Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Seremban

Seremban city, being 1 hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur has always been a favourite stopover for the south-bound drivers. And here am I, dragging along some Seremban-based colleagues for a gastronomic trip in the city.

A must-eat food in Seremban has to be the famous Yee Kee beef noodles for breakfast. The original stall no 748 is located at the food court on top floor of the Seremban wet market. Coming here on normal weekend, you will need to wait at least 30 minutes for a bowl of beef noodles. That too, if you're lucky to get to find a place to sit. Best is to have this meal, dry type. The beef slices were tender, the machine-made noodles were smooth. The sauce? Hmmm...They just knew the right amount of special sauce to be put into the bowl. After u stir all all of them together in the bowl, u can see everything in the bowl were perfectly mixed. Not too dry, not too wet either. You need 2 bowls to be really enjoying this food. First bowl to get the first-hand taste of it. The second one is to enjoy the smoothness of the noodles, with its special sauce & the tenderness of the meat. It's no wonder even customers from Singapore dropped by here for it.


Dry beef noodles after being stirred

10 minutes away, is Restoran Yi Poh at Jalan Seng Meng Lee off Jalan Temiang to take its famous Dry Lou Shi Fun for lunch. Unlike the usual shorter version, this lou shi fun is longer, with smoother texture similar to the ones used for assam laksa. Except for the smooth texture of the noodles, nothing much special on this. Still, worth a try for the experience.

Yi Poh Lou Shi Fun

If you didn't pack siew pao (pastry filled with lard/chicken pieces) to be brought home, it's as if you never visit Seremban. This is Seremban most famous export, spreading far & wide to Singapore & even to China I heard and causing many imitation brands sprouted all over Klang Valley. Mind you, if you're looking for original Seremban brand siew pao in Klang Valley, only Kee Mei brand has actually expanded to other states. Here, I was brought to this Kedai Siew Pau Asia, situated just opposite Restoran Yi Poh. Here, u see freshly baked breads/pastries been taken immediately after being brought out from oven. Siew Pao is one of those pastries best taken while it's hot. Unlike many in KL, when you took it at first bite, you got to eat more of its meat fillings than its puffy layer and that hit the bull's eyes. Besides, it was not too sweet & clearly the best siew pao I've tasted.

One of many types of freshly made buns sold

Siew Pao, fresh from the oven

Lastly, got to stop at Kedai Makanan Seremban at Jalan Tuanku Munawir. At 4.30pm, you got to see people queuing up & looking for empty tables. Unsure if this is their late lunch or early dinner. Here, practically all tables have its famous baked crabs. The crabs baked with a sticky, special marmite-like sauce. Although slightly pricey at RM 48/kg then (unsure about the price now), the meat was fresh & baked at the right time, giving it a tenderly hot taste. It could have been better if they used a bigger-sized crabs. Probably due to longer time to bake bigger-sized crabs, they used medium sized ones instead.

Baked crabs

GPS Coordinates:
Stall 748, Yee Kee Beef Noodles
N2 43.824 E101 56.197

Restoran Yi Poh
N2 44.044 E101 56.421

Kedai Siew Pau Asia
N2 44.044 E101 56.421

Kedai Makanan Seremban
N2 43.977 E101 56.058

Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Penang II (And Perak too)

Following up from my previous post of proposed crash course, makan-makan program to Penang under Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Penang. OK, maybe parts of Perak as well, since this is a road trip up north. Sharing with all on the food photos & my views of them



Char Siew Pau: Restoran Foh San, Ipoh - Fluffy, freshly made with chunky meats. There's feels of satisfaction already after seeing smokes out from the pau upon opening of one side.



Nasi Kandar: Line Clear Nasi Kandar - Talking about brand awareness, this is one name in everyone's mind whenever u mention Penang Nasi Kandar. Always fresh at any time of the day u want it. I really mean ANYTIME...

 

 

Durian ABC: Restoran Kek Seng - The best in Penang, a desert that I ate since my childhood days. Although the durian ice cream is no longer that pulpy as compared to yesteryears, still worthwhile to have it...

 

 

Fried Oyster: Restoran Seng Thor - This is fried oyster with eggs. Read me, Fried Oyster with Eggs & not Fried Eggs with Oyster. Enough said. Without doubt, the best in Penang

 

 

BBQ Drumsticks: New Lane hawker centre - Tastes better than wings and its a wonder why cant those be available in KL

 

 

Sar Hor Fun: New Lane hawker centre - Its that broth...Not too watery, not too dry either. By the time u finish eating the kueh teow, nothing is left on the plate, really.

 

 

Brown Sugar Pancake: Pulau Tikus market stall - No one else in M'sia have pancake of tis kind. Filled with brown sugar & grinded peanuts, giving the not-too-sweet flavour to it. Perfect for the one who crave simple breakie meal without compromising the glucose level
 



Fruit Rojak: Gurney Drive - Its hard to explain why Penang fruit rojak is only available in Gurney Drive. Main difference compared to the ones in KL are the sauces and the mangoes used. Try stall no 52, "Tan Swee Hoe" and stall no 39, "GP Soon".
 

 



Duck Egg Char Kueh Teow: Pulau Tikus market stall - People say duck eggs has high cholesterol. With the tantalizing aroma that comes with it, does anyone cares?
 

 



Steamed River Prawn: Restoran Luen Fong, Tanjung Tualang - The best prawn dishes ever !! One taste, & u wouldn't wanna eat any prawn dishes anywhere else. Juicy, meaty, fresh. Eat it original style, u will understand why people travel long hours from KL just to have this

 



Kueh Teow Soup: Restoran Onn Kee, Ipoh - It so smooth that u can slurp this from your mouth into stomach without u really realize it
 

 



Ipoh Bean Sprout: Restoran Onn Kee, Ipoh - What more can I say? Ipoh people are lucky lot for having first hand supply of this wonderfully created products of nature. U have to eat it to know how I felt about this one

 

 

 

 

Kota Kinabalu Bah !!

Continuing from previous posts of the climb to Kinabalu summit, we spent 2 days in the state capital before flying back to KL. It's already past 12 midnight by the time we finished dinner and shower. Slept soundly till next morning where we completely skipped breakfast to rest the tired bodies on the bed. The side effects? Not as bad as what I thought actually, not as claimed by some people that they're unable to walk for days. Only able to walk slowly & experiencing pains when walking up & down the stairs.

Because of our legs condition, resorted to visit & eat in places around the hotel vicinity only. The good news is Promenade Hotel is located in probably the best location in the city whereby foods & tourist attractions are pretty accessible by foot nearby. Took a cab ride to Suria Sabah shopping complex located nearby for window shopping.

One way to experience the local culture of a place is to visit the local market, which we did at Filipino night market located along the KK Waterfront. In one glance, the scene in the market just amazed u. U see unbelievably fresh seafood sold at unbelievably cheap price. Fresh vegetables from Kundasang sold as if they're for free. Imagine this, 1 bag consists of 10 pieces cucumbers costs only MYR 4.00 per bag. Multi racial people speaking to each other in local Malay accent. And all these happenings with the background of spectacular sunset scene. Besides the night market are the local handicraft market & dried seafood market.



Sunset at KK Waterfront

Fish market, u can see fishes delivered directly from boats to the stalls here

Fresh vegetables on sale. Notice the packed bags which are to be sold in bulks

Pearls sold at handicraft market

One reason of increasing repeat visitors to Kota Kinabalu is its famous fresh & cheap seafood. And to have the best seafood dinner with a reasonable price not necessarily need to be in a seafood restaurant with big aquarium. Few minutes walk away, makeshift restaurant stalls with "u pick, we cook" style, sprouted over a parking space. We got into this Seri 3 Rasa Seafood, displaying the largest choices of seafood I've ever seen on a single table. Fishes like seabass, trouts, pomfrets, groupers, all of them surprisingly are priced at fixed MYR 3.00/100 gram while others are also cheaply priced. Lobsters, are priced at MYR 15.00/100 gram while the rare jumbo-sized tiger prawns are priced higher but still cheaper by 40% I think than in KL.

We chose a coral trout fish (locally known as kerapu merah), big-sized prawns, squid & sayur pakis, local greens available only in Sabah to satisfy our hunger. A famous chef once said, when u use freshest seafood available, 70% of the work is already done. When we get it cooked with the simplest way, the natural texture & taste of the seafood will be enhanced. In this case, the seafood done the all the talking & not the chef. Price? MYR 85.00 for the food. No specific name for this place but all these stalls are located besides the Kota Kinabalu wet market along Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens. A definitely must-try place for all budget-conscious seafood lovers out there !!!!

Arrays of fishes & lobsters on display

Crabs, squids, crayfishes, prawns, cockles, mussels etc. U name it, u got it
 



Crunchy Sayur Pakis cooked in Belacan style, I can have this all by myself !!! 



Coral trout steamed to perfection in Thai sauce. Fantastico !!!

The next day, walked to the Kota Kinabalu biggest wet market & bought local Tenom coffee powders for souvenirs back home. A stone throw away from the wet market is the fish market. Was told that this is the place where fish mongers take their daily stocks & distribute them to multiple places around the city. Sneaked into the place, hoping to catch a glimpse of the so-called auction. Didn't got my wish granted but still manage to buy frozen fishes to be brought back to KL.

Scene at the Kota Kinabalu wet market. Clean & well organized stalls

Local fishermen segregating the catches of the day

Tip to be shared for those wanna pack the seafood back home. All packed seafood for airfreight need to be of frozen types. Malaysia Airlines allowed frozen seafood to be checked in but Air Asia only allowed them to be hand carried at maximum weight of 7 kilogramme per person. We flew home to KL in the evening, bringing home the sweet memories & hope of returning again. As a seafood lover, it's a sin to the Food God (if there's any) if I don't come back !!! Not forgetting of course, the other attractions yet to be visited like the islands, highland resorts & others. KK, I will be back !!!

Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan - Penang

Being a foodie, it must be a sin to the Food God (if there's any) for not writing a post about Penang food. I always become a food tour guide for friends, probably due to my knowledge of local roads & local foods. Below is my usual program for a weekend crash course 2D1N Penang food tour for beginners, to have a taste of Penang food.

SATURDAY

• Departs from Subang
• Arrives Ipoh for dim sum breakfast at Restoran Foh San / Restoran Ming Kok
• Departs Ipoh for Penang
• Stops at Restoran Kek Seng for lunch
• Must Try: Durian ABC, Kueh Teow Soup, Popiah
• Recommended: Lor-Bak, Mee Jawa
• Check into hotel (preferably near to town)
• Stops at Restoran Seng Thor for tea time
• Must Try: Fried Oyster
• Recommended: Lor-Bak
• OR alternative stop at Toh Soon Cafe
• Must Try: Hainanese toast, Hainanese coffee
• Walkabout at nearby shopping malls (Prangin Mall, 1st Avenue Mall)
• Stops at New Lane hawker centre for dinner
• Must Try: Fried Kueh Teow, BBQ Chicken Wings/drumsticks, Fried Oyster
• Recommended: Sar Hor Fun, Ee Foo Mee
• Walkabout at Ferringhi night market / Straights Quay
• Stops at Gurney Drive hawker centre
• Must Try: Fruit Rojak, Pasembur (Mamak rojak)
• Recommended: Desserts (Ling Chee Kang, Bubur Cha Cha)
• Walkabout along Gurney Drive
• Stops at Restoran Old Green House for supper
• Must Try: Prawn Mee
• Go back hotel to recuperate

SUNDAY

• Check out early from hotel
• Stops at Pulau Tikus market for breakfast
• Must Try: Duck-egg Fried Kueh Teow, Chee Cheong Fun, Charcoal Indian apom
• Recommended: Brown sugar chinese pancakes, Kueh Teow Soup, Sar Hor Fun
• Stops at Ghee Hiang / Him Heang / Ban Heang to buy biscuits
• Recommended: Tambun biscuits, brown sugar biscuits
• Go up to Kek Lok Si temple, using the old pedestrian walkway
• Stops at stall besides Ayer Itam market for light meal
• Must Try: Assam Laksa
• Stops at Line Clear Nasi Kandar / Nasi Kandar Kassim Mustafa for lunch
• OR alternative stop at Restoran Sin Kheng Aun
• Must Try: Hainanese chicken chop, Fish Gulai, Fried Assam Prawns
• Recommended: Foo Yong Egg, Cabbage Soup with Fishballs & Meatballs
• Departs to mainland via ferry
• Stops at Restoran Luen Fong / Restoran Lung Seng, Tanjung Tualang for seafood dinner
• Must Try: Steamed river prawns, pan-fried river prawns with soy sauce
• Recommended: Steamed Soon Hock fish with soy sauce, fried squids
• OR alternative stopover at Restoran Lou Wong / Restoran Onn Kee, Ipoh
• Must Try: Chicken rice, Ipoh bean sprouts
• Recommended: Meatballs soup

Note: For participants with health problems, doctor's approval letter must be given to the organiser prior to the trip. The writer would not held responsibility for any health issues that may happened during & after the trip.