Leko Leko! Signature Cafe @ NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

NU Sentral is the latest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur and it is good that it is connected to KL Sentral. Fortunately, KL Sentral is no longer just a place of transit and is no longer boring to those who are waiting for their trains. I was here this afternoon and this is my very first visit here, to NU Sentral. The mall was impressive but they were not operating at full scale as there were still a number of outlets that were under renovation. As I was walking around the mall, I came across this cute looking outlet called Leko Leko. Of course, we all being Malaysians know what Keropok Lekor is but this is the first time that I am seeing such a stall that operates on a franchise concept. As it was tea time, I was curious and wanted to give them a try. 

Leko Leko on Level 5 of NU Sentral Mall

This Is Their Signature Outlet

Small Seating Area

Work Space Cum Kitchenette 

Two Signature Dishes

The Outlet

This outlet is located on the 5th Floor of NU Sentral Mall. I did some reading on this business and understand that they have been around since November 2010. Most of their outlets are small kiosks and this is a flagship outlet that has a relatively huge dining space for customers. When I was here, it was a non peak time and at that time, the outlet was manned by just two young girls. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

Their Menu offered three key food items, Kerepok Lekor, Beef Balls and Potato Chips. I wanted to just stick with the Keropok Lekor and hence went for that. There were two flavours available, Cheese and Black Pepper. I ordered one from each, both small just to get a taste of the items here. Besides ala carte, they also have set meals which ties you with a drink and comes at a value price that entitles you to some savings. I ordered one of the set and another Ala Carte. For those who are curious, free testers were also available. I then paid for the food and went over to sit. The waitress informed me that the Keropok Lekor would be sent over to my table shortly. 

Sunquick Mango

The drinks that were offered with the set were typically Sunquick and both Mango and Orange flavours were available. They must have a special tie with Sunquick to run this offer. I went for the Mango. The drink however was watered down. Not too bad but it wasn't good either. The good thing about this was that it was served cold to my liking. Otherwise, it was just another drink and I would rate this at 5/10 .

Keropok Lekor Black Pepper

Keropol Lekor Black Pepper

As an Ala Carte item, this small cup is priced at RM 3.50 and it was just a few cuts of Kerpok Lekor, probably from two pieces and snipped into multiple small pieces and sprayed with Black Pepper Sauce from a Ketchup container. Pretty much that was what it was. For me, it was not at all impressive as I have eaten very much tastier and fresher Keropok Lekor in Kuantan and Terengganu. This just seemed like a wish wash item for the city dwellers or probably foreign tourists. The Black Pepper sauce was very much scanty and the spray was just limited to the top few cuts only. I would only rate this at 3/10 .

Cheesy Keropok Lekor

Cheese Keropok Lekor

Similar to the earlier one, this too was a very mediocre if not an ordinary item. The Cheese Flavour was only sprayed at the top and anything that was below that, had no traces of the cheese. Another one that I did not quite like. If only the Keropok Lekor was fresher, I would not have minded eating them plain but this seemed like it was from some time back and lacked the oomph factor. I would only rate this at 2/10 . 

I guess I was not alone in my judgement. Another two tables who walked in simply out of curiosity had the very same opinion as well as I heard one of them telling the waitress and another just talking among themselves. A white man too mentioned the same saying that this was an eye wash item for tourists. I believe that this guy might have been living in Malaysia for a number of years now as his taste buds have become pretty much Malaysian. For me, once was enough and I doubt that I would be a returning customer.

Address: Level 5, NU Sentral, No. 201, Jalan Tun Sambanthan,

                50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Website: http://www.leko-leko.com/company.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lekolekofc/timeline

Cafe Toast 'n' Toast Kopitiam @ Danga Bay, Johor

Cafe Toast 'n' Toast had it's humble beginnings in Malacca and today they have a total of five branches, three in Malacca and two in Johor. I remember having read a write up in NST sometime back and it is by mere luck that I discovered their branch here in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru. This outlet is located along the same row as Tune Hotel Danga Bay and it is road fronting and hence, it is not difficult to find this place. During business hours, parking can be a little difficult though. 

Cafe Toast 'n' Toast in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru

A Little Write Up on Hainanese Cuisine

Interior of the Restaurant

Interior of the Restaurant

I was here rather early, a little earlier than the usual lunch hour and when I was here, the place was almost empty. Come 12.30, the entire restaurant is filled with people working around this vicinity and it is buzzing. They have a decent size restaurant with outdoor and indoor seating areas. On one side of the wall, a number of write ups that have been published in the local newspapers are framed and put out for customers' viewing. The staffs were all Malays and they were really efficient. I liked the way one of their waitress was handling the crowd. She was really swift and she could remember who came first and who came later and attended to them accordingly. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

They have a brief yet comprehensive menu. It covers a great array of cuisines but they all come with a Hainanese touch. They offer Chinese, Hainanese, Western, Vegetarian, Malaysian, Malay and Terengganu Cuisine. It is sad that I am alone here today or else I would have been able to try out more dishes as they all look great. Having firmed my orders, I placed them with the waitress. 

Ice Lemon Tea @ RM 3.50

I would usually go for the Hainanese Coffee but since morning, I have already had four glasses of coffee and I just wanted to avoid it. As a result, I settled for the above Ice Lemon Tea. It comes at a price of RM 3.50 and it was just so so. I would only rate this drink at 6/10 .

Chicken Chop Stew @ RM 13.90

Closer Look at the Chicken

I have had Chicken Chop with a number of different sauces but this is the first time I am having it with vegetable stew. I must say that they have been able to deliver this dish in 15 minutes and that's great. This dish comes with a half of a Roasted Potato though I may have preferred more , some onions, baked carrots and a lovely sauce. The slice of Chicken is lightly breaded and fried to perfection. The coating is very light and that allows the juices from the chicken and the flavours from the stew to seep in. I am not saying that this dish was perfection but what I am saying is that this dish was nice and unique and that it is a result of great innovation. Overall I enjoyed this dish. It is definitely not the best Hainanese Chicken Chop that I have tried but it is good. I would rate this dish at 8.5/10 .

Other Outlets

On the whole for the price paid, I am happy with the service and the food. If you ask me if I would return to this place, yes I surely would. I am definitely eager to try their other dishes especially their toasts and Nasi Lemak. I do hope that I do get that opportunity and I shall surely publish another entry when I get a chance to visit them again. 

Address: G-16, Block 6, Danga Bay, Jalan Skudai, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 1800 Daily

Kerteh Airport @ Kerteh, Terengganu

It's flight time back to Kuala Lumpur and here we are at the Kerteh Airport. Just to give some background on this airport, it is a very small airport and it is owned and operated by Petronas via it's East Coast Regional Office. This airport was built to serve the purpose of airlifting its employees to the various oil platforms located 100 to 200 kilometers offshore South China Sea. Today Firefly does fly to this airport from Subang.

Inside The Airport

The One and Only Restaurant Here

As we have had to skip lunch today, I was thinking of getting some food at the airport but they only have a small cafeteria here. It was already close to 1730 and most of the food had been sold out. For the menu, it seems that they only serve basic food like Nasi Lemak, Fried Rice etc. Having none of those available at this hour, I had to settle for some snacks and tea. You may wonder why I am writing this blog about this restaurant. It is all about two things. Firstly to prepare fellow travelers on the facilities available at this airport and not to end up starving like me. The second reason, I shall be mentioning shortly. 

My Friends

Both of my friends are very sporting as you can see from the poses both yesterday and today. We've all been starving except for the breakfast at the hotel this morning and thats why we have a little stressed look on us. Now, at this cafe we've had two Teh Tariks and one Teh O. The Teh Tarik cost us RM 0.70 each and the Teh O cost us RM 0.50 each. Well, I am very sure that you can not get such prices in Kuala Lumpur. This airport restaurant is really priced like a staff canteen. The Teh Tarik, was pretty good and I would rate it at 8/10 . Just do remember to mention that you like it less sugar as people in the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia love to have their drinks really sweet....I mean really really sweet. 

Keropok Lekor. 5 @ RM 0.50

Now this is the second reason that I am writing this entry and making it available to the public. I have never had Keropok Lekor this fresh, even at any other restaurant or stall in Pahang and Terengganu. This was really fresh and it was priced at RM 0.10 per piece. In Kuala Lumpur, you would get this at RM 0.25 - RM 0.30 per piece and that too would not be as fresh as this. The taste was really good and you do not need the Chili Sauce to dip it in. It's good as it is. If you happen to be at this airport, do not miss the opportunity to try this. Really good stuff. I would rate this Keropok Lekor at 10/10 .

Address: Kerteh Airport, 24300 Kerteh, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0600 - 1830 Daily

Telephone: +609 826 1122

Restoran Kampung Meraga Beris @ Resorts World Kijal, Terengganu

For this trip down to Kemaman, we stayed at Resorts World Kijal which is just a short drive from Kemaman and Kerteh. This is the only decent hotel within this locality and getting a taxi to and from this hotel is not a problem. I have stayed at this hotel so many times and it is quite an old hotel but maintained pretty well. Previously this hotel was known as Awana Kijal Golf, Beach and Spa Resort and it belongs to Genting Group. It even comes with it's own private beach. 

Me At The Hotel

As part of the room package, we were given the Buffet Dinner vouchers for one night. I believe that if you were to buy them, they are sold at around RM 38.00 per person. I feel the price is quite cheap for Buffet Dinner in a four star hotel but perhaps this is the price in Terengganu. The Buffet Dinner is served in one of their traditional restaurants called Restoran Kampung Meraga Beris which is designed to look very local. Their offering today was all about local Terengganu food. 

Food In A Sampan

More Food Options To Choose From

Food At The Various Buffet Stations

My Friends

They definitely had a great selection of food. Interestingly some food was also kept in a sampan which further stresses the local culture. Though they had some Malaysian food like Nasi Lemak, the rest of the food was very much native to the state of Terengganu. 

Some of the dishes tried

More dishes tried

We ended up trying a little of everything and by the time we were done, it was almost two solid hours of non stop eating. The food was really delicious. Most of the dishes were on the spicy side but it was very good. For the small price paid, I would say that this buffet was really worth it. Overall, I would rate their dishes at 8.5/10 . The Buffet Dinner is definitely a wise option to choose from while staying here at Resorts World Kijal!!!

Address: Restoran Kampung Meraga Beris, Resorts World Kijal,
                KM 28, Jalan Kemaman - Dungun, 24100 Kijal,
                Kemaman, Terengganu, Malaysia.

Buffet Dinner Hours: 1830 - 2230 Daily

Telephone: +609 864 1188

Website: http://www.rwkijal.com/en/fb/index.htm