Restoran Rawang Spice House @ Rawang, Selangor

Restaurant Rawang Spice House is an Indian cum Punjabi Restaurant which is located along Jalan Welman in Rawang, Selangor. Whenever I visit Rawang, I would most often go to Nesan Curry House or Adaikalam Mess which I have blogged about in the past but today, I was in the mood to try something new. I was coming from the Komuter Station and I would have to pass this restaurant when heading over to Nesan's and as I was passing, I just had a peek and the crowd here seemed quite decent and many of them were Punjabi's and North Indians. That was when I had a second glance at their sign board outside which read....Punjabi Food. Being a fan of Punjabi Food as well, I decided to try the place out today for a change from the norms. 

Restaurant Rawang Spice House Along Jalan Welman

Entrance To The Restaurant

Clean and Air Conditioned Interior

When I walked in, I was impressed to see that the restaurant was very clean and they had a good array of food. It was the perfect timing to be here. I was here at sharp 1 pm and the food was hot and I had the option to choose from any one of their dishes which have been prepared for the day. 

Teh O Ice @ RM 1.50

I then took my seat at the table and ordered my drink. The staffs here were very attentive and quick to attend to customers. I ordered the above Teh O Ice and it was priced at RM 1.50 . Both the drink and the price were good for me. I would rate their drink at 9.3/10 .

Meat Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

More Vegetarian Dishes

I then walked over to the curries station to check out the spread for the day. Both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes were in separate counters and there was another counter located on one corner which was specifically for the specials of the day and these were also vegetarian dishes. A lady, whom I believe might be the boss, attended to me. They had both Par Boil Rice and the usual White Rice. Outside the restaurant, there was a sign which read Banana Leaf Meals Are Available but I did not see anyone having it neither did I see any Banana Leaves at the counter. Perhaps, they have discontinued the practice. I just had my meal on a plate and after having taken the desired items, I returned to my table. I would like to add that they also have a sign at the curry counters which declare that they do not use any Ajinomoto in their cooking which would be something that would be welcomed by everyone. 

My Meal @ RM 7.90

My Meal @ RM 7.90

I took quite a bit of rice, some Mutton Gravy, Mutton Perattal, Curry Tenggiri Fish and some Puthina Thovayal. Besides these, once I was seated, the waiter also brought some Papadam's in a plastic basket and a small tumbler of Rasam. They did ask me if I want some pickles and the other usual sides but I refused as these were more than sufficient for me. For the whole lot, I was only charged RM 7.90 which is a very good deal. Another point that I would like to mention is that if one is looking for pure Tamil style dishes, then it would be better off to head to Nesan's. Here it is all Punjabi style dishes and some are fusion dishes and if you are looking for a change or something out of the ordinary, then this place would be great.

Puthina Thovayal

As you can see, even their Puthina Thovayal is of a slightly different hue. This is because more grated coconut had been added to this preparation and it had a stronger mint taste. Prepared exactly according to the Punjabi style, this tasted fantastic and I would rate this at 9.5/10 . 

Mutton Gravy

Their Mutton Gravy too was prepared with slightly more coconut milk, slightly less spicy but it tasted equally good. I enjoyed this preparation very much and even the gravy, had some small cuts of mutton in it. Wonderfully delicious and I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

Mutton Perattal

This tasted like a hybrid between the Tamil style Mutton Perattal and the Malay style of Rendang. They were lean Mutton chunks with no fat at all. Delicious stuff and I would highly recommend this dish. I would rate this at 9.8/10 .

Curry Tenggiri Fish

Another delight for Curry Fish lovers! The Tenggiri Fish were medium cuts, cooked in a thick and delicious gravy and finished with perfection. The Fish was soft and juicy and the curry was heavenly. I would rate this at 9.3/10 . Another highly recommended dish here.

Papadam

Papadam was provided on the house and they were not stingy with these. For a single diner like me, they provided a basket filled with three crispy Papadam's. And yes, they were crispy!

Rasam

Their Rasam was good too but on a personal note, I would have preferred the Tamil style of  preparation as against this. This was milder when it came to the spices but still good. Perhaps this would be how the Punjabi's would cook Rasam at home, though Rasam is a South Indian dish. I would rate this Rasam at 8.5/10 .

Overall, I was very happy with my meal here today. I am impressed with the food and the prices too were very reasonable. The food was fantastic, the service was excellent and the prices very reasonable, what more would I want from a restaurant. Definitely coming back for more. Besides these curries, they also have other Noodle items as well as specialise in Punjabi Sweets. Although I could not taste them today, they all looked good.

Address: Located along Jalan Welman, 48000 Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0730 - 2200 Daily

Restoran Abuya Catering & Food Supply @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Abuya Catering & Food Supply is located along Jalan HG 1 in Taman Happy Garden, which is directly opposite the UPSI's main entrance, located along Jalan Besar, Tanjung Malim. Previously, this restaurant was known as Restoran Atan and just about two years ago, there has been a change of management and hence, the change of name. This restaurant is located a mere 2 minutes walk from my place. I used to dine at the old Restoran Atan but never at this place. Having been curious, I decided to give the place a try this morning.

Restoran Abuya in Tanjung Malim

Interior Of The Restaurant

Interior Of The Restaurant

Interior Of The Restaurant

A Range Of Coffees Offered

Generally these Abuya restaurants are associated with the right wing Islamic group, which fundamentally is a re-branding of the previously blacklisted Al Arqam group. I am not quite bothered about this as I am all out for good food and am willing to try any and every restaurant as long as the food is great. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, I also wrote about another similar Abuya Restaurant that sells excellent Satay in Tanjung Malim. As far as I as concerned, if the food is good, I am all out for them. Coming back to this restaurant, I was here early having wanted to have some breakfast and the restaurant was empty. All the staffs were busy working in the kitchen preparing lunch. Lunch seems to be the main meal at this restaurant, not any other meal. Initially I had wondered if I should just leave the staffs were not quite bothered to attend to me. But then. just thought to myself that since I am here anyway, might as well just try the place out. Having said that, I walked directly into the kitchen and asked the staffs if they had any Nasi Lemak and they all stared at me and then nodded. I then requested them for one Nasi Lemak and one Coffee and just walked out. Well, not my fault as I was waiting outside in the dining area for more than 15 minutes and despite seeing me, no one wanted to come out or even ask what I had wanted to have. At this point I would like to stress that all their helpers were Indonesian helpers. 

Coffee @ RM 1.00

Stirred Up

The Coffee is definitely much cheaper than other restaurants in this area and this is a common phenomena in these Abuya restaurants. Well, the coffee was good despite having had quite a bit of condensed milk at the bottom. When stirred, it tasted perfectly good. I would rate this Coffee at 9/10 . 

Nasi Lemak @ RM 2.00

Rice Which Tasted Like White Rice

Mediocre Sambal

Peanuts

Runny Eggs

Finally, after much waiting, my Nasi Lemak arrived and yes, I have found it. Trust me, this is the worst Nasi Lemak that I have eaten and I am officially nominating this to be the worst Nasi Lemak in Tanjung Malim town. Their lunch offering may be good, I do not know, but this Nasi Lemak was horrid. The so called coconut milk rice seemed just like the normal white rice. Their Sambal was salty and terrible. The only thing good about this was the eggs and the price which was just RM 2.00 . I just had a few mouthful's and left the rest. Definitely not coming here again for breakfast.

Despite this restaurant being so close to my place, it was a waste that their Nasi Lemak was so bad. Even if it was just average, I would have patronised them more often. Sadly, this was how it was.

Address: No. 1, Jalan HG 1, Taman Happy Garden, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0800 - 1600 Monday to Saturday

                             Closed on Sundays

Restoran Garden Deli @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restaurant Garden Deli has been around for a number of years here in Tanjung Malim and is a sister restaurant to the famous Garden Seafood Restaurant. Owned by the same owners, both of these restaurants have the Halal certification. Despite being around for a number of years now, I wonder why I have not dropped in to try the place out. This restaurant is located in Taman Universiti just along Jalan U1. The restaurant is clearly visible from the main road and does not pose a challenge for one who is looking for the place.  Although both the places belongs to the same owners, this restaurant is not as famous as the other one. Never have I seen this restaurant being full house but they always seem to have a few customers at any point in time. As I was in town tonight, decided to give the place a try. 

Restaurant Garden Deli in Taman Universiti, Tanjung Malim

Interior Of The Restaurant

Interior Of The Restaurant

The Chicken Rice Counter

I arrived here around 8 pm and even then, there were just a handful of customers. Nevertheless, the flow was continuous. Most of the staffs here are Malay's and the kitchen staffs are all Chinese. The decoration was simple but the place was very clean. I did see quite a number of reviews on Foursquare complaining about the service level's here but to my amazement, the staffs were quite efficient today. Perhaps, those reviews must have been about the previous batch of staffs. 

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu was not as elaborate as the one we get at Garden Seafood. This was just a two page laminated card. The first page was entirely dedicated to their Hainanese Chicken and Duck Rice and the other side had a number of common Chinese Dishes with some snacks and drinks, all of which were Halal. It did not take me long to go though the menu and within minutes, I already knew what I wanted to have. I then waved over to the waitress and got my orders registered.

Teh Tarik @ RM 1.80

I ordered a cup of Teh Tarik and it was sent in an elegant looking tea cup with a saucer. Their Tea was nice, perfect level of sweetness and served hot. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Hainanese Chicken Rice Set @ RM 4.50

Though the drinks were priced on the high side, the food however was very reasonably priced. I ordered the Hainanese Chicken Rice set and this came with a bowl of Yellow Rice, Steamed Chicken, Clear Soup with some Chicken parts and some vegetable. For the price of RM 4.50, this is definitely very reasonable if not cheap.

Yellow Rice

The Yellow Rice served was very tasty. It had the right fluffiness to it and tasted good. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Steamed Chicken

Steamed Chicken

The Steamed Chicken was tasty but slightly hard and a tad too dry. I guess it was over steamed and the juices have just been sapped out. Nevertheless, the combination of the chicken and the soy sauce was nice. I would rate this at 7.5/10 .

Clear Soup

Clear Soup

Their Clear Soup, though looking simple, was prepared with the spare and waste parts of the chicken and it tasted nice. Slightly on the oily side, otherwise a good preparation. I would rate this at 8.9/10 .

Chili

I was disappointed with their Chili Sauce. Though it looked blazing red and hot, it was nowhere near spicy. In fact, it tasted very much like plain fiber. The vinegar too was very little. In a nutshell, this was a let down. I would rate this at 2/10 .

Dry Wan Ton Mee @ RM 4.00

I also tried another one of their dishes which is the above Dry Wan Ton Mee and this was priced at RM 4.00 . This came with a bowl of Wan Ton Soup and comparing the price against the portion, it is definitely very much worth the price. 

Wan Ton Mee with BBQ Chicken

Dried Wan Ton Mee

The Dried Wan Ton Mee itself was very good. It was a huge portion, the noodles were soft and good and they were lavish with the soy sauce making it a fantastic preparation. I would rate this at 9.3/10 .

BBQ Chicken

Their BBQ Chicken was just so so only. I have tried much better ones and to me, this seemed like it was made by a novice. Not to my liking. I would rate this at 5/10 .

Steamed Wan Ton's In Clear Soup

Steamed Wan Tons

Their Steamed Wan Ton's were fabulous. I was also impressed to see that they had used different clear soups for both the dishes tried. Both the Wan Tons and the soup were delicious. Thoroughly enjoyed them both. For this soup, three pieces of steamed Wan Tons were provided. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Green Pickled Chilies 

The Green Pickled Chilies too were way better than the earlier chilies. This was good and went perfectly well with the dish. I would rate them at 9.3/10 .

The Bill For The Day

Overall, the food was decent to good and the prices were very reasonable if not cheap. Definitely a good place to head if you are looking for a quick Halal Chinese Meal. Highly recommended!

Address: No.5, Jalan U1, Taman Universiti, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2130 Daily (Last Order At 2100)

Telephone: +605 459 8898

Restoran Rijayah @ Hulu Bernam, Selangor

Restaurant Rijayah is located along the main road on the Ulu Bernam side of town. Assuming if you are coming in from Tanjung Malim heading towards Ulu Bernam, this restaurant is located on the left just before the turning into Jalan Changkat Asa. I just visited this restaurant for the first time some 15 days ago and as mentioned then, I have returned again today to try out their Nasi Lemak which seems to be a very famous dish here. 

Tables Outside The Restaurant

Interior Of The Restaurant

Before my first visit, I always thought that this was a Chinese Restaurant as whenever I used to pass by, most if not all their customers were Chinese. Even today it was the same and I was shocked to learn that this is actually an Indian Restaurant when I came here a fortnight ago. The name of the place is Restaurant Rijayah but it is fondly called as Akka Kadai by the locals. It was interesting to note that they also sell Chinese food here. The last trip here, I was told by my friend that the famous items here are their Roti Canai, Nasi Lemak, Hokkien Mee, Cantonese Style Noodles and Chili Chicken. I was surely impressed to see an Indian preparing these dishes and the place is well supported by the local Chinese and Indian folks. The restaurant is simple and is a no frills place. I observed that the family lived here too, on the rear side of the shop lot. 

Teh O @ RM 1.00

Teh Tarik @ RM 1.10

Everyone working here is a family member. One takes the orders, one prepares the curries,one makes the Roti Canai and one does the cooking while the mother prepares the drinks. The place was a pleasant environment to be in and no wonder I see a lot of customers here who sit till the wee hours sipping a drink and enjoying their meal. As for today, my brother ordered a glass of Teh O which was priced at RM 1.00 and I ordered a cup of Teh Tarik which was priced at RM 1.10 . Both their Tea and Teh O were good and I would rate it at 8.3/10 and the prices are much cheaper than other restaurants.

Nasi Lemak @ RM 2.50

Nasi Lemak @ RM 2.50

Mildly Spicy Sambal

Mildly Spicy Sambal

Omelette

Peanuts and Anchovies

Since I have tried their other famous dishes on my last trip here, this trip was specifically dedicated to try their Nasi Lemak which is their most famous dish. Their plain Nasi Lemak is priced at RM 2.50 per plate, which is a very reasonable price. It comes with quite a bit of mildly spicy Sambal, Fried Peanuts, an Omelette and some Fried Anchovies. The rice was fragrant and it was good. Tasted very much like a Nasi Lemak which was prepared by an Indian and not the Malay style of taste. For me, I enjoyed it very much and would rate it at 8.7/10 . Definitely better than the Nasi Lemak sold at Restaurant Neelawathi which is just a 200 meters away. 

Fried Chicken @ RM 3.00

Fried Chicken @ RM 3.00

Both of us ordered a Fried Chicken each to go with our Nasi Lemak and we had specifically asked them to be served separately on two different plates. Their Fried Chicken tasted very good and it was all lean meat. I also loved the marination which was very good. The only setback which could be a major setback for many was that that the Fried Chicken was served cold.  Despite being the wee hours of the day, guests would still prefer their meals to be served hot. I guess they must have fried it some time earlier this evening. Sad but true, otherwise this would have been a fantastic piece of Fried Chicken as it tasted so good. Taste wise, I would rate this at 9/10 but since it was served cold, it would only be fair to rate this at 4/10 . Hope they would improve on this in the near future and I did inform 'Akka' as well. 

Address: Located Along Jalan Besar (Just Before Jalan Changkat Asa Turning),

                35900 Hulu Bernam, Selangor , Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1800 - 0400 Daily