I've not been to Aeon for grocery shopping for a while now and that's because I prefer to go to the wet market for fresh fish and chicken + there's also a pork outlet and a vegetable shop in my taman itself.
Since my last trip here, I noticed that some outlets have shrinked (in its occupied space) while a few have closed down. But ManJoe @ Aeon Maluri, a specialist in Taiwanese dumplings which also offers Taiwan-style noodles and rice, is still around.
You can find
ManJoe franchise restaurants everywhere like in
The Gardens Mall, IPC Shopping Centre (Damansara), Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Aeon Kepong, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Tropicana Gardens Mall, Kota Kemuning (Shah Alam), Setia City Mall (Shah Alam), Bandar Bukit Tinggi (Klang) and Paradigm Mall (PJ) besides the one here in
Aeon Maluri (but do take note that their
Google review ratings can vary from between 3.5 - 4.7 depending on the branch). So, choose your branch wisely with the high ratings coming from
IPC Damansara and
Pavilion Bukit Jalil to the lowest reviews from
Kepong and
Puchong.
I always see
phonghongbakes enjoying her tomato-based soup noodles (in
Rice & Pot Empire) but have never gave it a go myself (for fear that it'd be too sourish) but since I now enjoy tomato soup more than I used to, I finally decided to give it a try and ordered the
Tomato Soup Chicken Meatball Noodle @ RM16.90.
What came was a gigantic bowl of tomato soup with noodles, 5 pcs of
chicken meatballs and some
bok choy with a sprinkling of chopped spring onions. Chicken meatballs is also something I don't eat often enough...it's always either pork meatballs or fish balls. I thought the texture of this chicken meatball was lovely and tasty enough (and the balls were huge too). There's also an option for shrimp meatballs.
They were very generous with the
tomato soup as it came filled to the brim in a rather big bowl. The soup tasted very appetising with its lightly tangy-sweetish flavour and not too acidic as I was afraid it would be (that's why
assam laksa is not among my favourite noodles to eat though I do eat it from time to time).
Haiya, why did I wait so long before trying? I just kept drinking and drinking as it whetted my appetite further.
As for the
noodles, you have an option to choose either thin, thick or hand-torn. I went with thin noodles (which is always my default and preference). Again, I absolutely loved the texture of the noodles that were cooked just right. I wasn't expecting to like this bowl of noodles that much.
My son had the
Popcorn Chicken with Scallion Oil Dry Noodle Set @ RM20.90 and what came was a rather huge serving of food comprising of noodles, fried popcorn chicken, braised egg + tofu, soup and a chilli dip (that's obscured from view).
He chose
thick noodles and I had a sample bite of the noodles once it was well tossed in scallion oil together with shredded carrot, cucumber and plenty of chopped spring onions. The texture of the noodles was well flavoured and likeable which my son enjoyed.
The bite-sized pieces of
popcorn chicken, coated in a flour and seasoning mixture and fried, were typical of any Taiwanese fried chicken in taste. The main meal was also accompanied by a satisfactorily executed side dish of
braised egg and tofu. Certainly a value-for-money set.
You can't very well come to a place that specialises in Taiwanese dumplings (or potstickers) and not have any, right? So, I ordered the
Manjoes Pan-Fried Signature Dumplings @ RM14.90 to share.
When it arrived, I was surprised to find them served looking more like Japanese gyoza with a super thin layer of batter on top (actually it's at the bottom-
lah before it was flipped over). It certainly did not look anything like the pic in the menu which I was expecting how Taiwanese dumplings would be served.
For the dumplings, you have a choice of
signature,
cabbage,
chives,
fresh prawn,
spicy kimchi or
sichuan mala for the filling and I obviously had to start with their
signature. The filling, which I believe was a filling of minced chicken (+ maybe a little prawn), was adequately tasty (though I still think a minced pork filling would have the upperhand).
The dried chilli/chilli oil lightly vinegary dip I found a bit too spicy and sharp. I prefer to eat the dumplings on its own and I ended up eating most of it myself. I was in top form that day...lol! I think it was the appetising, tangy nature of the tomato soup that opened up my appetite to eat more.
On another trip there by myself, it was mid-morning (not quite breakfast or lunch), so I wanted something that wasn't quite like a main meal and this caught my eye as it looked rather inviting served in style in a boat-like shaped wooden platter.
So, I ordered the Manjoes Warship @ RM25.90 thinking I could taste every type of dumplings in one go though the serving plate didn't look as pretty as the menu pic and neither was the presentation of the dumplings themselves.
Featuring 5 types of different dumplings in flavours of
original, teriyaki, mala, tartar and
Thai sauce (3 pcs of each), this is a platter meant for sharing...
lol! 15 pcs of dumplings might not look like a whole lot but, in the end, I couldn't finish and had to
tapau some home (and cold dumplings are not enjoyable, I tell you).
Anyway, starting with the original (from the right, next to the chilli dip), this was quite similar to the earlier signature dumplings I had although the experience wasn't quite the same this time. Next to it was the one with teriyaki sauce with a chopped spring onion topping (this combo didn't work for me). Following that was the one with a Thai flavoured sauce with a pickled onion topping (this was the most appetising of the lost with its sweetish + sourish flavours). The next dumpling was the one with tartar sauce topped with bonito flakes (this was the next best one in terms of taste). Finally (on the most left) was the one with mala sauce with a thinly shredded cucumber topping (to relieve the spiciness). This one was just spicy, not something I liked either.
The filling of the dumplings felt dry this time round. Not only that but the skin was rather doughy too (you can notice signs of it not being completely cooked through). If there's one thing I don't enjoy...it's thick and doughy skin.
My Personal Opinion
You can't come to Manjoe and not try its dumplings which is their speciality. They're not quite the juicy, tasty dumplings I've had elsewhere (but I've to admit those were with a minced pork filling) but still satisfactory in my opinion.
What I've come to like here is their noodles in tomato soup which has me looking at tomato soup noodles in a different light coz I would usually not order such noodle soup. This one turned out so appetising that I'm sure I'll have it again the next time I'm here. There's also an option with golden pumpkin soup and wonder what that would taste like...maybe on my next visit, perhaps. ^_~
Manjoe (Taiwanese Dumplings)
Lot S21 Aeon Maluri
Jalan Jejaka
Taman Maluri
55100 Kuala Lumpur
