Yong Len @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

I was recommended to try the prawn mee here + I also read an article by Star Online of a 'as close as it gets to Penang curry mee' in the same shop, so I finally sought this place out one Sunday morning.

Occupying a corner lot, Yong Len @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail, has been around for decades, serving flavours of Penang.  As soon as you approach the coffee shop, you can see that it's super crowded with tables spilling onto the road.  Though the place was busy, we managed to secure table after only a short wait.

Well, I've come here specifically to try the most famous stall here....and that's the Prawn Mee @ RM6.  First impression...not great at all as the ingredients seemed to be haphazardly strewn all over the bowl. Obviously, their priority is not in the presentation but how fast they can put out a bowl.

Let me rearrange it for a better photo op.  Filled with the usual ingredients of prawns, lean pork slices, kangkung, bean sprouts and fried shallots (but no hard-boiled egg)...and served with a dollop of chilli paste that's hardly spicy at all (even though I dunked all of it in).  Although the prawns were smallish, they were fairly fresh and there were quite a few of them (as many as ten).  The fried shallots, in mashed up tiny bits, were obviously store-bought and they didn't taste as if they were of a good quality either.

As for the prawn broth, it was more savoury than sweet but lighter in terms of the rich crustacean flavours that I seek.  I suppose if you can't find a better prawn mee in the area, then this one will surely be a satisfying rendition.  But, of course, I've had better prawn mee (like this one and even this).

Equally popular here is the stall, Sally and Mom, which sells Curry Mee @ RM7 which my husband went for (obviously).  The bowl of curry mee came with only poached chicken (that was pretty smooth), fried "fu chuk" (bean curd sheets) and fried "tofu pok" (bean curd puffs) but missing the vital ingredient of fresh cockles....boo!  That aside, I could taste the coconut milk in the curry broth...but that was about all I did taste.  The consistency of the curry, with mild spiciness, is also not as thick as I would have liked and lacked the depth of flavour in a bowl of curry that I expect.  Suffice to say, it didn't meet my husband's high standards for a good bowl of curry mee.

The Wantan Mee @ RM6 tasted on the starchy side and the char siew...well, you can see that for yourself (in the pic above).  The only plus point was probably the taste of fragrant shallot and garlic oil in the sauce used to toss the noodles.

As for the wantans, I can see that there's more wantan skin than filling. ;P

For a neighbourhood like TTDI, the prices here are certainly very reasonable though portions can be a little small.  Since we weren't that full, we ordered a Char Kway Teow @ RM6 to share as I've read good reviews on it.  I was told it would be at least a 20-minute wait, so I had high expectations that this would be a very delicious char kway teow seeing that there was a long waiting period.

But I was disappointed when it came.  First of all, there was no fresh see hum (what CKT doesn't have cockles!) with only two smallish prawns and some slices of fish cake).  Secondly, the noodles lacked wok hei as they weren't fried long enough + it was also quite tasteless.  Maybe this was a one-off case where they rushed through the frying to catch up with the orders.  If they taste like this, I certainly wouldn't wait 20 minutes for it! >_<

I noticed a nyonya kuih stall at the front of the shop that also sells pre-packed nasi lemak, bak chang, dim sum, kuih bahulu, kaya and otak-otak, among other things, so I decided to pack a few types home.

I was instantly attracted by the pretty multi-coloured kuih angku of red, green, yellow, pink and grey (each with a different type of filling, I presume).

And then I saw these not-often-found grey-coloured kuih (that looked like some kind of black sesame glutinous rice flour kuih) which I recognised (coz I love to eat them but don't know what they're called) next to the angku kuih.  Are they called "chai poh" kuih (or "choy poh" in Cantonese)?

I got a red angku kuih (the only colour I'm familiar with), one of those chai poh kuih and a piece of "lor bak gou" (radish cake).  The radish cake was creditable seeing that it came from a nyonya kuih stall (I've bought worst ones than this).  Of course, it's nothing quite like the radish cake from a proper dim sum place.

The angku kuih, with a soft sticky glutinous rice flour skin and mung bean paste filling, was nice too but my favourite was the chai poh kuih with its deliciously balanced salty-sweet chai poh (aka preserved dried radish) filling.  These chai poh kuih are rarely seen offered in nyonya kuih stalls and I'm always happy when I find them.

The "lor mai kai" (steamed glutinous rice with chicken) was rather tasty too though the rice grains around the edges could be a tad more soft.  Still a more than decent lor mai kai.

The pre-packed nasi lemak packet wasn't too bad either...and it's available if you want a light nasi lemak.  I don't know the individual prices of these items as I paid one lump sum for all of them.  But if I had to guess, I'd probably say the kuih was about RM1.20, the lor mai kai probably RM3.50 and the nasi lemak maybe RM2.

The only one I know the price of was the Penang Otak-Otak @ RM4.50 (coz the price was clearly displayed at the stall).  Made with fish chunks, egg, coconut milk and betel leaves (daun kaduk) with aromatic herbs and spices, this Penang nyonya-style otak-otak was fragrant, soft and delicious.

The Kopi-O-Ping wasn't anything much, just drinkable, certainly won't make it on my list of favourite black coffees...haha! ;D

My Personal Opinion

Overall, I'd say the noodles here are so-so (at least those I've tried) and possibly a decent option for the folks of TTDI in this area.  But if put to the test with the many good noodles stalls in PJ, they probably wouldn't do as well.

The prawn mee is definitely the better bet here.  It's a decent tasting prawn mee but not one that would make me go 'wow' and crave for it.  If I live around the area, I probably won't mind dropping by for a bowl of prawn mee but, since I don't, I certainly won't come all the way here just to have it.

I came here for the iconic prawn mee but came out enjoying the nyonya kuih stall more.....hihihi! ;)

Restoran Yong Len
2 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7728 0376

Chateau DeCanter @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

As usual, after an adequately pleasant meal at Kouzu, we proceeded to Chateau DeCanter @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail as my friends like to enjoy a bit of wine after dinner.

This wine bar is a hidden gem (emphasis on 'hidden') as it's located, of all places, above a "tai chow" restaurant.  It's a corner shoplot but if you're not coming from the right direction, you might just miss the name of the place (which is only visible from the side of the shophouse).

That's because the front signage is a little bit queer, and a little bit funny, as it carry the words "every time you drink wine at home, you kill a wine bar" instead of the name of the place.  If you see these words, you're in the right place.  Walk up a flight of stairs (on the right) and you'll find Chateau DeCanter on the first floor.

The menu lists three sections....bar bites, main courses and desserts.  The bar bites include anything from french, sweet potato or porky fries to pork tacos, popcorn chicken, cheesy nachos, salmon, mushrooms and crispy pork belly.  The main courses selection covers pastas, lamb shank and lamb rack, pork knuckle, steak, salmon and salt baked chicken.  The dessert list was short and sweet with three choices.  There's also a 'Wine Tea' platter with cheeses and cold cuts to accompany your bottle of wine.

Once we were seated, we were given a wine list that reportedly showcase their top ten wines (that's according to the lady serving us, one of seven partners here) ranging from RM170 to RM400+ (if I remember correctly).  In the end, my friend picked one direct from the shelves at the bar.....

.......a Chilean wine, Cono Sur Bicicleta Merlot @ RM150 a bottle.

This Merlot was an easy wine to drink as I found it to be much lighter (and on the fruitier side) than the ones I've drank before, so I was able to drink more than one glass this time. ^_*

We were served this very refreshing tidbit of thinly sliced pickled guava which was unassumingly good. ^.^ We wished we were given more and it would have disappeared in no time as well.

Since we've already had a filling dinner, we could only muster an order of the Snack Platter @ RM35 for sharing and nibbling.  After all, our objective was to chill and drink some wine.

And when there's wine.....there's cheese...like the 'Wine Tea' Platter...but how about a  cheese fondue instead? ;)

This Snack Platter, filled with bacon wrapped asparagus, sausage, sweet potato fries, cheese and ham crackers and some plain crackers served with a hot and gooey cheese dip, was the ideal accompaniment for our bottle of wine.  I especially liked the tasty sausage and bacon wrapped asparagus.

Flipping through the menu, we couldn't resist ordering one of their three desserts, the Chocolate Brownie @ RM15 served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

When it arrived, let's just say it wasn't among some of the better presented desserts I've seen, so I wasn't expecting much actually.  But the homemade warm chocolate brownie blew me away as to just how rich and chocolaty it was.  A spoonful of the brownie in my mouth was like eating pure melted chocolate...it was unexpectedly good! ^o^  If you're here for dinner, make sure you order this dessert for a delicious end to your meal.

There's also a live performance every night....and we had the pleasure of listening to soothing ballads and easy-going tunes on the night that we were there which was just great.

Cheers to 10 years of friendship! ^.^

(which is no mean feat for ex-colleagues to have kept in touch for this long)

And here's to another 10 (as one of my friends said)! ;)

Points to note:

1)  They allow smoking indoors (which I'm not in favour but didn't know until we got there) and noticed ashtrays on the tables.  I believe they have a separate alfresco area, so I really don't know why they would allow smoking indoors in an air-conditioned place.  We were lucky that there were hardly any smokers that night.

2)  Check out discounts offered by eatigo (for food only).

My Personal Opinion

Certainly an ideal destination to consider if you want to chill with nice wines, good music, live performance in an easy-going atmosphere.

It's a great place to wind down your evening with a little wine sipping and light conversation with friends or colleagues after a hard day's work....and oh, don't forget a side indulgence of something chocolaty while you're at it! ^o^

Cheateau DeCanter
175A Jalan Aminuddin Baki
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012-633 6609

Kouzu @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail

We are well versed with tapas aka small plates of Spanish savoury dishes....but what's Japas?  Well, it seems they're the Japanese version of tapas.  Ooo...I like small portions.

And Kouzu @ Taman Tun Dr Ismail is a place for Japas besides also serving yakitori, donburi, salad & greens, pasta & noodles, Japanese pizza and desserts too.

Absolutely loving the colourful murals on the wall that looks somewhat like those illegal graffiti, drawn free hand, we see on street walls....hahaha! ;D  Except these ones are a lot, lot nicer, of course.  Choose a good spot and you'll come away with a nice background for your photo or selfie.

From the Japas menu, there's a wide selection of about 20 choices with the majority of them priced between RM18 - RM28.  We ordered the Creamy Baked Oysters @ RM19 to start.

As much as I like a fresh oyster, I like a baked one even more.  Covered with cream cheese and a dollop of salty capelin roe, they were baked to a nice golden-brown.  Juicy, velvety-smooth, perfect Japas to start with...and getting five oysters for the price paid was certainly good value.

Our next Japas was the Stone Grilled Sirloin @ RM27.  It arrived in fashion wrapped in aluminium foil with a bit of smoke and a sizzling sound that makes you eager to see what's inside.

Opened to reveal 5- 6 fairly thick slices of charred beef sizzling on a hot stone with some cubes of potato in a sweetish teriyaki-type sauce.  Tender, juicy, but not necessarily all that flavourful.  You'd want to eat it quickly before the still pinkish meat becomes more cooked.

From the Japas, we moved on to their Donburi section (with 8 selections, RM18 - RM30) and went with the Ishiyaki Stone Bowl @ RM30.  Served in a hot stone bowl that consisted of sweet-sticky unagi, vinegared prawns, a good-sized and well-charred scallop, minced chicken, sauteed mushrooms, a perfectly cooked onsen tamago, masago and rice.

We went about eating this by sharing out the prawns, scallop and unagi first and then breaking the runny yolk and mixing it in with the rice (together with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl).  That yielded moist, sticky rice at the top and crunchy textured bits at the bottom.  For a light eater, this delicious bowl is a complete meal in itself with a bit of everything...and you don't have to share! ^o^

From their Pasta & Noodles options (there were five priced between RM22 - RM27), we selected the Angel Hair Mentaiko Pasta @ RM22.  Nice presentation...wrapped around a pair of chopsticks! ^_~  The angel hair pasta was tossed in a creamy-but-not-cloying concoction of mentaiko and topped with masago, tobiko and thin strips of seaweed.

Next, we moved onto the Japanese Pizza offerings (with five alternatives to choose from, RM20 - RM27) and picked the Pizza with Japanese Escargot @ RM27 just because I love snails...of the edible kind....kekeke! ;)

With a layer of crackly rice as its base, this 4-inch pizza came topped with crunchy escargots, crispy and super thin slices of lotus root, greens of arugula and baby spinach along with Japanese mayo and a sweetish sauce.  Not the usual pizza and something new with its rice base dough though you may need to do a bit of hunting to find the scarce escargots though. :(

Only after devouring these dishes did we make our orders for their yakitori and that's just so we can eat the skewers of meat as and when they arrive at the table, still hot, straight off the grill.  There are at least 25 varieties to choose from ranging from as low as RM5 to the most expensive at RM18 a stick.  Here were some of our selections.

The Sirloin @ RM15 was juicy, flavourful but not as tender as I thought it would be.  And that's just my friend's finger hoping to get 'famous' on my blog giving you an estimate of the size of the skewer...hihihi!) :D

The Gyutan @ RM12 aka ox tongue was, unfortunately, very chewy and no where near tender nor flavourful as the ones I've eaten before.

The Chicken Wings @ RM6 (each skewer comes with two wingettes), with tender flesh, were fragrant from the charred and crisp skin and hands down the best skewer of the night.

No complaints on the Rock Lobster @ RM15 as it was fresh, moist, succulent.

The Salmon Cube @ RM12, fairly fresh, featured soft, tender flesh.

Was there any doubt I wouldn't order the Quail Eggs @ RM5 (each stick came with 3 mini eggs) if I see it on the menu?  Of course not.  However, these may have been left on the grill too long as some parts of the egg white were slightly rubbery.

As for the Shiitake Mushrooms @ RM5 (3 mushrooms in each stick), we were over eager to eat them (hence the sticks were removed before pic was taken!) as we enjoyed the sauteed mushrooms in the Ishiyaki Bowl earlier.

I've always loved Japanese sweet potatoes for its taste and looks (contrasting yellow flesh against purple skin), so an order of Sweet Potato @ RM5 (4 wedges of potato on each stick) when I see it on the menu comes as no surprise.  However, these ones were underdone as the flesh near the skin + the skin itself was still hard.

The Okra @ RM5 (4 pcs in one stick) was well-charred, soft and delicious.  All the skewers were simply seasoned with shio and pepper or a drizzle of soy to allow the natural flavours of the protein and vegetable to shine.

We enjoyed the Chicken Wings the most, so we placed a second order for another two sticks.  It was at this time I casually mentioned to the server (who took our orders) that we didn't like the gyutan and sweet potato skewers.

Without warning and to our surprise, the server brought us replacement skewers of the gyutan and sweet potato.  This time, the sweet potatoes were better executed.

Sorry, but the gyutan was still very chewy...and I took one bite only and left the skewer unfinished.  We, however, appreciated their gesture to replace the skewers that we mentioned weren't successful.

The server did later explain that the chef tasked with the cooking of the skewers is new, barely two months old.  But I think that was only half the cause, the other half being the quality of the skewered food.

When the plates of yakitori arrived, it immediately reminded me of the now-closed Shinjiro as they used the exact same plates (even the holder to put your already-eaten sticks is the same!).  But taste-wise, Shinjiro was much better.  Till this day I 'mourn' the closing of Shinjiro.  I don't know why it happened as the food was good.  I think they were in the wrong location/mall and I think they needed to add more to the menu other than just offering predominantly grilled skewers of food that may end up to be a costly meal for some.

P/S: You may want to check the discounts offered by eatigo (for food only, drinks excluded)

My Personal Opinion

Though the yakitori seems reasonably priced from RM5 to RM18 per stick, the fact remains that you'll need quite a few sticks to be full.  Imagine you're eating satay, if you need 10 sticks to be full, you'll need 10 skewers of meat...and at an average price of RM10 - RM12 a stick, you do the math, the amount can add up very quickly.  Even I can easily down 10 sticks, so you can imagine how many sticks the more ferocious eaters may need.

But since the skewers weren't that successful anyway (other than the wings), I'd probably stick to their Japas and donburi offerings with a few occasional skewers.

Still a good place to unwind, over the weekend or after work, with a couple of Japas in one hand and a beer or sake in the other! ^_^

Kouzu Restaurant
18 Lorong Datuk Sulaiman 1
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-7733 9309