Eateries to Avoid in Pandan Indah

As I live in Pandan Indah, it goes without saying that I would eat on a daily basis the places in my neighbourhood the most often as it's obviously the most convenient without having to travel far.  My taman is not as affluent as some other neighbourhoods and we don't have celebrated, renowned cafes or eateries here.  We have a few good places to eat but chances of bumping into one that's not good is much higher....and here are just some places I tried recently that I thought you should not waste your money...or your calories on.

#1 - Zhang Lao San Beef Noodle

You won't find many places offering beef noodles as beef is something that not all Chinese would eat either out of religious beliefs or they just don't fancy the taste of it.  I can only think of two speciality beef noodles standalone shops here, one (more well-known for beef ball noodles) has been around for a very long time and is still going strong and the other used to be the now-closed Chang Kitchen (with perhaps one or two hawker stalls).  But just as one speciality beef noodle closes, Zhang Lao San Beef Noodle opened up not long after.

So I stepped into this new beef noodle place one morning and since I'm not into beef innards, I ordered the Dry Braised Beef Noodles (RM13.80).  Not sure if the braised beef was ngau lam aka beef brisket or some other parts due to the often inaccurate English translation from Chinese (in the menu).  Anyway what came was the worst beef noodles I've ever eaten.

I would always order the dry noodles if I'm trying the beef noodles for the first time just in case the soup base is too intense in flavour, either in herbs or beef taste.  But instead it was the sauce used for this dry beef noodles which had such a strong beefy smell and taste that it was practically inedible for me.

I had to dunk it into the bowl of soup given to wash away that overly beefy taste that was so off-putting.  My mom doesn't eat beef for that very reason, she says it's "chow sow", a term used by non-beef eaters to refer to the overly beefy taste and smell that they cannot tolerate.  I used to tell her that good beef doesn't taste like that (but now I can understand exactly what that taste/smell is like to them).

You have a choice of ramen, hor fun or mee hun and I went with ramen since they didn't have lai fun which is usually what I'd have with beef noodles.  The braised beef cubes (not slices!) was tender enough though but had parts that were a little fatty with some connective tissues! >_<  The only saving grace was the nice chilli dip but even that couldn't save the disastrous dish.

The soup (though looking very murky and robust) was thankfully not too herbally or beefy in taste but still way off what I would term a decent broth.  The two chunks of radish was the only thing I mustered enough strength to finish.  I was told by the ex-boss of the other (now-closed) beef noodle place (Chang Kitchen) and she said that this is China-style where the beef taste is very prominent but which many locals can't accept (I guess I'm one of them).  In the end, I had to abandon the unfinished dish as I just couldn't take another bite.

Worst still was when I ordered coffee, it came out from a machine! O_o  I should have known better since it was right in front of me (they even dare put it in the front of the shop for everyone to see) but I thought they were for the fizzy drinks.  Seeing how eerily quiet the place was, there were only two tables (of 1 -2 pax) occupied when I walked in till the time I left, I doubt they will last much longer.

#2 - Kheong Kee Bak Kut Teh

Kheong Kee Bak Kut Teh is not new but have been around for ages in my taman.  They started out as a small shop before relocating opposite (just across the street) to its current larger space.  When they were operating from a small shop, it was the neighbourhood's go-to bak kut teh place and we dined there often.  Since their relocation though, we have not been back as regularly as we did before.

But the last two times we did dine here (a couple of years ago), I remembered the food to be still passable. We had Dry Bak Kut Teh, Soup Bak Kut Teh, Pork Stomach Pepper Soup, Onion Omelette and vegetables of Brinjal and Oyster Sauce Sang Choy then.

So we chose to have our dinner here again one evening.  This time we ordered the Dry Bak Kut Teh again (RM40 for minimum 2 pax), Taufu Brinjal with Dried Shrimp (RM15) and Oyster Sauce Sang Choy (RM12) but the taste, to our dismay, had changed drastically.  The most significant difference was the Dry Bak Kut Teh (you can see for yourself based on the photo itself).  All the meat and innards were so tough and chewy and the sauce was off too.  I was told (unconfirmed) that the place has changed hands.  I suppose that explains why the taste is different.  I also see Google reviews of people asking why the place has such good ratings when the food is so bad but little do they know that those good reviews were from before (under a different management).  I guess I should have checked before coming here again.  That's it...no next time!

#3 - Paw Paw Cafe

We noticed this place, Paw Paw Cafe (that was situated above Kheong Kee Bak Kut Teh), when we had our last (and I meant literally our last) dine-in at Kheong Kee Bak Kut Teh.  We walked up the stairs to find no-one at the reception counter or any customers there.  There were only two staff (foreigners), one manning the drinks counter and the other, the kitchen staff/cook!  The one at the drink counter was like half asleep and only realised a while later that we were there (too late to turn around now).

I ordered the Fish & Chips (RM19.90).  Again, I was swayed by the photo on Google (as the breaded fried fish looked fresh and flaky) before realising  that 90% of the photos were posted by the same person.  What I got instead was over-fried fish strips with a hard crumb texture and dry fish meat.

Even worse was the overly dressed lettuce salad with Thousand Island dressing.  Obviously the chef cook have not heard of the phrase "less is more"! >.<  Everything on the plate either came out of a bottle (the black pepper dipping sauce and Thousand Island dressing) or is frozen (the fish strips and crinkle-cut fries).

My son's Seafood Aglio Set (RM16.90) came with prawns and squid (of the frozen kind, of course) tossed in garlic and chilli flakes.  It was run-of-the-mill in taste and presentation, a western food hawker stall can do better.

The Mushroom Soup (RM3 was an add-on for the set) may look the part until you put a spoon through it and realise that it's watery like hell.  It was totally unlike the ratings/photos left on Google.  If you thought the cheap price tag is deserving of a watery mushroom soup, know that this was offered as an add-on at a special price.

We ordered two drinks but was billed for one only and even after we highlighted the error, the foreigner would rather not charge us than have to go through the trouble/extra work of amending/re-doing the bill again.  That's the problem when the owner is no where in sight and the workers he/she employs have a "I don't care" attitude since their only concern is their fixed salary.

When we were halfway through our meal (and till the time we left), only one table (of three) got filled! Needless to say, anyone with a sane mind would know they can't survive like this (even if the rental is cheaper for the first floor).  But the funny thing is, you'd see quite a few of such places in my neighbourhood (where they're totally deserted but yet remains open!).  Rumours (unconfirmed, of course) are that such places may be a front for laundering purposes (and I don't mean the clothes kind) or some unscrupulous acts.  When I see an eatery open without the owner/s anywhere in sight, it makes me think that the owner isn't concerned about profits or passionate about his business at all.  If you're an owner, would you do that?  Not be bothered if your investment goes bust?  I think not.

I'm sure there are more eateries to avoid in my neighbourhood which (hopefully) I would not be lucky enough to try.  So, here's me doing my little part for the good folks of Pandan Indah that they would not have to go through the not-so-good dining experience I had here...eateries that I would not be caught dead in again! >_<

Hot Mom Kitchen (@ Restoran Bai Li Men) @ Pudu

I first tried this place (relocated here from Pandan Jaya) when they were located in Pandan Perdana but their stay there was also shortlived (less than a year).  Luckily, I had their contact number since they're in the habit of changing their daily specials (and we had to call ahead if we wanted to know what's on the menu for the day).

Hot Mom Kitchen have now moved to Restoran Bai Li Men @ Pudu and I've revisited a couple of times already (hopefully they can make it here although the place doesn't seem to be busy each time we visit).  Not sure why is that (coz the food is really good) but, if I were to make a guess, I'd put it down to the prices (that's more premium than your standard hawker fare) and the fact they don't have social media presence (they do have Facebook but there are no active updates).

After trying twice when they were at their previous location, I brought my extended family here on my third visit since my brother-in-law likes Penang food as this place specialises in food from up north (rather obvious from the word "Penang" in all their dishes).  He has been looking forward to eating Penang Kway Chap @ RM12 for a while now.  This was where I first learned that the kway chap noodles actually come in dried form and curl up into rice rolls when they're cooked.

The bowl of kway chap arrived looking really authentic with its darkly coloured broth (that tasted quite light and not too herbally) filled with pork innards (not a lot of variety, just intestines and stomach), thick-cut pork belly slices, duck meat, firm fried tofu pieces, braised hard-boiled egg with authentic flat broad rice roll noodles (not kway teow) and finished with a good sprinkling of crispy fried garlic and Chinese celery leaves (daun sup) served with a chilli dip.  Both my sister-in-law and I got a small bowl before he devoured the rest (and at the rate he devoured it, I'm guessing he found it pretty good).  I, too, thought it was one of the better kway chap I've had in recent times.

I ordered the Penang Assam Fish (again) @ RM25 as I thought it was excellent the first time I had it.  The fish of the day was not stingray (or pou yue) this time but grouper (sek pan).  I also added a prawn @ RM5 (wehich was cheaper coz it was ming har this time as she's still waiting for her supply of fung wong har to arrive, she told me) for my dining companions to try.  The fish was easier to divide as there were 3 sizeable chunks.

The sauce was as good as before, thick and well balanced between sour and spicy though my brother-in-law thought it was a bit too sour.  Well, if it's not sour, then it's not quite the flavour of assam as people would say.  Of course with a sauce like that, you need rice to go with it (rice was RM2 a plate, used to be RM1)! ;P

 

Seeing that my brother-in-law enjoyed the kway chap, he got an order of Penang Braised Duck @ RM18 later which arrived with the same dark looking sauce as the broth in the earlier kway chap noodles.

I prefer to eat roast duck over braised duck (coz I'm not a fan of soft, fatty skin and prefer crispy skin obviously) but this was still a pretty good rendition if you like braised duck.  I just thought the duck was a little bony for me but that's just what braised duck lovers like...getting at all the bony parts! ;)

We just can't leave without trying their Penang Char Kway Teow @ RM10 and when it landed on our table, I was a bit disappointed initially.  What, no siham (cockles)? O_o  It was promptly divided into 3 portions and I was the last to take my share revealing all the cockles hidden at the bottom of the plate which were left behind.

When I returned with family on another day and ordered this again, I knew this time to dig right to the bottom to reveal the good-sized cockles so that a proper photo can be taken.  As you can see, the cockles were fresh, bloody and plump ones at that.  The rawness of the cockles led me to believe that the cockles were probably scooped onto the plate before the fried noodles were put on top or they were laid on top of the noodles in the wok before plating up (and not fried together with the noodles).

I do like my cockles a little rare but also not as raw as this (I know some will beg to differ).  My ideal cockles in a plate of char kway teow would be one that is thrown in at the last minute, just for a quick stir with the already cooked noodles (not fried with the noodles).  This way they won't be overcooked and it takes that bit of raw edge off.

Flavour wise, it's a very decent plate of char kway teow as they pass the test with their big, juicy prawns (check), fresh, plump siham (check), fat, crunchy beansprouts (check), crispy pork lard (check) and wok hei (check, but only a hint and not all the time).  The only thing lacking is a bit more charring on their noodles.  They probably need to be cooked a little longer but with the lady boss being the sole cook, the cooking can be a bit inconsistent if she's rushed with other orders. >_<  Our (both me and my husband) gold standard char kway teow is still the one from Restoran TO in Pandan Perdana while my son prefers the version by Piau Kee Kopitiam (formerly Red Leaf) in Jalan Loke Yew but this is an equally worthy contender.

On one of our visits, they had Pork Innards Soup with Salted Vegetables @ RM18 (if my memory serves me right) with yam rice on their rotational menu for the day.  It's something my husband loves to eat and he had it with white rice instead.  There were pork belly slices, stomach, intestines, liver and meatballs with softened salted vegetables and silken tofu cubes.  Not quite the authentic bowl of innards soup since it was missing some crucial innards like tongue, spleen, heart and blood.  This is more towards something you'd find a pork noodles stall dishing out.

My husband thought it was just ok as we found some of the innards weren't cooked soft enough (and that's because they were cooked to order).  He says it's not good enough if it's not made by a pork innards soup specialist (and by that he wants to see a big pot of simmering pork innards) made the traditional way.  Made that way, I've to agree the innards steeping in the broth are much more tender and the soup has time to develop a deeper flavour but this is a dying trade as not many people (especially the youngsters) want to eat innards these days (other than the older folks), so it's more common to see them made to order nowadays (as in cook the innards a la minute with a ready-made stock like how pork noodles are made).

That same day, Sambal Stuffed Fried Fish @ RM12 was also on their special menu, so I packed one to go.  This is one of my favourite things to eat and it has to be hardtail mackerel or ikan cencaru.  Of course, other fish like Indian mackerel (ikan kembong) or barramundi (ikan siakap) can be used but it just won't be as good. My late mother-in-law makes the best sambal stuffed ikan cencaru....my mom's version was not too bad either (but she has not made this since she stopped eating spicy stuff). :'(

A lot of them can't compare to the ones made by our moms coz the sambal that's stuffed inside is always cooked not long enough.  You have to cook this over a low fire so that the paste inside has enough time to darken.  Either that or you saute the sambal first until well caramelised before stuffing into the fish.  Both methods take extra work and time which the hawkers will not choose to do obviously.  So, for me, this was an acceptable rendition (like most sold outside) where the sambal paste inside is still a little raw.

I was lucky enough to try their Thai Laksa @ RM12 on one occassion and it turned out very satisfactory as well.  Thai Laksa is like a cross between assam laksa and curry laksa (you don't find this being sold at many places).

It's like an assam laksa because of the similar ingredients used...thinly shredded onions and cucumber, Indian mackerel (kembong), chopped torch ginger flower (bunga kantan) and mint leaves (which I picked out later) in a light sourish broth served with the same type of laksa noodles you'll find in assam laksa.

It's also like a curry because of the santan used with the resulting flavours of a curry that's lighter with a sourish tang but also contains some sweetness and creaminess from the coconut milk.  And then, my bowl of Thai laksa took a turn for the better...got kar liew (additional ingredients) when the cockles from my husband's plate of char kway teow ended up in mine.  Happy days! ^.^

But, of course, the noodles I eat the most regularly here is none other than their Penang Prawn Mee @ RM12....the standout of which are the fresh prawns, intestines (not many places include this in a standard bowl) and their own-made fried shallots.  But the most impressive is their thick and robustly flavoured prawn broth.  This is now my gold standard prawn mee (my husband still prefers my previous gold standard prawn mee which is the one in Piau Kee Kopitiam).

I once had add-on intestines (I can't remember how much but probably RM3 - RM4 extra) and the amount given (as you can see) was quite substantial.  Although I love intestines to death, I felt they weren't soft enough so I think I'll stick to the standard bowl from now on (which would still have a few pieces of intestines in it) rather than chewing through so many.

My Personal Opinion

I would say this shop is a bit off the beaten track unless you've eaten their food before or someone recommends the place to you.  If you pass by, you probably wouldn't even give the place a second glance as it's always quite empty when we're there (even on Sunday mornings).  If you aren't 'famous' and have no social media presence (I say that coz I've not seen any written reviews other than my own on the place except for one video), are not always crowded and don't have long queues outside, it's hard to get the interest of passersby or customers/foodies.

But the food they put out actually deserves a lot more credit (and crowd than what I've seen) if they were 'properly marketed', especially their Penang specialities of prawn mee and kway chap.  They also kinda shot themselves in the foot by not having a fixed menu (except for the kway chap which is available daily) but one with rotating specials for different days of the week.  Customers are very demanding these days, when they visit they want to eat a specific thing and won't like it when you tell them it's not available.

There are many eateries/hawkers out there purported selling Penang food that are more famous but...you heard it here (again).....this one is clearly flying under the radar with their Penang specialities that can rival some of the best out there.  Give them a chance and come try....but only if you have patience as the lady boss runs a one (wo)man show, she's not well managed like a famous shop with a perpetual crowd.  Though her prices are slightly more premium than standard hawker fare, she compensates that by using better quality ingredients.  So, if you're in this part of town, don't miss out on this! ^.^

Hot Mom Kitchen

@ Restoran Bai Li Men

1 Jalang Gelang

Off Jalan Sungei Besi

Pudu

55200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 012-709 1181

Kee Wah vs Wing Wah - Battle of the Wife Cakes

Ding...Ding.....Ding....it's the Battle of the Wife Cakes.....(not wives, ya...lol)!  Wife Cake, or otherwise known as lo por paeng, is a traditional Chinese pastry with a flaky and thin crust and a filling made with candied winter melon, almond paste and white sesame.

I was first introduced to this wife cake when my previous boss brought them back from his business trips to Hong Kong (rather regularly, I might add) for all his staff.  I thought they were very good then until my neighbour's son got me the ones from Kee Wah Bakery that tasted even better.

So, during a recent trip by a family member to Hong Kong, I asked if she could buy me some Kee Wah's Wife Cakes.  She not only got me a box of Kee Wah's wife cakes but she also got me the other famous brand, Wing Wah's Wife Cakes, as well to try.  Now that I can eat them side by side, let's see which I liked better.

First difference I noticed of Kee Wah's wife cakes was that the packaging has changed.  Previously, you'd find 8 pcs of wife cakes in a box (not individually wrapped but separated by a piece of waxed paper) but now each piece of wife cake is indivdually wrapped (and there's only 6 pcs in a box).  Kee Wah's wife cakes have a very short shelf life, they're good for about a week only (my sister-in-law bought her stock on a Friday and it was good until the next Friday only).

Wing Wah's wife cakes, on the other hand, has a much longer expiry date which is about a month from date of purchase.  They too are individually wrapped with six in a box.  For those of you who want to know the origins of this wife cake, you'll find the story inscribed inside the colourful box packaging of Wing Wah (although you'll also find different versions of the story online).  Legend has it that back in feudal China, a daughter-in-law offered herself for sale in return for money to cure her ill-health father-in-law.  In a desperate attempt to redeem his spouse, the husband created a gourmet cake for sale in the bazaar.  His product did pay off with the proceeds saved.  The couple was able to get together again and lived happily ever after.  His recipe then spread from place to place, winning the name "Wife Cake".

Visually, you can tell them apart easily as Kee Wah's wife cakes are much bigger and they have a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.  With such short expiry dates, I usually store them in the fridge so that I have more time to finish them.  I would reheat them before eating by toasting them in the toaster oven for a few minutes.  I find that Kee Wah's wife cakes become even more fragrant after toasting.

I love that their filling of sweetened winter paste isn't too sweet.  The pastry was nicely flaky but thought it was slightly thicker now than it was before.  Taste wise, although still good, I thought they weren't as good as before (and by that I mean they didn't bowl me over like before).  I wonder if it's because they used to reach us in a fresher state than now.

Previously you won't find them individually wrapped with a tiny silica gel or oxgen absorber packet to keep the food fresh longer which indicates that they could have been made for sale more in advance.  Maybe that has affected the taste...I don't know, though still pleasurable, it didn't give me as much pleasure as it once did.

In comparison, Wing Wah's wife cakes are smaller but the crust is also a little thinner than Kee Wah's.

The winter melon paste seemed a little thicker and just a wee bit sweeter than Kee Wah's but I felt it wasn't as tasty.

Wing Wah's wife cakes are also similarly individually wrapped with silica gel to prolong freshness.  As I'm trying this for the first time, I do not know how they were packaged before.

And then you have the locally made ones that can't hold a candle to the ones from Hong Kong in terms of taste and texture.  I've tasted quite a few and all of them came up short.

So, in the Kee Wah vs Wing Wah Battle of the Wife Cakes.....the winner (for me) is Kee Wah.  I still prefer the taste of Kee Wah's wife cakes over Wing Wah's as I thought the winter melon filling of Kee Wah's tasted better.  Not only that but the addition of sesame seeds in Kee Wah's version made the pastry that much more fragrant. ^o^

I'm sure we all have our own preference and both brands (Wing Wah since 1950 and Kee Wah since 1938) are long established brands and Singapore now seems to be the nearest route where we can get our hands on their baked goods.  However, I read somewhere that Kee Wah's wife cakes are not available for sale there while Wing Wah's wife cakes are available only periodically (unconfirmed).  So, if you love to eat this lightly sweet flaky pastry, be sure to cart some home when you next visit Hong Kong.  Wing Wah best describes it.....a Chinese delicacy with a timeless flavour! ^_~