Tag: review

Wanton Act

You can’t please everybody. Someone asked me what the noodles and kelondong drink looked like. Good thing I turned around and ‘stole’ or ‘curi’ a shot from the neighbouring table before we ordered.
I asked permission from the strangers though. The proximity of tables in this crowded restaurant means, we being first timers, could hear and cue in on what everyone were ordering. Restaurant 168 is non-halal.

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 320, f4, 1/200 sec.

#restaurant168 #pudu #wantonmee #wonton #noodles #foodphotography #chinesefood

Kelondong And Wontons

We stumbled upon the best wantan (mee) soup this side of town by chance. The wontons include a big sui kow dumpling and the regular wontons had bite size prawns in it. Wonderful stuff. The noodles and char siew were buried underneath when I scooped the wontons and vegetables onto the ‘kon lo’ noodles plate.

Only thing I didn’t like was the drink recommended by the Indonesian waitress. Sar Lay Shin Mui or Kelondong fruit with sour plum drink. The fruit is known as Spondias dulcis or ambarella or jew plum. I think they blended it with all the skin intact. The drink tasted too raw and greenish. Anna liked it though.

Retaurant 168 is at 1 Jalan Brunei Utara, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur and is non-halal.

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/200 sec.

#restaurant168 #pudu #wantonmee #wonton #foodphotography #chinesefood

Cendol Ibrahim Banting – A Cursory Review

Off the bat, I like the metal bowl and metal spoon used. It always make the cendol concoction feels colder. Love the coarsely textured shaved ice too but the green cendol jellies tasted a little too salty. And it was not because of the santan (coconut milk brew).

I regretted not specifying “Kurang Manis”(less sweet) as some regulars did. Lessening the palm sugar can reduce the sweetness significantly. Not sure if it will do well with the saltiness of the cendol.
The shop sells its own complementary mamak rojak pasembor too. I tried it on a previous trip and it was quite good.

Panasonc Lumix GM-1, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/200 sec.

#banting #cendol #dessert #shavedice #drink #ice #localfood #foodphotography #foodreview #smalltown

Nasi Ayam Kunyit at Auntie’s Kopitiam, Kuala Selangor

That Sambal.

Nasi Ayam Kunyit (Rice with Turmeric Chicken). A favourite dish of mine at the humble Auntie’s Kopitiam in Kuala Selangor’s old town.

For so many years, I have always stopped here for a Kopi-O or for a simple meal when I am on the way to the paddy fields of Sekinchan.

A ray of sunlight, reflected off my car’s windscreen, crept through the edges of the wax paper holding the dish; highlighting the sambal and part of the rice.

You may want to park your car strategically when doing on-location food photography. Heh.

What makes the food special here? The food is of Nyonya and Hainanese heritage. Two cultures famous for their unique cuisine.

The eponymous Auntie or Madam Foo told me she inherited the coffee shop from her Hainanese father-in-law and Baba mother-in-law 43 years ago.

The shop was founded 80 years ago under a different name. Madam Foo is assisted by a Malay chef in the kitchen now. No pork is served.

What I like even more is that the kopitiam is patronised mostly by locals. A Chinese contractor treating his Indonesian workers to a good meal after completing a project.

A multi-racial group of schoolchildren celebrating a classmate’s birthday. An Indian lady letting her young grandchildren try chicken chop for the first time.

A couple of Malay cops having tea with a Chinese farmer. I don’t know whether the cops are off-duty or in plainclothes. I can hear the chatter on their walkie-talkies.

A lone French backpacker with a Lonely Planet book in her hand. Auntie’s Kopitiam is in Lonely Planet and is highly rated in TripAdvisor, according to her.

For me, the clientele is its testimony. Such a wonderful microcosm of the people in this fishing, agricultural and tourist area.

Where exactly is Auntie’s Kopitiam? Map and directions:
http://www.mycen.my/aunties-kopitiam-kuala-selangor/

Sony Alpha a7R, ISO 320, f4, 1/60 sec.

#foodphotography #localfood #ayamkunyit #hainanese #nyonya #koptiam #kualaselangor #sonyalpha #a7r #zeiss