Show Canned Food Some Love!

If you happen to be a health freak, you can stop reading now.  But, if you're like me, who eats healthy too but is not a complete health psycho, then some canned foods may yet feature in your life! ^_~

I know canned food isn't the best for us but I can't deny that I do like to eat some of them, both for the taste and the ease of preparation.  All of us have one of those days when we're too lazy (or tired) to cook (hey, good cooks need good rest too) or don't want to brave the rain to get food.  Those are the days when canned food comes to the rescue.


So, do you eat any canned food at all?  If you do, what are some of your favourite canned foods you just can't do without?  Here comes ten cans/brands (with a free endorsement from me...haha!) which you'll probably find in my pantry at any given time (even though there are way more types available in the market).

#1 - Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (Some China Brand)


Probably my most favoured food that comes out of a can...but it must be the right brand (coz some brands are not nice at all).  I get the same brand from my usual dry goods supplier (but don't ask me for the name as I've no clue since everything is in Chinese)...and, mind you, this one isn't all that cheap either.


The simplest way to eat this is to just steam it (I add a little water just so that I can have a bit more sauce) and it's great with rice or porridge.


Sometimes, I would even make a one-pot wonder by tearing the fish into smaller pieces and stirring everything (including the fermented black beans) into a pot of cooked rice (one can is good enough for 3 - 4 servings of rice).  Makes a quick instant one-dish meal with a vegetable of your choice...happy days! ^o^  

#2 - Stewed Pork Chops (Narcissus)

When it comes to stewed pork, I only eat one brand...Narcissus (not easy to find these days).  Even my regular dry goods supplier says it'll be a while before he brings them in again as they're rather expensive, so less demand.  Gulong (most commonly available) and other brands, the sauce don't taste as good.


Again, I make a one-dish meal out of this by adding sang choy (iceberg lettuce)...and you have a quick-fire complete meal with meat, veggie and sauce.  P/S: My MIL makes a 'killer' mui choy kau yoke (braised pork belly with sweet preserved vegetable)...and her secret ingredient...the addition of a can of Narcissus stewed pork leg...surprise, surprise! :O

#3 - Sardines in Tomato Sauce (Ayam Brand)


If you like sardines, you're bound to have eaten it out of a can before.  I don't even mind the use of canned sardines or mackerel in assam laksa.  I choose it when I see it at chap fan stalls though not all are to my liking coz some of them use the cheaper brands where the sardines can be dry.


After trying a few brands, I ended up sticking with Ayam brand...and I cook it at home with lots of onions (I'll throw in some sliced chillies if I have).

But, beware though, I've bought Ayam mackerel instead of sardines before and it tasted so bluek that I thought the brand was no longer good only to be alerted by my usual vendor if I had mistakenly bought the wrong one.  Only then did I realise that there were two...and the can looks exactly the same except for the words mackerel and sardines...well, now I know....so, be careful when you buy.

#4 - Luncheon Meat (YiGe)


Well, this one certainly needs no introduction...and YiGe is the tastiest brand I know.  How many times have a can of luncheon meat been a lifesaver at home? ;)


There's plenty you can do with a can of luncheon meat since it's so versatile.  Simply pan-fry and eat with rice or slap it between two slices of bread.  Make an omelette out of it or use it in fried rice.  Add them into a bowl of instant noodles or even make a veggie dish with it...the possibilities are endless.

#5 - Braised Peanuts (Gulong)


These braised peanuts first gained traction (I think) when they were served as tidbits (instead of the usual fried peanuts) in Chinese restaurants.  I remember telling myself then how nice if someone makes this and sell...and lo and behold, it got canned (no pun intended)!


Now I can enjoy eating this as a snack at home...just open and steam.  Not quite as tasty as those restaurant-made ones but it'll have to do.

#6 - Button Mushrooms (Rex)


I will usually pick this brand as I like the larger size of the mushrooms.


When cooking button mushrooms at home, I normally use it in a dish of loh hon chai (mixed vegetables)....


......or a dish of braised assorted mushrooms.  Some even use canned button mushrooms in a one-pot savoury rice.

#7 - Baked Beans (TST)


I think most of the canned baked beans in the market are quite similar in taste.  I used to eat Yeo's and Ayam brands, now I seem to have settled on TST.


You'd even see this on most platters of a western-style breakfast.


But the most common way I have it at home is cooked with eggs.  Got beans, got eggs, got sauce...what else you want-lah! :D

#8 - Cream of Mushroom (Campbell's)


There are so many Campbell's soup varieties in the market but the one I'm latched on to is the cream of mushroom (you even have wild mushroom, mushroom potage or creamy chicken mushroom for variation).


Nothing is more comforting than to tuck into a bowl of warm soup on a cold night.  All it needs is a crack of black pepper and you're good to go.


The canned button mushrooms come in handy here too coz I'd even add more sometimes into my bowl of mushroom soup (there's no such thing as too much).

#9 - Spiced Pork Cubes (Narcissus)


You can simply just open the can, reheat it and have it with rice.


But I learned to have it with instant noodles (at home).  Don't blame me...blame Kim Gary (hehe!) for putting that idea in my head (they do a version of fried rice with it too).  Best with curry type of instant noodles to tie in with the spiced flavour of the pork dices.

#10 - Tuna Chunks in Olive Oil (Ayam Brand)


I love tuna...and I've tried a couple of different brands before settling on Ayam brand.  They're available in chunks or flakes and can come in mayo, mayo light, spicy mayo, olive oil, organic olive oil, even water.  I prefer to get them in chunks and flake it myself before adding my own mayo.


Together with some sweet corn and shredded lettuce, they make a great tuna sandwich.


If there are leftovers, just scoop them on top of some savoury crackers for a nice, little snack.  Hey, I'm sure Cookie wouldn't mind sharing some of that tuna too.

As with everything else, just practise moderation with canned food (the same concept we apply to any other food that's not all that good for us).....and you should do just fine.  Just like we have cheat days for eating, we have cheat days for cooking too.  Even those who can't (or don't) cook cannot mess up making a simple meal out of a can.

Some canned goods deserve a bit of love, don't you think? ^_~

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

More food inside!

Over the past year, I've had many meals from dahmakan.....some wonderful....and some not so wonderful. You can read the meals I've tried so far in my previous entries here, here and here.

Even though I'm no longer a dahmakan Select member now, I still order meals from them from time to time when the cook or kitchen is having a downtime! ;)

#1 - Assam Laksa @ RM9.90


lai fun (or laksa noodles), assam broth, pineapple, lettuce, lemongrass, prawn paste

Since I've not tried any of their noodles, I thought I'd give their assam laksa a go...but I wasn't expecting the elaborate packaging that it came in.  This was what I was confronted with when I opened the lid.  There's a separate plastic compartment for the noodles and another plastic container for the broth and all this is then put into a paper container.

I wish the packaging was simpler (like D'Laksa) with one paper container for the broth and one plastic bag for the noodles.  I guess it can't be helped as they have to ensure everything is packaged as one so that the rider doesn't forget anything and that the broth doesn't spill while intransit.

The noodles looked hard at first glance but then I understood when I realised the reheating instructions ask that you put the noodles into the broth to reheat.  After reheating, the noodles tasted exactly like lai fun you come to expect in assam laksa but don't expect the noodles to be in long strands as they've been cut in order to fit into the small box.

So that would mean the noodles will be a small portion as well coz, after all, how much noodles can you fit into a container that's slightly over an inch in height! >.<  Luckily, I was able to "kar liew" since I had some yong tau foo leftover from earlier otherwise it wouldn't have been quite enough.

The noodles came with just a piece of lettuce, bits of lemongrass, some pieces of canned (not fresh) pineapple and a wedge of lime.  You won't find staples of shredded cucumber or onions...there weren't any (and, to me, I can't really have the whole assam laksa experience without these vegetables)! >_<

The assam broth was fairly thick with bits of (probably) canned mackerel or sardines but it was neither spicy nor sour enough (even after I squeezed the lime in)...and that, to me, is not the essence of a good assam laksa broth (although I must confess that I didn't pour all the har ko (prawn paste) in but it wouldn't have made any difference coz when I tasted it on its own, it was sweet instead of spicy).  By right, it should be very spicy, that's why I usually omit it (or use only a very light drizzle).

For an assam laksa to be successful, you want the spiciness and sourness to hit you in the face...and this one didn't do that (but if you like one that's neither spicy nor sour, then this one fits the bill).  Guess I won't be ordering this noodle dish again (or any other noodle dish for that matter anytime soon)...there's just too much plastic packaging for one noodle dish alone and the extra work needed in reheating and washing just isn't worth the effort.   Note that the dish arrives cold (or room temperature at best), so reheating is a must...and since I only reheat broth to boiling point in glass containers, that meant even more washing up to do.

#2 - Brazilian Fish & Squid Stew @ RM24.90

fish fillet, squid, cilantro brown rice, broccoli & carrot, spicy sauce

I'm not sure what fish was used but they were much thicker slices than the ones that came with Thai Red Fish Curry I had previously.  Nevertheless, the fish chunks (about 5 good-sized chunks) were soft and flaky.  The squid was tender too (and I found at least 4 slices of the squid tube).

The spicy sauce was really good....it was da bomb! ^o^  I didn't expect it to be that spicy though I was able to tolerate the heat.  This dish had a spiciness score of 2-chillies which is just about the heat level I'm comfortable with (I could probably go 1-chilli higher but that's about it for me).  I better stay away from those with a 4 or 5-chillies rating! :O

I'm not sure why it's called a Brazilian stew as it tasted a bit like our assam pedas minus the sourness.  This sauce also had a thicker consistency to the one that came with the Thai Red Fish Curry and Portugese Steamed Fish.  This sauce was the best of the three...and the best dish thus far from dahmakan that I've tasted.

And, for once, there is no complaint of not enough sauce as it was plentiful.  I loved the sauce so much that this is the first time I'm going to say I wanted more of the brown rice (with bits of coriander and green chillies).  The vegetables of broccoli and carrot was undercooked as usual but, this time, I didn't even mind as I dutifully ate the hard vegetables after they've been dunked into the sauce.  If there's just one dish you want to try from dahmakan, make it the Brazilian Fish & Squid Stew...period.  This one I have no qualms whatsoever about reordering. ^.^

#3 - Garlic Black Pepper Chicken @ RM14.90

chicken pieces, onion, red capsicum, black pepper sauce

The chicken chunks (from chicken breast) seem to have been deep-fried as there's a batter coating the chicken pieces, the texture of which made me feel like I was eating chicken nuggets.

Although onions and red capsicum are listed in the ingredient list, I actually found only one miserable piece of red capsicum and maybe two pieces of onion.  Not sure if the vegetables were actually lacking or it was a portioning problem during packing.

Flavour-wise, it was an ok dish, not overly peppery in taste.  Portion of chicken and rice commensurate with the price paid.

#4 - Roast Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato Mash @ RM26.90

chicken breast, sweet potato mash, green capsicum & onions, mushroom sauce

It's not quite me to order a dish of chicken breast (since I dislike this cut of chicken immensely) but it was the vegetables of green capsicum & onions that were peeking from the menu pic (finally something other than broccoli & carrot) that encouraged me to order chicken breast for once.  And.....surprise, surprise...it turned out better than I expected.

The chicken breast, though known for its dryness, actually turned out rather pleasant as it had a decent flavour and charring on the outside.  The sweet potato mash was very good...sweet tasting, smooth and with a few chunky bits.  Portions of chicken and mash were substantial...this is one dish you won't complain of not being enough.

The accompanying mushroom sauce, fairly thick and made with shiitake and oyster mushrooms, was really good too with the flavour of mushrooms coming through (I wanted more sauce).  The sauce, sauteed vegetables and sweetness of the mash all contributed to make the chicken breast less dry...the sweet potato mash especially (it wouldn't have worked if it was a potato mash).  Eat each forkful of the chicken with the sauce and a bit of mash and you'll soon forget that it's chicken breast that you're eating.

Recently however, I noticed that dahmakan's website has been revamped and one of the first things I noticed was that there are even lesser choices now (of meals priced above RM20) compared to before but the side dishes of drinks & desserts have increased significantly.  The other obvious thing I noticed was that they're now more focussed on offering the more affordable meals (priced RM14.90 & below) packaged with Tealive, Starbucks, Famous Amos or Krispy Kreme.  Perhaps they're consolidating, hoping to reduce wastage and manage costs better by offering less choices.

I've tried some of these cheaper meals, though they're not all that bad, they aren't something I'd be interested in having again.  That's because the vegetable component in the rice meals is sorely lacking (in both variety and taste) and having to rely on just chicken isn't quite what I fancy.  For a Chinese-like rice meal at that price, I'd be better off having chap fan where I can have more vegetables than rice to fill me up.

This switch seems more suited for office workers who have no time to eat out but want a quick, affordable meal delivered to their desk.  For me personally, I prefer the choices of the pricier meals (for dinner time) and now that there are even lesser options, I guess my dahmakan orders will be infrequent one-off orders from now on.

Note: Dahmakan has since been rebranded to Pop Meals (in late 2020)