SisterS Crispy Popiah @ Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

SisterS Crispy Popiah has become a name that is synonymous to Popiah in the Klang Valley. Having come from humble beginnings, today we find their outlets in many of the shopping malls in the Klang Valley. Besides this brand, the group has now also expanded into full fledged restaurants and go by the name of SisterS Kitchen. Last year, they had also won the Star People's Award for the best Popiah. My Dad and I are great Popiah lovers and this is one of those dishes that is like a must have whenever we make a trip to Ipoh or even to any of those Chinese food courts in Kuala Lumpur. We were in Quill City Mall this afternoon and having heard that these guy's have won an award recently, and that too the People's Award, I just had to give them a try.

Located On Level 4 of Quill City Mall

Comes With A Few Tables For In House Dining

It is just a kiosk that's located on Level 4 of the mall. Not too difficult to locate as they are right opposite the escalator that descends from the cinema. They had a few tables to handle a small crowd, maybe around 15 people but that seemed more than sufficient. Most people were doing takeaways and I guess that's the norm here.  

A Copy Of The Award On Display

Menu

Menu

Combo Sets

This is a self service restaurant. It seems like a very practical approach as I doubt that they would be having a huge crowd like any other restaurant. Well, for the size of this kiosk, a four man queue would already seem like a crowd. There was only one guy manning the whole place. Skillful he was as it was he that was taking the orders, preparing the dishes, collecting cash and clearing up. I was impressed by the way he worked. Excellent at multi tasking. The good thing is, the menu itself was self explanatory as they had provided prices along with pictures of the dishes thus making the ordering process simple. Just like the rest, I placed our orders with him and went back to our table. 

Crispy Chicken Sausage Popiah @ RM 5.10

Comes With Chicken Frankfurters 

It was just a 10 minute wait and the Popiah's were ready. It has to be self collected. The guy signaled over to me and I just walked over and collected them. At this point, I had to pay for those which makes perfect sense. As you may have observed from the menu above, they have two varieties of Popiah, the usual Crispy Popiah and Egg Roll Popiah. This again comes with a number of add on ingredients. I could have gone for the basic one, but when they have some specialty ones which they are famous for, it just didn't make sense to me to simply stick with the basics as those I am able to get anywhere. So, the first one that we tried was the Crispy Chicken Sausage Popiah and this was priced at RM 5.10 per roll. A huge roll it was, obviously the prices were premium as we were paying for the brand image as well. Taste wise, it was so good. Not the usual soggy type of Popiah as this one came a little dry and with lots of crunchy filling that made it taste really good. And they were lavish with the sauces. That extra add on of Chicken Frankfurter really helped boost the taste. What can I say, it was just heavenly and we loved it. I would rate this at 9/10 . Highly recommended!!!

Egg Roll Cheese Popiah @ RM 5.30

Super Good!!!

This is their Egg Roll variety and as you can see, the Popiah skin is made with eggs and as a result, the texture and colour is slightly different. And goodness, it tasted even better. The skin was much more creamier, a slightly sweet and pancake like taste to it. And those fillings..... just look at the amount of sauces used. Though pricey, I adore these Popiah's and they were worth every penny. The cheese add on was another winning move. I would rate these at 9.5/10 . Excellent!!!

Both varieties that we tried this afternoon were so good. No wonder they have won such a prestigious award. Going forward, every time I come across them, I would make it a point have some. Highly recommended!!!

Address: Unit 4.60, Level 4, Quill City Mall, 1018 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 

                 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sisterscrispypopiah/

Website: http://www.sisterscrispypopiah.com.my/index.php

Segambut Akka Curry House @ Segambut, Kuala Lumpur

I think many people around Segambut would be very familiar with Segambut Akka Curry House but perhaps not those living outside of Segambut. Having been around for more than two decades, Segambut Akka Curry House is one of the pioneer 'Akka's' in the industry. They started as a simple stall under a tree. Today they have grown into a restaurant and yes, they are still located under that very same tree that they started. Run by a husband and wife couple along with some assistants, business has been very good for them and the place is always crowded.

The Restaurant In Segambut

Located Right Opposite This Store

Finding the place can be quite complicating, especially for first timers. Assuming you are coming from Jalan Kuching, you would surely take the roundabout and the moment you turn into Jalan Segambut, slow down and keep left. It is almost immediate that you would need to turn left. This restaurant may be hidden from view if you are still at the main road but it is located right before the Proton Service Centre. Parking is very difficult here. Most of them would walk or come by motorcycles. As for us today, I went up to the housing side, parked the car there and used the back lane short cut to come here. It was just a mere 5 minutes walk and it's safe to park your car there. 

I have been coming here for 10 years now and the place has not changed a bit. Business is open from 8 am till 5 pm daily and they are closed on Sundays. My advise would be to come early for lunch as the place is incessantly full. Of course they do top up the dishes nevertheless, you get better options when you arrive between 12 to 1 pm. On any day, they would have around 30 non vegetarian dishes and approximately 40 vegetarian dishes. That's an excellent selection that we do not get at most places. Sitting areas are mostly shared. Don't expect to get a table to yourself as it is almost an impossible feat during peak hours. The tables are mostly aligned like canteen concept and you don't have the freedom to sit and chat once you're done with your meal as there would be people waiting right behind you at all times. That's one setback here but it is a healthy indicator that the food is good and cheap. 

Our Lunch For The Day

Our Lunch For The Day

All you have to do is to queue up, choose the kind of rice you want (normal or par boil rice) and then pick up the dishes yourself and return to your table. Akka would then follow and get your drink orders and then, once she has summed up your meal, would write the amount on a small piece of paper and slit it under your plate. My Father and I were spoilt for choice and what we did was take different things (even the gravy) on each of our plates so that we could share them and in that way, get a chance to taste more of the dishes. The good thing here is that Akka is so used to having food bloggers like me visiting them all the time and she even suggested angles for taking those shots. That was so cute of her. Very friendly couple and all the staffs are extremely efficient.

Fried Fish and Fish Kulambu

Their Fish Kulambu was bold, filled with spices and did not have a 'fishy' taste to it. Slightly sour and mildly spicy, it was just perfect. Very much like home cooked preparation and clearly no MSG added. I would rate this at 9.5/10 . Their Fried Fish too was excellent. It was fried to a crisp on the outside, juicy and delicious on the inside. I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Gongura A.K.A. Pulicha Keerai

Pulicha Kirai is another one of my favourites and it was excellently prepared. Finely ground greens cooked with diced onions and a dash of ground anchovies. Heavenly it was!!! I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Snake Gourd Perattal with Dhall

Snake Gourd Perattal was prepared using Dhall and Ghee and it was just so good. If only I lived close by, I guess I would be a permanent customers here. Truly delicious and I would rate this at 9/10 .

Tofu Chinese Style

Unlike the usual Tofu Sambal, today it had been prepared like the Chinese style and again, it was good. Perhaps slightly oily, otherwise it was just good. I would rate this at 7.5/10 .

Tapioca Perattal

This Tapioca Perattal is a dish that is hard to find these days and I am glad that they still prepare them here, Not a taste that everyone would love, but I loved the preparation here. Starchy, spicy and delicious. I would rate this at 9/10 .

Paruppu (Dhall) Rasam

Besides the above, we were also provided with some Appalam (Papadam) and Rasam. Today, they had prepared Paruppu Rasam and not the usual Milagu Rasam. Another good preparation and the blend of spices were just perfect. I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

Very Reasonable Prices

Amazingly cheap and extremely delicious food. And they have been like this for more than two decades. No wonder they are going so strong and their customer base is growing day by day. If you happen to be in Segambut, please do give this place a try. You would be truly impressed with the food here. 

Address: Jalan Segambut, 51200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0800 - 1700 Monday - Saturday

                            Closed on Sunday's 

Cafe Dim Dim Sum Yee @ Rawang, Selangor

All these years, whenever we wanted to have some good Dim Sum, we would always end up heading to Kuala Lumpur and not many, except for the locals know that this specialty Dim Sum restaurant had been in existence in Rawang since the year 2011. This restaurant is located along Jalan Bandar Rawang 12, which is just a four minutes walk from the KTM Komuter station. 

The Restaurant Along Jalan Bandar Rawang 12

Interior Of The Restaurant

Dishes and Prices On Display

The restaurant was not that crowded at this hour as most people would be going for Dim Sum either in the mornings or noon. Nevertheless, the number of customers were still encouraging. Apparently when I checked their Facebook page, it seems that they are massively crowded for breakfast and lunch and on weekends, the tables do spill over to the streets. All their Dim Sum's are handmade and freshness is a guarantee that they give you. That is to say that all their Dim Sum's are only steamed upon order and unlike other restaurants that keep steaming them all day long. Thus, it is practical to expect some waiting time as every order is freshly handled. The cleanliness of the restaurant was also very good. 

Complete Cutlery

Each table was equipped with the complete set of cutlery. This is an excellent practice as one would not need to go table hopping finding for things when the food is served. Even the saucers were provided with each table. Besides the Kampung Koh Sauce, they also provided the sweet sauce. When it comes to Dim Sum, my preference would always be the Kampung Koh Sauce. It is only when I am having Yong Tau Foo that I would go for the sweet dip sauce. Once again, this is just a matter of personal preference and I am sure that some would love to have their Dim Sum with the sweet dip sauce too and it is just great of them to sufficiently provide all these in advance. I ordered a glass of Chinese Tea and this was priced at fifty cents per glass. They also had other specialty and Herbal drinks but I was contended to just go with this. Now, waiting for the dishes to arrive.  

The Menu

The Menu

It seemed like this place is a father and son run show. Maybe this is the scenario in the evenings when the crowd isn't so great and I am quite certain that they would have more help during the day. The moment I walked in to the restaurant, I was greeted by the 'Father' and he then handed the menu over to me. The spread was good and they had a number of unique rice dishes too. He was very supportive in answering all my questions pertaining to the dishes. Once my ordering was done, he filled in a pre printed chit and then went over to the kitchen. I believe that the son must be doing the steaming over there. 

Steamed Fish Balls @ RM 4.50

Extremely Good!!!

The wait wasn't too long and it was just a matter of 10 to 15 minutes and the dishes were being sent one by one. The first to arrive was the Steamed Fish Balls. A set comes with three of these. Now, the Fish Balls were just amazing. They were extremely soft and supple and it was just so tasty. Felt as if I was having these at a 5 star hotel. Amazing quality and freshness and I would rate this at 9.8/10 .

Siu Mai @ RM 4.50

Siu Mai

These little tasty devils were another treat. Juicy, delicious and fresh, they were absolutely good. For me, I would rate these at 9/10 .

Teochew Siu Mai @ RM 4.50

Teochew Siu Mai

This was another excellent preparation. The Siew Mai's were not very small, in fact it took more than a bite or two to completely finish it. As you know, the Teo Chew variety is made from Pork and not Shrimps. Thus is was a little harder but it was juicy and good! I would rate this at 8.8/10 .

Special Quicksand Bao @ RM 5.50

Custard Overload

What a unique name!!! I have always known these as Custard Buns and this is the first time that I am coming across such a unique name. The buns came with a very thin skin and they were loaded with hot custard that was so good. I would rate these at 9.5/10 .

Salad Shrimp Dumpling @ RM 4.90

Comes With Mayonnaise 

Something like Sui Gau, except that this tasted different. The taste was great but it was slightly too greasy for me. My brother was happy with it though. I would perhaps rate this at 7/10 . Have tasted better ones for sure.

Fish Skin Dumpling @ RM 6.50

A Super Good One!!!

This pan seared Fish Skin Dumpling was excellent. The overall texture, the fish and shrimp filling, everything was so good and they were super fresh. A highly recommended one here and I would rate this at 9.5/10 .

BBQ Pork Bao (Char Siew) @ RM 5.50 for Three

Extremely Delicious

The final one that we tried tonight was their Char Siew Bao. This was not like those machine or factory made ones. It was definitely a handmade one and each Bao, had a three angled fold to give you ease of  breaking them. Just look at that filling. It was just heavenly and the Bao was filled to maximum capacity with no empty pockets.  Do note that a tray comes with three Bao's but you can even request for just one or two like what we did tonight. This is a true winner and I would rate this at 9.8/10 .

Some may feel that the prices are quite steep for Rawang but for me, I would not mind paying for quality. And in all honesty, I felt that they were just aptly priced. Just imagine going to Kuala Lumpur and having some crap Dim Sum for a much higher price than this. Or let's say going to Dynasty Hotel and having Dim Sum there while paying through your nose. Comparatively, this is definitely an excellent deal. Moreover, this place delivers parallel quality to those upscale places. Of course I am not comparing this place with those restaurants that employ those Hong Kong celebrity Chefs. No, that is definitely not my comparison. But compared to those famous Dim Sum places like in Kampung Baru Sg. Buloh, Ipoh Road or even Cheras, then this is definitely a  much better deal. Once again, taste is a matter of individual preference and what is good for me, may not be great for you and vice versa.  Therefore, it is always encouraged to go with an open mind.

Address: No. 23, Jalan Bandar Rawang 12, Pusat Bandar Rawang,

                48000 Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: Mon - Sat:  0730 - 2100

                             Sun & PH: 0730 - 1630

Telephone: +6016 337 8989 & +6016 778 8989 ( Best To Call Before Making Your Trip There)

Sam's Deli @ NU Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

Sam's Groceria and Sam's Deli are like two big names that we find in malls these days. They are usually one of the anchor tenant's and most often occupy the Lower Ground Floor. Similarly, in NU Sentral Mall, they are in that very same location. Their supermarket is a great place and I love the kind of variety that one get's here. Having said that, I have noticed that they have a cafe too and was curious to check the place out as I see a lot of people buying there meals here, mostly takeaways and some dine in's.

Sam's Groceria on the Lower Ground Floor

Sam's Deli,.... Located on the Left

Japanese Food Available Now

Sam's Deli is located on the left side of this supermarket. At the entrance, they have a wide variety of dishes to offer. This is even before entering Sam's Deli and most of them are takeaways concept. Prepacked for customer's convenience and of course, you have the flexibility of bringing them over and having your meal inside the cafe. What caught my eyes was the above banner and a few others mentioning that they now have Japanese food as well and the banner went on to boast it's freshness and quality guarantees. I was impressed with that and decided to do Japanese this evening.

Interior Of The Cafe

Mostly Takeaways

Prepacked Sushi's

Sandwiches

This cafe itself was chic and trendy and was manned by a Bangladeshi worker. I asked for their Bento sets and was informed that I would have to get them outside, and that is in the Supermarket itself. I went over and checked them and it wasn't one that was inviting and the queue at the counter was massive, not because there were so many people but simply because the cashier was one inefficient lady. I think it took her like forever to even lift a finger and was taking her own sweet time to key in the items. She easily took at least 4 minutes to clear a customer (with one single item of purchase) and no, that is not an estimation. I actually timed her. Having been frustrated with both the food and the cashier, I came back into the cafe and decided to go for some Sushi and Sandwiches instead. And to my surprise, I was asked to go out again to that very same cashier to pay for my food. Why should I do that when you have a cash register here inside the cafe. I asked him and he just gave me a blank smile. Hungry and frustrated, I carried those two items, stood in line and paid for them. Desperation and hunger took over I guess and then, returned to the cafe to have my dinner. Since it was 6.00 pm, they had some clearance discounts. Honestly, at that level of aggravation that I was, this discount didn't really matter anymore. I was just hungry and wanted some decent food. If you actually look at the whole thing, this isn't even really a cafe. It just like a place in the supermarket where one can sit down and have your meal that you purchase from the store. Simply that. The management should consider naming this place as 'Seating Area' instead of 'Sam's Cafe'.

Assorted Sushi's

Assorted Sushi's

Assorted Sushi's

The Sushi's looked decent but alas, the taste was not up to my expectations and in fact, they were nowhere near the freshness guarantee. Clearly, one that was possibly made a day before and they were pretty bad tasting. Limited amount of Soy Sauce was provided and further additions were all top up's, I've had these packed one's in some other supermarkets and they were good but this one was truly horrible. I just took a bite of each and gave up, leaving most of them just like that. I hate to waste food but this was just horrible. For me, this would only rate 1/10 and I would not even recommend this to my enemy.

Tuna & Egg Sandwiches

Tuna Sandwich

Egg Sandwich

Having been disappointed by the earlier Sushi, I then opened this pack of sandwiches. Two slices each of Tuna and Egg sandwiches. Again, I was extremely disappointed. This was the worst sandwich that I have purchased from a supermarket. Village Grocer which is my usual place to buy sandwiches make them a million times better. The bread was extremely dry and flaky, and I had to read the labels to identify what kind of sandwich they were as they were extremely stingy with the spread. It was probably a millimeter thick, that was about it. Tasteless, dry and stale!!! A no go for me and I would again rate these at 1/10 . 

After just a bite or two, this again went to waste. A total waste of money. I see hundreds if not thousands of people getting their food here on a daily basis. I guess, it is not because of taste but perhaps convenience. I truly feel sorry for them. As for me, I am surely not coming here again to get a meal. The supermarket is fantastic but the food is horrible. I'd rather step out to Brickfields for a sumptuous Banana Leaf Meal instead of such kind of food. 

Address: Lower Ground Floor, NU Sentral, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 

                Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Website: http://www.samsgroceria.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samsgroceria/