One Nite (Dim Sum) @ Pandan Indah

There's a restaurant called One Nite @ Pandan Indah (or it was misspelled and should have been One Nine maybe?) selling dim sum (in limited variety) that I frequent quite a bit as there just aren't any good dim sum places in my neighbourhood.

But, be warned, that the owners children (2 sons) who man the counter (at times) are not typically the 'friendly-type'.  The owners (parents) are much better now though they used to be quite unfriendly themselves...which further cements the theory that 'the apple does not fall far from the tree'!

One of the items I always order, when I come here, is their Toasted Bread with Butter and Kaya @ RM1.50/slice and Half-boiled Eggs @ RM2.40 (for 2).  Their bread is first spread with butter (on the outside) and then toasted (the traditional way) over a charcoal flame.  It is then sliced open and smothered with kaya (or, at least, it used to be but now it's just a thin layer) and a few slithers of cold butter.

The butter that is spread on the outside gives it a buttery fragrance, so get ready for  some oily fingers!  The kaya is pretty good too, just wished there was a bit more cold butter slithers.  [#Note:  Back in the good old days when we ate toast bread, I remember that it came with a whole square slice of butter (though that might seem like a heart attack scenario waiting to happen).]

As for the half-boiled eggs (not free-range eggs), when it's done right with the egg yolk runny, it's good, of course, but I have sent it back before (to be redone) when I found them overcooked.  So, consistency is an issue here!

As for their steamed dim sum like "char siew pau" (BBQ pork bun), "lor mai kai" (steamed glutinous rice with chicken), "siew mai" (pork dumpling), "har gow" (prawn dumpling), they're not as good as the ones I'm used to eating.

But their fried dim sum, however, is quite another story.  The reason behind this is because they are all freshly fried to order.  As the restaurant doesn't have such a massive crowd (like some of the other 'crazy' dim sum places) since it's a neighbourhood dim sum shop, they can afford to steam or fry to order.

I especially liked their Fried "Har Guin" (fried prawn roll) @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs).  Though not as good as some of the ones I've eaten (but at a stone's throw away from where I live), it's good enough.  It had a good portion of prawn filling and the thin bean curd skin (wrapping it) was fried till super crispy.

Similarly, the Fried Fish Paste Roll @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) is moderately good as well.

But my favourite is their Fried "Wu Kok" (taro or yam puffs) @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) which was awesome!  The yam, pork and peas filling was really tasty (I've not seen many with peas in the filling).  The exterior of the wu kok was wonderfully frizzy and crispy.

This is one of the best ones I've eaten and my favourite todate, probably because they are freshly fried to order....and they come out hot and crispy each time!

The Fried Carrot Cake @ RM3.20 (for 2 pcs) is another favourite of ours though the consistency can differ (sometimes softer in texture).  But when they get it 'spot on', the fragrant dried prawns and crisp exterior make this a very good one.

Other than dim sum, they also have other breakfast dishes like Nasi Lemak, Fried Maggi Mee, Fried Rice, Yam Rice and so on....though not particularly "hebat" (great).

This is the Nasi Lemak with Rendang Ayam @ RM6.50 which comes with chicken rendang, hard-boiled egg, sambal, nuts, fried ikan bilis, fish cracker and some blitzed up dried prawns.  Taste wise, the ayam rendang is tolerable but the sambal (which is more like lots of onions cooked in a chilli paste) is an epic fail (again I say most Chinese can't 'deliver' a good sambal)!

If you're feeling a little 'under the weather' and is looking for something subtle (or "ching"), you can order the Mee Sua Soup @ RM5.50 that comes with very tender lean pork slices, soft tofu cubes and some greens.  However, I must warn you, though, that the soup is very "ching" (probably bland to a lot of people) but I like it, especially on a day when my taste buds, all 2,000 - 8,000 of them (according to Wikipedia that an average human tongue has), are numb from all the eating.  Plus the mee sua is cooked just right (not too soft).

The "Kopi-O Ping" (Iced Black Coffee) @ RM1.70 is not too shabby either.

My Personal Opinion

When I need a dim sum brekkie without leaving my neighbourhood, this is my only choice as the others aren't any good (though there's one that offers dim sum at night where I would go to get my Fried Carrot Cake and Fried Prawn Roll).

Likes:  Definitely the fried dim sum is the best thing here especially the Fried Wu Kok, Carrot Cake and Har Guin.

Dislikes:  The owners' sons 'bossy' attitude and unfriendly demeanour!

Update:  The restaurant has since relocated to No 13 & 15 Jalan Bukit Teratai 1/2E, Taman Bukit Teratai, 68000 Ampang, Selangor.

Latest Update:  They have since reopened back their Pandan Indah branch at No 22 & 24 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/20, Pandan Indah (this is now permanently closed).

One Nite Restaurant
19 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/22
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9274 9919