Pepper Soup, USJ

If you're looking for good comfort food to eat in Subang Jaya or USJ area, if the timing is right, why not give this place a try...

This coffee shop is quite busy not only on weekdays but weekends too. There are quite a number of stalls in this coffee shop but this time, I would like to recommend the Pepper Soup stall. Calling all soup lovers out there! This is one stall you have to try.

This stall is located at the back of the coffee shop and they only have 2 selections, Pepper Soup or Lotus Soup. So if you like peppery soups, you would like this.

Even though this coffee shop opens at 8am and closes at 11pm, this stall is only open from 12pm to 3pm. It will close even earlier if they're sold out before 3pm.

Customers already start queuing in front of the stall even when they're busy with preparations before 12pm.

This stall is operated by an elderly couple but they are very fast. You have to be ready with your orders by the time you reach at the front of the line. There's really not much time to ask for more information. They get a bit irritated if you're indecisive when it's your turn to place your orders.

You just have to decide between the Pepper Soup (Pig Stomach Soup) or the Lotus Soup. The aunty or uncle will ask you 3 questions; if you want to tapau (pack to go) or having here, if you want with or without chicken feet for both soups and big rice, small rice or no rice. So be ready with your decision.

The aunty will then prepare the ingredients for the soup you ordered and the uncle will be the one busy preparing the soups in few pots at once. While waiting for them to prepare your order, you will have to scoop your own chilli, spring onion and soy sauce.

This is the Pepper Soup or most people would call it Pig Stomach Soup. The main ingredients in this peppery soup is the pork stomach and pork meat. My husband loves this.

I would usually order the Lotus Soup. The main ingredients in this soup is lotus root, pork meat and peanuts. This soup also has a peppery taste to it.

This is the best kind of food to eat during one of those cloudy or rainy days.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 3/5

Service : 3.5/5

Food Quality : 3.5/5

Price Range : $

Status : Non Halal

Other information:

Address : Restoran Tian Tian, No 12, Jalan USJ 20/8C, USJ 20, 47630 Subang Jaya, Selangor

Business Hours : 12.00pm - 3.00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Transaction : Cash

Vegan Life, Ipoh

Date visited : 28 May 2018

I first came to this place 3 years ago with my vegetarian friend and I immediately fell in love with the food here. The food here is so delicious that you'll forget that you're in a vegetarian restaurant.

Vegan Life is different from all the vegetarian restaurants I've been to. The dishes here are prepared uniquely and presented in a way that will make you salivate just at the sight of it. 

Since there were only 2 of us here, I could only order 4 dishes and even that the waitress was skeptical that we may not be able to finish all of them.

My husband ordered the Vegan Soy Taufu Delight Rice. The item you see in the bowl consists of soybean fiber, soy toufu meat, toufu, coriander and ginger sauce.

I ordered the Vegan Red Curry Rice as I wanted something spicy. The curry contains potato, toufu, dried bean curd, celery, cabbage, cauliflower and mushrooms. I liked it very much because the curry has a sourish taste to it and I like sourish food.

I saw this on their menu and I wanted to try it out because it seems to be their signature noodle dish. It is called the VeganLife Special Fried Noodle. Depending on your preference, you can order it spicy or non spicy. I'm not sure what type of noodle they use in this dish but it is definitely not the common type of noodle. It is not oily and it is not too dry as well.

Last but not least, the VeganLife French Bread Pumpkin Mushroom Soup. Since I love pumpkin based dishes, I had to try this as well. The pumpkin soup is thick and savoury. This soup is quite filling as it is filled with mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower. 

Other than these dishes, there are many other dishes that you could choose from. They have a variety of rice dishes, noodle dishes as well as Western dishes. You'll be spoiled for choice. 

I would highly recommend this place if you're a vegetarian or just want to eat something different or meatless.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 4/5

Service : 4/5

Food Quality : 4.5/5

Price Range : $

Status : Halal

Other information:

Address : No 25 Jalan Medan Ipoh 7, Bandar Baru Medan Ipoh, 31400 Ipoh, Perak

Contact No. : 012-566 6044

Business Hours : 11.30am - 4.30pm / 6pm - 9.30pm Daily

Transaction : Cash

Links : https://www.facebook.com/ivanvikym/

Kedai Kopi Kwong Hong, Ipoh

Date visited : 27 May 2018

When I came here for the first time last year, I immediately fell in love with this place. I only regret that I didn't know about this place much earlier. This is a place that serves Ipoh style Yong Tau Foo. However, the locals don't call it Yong Tau Foo, they call it Zhao Liu (Fried Ingredients in Cantonese).

Their business starts at 12pm but the shop is open for preparation at 11am. You can sit around and order drinks but they will only start the food ordering when they are ready at 12pm.

Just by sitting around and watch them prepare made me so excited. For me it's like watching food porn. Just look at the spread of ingredients you could choose from!

They even have variations of noodles to choose from. They have 4 types of noodles, mee hoon, yellow mee, Ipoh kuey teow and laksa noodles. After choosing your preferred noodles, you then choose the method of preparation or soup base. You can have it dry (noodles tossed in dark sauce with no soup), clear soup, curry and sometimes they even have assam laksa.

Assam laksa

Curry soup

Don't expect the normal thick and strong tasting soup from the usual assam laksa and curry laksa, the soup base here is lighter in taste so that it does not overpower the taste other ingredients.

These are my selection of the day. We ordered some fried stuff and some soup based ingredients. The fish paste used has a soft and bouncy texture. Each ingredient has their own special taste and each so delicious.

All the ingredients are so tasty. There's nothing I don't like here. I just wish I had a bigger stomach so I could eat them all.

So if you were to come here, try one of everything. I promise you won't regret it.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 3/5

Service : 4/5

Food Quality : 5/5

Price Range : $

Status : Non Halal

Other information:

Address : No 309 Jalan Gunung Rapat, Taman Rapat Setia, 31350 Ipoh, Perak

Business Hours : 12pm - 5.30pm (Closed on Mondays)

Transaction : Cash

Lian Thong Restaurant, Taiping

Date visited : 26 May 2018

When I browsed through blogs for food recommendation in Taiping, Lian Thong Restaurant was highly recommended for the best place to have breakfast. But since I've already made plans for breakfast, I saved stomach space to try this place out for lunch.

From the look of this place, it is easy to tell that this place has been around for quite a long time. Judging from the customers I see in this place, this place is popular not only with the local adults and elderly but also teenagers as well. 

The first thing I ordered was their Fried Taufu Pok.

The skin of the taufu pok is thin and deep fried till crunchy while the meat filling remains moist and juicy.  

Next I ordered their signature dish, the Bomb Mee.

It is similar to the normal Cantonese Fried Noodle or also known as Kong Foo Chau. The difference is in the noodles. The Yee Mee noodles in this Bomb Mee is fried till it is all puffed up and that creates the light and spongy texture on the inside. It is then topped with egg gravy, vegetables, chicken and prawns.

And last but not least is their own made Salted Lime Juice.

This drink is perfect for a hot weather or when you have a sore throat. It is slightly salted, slightly sweet plus a hint of sourness. And with all these combined, it makes it so refreshing and yummy.

The salted limes used for this drink is own made in this restaurant.

You will see jars and jars of limes in different stages of fermentation on their cashier counter and on top of a car bonnet outside the restaurant, under the sun.

They also have other worth trying dishes like Fried Mee Jawa and Kerabu Rice. I didn't have enough stomach space for them this time but I will definitely come back to this place again to try them out.

OUR RATING
Ambience : 3/5
Service : 4/5
Food Quality : 3.5/5
Price Range : $

Other information:
Address : No 5 Jalan Kota, Perak, 34000 Taiping
Contact No. : 05-807 2645
Business Hours : 8.30am - 2pm (Monday - Friday) / 8.30am - 12pm (Saturday) / Closed on Sundays)
Transaction : Cash
Links : https://www.facebook.com/LianThongRestaurant/

Restoran Kakak, Taiping

Date visited : 26 May 2018

I've heard of this place for quite some time now but I have never been here in person. 

The reason I've heard about this place is because of their signature coffee called Kakak Peng (Kakak Ice). My colleague bought it for me to try during my last visit to Taiping for work and I loved it.

Kakak Peng is a mixture of milk coffee and barley. It may sound strange and a bit exotic to some but you have to give it a try to appreciate it. It can be served hot or cold but I personally liked it cold. The sweetness from the barley gives the coffee a unique taste.

Other than their signature coffee, people also come here for their Kai Si Hor Fun (Kuey Teow Soup with Shredded Chicken). 

The texture of the kuey teow (flat rice noodles) here are similar to the ones well known in Ipoh. As you can see, they are generous with the portion of shredded chicken. If you are not comparing to the ones found in Ipoh, this is easily the best in Taiping.

OUR RATING
Ambience : 3/5
Service : 4/5
Food Quality : 3.5/5 (4.5/5 for the Kaka Peng)
Price Range : $
Status : Non Halal

Other information:
Address : No 111 Jalan Pasar, 34000 Taiping, Perak
Business Hours : 5.30am - 1.30pm (Closed on Mondays)
Transaction : Cash

Kolo Mee, Kuching

Date visited : 20 May 2018

Other than the Sarawak Laksa, there's another noodle dish which is also iconic to Sarawak... and that's the Kolo Mee.

The Kolo Mee noodles are almost similar to wantan noodles only springier and does not come drenched in dark sauce. It is usually tossed in clear sauce, topped with spring onions, minced meat and slices of barbecued pork.

I asked my colleague who was born and raised in Kuching, Sarawak, to recommend me the best Kolo Mee in town and he told me this is one of the best... Red Kolo Mee in the old open market near Kuching Waterfront.

Here you are given a choice of original Kolo Mee, clear in colour, and Red Kolo Mee, which is red in colour. Since my colleague ordered the original Kolo Mee, I ordered the red one so that I can try both to see what is the difference.

The toppings are the same for both and the difference is in the way the noodles are prepared.

This is the original Kolo Mee with the choice of flat noodle. It is tossed in clear sauce and topped with spring onions, mince meat and slices of barbecued pork. It may look very plain but the clear sauce used to toss the noodles is very tasty and compliments well with the toppings.

This is the Red Kolo Mee with the choice of curly thin noodles. What made it red in colour is not colouring nor chilli or tomato sauce. The noodles are tossed with the red oil from the barbecued pork used in the noodles. And because of this addition, it made the taste of this Kolo Mee different than the original ones. The aromatic taste of the barbecued pork is infused into the noodles thus making it very tasty and different from the original ones.

My colleague was right, this Kolo Mee is really nicer than the ones I had in Klang Valley.

Right opposite this stall was another interesting stall that sells soy bean drinks, steamed buns and Sio Bee. 

At first I was wondering what is a Sio Bee. Then my colleague explained to me that Sio Bee is a Hokkien word for our well known Siu Mai. In Kuching, the locals call their Siu Mai, Sio Bee.

The difference of Sio Bee and the normal Siu Mai is the meat used. Siu Mai uses a mixture of shrimp and pork while the Sio Bee uses only pork. The skin colour is also pale compared to the yellowish ones of our normal Siu Mai. The meat is very tender and is best eaten with chilli sauce.

So if you're here to try the Kolo Mee, why not give this Sio Bee a try too.

Other information:

Address : Tower Market Hawker Centre, Jalan Power, 93000 Kuching, Sarawak.

Contact No : 016-855 5665

Business Hours : Opens daily from morning till 11.30pm

Transaction : Cash

Other links : https://www.facebook.com/redkolomee/

Madam Chong's Prawn Noodle House, Kuchai Lama

Date visited : 15 April 2018

Many people travel all the way to Penang just to indulge in the many delectable food of Penang. Among those specialties is the Prawn Mee, also known as the Hokkien Mee in Penang. Good news to all Penang food lovers in KL! It may not be as perfect as the ones in Penang, but this is as close as it can get... Madam Chong's Prawn Noodle in Kuchai Lama.

Madam Chong first started her prawn noodles stall in Pudu in the year 1968 and gradually made a name for herself after enduring much hardship along the way. Her recipes were well received and her children decided to elevate her recipes and started this restaurant on 12 December 2009.

Their signature dish is of course the Prawn Noodles but they also serve other types of noodles such as Wan Tan Noodle, Pork Ball Noodles, Curry Noodles and light snacks.

Most would prefer yellow egg noodle in their Prawn Noodles but since I don't favour that choice of noodle, I opted for the flat rice noodle and rice vermicelli. The flavour of the soup was spot on and just look at the size of the prawns served in the bowl! They uses Big Prawns instead of the usual small prawns that we commonly get in most Prawn Noodles found in Klang Valley.

My brother was not a big fan of Prawn Noodles, so he ordered the Minced Pork & Big Prawn Dry Noodle instead.

We also ordered some snacks for sharing.

This is the Fried Three Treasure. This platter consists of 2 pieces of fried dumpling, fried chestnut wan tan and fried tofu each. The meat fillings wrapped in these crispy golden skins are juicy and tasty.

And last but not least, the traditional fried tofu skin. The tofu skin is very thin and crispy but it was a bit too thin for my liking. I prefer tofu skins to be a bit more meatier so that there will be more to chew on and the taste will linger a bit longer in every bite.

So if you're in Klang Valley and have cravings for some delicious Prawn Noodle, this may be able to fulfill your cravings till your next trip to Penang.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 3/5 

Service : 3/5

Food Quality : 3.5/5

Price Range : $
Status : Non-Halal

Other information:
Address : 22, Dynasty Sentral, Jalan Kuchai Maju 19, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200, Kuala Lumpur
Contact No. : 03-7971 5396
Business Hours : 8am - 9pm (Close on alternate Wednesday)
Transaction : Cash

Skive, Bangsar

Date visited : 13 April 2018

Let me introduce you to the new kid on the Bangsar block... they are called Skive.

If you're wondering where exactly in Bangsar, it's located right opposite Bangsar Village II,beside Nirwana, at the same spot where Tous Le Jours was previously. They just had their soft launch on 10 April 2018.

I was there for lunch with my colleagues because we were so tempted with their mouth-watering food photos shown on their FB page.

From the time I stepped into the restaurant, I was greeted with one of my favourite sights... freshly baked bread and pastries!

As I was walking further in to get a table, I can't help but to feast my eyes on their beautiful cakes on display.

Once we were seated, we focused on more serious matters... what to order for lunch!

While we were busy deciding what to order, we were recommended these old school drinks...

These are called Long Chan's soda. We were told that these were way before Fanta drinks showed up... maybe during my parent's younger days. It's not very gassy and it tastes really good.

I also ordered the Pink Basil Lemonade. It's very refreshing and would be a great choice for a hot day.

Now let's get on with the food.

My colleague fell in love with the photo of this dish even before we came here...

The Big Mexican Breakfast. Their shakshouka consists of beans, capsicums, mushrooms, 3 eggs, potatoes, cherry tomatoes and a chicken chorizo sausage served with salad and a croissant. When the croissant is eaten together with the shakshouka, it tastes amazing! If you are an egg lover like my colleague, you would definitely love this dish.

This dish is called the Lamb Mysore Soldiers. The lamb is so soft and tender. Don't get intimidated by the sight of it because it's not spicy as you might thought it would be. I even thought it would be great if eaten with tosai or even chapati.

Next is the Sourdough Tacos - BBQ Thai Chicken. This would be a great choice if you're looking for a lighter dish.

This is also one of their recommended dishes, the Jerk Cured Salmon served on a german black sourdough, avocado swirls and mango salsa. The ingredients complimented each other so well that every bite is a wonderful surprise of flavours.

I was contemplating for so long whether I should order this dish because the photo of this dish spoke to me the most but because of its price, I hesitated. But for the love of good food, I finally decided to order it... the Lychee Duck Curry.

It is served with cous cous, grilled aubergine and grilled sweet corn. The duck meat is so soft and tasty. Eaten together with the curry and cous cous, it tastes amazing! I have no regrets about ordering this dish.

Last but not least, our dessert...

We shared a slice of freshly baked Lemon Chia Seed Cake and a Almond Suji cupcake. When I took a bite of the Lemon Chia Seed Cake... it was OH MY GOD!! It tastes SO GOOD that I almost died. The Almond Suji cupcake was good too.

I wish I had more space in my stomach for their own made ice-cream but thanks to their friendly staff, we were able to sample a few of them. I tried 3 flavours, the Soybean, Ginger and Caramelised Yew Tiao, the White Chocolate and Salted Pecans and the Durian Avacado.

The Soybean, Ginger and Caramelised Yew Tiao was like an ice-cream version of soya bean curd with Chinese oil stick. The White Chocolate and Salted Pecans was the first white chocolate ice-cream that I've tasted and the salted pecans complimented it so well. And finally the Durian Avacado. I usually don't eat durian in any other form other than the fruit itself. But this ice-cream made me felt like I was eating the fruit itself.

This was the most awesome lunch I've had on a weekday and I had to come back for more on a weekend.

OUR RATING

Ambience : 4/5 

Service : 4.5/5

Food Quality : 4.5/5

Price Range : $$
Status : Pork Free

Other information:
Address : Shop 1 Ground Floor, Telawi Square, No 41 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur.
Business Hours : 9am - 9pm (Monday-Friday) / 7am - 9pm (Saturday & Sunday)
Transaction : Cash (for now coz the Credit Card facility is not ready)
Links : https://www.facebook.com/Skive-Bangsar-1901029370152369/