Jenun Char Kuey Teow @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Yesterday, I saw a post of Facebook about this newly opened Char Kuey Teow Basah joint located along Jalan Ketoyong, Tanjung Malim and being a fan of that dish, I decided to check them out this evening. 

Jenun Char Kuey Teow Stall

Almost Towards Kampung Ketoyong

Right In Front Of SKTM

Drinks Stall On The Right

Burger Stall On The Far Left

Satay Too

Nasi Lemak Comes From This House

Glad that the Facebook post gave an accurate location information and I was able to find it easily. This outlet is located almost near Kampung Ketoyong, directly opposite Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Malim. Not difficult at all to find this place. The structure itself is very new and the owners have spent quite a bit on the set up as well as the furniture. The upkeep also seemed immaculate and clean. I think the owners are the people living in the house beside as this structure is built on their very own land, facing the road. Besides Char Kuey Teow, this very stall also sells Ais Batu Campur, Laksa, Keropok Lekor but I believe that this Char Kuey Teow Basah is their signature dish. For those who are not familiar, this is not to be confused with the Chinese style Char Kuey Teow. The Malay style is prepared very wet with eggs, clams and some prawns and it's a very soggy dish somewhat similar to the Cantonese style of preparation. Also available were a stall selling Burgers which turned out to be one who was my brother's ex classmate and he immediately recognised me. There's also a Satay stall but this guy takes a while to set up and is only ready for business from 7 pm onwards. For your information, this place operates from 6 pm till 2 am daily. The landlords also prepare freshly made Nasi Lemak and this comes prepared from the house. 

Teh O Ais @ RM 1.50

All the people here were very friendly and they greeted me with a smile when I arrived. I then placed my drinks order and this was served in a matter of minutes. Drinks are prepared by the stall that is located on the far right, and I believe that that stall belongs to the owners. One doesn't need to register orders individually at the relevant stalls as they all cooperate closely with one another. As for the drinks, it's surely decently priced and I would say that it was a fairly good preparation. I would rate this at 9/10 .

Char Kuey Teow Basah @ RM 4.00

Delicious!

Two Fairly Large Prawns

Bird Eye Chilies in Vinegar

They have Normal Char Kuey Teow which is the above as well as 'special' which comes with additional prawns. Being not a great fan of prawns myself, I decided to go for 'Biasa' and the Mak Cik got on with her cooking. Since I was early and one of the very first customers, I got my dish within 10 minutes and along with that, they served me a plastic jar with 'Jeruk' which are Pickled Bird Eye Chilies in Vinegar. The preparation was simply delicious and even this standard dish came with two relatively large prawns. For the price, I would say that it was a very satisfying dish. Served in a deliciously thick broth, it came with loads of eggs, clams and the portion of Kuey Teow was good too. I have tried four places in town that are quite famous for this dish and till date, this was the best preparation. Please do add the pickled chilies into the dish and that would simply boost the taste and tease your taste buds. The only remaining one that I have not tried would be Bro CKT at Lampu Neon Cafe which would definitely be my very next destination. As for the rating, I would definitely not hesitate to rate this at 9.5/10 . Let me repeat that for the Malay Style Char Kuey Teow Basah, this is the best that I have tried in town!

Hot Nasi Lemak @ RM 1.00

Yummy!

Delicious Sambal

Rice Was Tasty Too

Having seen the hot Nasi Lemak being delivered from the house, I was tempted to try this too and I picked up a packet. It was priced at RM 1.00 per pack and the contents were super hot. The presentation may seem mediocre but trust me, the aroma was simply seductive. This came with a good portion of coconut milk rice, half a boiled egg, two slices of cucumber and some sweet and spicy Anchovies Sambal. Two things are key to the success of any Nasi Lemak. The taste of the rice and the other would be the sambal and both were amazing here. Absolutely loved it! Truly one of the best preparations in town. The rice was so creamy and tasty and the Sambal, gosh that was another treat. Together, they were just splendid. I would rate this Nasi Lemak at 9/10 . Definitely a recommended one!.

Overall, I am extremely delighted with this place. I am returning again to try their Satay and Burger. Would recommend this place to friends anytime without worry of being disappointed. I would wish them all the best and keep up the great work guys!

Address: Along Jalan Ketoyong (Opposite SKTM), 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1800 - 0200 Daily

Kim Kee Bak Kut Teh @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

A few day's back, I visited Restaurant Chun Mei Bak Kut Teh which I have blogged about here. That for me is the best Bak Kut Teh place in Tanjung Malim that serves excellent old school Bak Kut Teh. However, not all would prefer the dark broth and for them, this place would be a better option. Kim Kee Bak Kut Teh is located right beside the entrance to Kampung Berop in Tanjung Malim. Both restaurants have been around for more than 30 years now, perhaps almost 40 years. 

Just A Simple Set Up

It's Actually An Extension To Their Home

Cooking Is Done On The Far Left

Their Home

Unlike Chun Mei, this place does not have a dedicated parking space and hence, customers would have to park by the side of the road. This leaves limited space for customers to park. The majority of customers here would be lorry drivers. The reason for this is simply because this place provides free bathroom and toilet facilities for these drivers. So many of them would drop by, have their bath, freshen up and once done, have their dinner. This is advantageous to them as there are not many places like this that still exist. Food isn't as cheap as the other location but it is still acceptable. Prices would vary from 30 cents up to RM 1 per item. As far as the locals are concerned, some are loyal to this place and some prefer Chun Mei. After all, it is about taste buds right.

Red Chilies, Bird Eye Chilies and Diced Garlic

Just like the other place, ordering is quite simple. I would always head to the counter to check what's available for the day. Once I have seen the items, I would then order what I would like to have. Similarly, the same was done for today. I ordered some meat cuts along with some fat and two Lor Tan's. The Tofu didn't look too good and so I skipped that. The Garlic and Chili provided too were not fresh. Also, they only provided light Soy Sauce and the Sweet Soy Sauce was not provided. Lime too was not available. Service was quite average as they have no additional help here. It was very much the husband and wife who were running the show. Well, for the kind of crowd they usually have, this duo is more than enough. Does not make any economical sense for them to hire additional help.

My Dinner For The Day

It took them approximately 15 minutes to prepare my dishes and send over to my table. I shall comment on each one of these items below.

White Rice @ RM 1.00 per bowl

Unlike Chun Mei, White Rice is a chargeable item here. There, the first bowl would be provided with the Bak Kut Teh set but here, they charge for this individually. The big bowl like the above is priced at RM 1.00 and a small bowl is priced at RM 0.70 . Both places only serve plain White Rice and you do not get those Onion Rice or Oil & Shallot Rice in either places. Since the broth is a medium bodied one, this plain White Rice compliments it well. If it had been those light ones like those that we commonly get in Kuala Lumpur, then it would have been a major letdown. 

Bak Kut Teh @ RM 8.00

Mix Of Fat & Meat.... As I Requested

I asked for a mix of lean meat and some fat and that is exactly what I got. If you prefer those big bones, they do have those too. But please do note that claypot style is not available here. The meat is well cooked in a medium bodied tea and it does taste good (though the darker one is my personal preference). Taste wise it was nice and I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Eggs @ RM 0.80 each

At Chun Mei, they serve these eggs in the Bak Kut Tea broth itself but here, this is served in light Soy Sauce. Taste wise, it is nice too. I wonder why the eggs have an odd shape today. Nevertheless, they were tasty. I would rate these at 8.5/10 .

Plain Tea

Medium Bodied Tea

As you can see, it is almost clear and the base of the spoon is clearly visible. If you do check my blogs on Chun Mei just a few days back, I have taken a similar photograph and in that, you would not be able to see through. As I said, for those who prefer a slightly lighter broth, this would be the place to head to. They are not stingy with the tea and you can always ask for more and they would happily top it up for you. For me, this would fetch a rating of 8/10 .  Just for your information, a big bowl of Tofu is priced at RM 2.50 and a small bowl of Tofu is priced at RM 1.50 . They only use Tofu Pok here.

For those who are bored with the common preparation found in Kuala Lumpur, this is definitely a good alternative. I do remember many of my Singaporean friends always asking me where to get the Bak Kut Teh that comes in the dark/medium broth and this is one of such places. Tanjung Malim is also located not very far from Kuala Lumpur and today with the North South Highway, it is just a 40 minutes drive. 

Address: Kampung Berop, Jalan Slim Baru, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak.

Opening Hours: 1700 - 2330 Daily

Restoran T.K Muhammed @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran T.K Muhammed is located in Taman Wangsa Setia, Tanjung Malim which was where the old Billion Supermarket was located. With the closure of Billion Supermarket, the parking problem that was prevalent in the area had been resolved and the place is now a convenient location to run food business as customers have the ease of parking. I believe that this may be a branch of a restaurant in Kalumpang as there is a restaurant in Kalumpang that goes by the very same name. Nevertheless, this is not a verified fact, just a hunch. Coming back to today, having tried almost all the restaurants in town, I was thinking hard where to go to and this restaurant came to my mind. I have tried their Mee Goreng in the past but never their rice and curries. Being in the mood for some Indian food, I decided to pay them a visit.

The Restaurant In Taman Wangsa Setia

Teh O Ice @ RM 1.30

It was just a simple restaurant and as expected, parking was easy and I got a bay right at the entrance. Set up was nothing much, in fact nowhere near the larger Indian Muslim restaurants in town. Good that they have kept their costs low and this can be reflected back on the prices of food and drinks. There were quite a number of customers when I arrived. Though we have some large Indian Muslim restaurants, these people seem to have their own loyal following too and many of them were seen having rice and curries. That's a good sign that the food here must be good if not decent. The staffs were very efficient and never stopped following me till he got the orders. I ordered the above Teh O Ice and this was priced at RM 1.30 per glass. Good and cheap and the going rate for this is RM 1.50 elsewhere. As you can see, it was quite a well fixed drink and I would rate this at 8/10 . Having gotten my drink, I walked over to their curries station to see what was left at this hour of the day.

My Dinner @ RM 6.00

My Dinner @ RM 6.00

Being already late, there wasn't much around but it was sufficiently good for me. I then had some Rice, Fish Gravy, Bean Sprouts Perattal, Egg Sambal and Mutton Perattal and this was priced at RM 6.00 . Reasonable I feel!

Fish Kulambu (Gravy)

Their Fish Kulambu was quite average tasting. Not a good one as expected from an Indian Muslim restaurant as they generally make good Fish Kulambu. It was decently thick, yes, but the spices were just not sufficient. As for me, I would rate this at 5/10 . Just passable actually.

Bean Sprouts

Their Bean Sprouts Perattal were better than the Fish Gravy but once again wasn't anything great. Just above average stuff and it seemed a little overcooked to me too.  I would rate this at 5.5/10 .

Egg Sambal

Their Egg Sambal was tasty, in fact quite tasty. The best that I have tried so far in this restaurant. Spicy and delicious! Lucky that I choose this instead of another vegetable. Very happy with the taste and I would rate this at 8.5/10 .

Mutton Perattal

This Mutton and Bone Marrow Perattal was heavenly! Seriously, the best Mutton that I have tried in an Indian Muslim restaurant in Tanjung Malim. And it was even better than the majority of Indian restaurants that I have tried in Kuala Lumpur too. The gravy was thick and spicy and the meat cuts were so juicy and good. Amazing.... simply amazing! A must try dish here. I would rate this at 9.8/10 .

Overall, the prices here were very reasonable. Their service was good too. To summarise the dishes that I tried this evening, their Fish Gravy was off, Taugeh was so so, Egg Sambal was good and their Mutton Perattal was excellent! I am definitely returning for their Mutton and Egg Sambal! Loved them. The rest of the dishes, try at your own risk. 

Address: No. 40, Jalan Setia Utama, Taman Wangsa Setia, 

                35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0730 - 2100 Daily

D' Luscious Arabic Sandwich Fusion @ KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur

Here I am again at Kuala Lumpur Sentral and unlike my visit late last week, this time I had all the time in the world to have a slow, non rushed meal. Having not exhausted all the new outlets in the food court, I decided to head there again and try out another place. 

The Food Court Located On The Ground Floor

Quite A Number Of Eateries Here

Trying Out This Arabic Place For A Change

Other Available Dishes

Aha Sawarama!

And my chosen place of meal today was a new Arabian place that sold fusion meals. This outlet is located not too far from the entrance and is located on your left as you walk in. Just a simple set up selling a number of dishes including Sawarama. It's been a long time since I had my Arabic fix and gosh, I miss my days in UAE where I used to feast on these. 

Burgers

Chicken Wraps

Beef Sandwiches

Vegetarian Dishes

Set Meals

They had a good variety of Burgers, Chicken Wraps, Beef Sandwiches and even vegetarian items. Impressed to see that the serve the latter as well. But it was strange that they did not have any Mutton on the menu as Mutton is their staple food. Perhaps, the menu has been localised to suit our taste buds. Prices were very reasonable as well. Having had my glut mode turned on, I ordered one Chicken Burger and one Chicken Wrap. It's all self service here and I had to wait for them to prepare the dishes. After all, burger's are simple to make and it took me less than a ten minute wait. With that, I headed off to one of the tables to indulge.

Chicken Kebab @ RM 9.90

Sides

Chicken, Tomatoes, Salad & Onions

Quite A Huge Meal

For the price, I had expected them to just serve a small piece but these were quite huge and came with a decent amount of sides. I wonder why they call them Kebab here. The meat is Kebab but once it goes into a wrap like this, it is called Sawarama. Anyway, the preparation was slightly different. They had Chicken Kebab slices, onions, tomatoes and cabbage but the key ingredient of pickled gherkins were not added. The Kebab itself was quite dry and lacked flavours. The bread too was very dry and that turned the entire dish to be quite unpleasant. It hurt while chewing and all that I got was some bland taste. I really needed the Chili Sauce to go with this. I wonder how an Arab is making such bad Sawarama. Even those Arabic places in Cyberjaya serve anytime better Sawarama's than this. Edible but not one that's exciting or tasty. I would rate this at 4/10 .

Laziz Burger @ RM 9.90

Similar Sides

Anytime Juicier Meat Cuts With Cheese

Yummy

Same Chicken Kebab Cuts

The next one that I tried was this Laziz Burger. This again was prepared using the same Chicken Kebab but fortunately it came with a twist. The burger bread was horribly dry and I ended up discarding it later part of my meal when I just could not tolerate the dryness. The meat however was good. This time, they had added more sauces and some cheese into it and that gave it a different dimension altogether. Hated the bread but absolutely loved the meat/sauce/cheese mixture. As a complete package, I would rate this at 4/10 but the meat factor alone, I would rate this at 6.5/10. 

In short, didn't enjoy the meal. The Kebab itself was not quite up to the mark. A road side stall in UAE / Kuwait / Saudi Arabia would taste anytime better than this. Well, even those in Cyberjaya are world's apart. Perhaps.... if I have not been exposed to real Arabic food in the native country, I may have liked this. Just an afterthought. 

Address: My Foodloft, KL Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 0700 - 2300 Daily