Fried Shrimp Cake (and Others) @ Pandan Perdana

Fried shrimp cake or prawn fritter, otherwise more commonly known by their local name as cucur udang, is one of my favourite fried things to eat.  Not something for the faint-hearted or health conscious since it's deep-fried...and can (or will) be oily (it comes with the territory)! ;)

You'd usually find this fritter in a round, flat, disc-shaped like...and that's because the batter is spooned onto a round ladle before being submerged in hot oil to deep-fry.  Well, at least, that's how the Chinese hawkers (selling this) do it.

But the Malay hawkers do it differently though.  Theirs are normally ball-shaped like or randomly shaped for want of a better word.  Their fritter is filled with chopped onions, carrot, spring onions, chillies and prawns (some recipes may include corn kernels and/or beansprouts).

They also do a version with ikan bilis or dried anchovies (cucur ikan bilis) or just onions (cucur bawang). They can be eaten with either a chilli sauce or kuah kacang (peanut sauce).  The Chinese version is usually accompanied by chilli sauce only.

As I've mentioned earlier, the Chinese version of fried shrimp cake that I've encountered thus far has always been disc-shaped but I recently came across this Chinese-style Fried Shrimp Cake @ Pandan Perdana in a shape that's not common at all (one I've not seen before).  The first time I bought this Fried Shrimp Cake @ RM2.70, I asked for it not to be cut so that I can show you the shape and what it looks like.

Shape aside, they were the best fried shrimp cake I've had so far! ^o^  These utterly delicious shrimp cakes, I believe, are filled with just shrimps (with shells on and heads included), Chinese chives and onions.  I liked that they were generous with the small shrimps (at least 4 - 5 in one fritter) which elevated its flavour.

They were so incredibly crispy all round but still with a bit of softness from the batter.  The texture was not dense at all as opposed to some fried shrimp cakes I've eaten in the past (case in point...the first photo).

Although they have a stall operating from inside Restoran OK (a corner coffee shop behind Hong Leong Bank), they choose to set up a roadside stall (in the vicinity of Pandan Perdana's wet market).  A man does the frying in the coffee shop while a lady will do the selling from the roadside stall (not sure if this is a husband & wife team).

I was excited when a fresh tray of the ready-fried shrimp cakes came out but they were gone in a jiffy as soon as they landed on her table (she pack, pack, pack before I could take a photo to show you so that you can drool over a tray full of them).

Besides shrimp cakes, they also sell a version with just vegetables.  The Vegetable Fritter @ RM1.70 is made with just loads of garlic chives and onions.  Essentially the same recipe minus the shrimps.

I don't know how they do the batter but it's so unbelievably crunchy, it's stark raving bonkers!  Not only were the fritters crispy, mind you, they stayed relatively crunchy some 3 hours later.  I've never had shrimp (or vegetable) fritters this crunchy before! ^.^

Not only were they super crispy, they were fluffy to eat too.  The taste was heightened by the very fragrant, mildly garlicky taste of Chinese chives and you get that sweetness from the onions too....and they're not stingy with both.  The accompanying chilli paste is good too but when the fritters are already so good, you don't really need it.

Though the shrimp and vegetable fritters are their no. 1 best sellers, they also do a very decent Fried Yam Puff (or Wu Kok) @ RM2.20.  Can you see just how light, thin, airy and crisp the outside batter is?

The minced pork filling was very tasty too and the yam paste totally soft with a remarkably crispy exterior (which you have to eat immediately). They were so well done it would put some dim sum sellers to shame.

Not so successful though was their Fried Radish/Carrot Cake (or lor bak go) @ RM1.  You can safely give this a miss.

It had more flour than the taste of radish thereby making the texture of the radish cake rather dense.  I've had loads better fried radish cake elsewhere (especially at dim sum restaurants).

But you probably won't want to miss their Fried Dumpling (or fried sui kow) @ RM1.30 a piece.  At least this batch of fried dumplings didn't fly off the shelves as soon as they came out and I was still able to snap a photo with an almost full tray. ;P

These adequately-filled dumplings were fried to perfection (noticed those small puffy spots on the skin?.....those are pops of crispiness!).  I think I detected some chopped yin sai (Chinese coriander) in the filling too coz it smelled so fragrant.  It's so yummy you won't be able to stop at one.

The Fried Popiah @ RM2, filled with shredded jicama and carrots, didn't leave much of an impression as they weren't particularly outstanding.  The crispy popiah skin also didn't stay crispy for very long.

Besides these six fried stuff I tried, ham sui kok (RM2.20) or literally translated as salt water ball (a salty-sweet fried glutinous rice dumpling filled with pork, vegetables and mushrooms) and fried sesame balls (RM1) round up their menu.  Note that this price list was taken in May this year (not sure if the prices have changed since).  Good news is that they're now on ShopeeFood (with delivery prices of RM4.10, RM2.60, RM3.30, RM3.30, RM2.90, RM1.80, RM1.80 & RM2.20 in comparison to the price list above).  If the price list above is still current, then the delivery prices are rather steep (at least 50% higher).

My Personal Opinion

Certainly a heart-stopping, calorie-laden, guilty-pleasure snack that one shouldn't be having too often.  I'd go for the prawn fritters first followed by the yam puff and fried dumpling (in that particular order)....hehe! ;) The vegetable fritter is good too if you want an all-vege fritter but I thought the addition of prawns just gave the fritter the edge.

Please note that as this is a stall by the roadside (near the wet market), they're only open in the mornings every day (from 7 - 11am) although they operate from a physical stall inside Restoran OK (where the frying takes place).

It's an irresistible tea-time snack that's also great with a cup of coffee for breakfast.  Every bite (or should I say, calorie) is worth savouring (and I've been back for them obviously).  What can I say....really excellent fritters! ^o^

Fried Shrimp Cake @ Restoran OK

2 - 4 Jalan Perdana 4/6

Pandan Perdana

55300 Kuala Lumpur

Lam Kee Wantan Mee @ Taman Seraya

Recently, the lady operating my regular go-to wantan mee stall in my neighbourhood did not open shop for many days.  Initially, I thought she was taking a few days off but each time I passed by the shop, she was not there.  Days turned to weeks.

By the end of the second week, I decided to ask the stall next to her to find out why she has not opened shop for so long.  I finally found out that she went for an eye operation and would need at least 2 weeks to recuperate.  I think she ended up taking 3 weeks.

Within the first week of not seeing her open, I had to look for other alternatives as wantan mee is one of the noodle dishes I eat quite often.  It's especially relied upon when I want to eat something less heaty but with flavour...and wantan mee fits the bill to the tee!  So I looked up ShopeeFood and found Lam Kee Wantan Mee @ Taman Seraya.

When it comes to wantan mee, I always start with the basics, their Char Siew Wantan Mee @ RM10.50, which I'd usually use to gauge if the place is any good at wantan mee.  I was more than happy with what I got as the sauce was well balanced and tasty, not too wet and not too dry, just nice.

The char siew (BBQ pork) looked very lean when I opened the box but the meat turned out to be very tender, so I had no qualms about my char siew being lean as long as it's sufficiently tender.  Some might beg to differ and would prefer fattier char siew (or at least a half-lean-half-fat ratio), so this may not be the char siew that suits you.

After the much approved char siew wantan mee, I couldn't wait to try their BBQ Pork Ribs Wantan Mee @ RM11.50 as well.  BBQ pork ribs aren't commonly offered at many wantan mee stalls, so I was looking forward very much to try this.

There were four adequately-sized BBQ pai guat (pork ribs) that were fairly meaty with a well caramelised exterior that was not too sweet just like the char siew.  The ribs were deliciously fragrant and tender....I liked it a lot! ^o^

The Steamed Chicken Wantan Mee @ RM10.50 is also something not usually seen offered by wantan mee shops.  I made a request for chicken thigh but got the wing instead (no matter, I don't mind the wing either).

The steamed chicken was tender, just don't expect it to be as wat (or smooth) like how the chicken rice experts do their poached chicken.  It was alright as I thought it was a decent enough rendition.

The Braised Chicken Feet with Mushrooms Wantan Mee @ RM10.50 was my least favourite.  The chicken feet would be considered sufficiently tender by most standards.

It's just that I like my braised chicken feet achingly soft with its skin almost falling apart (not a pretty sight in terms of presentation but a case of it tasting better than it looks).

The first time I tried their wantan mee (I'm always the adventurous curious one to try out a new place first and if it's any good, only then I'd recommend to my family), I ordered the Soup Dumplings @ RM7 (for 3 pcs) as well as I needed my order to be above RM15 to be entitled to RM2 off from delivery.  Yeah, ShopeeFood delivery is no longer free (gone are the happy days!).  The best we can get now is RM2 off (with a minimum spend of RM15) for all restaurants (the RM4 delivery voucher you can see but can't touch as it's only applicable to selected restaurants).

The dumplings turned out to be very plump and meaty (so were the soup wantans) and you can clearly see that the filling had chopped prawns inside (along with minced pork, finely diced jicama and carrots).

I found that the texture of the wantan mee was cooked to my liking, not overly soft but firm to the bite.  I also liked that this wantan mee was slightly thicker than the norm as I don't really like those overly thin (or, worst still, wavy) type of wantan mee.

The only thing I didn't like was the taste of the soup which I found to be a bit too peppery.  It wasn't like the hot peppery taste of (say) pig stomach soup (that I love) resulting from white peppercorns but the peppery taste comes from ground white pepper which is different (and too much of it isn't all that nice).

My Personal Opinion

I'm glad to have found another very worthy wantan mee as an alternative in case I want a different tasting wantan mee from my usual neighbourhood's regular shop (or when the stall owner decides to go on a long break like recently).  In food (as well as in life), it's good to have a back-up plan or a few back-up plans...lol).

Of the 4 types of wantan mee I've tried (they offer a 5th type - curry chicken wantan mee), the BBQ pork ribs is at the top of my list for its deliciously fragrant and well caramelised pork ribs followed by the very tender but lean char siew.

This place is now a regular go-to wantan mee delivery for us....even when my neighbourhood wantan mee stall is now back in action.  When one door closes (even temporarily), I guess another opens.....lol! ^.^

Lam Kee Wantan Mee

No 30 Jalan Bunga Tanjung 10-A

Taman Seraya

Cheras

56100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-648 1266

Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal @ Sri Petaling

With a name like Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal @ Sri Petaling (that one can hardly pronounce), it sounds like an authentic Korean BBQ already (I'm assuming it is since it's run by Koreans).

Although I really enjoy eating any type of BBQ (be it western, Japanese or Korean), I don't enjoy the heat associated with a BBQ experience.  That's because when we have Korean BBQ, most of us would choose a BBQ over hot coals to gas or electric for a better charred flavour imparted by charcoal.  The intense heat from the coals can really get to me even when the place is air-conditioned.

So, for once, we decided to try a Korean BBQ that uses an electric grill pan hoping for a more comfortable dining experience (without a free sauna...kekeke!).  Moreover, 3 things attracted us....the words "unlimited" and "refillable" (on their signboard) and the "attractive price" of RM29.90+ per pax (drinks not included).  We had Iced Korean Green Tea @ RM1.50 each (other choices include other flavoured teas, orange juice, soft drink, Korean beers and liquors like soju & rice wine).

Not long after we were seated (be early at dinner time if you want to secure a table immediately as there's usually a long queue during weekends), the banchan arrived.  I certainly wasn't expecting a variety of 10 types of banchan.  The quantity of each banchan given is based on the number of pax (it was just the two of us for dinner this time).  It may seem little here but know they're all refillable (refills are done by the servers).

Stir-Fried Potatoes (soft & tasty)

Seasoned Cucumber (well seasoned & crunchy)

Peanuts with Sweet Sauce (this was good, fresh, fragrant & sweetish...my son's favourite)

Soft Tofu with Korean Soy Sauce (very refreshing, nice tasting soy)

Stir-Fried Sausage (this is the same sausage in the meat platter except this one is coated in sauce)

Stir-Fried Green (or Long) Beans

Seasoned Radish (nice crunchy bite)

Korean-Style Hard-Boiled Egg (I've always enjoyed soy-marinated eggs)

Pickled Radish (this was excellent...not tart, not sweet, just very juicy and so thinly sliced...my favourite)

And, of course, Homemade Kimchi (ah, I finally found a palatable kimchi!)

There were also side dishes given.

Kimchi Pancake (this I didn't like)

Vegetable Basket of Green Coral (or Lettuce), Onions, Garlic & Green Chillies

Then came the meats.  You basically get 3 types of non-marinated meats of Pork Belly (sam gyeob sal), Pork Shoulder Loin (mok sal) and Sausages (so sae ji) and 2 types of marinated meats.

Marinated Pork (yang nyeom dwae ji go gi)

Spicy Marinated Chicken (dak gal bi)

For the non-marinated meats, you cook them on the cast iron grill.  Note that the meats come frozen, so it takes a bit more time to cook them.

As they defrost and cook, water seeps out from the meats, so make sure you scrape away the water (and discard it into the openings you find on the grill pan), otherwise your meats will boil/steam and you won't get a nice charring.

After we realised that, the meats achieved a better charring.  The pork shoulder loin is lean, so expect it to be a little on the dry side and chewy.  The pork belly (as usual) turned out the best (coz fat is flavour!) with a fragrant, smoky, charred finish and taste.  The so sae ji (so cute lah this pronunciation by Koreans) taste like any commercialised hotdogs.

And don't forget to grill the condiments of onions, garlic and chillies too.  The onions were especially good after grilling...soft, charred and sweet....and the addition of grilled garlic and chillies further perked up the taste of the grilled meats.

As for the marinated meats, you're supposed to put them on a piece of waxed, non-stick brown paper provided on a section of the grill pan.  This is to ensure that the marinade doesn't stick on the pan and blacken the whole grill pan.

When I first saw this method of cooking, I thought the marinated pork won't achieve the desired grilled marks seeing that they weren't in direct contact with the grill/heat but I was sadly mistaken.  As you can see from the photo, the grill marks were evidently achievable.

The same applied to the spicy marinated chicken.  They were well marinated and tasty but note that they use chicken breast.  I suppose breast meat is much easier to prep without the arduous task of removing the bones if other parts of the chicken were used.

This All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ also comes with unlimited ramyeon (Korean spicy instant noodles).  I really enjoyed this piping hot noodles and, not to worry, it isn't spicy.  I could see that this was a favourite with the patrons as many tables ordered refills (even a couple next to us ordered a second helping).  We were tempted too but didn't want to stuff ourselves with the noodles.

Of all the meats, we enjoyed the pork belly the most.  It tasted extremely good especially when wrapped in lettuce with a slice of pickled radish with the lettuce providing the freshness and the radish the juiciness.  I'm actually not fond of wrapping stuff in lettuce (like how some would eat sang choy bow, jiu hu char and arrowhead with pork belly in red fermented beancurd paste) and I've never eaten Korean BBQ this way (though I see it commonly done by most patrons).  I was already feeling full towards the end and there was still some meat left, so I finally experimented eating it this way and found it to be really good.  I think the extremely juicy pickled radish was the reason why I loved it as it took away the meatiness of the pork belly. It was so refreshing it opened up my appetite and I found myself able to eat a bit more than my usual quota!

Unlike other Korean BBQs, there's only one dip offered here...a bean paste chilli-type dip to go with your meats.  I don't really like nor need any dip unless it's my favourite sesame oil + salt dip.

The pickled radish was so good I thought they should bottle it and sell....and indeed they do (RM10 a bottle) along with their peanuts with sweet sauce (RM13) for those who can't get enough of these.  I think their homemade kimchi and seasoned cucumber are also for sale.  I was very tempted to get a bottle of pickled radish to take home but decided against it in the end since anything pickled means there'd be sugar to balance out the tartness.

Dining time is limited to 2 hours which is more than sufficient for a fulfilling meal.  You won't believe it when I tell you that we could probably be the only diners who didn't ask for any refills of anything! :O  When the price charged is so reasonable, we don't need to stuff ourselves silly just to get our money's worth...and that allows us to eat in moderation which is good! ^_~

My Personal Opinion

This is one Korean BBQ we know we'll be returning to for its decent taste, super reasonable price (when other places easily cost twice as much) and pretty comfortable dining experience.

Of course, because of the lower price point of around RM30 per person, the meat choices are limited and the quality isn't the greatest but judge it based on what they offer for that price and I believe it's excellent value for money with unlimited refills of everything from delicious ramyeon to pretty decent meats to 10 types of tasty banchan (but no to the kimchi pancake).  I don't think one can ask for anything more for that price! ^_~

On the way home, we were already making plans for our next visit.....and I already know what I want to focus on (or refilled...there'll be second helpings for sure when my husband comes along!)...the pork belly, pickled radish, ramyeon, vegetable basket (more lettuce for wraps and grill more onions, garlic & chillies) and some of the other banchan too (tofu, hard-boiled eggs and sugar-coated peanuts). ^o^

Don Dwae Ji Sam Gyeob Sal

No 91 77 Jalan Radin Tengah

Bandar Baru Sri Petaling

57000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-9056 2573