Beef Bones Soup

Ingredients
1kg beef bones, wash out the grit and drain
200g beef muscle, cut into 1/2cm slices
200g shallots, peeled
8 cloves garlic, peeled
5cm old ginger, skinned and sliced
3 packets sup bunjut
1 tsp white peppercorns
Salt to taste
1 tsp cooking oil
Water to cover meat

Garnishing
Fried shallots
Chopped Chinese celery and spring onions
Slices of lime

Method
In a pot, heat up the cooking oil and saute the peeled shallots, garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add the sup bunjut and white peppercorns, then the meat and bones. Stir and cook until the meat is browned, then add salt and enough water to cover the meat. Let the water come to a boil for about five minutes before reducing the flame to allow the soup to come to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for three to four hours, stirring occasionally. The soup is done when the meat is fork tender. Serve with the garnishing and hot steamed rice.

Jia Bin Cafe @ Sibu, Sarawak

Jia Bin Cafe
11 Central Road,
Sibu, Sarawak.
Open on Tuesdays to Sundays, 7am to 11pm; and Mondays, 7am to 5pm.

The monkey-like antics of Ho Chung Khing earned this stall the name Ang Kau Kampua. His son, Ho Kai Hieng, now runs the thriving 45-year-old family business, considered the best kampua mee stall in town.

Kampua mee is a simple Foochow dish of noodles tossed in lard and shallot oil. The plain version comes with a few slices of barbecued pork, with the option to add fish balls, pork liver and/or meat balls. The noodles are slightly springy, very aromatic and flavourful, thanks to the lard and shallot oil. According to Kai Hieng, the secret to a good plate of kampua lies in the water used to blanch the noodles – it must be changed often to get rid of the starch leaching from the noodles. The tossing of the noodles is also important, as they must be well-coated with lard and oil.
There is also a beef noodle (mee sapi) stall here. The noodles come with a mixture of meat, beef stomach and tendons. The beef soup is robust and flavourful, with strong hints of star anise and cinnamon.

Thanks to Star Metro

Gerai Maidin @ Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur

Gerai Maidin (In front of Dhoby Wallah)
30, Persiaran Ara Kiri,
Lucky Garden, Bangsar,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012-6551 506
Open 4pm to 10pm.

Days off not fixed.

THIS roadside stall has been at this very same spot for 30 years and is now run by Sheik Maidin, who inherited his father’s stall and clientele. He says the spicy chicken and mutton soups are boiled for over five hours. A bowl of soup comes with a generous serving of meat and French loaf slices. Of the two, the mutton soup is spicier and has more zing. This soup usually finishes by 7pm, so call ahead to find out if it’s available. Also available are soups made from deer tongue or venison.

Thanks to Star Metro

Restaurant Lou Wong Tauge Ayam Kuetiau @ Ipoh, Perak

Restaurant Lou Wong Tauge Ayam Kuetiau
49, Jalan Yau Tet Shin,
Ipoh, Perak.
Open 5pm to 2am (until 3am on Saturdays and public holidays)

Days off not fixed.

Lou Wong is known for its chicken rice and hor fun with blanched bean sprouts (some locals, however, dismiss it as an attraction for “tourists”.) There are two other competitors on this street, no doubt getting a lot of the spillover business when customers cannot get a table at this hugely popular joint. Business is bustling every night but service is fast and diners don’t linger.
The chicken rice is very good – flavourful and fluffy, with well-greased grains. They only use tender meat of the free-range woo soh kai (a kind of chicken), and this is flavoured with soy sauce and garlic oil. The taugeh (bean sprouts) are fat and juicy, and side orders include fish balls and meat balls in soup.

The slightly oily hor fun is slippery smooth, a quality much appreciated by the Cantonese diners. Overall, the food here is very tasty – but the MSG and the greasiness can get to you after a while. Lou Wong has recently opened an outlet in Sunway Mas, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Thanks to Star Metro

Ah Khai Famous Char Siew Chicken Rice @ Taman Paramount, PJ

Ah Khai Famous Char Siew Chicken Rice
Restoran Simon Delight
No. 63, Jalan 20/7
Paramount Garden,
Petaling Jaya,
Selangor
Open 11am to 1pm. Closed every second Tuesday of the month.

Prior to opening his stall, Ah Khai used to work in Hong Kong. His char siew is unique - fork-tender with crispy burnt bits, a texture achieved by slow roasting for six hours. Even the char siew is cut differently - large chunky pieces with extra bite. Crispy siew yoke and roast chicken are also available.

Thanks to Star Metro

Tai Bak @ Jalan Tengkera, Malacca

Tai Bak

Stall next to Wesley Church

Jalan Tengkera.

Open 10am to 6pm daily.

Tai Bak, a Nyonya dessert consisting of sweet noodles in a light syrup, is in danger of extinction. This may well be the only stall selling it in Malacca.Made from three types of flour - rice, tapioca and wheat - tai bak looks like elongated pink and white cendol. It is served with shaved ice and syrup, but black jelly (cincau), red beans and palm sugar syrup can also be added.The owner, Ng Soon Woo, is a friendly and cheerful person who took over the 51-year-old family business from his father-in-law 16 years ago. The ice balls here are also good.

Thanks to Star Metro

Kedai Kopi Bee San @ Jalan Air Itam, Penang

Kedai Kopi Bee San
584, Jalan Air Hitam
(Corner of Jalan Padang Tembak & Jalan Air Hitam)
Penang
Tel: 016-4555 128.
Business hour: 6pm to 8pm.
Closed on Wednesdays.

Low Wing Fook (or Chu Yoke Weng, as he is more commonly known) only mans his stall for two hours on most days - that’s how long it takes for his pei pa ducks to sell out. The grilled duck is fried in hot oil just before it is served, so that the skin is crispy. The meaty duck is flavourful on its own, but the accompanying sweet-savoury sauce, made from tau cheong, garlic, peanuts, shallots and plum sauce, is out of this world.

Thanks to Star Metro

Yummy Duck @ Kuchai Lama, KL

Yummy Duck

9, Dinasti Sentral,

Jalan Kuchai Maju 18,

Off Jalan Kuchai Lama,

Kuala Lumpur

Business hour: 11am to 10.30pm

Tel: 03-7981 6299

Yummy Duck, which was opened about three months ago, is a testament to the culinary skills of its director William Low

Noodles with a combination of siew yuk, char siew and roasted duck.

Price is pretty fair as siew yuk is RM18.00 per portion & roasted goose costs RM150.00 (whole bird) & RM80.00 (half bird). Yummy Duck also offers side dishes like deep fried silver fish (RM8.00) and soft shell crabs (RM12.00), and chicken wings stuffed with glutinous rice, char siew, sliced Chinese sausage and dried shrimp (RM12.00). They have tong yuen (glutinous rice balls) in either soya milk (RM5.00) or ginger syrup (RM3.80).

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Thanks to Grace Chen

Haven @ Hulu Langat, Selangor

Haven
Lot 1A & 1B, (Look Out Point),
Pusat Pelancongan Menara Tinjau,
Jalan Ampang-Hulu Langat,
Bukit Langat, Hulu Langat,
Selangor.
Tel: 019-773 8965 - Thelis
Business hours: 11am to 2am daily.

Spicy ChickenMamak Mee SpecialShrimp Alfredo Spaghetti Tom Yam Gung

Thanks to Esther Chandran

Traders' Food Shop @ Avillion Admiral Cove, Port Dickson

Traders' Food Shop
Avillion Admiral Cove
Batu 5 1/2, Jalan Pantai,
71050 Si Rusa, Port Dickson.
Tel: 06-647 0888
Business hours: Breakfast (7am-10.30am), lunch (noon-2.30pm), dinner (6.30pm-9.30pm).

Nyonya chicken curry

Baked red snapper, marinated and cooked with ground spices and fresh herbs Portuguese style

Pasta olio with beef roulade

Rating: 7 /10

Thanks to Chitra S Nathan

Sago Pudding

Ingredients

300g sago, soaked overnight
200g gula melaka or palm sugar
200ml coconut cream/ freshly-squeezed coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt

Method
Boil a huge pot of water. When the water is at rolling point, quickly add the sago and stir briskly. Stir continuously or else you might find the sago clumping together. When the sago pearls are translucent, pour the mixture into a huge sieve and wash under cold running water to remove the starch. Pour the drained pearls into a bowl or into individual containers and chill. In a small saucepan, add about 1/3 cup of water to the palm sugar and cook over a small flame until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking for another five minutes to thicken the sugar syrup a little. Strain to remove impurities and chill. Just before serving, if using coconut cream, add about half cup of water to the cream and microwave for about 30 seconds. To serve, pour the palm sugar and coconut milk over a portion of sago pearls and enjoy.

Thanks to Faridah Begum

Nasi Goreng Budu (Fried Rice with Anchovy Essence)

Ingredients
3 cups rice ( preferably overnight rice)
Leftover chicken, shredded
50g garden peas
6 shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon chilli sauce
2 tablespoons budu
3 eggs, make into omelettes and slice thinly
2 stalks spring onions
1 stalk coriander leaves
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Pepper for seasoning.

Method

Mix the tomato ketchup, chilli sauce and budu in a bowl. Heat the oil in a wok and saute the shallots and garlic. When fragrant, add the shredded chicken and fry until the oil surfaces again. Add the mixed sauces and let it simmer until the oil rises to the surface. Add the rice and peas and fry until all the ingredients are well-mixed. Maintain a moderate flame and keep frying the rice until it is a little dry. Add the omelettes, spring onions and coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Serve with lots of greens such as four-angled beans, cucumber, thinly sliced long beans, basil leaves and other Malay herbs that are available. If the rice is not salty enough, then add a little budu. Serve a side dish of budu with thinly sliced shallots and birds-eye chillies with a dash of lime juice for added kick.

Thanks to Faridah Begum

Pumpkin in Light Coconut Cream

Ingredients
1 pumpkin, cut into 3cm squares
A handful of dried anchovies, washed and drained
6 shallots, sliced thinly
3cm ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised
Salt to taste
1 cup coconut cream
2 cups water

Method
Pound the ginger and garlic together until fine. In a pot, put the coconut cream, water, pounded ingredients, dried anchovies and shallots. Add salt to taste and let the mixture simmer until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and let it continue to simmer for another minute or two. Add the pumpkin, and stir carefully. Cook until the pumpkin is tender and serve.

Thanks to Faridah Begum

Kopi Oh! @ Petaling Jaya

Kopi Oh!
No. 20, Ground Floor,
Jalan Tengah, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7960 2292

There’s another kopitiam outlet in town, and it comes with the tagline ‘Kopitiam with a new kick’.

Chicken Slicer French ToastHainanese Chicken Chop

Rating: 6.8 /10

Pulau Tikus Market @ Pulau Tikus, Penang

Pulau Tikus Market
Jalan Pasar.
Open 5pm till late.
Traders’ days off vary.

The Pulau Tikus wet market is one of the best places to head to for dinner if you are clueless as to what to eat. There are some 20 stalls offering a plethora of goodies such as mamak mee goreng, char kway teow, asam laksa, duck kway teow soup and char kway kak (radish cake).

The lok-lok, or steamboat, is very popular. With over 30 types of skewered items such as cockles, quails’ eggs, prawns, squid, fish balls and meatballs, the stall attracts a huge crowd every night. Just dip your skewer into the pot of boiling water , then pour the sauces – chilli, sweet bean or peanut sauce – over the cooked items.

The chai kuih with a choice of yambean or Chinese chives as a filling is also popular. The steamed dumplings can also be lightly pan-fried. The char kway kak at Stall 17 (open from 7–11am) has a steady stream of loyal customers; its regular patrons include wives of ministers and other state officials. The crowd is at full strength around 8pm, which is when the market acquires a festive atmosphere.

Rating: 7 /10

Thanks to Food Street

Yong Teng Cafe @ Cameron Highlands

Yong Teng Cafe
Stall No 4 at the Majlis Daerah stalls (diagonally opposite Bank Pertanian Malaysia),
Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands,
Pahang.
Open 8am-5pm.

Head to this stall for a quick meal, which is one of the cheapest places in Tanah Rata for a simple, hearty fare. The place is run by Teng See Poh and his wife, Yong Oi Kim, who are both hearing-impaired. Communication with the friendly couple isn’t a problem, however, as diners are given a piece of paper to write their orders on. There is also a full-length menu with items listed in both Chinese and English, so just point to what you want.

The food is simple but well prepared, and the pancakes are particularly good. Fruit toppings such as banana or strawberry accompany the crepes, and for an additional 50 sen, you can have a scoop of ice-cream as well. The stall also serves nasi lemak, burgers, hot dogs, toast and half-boiled eggs.

Rating: 8 /10

Thanks to Food Street

May King Lam Mee @ Jalan Pudu, KL

May King Lam Mee
38, Jalan Yew,
Off Jalan Pudu,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-9222 3740.
Open 9.30am-5.30pm.
Closed on Mondays.

May King has been in business since 1969, and the signature dish here is lam mee. It is not the most common noodle dish around but owner Madam Chan has tweaked the recipe first taught to her by her mother-in-law – and turned it into a best-seller.

The full-bodied gravy sets the lam mee apart; bursting with flavours, the thick gravy coats every noodle strand. The roast pork bits that form a garnish give the dish a home-cooked feel.
The meatballs are also well known, thanks to the addition of cuttlefish bits in each ball.

Madam Chan’s attention to detail – and talent at balancing flavours – is evident in her delicious chicken soup kway teow. The soup is sweet, and the garnishing of shallot crisps and chives perk up the dish.

Rating: 8.5 /10

Thanks to Food Street

Raja Brooke Cafe @ Kuchai Entrepreneur Park

Raja Brooke Cafe

No 19, Jalan Kuchai Maju 8,

Kuchai Entrepreneur’s Park,

Off Jalan Kuchai Lama,

58200 Kuala Lumpur.

Business hour: 11 AM - 10 PM

What is famous in Sarawak also can be found here such as Kolo Mee, Sarawak Laksa, Tomato Mee, and many others more. However, the food compared to real Sarawak taste is so much different.

Kolo Mee

Rating: 5 /10

P.S.L. Goreng Pisang @ Taiping, Perak

P.S.L. Goreng Pisang is a well known goreng pisang since 10-20 years back. Their gorend pisang is really nice and sweet. The batter is not thick but crispy. Before they moved to this shop, they fried and sell their goreng pisang at the roadside behind a building. However, they still sell their goreng pisang at roadside as well at this shop.

P.S.L. Goreng Pisang front shop

Pisang, Cekodok, Ubi, Karipap

Popiah, Ubi, Keladi, Pisang

Owner frying popiah for us

Rating: 9 /10

Bitter Gourd and Prawn Curry

Ingredients
300g medium prawns
3 small-variety bitter gourd
¼ piece of turmeric leaf, shredded and knotted
250ml coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with 50ml water and squeezed for juice
1 red chilli, halved and seeded
1 green chilli, halved and seeded

Spices (A) – ground
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 stalk lemongrass
1 cm piece galangal

Spices (B)
1 tbsp chilli paste
2 tbsp fish curry powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 stalks curry leaves
3 cardamoms, split and use seeds only

Seasoning
Salt to taste

Method

Halve the bitter gourd lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into thick slices. Soak in salted water for 5 minutes and rinse. Heat ¼-½ cup oil and sauté ingredients (A) and (B) until fragrant. Add bitter gourd and turmeric leaf. Pour in coconut milk and tamarind juice. Add red and green chilli. Bring to a boil and cook until bitter gourd is soft. Add prawns and cook for 3-5 minutes. Adjust with salt to taste.

Teow Chew Meng Restaurant @ SS 2, Petaling Jaya

TEOW CHEW MENG RESTAURANT

No. 33 Jalan SS2/30

47300 Petaling Jaya.

Tel: 03-7877 9298

Business hours: 10am to 10pm daily

The Boiled Octopus, served with a homemade sauce mixed with fried garlic and roasted peanutsThree Taste Oyster (front) and Oyster MeeThe Mee Sua Tow is served in a thick broth similar to shark’s fin soup and is laden with seafood and topped with shark’s fin

Rating: 7.8 /10

Thanks to Tan Karr Wei

Ming Chai Seafood Centre @ Miri, Sarawak

Alison ask Mr Lee to bring us to Ming Chai Seafood Centre to have our dinner. As claimed, the seafood is great and delicious. It did not disappoint us on the food. It is so tasty and we loved it. After a tired day of work, Mr Lee brought Siew Ling, Pei Xuen and me to this restaurant and he ordered the food. What I usually do is taking pictures of the food. At night, the place is crowded with patrons. They ordered lots of seafood and enjoyed with beer. Everyone really enjoyed their meal here so do I.

Variety of seafood which includes fish, clams, prawn, squid, mussle, crab, etc

Steam Lady Finger serve with homemade chilly

Pan-Fried Fish

Steamed Fish in Aluminium Foil

Deep Fried Chicken

Belacan Midin

Rating: 8.5 /10

Fu Bin Seafood Garden @ Central Park, Kuching

Fu Bin Seafood Garden
Pusat Komersial Keretapi,
G/F 1, Lot-2814-2815,
Jalan Tunku Admad Zaidi Adruce,
93450 Kuching,
Sarawak

I had lunch here with Siew Ling, Dahlia, Pei Xuen and Anissa. Their beancurd is great which is their specialties. We ordered Tomato Noodles in few choices of noodles. It is hard to get anywhere else.

Fried King Mee (RM4.00)

Crispy Tomato Mee Hun (RM4.50)

Crispy Tomato King Mee (RM4.50)

"Fu Bin" Beancurd (RM8.00)

Kedongdong Juice

Rating: 7 /10