Soo Kee (Ipoh Kai See Hor Fun) @ Seapark PJ

Ipoh sar hor fun is one of my favourite soup noodles to eat and I've been eating it regularly at a shop in Taman Shamelin near me.  My spouse, who has never liked soup noodles, decided to try one day after noticing me eating it religiously every time I'm there.  Since this place offers kai si hor fun in dry-style, he has a newfound love for this noodle though the default (and best) way to eat this should be in soup.

And because of this, I can now walk into a shop dedicated to serving Ipoh sar hor fun only (which I wasn't able to do previously...but, of course, I had to check if they serve the dry-style version first). ^_~  So that brought us to Soo Kee @ Seapark PJ, a very old (and established) name when it comes to Ipoh sar hor fun (or shredded chicken kuey teow)...but the shop is old and dated (as evidenced by the very worn out signboard), not the most conducive place to eat.

Anyway, let's start with a bowl of their signature Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun in soup which came with the usual ingredients of kai see (shredded chicken), prawn wontons, gow choy (Chinese chives) and a sprinkling of fried shallots (unfortunately store-bought).

The hor fun isn't the thin, slippery smooth and transparent like the Ipoh sar hor fun I've come to know.  Their version of kueh teow isn't as thin and tends to clump together with a starchier feel.

As for the taste of the soup, it was fairly flavourful but lacking the aroma and sweetness that I seek...plus it was also missing that lovely fragrant prawn oil.  The key to a good bowl of Ipoh kai see hor fun is in the soup base and the overall taste was just off for me.  

They offer the dry-style here which my spouse ordered, of course.  I don't know how the dark sauce fared but it looked too oily and in great abundance at a glance.  I didn't need to try as my spouse said it wasn't anything like the one he eats at our usual Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun stall.

Both the dry-style and soup versions came with five prawn wontons, a good and generous number indeed.

The single prawn inside wasn't a very big one though they were fresh and firm but not exactly all that sweet-tasting.

Perhaps the glory days of this well-known Ipoh sar hor hun are over.  It's certainly nowhere near some of the good ones I've eaten thus far.  Heck, I even have two unassuming kai see hor fun stalls in my housing area (like the one above) that I'd rather have although the broth could be better.

Even though they don't come with prawn wontons, they have prawns to make up for it and this other one (at least) tastes better than Soo Kee's.

As with any kai si hor fun shop, they're touted to serve good poached chicken and fat, crunchy beansprouts as well.  Since there were only two of us, I ordered an extra plate of poached chicken (for one pax) to share...and asked for my favourite cut of kai yee tou (chicken thigh).

I didn't enjoy this poached chicken (for 3 reasons) even though I must admit that the chicken was smooth and tender.  1)  I didn't like was that it was drenched in thick oyster sauce (which was too salty as well) that drowned out and overpowered the taste of the chicken itself.  I'd much rather have a sauce made with a good quality light soy, maybe with a bit of fried garlic and garlic oil.  2)  The chicken felt cold.  I read some reviews that say it's served chilled (it makes no sense to serve it chilled when it's usually accompanied by a bowl of hot noodles or rice)...but yet it wasn't cold enough to be categorised as chilled either (yet it wasn't quite room temperature).  I don't know how to describe it.  Maybe it's because the chicken parts were left sitting exposed as they were all chopped up beforehand (that's what I saw when I walked in and some parts looked too bloody).  3)  The chicken wasn't deboned.  I'm not expecting for the chicken to be totally deboned but I was expecting some parts to be deboned (especially the main drumstick and thigh bone) as it's usually done by most chicken rice stalls.

I don't know the individual prices of what we ate but the total bill came to RM29 for the two of us (probably about RM10 for a bowl of noodles) with a glass of Chinese tea.

I also read about the proprietors temperament (a mother-and-son team) of shouting with one another on a daily basis.  That was after I went to their shop (if I had known beforehand, I'd probably have chosen not to go).  Thank goodness I didn't witness any such altercation on my visit.

My Personal Opinion

Since this is such an old name specialising in Ipoh sar hor fun, perhaps the standard isn't as good as they were back then.  Nothing from the hor fun to the soup base to the prawn wontons to the poached chicken I cared for really.  The environment of an old and dated shop with a slightly dark and not-so-clean interior didn't help it one bit.

In the end, it's not a kai see hor fun I'd want to eat again! >_<  Why would I....when I have a much, much better one nearer me in Taman Shamelin and a fairly decent one right in my neighbourhood. ^_~

Restoran Soo Kee

33 Jalan SS21/17

Seapark

46300 Petaling Jaya

Selangor

Tel: 03-7876 7736

Hoe Fong Chicken Rice @ Seapark PJ

I don't know how long Restoran Hoe Fong Chicken Rice @ Seapark PJ has been around but it has been around for a really long time (at least 3 decades old I read somewhere).  Even the signboard looks mighty old and faded.

My spouse has eaten here countless times (mostly when at work) but I was introduced to it only recently.

The first time I tried this chicken rice was as a take-away.  I liked it enough to come back for another visit, this time a dine-in.

If you're looking for the usual roasted chicken, you won't find it here.  Their speciality is fried chicken rice though they also offer poached chicken.  I don't know the individual prices of what we had and I vaguely remember how much the total meal was (probably around RM35+ with two drinks and a packet of poached chicken rice).  You can have a fair idea of the prices from the list displayed at the shop.

My spouse ordered a whole Fried Chicken Leg (thigh + drumstick) with two plates of rice (RM14?). You can see the chicken is freshly fried on site at the front of the shop.  Their signature chicken is fried without any batter and it was fried whole which made me think that the chicken must have been pre-cooked before hand (maybe not the whole way through) as the chickens hanging at the shop do look that way (before being fried). Plus it'll just take too long to deep-fry the entire chicken without the meat getting dry.  The fried chicken thigh was served with a drizzle of light soy underneath.

The standout for me was the savoury chicken skin.  It was nicely crisp and thin, and (more importantly) without any visible fat underneath.  This crispy chicken skin is possible because they flash fry the chicken again when an order is made.

Although this was fried chicken, the meat was opposite of dry.  Not only was the meat moist and tender, it had flavour too which made me think that maybe this is not the ordinary "yuk kai" (broiler chickens).  It tasted more like "choi yin kai" ("village" or "kampung" chicken) although this cannot be confirmed since I didn't ask the shop owner nor was this mentioned in any of the blogs I read about the place.  Irrespective of what chicken they used, this was a good fried chicken! ^o^

Besides fried chicken, we added on a side order of Fried Chicken Liver (don't know how many pieces they gave us) and three pieces of Penang Lobak @ RM1.70/pc to perk up our chicken rice meal further.

Their accompaniment of Fried Chicken Liver was rather unusual too as I've not come across fried chicken liver being offered by chicken rice stalls as they'd be just boiled.  The chicken livers achieved a nice crust on the outside but still tender on the inside.  I can only get fried liver from Malay mixed rice stalls (or nasi lemak stalls) but those are always so over-fried that they're usually very hard.

The Penang Lobak was a winner too.  I really liked that they had nice crispy edges.  This was certainly one of the better Penang Lobak I've come across, I told my husband, only for him to burst my bubble by saying that he had seen the lobak coming out straight from a packet and fried.  Prepackaged lobak?  Not house-made?  I'll never know for sure...unless I'm brave enough to ask the owner! ;P  It'll probably go something like this, "Hey, boss, the lobak is not made by you?  It's commercially prepared lobak?"  I can just imagine the consequences.....wuahahahaha! :D  But if I know the brand, I sure wouldn't mind getting some to cook at home.

Besides these two fried sides, you can also order a dish of blanched beansprouts to accompany your chicken rice meal.

The rice was alright.

It was great eaten with condiments of house-made chilli sauce (a bit more fiery than the usual ones I've tried) and minced ginger (not often seen or given at chicken rice stalls).

I also wanted to try their Poached Chicken to see how it fared against the fried chicken, so I opted for a take-away box to be eaten later.  The tender poached chicken was just as good.  Again, there was flavour in the meat.  If this is not choi yin kai, then it must be from a supplier of good tasting chicken (I was once told by a chicken rice seller, when I mistook his chicken for choi yin kai, that he uses chicken specifically from Bukit Mertajam).  I usually don't eat the skin of poached chicken but I ate this one as it was almost devoid of any fat.

My Personal Opinion

If you're hankering for fried chicken rice, instead of the usual roasted chicken, this place would be a great option.  They seem to have mastered the art of deep-frying, not only with their fried chicken, but also the chicken liver and lobak.

Only setback is that the shop is old-looking and cleanliness is not tip-top as the floor is rather slippery from of all that grease and oil because of the deep-frying done at the front of the shop.

That aside, it does offer a good fried chicken rice.  So, walk carefully or just "tapau" (though I can't guarantee the fried chicken will stay crisp by the time you get home)! ;P

Restoran Hoe Fong Chicken Rice
No 25 Jalan 21/17 Seapark
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 016-276 1472

Revisit: Sun Fatt Kee @ Seapark PJ

I have blogged about this place twice, once for the Sisters' Curry Laksa (which is the more famous stall in this coffee shop) and the other for the lesser known stall selling Teochew Porridge.  I say 'lesser known stall' coz even the family seated next to us (who were having the more well-known curry laksa) kept looking over to our table to see what we were having.

 

We enjoyed the Teochew dishes here so much that we've been back to Restoran Sun Fatt Kee @ Seapark PJ numerous times in the past months...and the last two times we were here, we had rice instead of porridge.

 

Spread 1 - RM29 for 3 pax (with 7 dishes inclusive of rice)

 

Spread 2 - RM33 for 3 pax (with 8 dishes inclusive of rice)

 

As you can see, I tend to levitate towards the same few dishes each time I'm here coz they're our favourites.  So, here are the dishes we've had before that were highlighted in my previous post already.

 

Boiled Salted Vegetables...this is a 'must have' for that non-salty, ultra soft bite

 

Sweet & Sour Pork Chop....tender and sweet

 

Luncheon meat is already good....but Battered Luncheon Meat...doubly good ;)

Spicy 'La La' (Clams)...another 'must have' for its flavours of slightly salty (from the salted beans), slightly sweet, slightly spicy (from the dried chillies)....just awesome!

And here were the new dishes we tried, some of which were added on to our list of favourites as well! :D

 

Fried Cabbage with Dried Prawns...simple but nicely done

Fried "Lor Bak" (marinated minced pork roll)....decently made
 

The Assam Fish (ikan kembong or Indian mackerel) version here is different from the norm in that its sauce is not thick and robustly sour and spicy.  It was light and watery, almost soup like, but still tasty enough that you'd want to drink up every last drop of the sour and spicy broth.  The flesh of the ikan kembong was a bit firmer than I would have liked not due to the cooking but probably the quality of the fish itself that day.

 

The Curry Chicken was another well-received dish.  The chicken meat was so tender you don't even need to chew.  This was one case that even the breast meat was soft and acceptable.  I loved the soft potatoes in the thick curry broth too.

 

Another favourite of ours was this Stewed Pork & Eggs, so much so that my spouse grabbed one half of the stewed eggs before I could take the pic.  And since my mother-in-law wasn't with us this time, I could order the lean yet tender meat (and not the fatty parts that she likes).

 

My Personal Opinion

 

If you're looking for a variety of small plates with rice or porridge, this is one of those places.  And what's more.....it comes with a very decent price tag, around RM10 per person, for a meal that evokes memories of a tasty home-cooked meal just like our moms would make! ;-)

 

Definite 'must-haves' which you can't leave here without trying....the boiled salted vegetables (the best version I've come across so far) and the excellently done spicy la-la dish.
 

Restoran Sun Fatt Kee
2-28 Jalan 21/11B Seapark
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
 

Tong Fong (Curry Mee & Beef Noodles) @ Seapark PJ

Occupying a corner lot, Restoran Tong Fong @ Seapark PJ became our haunt for breakfast one Sunday morning. 

I came here wanting to try the Penang White Curry Mee and Beef Noodles that kyspeaks spoke fondly about.

First up, the curry mee.....and judging by the (still) new looking banner at the front entrance of the shop, I think this is probably a fairly new addition here.
 

This was my bowl of Penang White Curry Mee @ RM5.50 that came with shreds of chicken, brown cuttlefish strips, long beans, "tau fu pok" (bean curd puffs), bean sprouts, mint leaves, "see hum" (cockles)...and the undeniable coagulated pig's blood which is a true hallmark of a bowl of curry mee from the north.  The only thing missing was the prawns but it's understandable seeing the modest price they charge for a bowl.

The curry broth is slightly lighter, both in colour and taste (than the KL thick versions with a more concentrated chilli paste flavour), but still flavoursome nonetheless.  The see hum was fresh and juicy and I especially liked the sambal which was cooked to almost dry (I dunked all of it into the broth to crank up my curry...and wished there was more).  As for the coagulated pig's blood, some will probably "pengsan" (faint) at the sight of it as it's not something adored by many.  I, for one, don't hate it but I don't love it either...if it's there, I'll just eat it but if it's not there, it's fine too.  [#Note: If I had to choose one curry over the other, I definitely prefer KL's curry laksa which has a meatier and more pronounced savoury flavour in the broth.  But Penang's curry mee is still way ahead of Ipoh's version in terms of taste for me.]

We were also here to try the beef noodles.  My son's Beef Ball Mee (S) @ RM6.50 was the dry-styled noodles topped with dark pork (+beef?) mince.  Their homemade "taipu" (Hakka) noodles (that's what the name card he gave me said) were nice and springy and so were the beef balls.  When it comes to beef noodles, one comes to mind immediately and that's Soong Kee but so is another one in my neighbourhood, Restoran Yang Mooi, that dishes up an equally good one.

I also ordered "Lobak Ngau Lam" (Braised Sirloin with Radish) @ RM7 (small) for sharing.  This, as the signage said, is only available on weekends (Fridays - Sundays). 

The beef sirloin slices, together with bits of cartilage, were braised until super tender that you don't even need to chew, it just kinda melts in your mouth...it was very enjoyable!

 

I especially loved the white radish chunks which were super soft from braising in a rich stew like broth.  The broth was robust, thick and dark....and very beefy in flavour (and you can slurp it up if you want but may be a bit too savoury on its own).  The bowl of ngau lam was topped with some "daun sup" (Chinese celery) although I wouldn't mind an even heavier sprinkling of the herb.

All the prices are clearly listed out on a board, together with their menu of various forms of beef based + other noodles, including wantans and dumplings in soup.

When I approached the beef noodle stall to order, which incidentally has its own name...Restoran Yang Kee, the guy who was preparing the noodles looked rather familiar to me.  I asked if he had a stall in Jalan Peel and if he was also associated to Restoran Yang Mooi that sells the same type of noodles (the dead giveaway was the almost similar name).  He said he used to sell in Jalan Peel (but not anymore) and that his older brother runs the one in Pandan Indah (and now the Jalan Peel one as well).  Ahh....no wonder the noodles and ngau lam tasted freakishly familiar.  So, there you have it....both Yang Kee and Yang Mooi are related! ;)

My spouse ordered the chee cheong fun which I didn't take a photo of nor taste as it was not my intended 'target' for this visit.  It was not until I returned and stumbled upon the stall's facebook page that I found out that it's pretty famous too, having moved here from the now defunct Chow Yang Restaurant in SS2, where it used to operate for more than 30 years.  If it's the same one, it's certainly worth a try.

My Personal Opinion

Both the Penang White Curry Mee and Beef Noodles did meet my expectations and were certainly more than decent.

Those who like Penang's version of curry mee will certainly enjoy this although (personally) I'm still leaning more favourably towards KL's thicker, savoury version.

And for those who enjoys a very beefy taste in their beef, they should not miss out on the braised sirloin with radish....so tender, so good! :=)

Restoran Tong Fong
Jalan 21/17 Seapark
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 016-348 8141

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches @ Seapark PJ

After our earlier late brunch (at Morningwood), further lunch (at Fatbaby) and more munch (at Second Sunday)...and walking off what we ate (in a new but deserted mall).....believe it or not....we realised we could still 'stomach' some dinner (as we didn't go overboard with our orders at our earlier venues)!

 

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches @ Seapark PJ tickled our fancy when a member of the group suggested the place.  So, off we went to our fourth...and yes....*before you roll your eyes*...our final stop for the day (although we did lose a member of our team as she had to rush off for another engagement).

 

Ticklish Ribs has just been opened for slightly over two months and the evening we were there, they were running a very full house.  From the restaurant's name, you can very much gather that they basically offer two main items here....and that's their signature BBQ ribs and sandwiches (with one rice and noodle dish each)...and oh, there's beer, of course!

This is a self-service place, you queue up and order from the menu board (or you can get menus from the front of the queue).  Once you've paid, your printed receipt will bear a number, wait for the number to appear and collect your food from the designated collection area.

 

This is the sandwich assembly counter.  Looking at the Sandwiches menu, choosing the sandwich of your choice is as easy as 1-2-3...and nothing as complicated as NKOTB's "Step By Step" :D...Step 1: Choose the meat, Step 2: Choose the bread and Step 3: Choose any add-ons.

 

For your meat, your choices are....Lazy Bones (boneless pork ribs), You Braise Me Up (braised pork belly), Chewbakkwa (bakwa meat), Pull Your Leg (pulled pork), Once You Go Black (sweet and salty lean pork), Ssshock Sendiri (battered lean pork chops) and Hoi Lam Ting (Hainanese pork chops).  Your bread choices are a little easier to decide...either wholemeal, charcoal or white.  The add-ons @ RM2 each include a fried egg, cheese or caramelised onions.

 

I went with 'Once You Go Black' on charcoal bread with add-on 'Cry Me An Onion' @ RM17.  The charcoal bread was layered with simple vegetables of cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, a lean slice of pork chop, caramelised onions and their house-made sweet and salty sauce.  This was how it was served, fully wrapped and cut into three, as I mentioned that there were three of us sharing.  I'm not sure why it was served all wrapped up since we were eating in.

 

The lean pork chop didn't look anything like the pic nor its description of big and black...well, the lean pork was somewhat big or thick (ok, I'll give it that) but it was certainly not black (nothing like a well caramelised piece of pork).  The lean pork was rather dry and chewy.

 

And the caramelised onions, they weren't really caramelised as it didn't have the sweetness nor the depth of flavour, they looked like they were just sautéed and cooked down till soften.  Proper browning is a slow process as it takes a long time for the sugars in the onions to caramelise for the flavours to develop.  Let's just say that I wasn't loving the sandwich...maybe I didn't choose the right meat....or maybe being wrapped up contributed to its sogginess! :( 

 

Of course, we had to go for 'The Ultimate Tickle' aka their signature BBQ ribs...after all, you can't come to a rib joint and not order ribs, right?  They offer Half and Full racks here and they're available in Spicy and Not Really. 

We went with Half Rack @ RM20 with 3 ribs (Full Rack @ RM38) of 'Not Really' (which means not spicy).

This was another Half Rack @ RM20 and, this time, we chose Spicy which turned out to be 'Not Really' spicy either.  In fact, there was very little (in terms of flavour) to separate between the Spicy and the Not Really.

The ribs were marinated in their house made special sauce before being fired to perfection.  The ribs were served piping hot (a sign that it was just taken off the grill only moments earlier) and the meat was 'falling off the bone' tender.  I don't think I've eaten ribs so tender before (I wonder if the ribs have been braised first before finishing them on the grill)....even your grandma with no teeth would approve! XD  The sauce that was slathered on the ribs were sticky sweet...but, personally, I would have preferred a tad less sauce to allow the true flavour of the ribs to shine. 

Just look lovingly at this....it was indeed (ultimately) a tender, succulent and well caramelised piece of oink-oink barbecued to perfection...especially juicy when you bite into the small bits of fatty parts in the ribs.

For every order of ribs, you can add on a 'Koochi Koo' @ RM8 which will get you a side of freaky fries + a bottomless soft drink.  Pay an additional RM2 to turn it into sloppy fries that come with a pork mince sauce with cheese.

I found the fries to be acceptable but would have preferred them to have a bit more of a crisp on the outside (you can see from the pic that the fries haven't quite develop that nice golden brown colour and crisp edges).  I can understand that, when you dunk meat sauce onto fries, it'll end up softer but this was a lot more mushier than I expected...probably because there was too much gravy in the meat sauce (I did like the taste of the meat sauce though).  I've seen crispier fries with a drier meat sauce in other blogs though.

 

My Personal Opinion

 

I would have liked to have had a bit more of that smoky flavour through the ribs and (as absurd as it may sound) for it to be a tad less tender (if there is such a thing of wanting meat to be less tender...haha)!  I'd want it to be tender but not so tender like I'm eating pulled pork, if that makes any sense).  But, having said that, the ribs were satisfying and oinkilicious good...meaty and juicy with fall-off-the-bone tenderness + they were served piping hot (always a plus point with me).

The ribs did tickle my fancy.....but not the sandwiches!  I felt that the sandwiches were just thrown together with run-of-the-mill garnishes and a slab of pork...it just needed something more, in my opinion.  If I do come back, it'll definitely be for the ribs...and only the ribs! ;)
 

Ticklish Ribs & 'Wiches Restaurant
No 5 Ground Floor
Jalan 21/11A Seapark
46300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-7865 9126