten hot, and this stall is selling its pakoras right from the wok! Fresh and hot.

I was driving around the area today, hungry, tired and was about to buy a take away KFC for myself. I changed my mind just as soon as I saw the pakoras stall, it's still there after so many years. That should say something about the food it's selling. The stall is selling pakoras as well as karipap, masalodeh and a few Indian kuihs that I don't recognize their names.

The pakoras are cheap, you get quite a handful for just RM1. I like my pakoras spicy. This version is made of dhal, curry leaves, chopped chillis and spices.

The stall is located at the road junction in front of KFC Kelana Jaya at SS6/3, near the old small Giant Supermarket(not Giant Hypermarket!).

CULINARIA BERMULA

2009-10-07T12:40:00.002+08:00

Oleh kerana terdapat banyak entri berkaitan makanan di dalam blog Marts, maka Marts akan menulis semua entri berkaitan makanan di dalam blog ini. Blog berasingan ini juga akan memberikan Marts lebih banyak peluang untuk menulis entri-entri berkaitan makanan dan bukan terhad kepada tempat makan yang lawati dan apa yang dimasak oleh Marts sahaja. Marts juga mungkin akan mengimpot beberapa entri yang berkaitan daripada blog lama Marts ke dalam blog ini.

Jangan lupa untuk bookmark blog ini http://martscilipadi.blogspot.com. Kalau malas tekan CTRL+D pun boleh juga.

BLOG OWNER

2008-01-01T15:13:00.009+08:00

MartuisMartapau is a web programmer/designer, he lives and works in Petaling Jaya. He loves inline skating, he skates a lot and he thinks skating is a great way to workout(and to burn all those calories he consumes) and socialise. Are you a skater? Let's skate together with him.

Besides skating, he also has great passion for food and cooking. MartuisMartapau by no means a great cook but he doesn't mind burning the kitchen trying new recipes or cooking for himself and friends. He has a few blogs and MartsCiliPadi is one of the blogs that he maintains.

MartuisMartapau can be contacted at martuismartapau@gmail.com.