Ming Kee Cantonese @ Jalan Imbi

My husband suggested Ming Kee Cantonese @ Jalan Imbi for dinner one evening coz he has been having his meals there rather regularly of late (like twice a week) coz it offers such great value for money, he said.

Ming Kee has many branches, some are known as Ming Kee (or MK) Porridge while others are listed as Ming Kee Cantonese.  I believe they were known for their porridge when they first started out but has now expanded their menu to serve more than just porridge.  You can find them in PJ SS2, Bukit Jalil, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Kepong Menjalara and Balakong Cheras besides the one in Imbi (sometimes referred to as Ming Kee TRX).

Seeing that this is Imbi and the restaurant is located just beside the road (along the same row as the well-known Imbi Road Fried Hokkien Mee or "once used to be good but now caters mainly to tourists due to its proximity to TRX?"), parking can be challenging.  Those not afraid of getting a summon will just park next to the road, otherwise find parking along the lorong-lorong or alleyways.

Entering the air-conditioned restaurant, I found it to be bright, clean, spacious, comfortable and just aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  I noticed a staircase too, so the restaurant spans two floors.

I'm guessing their signature dish must be porridge (from their name) and roasted meats...even though only the roast ducks were on display (it was dinner time already).  I reckon you can see all the glorious roasted meats on full display earlier on in the day. ^_~

My husband wanted me to try the food here coz he feels the price vs portion is very good value.  His favourite + usual order is this Roasted Duck Rice @ RM12.20 served with braised egg and vegetables of bok choy and radish (this didn't taste like radish to me coz the texture was chewy instead of crunchy but my husband was told it's radish!).

Like me, my husband prefers duck breast.  Just look at the portion of thick slices of duck breast for the price of RM12.20 (!)...and it comes with a whole braised egg some more.  I don't think you can get a better deal elsewhere (and you get to eat this in comfort too).  It's like the price of a plate of chap fan in a coffee shop, he said.  By the way, a whole duck here costs RM70 (for those of you who can devour a whole duck *wink wink*)!

My son went for the 2-Combo Rice (with Char Siew & Siu Yuk) @ RM18.80 and it was similarly served with a braised egg and vegetables.  The colour on the hard-boiled egg is an indication that the egg has been braised beautifully.

As for the char siew, it arrived looking the part with well caramelised edges and a good ratio between fat and lean.  I taste tested one piece and thought it was well balanced between savoury and sweet with a very tender mouthfeel.

I chose the 2-Combo Noodle (with Roasted Duck & Siu Yuk) @ RM18.80 simply because char siew is something I'm trying to avoid and eat less of.  My plate was filled with 5 thick slices of duck breast that were indeed moist and super tender to the bite (but don't expect crispy skin ya) though I felt the meat could do with a bit more flavour.  Overall, an above average roasted duck and I can see why my husband is smitten with it.

The half lean, half fat siu yuk I had was decent too with crispy skin still (even though it was dinner time already).  The cut may not be the best (in my eyes) coz I like my siu yuk in shorter pieces which is the best cut I feel for that crunchy skin to meat ratio.  My husband says the one he eats in SS2 usually comes in a shorter cut unlike the one here.  If the cut is like this, I'd rather have the char siew over the siu yuk.

I enjoyed the texture of the noodles and the sauce it was tossed in was pleasant too with the fragrance of pork lard oil and some pork lard crisps.

I ordered a bowl of Shrimp Wantan Soup @ RM16.90 (to share) which came in a robust soup base that's probably flavoured with dried flounder shavings with a sprinkling of shrimp roe powder on top.  It's something like those you get at Mak's Chee.

The bowl had 5 big wantans that were filled with a sizeable whole prawn cut in two (with a bit of minced pork) which were reassuringly fresh, juicy and sweet tasting.  I thought the wantans were excellent.

I also ordered an appetiser in the form of a Smacked Cucumber Salad @ RM8.30 (not sure why they called it smacked...lol), something refreshing to start our meal.  I thought it'd be similar to those served in Taiwanese restaurants like Din Tai Fung.

Unfortunately, though the cucumber sticks were crunchy as they should be, it was too garlicky, the minced fresh garlic was way too pungent...and there was something else that was overpowering too, I think it was either the Chinese wine or vinegar (used in the pickling of the cucumber)! >_<  I had to ask for it to be packed (coz no-one would help me eat it) but, even then, I had to throw it away as I could not stomach it either at home.

Our plate of greens for sharing was this Dry Fried Four Seasons Beans @ RM17 (such a fancy name, four seasons beans, otherwise known as green beans lah), a popular vegetable dish I find on the menu of many restaurants.  This one was aptly executed though not quite up to the standards of the one we love in Esquire Kitchen.

The only difference with this one is that they've added Chinese mushrooms (and a bit of red chillies) to the green beans fried with minced pork.  I also had to tapau the unfinished portion into my container, not because I over ordered but because I underestimated how filling the portions of our noodle/rice dishes were.

Our drinks of a rather refreshing Cantonese Fruit Tea (Cold) @ RM6 and Hot Ginger Tea @ RM4.90.  I ordered ginger tea thinking it'd probably be the less sweet option but it turned out otherwise (even though it was thickly ginger flavoured), so my husband had to finish it for me.  For those who appreciate their utensils sanitised and served immersed in hot water, they'd be happy to know you get that here.

My Personal Opinion

In the end, I thought all the roasted meats were more than decent taking into consideration the price and portion...though for once, I can't say one was better than the other.  They also offer boiled (or poached) and soya sauce chicken on their menu besides a rather interesting option for duck...black truffle duck (which can only be ordered whole or half).  Not to forget an order of soup wantans (which were especially good with whole prawns) to go with your rice or noodles.

For the price, portion and taste (as well as the comfortable dining environment), this is a good choice to include in your list of roasted meats places to eat in.  It certainly will be ours.  The next time I'm here, I'd probably want to try their porridge which is their speciality.

A word of caution, however, is that I noticed not all branches have similar good ratings...so choose the branch you want to eat in wisely...lol!  The branch we ate in happens to have the highest ratings, so I can vouch for the taste (since I tried it) and the SS2 branch that my husband has his weekday meals regularly.

Ming Kee Cantonese

No 19 Jalan Barat

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2110 5501

Wizards at Tribeca @ Jalan Imbi

I've been reading quite a few reviews on this place lately from the food blogs I follow.  And finally when a newspaper write-up appeared in The Star, it hastened my desire to try out the place...sooner rather than later.

The place I'm referring to is Wizards at Tribeca @ Jalan Imbi.  This barely two-month old cafe (opened in mid-January) is located on the lobby level of Tribeca Bukit Bintang, a luxury serviced residence in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Knowing that Wizards at Tribeca is opened by the same people behind Yellow Brick Road and The Red Beanbag and reassured by the standard of food at both places, I needed no convincing to visit their new cafe.

Enroute to the cafe, I second-guessed myself and thought it was probably a bad idea as I made my way here on the very Saturday the article appeared in The Star.  Based on the good reviews, I expected the place to be crowded based on my experience with their previous two cafes where queuing for a seat was commonplace.

So, imagine my surprise to find no crowd whatsoever at peak dinner time on a Saturday...yay!  Perhaps, the place is new and still under the radar or their peak time is earlier in the day since they're more well-known as a brunch cafe.

Walking in, I was immediately taken in by the interior straight away...with loads of natural light filtering in through the floor to ceiling glass walls.  It has a classier vibe than its predecessors (Yellow Brick Road & Red Beanbag) but welcoming at the same time with its understated elegance. 

Love the green aspects with the potted and hanging plants.  It reminded me somewhat of Botanica + Co, especially the printed (paper) table mats, but with a little less spaciousness and lush greenery.

The cafe has four distinctive well-thought out sections...the front area with high chairs and tables for coffees and quick bites possibly, the middle section with tables-for-four and two larger tables with sofas for a more laid-back dining, the back section with seating to accommodate bigger groups and a small al fresco area.

The Brunch Menu of 'egg-centric' dishes is available from 10am - 6pm with pizzas, soups & salad, pasta & grains and burgers & sandwiches and desserts offered from 12pm - 10pm.  A limited Dinner Menu is introduced from 6pm.

One item from the Brunch Menu that's available all day is the Wizards Foie Gras Brioche @ RM44...whoopee..for which I was already eyeing.  Foie gras is kinda an acquired taste, I think, and you have to truly be a lover of liver to enjoy foie gras.  Well, I love chicken liver and I love pork liver, so I guess I love duck liver too...hihihi! ^_~

This well seared foie gras was served with crispy beef bacon on top of a fluffy brioche (I wished there was more bread) with creamy duxelle mushrooms and a mixed berries reduction.  Many will say that the portion is small but I think it was a generously thick slice of foie gras for the price.

Plus, you don't really need a big portion coz it's so rich and buttery....made richer by the duxelle mushrooms in a very creamy sauce.  It's so rich you can share...yes (you heard right)...share...a little goes a long way. All you need is just a little to give you that heavenly satisfaction.  I would have liked to see a bit more greens to cut through the richness of the foie gras though.

After a rich dish like that, I was glad I ordered a salad...which I don't normally do when eating out.  I guess there was one thing in the salad that was calling me to "mari" (come), aptly named Cala-Mari @ RM28.

It's a salad filled with herb crusted squid rings, pomegranate seeds and thinly sliced red radish and tossed in a champagne vinaigrette.  Visually, the salad was very appealing and the colours truly popped with its vibrant red and green.

I tasted thyme in the crunchy herb crust along with probably parsley, chilli flakes and some other herbs while the squid rings were tender with a crisp crust.

I have to say this was one of the freshest salads I have eaten.  The crisp greens were at its optimum freshness with the crunchy sliced radish and burst of sweetness from the pomegranate seeds.  The light and fresh taste of the champagne vinegar made this a genuinely refreshing salad to eat.  No regrets ordering a salad for once! ;)

Our other dish was the Sally Bowles @ RM32 from the Pasta & Grains section featuring a tataki salmon rice bowl with avocado, pickled cucumber, seaweed and onsen egg.

The salmon, done tataki style, was fresh and raw in the centre with lightly charred sides for a smoky aftertaste.  This is almost like a poke bowl in terms of taste and texture with the onsen egg coating the rice grains together with a light drizzle of mayo and wasabi (wished they had mentioned about the wasabi upfront as it isn't something that everyone likes).

With their excellent coffees at Yellow Brick Road and Red Beanbag, the coffees at Wizards should be nothing short of great too...and my Iced White Coffee @ RM13 was just that.

If the Fresh Orange Juice @ RM16 looked like it wasn't filled to the brim...well, that was because we asked for less ice. :P

If there was something I wasn't so thrilled about....wait, hold your horses, it's not the food nor the ambience, it would be the parking at Tribeca Residences.  You see, they use this two level parking system (that I detest).  The space is tight and inconvenient for getting in and out of your car (watch your head if you're a tall person!)...and, worst still, the per entry rate is RM8 on a Saturday night :(

My Personal Opinion

From what I've tried so far, I don't know what wizardry they used but they've magically got themselves yet another sure-fire winner! ^.^

I'm sure I'll be back....perhaps earlier the next time to savour their breakfast and brunch items.

Wizards at Tribeca

Ground Floor

Tribeca Residences

Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2715 5308

Revisit: Win Heng Seng (Sarawak Laksa) @ Jalan Imbi

I  made a return to this place, Restoran Win Heng Seng @ Jalan Imbi, just to try the Sarawak Laksa one morning.  I've tried quite a few of the stalls already (you can read my previous post here).

This place is always packed to the brim (during breakfast and lunch times) with some locals and quite a fair bit of tourists (from nearby hotels), so be prepared to pay slightly more premium prices compared to other kopitiams.

I ordered a mixture of meehoon/mee for my Sarawak Laksa @ RM7 (RM8 for big) which came filled with shredded chicken, 4 medium-sized prawns, "char siew" (barbequed pork), bean sprouts and a sprinkling of chopped spring onions served with a sambal paste and half a lime.  Of course, the mee used is unlike our yellow mee but similar to their kolok mee.

The char siew wasn't like the ones with the usual reddish hue I've come to expect but was instead a darker shade of red (like our char siew) and the pieces were fatty...but not in a good way!  Also, it seems to be missing the shredded omelette.  I've never had a good Sarawak Laksa that I truly enjoyed as I've never found the powdery spice taste to be an attraction.  I've eaten too few Sarawak Laksa to be an authority on this noodle and I've not eaten a good one to use as a yardstick to compare other Sarawak Laksa with....but I know this isn't a bowl I'd want again! >.<

My spouse went with the Curry Laksa @ RM8 that had slices of char siew, eggplant, "tau fu pok" (bean curd puffs) and potato.  The curry laksa is usually served with poached chicken which my spouse substituted with char siew.  At first glance, the laksa looked promising and the broth did have some flavour...but, ultimately, the laksa broth was too watery to be good.

The last time I had the Teochew Char Kway Teow (sorry, no pic), I remembered it to be dry with good "wok hei" but I got neither this time.  The noodles were wet and I found only 4 tiny miserable cockles and no prawns...yeah, not a single prawn!  I'm not sure if it's because the hawker fried a few plates at one time and most of the ingredients ended up on another plate instead (maybe that's why the noodles were wetter too). What was even worse was that the price went up by RM1 (from last year).  RM7 is a mighty high price to pay for a plate of char kway teow with almost non-existent ingredients! >:(

On our way out (after our breakfast), I just had to "tapau" (pack) some "siew pau" (baked barbeque buns) from the stall in the front of the shop well known for their egg tarts and siew pau, of course....and there's always a queue if you want to get your hands on these goodies.  As usual, there were no siew pau left and I was told I had to wait 20 minutes.  I thought 20 minutes was reasonable, so I ordered 5 pcs of siew pau @ RM1.80 each. However, my wait turned out longer than the expected 20 minutes...it was more than half an hour.  If I had known, I wouldn't have waited, so I queried as to why I was given an incorrect waiting time.  They said that, if a fresh batch of siew pau goes into the oven, the process takes 45 minutes and since there was already a tray in the oven when I made an order, they estimated it to take around 20 minutes (which they were wrong, of course).  While waiting, I saw 3 trays of egg tarts come out and served to waiting customers coz one tray takes only 15 minutes to bake I was told.  So, lesson learnt...you probably wouldn't want to wait if they're putting a fresh tray of siew pau to bake or better order first before you have your breakfast in the shop (but they're also very disorganised and systemless when it comes to taking orders (so your orders might still get mixed up)! :P

Since I already waited for so long, I decided to up my quantity to 10 pcs to make up for the long wait time I had to endure.  Now the funny thing was, I've eaten this siew pau on numerous occasions but I usually buy 2 - 3 pcs (along with other tarts) and I'd get them packed in a plastic bag.  Because I wanted 10 pcs this time, they packed it into a box for me.

It was only then that I realised that the siew pau I've been eating is the famous Empayar Seremban Siew Pow that I've seen many blogs and people raving about as their preferred Seremban siew pau (to the other brands found in Seremban).

I've always thought the siew pau here was their own version since they've 'advertised' it as just siew pau and I've never seen the word Seremban associated with the word siew pau at their stall.  Well, now I know! @_@

This Seremban siew pau is much flatter in shape than the usual more rounded ones.  I like that it has a thinner, crispier pastry with a good amount of char siew filling that's juicy and slightly sweet.  So good!  And if you have to wait a long time for it, tapau more (like me) and put the unfinished pieces in the fridge.  Just reheat in a toaster oven the next day and it'll taste 99% like it was fresh from the oven! :D

I didn't get any egg tarts this time (check my previous post on some of the goodies from this stall), just two tuna tarts @ RM1 each.  Their flaked tuna filling is mashed with cooked peas, carrots and onions.

My Personal Opinion

After this visit to try the Sarawak Laksa, this could well be my last trip to this coffee shop since the only decent noodles here are the "sam kan chong" (pork ball + roasted pork sausage) and pork noodles.  At higher than usual prices (because of the many tourists who throng this place), I can get just as good, if not better, sam kan chong and pork noodles elsewhere...and at cheaper prices too!  In fact, all the noodles at the other coffee shop in this vicinity, Mei Sin, are loads better (and cheaper) than this one.

Suffice to say that if I do revisit, it'll primarily be for the egg tarts and siew pau only...but even these, I don't have to come all the way here as I can get them from their Taman Muda stall.

Restoran Win Heng Seng

183 Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Imbi Market @ Imbi

It may have been more than 10 years since I last visited.  It was certainly nostalgic when I made a comeback to Pasar Baru Bukit Bintang, otherwise more commonly known as Imbi Market @ Imbi.  More so when I read in the papers (some time back) that this morning market will be relocated to a seven-storey complex behind Pudu Plaza to make way for the ongoing development of the Tun Razak Exchange.

Slated to move soon (2016 or 2017?...exactly when, who knows).....I thought I better make a trip (or trips) here for my blog before it's gone!  Stepping into the market, I noticed quite a few "ang mohs" (foreign tourists) which isn't surprising since the market has been featured on Lonely Planet (including numerous good reviews on TripAdvisor).  Well, they say the best way to sample a country's food is through its markets, right?

Interestingly, that was exactly what I saw....a foreigner engrossed in taking photos of a plate of chee cheong fun (rice noodle rolls) at none other than the famous Ah Fook Chee Cheong Fun stall to be exact!  It was then that I noticed he wasn't alone....he had a celebrity chef with him.  It was Luke Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Australian chef whom I first got to know from the MasterChef Australia series and later through his own television series, Luke Nguyen's Vietnam and Greater Mekong.  I'm not sure what he was doing here (he wasn't filming as there weren't any film crew), maybe he's scouting for future shoots as he loves street food! ;)

So, Luke Nguyen aside, let's get to this famous chee cheong fun stall that also sells yong tau foo, shall we? They have all sorts of yong tau foo...white tofu, tofu puffs, brinjal, bitter gourd, yau char kwai (fried Chinese crullers), chillies, ladies fingers, long beans, four angle beans, fried fu chuk (bean curd sheets), fish and meat balls.

But, it's their signature thin fu chuk pieces filled with a mixture of pork, fish paste and prawns and lots of "yin sai" (Chinese parsley) that are highly popular here.  It was definitely my most favourite item as I can taste the fragrant chopped coriander inside.

Here's my plate of chee cheong fun with 6 pcs of yong tau foo @ RM10 in curry sauce with one portion of chee cheong fun, meat ball, brinjal, red chilli, yau char kwai and 2 pcs of fried fu chuk.  The chee cheong fun are those with dried prawns and spring onions in them.

This stall has one of the longest queues here though the chee cheong fun wasn't the best tasting one I've had. The yong tau foo and curry sauce were also just ok for me.  But there's certainly no denying that the fried crispy pieces of fu chuk were outstanding...and different (from the ones we get at other yong tau foo stalls). I think I'll just stick to these only the next time I'm here.

The other stall we tried was another famous name, Ann Nasi Lemak, that has appeared in many foodie websites and lists as one of the Top Ten Nasi Lemak to try.

Since this is a Chinese-style nasi lemak, expect to find pork among its choices.  This plate of Nasi Lemak with Chicken & Pork Skin Curry @ RM10.50 was very good.

The pork skin curry is highly sought after...and I can see why.  Not commonly offered at other Chinese-style nasi lemak stalls, the pork skin was cooked till really tender and the curry sauce was delicious.  The curry chicken was equally tender in a similar tasting curry.

Our other plate was the Nasi Lemak with Sambal Squid & Minced Pork @ RM9.  Again, we enjoyed the tender squid cooked in sambal.

But it was the minced pork, fried with dried prawns and chillies (I was told), that we relished eating the most. I reckon the prices are on the higher side since I took two types of dishes for each plate of nasi lemak.

When it comes to drinks, you have to get your fix from none other than Ah Weng Koh Hainan Tea who is highly reputed for their Hainan tea, an aromatic mixture of coffee and tea, hot or cold.  My glass of Cold Hainan Tea @ RM2.20 was frothy and nice but can't remember if it was as nice as when I had it more than 10 years ago! :P  Even my spouse, who doesn't drink coffee, seems to like this one.

I walked around a bit after breakfast and came upon a nyonya kuih stall and bought some for home. The Nyonya Kuih @ RM2 a box, however, was no where near good.  The kuih lapis texture was a bit tough. The red bean with santan and the kuih bingka ubi kayu with gula melaka were slightly more edible.

The kuih talam tasted like pandan flavoured kuih kosui instead, probably due to the high concentration of alkaline water (I think, which I tasted) and the texture was very chewy.  I couldn't bring myself to finish these kuih and they ended up in the bin >.<

My Personal Opinion

I did enjoy Ann's Nasi Lemak and Ah Fook's crispy fu chuk very much....but be forewarned that the prices here are somewhat steeper than your usual breakfast joints offering the same kind of food elsewhere.  That's because it's frequented by lots of tourists, I think, though locals do eat here as well...but be prepared for the heat and humidity of eating in a place like this (think of it as free sauna) >.<

Since there are lots more food to try here (and to put on my blog before the market moves away one day), I will definitely be back.....hopefully soon! ;)

Pasar Baru Bukit Bintang 

(Bukit Bintang Wet Market or Imbi Market)

Imbi, Kuala Lumpur