Uncle Chua's Prawn Noodle @ Taman Putra

I've read a few good reviews about Uncle Chua's Prawn Noodle @ Taman Putra and was always tempted to try.....and so I did when I found them on ShopeeFood.

They used to operate from a stall in Restoran Shin Wa in Taman Muda (picked this up from their FB) but now have an outlet of their own in Taman Putra, Ampang and another branch in Bandar Menjalara, Kepong.

I went for their Signature Prawn Noodle @ RM15.90 and requested for mee + meehoon (my default noodles when it comes to prawn noodles).  It was served with prawns, pork, egg, taugeh (beansprouts) and kangkung (water spinach).  RM15.90 seems a bit high since dine-in price is only RM8.90 (for big, RM6.90 for small) but (luckily) the portion isn't as small as most the complaints were about for dine-in (then again, it could be different from dine-in since the price has been marked up). 

First impression when I opened the packet was that it had that prawn-y smell and the broth looked a bit murkier that the usual clearer stock I had elsewhere.  Tasting the broth, it had a sufficient dose of prawn goodness and the soup base was more savoury than sweet.  Based on the video review I saw, it seems that they grind their prawn shells to make the stock.  That's why the soup is always ladled over a sieve to strain whatever finely ground shells that may still be around.

Their medium-sized prawns were fresh and firm, just not as big or sweet tasting as the ones from Red Leaf (Jalan Loke Ye) but, unfortunately, Uncle Chua uses store-bought fried shallots too! :(  The lean pork slices were soft and tender...and had this curled-up look when cooked which made me think they were sliced before cooking.  I'm only highlighting this because the pork is usually cooked in a block before they're sliced thinly (I've seen the cooked pork being sliced that way in some of the prawn noodle stalls I ate at).  Doing it that way, the lean pork slices tend to have a firmer bite (while still tender) and look better in presentation as well.

As for their house-made chilli served with the prawn noodles, it was different from the norm.  Theirs is not like those cooked in oil, thick sambal you usually get elsewhere but a rather watery sambal (that's why I was surprised when it came in a fairly large plastic bag...you can see that in the pic).  From dine-in pics of the sambal (in its sauce plate coz the one in the bag was all mixed up already), I noticed some green parts in the mix.  Some say it's green chilli paste while others mention it's ginger.  Well, I can't be sure since I couldn't taste the components separately since it came mixed up already.  Be warned though to taste the broth first before adding just enough of the spicy sambal as it can be quite salty.

I think the grinding of the prawn shells contributed to its murky look and more intense flavour of the soup base, the intensity of which made it taste stronger, almost like dried prawns.  It was still good, just different, but probably not so to those who have an adversity to the smell and taste of dried prawns.  This would also appeal to those who like their prawn noodles on the savoury side instead of sweet.

It was certainly one of the more decent prawn noodles I've had but if I were to compare it to my favourite prawn noodles in Red Leaf, that one would still have my vote because of the freshness and sweetness of the bigger and firmer sea prawns.  Uncle Chua also offers a dry version of their prawn noodle...now who would want to eat it that way?  For me, it should always be enjoyed in its quintessential way in soup form! ;)

Besides prawn noodles, they also serve Lam Mee @ RM14.90 (there's also an option for lam mee suah).  The broth was packed separately in a large plastic container again (so you can be assured there'll be no spillage) and there were separate packets of their house special chilli sauce mix and black vinegar too.

I'm not a fan of lum mee with its overly thick dark sauce but decided to give this a try since the sauce looked very different in the photos....and it was, not the gluggy, overly cornstarch-ed broth you'd mostly get elsewhere.  It was a decent broth...made even better when you add on the chilli mix (not sure if this is the same chilli mix you get with the prawn noodles but it did look the same all mixed up in the packet)...but I thought this one tasted a bit more tangy (addition of lime juice?).

I asked for a combination of meehoon + kuey teow (since I didn't think that mee suah would 'travel' well) and (again) the noodle portion size was good.  The amount given could be different from dine-in since the price charged for delivery is a lot more (almost double)...and so they thought they needed to make up for it by giving us more noodles....lol!

To enjoy it fully, you'll need to add in the special chilli sauce (and some would say vinegar too) but I never add vinegar into anything (just like I don't add it into loh mee, mock sharksfin soup or Szechuan hot & sour soup) simply because I just don't like the taste of it.

If you didn't order this yourself, you probably wouldn't know that it was lum mee because of the unusual colour of the broth that's not darkly brownish nor blackish (a little bit more orang-y and it could have been mistaken for Penang jawa mee).  So, suffice to say, this was one lum mee I ended up liking.

Rounding up its menu is their pork paste soup (or dry) noodle.  As you can see, they offer only three types of noodles on ShopeeFood though you get a few more options (like eggs & toast, croissant, pre-packed nasi lemak and side snacks of fried beancurd sheets, beancurd rolls, fish cake & mushroom chicken feet) if you dine-in.

The first time I ordered from this eatery, I got myself a Red Bean Tong Sui (Dessert) @ RM5.90 too just so that I could make use of the RM6 discount (for RM18 spending).

There were even some lotus seeds cooked together with the red beans.

Overall, it was a nice red bean tong sui, not too thick and best of all, not too sweet.  I actually prefer a more watery consistency to my red bean dessert, that way I won't feel so "jelak" from finishing it.

My Personal Opinion

This prawn mee reminded me of the Penang-style prawn mee I had from a stall in SS2's Chow Yang Kopitiam once (and, coincidentally, they serve a dry-style prawn mee too) but it isn't going to knock my favourite prawn me off its top billing anytime soon.

For those who prefer a more savoury (than sweet) prawn broth, this could be the one for you (but be warned that it's a bit saltier than the norm, so hold back on the sambal!).  For me, it was a decent prawn noodle but it's not going to be my favourite (or regular) prawn mee because of the price (70% mark-up for delivery from dine-in prices is just too much).  Why would I?  When I can get fresh + big + juicy + sweet + plentiful prawns from Red Leaf for about the same price or even one closer to home that's also cheaper with more liew (ingredients).

The lam mee, however, turned out to be the surprise find for me.  It was certainly one lam mee I can see myself having again just because it's quite different from the norm.

Uncle Chua's Prawn Noodle

No 28 Jalan Bunga Tanjung 8

Taman Putra

68000 Ampang

Selangor

Just One Food - McD's Sweet Chilli Fish Burger

When it comes to McDonald's, I don't eat (or hardly ever eat) their meat burgers for the simple reason I don't like their meat patties.  So, it has always been the Filet-O-Fish burger for me when it comes to McD burgers.

I've been aware of this McD's Sweet Chilli Fish Burger for a while now but wasn't tempted to try as I initially thought it would be a fish burger with some sort of Thai sweet chilli sauce (based on its name and I find Thai sweet chilli sauce to be overly sweet), so I never wanted to try.

But one day, I got sick and tired of Filet-O-Fish and decided to finally give McD's Sweet Chilli Fish Burger a try (this burger has been around since 2019 but I'm only trying it now...lol).

Well, first of all, you have a piece of crispy fish fillet that's more heavily battered and crumbed than the Filet-O-Fish while retaining that same light crispiness.  The Filet-O-Fish is made with Alaska Pollock Fillets but McD doesn't mention what fish comes with this fish burger but you certainly get a much bigger piece of fish with the Sweet Chilli Fish Burger.

Couldn't detect any difference in the taste of the fish itself as both had that soft, flaky texture though the Filet-O-Fish is slightly softer but the Sweet Chilli Fish Burger gives a better bite because of the batter and the size of the fish ultimately. 

The difference between the two lies in its sauce, of course.  While the Filet-O-Fish is topped with zesty tartar sauce (and a slice of cheddar cheese which I always ask for it to be omitted) between soft buns, this one is supposedly topped with a sweet & spicy sauce but I tasted only spicy...and it was very spicy! >_<  The sauce is somewhat like a very spicy version of Thousand Island or a chipotle sauce.

There's the usual mixed vegetables of shredded lettuce, purple cabbage and carrot to give it that crunch factor.  The set comes with the usual fries and a drink.

I did enjoy the flavour of the sauce even if it was rather spicy for me....this is my new go-to McD burger for now.  For one, it doesn't come with cheese, so I don't have to request for it to be omitted coz sometimes they forget to do that (and I've to tear it off my burger when it arrives). >.<

For those who like their food spicy, they would definitely prefer this spicy fish burger as it brings some serious heat!  I can't handle overly spicy food and this is just about tolerable for me...nothing a few gulps of water (in-between) can't fix! ;P

And hehey, guess who's back?  My favourite peppery prosperity patties!  Even though I hardly ever eat their meat burgers, this is one exception I'm happy to make...and it's always the Prosperity Beef Burger for me.

Though the black pepper sauce can be too much and a bit overpowering at times, I love the taste of the hot peppery sauce together with the meat and crunchy onions...so I just scrape some excess away if there's too much (but this time, the quantity of the sauce was just right).  And oh, McD just got on ShopeeFood too! ^.^

Little Boy Wonton Noodles @ Pandan Indah

This Little Boy Wonton Noodles @ Pandan Indah was an accidental find to begin with.  This stall is located in the same coffee shop (Restoran Xin Fu Ji) which houses what I consider the best char siew rice in Pandan Indah (I like to call it Fajar char siew fan because of its location near Fajar Supermarket previously, now it's The Store).

I first noticed the wantan mee stall (operated by a father and son team I think) when I was patronising the soy dessert stall next to it (check out the latest update on this at the end of this post).  Each time I was there to get lunch from either the Fu Ji Chicken Rice stall or to satisfy my want for something cold from Soy Desserts by Soy Bar), I'd be standing near the stall but always looking only.  You see, I already have my go-to wantan mee stall here in Pandan Indah, so I'm not aggressively looking for another...lol.

But one day, I saw them frying crispy wontons fresh on the spot and they looked mighty fine, so I went with an order of Deep-Fried Wonton Noodles @ RM7.

The dry wonton noodles came with 7 freshly fried wontons (yes, you heard right, tujuh...seven!!).  I was shocked but dancing with joy (in my mind only lah) that they gave seven...and, mind you, they weren't those mini wontons you get at other wantan mee stalls, these were good-sized ones. ^o^

When I ordered it via ShopeeFood, I thought I got less wontons but thought I miscalculated.  Only after having it a few more times, I realised there was no miscalculation (first it was one less....then two)! ;P  But there's no reason to complain simply because the stall didn't up the price like other eateries did.

The next round I tried the BBQ Pork (or Char Siew) Wonton Noodles @ RM7 coz this is wantan mee after all and you can't say you've had their wantan mee if you had not tried their char siew (the reddish kind that's usually used by most wantan mee stalls, not the highly caramelised ones like those you get at roasted meat stalls).  Unfortunately, the char siew was all lean (not that I mind), so it lost a bit of that tenderness + it was also cut too thickly (char siew that's on the lean side should be cut thinly for a more tender bite).

As good as the deep-fried wonton noodles was, the Deep-Fried Prawn Dumpling (or Siu Kow) Noodles @ RM7 was right up there too.  The serving comes with 3 plump-sized fried prawn dumpling filled with minced pork and chopped prawns together with diced sengkuang (sweet turnip) and shredded wood-ear fungus for that well sought-after crunchy texture. ^.^

However, don't be too happy coz the 3 dumplings (through tapau) was reduced to only two when I ordered via ShopeeFood.  I've to admit I was a bit disappointed at first to see only two pieces of fried dumpling but then there's no cause for complaint really since the stall maintained the same in-store price.

The difference between the fried wonton and the fried dumpling is the addition of prawns for the latter.  So, if you're one who likes a meaty dumpling with prawns, then the fried prawn dumpling noodles should be your pick but if you prefer a crispier bite, you're more likely to get that from the fried wontons.

The next option that I tried was their Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom Noodles @ RM7.  Their braised chicken feet is the type that has been fried first before it was braised.  I actually prefer those chicken feet that's just braised only (without being deep-fried) a tad more but would still enjoy both versions since I like to eat chicken feet (but sparingly).

Though the braised chicken feet was decent as it was braised till tender, it wasn't outstanding enough in terms of the flavour of the braise compared to some of the better ones I've eaten, so this was my least favourite offering of theirs.

Finally, there's the Roasted Pork (or Siu Yuk) Wonton Noodles @ RM7 but this is not available every day but certainly during the weekends according to the stall owner (on other days, he'll make it if he has the time).

As you can see, the siu yuk is very lean (just like the char siew), so if you like your meat lean, then this one is it.  I certainly don't mind but the meat will not be as tender and luscious as those with more fat, of course. The siu yuk skin is still crunchy but a little hard.

I like the texture of the noodles too, cooked just right, even if the sauce isn't quite there yet (but I've noticed some improvement and it's growing on me).  I appreciate the addition of pork lard (and pork lard oil) in their noodles as it makes everything tastes better.  And if you're lucky, you get as many as 5 good-sized pieces of fried pork lard....and theirs is always fresh, always crispy, always fragrant! ^.^

Even though I got less fried wontons or dumplings, I would still order this wantan mee through ShopeeFood whenever I feel like having it since I can make use of the RM2 discount (where else can you get a plate of wantan noodles for only RM5 these days!) + it sure beats the heck out of having to drive there myself.

Latest Update: After seeing them not available on ShopeeFood for a few days, I finally ventured out to tapau and found out that they're off ShopeeFood for a while as they wanted to increase prices.  As I expected all along, the stall owner was a bit inexperienced (with food delivery) and made a mistake of not adding on the commission charged by food delivery platforms to their prices (that's why they were such a great deal).  Oh well, "the good times" had to come to an end some time...and it's back to tapau-ing!  ShopeeFood told them they'll have to wait till February next year before they can increase prices, so they'll have to 'disapppear' for a while! :P

Sad Update: Soy Desserts by Soy Bar has upped and left! T_T  In its place is another soy dessert stall called Soykid (I noticed the difference when I wanted to tapau...but didn't in the end).  The stall was mumbling away something in Chinese (which I could not understand clearly) that they're still the same (or something to that effect).  But how can you be the same if your name is no longer the same (from Soybar to Soykid)...why would you want to change your name?  Luckily, I like the chilled bean curd the most, so I can still order that online).

My go-to wantan mee in my neighbourhood is the one from Restoran Lucky 6 and I've never felt the need to look for another one but now that I've stumbled upon good fried wontons and dumplings, I have another avenue for wantan mee from Restoran Xin Fu Ji.

The soup version though still belongs to the one from Restoran Lucky 6 for me based on the taste of the soup.....and they can come with add-on fried wantans too.

My Personal Opinion

This is now my favourite wonton noodle (dry version only) in my neighbourhood...but only when it comes with fried wontons (so big and so many!) or fried prawn dumplings (so filled with liew!).....so good! ^_~

Little Boy Wonton Noodles

Restoran Xin Fu Ji

35G Jalan Pandan Indah 1/23B

Pandan Indah

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Salad Atelier @ Sunway Velocity

I'm not one who would order salads at restaurants coz I've always felt that they're overpriced + it's something we can make at home (rather easily) if we wanted to.  After all, it's just a matter of putting together a combo of fresh greens and fruits to make a salad.  Except for the dressings...that I've to admit we can't replicate as well (the restaurants' ones are definitely more unique than the ones we can make at home).

But I've seen phonghongbakes enjoying their salads, so I finally gave Salad Atelier @ Sunway Velocity a try when I succumbed to Shopee's Super Deal promotion of 50% off (or RM18 off for a minimum spend of RM36) recently + delivery is also free.  I used to have to pay additional for delivery from Sunway Velocity, Aeon Maluri or Pandan Jaya (coz the max delivery discount was only RM3 then) but now there's a RM4 off delivery voucher (for minimum spend of RM15 at selected restaurants) that we can claim. 

I've never had kale before, so I thought I'd give the Kale Citrus Chicken Salad @ RM34.90 a go.  This is predominantly a kale salad topped with roasted chicken, pomegranates, grapefruit, tangerines, cashew nuts and shredded cheese (which I left instructions to omit but they never read!) served with tangy mango and elaiese dressing.  Luckily, the taste of cheese was quite mild from the few pieces left behind that I didn't manage to pick out.

To bump up my order to RM36 so that I can enjoy the Super Deal of 50% off, I had to add in a can of Ayataka Japanese Green Tea @ RM3.70.  No problemo since green tea is good for us.

The grapefruit (unfortunately) had a slight bitterness to it but (luckily) the tangerines brought some sweetness to the salad as they were juicy and sweet....the pomegranates too which I loved for its crunchy texture and burst of juices when you bite into one (there was just not enough of it).  The cashew nuts well, let's just say, I can do better at home to bring out that roasted flavour and toasty, nutty aroma.  The roast chicken was just bland, dry and unimpressive and, safe to say, it won't be my choice of protein from now on for my salads.

Sadly, the kale I did not love at all....it was rough and chewy...with a green taste, not crunchy nor juicy like say lettuce.  It's a bit like eating arugula but at least rocket has a peppery taste and is not bland tasting like kale.  If each forkful of kale was not accompanied by something (a protein or a piece of juicy fruit), it was difficult to eat on its own.  Yes, I felt like a moo moo cow grazing on grass...great for the cow but not necessarily great for me! :D  I suppose it's okay once in a while because of kale's health benefits but I won't go looking for it anytime soon.  Now I know for sure I don't like kale.

The salad came with a tub of tangy mango dressing and a tub of Elaiese oil (which is supposedly premium red palm fruit oil known for its natural nutrients and health benefits).  The Elaiese oil looked quite intimidating with its ruby red colour, so I tasted it first before pouring it over my salad.  

I found it to be light tasting without any unwanted strong flavours, so I was okay with drizzling some over the salad...but not too much as it still had that oily aftertaste.  I probably used about two spoonsful but emptied the entire tub of tangy mango dressing into the salad.  You could certainly taste the mango flavour in the dressing, so it was light and tangy, but there were with some minced white bits in it (not sure what those were...garlic, perhaps (though it was soft and didn't have that strong garlic taste)?  Could it possibly even be some mild tasting cheese? >.<

For my second salad order, I was thinking of a DIY Salad where you get to choose the size of the salad to suit your tank (aptly named rabbit, raccoon, tiger, panda or dinosaur) and the ingredients (choice of base, main, supplementary, prime & dressing) you want to put in your salad.  But I quickly abandoned the idea coz it was quite a hassle, not to mention time consuming, to go through the never-ending list of ingredients.  When we get to choose, we can be quite fickle-minded and usually end up picking more than we're supposed to (which will bump up the price of the salad) or we could also end up choosing ingredients and dressing that don't work so well together.  Plus, from my earlier experience, I also don't trust them to do a good job of picking all the ingredients in my list, after all, they made a mess of my note to them to omit the shredded cheese in my earlier salad.

They offer a variety of signature salads (as in ready-assembled options so that we don't have to crack our heads to select the ingredient-pairing) such as Greek God, Rama Thai, Vegan Thunder, The Cartel, Godfather and the Rising Sun (though not all options are available daily).

I chose Rama Thai @ RM30.30 coz I remembered phonghong mentioning that the prawns were good and this salad was the only one available that day that had prawns as its protein along with garden greens, mango, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumber and brown rice as its base.

As far as salads are concerned, I always welcome diced mango in my salads for its juicy-sweet taste.  This time, the mango had just the right ripeness, not overly ripe (nor overly sweet) for that nice, firm bite.

The spicy prawns were boiled prawns with a crunchy texture (a bit like frozen prawns but taste slightly better).  It could well be those already cooked prawns you get in a packet (that we often see sold in supermarkets).  You can see little specks of chilli on them which provided a bit of heat.  They were alright although you can't compare them to fresh, cooked prawns.

The garden greens of romaine lettuce, frisee, cherry tomatoes and Japanese cucumber were there to add crunch and juiciness to the salad.  The few sticks of asparagus were over blanched till soft and not crunchy anymore.

The best thing about this salad was the homemade Thai Sukiyo dressing with its combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavours.  It had a good dose of spiciness with some light sweetness and tartness...very appetising indeed.

The only thing I didn't like was the base of brown rice as it had a dry mouthfeel.  I don't think brown rice was an appropriate base for this salad, garden greens would have been a better combo (I personally would have preferred greens too as a base).  I didn't finish the salad at one go (it was a good portion size) and left the balance in the fridge.  It was even better eaten cold later (after I discarded the brown rice) as the greens of lettuce and cucumber became even crunchier to the bite (this is an excellent salad to keep for later consumption).

Similarly, to make the price go beyond RM36 so that I can get RM18 off, I had to include a bottle of Vitamin Water (Triple Berry) @ RM7.25.  Not an issue since I like berry-flavoured drinks...and this one was refreshing and only lightly sweet which was perfect for me! ;)

My Personal Opinion

Between the two salads I tried, I liked some of the components from each salad.  For one, the prawns were certainly a better protein than the dry roasted chicken and I also like the inclusion of juicy fruits in my salads like tangeriens, mangoes, pomegranates and grapefruit.  Going forward, I guess a DIY salad is my best option (where I get to pick what I want) and hope for the best (that they don't miss out any ingredients).

Well, I'm not one to pay RM30 for a salad....but if  I can get it at half the price, then I certainly don't mind ordering a healthy salad every now and then...and having it with a uniquely delicious dressing that doesn't come out of a bottle! ^_~

Salad Atelier

Lot 5-03i Sunway Velocity Mall

Lingkaran SV Sunway Velocity

55100 Kuala Lumpur