Mak's Chee @ Pavilion Elite

Well, I wanted to give HK Boy Cart Noodle a second chance when I was in Pavilion recently but they shot themselves in the foot by not opening on time (and by that, I mean really late).

So, their loss is someone else's gain...and that's how I ended up giving the other Hong Kong noodle house here a go, Mak's Chee @ Pavilion Elite, which started operations in May last year.  Their first outpost was opened in One Utama a little more than two years ago.

To start, one should have their Signature Sea Prawn Wonton Soup Noodle but I decided against it as the last time I had Hong Kong-style wonton noodles, it had a strong "kansui" (alkaline) taste which I was not fond of. So, I decided to order just the Signature Sea Prawn Wonton Soup @ RM15.90 (small with 8 pcs, RM22.90 for large with 12 pcs) as I didn't want the noodles to compromise the taste of the soup.

The clear broth, slow-cooked and flavoured with dried flounder fish, dried shrimp roe and pork bones (it had the taste of dried scallops to me too), was ok...not particularly robust in flavour nor particularly tasty as far as I'm concerned.

The prawn wontons, on the other hand, with thin and translucent skins, were filled with sea-caught prawns that were fresh and firm to the bite.  They use local prawns (it seems) as they found ours to be of a better quality than the ones in Hong Kong.  I loved the prawn wontons as they were reassuringly juicy and sweet tasting. ^o^

If you like a fried version of the wontons, go for their Deep Fried Wonton & Dumpling (4 + 2 pcs) @ RM16.90 (large of 6 + 3 pcs cost RM23.90) served with a chilli dip that's very similar to a Thai chilli sauce.

You get prawn-filled wontons that are perfectly fried to absolute crispiness.  I'm sure you and your kids will enjoy these as much as I did.

The crispy dumplings, on the other hand, filled with prawns, a bit of minced pork and crunchy shreds of wood ear fungus, were just as satisfying.

The Prawn Roe Dry Noodles @ RM12.90, sprinkled with lots of prawn roe powder, brought out the fragrant and savoury taste in the noodles.  The taste of the prawn roe was slightly salty, faintly fishy (in a good way) and a little crunchy is how I would describe it...loved it! ;)

Mak's Chee duck egg noodles are very thin, much thinner than the typical egg noodles we're accustomed to and unlike any I've eaten before, cooked to a wonderful firm and springy texture.  It turned out surprisingly good and my fears of the alkaline taste in the noodles were unfounded.  Though the noodles might look dry, it wasn't as the fine texture made it very easy to eat.  Anyway, each plate of dry noodles is accompanied by a small bowl of soup should you need some soupy relief.

Authentic Hong Kong wonton noodles are eaten with a Hong Kong-style chilli sauce (this was similar when I had noodles at Starz Kitchen too) but I was a little surprised to see the pickled green chillies.

There's even a page in the menu dedicated to how you should eat the noodles with the chilli sauce or chilli oil...which is to put the chilli sauce or chilli oil onto your spoon and dip your noodles or wonton in the sauce for every bite.  Of course, for us locals, we find it kind of weird to eat wonton noodles with a chilli paste.

Plus, I didn't care for the spicy chilli sauce.  So, I was pleasantly happy to find pickled green chillies on the table.  I guess the presence of green chillies is testament that they're trying to cater to our local tastebuds.

And then I noticed this stand promoting a rice set...surprise, surprise....rice on the menu in an authentic Hong Kong noodle shop.  I suppose they have to 'widen their net' to cater to those who might want rice instead of noodles.

It's a dish of Thai fragrant rice served with premium luncheon meat and Omega-8 eggs drizzled with homemade first draw soy sauce...now who can resist a description like that! ;P  I know I can't, so I ordered it at the promotion price of RM12.90.  I don't know what this dish is called but the plastic card holder stand on the table says "Cursory Rice"...whatever that means!  The portion is quite big that even two small-eaters (or two children) can share.

The luncheon meat was certainly premium alright, absolutely fragrant and tasty....and there were three thick slices.

Let me show you how thick they were :)

The omega egg yolks, that seem larger and more plump than usual, expertly cooked to a beautifully runny and creamy consistency, were great eaten with a drizzle of good quality soy.  And the first draw soy (with extra served separately) was of a good quality alright, so much so I ended up drizzling more onto my eggs and rice.  Even the Thai fragrant rice, cooked to a perfect texture, almost al dente with a firm bite, deserves mention as it will appeal to those who can't stand mushy rice.

Oozy eggs and fragrant luncheon meat are two of the yummiest things in the world to a kid.  I thought so too when I was a kid!  Even now...when I'm not a kid....kekeke! :P  Order this for your children...and you can thank me later when they say you're the best mom in the world...haha! :D  Imagine piercing the yolk and letting it run all over the rice, coating every grain with its creaminess, with savoury hints from the mixture of soy and, to top it all off, fragrant luncheon meat.

This is a big call...but that was the single most satisfying carb-loaded comfort dish I've eaten this year.  Every item from the soy to the rice to the eggs to the luncheon meat was every bit of perfection on a plate.  I noticed the words 'for a limited time only' on the place cards...and I hope that refers to the promotional price...and not the dish.  I'd certainly want to see it on the menu permanently.

For this set, you can add on Champion Milk Tea on Bed of Ice @ RM3 (usual price RM7.90)...and, for once, I enjoyed their version of HK milk tea.

The HK Style Coffee (Hot) @ RM4.90 was alright, not particularly a favourite.  I definitely preferred the Champion Milk Tea.

As I exited the place, I bumped into these two 'fine specimens' near the cashier counter...dry prawn roe (used to toss the dry noodles) on the left and dried flounder (used for the stock) on the right.  Both these ingredients are imported from Hong Kong.  The dried sole I see sold at markets here are of a much smaller variety.  If only I could run out of there with these two 'prized possessions' but that would be wishful thinking....kekeke! :D

My Personal Opinion

After striking out twice with Hong Kong-style cuisine in Starz Kitchen and then HK Boy Cart Noodles, it was third time lucky and a relief to finally find Hong Kong-inspired food that I (at least) enjoyed.

The prawn wontons, both the fried and soup version, are what you need to get here.  The dry prawn roe noodles was the other surprise favourite but the luncheon meat rice was what I enjoyed the most.

It's funny that I came here primarily to try their authentic wonton noodles (which is still more than satisfying) but leave raving about their premium quality luncheon meat and double egg rice.  If I can only have one dish here, it'll be this one.  Each time I'm in Pavilion now, I'm thinking of having it. ^_^

Mak's Chee
Lot 7.101.02 Level 7
Pavilion Elite
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 1635

Nam Heong Vintage @ Pavilion Elite

After two outlets in PJ (one in Da:Men and one in Starling Mall, there's finally one for us KL folks in Nam Heong Vintage @ Pavilion Elite.  My friend and I came here for an early dinner after some shopping.

I've never been to the original Nam Heong coffee shop in Ipoh, so I don't know how the food compares to the original one (though some will bet that it's always better at the original shop) but it's of no concern to me, I'm just glad that we can get a taste of it right here in KL.

Ordering is simply done electronically through a tablet attached to the table...which is great as it'll be quick and easy since you don't have to wave frantically for service (like some places...hehe).  Making up your mind is also super easy when the menu is accompanied by mouth-watering pictures of the dishes.

Once our orders were made, a complimentary plate of fried potato crisps (spicy version) landed on our table. It was a nice touch and kept us 'busy' while we wait for our food to arrive.

One of my most loved dishes from Ipoh is their "kai see hor fun" aka Nam Heong Chicken Hor Fun @ RM11.90 with two good-sized and fresh prawns, generous amounts of shredded chicken, chives and freshly fried shallots.  I shared this with my friend as we weren't very hungry after our earlier brunch at Breakfast Thieves.

Of course it had to have that all important smooth and slurp-worthy "hor fun" (flat rice noodles) with a savoury-sweet prawn and chicken broth.  The broth was lacking a bit of sweetness but certainly a very respectable rendition of kai see hor fun in KL. ^.^  Would have liked a bit more prawn oil though.

My friend and her daughter shared the Egg Noodles with BBQ Pork & Wanton @ RM13.50  The noodles were tossed in a decently flavoured sauce with bits of crispy pork lard for added flavour.  The caramelised BBQ pork (char siew) with the right proportion of lean-to-fat was not too bad.

Even though we were full, it wouldn't be right to leave without trying their famous Nam Heong Egg Tart @ RM3.40 a piece, so we ordered one and a piece of their Signature Chicken Sou @ RM3.40 as well.

Some will say that the price is too much for a piece of egg tart.  Perhaps it is.  But it is a good egg tart and a pretty good-sized one at that with a smooth and fragrant egg custard and a super flaky buttery crust. ^o^

The chicken sou had a crisp, sticky exterior with a shredded chicken filling that wasn't overly sweet but not quite the caramelised version I was hoping for.  Between the egg tart and this, I'd go with the egg tart, for sure.

Our drinks of Nam Heong Ipoh White Coffee (Cold) @ RM4.80, Signature Coffee 'O' @ RM4.20 and Fresh Watermelon Juice @ RM8.20.  Both my friend and I didn't enjoy their coffees.  I know many sing praises of their white coffee and I do like white coffee but, for some reason, I didn't like Nam Heong's. :(

My Personal Opinion

I'd like to say that my first dining experience at Nam Heong has been a positive one...though their famed Ipoh White Coffee (or black coffee) was a miss for me.  I suppose if you're looking for hawker classics in a clean mall environment (and willing to pay mainstream mall prices), this could be a possibility! ^_~

Since what I tried was just a tiny fraction of what they offer, I wanted to return to try more...and I did....but my second outing left much to be desired.

You see, I had seen quite a few dishes (on other blogs) that I wanted to try (like poached baby octopus, fried mantou with curry pork, mini assam laksa, etc.) that were available in Starling but was told they've just started (in Pavilion) and didn't have them on the menu yet.  So I returned (more than 3 months later) one dinner night hoping that I may be able to savour these and more but couldn't find them on the menu.

Not only that but we found some other dishes that we wanted to try (that were listed on their paper menu coz we were given a copy) not listed on their iPad menu (one such dish was the signature dry assam curry noodles which I wanted to try).  There were also many dishes listed on the iPad as Sold Out (and some of them were their signature dishes).  How can a restaurant run out of their signature dishes...at prime dinner time (7.30pm) on a weekend?  I decided to ask a server and was told that whatever I can't find on the iPad means they don't have it anymore (I don't know if that meant just that evening or no longer on the menu for good...even something as simple as char siew rice)! @_@  In the end, we got up and left.

This is certainly not the impression I have of how Nam Heong runs its business (unless it was just this outlet only).  I doubt I'll return to a place where I have to second-guess what will or will not be on the menu or what I can or cannot have on any given day! :P

Nam Heong Vintage
Lot 8.106.00 Level 8
Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur
166 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 6321

Acme Bar & Coffee @ Pavilion Elite

After a positive dining experience with friends and loving the ambience, I returned 4 weeks later to Acme Bar & Coffee @ Pavilion Elite, this time with family.

I came back to eat the very two things I enjoyed the most on my last visit here (but minus the amazing dessert of Sizzling Coconut Nangka Brownie).

To start the ball rolling, we had the Octopus Carpaccio @ RM27 featuring Australian octopus with dry capers, salted egg and salmon roe in a raspberry-strawberry soy vinaigrette.

The fresh and tender slices of octopus, the added crunch from the thinly shredded cucumber, all the components worked well together to bring a harmonious and terrifically balanced flavour of salty, sour and sweet to make this a truly refreshing starter.

The raspberry-strawberry soy vinaigrette was an uplifting dressing guaranteed to wake up your taste buds. Taken in one bite with a bit of everying...it was fresh, it was delicious, it was perfect! ^o^

Our next sharing plate was the Salted Egg Yolk Chicken Strips @ RM23 comprising of fried chicken strips in a salted egg yolk coating.  The battered chicken strips with its generous salted egg yolk coating were utterly crispy and pleasurable.

The taste and aroma is further heightened by the crisped up curry leaves and just the right amount of heat from the red bird's eye chillies.  What can we say, we love our salted egg yolk in anything! ;)

Since I enjoyed the blackened salmon in the Sea-to-Land Sharing Platter I had the last time, our first order of main was the you-guessed-it-right Blackened Salmon Steak @ RM59 with cajun spice and caramelised spicy miso.

Served with an avocado and pineapple salsa, juicy cherry tomatoes, some fresh greens and a piece of garlic baguette, the salmon was perfectly cooked and still pinkish in the middle.

Loved the creamy avocado mash but would have appreciated the use of fresh pineapple chunks in the salsa instead of tinned ones which tasted artificially sweeter than juicy fresh ones.

The other protein I had a taste of in the Sea-to-Land Sharing Platter and liked a lot was the grilled lime chicken which can be found in the Spring Noodle Bowl @ RM35, so I had to have that.  It's a bowl of e-fu noodles with grilled lime chicken, avocado slices, quail eggs, spiral vegetable curls of cucumber and carrot, cherry tomatoes, corn salsa (with small cubes of green bell peppers, tomatoes and olives) and some pickled ginger with a chilli oil and soy sauce at the bottom.

Absolutely adored the zesty, tangy flavours of lime in the grilled lime chicken (not sure what the topping on the chicken was made up of but the savouriness of it went rather well with the chicken).

I'm not sure if we were supposed to toss everything together but I didn't as I thought that some of the ingredients would probably taste weird if tossed together with the noodles (like the avocado and pickled ginger).  The egg and vegetables would probably be good tossed with the noodles, maybe even the corn salsa and cherry tomatoes.  So, I ate the components separately and it was nice that way.  The avocado was the only odd component I found in the dish as the creaminess of it didn't sync with the rest of the ingredients IMHO.

Loved the slightly chewy and spongy texture of the noodles and was pleasantly surprised just how good the flavours of the sauce for the noodles were.  A pleasing balance of saltiness with a hint of spiciness....just delish! ;)

Our drinks of Twinings English Breakfast Tea @ RM11 and Shaken Honey Lemon @ RM17 of honey with fresh lemon and lime.

Drinks are pretty expensive here with iced drinks costing between RM17 - RM19 and hot drinks between RM9 - RM15.  There's always complimentary water which we were served promptly once seated (but that wasn't the case on my first trip here though...I had to ask).

My Personal Opinion

Although I've read some negative reviews of this place, I have to say I was pretty pleased with both the food and service on my two visits except for the overpriced drinks that didn't impress.

The Spring Noodle Bowl wasn't something I thought I would enjoy but I did!  Try the blackened salmon steak and grilled lime chicken or a bit of both in the Sea-to-Land Sharing Platter.  Both starters I had (from the Raw Bar section of the menu) I liked too (and you will too if you enjoy tangy flavours).

This was a place where the ratings weren't very flattering and yet it turned out better than I had hoped (in fact, even better than some I tried with higher ratings)...go figure! ^_~  So, don't take anyone's word for it...always try it out at least once (or twice in my case) to find out for yourself.

Acme Bar & Coffee
Lot 3.100.00 Level 3
Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur
168 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 3373

Ramen Bari-Uma @ Pavilion Elite

We ended up in Pavilion as a result of a detour.  That's because we got to our intended dinner place around 7pm only to be told that the kitchen has decided to close early because of the impending Hari Raya the next day...what a bummer! :'(

We didn't have a place in mind to eat until we stumbled upon Ramen Bari-Uma @ Pavilion Elite.  Well, why not...it's been a while since I've last had ramen.

Opened just a little over two months (in May 2017), this latest addition joins their other outlets in Jaya Shopping Centre, Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA and MyTown Shopping Centre.

So, our first order of the day was their signature ramen of Chasu-Uma @ RM34.90, a rich pork flavoured shoyu soup with thick-cut flamed chashu, obviously.  There were also some bamboo shoots for added crunch.  The tonkotsu broth that's super thick and intensely flavoured is supposed to be the hallmark of the Hiroshima style of ramen.  This was the first time I encountered a darker looking (more brownish) broth compared to other tonkotsu broth I've had before....and liked it immensely...this was a dang good bowl of ramen! ^o^

Besides the deliciously fresh thin house-made noodles, together with a kick-ass savoury shoyu-flavoured tonkotsu broth (that has been boiled for hours on end), what was even better was Bari-Uma's thick-cut flamed chashu.  The caramelised outer layer gave it that lovely smoky flavour and the meat was meltingly tender.  I've only had braised chashu with ramen before this (like the one from Ippudo)...but this grilled chashu was even better.  

Your other ramen choices with tonkotsu broth would be whether you want to have it with a soy marinated soft-boiled egg (Ajitama-Uma), seaweed (Nori-Uma), or both egg and seaweed (Noritama-Uma) or just one thick piece of chashu (Bari-Uma).  One look at the four thick slices of chashu on the menu and we became greedy already...more chashu, please...hehe, we did get an extra piece of chasu! ^.^

Besides a pork-based broth, Bari-Uma also offers a chicken-based stock for those who prefer it.  For me, the bowl with the most soul is a tonkotsu ramen, so much so that I've never considered a chicken broth.

In case there are non-ramen fans, they've included rice in their menu in the form of a hot stone rice bowl which you can have with chashu or salmon.  This was our Ishiyaki-Chaofan Salmon @ RM17.90 which is actually some kind of fried rice with finely chopped carrots, spring onions and egg.

Break up the salmon and stir it into the rice together with the dollop of (I believe is) Japanese mayo and it's good to go.  There are condiments of chilli pepper, black pepper and garlic powder on the table if you wish to shore up the flavours of your bowl even more.  I liked that the rice stayed hot throughout because of the hot stone bowl which created a bit of a crust at the bottom.

You can opt for the yakitori combo of assorted grilled meat (pork and chicken) or the yakitori-tori-combo (of just skewered chicken) to accompany your meal of ramen or rice.

We went for the Yakitori Combo @ RM15.90 offering 5 sticks of chicken and pork with one stick eat of chicken breast, chicken thigh, chicken with leek, pork belly and pork belly with leek.  These can also be ordered a la carte at RM6.90 (for 2 pcs each).  Although yakitori isn't their speciality, they were still pleasant enough as a side snack to your main ramen meal.

We added on the Pan-Fried Gyoza @ RM11.90 (for 5 pcs).  It came looking a bit different from what I'm used to.  It was presented with a very thin layer of batter at the top (or should I say at the bottom) which was crispy to the bite.

You have to flip it over to reveal the gyoza underneath.  This way of cooking and presentation puts the charring more on the thin batter than the bottom of the dumpling.  It was served with a soy and vinegar dipping (much like the dipping for Chinese fried dumplings or "wor tip").  They also have a spicy, teriyaki and mayo gyoza for more variety.

Green Tea (Hot or Cold) @ RM3 (refillable)

My Personal Opinion

If you're looking for a broth that's intense, rich, thick and creamy with a deep flavour, you might just find it in this Hiroshima style ramen by Bari-Uma.  This may be my latest favourite ramen yet.

A fatty, salty, umami tasting ramen broth with all its complexities, this one has it all.....and that's what makes it a great bowl of ramen.

Bari uma (it seems) means super tasty...and the ramen certainly delivered in that respect.  It's the ultimate hot meal-in-a-bowl....go on, slurp all you want! ^_^

Ramen Bari-Uma
Lot 7.101.01 Level 7
Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur
166 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 0801