Patron Bakery & Cafe @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Patron Bakery & Cafe is the latest cafe to open in Tanjung Malim, Perak and it is located in Taman Bernam Baru. They started sometime towards the end of last year and I managed to visit them then itself but unfortunately, I did not get time to blog about this cafe as I was caught up with work. 

Modern Design

The design of this cafe was one that impressed me and I am sure that the younger generation would love it as well. It was designed in such a way that it gave it a roomy feeling. The counter was located on the far right and it had a glass shelf displaying the bread that had been baked for the day. The kitchen was on the far left and it had glass partitions instead of walls which allows patrons to see through. The only setback on the day that I had dined was the ventilation. I was here at night and there were a few more tables that were occupied. Despite having an entrance that was open instead of doors, the place was warm and they had not switched on the air conditioning. Not sure if it was a cost cutting exercise or perhaps the owners had felt that the temperature was okay. But for me, it surely did feel stuffy. Another one of my observations for the day was the people manning the outlet. Clearly it was a family enterprise and I was impressed by the way the boys were managing the place. They clearly exhibited signs that they were new to this but they tried their best to make sure everything went well. That is something that I had to mention. Keep up the great work guys!

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

Their menu had a good spread of dishes. Only concern was the pricing which seemed a little too high for Tanjung Malim. Nevertheless, I didn't say much as I wanted to observe the portions. If they are huge, then the prices are surely justified. 

Tuna Croissant @ RM 14.00

Tuna Croissant

Initially, I had ordered this Tuna Croissant and it was priced at RM 14.00 . I have deliberately placed the cutlery beside the sandwich as it would give you a better gauge of the size. Seriously, it was a very small piece. I was expecting something double this size. For a person with a big appetite like me, this is nothing. It's like the starters before the main course. Three bites and it's done. Now, let's leave the size part of it and come to the taste part of it. Taste wise, it was awesome! Yes, it was absolutely fantastic. The croissant was soft and so tasty and the tuna spread was generous. Delicious to the last bite. Now, having spoken about both these aspects, is the cost justified? I would still say no. I won't mind paying RM 7 to RM 10 for this but nothing more. Just taking the taste part of it into consideration, I would give this a 9/10. 

Fries @ RM 5.00

Since I was still hungry, I ordered some Fries and this was priced at RM 5.00 . Again, the portion was very disappointing. If you are thinking how big that container is, look at an adult female's palm. Yes, and that's the size of it. In terms of depth, can you see the base of the container in the above photograph? Then, that should give you an idea in terms of volume. For the price, I would rather head to KFC and have a large fries and I would get double the size. Taste wise, it could have been better and as far as the rating is concerned, I would give this a 6/10.  

Chicken Chop @ RM 13.00

Mustard Sauce

As I was still hungry, I had to order another dish. This time it was their Chicken Chop and this was priced at RM 13.00 . Surprised that this was cheaper than their sandwiches as the portion size was definitely justified. They had fried the chicken with spices instead of grilling it. I'm not a fan of Chicken Chop prepared this way but then, I liked the marination. And the mustard sauce went very well with it. It wasn't all that great but it was a decent preparation and I would give this a 7/10. 

In summary, I loved the warm reception given by the boys, their Tuna Croissant tasted heavenly but be prepared to pay a hefty sum for it and their Chicken Chop is worth a try. Otherwise, the place is cosy and for sure it's a good place to mingle with friends or even have a business discussion. 

Address: No. 38, Jalan Bernam 1, Taman Bernam Baru, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 2200

D' Sumptuous @ Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur

A few days back, I had to visit a friend who was admitted to Institut Jantung Negara and that was when I came across this outlet. D' Sumptuous is located on the upper level of the cafeteria in IJN. For those who have not been to this cafeteria, it has a lower floor which has a number of food stalls and the upper deck, which is a premium floor that is solely occupied by D' Sumptuous. I am not sure if they have other outlets in the Klang Valley but based on the details in their receipt, their corporate headquarters is based in Wangsa Maju.  

Their Logo

Private & Premium Seating Area

Beautifully Designed Counters

The upper deck was very impressive. They had a massive counter in a U shaped design that spanned across half of the seating area. Unlike the usual food court furniture, here they were mostly private seating with sofa sets and some coffee tables. It felt more like a dining hall in a hotel rather than a cafeteria in a hospital. 

Their Menu

Their menu had a good spread of dishes across various cuisines and they were reasonably priced. Of course this is not to be compared with coffee shop prices but lets say they were on par with those air conditioned restaurants. But it is not something that I would complain. The environment was exquisite and I would not even mind having business meetings here. As for the timing, I was here quite early in the morning and many of their main courses were not ready and that's very much understandable. Mostly what was available were their breakfast items. Since it has been a while that I had Dim Sum, I decided to go for those.  

Otak Otak Dim Sum @ RM 4.90

These Dim Sum's are made by Muslims and you tend to get some unique varieties like this Otak Otak Dim Sum which is something that you will never find in a Chinese Dim Sum place. Per set is priced at RM 4.90 and it comes in three's. That is fairly reasonable looking at the size of these dumplings. The first one that I tried is this Otak Otak Dim Sum which is the one laid on the left. A very unique taste that I thoroughly enjoyed. The texture was good and it was fresh. I would give this a 8/10. 

Mushroom Dim Sum @ RM 4.90

Their Mushroom Dim Sum's were pretty good too. The staple meat in all their Dim Sum's is chicken and in this case, it was mixed with mushrooms. A lovely blend of ingredients and it tasted equally good. This too deserves a rating of 8/10. 

Black Pepper Dim Sum @ RM 4.90

This Black Pepper version was excellent. What I loved most about this was the fact that I could actually taste those course ground pepper with each bite and they were very generous with it. If you're into such spicy food, then this is a must try. I would give this a 9/10. 

Salted Egg Dim Sum @ RM 4.90

Another good one but I felt that it could have been better. Since the salted egg was only placed at the tip, the chicken meat very much dominated the taste. Alternatively, they should have added more salted egg and that would have had a totally different effect. This I would give it a 7/10. 

Sweet & Chili Dip Sauce

From the four varieties that I tried, I very much enjoyed the Black Pepper version followed by the other two and the one that I enjoyed the least was the Salted Egg version. Perhaps since I love salted eggs very much, my expectations were much higher. Nevertheless, the food was good and surely it is one that I would very much recommend here. These were definitely some good quality Halal Dim Sum's. 

Address: Cafeteria, Institut Jantung Negara, 145 Jalan Tun Razak, 

                 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2000 Daily

QQ Popiah Stall @ Kota Damansara, Selangor

QQ Popiah is a chain of Popiah stalls that is located in a number of Chinese food courts across the Klang Valley. I usually patronise their outlet in Kepong and as I happened to be here in Kota Damansara this afternoon, I decided to give this stall a try. I have tried their Popiah here but that was sometime in the year 2014. When I tried them the last time, I was very impressed with the preparation. With that old confidence in mind, I placed my orders without any hesitation. 

The Stall

Located Inside This Restaurant

This outlet is located in Restoran Big Family which is in Taman Industri Sungai Buloh. A place that is very close to the old Sungai Buloh Road which is also known as Selangor Green Lane. Parking is a huge problem here. So if you're here for lunch, do be prepared to walk quite a distance.

Seaweed Popiah

Crispy Popiah

Previously, they were only selling the Crispy Popiah and now, it seems that they have improvised and added more varieties as well. I am not a fan of Seaweed or Wasabi, so I decided to give those a miss and stick with the basic Popiah as it is. Prices have definitely gone up and I am hoping that the quality has not dropped, especially with all those cost cutting exercises. Even their staffs used to be local Chinese but now, they have employed foreign staffs to run the stall. 

Crispy Popiah @ RM 2.40 per Roll

It wasn't too long for the Popiah to arrive. I ordered two rolls and that was priced at RM 4.80 . One look at the Popiah and I knew that it was a disaster. The art of making Popiah isn't only with the ingredients but also the way it is wrapped. This was so flimsy and untidy looking. In fact, it wasn't appetising at all. I was definitely thinking of calling the girl and telling her to compare this with the photograph that they have displayed at their stall and if this looked anywhere close to that. 

Tasted Very Bad Too

Not only did it look horrible, it tasted really bad too. There wasn't any chili sauce in the Popiah. It was plain dry and the ingredients were coarse and bland. In fact, even the crunchiness that I was expecting wasn't there. An absolute waste of money. I would strongly recommend the management to retrain these staffs manning this stall or else, they would most likely run out of business soon. The last time I tried the Popiah here, it was amazing and this was not even 50% there. As for now, I am definitely not coming back anytime soon. 

Address: 65, Lorong TSB 10A, Taman Industri Sungai Buloh, 47000 Sungai Buloh, Selangor.

Opening Hours: 0900 - 1500 Daily

Star Briani Bistro (2nd Branch) @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Late last year, I had blogged about this place when they first started up in town and business has been very good for them to the extend that they have started the second outlet and this one is located in Taman Malim Indah, Tanjung Malim. For those who are not familiar with this residential area, this is located along Jalan Ketoyong, right opposite the Old Folks Home. 

Outdoor Seating

Indoor Seating

Previously, the late Mr. Hari used to run this place where the second outlet has been started. When he had passed on, these guys took over the business. Practically, everything that you see here is handed over from the previous owners. In a way, I guess that is quite convenient as they could straight away get on with business. This restaurant is open daily from 7.00 am till midnight. Occasionally, they would close on Saturdays. 

Vegetarian Lunch @ RM 3.50

As mentioned previously in another blog entry on their other restaurant, I would recommend skipping their non vegetarian dishes as it wasn't that good. Since all cooking is done centrally, I wouldn't expect a change in taste at this outlet.  However, I simply love their vegetarian dishes and that is the reason I have decided to go on a vegetarian feast this afternoon. As you can see from the above photograph, they do have a good variety to choose from and their vegetarian offering is not limited to the above. My choice of dishes for this afternoon were Pulichakeerai Curry, Thanichaar, Spicy Tofu Sambal, Radish, Snake Gourd Perattal, Bitter Gourd Perattal and Rasam. All this for just RM 3.50 and that's a steal!

Thannichaar

Thannichaar is one of my favourite curries and these guy's just nailed it. It was thick and not the watery version that we occasionally get at some restaurants and came with lots greens and dhall. Perfect taste wise too and I would definitely give this a 9/10. 

Pulichakeerai

Pulichakeerai was another excellent preparation. Typically a sour gravy with a hint of spiciness. I absolutely enjoyed it and would give this a 9/10 as well. 

Radish Perattal

Snake Gourd Perattal

Bitter Gourd Perattal

All three vegetables that I had tried were superb and there was nothing that I could find fault with any one of them. Each and every item was excellent and I can't see either one scoring lower than the other. For me, I would give them all a 9/10 as well. 

Tofu Sambal

If you're one who can't handle spicy food, then this is not for you. The Tofu was cut to small square cubes and served in a thick spicy gravy. Some restaurants make this sweet and spicy but these guys kept it solely spicy and it was good for a change. Yes, this too deserves a 9/10. 

Rasam

Their Rasam was the only one that was not up to the mark. It wasn't bad but it just was not as good as the rest. I feel that it lacked spices. Tasted okay but that satisfaction factor wasn't there. This I would give a 6/10.

Overall, the meal was excellent. If you're in for a vegetarian feast, do give these guy's a try and satisfaction is guaranteed. For the kind of meal that I had this afternoon, if only I had the same in Kuala Lumpur, it would have cost me much more than this. Yes, I am definitely coming back for more soon!

Address: Taman Malim Indah, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 0000 Daily

Curry Mee Stall in Restoran Kar Kui @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

If you are looking for a good bowl of Curry Mee and Soup Noodles in Tanjung Malim, Restoran Kar Kui is the place. A very old restaurant that has been around since the late 1950's. There was so much of hype that this row of wooden shops would be demolished in 2017 as the town council was planning on building a mall and that would have been a shame if it had happened since these old structures are the landmarks that bear the history of this town. Thankfully, that piece of land failed the soil test and was deemed not suitable for a multi storey building. If you're wondering where this shop is, it is along Jalan Chong Ah Peng, right beside the dilapidated Shaw Brothers (Rex) Cinema. 

The Uncle Preparing The Noodles

A Simple Wooden Structure

Breezy As It's Open On Two Sides

It is just a simple shack like wooden structure but there's so much history to this place. Over the years, the operators have changed, the owners have changed and so have the vendors and this building speaks volumes of it's antiquity. Even I have a lot of childhood memories attached to this place. This stall is right at the entrance and they are open daily from 2.30 pm till 8.30 pm. In fact at that hour, only this stall is open whereas the rest, solely do breakfast business. As a matter of fact, this very stall is occupied by another vendor who does the very same dishes but he too solely caters for breakfast. Despite being the only stall that is open from noon till late evening, business is good and usually by around 7.30 pm, many of his dishes are sold out. I would advise to come for an early dinner around 6.30 pm or a late lunch. That would be the best time as you would have all four dishes available. Please do note that they are closed two days in a row, once a fortnight and the days are not fixed. 

Wantan Mee with Assorted Fish Balls @ RM 4.00

Assorted Fish Balls and Fish Cake

His Wantan Mee is very good. Though he does not use the egg noodles like the original Kon Loh Mee, this has a very unique taste of it's own. There are two versions to this. One is the one that you can see above and that is the plain Soy Sauce Noodles and comes with a bowl filled with assorted Fish Balls and Fish Cake. The other one is the same Soy Sauce Noodles but it is topped with Chicken Curry. That is the other variety. Both are excellent in their own way and both are priced at RM 4.00 . As for this dish, I would give it a 9/10. Surely a good one to try here. 

Mee Hoon Soup @ RM 4.00

His Mee Hoon Soup is excellent and one of the best ones that I have come across. Besides the noodles, it also comes with some Fish Balls, Fish Cake, Pork Balls and Char Siew. And the soup, that is just so good. That is the main thing that makes this taste so good. If you're a fan of Soup Noodles, you have to give this place a try. For RM 4.00 , it's an excellent dish and I would give this a 10/10. 

Har Mee (Prawn Mee) @ RM 4.00

His Har Mee or Prawn Noodles comes with shrimps, dried shrimps, Char Siew, Fish Cake, some kale and a boiled egg. He is quite generous with the ingredients and the variety of things that he adds to this bowl of noodles makes it taste pretty good. Not a very great Prawn Mee broth wise, but it does still taste good. I would give this a 7/10. If you would like to have Prawn Mee in Tanjung Malim, then this is the place as you can't get it elsewhere in town. But if you're coming here solely for the Prawn Mee, that I would not recommend. I would rather advise to stick to his Wantan Mee, Soup Noodles or his Curry Mee which are the winners here. 

Curry Mee @ RM 4.00

This bowl of Curry Mee is just awesome. For RM 4.00 , you get a bowl of noodles plus Char Siew, Tofu, Fish Balls and egg. And his curry is heavenly! It has a beautiful taste that would linger in your mind for a long time and it's not oily. This is another one that I would highly recommend here and it deserves nothing less than a 10/10. 

In summary, as I mentioned earlier, this place is excellent for his Curry Mee, Soup Noodles and Wantan Mee. His Har Mee is just above average. If you're looking for a good place to have these dishes in Tanjung Malim, this is it. And for those friends from Tanjung Malim, in case you have not tried this place, please do and I am sure that you'd enjoy it as much as I did. 

Address: Along Jalan Chong Ah Peng, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1430 - 2030 

Chicken Rice Stall in Restoran Uli @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Firstly, let me take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! As my first blog post for this year, let me introduce you a new food stall from my hometown Tanjung Malim, Perak.  

The Very First Stall Near The Entrance

I have done several blog posts in the past on Restoran Uli and those were mainly concentrating on the main kitchen and an Indian food stall, both of which operate solely in the evenings. Now, we have a new stall that sells Chicken Rice in the afternoons. This guy originally used to operate from Restoran 123 that is located in Taman Angerik Desa, the one right opposite the Hindu Temple near the traffic lights. As his business had picked up there, he has now given that stall to his wife to run and set up another stall at this restaurant. Despite being in a remote location and way out of town, there are lots of customers that come here solely for his Chicken Rice. This guy operates daily from 11 am till 3 pm. From my observation this afternoon, it is best to come before 2 pm as his preparation sells out very quickly. 

Rice with Roasted Chicken

As far as his offerings are concerned, he solely does Roasted Chicken, Roasted Duck and Char Siew. Siew Yuk and Steamed Chicken are not available. This afternoon, I wanted to try his Roasted Duck but sadly they were sold out. I was advised to come before 1 pm if I wanted to try that. I guess it must be really good for it to sell out so fast. Having had no other choice, I settled for his Roasted Chicken and Char Siew. 

Yellow Rice

Before discussing about the meats, I would like to say a few words about his rice. This rice was really good. It had that buttery taste and an overall creamy texture to it. He also adds some sauce to the rice that definitely boosts the taste. Truly one of the good ones that I have tasted and I don't mind having just the rice without the meats. That good it was and I shall give this a 9/10. 

Roasted Chicken

The Roasted Chicken was marvelous. Just look at it. So perfect! The skin had a beautiful golden brown colour and it was crispy and juicy on the inside., The meat itself was so tender and his marination had seeped in right to the bones so much so it was such a joy just to munch the bones. Amazing it was and I would give this a 10/10. Highly recommended!

Char Siew

His Char Siew was nothing much to shout about. It was neither bad nor great. For me, this seemed like just another Char Siew. It did not have the mind blowing factor like the rice or the Roasted Chicken. Still a decent one to have. There was an equal balance of lean meat and fat to it and mostly, the taste came from the sauces, not the meat itself. I would give this a 7/10. 

Clear Soup with Radish

His Clear Soup was good and the fact that he had added radish in it gave it an extra flavour. Mildly bitter, mildly on the salty side but it was good. This I would say deserves a rating of 7/10. 

Chili Paste

The Chili Paste was good though I would have expected more spiciness in it. This had a little too much vinegar in it. Nevertheless, I would give this a 6/10. 

Overall, it was a good meal. The highlights were the Roasted Chicken and Rice and I find the price to be very reasonable too. My meal today cost me a mere RM 7.50 which is a pretty good deal bearing in mind the volume of Char Siew that was served. I would strongly recommend this stall for their roasted meats and seeing how good his Roasted Chicken was, I am now yearning to try his Roasted Duck. Hopefully, I would be able to do it soon. 

Address: No. 87, Jalan Intan Setia 1, Taman Intan Setia, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Opening Hours: 1100 - 1500 Daily