Ho Chiak Dim Sum @ Pandan Indah

Since the one and only dedicated dim sum restaurant, One Nite Dim Sum, relocated to Taman Bukit Beratai in Ampang some three years ago (though they've since returned to my neighbourhood albeit to a smaller lot less than a year later), their previously occupied two lots were taken over by another dim sum restaurant.

Actually, I've no idea what the place is called since there's only a Chinese signboard but from their receipt, I gathered that it's known as Ho Chiak Dim Sum @ Pandan Indah.  You must be wondering what took me so long before I even ventured into this dim sum place.  Well, that's because I noticed that they're barely crowded each time I passed by...and I know that a good dim sum place, especially if it's the one and only dim sum place, will be packed to the brim in my neighbourhood.

Oh well, better late than never, I finally ventured in one fine day.  Right off the bat, I noticed that the steamed items here are steamed to order when I was presented with a tray of yet-to-be-steamed dim sum for my selection.  All the dim sum items are priced between RM2 - RM7.50.

"Siew Mai" (Steamed Pork Dumpling) @ RM5.50

Another type of siew mai (I find their siew mai filling isn't chopped finely enough).

It seems their steamed beancurd rolls come in three variations...this is the one with minced pork & prawns @ RM5 (you get one roll filled with minced pork and one filled with prawns).

Bean Curd Roll with Minced Pork only (the third one comes with minced chicken).

Another steamed item @ RM5 with some sort of a fish (+ pork?) filling on top of pan-fried tofu slices in a sweet and spicy sauce.

The "Char Siew Pau" (Steamed Barbecue Pork Buns) @ RM2 was acceptable but the bun could be a tad more fluffy in texture.  Though the char siew filling had the right colour and texture, it wasn't particularly my favourite as I've had some awesome ones before.

After trying a couple of steamed items, I'd say they were fairly average and none stood out memorably.

But that does not include the "Lor Mai Kai" (steamed glutinous rice with chicken) @ RM4.80 which was undeniably one of the better ones I've eaten thus far.

The glutinous rice was not only tasty but steamed till really soft (and that's how I like it) and coupled with a flavoursome minced pork filling too.  So good! ^o^

If there's just one item I could pick from here, it'd be this.  I'd be happy with just this lor mai kai for breakfast.  Each time we're here, we must order this! ;)

Between the steamed items, the fried ones undoubtedly fared better.  Starting with the Fried Prawn Beancurd Roll @ RM6, this one is at its best, utterly crispy, when freshly fried.

But if they happen to give you one that's already fried and sitting in the glass cabinet, the bean curd sheet may not be as crispy.  The prawn filling of this is minced, you don't get whole prawns like the ones from Loong Seng (which is still the one to beat).

There's also another type of Fried Beancurd Roll @ RM6 with a filling of minced pork, prawns and vegetables.

This one is rather value-for-money as you can see just how jam-packed and generously plump the filling is.

The Fried Wantans are as they should be...crispy.

The "Fried Wu Kok" (Yam Puffs) @ RM6 had a brilliantly super light and crispy crust (very much like the ones I love) but the char siew filling was more or less like the same ones from the char siew pau.  Though I've had better ones before, this filling still fared much better than some of the char siew fillings in other dim sum shops.

The "Char Siew Sou" (BBQ Pork Puff) pastry, topped with pork or chicken floss, wasn't particularly flaky with the same tasting char siew filling again.

Of course, Stuffed Eggplant @ RM5 is always a must-order for us since we love to eat eggplant and this one has our approval.  I liked the sauce that the eggplant was braised in which had a gingery taste to it.

The char siew-filled Steamed "Chee Cheong Fun" (Rice Noodle Rolls) @ RM5.50 with "ma lai chan lat chiew" (cooked sambal belacan) was just ok.  There's also a version with prawns.

The Fried "Lor Bak Gou" (Radish Cake) @ RM7, one of the more pricey dim sum items on the menu, delivered in terms of taste and was nicely fried with lots of crunchy bean sprouts and Chinese chives.  So delish! ^.^

If you like the plain pan-fried version, they have that too.  The Fried Radish Cake @ RM5.50, crisp and fragrant on the outside and soft on the inside, was just as good.

The Porridge @ RM5 with bits of century egg, salted egg and minced pork, topped with a few crunchy slices of "yaw char kwai" (Chinese crullers), had just the right texture and consistency.  I like how fresh and finely julienned the ginger was too that added freshness to the mild-tasting porridge (some might feel the flavour is a tad too light).

My Personal Opinion

If you're expecting trays after trays of dim sum steaming and fried dim sum items filling the cabinet for your immediate selection, that's not the case here.  All the steamed items are steamed to order while most of the fried items are fried to order.  I reckon that's how they keep things fresh and wastage to the minimum when they don't have a high turnover.

That may be one of the reasons why they don't seem crowded (the other would be that their prices may be a little higher than norm) as I, too, passed them by when I found their cabinet devoid of dim sum items.  I guess one shouldn't "judge a book by its cover" which, unfortunately, I was guilty of and that's why it took me so long before I tried! >.<  If you enjoy other dim sum items more than the steamed ones, then you should not overlook this place.

I actually found those items to be better tasting than its predecessor, One Nite (Dim Sum), which occupied the space previously.  Since trying this place, I've been back regularly for their lor mai kai, fried lor bak gou, stuffed eggplant, yam puffs and the various fried beancurd rolls.  At least now I have a not-to-say fantastic but certainly decent dim sum venue in my neighbourhood (after all, the place is called ho chiak for a reason...kekeke!).

Ho Chiak Dim Sum

17-19 Jalan Pandan Indah 1/22

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9134 8131