Meng Fatt (Bak Kut Teh) @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa

My family is not that into bak kut teh, although (personally) I'm into anything that is soup based.  Luckily, there's this coffee shop in an adjacent housing area, Restoran Meng Fatt @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa, that serves not only bak kut teh but some "tai chow" (stir-fry) dishes as well.

So, coming here allows me to have my bak kut teh fix while my other family members can have something other than bak kut teh.

Of course I had to order Bak Kut Teh @ RM13 (1 pax portion) that's filled with pork belly slices, pork stomach and intestines with some pieces of "fu chuk" (bean curd sheets) and bean curd puffs.  I like that the bak kut teh soup here is lighter without the overpowering herbal taste.

We'd normally order Sweet & Sour Pork (S) @ RM12 since my son likes this dish.  The little nuggets of pork were only slightly crispy in the usual sweet and sour sauce complete with chunks of onion, green bell pepper, cucumber and tomato.  It was a passable sweet and sour pork though not quite in the same league of some of the better ones I've had.

Another favourite order of ours is their yong tau foo.  There's a minimum order of six pieces but you can dictate the type and amount you want of each type of yong tau foo.  Our usual order of Yong Tau Foo (10 pcs) @ RM14 is always made up of 5 pcs of fried fu chuk and 5 pcs of eggplant.

The fried fu chuk here is quite different from the norm as theirs are made into like flat sheets, so you get some nice crispy sides.  Also, their yong tau foo comes served in a fairly saltish black bean and oyster sauce.

During one of our visits, we were attracted by a pot of curry whizzing past us.  So, we made sure we ordered the Claypot Fish Head Curry @ RM26 on our next visit.  It was filled with chunks of fish head (you'll have to deal with more bones than meat) and vegetables like long beans, ladies finger, eggplant and cabbage.  It was a respectable curry although I would have preferred it to be a bit more "lemak" (coconut milk flavoured).

Another favourite is the simple, homey dish "Foo Yoong Tan" (S) @ RM7 which is basically a fried omelette with bits of "lap cheong" (Chinese dried sausage), sliced onions, chillies and spring onions.

For vegetables, we like the Fried Cabbage with Dried Prawns & Bird's Eye Chillies (M) @ RM12.  The fried cabbage is crunchy to the bite with loads of fragrant and crispy dried prawns...and the bird's eye chillies add just the right amount of heat to the dish (but we'd ask them to cut down the amount of these fiery chillies though).

The other would be the Blanched Lettuce with Oyster Sauce (S) @ RM10 featuring crunchy lettuce topped with fried garlic that's a favourite of my son's.

My Personal Opinion

We like that this conveniently located place (near us) serves simple and acceptable tasting stir-fry dishes with bak kut teh for our family dinner option (when I don't cook)...and we like that it's affordable too.

The only thing we didn't like was how the lady boss would always ask us, right after we ordered a particular dish, if we wanted small, medium or large! >_<  I would have thought that she would be the one to gauge whether the dishes should be S, M or L based on the number of dishes ordered and the number of people dining. But no....she would rather rattle off S, M or L after every single dish we ordered that it became very annoying. Nowadays, we beat her at her own game, we'd say S or M right after we order a dish before she gets her chance to rattle off S, M or L....haha! ;D

Restoran Meng Fatt
No 83 Jalan 1/91
Taman Shamelin Perkasa
56100 Kuala Lumpur

Waki Bak Kut Teh @ Pandan Indah

There are quite a few bak kut teh (pork bone tea soup) shops in my housing area but I only get to indulge in it occasionally since my family aren't huge fans of bak kut teh.  In fact, they aren't fans of anything in soup.....period! >_<

This one, Waki Bak Kut Teh @ Pandan Indah, is not the most well-known one in the area but, if I had to choose one, this would be the one I prefer coz the broth is much lighter than some of the versions out there.

So, like any bak kut teh shop, I should start with their Bak Kut Teh with the usual suspects of pork ribs, pork meat, bean curd sheets, pig stomach, pig intestines, dried shiitake, button and enoki mushrooms making up the claypot.  

I'm not sure what variety BKT this is but I prefer the versions that are lighter (both in taste and colour) that are not too strong in herbal flavour although I did get a hint of a slight bitterness from the "dong quai" (angelica root or female ginseng).  I find those darkly coloured (Klang) Hokkien-style BKTs too strong in herbs for my liking.

"Yau Char Kwai" (or Chinese crullers) is a standard must-have condiment with bak kut teh.  Great eaten dunked in soup to absorb some of the flavours of the broth.

Next, we had the Braised Pork Knuckle in Black Vinegar otherwise known as "Chu Kiok Chou" in Cantonese.  I love to drink the sweet and sour gravy of the black vinegar with hints of garlic, first and foremost...followed by eating the tender lean meat but not the fatty pork trotters (natural collagen or not), thank you.  I remember eating this during my confinement (made with lots of ginger) and if there's one confinement dish I like, this is it...confinement or not!  Just the gravy with rice is all I need.  There's also a version with addition of dried chillies (with more spicy than sour flavours) but I don't like it as much.

As with any meal, we should finish off with a plate of greens.  This was the crunchy-to-the-bite Stir-Fried Yau Mak (Romaine Lettuce) with oyster sauce and fried garlic bits.

The total bill came to RM37 inclusive of two bowls of rice and two Chinese teas (I didn't ask for a price breakdown of the individual dishes).

On other days, we might have the Fried (Whole) Tilapia in soy sauce and oil which is good too.  The tilapia is fresh with flaky meat and super crispy sides.

Their braised Hakka Char Yoke (Braised Pork Belly with Wood-Ear Fungus) that's super tender is also a usual order of ours.  They also do a decent stewed pork leg or fatty pork knuckle (but this dish is quite large in portion size, so you'd need a few more mouths before you can order this).

The Blanched Sang Choy (Iceberg Lettuce) drizzled with oyster sauce, garlic oil and fried garlic is equally delicious.

My Personal Opinion

A simple neighbourhood bak kut teh joint that satisfy our needs when we need a bak kut teh meal.  The black vinegar pork knuckle is first on my list followed by their light but aromatic bak kut teh.

Restoran Waki Bak Kut Teh
No M2A/5 Jalan Pandan Indah 4/6
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur