Foong Foong (Yong Tau Foo) @ Ampang

When we speak of yong tau foo, the one that automatically comes to mind is none other than Ampang yong tau foo.   So, if one wants to partake in yong tau foo, Ampang is the place to head to as it's synonymous with good yong tau foo!  Even yong tau foo restaurants that are not situated in Ampang would have the word "Ampang" included somewhere as part of their restaurant's name! ;D

We came to this area looking for a wantan mee shop for our late breakfast but found it closed (actually not opened yet) and, so, ended up at Foong Foong @ Ampang instead.  This restaurant has been serving this Hakka delicacy for more than 3 decades and some will vouch that this is the real and original Ampang yong tau foo.  I've eaten here many times in the past (as well as the one next door, Orchard View Yong Tau Foo) but it has been quite a while since my last visit.

They focus on only one thing here and that is the yong tau foo and offer around 10 types of yong tau foo and none of those Hakka dishes that their competitors offer.  Each piece is very reasonably priced at RM1.10 if you consider the size of the yong tau foo.  Make your orders at the counter where the boss (or his son) is seated and they will broadcast your order over the microphone to the kitchen.

Obviously, at any yong tau foo place, the two most sought after yong tau foo items are none other than the Fried "Fu Chuk" (Beancurd Sheet) and Fried "Sui Kow"  (Dumpling).

And here is our order of 20 pcs of fried fu chuk and fried sui kow.  They also offer the sui kow in soup version.

Between the fried fu chuk and the fried sui kow, I definitely preferred the fried sui kow which tasted better. It had a plump filling made up of a mixture of fish paste, ground pork, jicama and carrots...and the sui kow skin was very crispy.  On the other hand, the fried fu chuk was both a bit of a 'hit and miss' for me.  I liked that the fried fu chuk skin was crispy but the fish paste filling inside some of the fu chuk was scarce.  This made the fu chuk puff up with a lot of air inside (and collapse as can be seen in the 2nd pic), rendering it with a soft texture and not as crispy when you bite into it.

This was our plate of mix yong tau foo (10 pcs) with brinjal, ladies fingers, bitter gourd, soft tofu and tofu pok.  I made a request for more brinjal and no fish balls and fresh chillies. 

The brinjal and bitter gourd I absolutely loved and these were giant size.

The soft white tofu I didn't enjoy as much but the ladies fingers I did.  Again, I don't know where they find such large, fresh and very green ladies fingers...and the filling was plump too.

I quite like the broth that came with the mixed yong tau foo which I found to be not as oily as the one from O & S Restaurant (although the broth of the O & S one was more flavourful).

The yong tau foo is served with a chilli and sweet sauce.  The sweet sauce here has a tinge of red (like Ipoh ones) which I liked.

#A Side Story:

There was this elderly lady selling "bak chang" (glutinous rice dumplings) on foot.  She came by our table but we didn't want any.  It was a pity seeing an elderly lady (who wasn't walking that well to start with) having to carry a (heavy) tray of bak chang.  I asked my son to see if she managed to sell any but she (later) disappeared from his view.  A while later, she came back to our table and begged us to buy one since she didn't manage to sell any.  She said we looked like the ones who would most probably take pity on her and that was why she returned.  I told her that I specifically asked my son to look out for you too just to see if you sold any.

When I bought two, she was so grateful she kept thanking us and showering us with wishes of good health and prosperity.  She's just a lil' old lady and I did what little I could to help her along but the way she showed her gratitude really surprised us....kindness begets kindness, I suppose.

This was her bak chang @ RM5 each

Although the bak chang @ RM5 is smaller than the ones I've bought at the same price, the flavours were quite good.  It had a pc of not overly fatty pork, salted egg yolk, mushroom and black-eyed peas in it.  If I ever bump into her again, I would surely get some...or, if anyone else bumps into her, pass some business along her way coz her bak chang is quite good :)

My Personal Opinion

After 3 decades and countless servings of yong tau foo, this well-known place still continues to dish out very good tasting yong tau foo.  It's no wonder why it has remained so popular with locals and visitors alike.

Asking me to choose my favourite yong tau foo place is really hard coz it's like asking me who's my favourite child....asking those with more than one child who is their favourite child.  There are so many I like....this one, the one next door (Orchard View), O & S Restaurant, the Imbi one (rumours are that the owner used to work at one of the famous yong tau foo restaurants in Ampang)....and even some of the ones in my neighbourhood :)

I like different yong tau foo types at different places.  If it's fried fu chuk, it's O & S and Imbi, if it's sui kow, it's definitely O & S but Foong Foong has my vote when it comes to the other yong tau foo types purely because of its XL sizes.  I think the sizes of their yong tau foo are the biggest I've seen so far.  So, if you ever find yourself in Ampang town, do drop by to savour the 'real' Ampang yong tau foo (if you haven't already). It's still one of the better ones around! ;) 

Restoran Foong Foong
621-A Jalan Merdeka
68000 Ampang
Selangor

Yay.....it's my 200th post!

Yay......it's my 200th post!!!  It might not be a big deal to those who blog 365 days a year but it's kind of a big deal for me (since I blog an average of 3 times a week only).  Anyway, my blog is like my baby....and who wouldn't want to record their baby's milestones (like their first teeth, their first steps, their birthdays...hey, we'd even get one of those height stickers and stick it on the wall/door somewhere and record our little ones height every year....kekeke!!)  Likewise, I like to record my blog's mini milestones too...so, bear with me ;)

I reached my first 100th post in September last year and recorded this very first milestone in my blog.  At that time, I ended the post by saying "see you at my 200th post, maybe?" thinking (at that time) that I might not get to this point!  But I did.....and here I am!

to: my first supporter
(my dear friend who initiated this blog)

thank you for your 'solid' support all this while...
and the first usually has a special place in my (blog's) heart!

Since then, I've gotten a few more 'commenting' readers and it's been a pleasure getting to know you
(and interacting with you)...even if it's just online! ;D

to: my 'commenting' readers

many thanks for welcoming me into your 'circle',
and including me in your blogroll =)

(hope to be able to interact with more blogs in future)

to: the 'one timers'

(those who visited by accident and those who left me a comment...just once
....never to be heard from again)
not sure if they still visit my blog but don't leave comments
or have just stopped visiting :'(

never mind-lah....I still appreciate you dropping by!

to: my dearest friends

thanks for coming with me on my food escapades.....

...but wish it could be on a more frequent basis ;)

to: restaurants & others

thanks for featuring my posts in your websites and Facebook pages

and finally to: my dear readers

a big 'thank you' for visiting my blog and diligently coming back ;)
.....you've helped it blossom to what it is today!

The difference between writing the first 100 posts and the next 100 posts was like 'night and day'.  These last 100 posts, I enjoyed the writing more because of the motivation (through increased blog visits) from my readers whose support and encouragement means the world to me! :-)  Also, at this "200th post" mark, I've been approached (recently) to write restaurant reviews (on a part-time basis, of course) for a mobile app that will be launched in Malaysia soon.  So, I now have a 'paying' hobby (even if it's just pocket change) ;D.....so, if I don't post as often, you'll know why.

I hope to see you all at my 300th post.....and this is one time I'm saying it with more confidence and conviction that I'll get there! *wink wink*

P/S:  Plus I think my furry friend is enjoying his 'mini celebrity' status through this blog! ;D



Jin Xuan Hong Kong (Dim Sum) @ Damansara Uptown

This dim sum restaurant (with 7 branches), Jin Xuan Hong Kong @ Damansara Uptown is always packed, so much so that they've set up large tents outside the restaurant to cater to the crowd.  The large tents basically obscure the signboard, so the name of the restaurant is not that visible.

There's a queuing system here...inform the lady at the entrance that you need a table for how many pax (also state if you wish for a table inside, where it's air-conditioned, or choose to dine outside under the tents) and she'll give you a number.  Then take a seat and wait for your number to be called up.

Once seated inside, we got down to ordering...they do give you a chit to pre-order (while you're waiting for your number to be called) but it's quite unnecessary as getting what you want directly from the servers is a lot faster.

This is the Bacon Roll @ RM12 (one of the more expensive items on the menu).  It's a fish + meat paste wrapped in bacon and doused with a sweet-sour sauce.  How can anything with bacon be not good.....it's unheard of, right? ;) 

Next came the Fried Beancurd Roll @ RM5 with a plump filling.  It was still good...we did order a 2nd plate....just not as good as the ones we had from Loong Seng with its super crispy thin bean curd skin.

They call this Fish Stuffed Root @ RM6 (I haven't the faintest idea why but that's what is written on the menu).  It resembled large fish balls that have been wrapped in a very thin bean curd sheet and fried...something different from the usual steamed fish balls offered at other dim sum places.  We liked this a lot!

The Pan-Fried Chives Dumpling @ RM5 was a 'miss' for me as I could hardly detect the flavour of chives in it.  I'm not sure why they felt that they needed to serve the dim sum on lettuce as the leaves looked well past their prime...better to just omit it.

The Steamed "Chee Cheong Fun" (rice noodle rolls) with "char siew" (barbecued pork) wasn't as great.  The sambal accompaniment fared better.

As always, I would not miss out on my must-have Deep Fried Brinjal @ RM5 and the ones here were respectable.

And so was the "Siew Mai" (Steamed Pork Dumplings)

But the Porridge (with Minced Pork Century and Salted Egg) which my mother-in-law wanted was not something I would order again.  Although Hong Kong style congee has a high degree of brokenness, the texture of this congee felt like it had been pulsed in a blender.  It was too smooth and thick for my liking + the flavour was bland.

The Fried Turnip Cake @ RM5 was another well received dish by all...if only it was served hot!

Finally, the Fried Sticky (or Glutinous) Rice @ RM5 was excellent.  The well cooked rice with bits of "lap cheong" (Chinese sausage), dried prawns, egg and scallions was truly fragrant and enjoyable. 

But my most favourite dim sum item from this place has to be the Steamed Char Siew Pau that I "tapau" (packed) for my lunch.  The buns were so soft, it literarily fell apart when I tore into the bun and the blackish char siew filling was simply "deliciouso"!!  I'm not sure if I liked this one better or the Loong Seng one more! I may have just found my new favourite char siew pau that trumps all other char siew paus...I'll have to eat it a few more times just to be sure.....kekeke!! :D

Service is fast and furious here....as they just plonk (nicely though) the plates of requested dim sum at your table without the need to write anything down.  The steamed dim sum baskets come with a coloured tape at the rim while others come in different shaped plates.  When it came time to settle the bill, the waitress would base the prices on the rim colours and plate shapes.

On the way out, I passed by the place where they store some of their dim sum and noticed that they serve a lot of fried yam stuff like yam encrusted prawns, yam puffs and yam rings with mixed vegetables.  This must be one of their signature items...and I missed it! :(  I'll be sure to order this the next time I'm here.

Check out a more recent post on the place here.

My Personal Opinion

I think there's a 'forever' crowd because all the dim sum here is decently priced (with most around RM4 - RM5)....plus decent portion sizes too....and decent tasting as well.  My favourites were the steamed char siew pau, fried sticky rice, fish stuffed root and bacon roll (in that particular order)...hee..hee!

It's another dim sum place that you can consider when you want a dim sum breakfast but be forewarned that not all the branches dish out the same tasty dim sums.  The ones that are decent are the Damansara Jaya (some say this is the best of the lot) and Uptown branches...and the ones to avoid are the PJ Oldtown and Kota Damansara ones.  I don't know this for a fact as I've only eaten the one in Uptown but I'm sharing what I've seen on other blogs.  It's a shame to open a branch (or branches) that don't quite live up to the standards and taste....it's like shooting yourself in the foot really! :D

Jin Xuan Hong Kong Restaurant
63G & 65G Jalan SS21/60
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Tel: 03-7729 8881

Life after GST sucks!!!

It's just 2 days into our post-GST days and I'm already fuming big time!!!  I just have to write this post to let off fumes/steam/smoke/whatever you want to call it from my nostrils/ears/top of my head!!!

I was just at Aeon supermarket briefly today to get our bento for tonight's dinner.  It's one of those light and healthy meals I like to get quite often.

Like this Grilled Saba Bento @ RM6.80 (pre-GST price) with a slice of mackerel fillet (actually half a slice) and a fried egg - my favourite.  
 

Post-GST, it's repackaged (with a tiny pc of omelette, 2 thin slices of fish cake and 3 pcs of edamame but minus one whole fried egg) and renamed Grilled Saba Don and repriced (aka up the price) to RM7.90 (more expensive, less items and then give you the not-so-choice part of the fish) :p  I like it much better with the fried egg.

 

Now, if you do the math, RM6.80 + RM0.41 (6% GST) = RM7.21 only but there's an additional increase of RM0.69 to arrive at the new price of RM7.90 (total increase is 16%)!  So, not only do we have to pay the additional 6% GST, we're probably paying the supply chain's 6% as well).  What to do, as consumers, we're at the very end of the supply chain, so we get the shit end of the deal!!! T_T

Or this Chicken Burger Bento (Small) @ RM5.80 (pre-GST price) with a chicken burger and a whole fried egg (that my son likes).

 

It's now repackaged and renamed Chicken Burger Don and repriced to RM6.90 (post-GST price) for a total increase of 19%! >_<

 

RM1.10 may seem minimal, at first glance, but think of all the other stuff that we're buying and it won't be just RM1.10.  Worst still, they have the audacity to increase the price but give us less stuff.  These suppliers are just heartless and they would use any opportunity to raise prices with no remorse.

 

I didn't have time to really look around at the prices today but just had a quick glance at some of the stuff I normally buy and most have gone up in prices.  Now we know why there was a mad rush to buy stuff before the implementation of GST.  I know that when I have time to check out the prices further, I'm going to be in for more disappointment :'(

 

And worst still is when I looked at the receipt, there's no pre-GST and post-GST prices for the individual items that you bought, you only get one post-GST price.  They then give you a pre-GST price total and a total for the 6% GST.  If that is the case, how would one know which items are subjected to GST?  Since I only bought 3 items and they were all subjected to GST, I will have to wait until I do buy something that is exempted from GST to see if the receipt will clearly show the difference.

 

Another example - Pandora (and some other brands too) have also increased their prices last month prior to GST of between 12% to 15%.  Although I was told that there's no GST on Pandora purchases (but I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes ;D), let's not forget that they have already factored in the 6% when they raised their prices and, mind you, it wasn't just 6%.

 
I've also heard from staff working in the clothing line that they have increased prices of their products before GST was implemented.  So, again, we could be paying a 6% increase on top of already increased prices.
 

In the words of RealGunners, "The GST is charged across all layers of the supply chain, so we can expect a lot of hidden price markups on top of the official 6% on the final products"...and that's exactly what is happening....and these are clear examples of it (or, in some cases, clear examples of the opportunity to violate prices without an ounce of conscience whatsoever).

Of course, at the other end of the spectrum, some might say that we are in control of our own finances and have the power to choose not to buy or consume things that we don't need or want.  But who wouldn't be pissed off when we're not able to afford the same standard of living anymore (or have to change our lifestyle) because of the rising cost of living!

 

So, brace yourselves, people, for the rough and bumpy ride ahead!  It's gonna take a while to settle into this GST crap!!  The cost of my dinner tonight just went up by 18%.....sh*t! >:(

 

#ewew cooks Vegetable & Prawn Tempura

Tempura is a very popular dish in Japanese restaurants and it's one of my favourite orders when dining out at Japanese eateries.

I was probably overcame by a moment of madness when I decided to try and replicate the dish at home...so, get ready for my attempt at making Vegetable & Prawn Tempura.

If you search the internet for a tempura batter recipe, you'll be amazed at how many versions there are out there.  Based on the many different recipes, here's what they don't agree on:

 

1)  The type of flour used for the tempura batter...some use plain flour while others use self-raising flour, rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch or a combination of more than one.

2)  Some use whole eggs, some use only the yolks and some don't use eggs at all.
3)  Some use plain (tap) water while others use carbonated water, mineral water or even club soda.
Or, if this is all too confusing, just buy ready-made tempura flour!

 

But here's what they (or most) agree on:

 

1)  A flour to water ratio of about 1:1 (and the water must be very cold)

2)  Don't over-mix the batter

3)  Make it just when you're ready to fry and keep the batter ice-cold at all times

So, after scouring the internet for recipes, I settled on this combination for my tempura batter:

 

3/4 cup plain flour

2 tbsp potato starch (or cornstarch)

1 tsp baking powder
1 egg

 

Beat one egg and add the icy cold water (and a few ice cubes won't hurt) to the mixture.  Mix the plain flour, cornstarch and baking powder together and add it to the egg mixture.

 

Mix lightly.  Be careful not to over-mix the batter.  So far, so good =)  [#Tip: Some say using chopsticks is the best way of mixing the batter and mix only for a few secs (at most 1 min).  Lumps in the batter is completely fine....in fact, it's on purpose coz these lumps of batter turn into crispy morsels of delight when it hits the hot oil! ;)  I think I once saw (on TV) a Japanese lady making tempura and she was even more precise...1, 2, 3....that's it...just stir the batter 3 times and don't touch it, she says!] ;D

 

Sit your bowl of batter on top of another bowl of ice as a cold batter is crucial if you want your tempura to be crispy.  You are now ready for frying.

You can use any type of vegetables you like...or so I thought!  On my chopping board, I have green peppers, zucchinis, carrots, string beans, eggplant, Japanese daikon, potatoes and spring onions. 

Eggplant Slices

 

Spring Onions

 

Carrots & Japanese Daikon

 

Zucchinis & Potatoes

 

Green Pepper Slices

I was too lazy to heat up a wok full of oil, so I used a small pan to fry my tempura in batches.  So, here you have it....my attempt at making Vegetable Tempura!  Was it successful?  Yes and No!

YES....the tempura batter was a success :)  The batter was light and crisp!  As I was frying, I was eating some of them...as well as those little bits of crispy batter that broke off from the vegetables.

And NO.....it didn't stay crisp for long :(  If you eat it immediately, I would say my tempura was a success but if you leave it until you've finished frying the entire batch of vegetables, not so much.

Serve your tempura vegetables with a simple dipping sauce.  I just used a bottled sushi and sashimi soy sauce and added a little water and then grated some daikon over it.

[#Tip: Not all vegetables work with tempura.  Those vegetables with a firmer texture works better in my opinion.  I enjoyed the carrots, daikon, potatoes, string beans, green peppers and eggplant but not the zucchinis and spring onions.]

Seeing that I still had some tempura batter left, I took out some (deveined) prawns (that was defrosting in the fridge) and made a few snips at the abdomen (underside) of the prawn.  This will help prevent your prawn from curling up during the frying process.  [#Note: Although mine didn't curl up as much, it was also not totally straight as I did not press down on the prawns (hard) after I made the snips.]

Also, for presentation purposes, you should leave the tail intact but, since these prawns were not meant for this purpose (in the first place), I've already removed the tails.  Somehow, the batter didn't adhere as well with the prawns probably because the prawns were fried last (by then the batter was not as cold anymore).

And here's my Tempura Prawns served with the same dipping sauce.

There's a reason why there's only a few miserable prawns....so that I can showcase my beautiful Japanese plate....nice?.....wakakakaka! :D  [#P/S: It's not very often I get to use these plates.  I've no idea why I bought a set of Japanese plates and bowls, it's not that I'm very good at cooking Japanese anyway.  But, you know women-lah, love to buy these things, especially me, as I can't resist.  I have different tableware for different cuisines like Chinese, Japanese and western...lol!]

My take on why my tempura wasn't as successful

If I had to nail down a reason why my tempura didn't turn out as well, I would have to say it was the frying process (as I think I pretty much nailed the tempura batter).  It's not easy to fry at a constant (and right) frying temperature at home (without the use of a thermometer) coz we're just 'winging' it!  [#Tip: Getting a tempura recipe is the easy part but nobody tells you how to fry them perfectly!]

If I had just fried a small portion and eaten it immediately (when the crispiness was at its best), then I would say it's a success.  Now I know why I should leave making tempura in the hands of professionals (and pay for tempura at a restaurant)....so that they can bring it to me the moment it's fried! ;D

Lesson learnt!!! :'(