Keng Nam Hai @ Kepong

Each time I visit my mother, I'd pass by Keng Nam Hai @ Kepong and notice that the coffee shop is always packed to the brim.  You know what they say about a place full of customers, something must be good.  So, we decided to stop by one Sunday morning enroute to my mom's place.

It took a good 15 minutes wait before we got ourselves a table.  I was circling around the tables so many times while my spouse was trying to find a parking space (oh yeah, parking is a challenge, be prepared to park far away) that the fruit rojak stall owner told me that there are more tables upstairs.  Huh, got upstairs?  That's when I noticed the staircase but I didn't want to sit upstairs in case it's difficult to get service (it's air-conditioned upstairs by the way).

Before coming, I (of course) googled to see what's good here and noted from vkeong's blog that it's famous for Hennessy XO Seafood Noodles.  As you can see, they have pictures of the food they offer like Seafood Beehoon, Hennessy XO Seafood Beehoon and Salted Egg King Prawn Beehoon...but they have also conveniently omitted displaying the prices! :P  I think the latter two is in the region of RM20 or more.

Well, since I don't drink hard liquor, the Hennessy XO Seafood Beehoon was not an option for fear that they'd put too much and it'll be too potent...and I'll get drunk (hehehe!).  Of course, liquor connoisseurs would say otherwise...the more, the better.  As for the Salted Egg King Prawn Beehoon, I was wondering how that worked...is it salted egg mixed into the broth?  If so, it sounds too rich and creamy for me.  As I was about to order, I saw a worker prepping 3 bowls of lala (clams) beehoon (rice vermicelli) and since I liked the looks of it, I went with the Hua Diao Lala Beehoon @ RM11 (which I think is probably the cheapest option at this stall).

I loved that they used the coarser, thicker type of beehoon (and theirs were quite different) which held up very well to the hot broth unlike the usual thinner version of meehoon which tends to absorb the liquid very quickly.  I was happy with the lala as they were fresh, plump and juicy...certainly of an acceptable size and amount for the price paid (there were at least 15 pcs of lala).

As for the broth, it isn't clear like some I've had before.  The broth itself was flavourful and good with the taste of rice wine and a hint of ginger.  Would I have appreciated more rice wine in the broth?  Sure...but I still liked it a lot nevertheless. ^.^  But, then again, I'm not one who likes the wine flavour to be too intense. So, I guess for those who do, they could perhaps ask if they can add-on extra rice wine for a fee, of course.

I also stumbled upon ccfoodtravel's blog which enlightened me that the siew yuk here is good.  Walking past the roasted meat stall, the meats did look tempting....and glistening.  I placed an immediate order for a plate of Char Siew & Siew Yuk Rice @ RM8.

For a very reasonable price of RM8, they were generous with the meat and the char siew was thickly cut too. Both the meats were good...the tender siew yuk had a nice crispy crackling (just that the crackling was slightly harder than I would have liked) and well caramelised melt-in-the-mouth char siew.

On a separate visit, my son had the Char Siew Rice @ RM7 (though this time the cut wasn't as well caramelised).  But just look at the portion given...truly value-for-money.

The fluffy rice had a decent dose of chicken broth flavour.

I got a nicely charred cut of char siew for my tapau-ed rice.  It was even topped with some crispy garlic.

Since we enjoyed the siew yuk the last time out, we ordered the Siew Yuk again (for 1 pax) @ RM10.  The pinkish meat at the bottom is testament that the siew yuk is cooked just right but got a cut that's longer this time (I like those shorter pieces when it comes to siew yuk).  Do watch out for the fresh chilli dip, it's fiery.

When I was having the lala noodles on a previous visit, I saw that the curry laksa ordered by the people sitting next to me (sharing tables is the norm in a crowded coffee shop) looked really good.  I made sure we ordered the Curry Laksa @ RM7.50 on our next visit, three to be exact, one for me (with cockles), one for my spouse (without cockles) and one-to-go for my mom.  This order was for small but the portion here is considered large for an average-eater, so come very hungry (I spotted a man ordering a large serving...omg, you should have seen the size of that bowl!).

The bowl of curry laksa was generously filled with ingredients of (lean) char siew, pork balls (or squares), beancurd puffs (that have soaked in all the delicious broth), beancurd sheet, rehydrated pig skin (that could be a tad softer), raw cockles (with its rightful place on top of the bowl, not underneath) and beansprouts (even that is served on top to ensure it stays crunchy, maybe?).  And don't be a smart alec like me and ask for a half-lean-half-fat cut of char siew coz it doesn't work if they're not a roasted meat specialist.  You'd end up with chewy, fatty char siew instead (just stick with the char siew they give you which is normally lean).

The curry broth was both creamy and savoury with enough sweetness from the coconut milk.  It also had a thick consistency, probably just missing that spoonful of very thick curry, and wasn't too oily.  Nevertheless, this was an outstanding bowl of curry mee.  Would I have preferred if there was some poached chicken (instead of pork balls) in the mix?  Yes...but that doesn't take away the fact that it was still really good. ^o^

For this to get a nod from my husband (maybe even in the running for a no. 2 spot on his list?) when all other curry laksas have failed to meet his standard, you can be assured that this is indeed a fine bowl of curry laksa.  This definitely makes it to my list of favourite curry laksas too but I'm not so sure about the no. 2 spot though...top 5 certainly....hehe! ;P

I had a Kopi-O Ping (Iced Black Coffee) while my spouse had the Kopi Ping (Iced Milk Coffee).  The coffees here are good too...just remember to ask for less sweet.

Check out a more recent post on the place here.

My Personal Opinion

My husband is glad to have found another worthy spot for curry laksa while I'm glad to have a place where I can have a good lala beehoon....and curry laksa as well.  Can't find many places that offer lala beehoon...and even less places that offer a good one.  And for the prices we paid, the portions here are more than generous.

No blogs mentioned about the good curry laksa here which we stumbled upon by virtue of looking at someone's ordered bowl.  It pays to notice what other people eat...hihihi! ;)

On both our visits, we also noticed that there was a perpetual queue at a stall known as Black Man Nasi Lemak.  No prizes for guessing what we'll have next! ;P

Restoran Keng Nam Hai
Pusat Niaga Metro Prima
No 1-G Jalan Prima 1
Kepong
52100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 017-947 1988

#ewew cooks Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef

Black pepper is probably one of the most requested sauces, if not the most popular, for many when it comes to eating steaks...it is for me when they're cheaper steaks with less flavour.

The same is true when I want to make stir-fry beef as the pepperiness of black pepper will cover any beefy taste in those less-than-stellar quality beef.

And even though it's less-than-stellar quality beef, it still cost a lot more than other meats like chicken or pork.  So, I would keep an eye out for discounts...and, if you're lucky, you may just find it offered at 50% less.  This usually happens when there are unsold ones two days after their packaging date.  Even though they're just two days to their best before date, they're still good (even when I cooked them a day or two after that).

It's very convenient as the packet contains everything you need, such as (already peeled) garlic, onion, peppers, chillies and black peppercorns, to make a delicious Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef with ease.  You start by marinating the beef slices with the black peppercorns (which you lightly crush in a pestle and mortar).  I would add some soy sauce and cornflour (this is extra) to the marinade as well.

Fry the sliced garlic and onions in some oil until browned.  Add in the sliced peppers (which are very colourful indeed since they gave all three colours albeit in small quantities).  You can add on more if you have some at your disposal.

Add in the beef almost immediately.  Make sure the pan is hot as you want the beef to brown and sear quickly to seal in the juices.

Throw in the sliced red chillies once the beef is well browned.  I would say that this is a typical Chinese-style stir-fry where everything is thrown in and stir-fried together in one wok (or pan).

At this point, I also added some oyster sauce and a little water (purely optional) to create a bit of a sauce.

Voila.....my quick-fire Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef is done in no time!  I'm all for this type of fast, quick-fire cooking when time is a luxury we don't have...at times! ;)

Great served with rice as a one-dish meal :)

On another occasion, I found the same Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef but at a higher price! :'(  Moreover, this time, it came without red peppers, chillies and garlic but with a packet of black pepper seasoning.  This one was even easier.  You just need to marinade the beef with the packet of powdered seasoning. I found the seasoning to be a lot, so I used only half.

This time, I went with a more Western approach.  I cooked the marinated beef separately and dished it up once done so as not to overcook the beef.  The beef took on a darker colour since there was more black pepper seasoning.

Then I fried the onions first before adding the sliced peppers.  Since I didn't get any red peppers, I coincidentally had some available and added that for a more colourful presentation.

Once you're happy with the doneness of the vegetables, add the already cooked beef back into the pan.

At this juncture, I added a bit of water to make a sauce.  Now I understand why there was so much seasoning, it's so that you can add more water to make a sufficient amount of black pepper sauce.  Use all the seasoning if you like more sauce....or if you want a more robust flavour! :P

This simple stir-fry is so easy to cook and saves you a lot of time on prep work but, more importantly, it also tasted pretty darn good.  This second version tasted better than the first because there was more black pepper flavour/sauce. ^o^

The portion (amount shown here is not the full portion) is good enough for one rather hungry person, otherwise I'd even say it's sufficient for one and a half portions.

The black pepper sauce made all the difference.  It's as good as those you eat outside.  Of course, the beef could be more tender but for a price of around RM10 (or half if discounted), I have no cause for complain (though this second packet cost a bit more at RM11.50).  Once consumers find out how good this turns out, there won't be any left at a discount unfortunately as they will be all sold out! :P

If you ever come across this ready-packed Stir-Fry Black Pepper Beef at Aeon supermarket, don't let it pass you by, get it...more so if you see it offered at half price.  Even if you can't find this in pre-packed form, it's a simple enough recipe to nail from scratch.  Give it a try if black pepper beef is something you like to eat. ^_~

Maven Coffee Store @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa

There aren't many coffee places in my housing area. *scratch that*  There aren't many coffee places that serve good coffees around my housing area.  In fact, there are none until Maven Coffee Store @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa came along.

Located in a neighbourhood that's just next to mine (and known as Blaq Coffee Store previously), there was no way I was going to miss it.  So, when I read about its existence from eatdrinkkl and theyumlist, I bookmarked the place for a visit.  I know, I know, it has taken me a while to finally get here....but I'm here now. ^_~

Upon entering, I immediately warmed up to the light brown tones of the decor and loved it.  The place looks big and spacious in photos but, in reality, it's a cozy little coffee shop with a small dining area.

There are some alfresco seats outside.....

....and a few bar-like seatings where you can get close and personal with the baristas (perhaps for brewing hand pour or filter coffees?).  You'd find displays of coffee equipment for home brewing in one corner.

And bags of freshly roasted coffee beans for sale in another.

And that's the kitchen?  It baffles my mind how hot food can come out of that tiny space that isn't even something I'd call a kitchen! O_o

The small menu consists of sandwiches, pasta, soups (mushroom or pumpkin), pancakes, all day breakfast (of granola), toasties (with butter or cheese) and snacks (of popcorn chicken and cheesy potato wedges made with an air fryer).

This is a coffee place, so a Hot Cappuccino @ RM10 is in order.

And a Hot Latte too @ RM10.

They certainly know how to brew a good cup of coffee.  The coffees here are probably the best one nearest to where I stay...and you get to sip them leisurely in a lovely environment.

But, in case you're hungry, there are some simple breakfast items like toasties, pancakes, sandwiches and all day breakfast that can tide you over till lunch.  Among them was this Tuna Egg Mayo Sandwich @ RM12 (a la carte or RM17 with a Long Black or Tea) accompanied by a side salad of lettuce, tomatoes and onions with a drizzle of Thousand Island sauce.

This was canned tuna and chopped hard-boiled egg mixed with mayo on a bed of sliced onions and tomatoes in between two slices of sourdough bread.  The well executed sandwich with crisp and well toasted sourdough and fresh vegetables made up for the fact that this was a simple sandwich (though it could benefit from a bit more filling).  Other sandwiches include Smoked Beef Strip and Smoked Chicken Ham.

The Strawberry, Berries and Honey Pancakes @ RM15 could be a breakfast choice for the sweet-toothed.  The plate came with three (not exceptionally fluffy) pancakes but an exceptionally huge piece of butter on top together with a dollop of whipped cream.

The pancakes were strewn with strawberries and blueberries and I was pleased to see more slices of strawberries in between the layers of pancakes.  Other pancake choices include Beef Strip Pancakes and Peanut Butter & Chocolate with Banana Pancakes.

However, it's unfortunate that the drizzle of honey, which would have tied the dish together beautifully, wasn't of great quality nor taste.

My Personal Opinion

They're a coffee retailer, first and foremost, offering for sale both coffee beans and coffee equipment for home brewing.  

Their hot food is not quite on par with other cafes, some might even think it's slightly pricey for the simple food they put out.  But certainly a place for good coffees (with cakes to complement) where you can sit and relax (by yourself or with friends) in between work or studies.

It deserves a spot in my list of places to get your coffee fix and I can see myself stopping by here often for just that. ^_*

Maven Coffee Store

Lot 30 Shamelin Star Residences

Lorong 6D/91

Taman Shamelin Perkasa

56000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-657 5760

How to get your chicken browned on the underside without flipping it over

One of the easiest dishes you can replicate at home that comes closest to a restaurant-quality dish is roast chicken.

I do it all the time as I enjoy eating the satisfying outcome....and my preferred cut is the chicken leg as it's meatier...and juicier.

But I don't do it as often with a whole chicken leg and would usually make it with chicken wings instead because of one outcome...the underside of the chicken leg is difficult to brown and tends to get soggy sitting in oil and its own juices during the cooking process.

Of course one can get round it by roasting the underside facing up first and turning it around midway through the cook but I'm all about lazy cooking and once I put it in the oven, I don't want to have to do anything to it and I certainly don't want to have to remember to flip it over.  So, it ends up undercooked sometimes (after my usual cooking time) and I had to put it back into the oven to cook longer.  Also flipping it means you don't get that nice browning on one side and instead you may end up getting it half-browned on both sides which isn't the most ideal! >.<

Well, that was before I discovered a way out...by putting the chicken on a rack.  Season your chicken leg as you would and place it on a metal rack over a lined sheet pan.  You can even put some potato wedges underneath to cook at the same time.

I put it to bake at the same temperature and same time frame as I usually would with chicken and it'll come out looking like this...beautifully browned! :P  I decided to use aluminium foil as I felt that baking paper tends to be slippery and it'd be quite disastrous if the rack was to slide on the sheet pan as I move it in and out of the oven.

Let me show you just how well browned the underside is...without even flipping it! ;)  It gets this way because the hot air gets to circulate underneath the chicken and cooks it more evenly resulting in a better charred chicken.

Not only that but the chicken sitting on a rack will drip delicious fats, oil and seasoning onto the potatoes underneath thereby enhancing them with even more flavour.

But as with most ovens (and mine is no exception), heat is not evenly distributed throughout the oven (some spots tend to be hotter than others), so I'd need to toss the potatoes around to get a more even browning but I can't do that when they're sitting underneath the rack...but it's ok as they're still cooked through and delicious.

And because the chicken is elevated higher on a rack in the oven where it's hotter at the top, I find that the chicken achieves a higher level of browning.  In fact, the charring can get so intense that I (sometimes) have to cover the chicken with a sheet of foil (towards the end of cooking time) to prevent further browning! >_<

Not only that but I recently discovered that if I put the sheet pan directly onto the knob of my microwave/convection oven (and not on the wire rack meant for baking purposes after removing the three-legged prongs and turntable for microwave cooking), the sheet pan will continuously turnaround giving rise to an evenly browned chicken (and potatoes) without the need of turning or tossing them around.  That was great news as a well charred chicken...all round.....is a better tasting chicken for sure! ^o^

So, the next time you're thinking of roasting chicken legs, you might want to give this method of sitting the chicken leg on top of a rack a try for greater browning on top as well as at the bottom.