Mat Rock Ayam Goreng Kunyit @ Taman Maluri

If you've been following my blog, you'd probably remember how I bumped into Mat Rock's Ayam Goreng Kunyit sold from a delivery truck during the Ramadan bazaars some three years ago (2017 to be exact)...and I've been a loyal customer ever since, eating it at every Ramadan without fail, until this year when the pandemic and Movement Control Order (MCO) upended everything.

Well, no Ramadan bazaar cancellation is going to stop me from feasting on my favourite nasi ayam goreng kunyit, that's for sure.  If they can't come to me, I guess I'll have to go to them....and, luckily for me, there's a Mat Rock Ayam Goreng Kunyit @ Kampong Pandan near me.

If you can't get to one of their proper restaurants, you can find them in numerous locations all over Klang Valley through their food trucks as well as via food delivery platforms (and that includes handling their own delivery).  I think some of their food trucks are like nomads (and they move around different places coz I used to see one in Pandan Indah in front of Restoran 9898 but it's no longer there now).  You can check their Facebook to see where you can find them.

Their Nasi Ayam Goreng Kunyit @ RM6, which goes by the name of special ayam goreng kunyit (turmeric fried chicken), is special indeed with its taste where boneless chicken pieces, marinated in turmeric (and perhaps some other spices as well), are deep-fried to golden deliciousness.

Their bite-sized pieces of chicken, while being all (or mostly) breast meat, didn't taste dry but managed to maintain its juicy and tender texture with a nice crisp on the outside...and the chicken tasted fresh too.

Just before they finish frying, vegetables of long beans, carrots and onions are thrown into the hot oil to be flash-fried for a minute or so.  They're then fished out along with the chicken pieces with the vegetables crunchy to the bite (though the carrots and long beans can sometimes be still a bit hard).

They're then scooped into a box (or packet) of rice and finished with a dash of sauce that resembled just thick, dark, sweet soy but I think there's more to it.  I'd probably guess there's some oil in there too and maybe some chillies to infuse a slight hint of spiciness into the black sauce.

Finally, their killer spicy sambal (chilli paste) that's the bomb completes the taste of Mat Rock's nasi ayam goreng kunyit.  I can only handle less than half a packet of the chilli paste as it's tongue searing hot...it'll set your mouth on fire! >_<  It's so spicy it'll make grown men cry...and you want to exclude it but you just can't....coz it's just not the same without it!  I'm glad that the sambal is now packed separately (for us to eat the amount we can handle).  I remember asking for it to be packed separately (when I bought from their food truck during Ramadan) but was disappointed when I was asked to pay additional for it.  It wasn't that I wanted more, I was afraid they'd put too much in. :P

Besides chicken, there are also other options of protein to go with your rice.  For a seafood option, you can try their Nasi Sotong (Squid) Goreng Kunyit @ RM9.

I like the crispy bits of batter in the squid.  The squid is also tender although, at times, it can be slightly chewy when they overcook it.

Their Nasi Udang (Prawns) Goreng Kunyit @ RM9 is another worthy seafood option.  This one is real value for money as you'll get some 5 - 6 pieces of really good-sized prawns.

I'm not kidding...look at the size of those prawns! O_o  This is my second favourite (after chicken) as the prawns are nicely seasoned and fragrant.  As they're crispy too, you can devour the prawns...head and all....along with the shells (where all the savoury seasoning is trapped especially the legs).

Finally, we tried the beef option, Nasi Daging Goreng Kunyit (don't know the actual price of the beef option as this was in a combo of 2-meat) which also happens to be my least favourite choice as I find the beef to be on the chewy side.  There's also a final option of ikan keli (catfish).

The key is to mix everything together, the meat or seafood with the dark sweet sauce and fiery sambal for a spicy and delicious mouthful.....it's so good! ^o^

And you don't have to stick to one protein, you can order supreme and have a combination of any of the proteins you want...be it two, three or even four (if you can't decide or just want more liew with your rice).

Order the Mat Rock Super Supreme Set if you're feeling greedy extra peckish (not that I did) which comes with all four proteins of chicken, beef, squid and prawns.  Don't know how much that would cost since I've not ordered more than two combinations at any one time (a 2-combo set costs RM13).  There are also alternatives to tambah nasi (add rice) or fried egg (RM1).

My Personal Opinion

The food is always freshly fried as they cook them in small batches and replenished regularly (just like they do in their food trucks too).  That's probably the reason why I could taste the crisp texture in their proteins most of the time.

You can't ask for anything more from a complete meal of protein, vegetables and rice with an affordable price range of RM6 - RM13 for a simple yet satisfying meal.  I think the prices are lower if you buy from their food trucks instead of a proper restaurant.

My favourite is their ayam goreng kunyit followed by udang and sotong.  I would skip the daging though (as I find the meat not tender enough).  The sambal, although extremely spicy, is a must....and in accordance with their tagline "makan sampai berpeluh" (eat until sweat)...I say....bring on the sweat...and let's rock! ;P

Mat Rock Ayam Goreng Kunyit

No 15 Jalan Kampong Pandan

Taman Maluri

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9202 9314

Chui Lau Sinn @ Taman Maluri

I first got to know about this place after stumbling upon an article written by Fun N' Taste of the place serving up a good plate of Hokkien mee (since 1976) cooked by Aunty Helen.

From their humble beginnings of a hawker stall in Jalan Alor more than 4 decades ago, mother and son have gone on to open a proper restaurant, Chui Lau Sinn @ Taman Maluri, committed to serving you the same delicious fried noodles.

As this is a proper restaurant, the fuss-free, no-frills interior is clean and air-conditioned making it much more comfortable than eating at a hawker stall.  There's also a small alfresco dining area at the side of the restaurant.

Since this is the reputed fried Hokkien mee from Jalan Alor, it was a no-brainer that we start with an order of precisely that, Fried Hokkien Mee @ RM16.90 (for medium or 2 pax) complemented with ingredients of lean pork, prawns, cuttlefish, choy sum, cabbage....and crispy, fresh-tasting pork lard (you can add on more for RM1).  I thought the ingredients were slightly scarce though for the price paid....and yes, I would have been more ecstatic if there were some pork liver thrown in! ^o^

The dark sauce coated each strand of noodle lusciously and I would say, taste-wise, this was among some of the better fried Hokkien mee I've had.  Some versions are saucier while others are dry, the version here is cooked perfectly, not too wet and not too dry, my preferred consistency.  I did detect some wok hei though not a significant lot.

Another recommended noodle dish here (judging from the thumbs up sign on the menu) is the Cantonese Fried Yin Yong (a mixture of kway teow and meehoon) @ RM9.90 (for small or single portion).  I would have liked to see a bit more charring on the yin yong noodles to give it that added smoky flavour.

But what I liked most about this plate of Cantonese-style fried noodles was the eggy sauce.  Many of the versions I've eaten are usually too starchy at the start and then tends to thin out to become too watery as you continue eating.  This is because they used too much cornflour to thicken the sauce (and not enough egg) but this one I suspect has more egg than cornflour (so the consistency of the sauce stayed almost unchanged...and tasty throughout).

Other recommended noodles include their signature lou shi fun, moonlight hor fun, Hokkien mee (they even have prawn mee here?) and fried yakisoba noodles.  Soup noodles, loh mee and white meehoon round up the rest of the noodle offerings.

We wanted a rice dish and ordered the Yang Zhou Fried Rice @ RM9.90 (for small or 1 pax) which was fried with lap cheong (dried Chinese sausage), long beans and egg.

With the rice slightly clumpy and lacking any wok hei, it was the least impressive dish but, at least, it wasn't fried with the trio of frozen vegetables (of carrots, corn and peas) which I detest.

Also offered on the menu are some side dishes which include nam yue fried chicken wings or pork, smoked duck breast, Macau pork soup, bacon rolls, spring pork rolls, 5-spice pork rolls and Taiwan garlic sausage.

We went with the Nam Yue Fried Pork @ RM11.90 served with a Thai-style chilli sauce.  This nam yue (red-coloured fermented bean curd) pork was a slightly different version to what I've had in the past.

It's usually made with a whole strip of pork belly coated in nam yue before being deep-fried and cut into pieces but the ones here are pork slices (of a much leaner cut) marinated in nam yue and then fried.  I actually prefer this version of a leaner cut (though some will beg to differ) which was much crunchier (as the pieces were already sliced when fried).

I had the Kedondong Assam Boi @ RM5 which was decent and refreshing, perhaps a little sweet.  Other drinks include White Coffee (Cold) @ RM4.50 and Chinese Tea @ RM1.

My Personal Opinion

There's no doubt that this place does indeed serve up a good plate of Hokkien mee.  The Cantonese-style fried noodles weren't too bad either but could be better if the noodles had more charring to give it that in-depth smoky flavour.

The price of RM10 for a single portion may be seen as slightly higher than the norm and the portion a little small but this is understandable seeing it's in a proper restaurant and you get to eat your plate of noodles in a comfortable and hygienic environment.

The location is a big-plus for me.  I haven't tried all their noodles but their best seller and winning dish is definitely their fried Hokkien mee.  Now I have a place near me that I can return to repeatedly when I crave a good Hokkien mee! ^.^

Chui Lau Sinn

No 1 Jalan Jejaka 3

Taman Maluri

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9201 7698

Xang Kee (Prawn Mee) @ Taman Maluri

After reading an online review of a good Penang Mee Yoke (aka prawn mee) near me at Restoran Xang Kee @ Taman Maluri, I was eager to try as prawn mee ranks among the top three of my most favourite noodles.

There are quite a few stalls in this two-lot (one of which is a corner) coffee shop selling (Jalan Peel) roasted meat rice, sam kan chong noodles, chee cheong fun & yong tau foo, (Jalan Alor) pork noodles, char kway teow, XO seafood noodles, fish ball noodles, Sarawak laksa, wantan mee, Hakka lei cha, western food and mixed rice.

But let's cut to the chase, I'm here for one thing, and one thing only, and that's the Penang Mee Yoke.  

So, imagine my excitement when I was confronted with the beautiful sight of a whole wok full of prawn heads and shells being stir-fried at the stall.  That's the essence of a good prawn mee right there....full of fragrant and prawny flavoured prawn shells...the key to a good prawn stock! O_o

Mmmm....I knew good things await!  A regular size bowl of prawn mee here costs RM6 but you can pay an additional RM3 for a couple more prawns.  Of course I did...this is my bowl of Penang Mee Yoke @ RM9. Judging from the colour of the broth, I was hoping for a good dose of prawn flavour without being sweet.  It met the brief.

I think it's worthwhile to pay for the upgrade as the RM3 gets you a few extra good-sized prawns, otherwise it'd be those measly thinly sliced ones.  The prawns were tasty and fresh with a firm texture.  Besides the prawns, the serving came with lean slices of pork, hard-boiled egg, kangkung and bean sprouts together with a dollop of sambal on top.

Of course the most favourite condiment (for me) in a prawn mee is the freshly fried crispy shallots.  This one came served separately in a spoon...so that they won't soften before you're ready to eat?  Or for people to discard (easily) if they don't want them in their prawn mee?  Oh, heaven forbid!  I can't fathom that there are actually people who wouldn't want crispy fried shallots! @_@  Give it to me, pleaseeeeee...I'd even pay extra for more fried shallots! ^_~  I guess one man's meat is another man's poison.

The kopi-o-ping was alright.

My Personal Opinion

I do have a favourite prawn mee in PJ which I've not gotten round to blogging about coz I've not had that prawn mee in quite a while.

However, this is still a very decent prawn mee...but was it better than my favourite prawn mee in PJ? Hmmm....if I remember correctly, that one had a more intense prawn-flavoured broth but I won't commit until I've had a more recent tasting of that prawn mee to confirm that the quality is still as good as when I last tasted it.

Restoran Xang Kee

51 & 53 Jalan Jejaka 9

Taman Maluri

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Maluri Noodle House @ Taman Maluri

We came looking specifically for this shop, Maluri Noodle House @ Taman Maluri (opened in February 2015), said to offer a hearty and comforting bowl of pork noodle soup, after reading about it in the Star papers recently.

But, if you don't read Chinese, finding the shop may prove more difficult than you think when the shop's signage is written only in Chinese.  We ended up looking for the shop number (56) as we drove past.  Only when we walked up to the restaurant did we find a small standing signage that said "Maluri Noodle House"! >_<

For a noodle shop, the outlook is certainly more comfortable with air-conditioning in a clean and bright environment.  The marble table tops and chairs remind me of another noodle house, Ah Koong in Pudu, that specialises in fish ball noodles.

Since their speciality is pork noodles, that became one of our first orders.  I asked for small for my Pork Noodles (soup version) @ RM7.90 (RM8.90 for large) but I can tell you the size was pretty hefty (may be a tad big for a small-eater to finish).  This standard serving of pork noodles came with all the expected porky stuff of lean pork slices, minced pork, liver and intestines.  If there was one complaint, it'll be that the minced meat was a little on the fatty side and not as finely textured or as flavourful as some we've had before.

I'd have say the broth (reputedly boiled for six hours using pork bones, chicken bones, anchovies and some herbs) was pretty decent and they were certainly not stingy with the amount of soup they gave either (which came in a big bowl).

A family member went with the 'Yee Mee' Pork Noodles (dry version) also @ RM7.90 for small. Unfortunately, the sauce base for the noodles wasn't as successful.

The dry version is, of course, served with a separate bowl of porky goodness.  Though I love (and would always order) the soup version, you can actually get the best taste (out of the soup) from a separate bowl of soup as the noodles will not be there to 'contaminate' the pure taste of the broth.

I was, of course, very happy to see my favourite thing floating on top of the noodles...freshly fried pork lard crisps aka "chee yau char"...yay! ^o^  Not only that but the addition of fried garlic also helped to enhance the soup even further....double yay!!

And if the chee yau char is not enough, you can add on more of the Pork Lard Crisps @ RM1.50.  Who can say no to more pork lard crisps....c'mon, you know you want more! ^_~

On the table, you'd find the usual condiments of bird's eye chillies, soya sauce, pepper and one not-so-usual condiment, Chinese rice wine, which I didn't know as the condiment bottle was (again) written in Chinese (I thought it was some kind of vinegar).  It's there for you to add a dash of it to the soup to further enhance its flavour.  So, I didn't...and couldn't anyway (even if I had known) coz I was sharing the noodles with my spouse and he doesn't like anything with rice wine in it.  I've never had pork noodles with rice wine, so I don't know how that'll taste but I'm assuming it should be good ;)

If you're feeling super, super hungry (or perhaps two can share), you can go for broke and get their "All In" (RM15) which will get you a standard serving of the usual bowl of pork noodles but with the addition of meat ball, kidney, chitterlings, pork tendon and egg (don't know what chitterlings are...well, they're small intestines..I learned a new word too from their menu...hehe!).

Besides pork noodles, their other signature dish is their Curry Noodles @ RM7.90 laden with curry chicken, fried bean curd sheets, tofu puffs, cockles, long beans and bean sprouts accompanied by homemade belacan. It arrived looking the part...with a layer of fiery red oil (don't worry, it's not that spicy even after I added all the sambal in).  It was an ok curry, in my opinion, but lacking the savouriness and creaminess that I seek (plus I've had better).

To complement their pork and curry noodles, they have some side dishes that you can order like Sichuan-Style Dumpling, Deep-Fried Meat Roll, Deep-Fried Chicken & Pork Dumpling, Deep-Fried Chicken Ball (with Peanut & Pumpkin) and Deep-Fried Chicken & Cheese Ball (their best seller).

We tried the Deep-Fried Meat Roll (4 pcs) @ RM7.50 wrapped in bean curd sheet and seaweed.  Just wished they didn't squirt so much mayo on top.

We also had the Deep-Fried Chicken & Pork Dumpling (4 pcs) @ RM7.50.  This time the mayo was on the bottom.  Why can't they just serve the mayo on the side and let us decide how much we want...or not want at all.  That aside, no complaints on both the fried snacks as they were nice and crisp...and addictive to eat.

Another interesting snack they have (a recent introduction since I didn't see it on the menu but on a place card on the table) is the Fried Hong Kong Fish Skin (RM8).  As much as I wanted to try, I didn't have it in the end since my family wasn't keen on it.  Also, I was afraid that it might turn out fishy and that I wouldn't be able to finish it all on my own.  Luckily, I didn't order it coz when I saw it served to another table....it was quite a humongous portion (definitely needs to be shared)! O_o

My Personal Opinion

It was a decent bowl of pork noodles (soup version), not great, but certainly better than the curry noodles. However, it gets extra brownie points for the freshly fried garlic and pork lard crisps.  Then again, I can also get a bowl of good pork noodles from my favourite stall in Pandan Perdana with a 'special' amount of chee yau char just for me! ^_*

I wouldn't mind coming back for the pork noodles but since the dry version (that my family likes) wasn't as successful, I doubt they would want to return + getting a parking spot in this commercial area can be challenging (even on a Sunday).

But, for those looking to eat a big bowl of pork noodles in a comfy environment, this is certainly worth exploring in this part of town.

Maluri Noodle House
No 56 Jalan Jejaka 9
Taman Maluri
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2856 0306

Pretty On Plate @ Taman Maluri

After a fabulous lunch that brought the Christmassy feel and spirit, my friends and I headed to Pretty On Plate @ Taman Maluri for dessert and coffee.

Yes, you heard right....for more dessert coz, after all, the Texture of Chocolate we had earlier was such a tiny portion, it doesn't count....haha! ;D

Actually, we just wanted a place to chit-chat some more and the place was chosen purely because of its location near to a friend's subsequent appointment.

As it was the Christmas season when we came, the place was in full swing with Christmas-themed decoration complete with gingerbread house and gingerbread men.

There were also lots of very Christmassy desserts at the counter....including this edible look-alike Christmas wreath cupcakes! ;)

Also on sale were these freshly baked cookies (almond flakes, chocolate chips & walnut and rosette meringue) for the Christmas period.  For Chinese New Year, they'll have these for sale....Prosperity Crunch (almond crunchies), Lucky Bites (the same chocolate chips & walnut cookies), Golden Coins (a mixed nuts florentine of melon, sunflower and pumpkin seeds) and Pineapple Tarts (according to their Facebook).

As far as desserts go here, you basically have 4 choices...1) their signature brioche with ice cream and injected filling, 2) daily selection of individual desserts, 3) dessert platter with chef's pre-selected assortment of 8 mini pastries and 4) plated desserts after 6pm (which I read about) coz otherwise I wouldn't have known as I didn't see it on the menu in any way + the servers also did not promote nor highlight its availability to us (so I wouldn't know how one goes about ordering those unless one knows of its existence).

There were only 3 types of brioche left available by the time we got there close to 6pm, so I went with the Brioche - Mango Compote with Vanilla Custard & Coconut Ice Cream @ RM15.  Probably wins the cuteness factor with a vanilla custard filled syringe jabbing through the brioche and the fun factor of injecting the brioche with it.

Taste wise, I found the brioche to be dense and hard in texture and not buttery at all.  Though the coconut ice cream had a nice coconut flavour to it, I found it to be too sweet as well.  I didn't like this one bit.  Other fillings include peanut butter or chocolate with chocolate or strawberry yogurt ice cream.

Next, I browsed around their display chiller for a glimpse of their daily selection of individual desserts available that day.

I settled for the recommended Earl Grey Tea Mousse with Passionfruit Jelly & Almond Jaconde @ RM13 which the server mentioned as not very sweet.  Unfortunately, it turned out to be just that...sweet!

Sweetness aside, this dessert just tasted wrong on all levels for me.  I don't know how to describe it...let's just say it wasn't a very pleasant taste in my mouth! >_<  But I can certainly understand why people would choose this as it's a pretty-looking dessert.

Finally, since it was Christmas, we decided to order their dessert platter made up of a very pretty assortment of pre-selected mini pastries (which got our attention at the display chiller earlier on).

However, the Dessert Platter @ RM35 ended up to be just very pretty to look at....and not very pretty in the taste department! :'(

Top Row - Fruit Cake/Pavlova with Strawberry Compote/Petit Antoine/Christmas Tree Meringue.  (The Petit Antoine, made up of hazelnut dacquoise, crunchy feulletine, dark chocolate cream & milk chocolate chantilly, is also available in a regular portion for RM13).

Bottom Row - Raspberry Sorbet with Granola/Cheesecake Ball/Gingerbread Man/Lychee Raspberry Mousse (this one and the petit antoine were probably the slightly better tasting ones).

To say that the Dessert Platter didn't leave a lasting impression would be an understatement.  This platter definitely looked better than it tasted! >.<

Luckily, the coffees saved the day.....and the coffee art presentation were all very nicely done too.

We had two Salted Caramel Macchiatos @ RM13 each

two Cappuccinos @ RM10 each

and one Chocolate Matcha Latte @ RM14

My Personal Opinion

I  wasn't impressed with any of the desserts I tried here.  In fact, I pretty much want to forget it altogether. You probably might not be sampling the same dessert platter since the choice of these 8 petite portions changes depending on what the chef puts out.  Hopefully, the next time you're there, the pastries selection tastes much better than it looks.

Having said that, if you check their Facebook Page, there's certainly no denying that they can produce very pretty designer, wedding or customised cakes and cupcakes for all occasions.  Now if only they can follow that up with a taste that matches its looks.

In the end, they were just pretty on a plate....pretty in a cup even......but, sadly, that was pretty much it! :'(

Pretty On Plate

G3 Amaya Maluri

Jalan Jejaka 2

Taman Maluri

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9201 6661