Y E Traditional Dumplings @ Pandan Jaya

Sean of eatdrinkkl don't usually come hunting in my part of the town...and that's because this area isn't all that exciting when it comes to the food scene.

But when he does, I usually make it a point to visit as I'm always happy to include more places in my area into my list of eating places.  After all, many of us, tend to frequent (or like to eat in) places that are near us for the convenience of travelling distance.  And that's how I ended up at Y E Traditional Dumplings @ Pandan Jaya.

Walking in through the front entrance, you'll be greeted by a space that doesn't look very spacious but in fact it is as it occupies three lots (one of the lots is used as the kitchen though).  You just can't see it all at once as doorways towards the back and side lead to more seating areas.  I even spotted two private dining area/rooms.

I like the old traditional Chinese-style feel of the place with its wood accents, marble table tops and chairs, bamboo beaded curtains that serve as door dividers...and they were nicely dolled up for Chinese New Year too.

Looking through the menu, they offer a fairly extensive range from rice dishes to noodles, soups to porridge, tasty snacks to desserts and all sorts of traditional chung.

For some reason, the Curry Meehoon @ RM10.50 caught my fancy that morning.  This one came with tender curry chicken pieces (no cockles), lean char siew (of the pinkish kind), long beans and tofu puffs (even the tofu puffs seemed different from the norm).

As this is not a curry mee stall, you can't request for the noodles of your choice, here it's just meehoon (as stated in the menu) and no other option.  For once, I really enjoyed my bowl of curry mee with just meehoon as the type of meehoon they use doesn't seem to soak up the curry quickly like some others (or the meehoon was cooked just right), so you get to drink and enjoy the curry without it being all absorbed by the noodles.

And enjoy the curry broth I did even though this version doesn't have that abundant heavenly curry oil and is not highly santan-flavoured either.  But they nailed the spices of the curry so well it didn't need a heavy dose of oil or coconut milk to make it great.  I was completely surprised that I'd enjoy this lighter version of curry that much.

The second time we had this, the curry meehoon arrived looking more radiant and by that I meant there was more of that lovely curry oil on top (I think the pot of curry needed a good stir...haha!).  However, this time the broth was a bit under seasoned and needed some soy sauce to perk up the flavours.

We got this chilli condiment that was a combination of a cooked, oily belacan-type sambal and a dry chilli/dried prawn sambal (somewhat similar to those you'd get with dry pan mee, only better).  Not your typical sambal to spice up your curry broth but it was so good I couldn't stop putting it on my noodles! ^.^

I noticed there were quite a few pan mee offerings on the menu from dry to special (soup), spicy to  dry curry and hand-torn to lor pan mee.  They must be well-known for their pan mee, so we went with an order of Dry Curry Chicken Pan Mee @ RM8.50.

The dish came with two colours of pan mee, one yellow and the other green (must be spinach noodles) besides the ingredients of curry chicken, fried anchovies, fried fish cake, wood ear fungus, star gooseberry leaves (sayur manis or shu chai choy) and fried shallots.  When eating pan mee, I usually ask for the thin noodles but here you're not given a choice as it comes with one default type as per the menu (and that's the flat and thick type which I find too starchy at times).

The thick pan mee here I enjoyed as it was firm and nice, not starchy like the rest.  I also liked that the ikan bilis is of a better quality than most pan mee I've had.  Overall, the flavours were good and the sauce of the curry chicken was thicker and tastier, just that the meat wasn't as tender as the ones in the curry meehoon.

I thought that the chilli accompaniment for the pan mee was also very good.  As you can see, this one is a lot thicker than the usual watery ones you get elsewhere with pan mee.

On another occasion, I tried the Fish Ball Noodles @ RM8.50 which was simply served with 4 pcs of fish ball and some choy sum in clear soup accompanied by a cooked sambal belacan.  Again, you can't choose your noodles, it's as per what's given in the menu.

The thin noodles looked like some kind of wantan mee but with a crispy look to it resembling sang meen.  On taking a bite, it tasted more like a very thin yee meen (Cantonese egg noodles) but without the usual saltiness of yee mee.  The noodle wasn't overly crispy as it had been steeping in the soup.  I found myself liking the texture and taste of this noodle a lot. ^o^

The fish balls also tasted more of fish paste than flour, so they didn't have that overly bouncy texture.  It feels homemade unlike those super bouncy commercially made ones.

As for the soup base, which had a good sprinkling of freshly fried garlic and spring onions, it had a subtle (ching) and clean taste that I found really comforting.  Great for those who has a liking for subtle tastes.

We also ordered a snack of Ah Ma Taufu @RM9.50 for sharing.  Well, if it's made by Ah Ma, it must be good...we can't very well argue with Ah Ma, can we?  It did live up to its name.

The minced meat (and fish paste?) filling and taufu was fried till it was crisp (and fragrant) on the outside while the inside of the taufu underneath it was silky smooth.  Only downside was the high price for just two pieces but I'll still be willing to order it again.

The Meat Rolls @ RM11.50 arrived looking and tasting like lor bak except it was encased in this super crispy layer of beancurd skin.  It was very delish.

Not only that but when I bite into a piece, I felt that there was some kind of super light batter coating it (I can't quite put my finger on it).  I'm guessing that it might have been dipped in either a cornflour or potato starch slurry before being deep-fried.

The drinks menu is also very extensive with hot & cold beverages, fruit juices and hot teas (mostly priced around RM5) and some expensive traditional teas.  The Iced White Coffee @ RM5.50 was decent but not among some of the better ones I've had.

The Rose Green Tea @ RM5 had a subtle hint of rose flavour which I enjoyed.  It also looked rather pretty with dried rose buds floating in the tea....but, huh, in a Minnie Mouse cup? :P  I would think drinking it from a nice Chinese teacup would have made the experience that much more pleasant and authentic, don't you? ;P

Well, they obviously have all the proper traditional tea equipment for tea appreciation since they have expensive tea going for up to RM48 in their menu! :O  My tea, by cup, was obviously too cheap for that...hihihi! ;D

And if the CNY goodies looks familiar, that's where I got some of my CNY snacks from this year. ^_~  But in one of my post-CNY trips here, the cookies were no longer on the shelves, so you can't get these festive cookies (unlike the rice dumplings) all year round.

Check out a more recent post on the place here.

My Personal Opinion

I enjoyed all the dishes I've had so far (but be prepared to pay slightly higher than norm prices for a similar type of food).  I know I'm definitely coming back to try more of what's on their menu.

Of course, you can't leave without trying out their traditional rice dumplings as it's obviously their speciality based on the name of the place.  I have tried a few of them but I think I'll blog about it in a separate post.

When I left, I took one of their business cards (from the cashier counter) and I came across Traditional Recipe outlets listed at the back of the card.  Looks like they're one and the same (and they do share more or less a similar menu), with outlets in Kota Damansara, Kuchai Lama and Bandar Mahkota Cheras, so you can check out the outlet nearest you if you wish to give them a try.  Thanks to Sean, I'm covered as I have one near me in Pandan Jaya.  Also listed in their business card was Go 2 Pan Mee (by Mdm Lee) in SS2, so I guess they're affiliated (no wonder they're well-known for their pan mee too).

Restoran Y E Traditional Dumplings
24 Jalan Pandan 3/9
Pandan Jaya
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9284 5325

Just One Food - 4 Mix Butter Cookies (from Hong Kong)

I was recently gifted a box of 4 Mix Butter Cookies from my sister-in-law's travels to Hong Kong.  Oh goody....I love a 'souvenir' that I can eat...hihihi! ;D  It's certainly better than getting a keychain which usually ends up gathering dust and finds its way to the trash bin later, don't you think? ^_~

Some of you might be wondering what's so great about a box of butter cookies.  Well, they're no ordinary butter cookies but the famous butter cookies from Jenny Bakery in Hong Kong which is notoriously known for its long queue.

First and foremost, the cookies are packed in some of the cutest teddy bear can designs...and this is the Composer 2018 design (from December).

These cookies are incredibly popular and they have led to many counterfeit cookies springing up.  So famous are they that the can designs have to be changed monthly to prevent knock-offs.  You can even follow their monthly design (posted in their website) to ensure you're getting the real deal.

These cookies, besides being sold in Hong Kong in only 2 branches (with no authorised resellers or distributors in any other location in Hong Kong), are also available in Shanghai, Seoul and Singapore.

When I opened the can of cookies, the first whiff of aroma I got was the smell of coffee and then butter when the can was brought closer to my nose.  The distinct smell of coffee is what every coffee lover will appreciate as it heightens the anticipation of what it'll taste like.

This 320g can of 4 Mix Butter Cookies consists of 4 types of cookies.  I found 10 pcs of butter flower, 9 pcs of coffee flower, 8 pcs of raisin oat and 7 pcs of shortbread for a total of 34 pcs.  A check on their website revealed that a 320g can retails for HKD75 (or about RM40), also available in 380g @ HKD90 and 640g @ HKD140.

The Butter Flower is their classic butter cookie shaped like a flower.  There's no doubt that there's a strong buttery taste but not overwhelming at the same time.  The cookie is airy with that perfect crumb and has that melt-in-your-mouth texture once you bite into it.

Next, the Coffee Flower is similar to the Butter Flower in terms of texture except for the addition of coffee flavour.  The strong aroma of coffee will be embraced enthusiastically by coffee lovers...and no coffee taste is too strong for coffee devotees. ^.^

The Shortbread, which supposedly has more butter compared to the butter flower, has a firmer texture that still literally crumble in your mouth with an equally good dose of butter flavour (but I couldn't tell if the butter taste was stronger than the Butter Flower though).

Finally, the Raisin Oat with toasted oats and chopped raisins has a nice crisp texture with a strong aroma of coffee as well (can't say I tasted the raisins though).  Some were of the opinion that the Shortbread and Raisin Oat was drier but I didn't feel so.  I think the firmer texture of these two cookies led to a less crumbly texture which made them feel they were drier when they're not.  I don't mind this firmer texture at all.

All four cookies were good but my favourite is definitely the coffee flavoured ones.  What can I say....I'm a coffee addict lover through and through! ^o^  It depends really on what you like...if it's a superior crumbly texture you're after, then the flower design types will be your preferred pick.  If you like a firmer texture of that resembling a proper cookie more, then the Raisin Oat and Shortbread will have your stamp of approval.

There's nothing quite like having a cup of coffee (or tea for some) to complement these cookies for maximum enjoyment.  It's quite a revelation that something as simple as a butter cookie, made from just wheat flour, butter, sugar and cornstarch, can taste so delicious.  I hear that cornstarch gives cookies that perfect crumb. Well, I wouldn't know since I'm no baker.

When they're all gone, the pretty can is a keeper too! ;)

And that's Cookie checking out the competition of the same name. @_@

All said and done, these are utterly buttery (but no overwhelmingly so until it's cloying), perfectly crumbly (but not fall-apart-at-the-slightest-touch crumbly), not too sweet, full of coffee aroma, 100% natural and preservative-free cookies that cookie aficionados will die for! ^_^  Their huge popularity is probably down to...1) their buttery taste, 2) the fragrant aroma of coffee, 3) that perfect crumbly texture and 4) the ever-so-cute teddy bear can designs.

Perhaps I'm no authority on how good they are compared to other butter cookies as I'm not a massive cookie fan and I've not eaten enough to make a sound judgement or comparison...but let me tell you that the cookies tasted good even for a non-cookie fan.
  

Some people didn't find them as praiseworthy and that's probably down to the high expectations from queuing for so long.  I was gifted a box...I didn't have to queue...so, I didn't have high expectations.  In the end, it's about whether you'd be willing to queue for the cookies and pay around RM1 for each of them.  If you're a cookie fan, you probably would for these rich and decadent cookies.  The next time you're in Hong Kong, get yourself a can to try (if you love cookies) to see if it's worth the hype! ^_~

But not my Cookie! ^_~

Home-Cooked this Chinese New Year

Since we couldn't balik kampong this year (because my mother-in-law was rendered immobile), it meant that there would be less (probably none) of eating at restaurants and more of (probably only) eating at home this year compared to any other year.

So, home-cooked this year it is then.  Here are just some of the dishes I cooked (and ate) this Chinese New Year (at home)...most of which I've made before and that's because CNY is not the time to dabble in dishes you're cooking for the first time.  Best to stick to what you know and what you've cooked before to avoid any untoward kitchen disasters! ;P  It also include some dishes that were outsourced.

#1 - Yee Sang

As usual, no CNY is complete without the customary tossing of yee (fish) sang (raw) for fortune and growth in the year ahead.

This year's yee sang (contributed by my sister-in-law) was a fruit yee sang with no raw fish to cater to my mother-in-law's restricted diet.

A little presentation by my sisters-in-law before tossing...nice? ^_~  Actually, there were more than six of us but we could only fit 6 pairs of chopsticks in the presentation...haha! :D

And as with any yee sang, the tossing ritual is a must.


The well-tossed yee sang ready to be devoured. ^.^

#2 - Poon Choi

My sister-in-law also contributed (as in bought) this poon choi (from Dragon-i) for one of our CNY dinners. Poon choi is one of the most well-received, not to mention convenient, dish in any potluck gathering for its variety in one pot.  This 18-ingredient poon choi consisted of sea prawns, roast chicken, pork balls, pork skin, sea cucumber, fish maw, mushrooms, abalone, dried scallops, dried oysters, pork trotters, fried beancurd, golden money bags, black moss, yam, white radish, Chinese cabbage and broccoli.

#3 - Fried Wantan

Spring rolls (and Chinese dumplings) are eaten for wishes of wealth and prosperity.  Well, my fried wantans look like spring rolls too, don't you think?  I've made these fried wantans (a signature dish of mine) before for a few CNYs in Ipoh.  I've not made these for the last couple of years as the preparation of the filling is time consuming as it needs quite a bit of slicing and chopping.  But the result of biting into a crispy, freshly fried wantan is worth every bit of work and it's always a well-received dish at any festive dinner table.

I made these fried wantans again on another day for our own consumption....and made extras for my neighbours too.

#4 - Honey Roasted Chicken Wings & Paprika Roasted Potatoes

Chicken is another dish you'll find on the reunion dining table though it's usually steamed whole.  But I don't do whole chickens as I have no such skills in chopping the chicken.  So, I resort to chicken pieces and I've made countless roast chicken recipes before, be it chicken wings or thigh, and roast potatoes too with different seasonings.  Though predominantly more suited for a western festive meal, it can work for a Chinese meal too depending on the seasoning you choose.  It's good to consider cooking something in the oven as that will free up the stove for other dishes that need to be cooked.

Both the roast potatoes (and chicken wings) were made with less charring in mind since my extended family members get freaked out with overly darkened bits.

#5 - Steamed Chinese Silver Pomfret?...erm, not quite

Yu or fish is a must for CNY as it symbolises surplus wealth.  And, of course, steaming it whole is the usual way to go.  When I was at the wet market staring at a pretty huge tau tai cheong (Chinese silver pomfret), my regular fish hawker offered to sell it to me cheap cheap, she said (well, her cheap cheap meant it was still over RM100 and I dared not ask her how much exactly).  She said pomfret is very expensive this year (and by that she meant Chinese silver or white/silver pomfret, not black pomfret, of course).  So, no, it didn't make it to the reunion table this year...just far too costly.

#6 - Prawns in Dark Soy

Of course, you need to include a dish that makes you go hee hee har har for more happiness in the new year. This year, the (fairly) large prawns I got cost about RM3 for one.  With prawns this size and the price, I allocated only one per person.  This prawns in dark soy dish is pretty straight-forward to make (I've cooked it for the Ipoh dinner table before) and it's one of my sister-in-law's favourite way of having prawns (mine too).

  #6 -  Braised Mushrooms with Abalone

Another auspicious dish is braised mushrooms with abalone for longevity and good fortune.  The easiest is to use canned abalone (they aren't cheap either at more than RM100 a can).  I added some canned button mushrooms as well.  My sister-in-law made her version of braised mushrooms with fish maw too.

I cooked this again on another day to use up the other can of abalone that my sister-in-law gave me and passed some to my neighbours too.

#7 - Stir-Fry Vegetables


My sister-in-law cooked some vegetables of baby green beans....


.....and bok choy.  Another sister-in-law also contributed Stir-Fried Lettuce and Luncheon Meat Omelette.

#8 - Bacon & Lap Cheong Fried Rice

I made two types of fried rice, one was the bacon fried rice and the other, lap cheong fried rice (shown above) just because I ran out of bacon.  These were just some of my contributions (some of which I cooked again for our own family dinners)...and if you're wondering why all the food are photographed in take-away containers, that's because they had to be transported to where my mother-in-law was recuperating due to her immobility.

Having potluck and eating at home have its perks in that you can mingle and linger to chit chat but, at the same time, it's also tiring to cook.  So much so that when my friends suggested another potluck get-together, I had to graciously decline as I reckon I've done quite enough of cooking for the few days. :P

Uncle Meng (Ipoh Sar Hor Fun) @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa

Uncle Meng @ Taman Shamelin Perkasa is super popular for their well caramelised, perfectly charred, melt-in-the-mouth char siew with a wonderful fat-to-lean ratio and it's one of our favourite places to have char siew rice.

The place is also a usual haunt for us for breakfast.  I usually have the Western breakfast with add-on luncheon meat when I'm here but since the Ipoh Sar Hor Fun stall came, I always have that now.

I've blogged about this excellent Ipoh sar hor fun before (some 2 years ago) but decided to dedicate another blogpost to it just because I've forgotten I've already blogged about it and had already prepared the photos and wrote the post before realising this Ipoh sar hor hun is so, so good.  And oh, I do have an update (from that 2016 post) that will blow your mind! :O

This is Ipoh Sar Hor Fun with Shredded Chicken & Shrimp Wantan @ RM9.  You get two pieces of shrimp wantan only with a few prawns and some shredded chicken.

Sometimes I would have the Ipoh Sar Hor Fun with Chicken Thigh @ RM7.50 which would have a few prawns in them too besides some fragrant gao choy (Chinese chives) and crunchy beansprouts.

If you prefer the drumstick portion, the price is the same as well (ordered this accidentally once).  The default noodles is kuey teow, of course, as you can't have it with any other type of noodles.  And what can I say about the kuey teow except that it's slippery smooth, thin and translucent which is the hallmark of a good Ipoh sar hor fun.  It slips down my throat effortlessly.  It's just different from the normal kuey teow we know.

The poached chicken is irreproachably smooth and tender...and the skin is not too fatty.  An excellent poached chicken indeed.

As for the broth, you can taste a bit of the prawn in the stock.  It's nicely subtle with a just the right hint of sweetness.  Overall, there seems to be an improvement in the soup base (from before) but I wouldn't mind a bit more of that lovely fragrant prawn/chilli oil though.

I don't usually finish the soup whenever I'm having soup noodles but this one I'll gladly make an exception. Look at my almost empty bowl! O_o

An order for the noodles with a specific chicken part (drumstick, thigh or wings) doesn't come with any shrimp wantans, so you'll need to add on wantans if you want them.  And here's the update....wait for it...each additional shrimp wantan now cost RM1.50 (this was in 2018...I've not had it in 2019 yet).  It was 80 cents in 2016! :O

Ya, I know, I know...each shrimp wantan is filled with a whole prawn...a super fresh one and of a very decent size too.  But RM1.50...double the price? >.<  That goes to show how prices of seafood (particularly fish and prawns (and probably other seafood as well) have skyrocketed these past two years (a medium-sized white pomfret I recently bought from the wet market cost me RM24)! T_T  The price of the noodles (with chicken) on the other hand has seen an increase of 50 cents only which is reasonable and not as scary.

The wantan skin is also very thin and smooth and, if you're not careful, will glide down your throat effortlessly as it did once when I slurped on the spoon with the wantan sitting in it.  Shucks, I didn't even get to bite and savour the taste of the shrimp slowly before it slipped down my throat. :P

If you love a good prawn wantan, you can add on how many your heart desires...or as many as your wallet can cope...kekeke! :D  So, you do the math how much this bowl will cost in total with additional 5 wantans (psst...just shredded chicken is RM6)! O_o

My Personal Opinion

This was a gem of a find!  It's a total surprise to bump into such an awesome Ipoh sar hor fun stall in a coffee shop that doesn't even specialise in Ipoh sar hor fun.

The flavour of the soup could still be better but everything from the tender, smooth poached chicken to the fresh, firm shrimp wantans to the slippery, translucent kuey teow were on point. ^.^  It tasted a lot better than many Ipoh sar hor fun stalls I tried...heck, it's even better than some Ipoh sar hor fun specialists.

If you love a good bowl of Ipoh sar hor fun, you have to give this one a try.  But let me forewarn you that the stall is notorious for closing whenever they want (there was one time when they even closed for more than a month!).  As you can see from the photos above, I've had it many, many, many times...and will continue to do so. ^o^

P/S: They were closed for CNY and were still closed when I last visited and more alarmingly was that the price list (that used to be stuck at their stall) had been taken down....so, I'm bracing myself for the possibility of another round of price increase! O_o

Restoran Uncle Meng
Corner of Lorong 6A/91
Jalan 6/91
Taman Shamelin Perkasa
56100 Kuala Lumpur