#ewew makes Sau Tao Non-Fried Noodles

While doing my grocery shopping the other day, I chanced upon this instant noodles on the shelves of Aeon.  The first thing that caught my attention was the pic of the guy on the packet...it's Eric Tsang whom I know as a Hong Kong actor and comedian (I'm not sure if he's just hired to advertise the noodles or he has a share in it).

 

I actually don't watch many Chinese movies but I got to know him from the few episodes that I managed to catch of him hosting some hilarious game show...and that was my first introduction to him.

 

I noticed 2 types on sale, one was the Black Pepper XO Sauce Noodles and the other, the XO Sauce Scallop Noodles.  I decided to buy the cheaper one to try first.  This noodle is a product of Hong Kong...and (I must say) it turned out really good! :-)

 

This is the Black Pepper XO Sauce Noodles pack retailing at RM9.90 per pack....certainly not the cheapest instant noodles around.

 

Each pack comes with 5 individual packets inside and this is how it looked like.

 

Inside the packet, you'll find a 'bigger than norm' non-fried noodles (I don't know what that means but I assume the noodles are not fried but baked, maybe?) housed in an open plastic container with just one seasoning packet...the black pepper XO sauce!

 

I cooked the instant noodles as per instructions...which was for 3 mins.

 

And tossed them in the sachet of black pepper sauce that also contained a bit of oil.

 

I fried some shallots and added it in....and it was a 'dynamite' addition! :D  I loved the noodles which are more springy and has more bite to it.  I liked that the black pepper sauce was not overpowering with 'over the top' pepperiness (it's unlike McDonald's Prosperity Burger which kinda blows off the roof of your mouth).  The balance was just nice although I would say that the black pepper flavour was more dominant than the XO flavour.

 

I made one with fried shallots and fried crispy silverfish...it was a great combo too!  I know many would not be bothered to make fried shallots but the addition of this little piece of extra work is so worth it....it just bring wonders of fragrance to any noodles.  Loved what the salty, crunchy silverfish brought to the dish as well.

 

Or have one with all 3...fried shallots, crispy silverfish and a fried egg on top...that's the ultimate....hee...hee!!  At times, I like to fry my egg until all the sides are super crispy and frizzy....yumsss! ;D

 

Now that the Black Pepper XO Sauce Noodles turned out so well, I can't wait to try the other flavour too...the XO Sauce Scallop Noodles.

 

Taste Enclave Classic (Jalan Kayu Prata) @ Pavilion

You can find this so-called chain of 'more upmarket' food courts in Avenue K, Pavilion and Sunway Pyramid.  I've eaten at the one in Avenue K before but this was my first time at Taste Enclave Classic @ Pavilion. 

The difference here is that you get table service...they'll show you to your seats, you order from a menu, write the order down on a chit and ring for service.  Unlike at Avenue K where you self-serve yourself (queue up, pay and carry your food), they bring the food to you here (probably that's why they added the word 'classic' to differentiate it from the rest)...definitely 'classier' than the one in Avenue K.

This is the Prata Set @ RM4 from the Jalan Kayu Prata Stall.  It was actually 2 pcs of (fairly large) "roti canai" (a type of Indian flatbread) served on a pc of 'real' banana leaf (and that gets extra brownie points).

I've eaten quite a lot of roti canai (in my time) but this was incredibly light and fluffy...and crisp at the same time...I was pleasantly surprised.  This was the last place I thought I would find a good roti canai.  I can say that this roti definitely has a place among the good ones I've eaten.  The 2 pcs of roti were very fulfilling (as breakfast) and probably sufficient enough for lunch (for a small eater).

At first glance, you might think that RM4 for 2 pcs of roti is rather expensive but it was well worth the price when you see that it came with 2 well made curries...a dhal and a fish & vegetable curry (without the fish, of course, but also not those low quality, watery ones you get from mamak stores).  I absolutely loved the dhal.

The Thosai Masala @ RM8.30 was stuffed with peas, carrots, onions, capsicum, corn and dried chillies and served with a dhal curry and chutney.  The crepe was (generally) soft, I would have liked it more if the outside was slightly crisp.

Just in case you wanted to know, that's how it looked inside.....full of softened vegetables.  I enjoyed the dhal and tomato + onion chutney more than the thosai though.

On another visit, I had the Mee Goreng @ RM12.80 from the same stall.  I like this dish coz it's fried with lots of vegetables, tofu and bits of eggs.  It's topped with a whole fried egg (that's usually more cooked than not).  The mee is fried till it's darkened and caramelised (though I would have liked it even more if it was a tad darker).  And that squeeze of lime is a must!

Although this plate of mee goreng may be expensive (by hawker standards), think of the pleasant environment you're having it in and the portion size was really huge (for breakfast, maybe even for lunch).  I had to summon every bit of 'inner strength' to finish this plate of mee. 

Iced "Teh Tarik" (Pulled Tea) @ RM3.80

Watermelon Juice @ RM7

Black Coffee (Cold) @ RM3.30

This place also houses a mini restaurant (Coen) and a lot more stalls from chicken rice to claypot rice to "bak kut teh" (a Chinese soup which consists of meaty pork ribs in a broth of herbs and spices) which I'm sure I'll try on my next visits.

My Personal Opinion

If you're looking for a classy and clean hawker centre, with a serene environment, far from the hustle and bustle, to enjoy your hawker delights.....this may be it!

I'm pretty happy with the food (I've tried) from the Jalan Kayu Prata stall, to say the least.  I heard that their "nasi briyani" sets (an Indian rice-based dish prepared with spices, meat and vegetables) are quite good too but I'm not particularly fond of nasi briyani, so I won't be trying that.

Taste Enclave Classic
Lots 2.65.00-2.67.00 & 2.74.00
Level 2 Pavilion Mall
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 6968

Relocated: Chan Meng Kee @ SS2 PJ

The last time we were at Restoran Chan Meng Kee @ SS2 PJ was when they were still at their old premise (you can read my earlier review here).  They have (since July 2014) moved to an intermediate corner lot 5 shops away (from No 32 to No 44) and spotting a new red signboard.

It was good to note that their business is still as brisk as ever judging from the crowd that was there.

We sat down and ordered the best thing here (in my opinion) and that is their "Char Siew" Wantan Mee @ RM6.  The sauce for the wantan mee, with the help of the pork lard oil, is truly flavourful.

The "char siew" (barbequed pork) is still as good as I remembered it to be with its tender, juicy meat and dark, caramelised edges.

The soup wantans I didn't care for as much.

My spouse ordered an extra plate of "Siew Yoke" (Roast Pork) @ RM7 since he only ordered char siew with his wantan mee.  Their char siew still trumps their siew yoke, in my opinion.

I was ecstatic when I spotted something new on the menu which I just had to order...and had to totally refrain myself from not ordering too many plates.  You can now ask for additional "chee yau char" (pork lard bits) @ RM1 a plate (the plate which they use for your chillies and soya sauce condiment). 

This is godsend....freshly fried chee yau char with bits of fried garlic and onions...OMG, how great is that!  It was so, so good...fresh, crispy, fragrant!!!  Go on.....you know you want it....and one plate is never enough (err...more like one plate each, this is something not meant for sharing)!  Is that a beautiful sight or what?

We also ordered a Pork Rib Curry @ RM7 for sharing.  This dish I liked the least coz the curry had a predominant curry powder taste and the ribs were not those good cuts plus the meat was not as tender as my previous visit.  I won't be ordering this again, that's for sure.

I also noticed a new item on the menu with the word "must try" and it was the Shredded Chicken Hor Fun @ RM6.50.  They nailed the "hor fun" (kuey teow) which was slippery, transparent and smooth but they didn't nail the broth.  They're obviously not the 'specialist' when it comes to this dish as even the breast meat was cut differently (they are chopped pcs rather than shredded in long pcs).  I know, I know, I'm being picky here but little things like these stand out to tell us that they're far from the best :(

In their new restaurant, I noticed that they've plastered pics of their double-boiled soups and decided to try the Lotus Root & Peanut Soup @ RM8 (actually their soups are also available at their old place, just that I've never gotten round to trying them as it's usually not available at breakfast time).  The soup was decent, just lacking a bit of sweetness as no pork ribs were used (only found chicken feet) plus there were not enough peanuts in the soup.  Other soup choices include Watercress & Pork Bone and Bitter Gourd & Black Chicken.

I decided to try this drink that I saw plastered on the wall....the Iced Honey Lemon @ RM3 and it was very citrusy with a good dose of lemon juice (3 thick slices in the drink)...I like!  My spouse tried it and ordered another glass for himself.

My Personal Opinion

This place still dishes up a very good plate of wantan mee with char siew....and what's even better...you can ask for extra helpings of pork lard bits.....I'm happy (like Pharrell Williams)! :D :D

Restoran Chan Meng Kee
No 44 Jalan SS2/66
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Wondermama X @ Avenue K

Wondermama X @ Avenue K, which has been opened for less than a year, is a smaller branch of the one they have in Bangsar (their flagship outlet).  Enroute to our seats, I did notice a stretch of 'old school' stained window shutters that encased the kitchen...that I thought was pretty neat.

 

We were ushered to our seats which happened to be the last seat (towards the bar).  It was part sofa and part chair and the cushions smelled like they were overdue for laundry service.  It was also rather warm since it was situated just next to the entrance of the mall (near the entrance to The Library Coffee Bar).  I did make a comment (of hoping for some other type of seats) to the lady serving us but she didn't heed my request (or pretended not to hear)...ah well, not off to a great start, is it?

 

My order was the Nasi Lemak S @ RM22.90 with deep fried salmon cubes served with a prawn and "petai" (stink beans) sambal plus condiments of a hard-boiled egg, "ikan bilis" (fried anchovies), "kacang" (nuts), fried papadum and fried "kangkung" (water convolvulus or water spinach).  [#Note: The menu revealed quite a few different nasi lemak on offer such as Nasi Lemak 2.0 (with Japanese style fried chicken), Nasi Lemak 2.0 S (with deep fried soft shell crab), Nasi Lemak 3.0 (with deep fried mackerel fish) and Nasi Lemak 4.0 (with chicken rendang.)]

 

The rice was fragrant with a good dose of "santan" (coconut milk) aroma and taste.  The condiments of a hard-boiled egg, crispy papadums, ikan bilis and kacang and stir fried kangkung were as it should be and necessary for a 'complete' plate of nasi lemak.

 

The prawn and petai sambal was a bit of a letdown though as the prawns were really teensy-weensy (the kind I usually see used in hawker stall fried rice).  I would have preferred if they had used better-sized prawns and gave us just 3 or 4 of it, I'd be happy.  The sambal was alright (not among the best I've eaten).  I left the petai alone coz I don't eat petai....they're called stinky beans for a reason, you know :(

The 'hero' of the dish was definitely the fried salmon cubes which came freshly fried.  I was expecting the salmon to be dry but (to my astonishment) it was incredibly soft with a crisp on the outside.  This is not some poor quality salmon and it came lightly tossed in some tangy sauce which added a zing and heightened my enjoyment of it.  It was my favourite part of the whole dish!

 

Next, we had the Mama Kampong Style Fried Rice @ RM15.90 fried with chicken, ikan bilis, long beans, egg and served with beef bacon, shredded lettuce and cucumber.  The rice had a bit of "wok hei" (breath of the wok) and was rather flavourful.  [#Note: They also have a variety of other fried rice on their menu like Garlic Fried Rice, Salted Egg Fried Rice, Seafood Tomyam Fried Rice (with prawns, squid and scallop) and Black Spider Fried Rice (with soft shell crab, black ebiko and black pepper).]

 

We topped it up with an additional Soft Shell Crab @ RM12.  The soft shell crab was quite a huge pc, fresh and crispy as it should be, also lightly dressed in a tangy sauce.

 

I had initially wanted to order some fried squid (as a snack) for sharing and was glad I didn't coz the portions of those 2 rice dishes were quite substantial.  [#Tip: If you're a small eater, that one rice dish is sufficient for 2 people, I reckon.  I had a bit of trouble finishing it partly because of my drink too.]

 

You see, I had the Special Cham with Kopi Jelly @ RM8.50 which came in this 'big ass' metal mug (I love these 'olden day' mugs by the way) which I think 2 people can easily share as I couldn't finish it on my own.  "Cham" is a mixture of coffee and tea which we locals like to drink...and this drink was not sweet at all, in fact, it was very "kao" (thick)!

 

It came with cubes of "kopi" (coffee) jelly in it.  I ordered it coz I was intrigued by the combination and wondered what the jelly would taste like in the coffee.  I wished I hadn't....the combo tasted weird (to me) coz we're so used to jelly tasting sweet.  But this coffee jelly was bitter...as it should be coz it's made from black coffee (after all).  I think it would have benefitted from a little sugar in the jelly to sweeten it, although it wouldn't have made a difference as the combo of coffee and jelly is not the desired combo for me :'(

 

My Personal Opinion

 

If you're into simple comfort food with sizeable portions, this place serves crowd-pleasing carbs at wallet-pleasing prices (but not quite kopitiam or mamak-friendly prices, of course).

For me, the food was satisfactory yet simple street-styled food made more "atas" (high class) by ingredients like salmon and soft shell crab.....but I wasn't loving the ambience (as much) though!

 

Wondermama X

G-8C Ground Floor Avenue K

156 Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2161 2589

 

#ewew cooks Baby Chinese Spinach Soup (with Eggs & Silverfish)

After all the eating or (in some cases) overeating during the Chinese New Year period, I was looking forward to toning it down with a simple, soothing soup.  I'm not particularly fond of green, leafy vegetables but Chinese spinach (otherwise known as amaranth or "yin choy") is one of those exceptions. 

 

You can make a simple stir-fry with garlic and top it with some crispy dried anchovies ("ikan bilis")...and it would taste great.  Or you can make a quick, delicious soup with 3 types of eggs (chicken, salted and century eggs) like what the restaurants do.

 

But, as much as I enjoyed eating Chinese spinach, I hated the cleaning and preparation of this vegetable...it was a lot of work :(  It had to be rinsed many times because of the abundance of sand trapped within the leaves.  And then, you had to pluck the stalks backwards to discard the fibrous strands.  But that was before I discovered the baby version of this vegetable (or "yin choy mew") and all that extra work of 'cleaning and preparing'....out the door!

 

So, here's my (slightly more decadent) version of Baby Chinese Spinach Soup (with Eggs & Silverfish).

 

Ingredients:

 

A bunch of baby Chinese spinach (anything between 100 - 150g)

A handful of dried anchovies

A handful of dried silverfish

1 egg

I/2 a salted egg

A few wolfberries (or goji berries)

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)

4 - 5 slices of fresh ginger

 

Preparation:

Here's a closer look at the baby Chinese spinach...you just need to snip away the roots and the preparation is done (you can snip each strand of vegetable into two if you find them too long). 

Make sure you wash your Chinese spinach thoroughly to get rid of the sand trapped between the leaves.

Boil your salted egg and cut into half.  Scoop out the flesh from one half of your salted egg and roughly chop it up.
 

Method:

 

Heat up some oil and deep fry the dried silverfish until golden brown and crispy.  Dish up and set aside. 

Discard the remaining oil but leave enough to sauté your dried anchovies.  Once the anchovies turn slightly golden brown, add in the chopped garlic and sliced ginger.

Add in 400 - 500ml of water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 7 mins (to bring out the anchovy flavour into the stock).  Season to taste (bearing in mind the saltiness that the salted egg and silverfish will bring to the dish).  At this point, you can strain the soup (for better presentation) and discard the ikan bilis, which have already served its purpose, but I don't bother as the softened ikan bilis can still be eaten.

Then, throw the Chinese spinach into the stock and crack an egg into it.  [#Tip: Do not stir vigorously (at this point) but just break up the egg gently with your spatula and wait for it to cook through before stirring. This way, you can minimise the cloudiness of the soup (which is similar to an egg drop soup).  You can omit the egg if you prefer a clear soup.]

Next, add the chopped up salted egg and wolfberries.  The Chinese spinach will not take more than 3 mins to soften.  [#Tip: It's also optional if you want to include chopped up century eggs.]

Ladle the Chinese spinach soup into a serving bowl.  Sprinkle the crispy silverfish on top and my Baby Chinese Spinach Soup (with Eggs & Silverfish) is ready to eat.

I like the addition of the crunch and saltiness the silverfish brings to the soup but you're more than welcome to omit it if you're cooking a lazy man's version! *wink wink*

Serves 2 (as a soup) or 1 (as a main meal with some rice)