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Tuesday 29 October 2019

HK Porky Noodle House @ Pandan Indah

Some weeks back, I noticed a new pork noodle place opened up in my housing area, HK Porky Noodle House @ Pandan Indah, which has now been in operation for slightly less than two months.

Obviously, I knew it'd be a pork noodles shop from the name of the place itself + I've actually seen their other branch in SS2 (though I've not tried) and so was hopeful when they decided to open a branch here.

Since their speciality is obviously pork noodles, that's what we should start with.  I ordered the Pork Mixian Noodle Soup @ RM9.50...a fully loaded bowl, I must say.  Looks they don't stinge on ingredients here.

You have an option to choose the porky ingredients that 'suit' you.  The selection includes minced pork + slice pork, minced pork + slice pork + meat ball, minced pork + slice pork + slice pork belly, one with everything (minced pork + slice pork + pork intestine + pork liver + pork stomach) or one with a seafood option of minced pork + slice pork + prawn + squid.

I ordered mine with everything, of course! ;)  You get the usual ingredients of minced pork, sliced pork, pork liver and pork intestines just like any other bowl of pork noodles.

But the one exception was the inclusion of chee tow or pig stomach which you don't find in most pork noodles.  And some of the the intestines were at least twice the length of what you'd get elsewhere! ^.^

The pork liver were cut thickly too unlike the usual thin ones you'd get elsewhere.  Not only that, the liver slices were not overcooked, still slightly bloody when they arrived.

The mixian noodles (some might call it mee sua but it's nothing like mee sua though) are actually very similar to the mixian noodles you get at Go Noodles House.  The best noodle choice with the soup version (in my opinion) as the noodles don't absorb the soup and retains its texture throughout the meal.

At first impression, I noticed that the soup was a murky rendition, not the more common clear soup in other pork noodles.  It was rather savoury and very robust in flavour, the result of probably painstaking hours and hours of boiling the stock (similar to a good ramen bone broth).

For those who don't like the soup version, there's always the dry option as seen here with a mix of mihun + yellow mee.  I especially liked the mihun as it's much thinner than those I get elsewhere.

Make it even better with an order of extra pork lard for RM1.  Unfortunately, the tiny plate of pork lard came with the lard oil as well, so you have to pick out the lard crisps one by one (like I did) if you don't wish to consume the oil (not sure why the oil was not drained off first).

The dry version was tasty too...possibly made better by more of the really fresh and very crispy chee yau char (pork lard)....the all important ingredient!

For my spouse, he likes fatty meat, so he likes to have his dry pork noodles with the minced pork + slice pork + slice pork belly option @ RM12.50.  The pork belly is sliced really thin and they cook it by pouring hot broth over the meat (that's what they advertise in their Facebook).

The only difference (for me) in having the noodles dry was that the accompanying soup with the porky ingredients felt more concentrated and was even more robust in flavour (maybe because the ingredients were cooked with less soup since it's a much smaller bowl).  I could only manage to drink a few spoonfuls of the soup as it was too flavourful for my taste buds.  And for this reason, I definitely preferred the soup version as it was a bigger bowl of soup and not so strong + the noodles also helped to reduce some of the saltiness.

On one visit, I was curious to try the seafood version of Pork Mixian Noodle Soup @ RM20 with minced pork + slice pork + prawn + squid.  Not cheap but at least the ingredients were plentiful.

It came with two rather huge, fresh, juicy prawns....

.....and quite a few (at least 4 - 5) slices of tender squid.

The soup base of this one had a slightly orange hue to it...maybe from a drizzle of prawn oil?  I also noticed some tiny specks of chillies.  This broth was surprisingly lighter with a hint of sweetness to it (probably from the addition of seafood).  This tasty broth turned out to be my favourite maybe because it didn't feel as savoury.

New on the menu is the Pork Belly Spicy Mixian Noodle Soup (RM14) for those who prefer something spicy. Don't know how spicy this is as it isn't something I'd try since it comes with pork belly which I don't really fancy.

For those on a keto diet, low-carb ketogenic meals are on offer at higher prices (of course) which are all liew and no noodles if you fancy such a selection.  Know also that you have the option to add any extra porky ingredient you like.  My choice would be either intestines, liver or stomach...but, alas, I can't afford to do that as the standard bowl is already too filling for me.

There's Hakka Mee (an option of plain, with chilli or fish skin) on the menu for those who feel like eating something else other than pork noodles.

Rounding up the menu are some of the usual snacks on offer from soup wantans to fried dumpling, dumpling soup to meat ball soup and some less conventional types of fried squid and fried fish skin but they can be quite pricey, some even pricier than a bowl of noodles, with prices ranging from RM7 - RM13.50.

I have to say their Iced White Coffee @ RM5 was really good, and a tall glass at that.  Can be shared by two...just like their noodles (if you happen to be a smallish eater).

My Personal Opinion

I'm glad they opened an outlet here as I now have a good option for pork noodles near me coz the pork noodle stalls in my neighbourhood are not nearly as good.

Although the soup base may be a little too robustly flavoured for me, this is still a viable option for pork noodles.  The option with seafood offers a slightly lighter stock base but I may be too lazy to tackle the prawns with shells and all.  So I will stick to soup noodles and enjoy the mixian with all the delicious porky liew but will just drink less of the soup. ^_~

HK Porky Noodle House
3A-G Jalan Perubatan 4
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tuesday 22 October 2019

How many ways can you eat fried rice?

Fried rice, or a variation of it, is typically and commonly eaten all around the world but more so in the Southeast Asian region.  It's like the ultimate comfort food...and, apparently, you can eat it in many ways if you're Malaysian! ^_~

#1 - Yong Chow Fried Rice

Probably the mother of all fried rice (and the most popular) is yong chow fried rice (or yangzhou chaofan), the one fried rice that everyone knows and also the most adapted fried rice recipe.  You can even find this on menus of Malay restaurants and mamak shops (though they might call it Nasi Goreng Cina).


If you were to order it from a Chinese restaurant, the recipes vary, some use char siew (as above) or lap cheong (the most common) to even chicken, minced pork, beef or shrimps as the meat while a choice of long beans, green beans, onions, carrots, corn, peas or spring onions may be used as the vegetable component.


The most common variation at tai chow places is one done with lap cheong and a trinity of carrots, corn and peas.  I really dislike that version especially when they resort to pre-packaged frozen vegetables.  I prefer it to be fried with fresh vegetables.


My favourite version of yong chow fried rice is one cooked with char siew and green beans.  And topping it with a fried egg is icing on the cake...hehe! ;D

#2 - Nasi Goreng Kampung

Probably the most ordered version of a halal fried rice is nasi goreng kampung with the inclusion of crispy ikan bilis and kangkung which I usually order at mamak restaurants but the ikan bilis is normally of a low quality.  If I'm ever to eat one with good quality ikan bilis, I should attempt to make it myself at home (now that I can make my own chilli paste).


A more decadent version of nasi goreng kampung that I ate once.

#3 - Fried Rice with Silver Fish


Something similar along the lines of a nasi goreng kampong, but with a better quality of ikan bilis, is this fried rice offered at some Chinese restaurants.  They're made with tiny ikan bilis (silver fish or dried whitebait) and you can just as easily cook this at home.

#4 - Ginger Fried Rice


Since I personally love to eat ginger...with just about anything, I reckon I'd love ginger fried rice too.  And I did.  It gives the rice a bit of warmth/heat along with fresh, perfumey fragrance of ginger which opens up one's appetite.


I like the one served by Kim Gary as the ginger comes in very fine shreds (almost hair-like).  But some places don't julienne them fine enough and you end up chewing down on bite-sized pieces of shredded ginger.

#5 - Tom Yum Fried Rice


This is a fried rice made with a little help from our neighbour...tom yum paste.  If you like the sourish but refreshing taste of tom yam, then this fried rice will appeal to you.

#6 - Nasi Goreng Biasa


This is the fried rice that's open to the most interpretation.  You can get this at mamak or Malay restaurants but each version is different depending on how each restaurant cook their version. 

#7 - Garlic Fried Rice


Served in most Japanese restaurants, this fried rice is usually adorned with
abundant crispy pieces of fried garlic that makes the rice so fragrant.  I absolutely love this if done right.

#8 - Cabbage Fried Rice


This is a fried rice I've not encountered before, fried with bits of pork, cabbage and peanuts, in a place that offers authentic Heng Hwa cuisine.

#9 - Bacon Fried Rice

Bacon, a western ingredient, is so versatile that it has even made its way into our Chinese-style fried rice.  This is a fried rice that gets you extra brownie points at home.


Or it can simply be fried rice topped with strips of crispy bacon too.

#10 - Fried Rice with Almonds & Raisins


This is probably more common in Western cuisine, something like rice pilaf, but a bit more unorthodox as a style of fried rice here.  It can, however, be found in some Chinese restaurants especially when the restaurant is trying to provide something more creative than the plain yong chow fried rice.

#11 - Nasi Goreng Seafood


Again, this is commonly served at mamak or Malay restaurants where the rice is fried with seafood ingredients like prawns and squid.

#12 - Pattaya Fried Rice


This is simply fried rice wrapped in thin omelette.  Is this even from Pattaya? :D  This Pattaya Fried Rice may even have originated here but it has become so popular that many Thai stalls here now cook this fried rice as well.

#13 - Pork Chop Fried Rice


Ok, maybe this isn't quite the fried rice we know since it's served with a pork chop...but it's delicious, so, what the heck, I'm including it.

#14 - Salted Egg Fried Rice

The salted egg phenomenon must extend to fried rice, of course...would there by any other outcome?

#15 - Nasi Goreng USA


This is a Thai-inspired fried rice that you can get from any Thai stalls which comes with stir-fry pork, fried egg and sausages but I've no idea how the name of this fried rice came about.  The only American thing about it is probably the hot dog! :P

#16 - Iberico Collar Fried Rice


How about a more decadent fried rice with Iberico pork collar?  Even Spanish pork has be to Malaysia-nised in a dish...hihihi! :D

#17 - Green Curry Fried Rice


Green curry is a popular Thai dish, why not a green curry fried rice? ^_*

#18 - Roast Pork Fried Rice


If you can have char siew in fried rice, of course there'll be siu yuk fried rice too.

#19 - Belacan Fried Rice


Usually a belacan fried rice is one that's fried with the fragrant, umami flavours of belacan and dried shrimps.


But this version I got from a Thai restaurant is a bit more fancy-lah.

#20 - Salted Fish Fried Rice


This is a popular fried rice cooked by hawkers that's liked by many as it has both salty flavours and crispy texture from the salted fish bits.

#21 - Fried Rice with Hot & Spicy Pork Dices


I never knew you can make fried rice with a can of spiced pork cubes until I tried it at Kim Gary.  Apparently, someone did.

#22 - Nasi Goreng Paprik


Paprik or Pad Prik, is a dish of Thai origin which means stir-fry (pad) with chillies (prik).   This Nasi Paprik can be made with seafood (usually prawns & squid) or chicken stir-fried with a variety of vegetables in a spicy & sour sauce.  And then someone decided to combine the two and Nasi Goreng Paprik was born...genius!  Basically, it's just fried rice served with paprik seafood or chicken...and it's yum :)

#23 - Shrimp Fried Rice


Seafood pairs well with fried rice too for a more prestigious variation of this dish...and when good-sized and super fresh shrimps are used, they can be really tasty.


A home-cooked version would ensure many, many shrimps in your fried rice! :D

#24 - Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice


And there's this version with tiny sakura ebi that's usually served in Japanese restaurants.

#25 - Beef Fried Rice

Beef isn't a very common ingredient used in fried rice and you probably won't find it offered at many tai chow places since not all Chinese eat beef.  If the beef is cut into large pieces, it can be chewy.

#26 - Crab Meat Fried Rice


Besides shrimps, another seafood you can use in fried rice is crab meat though this version is probably not offered at most places as it can be pricey.

#27 - Fried Rice with Shredded Pork


Pork is the most common protein used in fried rice.  They do it with char siew, siew yuk, lap cheong, so why not with shredded pork too.

#28 - Pineapple Fried Rice


A popular rice dish in Thailand but just as popular here with locals.  Besides its fruity and appetising flavours, it also gives diners the wow-factor especially when its presented in a carved-out pineapple (forget you ever saw the miserable fried egg)! ;)

#29 - Fried Rice with Chinese Ham, Shredded Pork, Shrimps & Fish


Finally, how about a fried rice with just about everything? :O

Fried Rice is the most versatile dish I know, be it one ordered at restaurants or a home-cooked version.  Just about anyone can make fried rice...with just about any ingredient!  Eaten across many Asian countries, it's super adaptable with different countries throwing their spin on it.  It's easy to see why it's such a popular dish among people of all ages...it's delicious, it's super affordable and it's a carb that fills us up.....burp! ^o^

Fried rice, that is.....hehehe! ^_~

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