Uncle Prawn @ Sunway Giza

Uncle Prawn - Sunway Giza, Kota Damansara.

Sunway Giza is sort of like the most happening place in Kota Damansara right now. It is like an avenue filled with food outlets and bars. This is where half the population of Kota Damansara chilled out during the recent world cup. It is obvious to see that the pubs here are built specially for the world cup. And now that the World cup is over, they will perpetuate their role for the Barclays Premier League and the likes.

There are many interesting looking restaurant housed here; Tao, Full House, just to name a few. I didn’t have any intention to dine there but when I was meeting up with a friend for beers and to share our two cents worth of the world cup, I got distracted by the bright lights coming from Uncle Prawn. There were also many congratulatory flowers in front indicating that they just started business. Now, to be distracted while heading for my beers …is quite unthinkable and seldom happens to me.

Out of curiosity, we decided to check the place out since it is still relatively new. With a name like this, their specialty must be prawns. So for our first order was the Sang Har Mee (Fresh Water Prawn Noodles).

The first thing I did was scoop a spoon full of the thick rich looking gravy and slurp it. Nice! Full of flavours from the prawn essence and eggs. However, I would have preferred the gravy to be a bit warmer. I think maybe the distance from the kitchen to our table was a wee bit too far and heat got dissipated along the way. Prawns were fresh and succulent. Noodle texture was a little soggy. I’d liked it a bit crunchy. Portions were just nice for two if you are going to share some other dishes. Price was quite hefty; RM18. Not sure if this is normal for Sang Har Noodles.

Oh well, since this is a prawn place, we ordered a prawn dish. They called it river prawns. This dish was cooked in strawberry sauce. Sounded interesting, so we gave it a shot.

Can’t really taste the strawberry flavours but it had a tinge of sweetness to it. I guess you can’t go wrong with any sauce as long as the prawns are fresh. Pretty decent taste, this one. Price – RM24 (not sure if this is decent)

Next we ordered the porkbelly with salted fish in claypot (RM18.80). We wanted something porky and this dish was quite tasty. Because the strong salty flavours of this dish was too overwhelming, we had to order a serving of steam rice to balance the taste. Just having this alone with steam rice is good enough for me.

At the sides, we had another dish called Asparagus Fried with Beech Mushroom (RM16) just to compliment the porkbelly. The mushroom was a bit tasteless but the aroma was nice. I guess after all those tasty dishes, this one seemed a bit too bland. Wrong combination I guess.

They have many other prawn dishes that you can check out. Infact they serve a range of seafood as well. I would return again to try the other stuff. I guess this is a good stop for food coz this place gets you really thirsty (with all that rich, salty food) before you quench your thirst at the bars just a stone throw away. Talk about strategic location !

Location

View Larger Map

Unit A-15 Sunway Giza

Jalan PJU 5 14 Dataran Sunway

Kota Damansara

47810 Petaling Jaya

Tel 03-6148 1998

Ais Kacang @ Weng Kee, PJ Old Town

Weng Kee Ais Kacang

Sometimes the heat can really get to you. I feel this very subtle yet irritating headache with a mere 10 mins exposure to the sun. It goes away almost instantaneously when I run into the shade. Looks like global warming is really getting to me. And it is times like these, I yearn for something to cool me down and sent chills down my spine !

I would normally have a cold beer or rum & raisin flavoured ice cream but wait…there is another alternative called Ais Kacang or Chap Suet (Chinese for ‘Mixed Ice’). Ais Kacang is a very popular dessert or even starters for Malaysian. There are many versions here across the peninsula. I have tried a number of them and I must say that one of the best, if not the best, I have ever laid my tongue on is the Ais Kacang stall called Weng Kee at Taman Selera, Jalan Othman, Petaling Jaya.

Apparently, this stall has been around for almost 48 years. That’s quite something for a drink stall as it were. A nice lady whom many affectionately called as Chee 'Siew Chay' or Ms. Chee, runs the place after her mom. Ask most kids who grew up around PJ and they would recommend this place for some kick ass ais kacang.

Food

The ais kacang, when served, looks like a snow mountain. The shaved ice is compact and very smooth. This is the highlight of the ais kacang here as compared to others I have tried. No lumps, no grainy feel, the ice is fine like snow and it melts gently in your mouth. Apart from the great texture of the shaved ice, they also heap generous amount of gula Melaka (brown sugar) onto it and this makes the whole bowl of treasures really rich and tantalizing.

Beneath the mountain of snow, flows a crystallized molten filled with gems! You'll get to uncover a generous serving of fragrant peanuts, black grass jelly/cincau, red ruby jelly, cendol, red beans, sweet corn drenched with evaporated milk! If you don’t like some of the hidden gems, you could get your ais kacang customized; that simple!

RM2 for a bowl of ais kacang, anybody can have one. You don’t have to be a chicken rice seller with a penchant for ais kacang and such to tell that the ais kacang here really Hitz the spot ! Just go to Stall number 19.

Location

View Larger Map

Address

Gerai Minum Weng Kee,

Medan Selera,

Old Town PJ,

(Next to the Oldtown wet market)

Petaling Kam Kee Seafood Restaurant

Kam Kee

It’s 10pm. You haven’t had dinner yet. You are shivering with hunger and you happen to be around Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya. Where would you go at this time of the night if you want some good old fashioned, no frills ‘Zhue Zhao’ (loosely translated as stalls/restaurant that does a range of ‘stir fry’ from noodles to dishes).In that area, I can only think of a few places. And if you want a place where food is decently priced and they serve beers and operate till midnight and sometimes beyond, then go try out Kam Kee.

To everyone else, it is simply Kam Kee. But to my RCIA friends, we call it Plan C. We frequent this place every other Sundays after our ‘class agama’ session. We usually get there about 9:30pm. Even at that time, the place is still buzzing with the usual patrons. Most of them are from the housing areas around there, in particular Section 5. I was told that this place has been around for 30 over years. Talk about sustainability!

Ambience & Service

Carparks are ample and eventhough lines are not drawn on the sandy fields across from the restaurant, everyone somehow parked their wheels in quite an orderly fashion. Service is prompt. Either the captain (an elderly man) would take your orders or you will get up close and personal service from the lady boss herself or her daughter Joey. First thing to arrive are the peanuts to go with our beers. They have a dedicated lady in tiger outfit ( beer uniform mind you) to take your beer orders. As far as I know, they only serve Tiger or Anchor. Sometimes they have promotions and special discounts. The restaurant is divided into 3 sections. Indoor (naturel), Indoor (airconditioned) and outdoor (alfresco).

Food

Food there is done simple and straight forward. Do order your drinks first. A thirsty man is an angry man! Ladies, you can mix your own shandy (beers + sprite or 7-Up), or your hot tea. They have menus but no one uses them. Just ask for recommendations. You can try their specialty like the ‘Yue Wat Tau Fu’ (Tofu with fish paste). This is simply gorgeous !

 

Yue Wat Taufu

The next ‘must try’ is the Guinness Pai Kuet (Guinness Pork Ribs). The pork ribs are succulent and tender and perfectly match with Guinness reduction sauce, caramelized and coating every single inch of these juicy ribs. I thought it would be a typical marmite pork ribs or a typical sweet and sour pork ribs dish but I was wrong. This dish is a different level altogether…really Hitz the Spot, this one !

Guinness Pai Kuet

For chicken lovers, you can savour the Steamed Chicken with shredded ginger. You can taste the chicken essence in the sauce from the drips during the steaming process. Simple and tasty.

Steamed Chicken with Shredded Ginger

Another interesting dish is the Garoupa Fish Fillet with Ginger and Spring Onions. One of the most common style of Chinese cooking, this combination of ginger slices and spring onions can almost always to be used for any meat dish (chicken, fish fillet, beef, frog legs, games etc). Base ingredients are typically young ginger thinly sliced and spring onions evenly chopped from the leafy parts right to the juicy pulps. The key to the unique aroma is from ginger slices and the juicy pulps of the spring onions as the pulps are pungent and has a strong flavour. As for the sauce, it is just garlic, salt, pepper , oyster sauce, soy sauce and corn flour to thicken. The garoupa fish fillet is slightly stir-fried to keep the fillets intact. Nice !

Garoupa Fish Fillet with Ginger and Spring Onions.

With all that meat, we have to balance it off with some vegetable dishes. It is sort of like a guilt order just to comfort ourselves. So we had some mixed vegetable, a combination of cauliflower, broccoli, mushroom, carrots, pods, baby corn, bean curd slices and cabbage. Everything stir fried together with garlic. The other veggie dish is a little bit more happening. They called it ‘Sei Tai Tin Wong’ (Four Heavenly Kings). It is basically just angle beans, French beans, ladies’ finger and brinjal stir fried with chilli paste and dried shrimps. I guess guilt really got to us as we also loaded the table with Kailan stir fried with garlic and ‘Sheung Tong Yin Choy’ or Bayam ( in superior soup). This dish has got some century eggs in it.

Mixed Vege

Sei Tai Tin Wong

Kailan

Sheung Tong Yin Choy

By now you would have realized that we had a big crowd for this dinner as I am not quite done with the food yet. Next we had the frog legs with Ginger and Spring Onions. Same style as the Garoupa, I really like this one. Frog legs has a very interesting texture to it. The natural sweetness and the tender bits of the legs…mm..mmm..those long legs!

Frog Legs with Ginger & Spring Onions

Fish is also a must for a place like this. We ordered the Steamed Fish in Thai style to gauge the skills of the chefs. Steamed to perfection with the extra kick from the chillis, garlic, soy sauce and some soy beans, this is really tasty. But do ask for the seasonal price when you order the fish there. Some are quite expensive.

Thai Style Steamed Fish

They even had ‘ Oh Chien’ here so we tried that too. Fried Oysters with Omelette, this should have been our starters. Nice on its own, everyone enjoyed this dish.

Oh Chien

Verdict

Kam Kee is one of my regular dining place now. It is just a simple place with decent food. Everyone enjoyed their moments there so i guess it must be good. I need to make a trip back there again soon coz I need to settle my dues. I lost a football bet with Joey and I need to buy her a big bottle of beer (from her own restaurant). No thanks to the Germans! Another reason to return…but really , you don’t need one. Just go and check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Special Guests

Francis and Helen

Joey and the Gang

Location

Address

Petaling Kam Kee Seafood Restaurant

No 9-10 Jalan 5/44 (off jalan gasing)

Petaling Garden 46000

Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03 77838843

Tom, Dick & Harry's, TTDI

Tom, Dick & Harry's

“Go ahead…make my day” says Dirty Harry. That was the same thought I had on my mind when I checked out Tom, Dick & Harry’s Pub in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. Well, my dinner guest always refers to TDH as Dirty Harry ! I guess it’s a cooler name and not such a mouth full. Whether it made my day or not, let me share with you my experience.

Ambience

The place is just further up another block from where Sid’s is. There is a row of pubs, bistros and restaurants here but I reckon TDH would be a more direct competition to Sid’s. And competition is good, at least for consumers like us. It gives us alternatives, choices and most of all variety and variety is the spice of life. TDH is nicely done up, bright and cozy. They have a variety of seats from the high chairs to low wooden benches and you can choose to sit outdoors along the corridor, at the well stocked bar or island tables scattered around the premise.

The waiters there are really friendly and motivated and they have a certain penchant for greeting you with “wassup wassup!” . Service is good and so are the drinks. This is one of the non- Guinness place. They serve Connor’s instead. I must say, it is a pretty good substitute too, at least better then Beamish stout. They also have Hoegaarden on tap. Nice and refreshing, sometimes I start with it and move on to the richer Connor’s.

Hoegaarden Draft

Connor's Stout

Food

We ordered some beer food for starters coz we didn’t feel like having food proper yet. I must say, the fish fingers was quite nice. Didn’t taste like frozen ones, they are soft and juicy inside and a subtle crunch with a nice breaded texture on the outside.

Fish Fingers

I can’t say the same for the pigs in the blanket. There are barely any blankets wrapped around them pigs. Those shivering pigs tasted fine but I’d rather have a comforter over them like how I do it at home.

Pigs in the Blanket

They serve different types of pies and we ordered the chicken pie. Nice pastry with chunks of chicken, mushroom and probably leek and carrots. Can’t figure out the mash but it was nice and moist. Served with brown mushroom sauce, fresh vegetables and a bunch of fries.

Chicken Pie

If you want something heartier, you can try their grilled chicken chop. Sitting nicely on a lump of mash potatoes and some broccoli and carrots, the chicken chop was nicely grilled with a bit of a crisp and not overly done inside.

Grilled Chicken Chop

Or try their pork burger; top with an egg, the patty is nice and flavourful and good enough to satisfy your hunger.

Pork Burger

Special Guest

Verdict

We like this place because it serves Hoegaarden draft and good pub grubs. Nice settings and the staff are friendly. It is also a dog friendly place so you don’t have to leave them behind when you want to quench your thirst. They have a good range of cocktails and beers and also some interesting desserts like fried mars bar. A great place to hangout with your buddies and catch up.

Location

Address:
18, Lorong Rahim Kajai 14,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail


Tel: 03 77102122

Business Hrs:
Mon - Fri: 16:00 - 01:00
Sat - Sun: 10:00 - 02:00

Genji Japanese Restaurant, PJ Hilton

GENJI, PJ Hilton

Domo arigato gozaimashita…that’s what I would say to this Japanese restaurant in PJ Hilton. It has been a revelation…at least for me. One of the best Japanese restaurant in town, I would rank it at the top in my top 5 japanese restaurants list. I will of course in my upcoming articles talk about the other 4. In the mean time, let me share with you my experience with Genji.

Ambience & Service

Located in PJ Hilton Hotel, this restaurant is set up in a nice traditional way. From the decorations to the furniture to the cutleries, it is quite a pleasing and relaxing feel to be dining there.

The place is crowded most of the time. Of course, when it comes to patronizing any good restaurant, timing is very important. I have been there a few times; during peak hrs and buffer weekends, it could get really congested and chaotic. Like any other buffet, you have to queue to get your share at some counters like the popular prawn tempura and shasimi counters. I usually try to go during the weekdays where the dinner crowd is steady yet easy. And if you don’t want to smell like teppanyaki, sit away from the teppanyaki corner. Make a reservation if you have to. After all, a good dining experience requires a bit of a planning so that you will not be disappointed. The menu itself is quite substantial and you would be spoiled for choice. But the courteous staff and the chefs there would be more than willing to help you out in ordering your food.

Food

For a start, you can get into your high gear gastronomic mode by having edamame (Soybean Pods) and shishamo. Edamame is very addictive. You just keep on eating. I guess it is that slight sprinkle of salt that makes it tantalizing. Also try the shishamo (pregnant fish).

Shishamo 

With a squeeze of lemon juice, the shishamo is simple irresistible. The shishamo itself has a bit of crisp and the lemon juice brings out the subtle flavours from the grill coupled with the intense taste of the fish eggs. Simply gorgeous. Then you move on to the chawan mushi (steam egg custard) which is simply a good appetizer to set you up for what is to come. Steamed and served hot, it is loaded with treasures like shrimp, chicken, shitake mushroom and gingko nuts that are buried at the bottom of the steamed egg custard. The unique flavours of the chawan mushi comes from the dashi stock and a tinge of sake !

Chawanmushi

Once you are done with all that starters, you can have some sake while waiting for your mains. Have it warm or cold. We chose to have it cold. It was refreshing yet you get this nice warm, almost calming effect when you have a shot down your throat. Mmm..Nice!

Goodness Sake!

Taru Sake 300ML

For the mains, we ordered Tempura Moriawase, Sashimi Mori Matsu and Tempura Nabe Soba. The tempura moriawase comes nicely coated with a light and fluffy batter. This to me is one of the key determining factor of a good tempura dish. It has to be light and fresh, not heavy and greasy and the freshest ingredients used. Dip the tempura into the dipping sauce laden with grated radish, this dish is simply delicious.

Tempura Moriawase

The Sashimi Mori Matsu comes with a variety of sashimi cuts: Toro (tuna belly), Kampachi (yellowtail), Butterfish, Salmon and Tako(octopus). The cuts are thick and juicy eventhough we didn’t order the more premium cuts. These cuts were good enough for me. Fresh and tantalizing, these sashimi definitely hitz the spot! Especially the tako, coz I just love Tako. It is chewy and addictive and it is a must-have for me when I have Japanese.

Sashimi Mori Matsu

To top it up for the night, I ordered Tempura Nabeyaki Soba. It is simply soba or udon cooked in a hotpot with ebi tempura, seafood like fish slices, crab stick, squid and vegetables topped with a semi cooked egg. Very nice broth enriched by the semi cooked egg, this is one of my favourites. The essence from the seafood and sweetness from the vegetables packs this dish with whole lotta flavours. No other way to describe it… Just Good !

Tempura Nabe Soba

Special Guest

Verdict

My guest love the place. You can see the satisfaction on her face. Overall, a great dining experience. From the cozy interior to the friendly staff, plus the fresh ingredients used in all their servings, this is one of the top Japanese restaurant I would recommend to try out. They have the popular buffet as well on weekends plus a whole range of interesting sushi rolls and desserts which we didn’t get to try. In terms of price, they are in the range of ‘luxurious indulgence’. Our meal came up to about RM 423. Unless you have the Hilton card which entitles you to a 50% discount for 2 pax dining, this would be a massive dinner to fork out.

Location

View Larger Map
View Larger Map

Address:

Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel

No 2 Jalan Barat, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Phone: (+603) 7955 9122

Lunch : Noon – 3pm

Dinner : 6:30pm – 10:30pm