Loke Yun Chicken Rice @ Ampang

I would occasionally receive discount vouchers from FoodPanda and this normally happens (I notice) after a break in orders from them for a period of time.  The value of the discount vouchers given usually varies from RM5 - RM15 with differing minimum order amounts...and I've been on the receiving end of a few of them in the past.

So, when I was presented with a Welcome Back voucher of RM15 value to be used with a minimum order of RM40, I decided to redeem it for food from Loke Yun Chicken Rice in Ampang.

Loke Yun Chicken Rice is a long established name (since 1971)...winning the accolade of "Best Hainanese Chicken Rice" as I read in the Star papers (but that was way back in 2008 lah!).  I've passed by the place numerous times but have never eaten there coz my family is not into poached chicken + my sister-in-law (who's from the area) didn't quite sing its praises either.

I got myself a Poached Chicken Thigh Rice @ RM12.90.  They did justice to the poached chicken thigh which turned out tender and tasty seeing that this was just the regular farmed chicken, not even choi yin kai or kampung chicken.  Shop prices for half (regular) chicken is RM28 while quarter chicken is RM18 (FoodPanda's price is RM28 for quarter chicken).  

The chicken rice came with both a soy sauce and a freshly blended chilli sauce, separately packed.  The soy sauce was of a decent quality though slightly salty for my taste buds but alright when eaten together with the rice.  The chilli dip was quite different from the usual ones I've had as this one had a tad more blended ginger paste taste in it.  This fresh chilli paste was coarse and spicy (spicier than usual ones)...but I detected a light bitter aftertaste.  Not among the best chicken rice chilli dips I've had but it was still relished just because there was so little of it.

There's an option to add on soup (RM2.50), chilli sauce (RM0.80) and ginger sauce (RM0.80).  Well, this is a first for me, a chicken rice shop that charges for soup (RM2.50)? O_o  That's not right, if you ask me! Furthermore, no ginger sauce came with my chicken rice (not sure if it was left out accidentally or I had to add that on as an extra!), so I didn't get to taste it. >_<

I got an extra serving of rice @ RM3.90 (rather pricey for just rice) since I ordered a few side dishes to go with my meal (with the intention of keeping some for dinner).  The had nicely separated grains with a fragrant enough dose of chicken flavour going through it.

Of course, Loke Yun is more popular for its offering of Corn Fed Chicken (choi yin kai or kampung chicken) but that is only offered in half (RM39, FoodPanda's price is RM60...omg!!) which is probably sufficient for 2 - 4 pax.  There's no single portion orders, so unless you're a big eater, you need to come here with more poached chicken fans to be able to try.  There's even Crystal Chicken (RM96 for a whole chicken) on offer (booking required) but not sure what crystal chicken is though.  Is it anything like crystal char siew with a supposedly melt in the mouth texture? @_@

The first side dish of Braised Tofu + Egg @ RM8.80, the sauce had nice flavours and was not salty though it had a slightly more watery consistency than the ones I've eaten.  The tofu was soft as it should be.

Usually when braised eggs are left steeping (and cooking) in a braising liquid for a long time, they tend to have a slightly firmer consistency but these ones were much softer than usual.  Would I have liked the egg and tofu to take on a deeper colour from the braising broth?  Sure.  

For the next side dish of Braised Chicken Feet @ RM6.90, there were at least 2 pairs of chicken feet (making a total of 8 pcs).  The chicken feet were very tender and soft though some may find it lacking that collagen stickiness they crave.  I don't mind a less gelatinous texture.  Certainly a more than decent rendition of braised chicken feet in my opinion.

This sauce had a thicker consistency as well as being slightly sweeter than the sauce that came with the braised egg and tofu.  I preferred this braise as it was the better tasting of the two soy-based sauces.  With the extra side dishes I ordered, they should have been a little less kedekut (stingy) and gave me more of their fresh chilli sauce. :P

But the surprise dish of the day turned out to be the Siam Chilled Okra @ RM10.30 with its young and tender okra (nothing like those old, stringy okra), served with a sauce that had notes of sourness and sweetness which was very refreshing to eat.  The sauce had this sticky glaze effect and was probably made with tamarind, ginger, bird's eye chillies, lime juice and sugar (I'm guessing here).

The dish is rather appropriately called Siam Okra....and it might as well be since the sauce carried very appetising and well-balanced flavours of salty, spicy, sweet and tangy all-in-one which is the hallmark of any Thai dish.  Since this was served chilled, you can certainly keep it in the fridge for eating later without compromising on the taste.

Other side dishes on the menu include bean sprouts, hot & sour mustard greens, iceberg lettuce, shallot beancurd and fuzhou fish ball.  You'll also find chicken innards (liver, gizzards & intestines) being offered here.

The total price of this meal was actually RM42.80 (not including delivery fees of RM6.35) but I had a RM15 discount voucher to offset, so I paid RM34.15 in the end for the meal.  This meal could easily feed two persons or, in my case, one person for two meals.  I left the majority of the side dishes for my dinner later that day since my 'boys' won't be caught dead eating chicken feet (eww to them) nor slimy okra (as they term it) for that matter! >.<

I was a bit shell-shocked (when I was writing this post) as I had compared FoodPanda's prices with a photo of their menu (which I found on Google reviews with a May 2021 date stamp).  I was simply aghast at the price difference!! >_<  Doing a quick mental calculation, if I had the same meal at the shop, it would have cost me a little over RM25 only (just so you know, the dine-in prices for the chicken rice - RM8, okra - RM6.50, the tofu + egg - RM5.50, chicken feet - RM3.50, rice - RM2 and rice - RM1).  I don't think I've ever encountered as high as 60% mark-up over dine-in prices for restaurants I've patronised through FoodPanda (on the average, it's usually around 30%).  Oh-em-gee.....60% higher?!  Why such a high mark-up? O_O  

My Personal Opinion

Expensive and overrated are two words constantly associated with reviews of Loke Yun.  Expensive...I'd agree if one orders food delivery but dine-in prices seem reasonable (except maybe the corn fed chicken) though some may find the portions on the small side.  Overrated....I can't comment (everyone has their personal preference and taste + I wouldn't know how it compares to their earlier quality) but I did come away liking what I had and wouldn't mind having it again.

The standouts were the poached chicken (and I only had regular chicken) and chilled okra (this dish alone is enough to get me to return).  I can imagine the choi yin kai tasting even better with its firmer flesh and stronger 'chicken' flavour.

Perhaps when dining-in is allowed again (no more delivery, that's for sure...especially after finding out the exorbitant price difference!), I can drop by for a visit....but if I want to try the choi yin kai, I'd have to rope in some poached chicken lovers to come with me! ^_~

Loke Yun Chicken Rice

158 Jalan Besar Ampang

Pekan Ampang

68000 Ampang

Selangor

Tel: 03-4291 9884

#ewew cooks Fresh Coriander Omelette

Love it or loathe it!  That's what fresh coriander (the leaves, not the seeds) is to many people....some love it immensely (like me) for its fragrance when added to anything.  Others loathe it for its smell and taste....and would spend their precious time picking out every single piece if they find it on any part of their food! :D

Fresh coriander is known by many names.  To the westerners, it's usually referred to as cilantro or Chinese parsley (to distinguish it from their western parsley which is not the same).  For us Chinese, we call it yin sai.....and to the Malays, it's known as daun ketumbar.

If you're a fan of watching cooking shows, you'll probably have heard many times how the chefs would say not to discard the coriander root as it's the most fragrant and delicious part (I certainly agree when I smell the roots).  They would not waste it but chop them up and throw them in marinades, sauces soups and stews.  I would too....if I get them in a condition like theirs...super clean!  But have they seen the fresh coriander sold here?  They come to us full of mud, dirt and soil! >_<  So, most of us would probably just snip off the muddy ends.  We even have to wash the stalks carefully as dirt gets trapped between the stems.

Most people would make spring onion/scallion omelette or chives omelette (like what choiyen.com would do...I do too) but what about coriander omelette?  Have you tried that before?  I have.....and the first time was accidental.  I wanted to include some kind of a protein in my salad but didn't have any meat, so I thought I'd just fry an omelette...and since I had some fresh coriander left in my fridge, I thought why not include that in my omelette.

And that's what I did....and it turned out better than I anticipated.  The fresh coriander leaves gave the omelette a very fragrant smell and delicious taste.  That fragrance added an extra lift to the fresh, crunchy salad leaves I was eating....and I've added fresh coriander to my salads ever since (whenever I have them in my fridge).

Of course, an omelette like this is only for true lovers of this fresh herb....to others it would be a stinky omelette.  But if you're someone who makes scallion or chives omelette, then you'll probably love a coriander omelette too...coz, more or less, spring onions and chives can be considered cousins of coriander.

What would most people do with fresh coriander anyway?  They would usually use it as a garnish....over steamed fish is the most common.

Or sprinkled over soups.  It's especially good with chee toh tong (pig stomach pepper soup) or chee chap tong (pork innards soup).  I do that at home all the time...sprinkle throw in lots of coriander (for my bowl only obviously) when I make peppercorn pork ribs soup or any other soup for that matter.

I even sprinkle them (if I have any in my fridge) over soup noodles that I tapau to eat at home.  You don't get that outside coz the stalls are too kedekut (stingy) to give you any as it's an expensive garnish.  They're equally stingy with their spring onions.

I use them in porridge too (together with chopped spring onions).  I find that the addition of lots of chopped Chinese parsley really helps to bring out that harum (fragrant) smell in an otherwise subtle tasting bowl of porridge.  Just stir that into the porridge at the last minute....try it some time.

If you're making pork meatballs, I recommend that you add chopped coriander (instead of spring onions) to the mix...it makes a world of difference....but only if your family members share the same love for coriander.  I realised this after eating a truly delicious meat stuffed tau pok with coriander from a fish ball noodle restaurant (though there are times they substitute with daun sup instead which is much cheaper). 

If you want a change from all the other omelettes you've been cooking with minced meat, long beans, lap cheong, onions, choy poh, luncheon meat, etc., give the coriander omelette a try next.

A little side story.  I recently 'met' an elderly lady who loves coriander more than me. I was doing my vegetables shopping one morning and was picking out a bunch of fresh coriander.  The sign said RM3.50 for a bunch (already tied-up) or RM9 for 3 bunches (my one bunch filled up two containers).  Then this elderly lady next to me (who spoke to me in Cantonese) asked me if it's RM9 for 3 bunches.  I thought she did not see the RM3.50 for one bunch and told her yes, RM9 for 3 but you can buy one for RM3.50, I said.  Again, she asked....but, but, but, it's RM9 for 3, right?  That's when I realised she wanted 3 bunches and I asked "Can you use that much?"  She said, "I put lots of it when I cook tofu, it's very nice."  Aiks, looks like she loves fresh coriander so much, she treats it like a vegetable....lol! :D  Hmmm, maybe I should try that when I next make a tofu dish.

I remember hating this herb when I was a kid (which sane kid wouldn't!) and thinking why would someone put something so stinky on something delicious (pungent then, fragrant now!).  This went well into my teenage years, even right up to my twenties, I think.  I can't remember at which point I started liking it...and now I love it so much I eat it at every chance I get (I guess I'm making up for lost time....lol).  But I still have not learned to love daun sup as much I do fresh coriander.

For me, fresh coriander is not only the best garnish ever.....it's the best ingredient to bring freshness to lift up any dish!!  And what can be more aromatic....and easier......than making a fresh coriander omelette if you love to eat coriander (like me).

I make this omelette for mua only since none of the boys in the house like fresh coriander....my son hates it...my husband can tolerate it (slightly).....and Cookie runs away from it! ^_~

How to Make Crisp (Frozen) Fries in the Oven

The air fryer seems to be getting very popular these days seeing that phonghongbakes also bought one recently (and so did my sisters-in-law).  I suppose it's a great tool to help with the frying process where it can done in a controlled, mess-free manner (in a drawer so to speak) with no splattering of oil whatsoever.

Of course frying anything with no oil or minimal oil is all the rage now as it means healthier eating which everyone would want but the question is.....does it still taste the same? :P  Well, I wouldn't know since I don't own an air fryer but my husband did say that the lor bak which I shallow fried in oil tasted better than the ones my sister-in-law did in her air fryer but still not as good as deep-fried ones.  In fact, my neighbour told me her husband likes to eat fried chicken but not so when she air-fries it...lol!  I wouldn't know if there's indeed a difference since I've never tasted an air-fried chicken before.

I guess there's no replicating deep-fried food in terms of taste.  You either choose to eat healthy.....or eat tasty, there's no two ways about it.....no best of both worlds really....hah..hah.

I was very tempted to buy one myself but after realising that it works more or less like a regular convection oven which I already have, I changed my mind...for now.  I was also not so in favour when another blogger friend, choiyen.com, mentioned that the drawer top of the air fryer which gets splattered with oil (from the air frying process) is difficult to clean. >.<  The only difference with an air fryer is that it's more compact in size and the heat is more intense than a standard oven.

Anyway, the main reason why I was even contemplating to buy an air fryer was to make fries that my son loves (and me too....who doesn't like fries, right?)....and maybe cook nuggets and sausages once in a while too....hehe.  I've seen pictures of fries coming out of an air fryer and they looked beautiful.  So, I decided to use my oven to see if I can get the same results or, at least, the result I want.

I bought a packet of frozen shoestring fries from the supermarket (I actually prefer to eat thick cut fries but when it comes to frozen fries, it's either crinkle cut or this).  I cooked it direct from frozen state.  The key is to lay them in a single layer to promote better browning.  I also sprayed it with some olive oil.

This was my first attempt, I cooked it at 200°C for 20 minutes.

You can see the edges are just lightly golden.

For my second attempt, I cranked up the heat even further and went with 220°C for 20 minutes.  This time I got a better charring on the fries.

Sprinkle with salt right after the fries come out of the oven.  The salt adheres better when the fries are warm by sticking and melting into the fries for better flavour.

For my third and final attempt, I did the same and cooked it at 220°C for 20 minutes but this time I placed the tray higher up the oven to get the hottest heat.  I got the best charring (of the three ways I cooked them) but then the fries tend to be a little drier.

You can also season with freshly cracked black pepper like how my husband likes it.  He loves it with a lot of black pepper.....and I mean, a lot (but not me, I like them with just a tiny sprinkle of salt)! ;)

Taste wise, it has a light crisp on the outside while staying soft and fluffy inside.  The quality will depend very much on the quality of frozen fries you buy.  Of course you can't compare lah with hand cut fries that have been twice fried at restaurants...but for a home standard which doesn't involve going out to get it, boleh lah!

Although it took twice as long to get done compared to 10 minutes in an air fryer, I'd still say it got the job done....not in the best possible way...but still good enough for a home version that's conveniently available (just reach into your freezer for your stash), super convenient to make without much of a mess (with little washing up) and a healthier take (with no deep-frying involved).  Who can say no to that! ^.^

Who knows....I may still get an air fryer some time down the road, we'll see.  The reason being because it can cook smaller amounts of food in a shorter amount of time due to its higher temperature in a smaller space. But it won't be the air fryer basket/drawer type, probably more of an air fryer oven.  I also have to consider that getting one will mean taking up more of my kitchen counter space.

For now, patience is a virtue and I'm pretty happy using my oven for that purpose.  This snack sure comes in handy now that Euro 2020 is under way.  All one needs to do is to set the timer (earlier than your intended football match) and walk away until you hear that ding or beep...and the fries are ready for you to munch away while watching your favourite football match! ^_~

Frozen Food During MCOs

You can practically get almost anything these days in frozen form....be it fresh produce or pre-cooked frozen food.  This was greatly influenced by the series of lockdowns and MCOs that we have had to endure due to the widespread pandemic.  Frozen food (both fresh and ready-to-eat types) is the way to go for many households...and an extended MCO 3.0 means even more frozen food in the days ahead! >_<

Frozen fresh produce (delivered to our homes) has been around for a long time already but gained momentum during the MCOs coz who would want frozen seafood and meat when we can get our hands on fresh produce from the wet markets (which I prefer) or supermarkets.  I, for one, would not want to buy frozen fish or prawns if I have a choice to get fresh ones from my usual fish vendor at the wet market.

But the MCO has forced my hand (or our hands) and I had to make do with frozen fish and prawns (in order to stay safe and away from crowded wet markets)...and depending on luck, sometimes they're adequately fresh while at other times, they disappoint.  I've had that disappointment (from my usual supplier, Vfresh, recently) with a batch of ikan senangin (threadfin) I bought for my sister-in-law that turned out very fishy and a batch of (IQF white) prawns that turned out mushy (the sea prawns I got previously were ok).  I don't believe in buying frozen squid either coz if that turns out mushy, it's even harder to stomach than mushy prawns.  I realise that their vacuum-packed fish like salmon, tilapia, siakap (Asian seabass or barramundi) and saba are much better bets (and that limits me to very few choices I can buy from Vfresh from now on).  I don't think I dare to buy any frozen local fish from them and will only stick to those I've bought before.

Haiz.....I can't wait to get fresh fish from my regular wet market vendor again when the Covid situation improves and it's deemed to be safe(r) to go out again.  Nothing beats fresh fish from the wet market!!  I now even resort to buying fresh vegetables online just to lessen my trips to buy vegetables.

Besides frozen fresh produce, there are also many players in the market now that sells frozen pre-cooked food and meals.  They're ready-to-eat frozen packages that you can just reheat at home and your meal is ready in a jiffy with zero effort and without the need to sweat it out in the kitchen....and that is a godsend for many people who don't cook, don't know how to cook or don't have the time to cook.

Even I, who do cook....knows how to cook...and have time to cook....will resort to some of these frozen ready-to-eat dishes from time to time out of sheer convenience and pure laziness.....lol! :D  It first started when we could not travel interstate for CNY and had some of these frozen, ready-to-heat dishes for our CNY dinners in KL.

#1 - (Frozen) Hakka Wu Tau Kau Yoke (Steamed Pork Belly with Yam)

An aunt (from Ipoh) makes a very good wu tau kau yoke....and she makes it every year for CNY (and she makes it in trays to be eaten over the next few days).  She serves it with sang choy (fresh lettuce leaves) on the side for those who want to wrap their meat in them.  They also use the lettuce leaves to wrap nga ku in a dish braised with nam yue.  I'm not sure if this sang choy wrapping is a thing with Hakkas coz I don't eat it like that and neither do I find a liking for this nam yue braised nga ku either.

#2 - (Frozen) Pork Ribs Curry

I've eaten many good curries in my life but I can't recall having had a good curry pork ribs though.  So, I can't find any photos of good curry pork ribs coz when it comes to curry, it's always pork curry, fish curry or vegetables curry that I'd order.

#3 - (Frozen) Hakka Char Yoke (Braised Pork Belly with Wood-Ear Fungus)

Ah, when it comes to Hakka Char Yoke, I've eaten my fair share of good ones either from chap fan stalls, tai chow places.....

......or proper Chinese restaurants like this one from Dai Cha Dim in Pavilion.

#4 - (Frozen) Lor Bak

Then there were these fried lor bak (5-spice meat rolls) which I first ate during our CNY reunion dinner (previous photo) and again during our hoi nin lunch from a different supplier, I think, which tasted better than the first.

I like the ones from a shop near me, Jia Li Mian Noodle House, Pandan Jaya, as they're pretty good....

.......and the ones from Hoe Fong Chicken Rice in Seapark, PJ, are not bad either.

All the above frozen food that my sister-in-law bought during the CNY period was edible but only average-tasting at best.  The frozen lor bak was probably the best of the lot which I had also gotten from her to cook at home.  I pan-fried them (I don't like to do deep-frying at home) and my husband said it tasted better than air-fried (but still not as good as deep-fried).

#5 - (Frozen) Chicken Chop

Another sister-in-law gifted me a few (more like six!) frozen chicken chops which she bought online from two different sellers.  They come in a few choices of flavours and I got original, lemongrass, rosemary (they used dry herbs from a bottle) and curry (this was the only one that had flavour).  Since these chops come already marinated, so all one needs to do is to cook them in the oven.  

I roasted the first one as it was.  Unfortunately, they turned out tasting quite bland (totally tasteless to my husband's taste buds) but, worst still, was that the texture of the meat was mushy.  A roast chicken that looks as pale as that isn't very inviting, is it? >_<

My husband said the meat was so soft (and he doesn't mean it in a good way) that you don't even need a knife to cut it apart! O_o  Not sure if it was because the chops weren't fresh (to begin with) or that they've been frozen for far too long.

I only ate one (after re-seasoning it, of course) and kinda forced my husband to eat up the rest.  He would eat up anything just to not waste food, that's why he's the one we rely on to sapu anything we can't finish.  I tried to make the balance ones as palatable as possible by throwing in anything that I could throw in (extra seasoning and spices from salt to black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, honey...you name it, I threw it in!). As much as I could save the taste of the chicken chop, there was nothing I could do to save the mushy texture of the meat.

See.....see....I can certainly marinate and make better tasting chicken chops than those frozen ones (and I'm not blowing my own trumpet coz they're really easy to do...I can practically make them with my eyes closed....kekeke!).  In fact, roast chicken is my forte as it was one of the first things I roasted successfully in the oven...and I'd usually cook it for our potluck parties...perhaps that had slipped my sister-in-law's mind. Suffice to say, I had to tell her the frozen ones were no where near good! >.<

#6 - (Frozen) Prawn Roll

I got these to try (through Shopee) when I ordered fresh vegetables.  They're supposed to be prawn rolls wrapped in beancurd sheets (RM7.90 for 5 pcs).

Although I shallow-fried them, the bean curd skin was still fairly crispy (but would have been crispier if they were deep-fried).  I could see whole (more like halved) prawns in the filling but there was also something of a minced nature.  I'm assuming it's part of the chopped prawns in the filling.  The bigger pieces of prawns had this translucent look with a crunchy texture and a lack of sweetness which makes me suspect they probably used frozen prawns in the filling.

Again, I would say the taste was of an acceptable level but also not something I'd be overly eager to buy again coz, at more than RM1.50 a piece, I didn't think the quality was worth the price paid.

#7 - (Frozen) La-La

My sister-in-law also gave me frozen la-la (clams) some time ago before our MCOs.  It was conveniently forgotten in my freezer until I found it while rummaging through my freezer during the first MCO.

What's better than eating la-la?  For some, it's eating peeled la-la where you don't have to contend with the shells.  But peeled la-la also meant the cooking method is very limited as you can't really stir-fry them (without shells) with say garlic, ginger or chillies as it just wouldn't be the same.  So, the only thing I could think of is to make la-la omelette with it.

#8 - (Frozen) Dim Sum

Of all the frozen foodstuff my two sisters-in-law bought, the frozen dim sum turned out to be the best tasting with the easiest, fuss-free preparation (it only needs to be steamed from frozen state).

I received a few types of dim sum....char siew pau (steamed BBQ pork buns), sang yuk pau (steamed meat buns), siew mai (Chinese steamed dumplings) and steamed beancurd rolls.

The char siew pau and beancurd rolls were the most tasty.....and the siew mai was decent too.  This frozen dim sum is the only thing I'd want to eat again (for the third time after eating them twice since the MCO started).  In fact, I made another order recently through my sis-in-law (since she never told me where she got them from).

It's something very convenient (stashed in the freezer) for snacking purposes during this MCO as all it needs is just to steam these ready-to-eat morsels.

I think the reason why most of the frozen food (I've tried thus far) didn't deliver in terms of taste is because every Tom, Dick & Harry (who cooks) seems to have jumped on this 'food bandwagon' as a means to earn a living or make some money as demand is so high for any foodstuff but (sadly) not everything is up to mark and we, the consumers, have to weave out the "not good"! >_<

There had been more misses than hits with some of the frozen food I've tried.  Being disappointed more often than not, I'd still prefer to buy cooked food from places where I know the taste and quality....and reheat (or freeze them for later) than to buy frozen food from people/places I don't know (unless they come highly recommended) coz I'm afraid there are just too many out there that don't cut it.  Anyone had any good frozen food experiences lately that were worthy? ^_~