Ah Roy Thai Cuisine @ Taman Segar

The Dynasty of Roy

  Night has arrived and it brought with it hunger to the poor souls. It was time. Dinner time. The bells of the door rang and triggered the predator instincts within the workers. They know, they always know. Instantly you are seated and the menus are dropped by the table, a peek at the menu and you'd feel astonished at the variety of dishes presented before you. The pressure is mounting as you want to try each and every one of them but your wallet along with your bowel rebel your almighty rule. Your friend who is a regular takes the lead for the team and orders. A sigh of relief from all of us as we completed one of the hardest task of eating out. The place felt alive as each table were enjoying themselves and having their own conversations, the decorations that tried to embody a Thai restaurant by placing wooden child size figurines by the doors watch over you with their squinted eyes. None of that matters, our palates will decide.

The Challenger

The gladiator stood out the gate and the crowd roared with excitement. Pandan Leaf Chicken is chicken seasoned and wrapped tightly in pandan leaves then left to steam for a period of time. The pandan leaf turned crispy and break off easily from the chicken. The fragrant aroma emerged from chicken and you could almost taste the dish from its smell. Sweet but savory and gives a very pleasant aftertaste that doesn't need water to wash down. The chicken cooked till tender but just enough moisture in it and with the thai cilli there's a sting to it. The defeated opponent at the mercy of the gladiator and the emperor with his fist clutched outwards gave the thumbs up as the crowd agreed, the opponent accepts his fate and soon his world became dark swiftly.

The Legion

The soldiers marched beside their Centurion as the drums of war sounded. The men stood in formation as the enemy draw closer. Stir Fried Kang Kong with Sambal Belacan is of course kang kong stir fried in sambal belacan (shrimp paste). Kang Kong when stir fried becomes crispy with every bite and together with the shrimp paste and sambal, it turns into this spicy, sweet and crunchy vegetable. You would think no one can screw up such a simple dish but it happens a lot, this one is done perfectly as the spicy sambal and salty shrimp paste don't overpower the other aspects of the dish. Instead it keeps the dish together as a unit. Fear slowly arose within the ranks and some were hesitant and shaken but the Optio chosen by the centurion to lead from the rear rallied the men to fight alongside their Centurion. Under the guidance of the Optio and Centurion they prevailed and a decisive victory was achieved.

The City

Green Curry Chicken is the Luigi to its Mario counterpart red curry in terms of taste, ingredients and colour. Green curry paste uses green chilies instead of red and the usage of herbs is crucial in it. The mild spicy taste of the curry helps tone down the other piquant dishes like how drinking milk helps with spicy food. The scent of the fragrant herbs infused within it and the light taste it has doesn't bog down your appetite. With only the use of herbs and spices this dish incorporated a variety of taste: bitter, savory and mild spiciness. The green curry if it was a city would be a megalopolis on its own, where culture, arts and philosophy flourished. All of its citizens giving a bit of themselves to the growth of the city.

The Hard Hitter

Steam Fish in Lime Juice is as the name says. You could taste the freshness of the fish and the fishy taste that is present in most steam fish dishes is absent. The lime juice counters the fishy taste just like how ginger does. The meat of the fish is cooked perfectly and not undercooked. One word to describe it, tangy. To tone down the acidity you can mix it with the rice or with the other dishes, example the green curry. To describe the fish in another way. The fighter enters the ring as he face the world champion, ring goes the bell and it begins. The world champion throws punches so fast and powerful the fighter even with arms held to his face couldn't block it. One two punches and the fighter goes down on the floor like a dead fly. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

Overall Ah Roy lives up to its thai cuisine and its dishes hits the perfect balance between the four main tastes. It is not a surprise that this shop has stood for a long time and no worthy opponent has ever shook it of its feet. Price is decent and reasonable for a family.

Makan Meter
Steam Fish in Lime Juice: 7/10
Green Curry Chicken: 7/10
Kang Kong Stir Fried in Sambal belacan: 9/10
Pandan Leaf Chicken: A must order dish 10/10

Ah Roy Thai Cuisine

48, Jalan Manis 1,

Taman Segar, 56100 Kuala Lumpur,

Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Restoran Hiong Pan @ Jalan Pandan Indah 1/23e

The Man Behind the Scenes

  A visual presentation for the eyes as the gravy is poured unto the pancake shaped fried bihun noodles (rice noodles) and the fried kuey teow (fried flat noodles). The sharp cracking sound of the noodles breaking apart as you separate them echoed in your ears. So many ingredients come into play inside the gravy itself, you have prawns, squid, pork,chopped garlic, some mustard leaves and the most important one, egg. Egg is used as the mediator as it brings all the different texture and flavour into one table and unites them under one banner. Each time you mix the noodles around the steam arises from the depths of the dish like a phoenix, a blow isn't enough to comprehend the heat but what do you care and you put the hot food into your mouth. As humans we tend to have mistakes but sometimes there are mistakes with a good outcome and in this situation there wasn't. 

Candy for the eyes

  Chopped cili padi in soy sauce is given as a condiment to bring the scorching heat of a thousand suns into your mouth. The texture of the gravy in this cantonese style fried noodles isn't too thick that it clumped together nor was it too watery that it was tasteless but it was perfect enough that each sip didn't feel like corn flour. The taste of the gravy was exquisite and with each sip you let out a pleasant sigh, accompany that with the cili padi and you'd have a savory taste yet hot spicy kick that is going to leave you wet and panting. Umami is the word I would use to describe the taste of the dish, it is what the japanese call a pleasant savory taste. The portion size can easily feed two person for just RM8.

  Cantonese style fried noodles has a very strong texture game going. The fried kuey teow balances the crispy fried bihun with its soft texture that with every bite you take it is a different texture, soft and crunchy. The pork meat is cooked and tender, the mustard leaves are help with the heat when you add cili padi and doesn't have the bitter taste in contrast to what you'd find in other places. Prawn is fresh and juicy and the squid is chewy.

  One thing is for sure, the chef's skill is translated into the dish he makes. Equipment is only 10% when it comes to cooking Dai Chao, the rest comes from skill and ingredients. His moves fluid and filled with determination for the craft he makes, with one hand handling the wok, the other throwing the ingredients in like a spell caster. The flames become fiercer but he fears none of it and battles it out so that all the ingredients may blossom in taste. The thunderous roar of the wok echoed in the kitchen. This is what we love about Dai Chao because you cannot produce such an authentic taste out of artificial ingredients. When you look at the dish as a whole you'd see a theater as the ingredients form the stage for its act and with each elegant move they make you are captivated and in awe. All that is happening on the stage is the product of the man behind the curtains, the chef.

Makan Meter: 8/10 

https://foursquare.com/v/restaurant-hiong-pan/4c1ca8f9fcf8c9b68b62aa0b

Restoran Hiong Pan

Jalan Pandan Indah 1/23e
Pandan Indah
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Selangor

Restoran Pin Qian @ Jalan Pandan Indah 4/10

One Sip Is All It Takes

   A spoonful of soup you bring close enough that the aroma starts filling your nostrils. The aroma we easily associate with comfort food, food that doesn't need to be complicated to be enjoyed. You breath in the scent again and you feel at ease when you exhale almost like smoking a cigarette. The potential exploited and used to quench your unquenchable appetite for good food, another sip and you feel the need to let out words "This the shit right here". In wine tasting one of the key components is aftertaste, this bak kut teh has a bittersweet taste that forces you in a gentle way to have more. All those ingredients giving a part of themselves to make this wonderful mouth watering dish like a football team.

A feast for a king

  Bak kut teh served in this place comes in individual bowls and not in a claypot although you can order the clay pot also. Preferences after all. Pork intestines, pork stomach, pork ribs, tofu pok and fried dough. Tofu pok (also known as tofu puff or tau pok) is a type of tofu which has been deep fried in oil until they are light and airy in the core. What tofu pok does is it absorbs the soup into it making it juicy, soft and fluffy. The taste of the soup is important to bring taste in all those components to go right, soup fails and the others come crashing down like the weak foundation for a high rise. This soup exceeds expectations and provides the eater's mouth a spectacle. The pork organs and meat are exceptional and portion sizes are perfect for a family of four or three. Mixing the soup together with the onion rice and pork intestines and you'd taste the soup in its glory and the quality of the intestines: tender and juicy. The pork stomach chewy in a good way and goes well together with some cili padi.

  The fried dough compliments the pork and like a sponge absorbed the flavours of the soup then burst when you bite into it. The pork ribs not tough and fall off the bone easily that all ages can enjoy with ease yet it wasn't overcooked. The onion rice is the establishment's own take on white rice by adding some fried onions to it that adds the crunch factor. There are other parts of the pig that you can order and price is just nice for a family, besides that they also provide the claypot bak kut teh which I have yet to try.

  This particular bak kut teh reminds me of the comfort food we crave when we are at home snuggled into the blanket while a rainstorm is happenning, it is the food we love to have together with friends and family as we all fight for the pieces of meat. It has that nice warmth to it like a mother's hug, one sip and your stomach from being upset becomes a lovely pup.


Makan Meter: 8/10

Restoran Pin Qian
Jalan Pandan Indah 4/10
Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

Foong Tak Sing Claypot Bak Kut Teh @ Taman Connaught

A Disney Story Gone Bad

  You're cold, your clothes wet from rain and you forgot your umbrella. The only thing you need and could think of is a nice hot meal, you walk into the shop and you sit down with your friends who awaited your arrival. Recommended by them this place and yet there was that tiny doubtfulness in you, could this fill the void ? Out comes a claypot with steaming hot air arising from it and two separate dishes were served, one 'Yao Zha Guai and the other 'Tauhu Pork'. The broth beige in colour with strips of cabbages swimming in it and pieces of pork ribs surrounding it like buoys.

 

Yes, this is what you need after the time you spent in the train trying to breath any clean air amidst the stench of sweat. This is what you need after the energy you used trying to push through from start to finish. With the ladle you pour the soup onto the rice like it was a baptism, forging a tightly knit bond. Together with a piece of pork rib you welcomed it into the mouth. Nothing. Just emptiness there like the void you were hoping to fill and you see some of your friends enjoying it, could it be that I missed something ? Again you try and still it was lacking something, almost like a valentine's day surprise except without the candlelight dinners, the sweet romantic music and the date. That was what it was pure disappointment.

  Bak kut teh is a broth boiled together with pork ribs, pork intestines, bean curd skin, cabbages and some traditional herbs into a hot, aromatic and mouth-watering dish. What holds all these together is the broth like I said before, the aroma in this bak kut teh is nonexistent and just steaming hot air. The soup is the crucial part of bak kut teh as it is the essential part that brings taste in the ingredients by letting it be absorbed. There was no taste of herbs in it and the warmth that we have come to love is absent in it. If it is weak then its counterparts will be too, the meat made a valiant effort to save the day but it was not enough as it bore no flavour. The rest of the bak kut teh was a big empty claypot with no pork intestines and I can already hear the screams in the people who are reading this now blasphemy they would say. Some people that shan't be named said to me once, 

"Gabe, you know what's the best part of bak kut teh ? 'Yao Zhar kwai'(Fried dough)" he said filled with confidence

"haha yea" I replied reluctantly while my irrational side told me to run away.

Fried dough is a condiment that does not contribute to the taste of bak kut teh but pork intestines however carry the taste in them that when you chew into their chewy texture the juices squirt into thy mouth. The pork intestines are nobles in court while the fried dough the handmaidens are there to just compliment the nobles. 

  The only thing you could take away from that is a full stomach but what point is there to it ? Just like the tauhu pork you are filled with the broth but the broth is bland. The vacant spot you hoped to fill with comfort is gone, your taste buds disgusted by your decision and your day ended with defeat. 

Makan meter: Meh

Foong Tak Sing Claypot Bak Kut Teh

12, Jalan Waras 1,
Taman Connaught,
56000 Kuala Lumpur,
Wilayah Persekutuan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Aftertaste Cafe @ Jalan Pandan Indah 4/3

The Burdens of a Carry

  A man with his mind as his notebook carried the orders of food using both his hands from the kitchen and to the tables of eager and hungry people. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation each time the sliding door was pushed aside, "shame it isn't us again" one said on the table beside me. It was a game on its own with patience as the first rule and each time you are either gutted (not the brutal way that involves your intestines) or you were saved by the plate. Day was when it was packed with people and night was more of a relaxing atmosphere and all I can say is I am not a smart man for coming here in the day. Nevertheless we ventured on and played their game. One, two, three plates pass up and still no sign of ours. My brother got what he ordered but mine was MIA "sucks to be you, HAH" he said. 

 "Sorry boss" the tauke said in fluent canton to me. 

  An aroma filled my nostrils. It was fragrant and smelled of flowers in spring and it's hard to find the smell of spring considering that you're staying in Malaysia. With chopped raw cabbage garnished atop the fried rice the dish known in this place as Five-Spice Meat Fried Rice was ready to be consumed. As the name says, Five Spice is a principal spice blend in Chinese cooking containing star anise, fennel, cinnamon (cassia), Sichuan pepper, and clove. It has a warm, sweet, and aromatic flavor that could be use as a meat rub in fatty meats like duck and pork. I took a cube of pork and placed it carefully into my mouth. The gates were closed and I dare say the taste of the spices are present as it was sweet and the peppery taste wasn't too overwhelming because the Sichuan peppers doesn't have the same spiciness you would get from white pepper or black pepper. 

  Taste of five spices in meat ? Checked. Now as a whole it tasted nice but mediocre at most even though the meat had the qualities of a star. However the addition of cili padi or bird's eye chilli pepper elevates the dish to a new level like motivation to an athlete. The hot burning taste caused your nose to fool you into thinking you had flu as I quote my brother "HAH" but even that couldn't hinder the love we have as Malaysians for 'Lat'. Spicy, slightly salty and sweet. The Thais that preach taste and are the Godfathers whenever it comes to incorporating all the different taste our mouth could feel in one dish would be content with this. That is why the cabbage is added to calm down the heat present when you add chilies. The texture ? Chewy and tender pork meat and crunchy chopped cabbage were the notable parties in the texture department. For a price of RM7 it is a great dish but it falls short in some section. Here's a tip, add the cili padi whenever you have it. 

  One thing was peculiar though and that is the shrimps. They were vegan and I don't mean their diet was vegan, these were made for vegetarians. Their texture dissolves instantly once in contact with your tongue and their taste was non existent. Merely there for presentation at most. In the end the meat was the quintessential of five spice meat and the aroma tried to pull it to victory but it was never enough. It is not how much a star can do to carry a team to victory but how long can a star carry its team time to time if all the other ingredients could only be average. 

Makan meter: 6/10 and 7/10 with cili padi.

Aftertaste Cafe
Jalan Pandan Indah 4/3

Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

Aftertaste Cafe @ Jalan Pandan Indah 4/3

Rhythm and Temperature is important

  Neon signs illuminated the narrow road which were shadowed by the old and worn down shop lots. Our car slowly and carefully navigating through it as we look by the sides of our windows for the prized parking spot. "There !" I shouted, the volume of the radio couldn't hide our anticipation, our excitement and as the car came ever so close to it we both shouted in unison "Fuck, it's a Kancil.". With our squinted eyes we eyed that Kancil as we move on hoping that it'll receive punishment for what it had done. Few more meters up ahead we found a place to rest our carriage to only see the spot we wanted left empty by the Kancil before "Curse you Kancil, curse you" I whispered under my nose.

  We ventured by the cafes, the Bak kut Teh stalls and the steamboat to find this peculiar restaurant. The Tauke I assume saw us approaching and proceeded to show us the way in. He opened the sliding door and gave us the menus that had quite some interesting choices but we were skeptical because the place was almost empty with only 4 to 3 tables including us that were filled. We asked for a recommendation and he gave us a few but what pique our interest was the Hokkien Mee because it was a bold statement to recommend something so difficult to master and cook as a hold. So to test that statement we ordered two plates of it and off he went to the kitchen.

  A clank sound was made whenever the wok met the ladle, using her hands like a grappling hook she grabbed a handful of thick yellow noodles and threw it into the fiery pits of the wok. The noodles are then braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy. She increased the temperature of the flames and stir fried the contents without fear, almost like a knight with a sword on one hand and a shield on the other she battled the burning inferno in the hopes that she won't burn her party/ingredients. All of a sudden the sound of metal hitting each other stopped and she grabbed a spoon to taste her fine sauce. A nod. It satisfied her but could it satisfy us ?

  I mixed the mee and my glasses were soon fogged, I took a bite and puff and puff the hot air from my mouth but my efforts were futile at most. Hokkien Mee 1 : Me 0. For the 2nd bite, I could finally taste and I could see why the tauke was bold enough to bring the hokkien mee to the fore. The noodles had been braised by the thick dark soy sauce for a quite awhile that it had absorbed the sauce and made the dish thick. The noodles had a bit of a creamy like texture from being cooked long in the rich sauce and a little tinge of sweetness was felt at every spoonful. The chicken was tender and not tough from being undercook, the pork lard gave a nice crisp and smokey taste while the veggies were just a garnish at most as it didn't bring much to the table.

  The greatest ingredient that my father told me in a hokkien mee is the temperature and the handiwork of the wok and ladle, the temperature sets the tone for the dish and it decides whether it'd be watery or thick like melted cheese. That's why the best Hokkien mee incorporates temperature as an ingredient. The handiwork however is like salsa dance and in salsa the arms are used by the "lead" dancer to communicate or signal the "follower," just like a chef and his/her wok. The music is the fire and the chef has to lead his/her partner elegantly for a misstep could be catastrophic to the rhythm and the dish itself. Succeed and it will become beautiful and delicious. This chef wasn't the greatest at it in both departments but above average at most.

Makan meter: 6/10

Aftertaste Cafe

Jalan Pandan Indah 4/3
Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

Killer Gourmet Burger(KGB) @ Any Joint

The Raging Bull

  Picture yourself driving back from work after doing overtime, your body is aching from the countless hours you spent sitting in an uncomfortable chair doing nothing but typing virtual letters and numbers at your computer. Your stomach growls back at you whenever you try to sing one of the lyrics of a song and you're craving for something satisfying yet packed with flavour to be thrown at the beast hidden in the abyss of your body. You see a burger joint and it frightens you but thankfully the KGB doesn't take in plebs like you and me. You walk into this place and you see the macho burly middle eastern man at the counter taking orders, you scout the menu at the top of the counter and see something interesting, "a tornado burger ?" you said in an uncertain tone.

  The burger is then given to you in a pocket wrapping together with a wooden basket, the burger peeks out of the pocket like a pearl in a clam except that pearl is obese and delicious. You look at yourself and look at the burly man, he nods at you like a soldier patting the back of his comrade before they enter the battlefield. You can hear a faint whisper in your ear "Good luck my friend" in a thick polish accent, you tighten your clamp onto the burger and jump into its world.

The All Star Team

Your eyes widen at the first bite, the next bite you close your eyes tightly and smile feeling like you're being hug behind, you look at the burger and you can see the yolk of the sunny side egg slowly oozing out and the medium done beef patty. The combination of the tornado if it was a spell would be one of the easiest spell a wizard could learn, so simple yet so powerful, Grilled grass-fed beef, onion rings, sunny side egg and buffalo wing aioli are its components. The buns were put on the stove to give the edges a crunchy crust while the beef patty thick and unlike the ones you would have at fast food restaurants and the addition of some onion rings can easily change the game because of its texture. The salty taste of the buffalo wing aioli sauce coupled with the seasoned juicy yet a bit chewy beef and the yolk provided a show for the mouth, the crispy onion rings were added to not bore the diner with the same soft chewy texture and all kept together by the buns.


The price for a burger can be expensive to some but I can say it is worth the money as it delivers in every single department, taste and texture. For RM16.90 the tornado is the burger you need when you're feeling tired or fatigue from work, it energizes the eater and definitely tamed the beast in the pit. If I were to describe in the whole package as in the burger, it would be the same as the Chicago bulls success in 1990-91. The beef carrying the name of Michael Jordan, the egg Bill Cartwright, the onion rings Horace Grant and the buns Scottie Pippin making one legendary team that destroyed the court and whoever that faced them with their exquisite teamwork and graceful skill plays yet able to defend their side valiantly and with fervour. This is the tornado.


Makan Meter: Jesus Christ, this is worth your bucks and time


Venue: Any Killer Gourmet Burger(KGB) joint

One Sentral Restoran @ Jalan Pandan Indah 4/2

One Plate and They Lose Their Minds

  The black void of space was the only thing we could see from the sky, the moon was absent and the stars never to be seen. The distance to home was getting shorter and shorter but the dangers that await were accumulating. I tighten my grip on my sling bag and on the other a tight fist. "Goddamn Trees" I said softly. The fruit bats were feasting on the fruit trees that litter the street I have to pass through and were giving me the "You came to the wrong neighbourhood son" or "Hello there young boy" with their illuminated eyes. I channeled my inner Usain Bolt and ran while swearing in my head. One of them took flight at me but it was too slow, "So long you bastards HA HA" I shouted towards them and the neighbour chimed in "Sot geh lei (you're crazy)".

  Then came dinner, the father decided we should have noodles and off we went to makan. We pulled the chairs apart and not wanting to face the wrath of god itself in the form of my father, I ordered. "Hokkien Mee dua"

  Food was served and the price for a person portion is RM6.50 which is decent. Using the chopsticks I picked a piece of pork lard, it was covered in the sauce of the Hokkien Mee and placed it carefully in my mouth. Crunch and wow, the fat just melt and crumble when bitten. The strong aroma of the stir fried noodles could be felt within the nostrils and made me squirm a bit but there was something different about this Hokkien Mee. The way it was cooked, it wasn't fried in the usual amounts of dark soya sauce and was a bit more watery but the taste however wasn't bland. The sauce was just perfect enough to give out a salty but not overwhelming taste and the veggies are there to help you out by biting into them you clean the sauce from your tongue. The presence of the taste of the wok can be felt, the way the chef moves his hand at the wok amplifies the taste as he tries to keep his mee from burning in the high temperature work, the beating sounds of the wok can be heard throughout the store. I ate some more of the noodles and it tasted delicious, at some places the taste of the hokkien mee can get very bland with every taste and soon after you get bored of it but this, this defies that and I was excited to taste more.

It's appearance a golden brown like look while adorn with colour of greens from the vegetables beckons you to feast on it .The foundation for its texture is the noodles and one of the important ingredients in hokkien mee, it has to be thick enough to give the diner some munch. Then to give the noodles some help the tender chicken meat and crunchy cabbage and pork lard is added. All these different ingredients with their different talents all come together in harmony and peace like the knights at the round table and their King Arthur the chef to find the holy grail which is in the form of you, to find and please your taste buds.

Makan Meter: 7/10

One Sentral Restoran

27, Jalan Pandan Indah 4/2,
Pandan Indah, 55100
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Restoran Madam Chiam Curry Noodle House @ Taman Connaught

The Triumvirate of Connaught

  Climbing those short marble steps and hearing the chit chat of people sitting on the plastic stools talking about their lives, people's lives and cars, yes cars, getting louder and louder as I approach closer to the shop. The hot humid afternoon air wasn't helping at all as sweat dripped down from my forehead. The plastic tables all full except for one, I pulled aside a chair and started the process of ordering. The usual was what I was going to have, a nice warm bowl of spicy flat noodles or Lat Jiu Pan Mee as us Malaysians or Singaporean would call. 

  Madam Chiam Curry Noodles House is a landmark in Connaught. A noodle house home to one of the best if not the greatest Lat Jiu Pan Mee in Connaught. The shop gives a very miniature look from the outside but when you step inside its open doors, you'll see a vast amount of space. The illusion of space created by its white walls. The kind of white that's as crisp and fresh as a snowflake. When you take a seat there, you feel a calming and relaxing feel radiating from the walls inside. The worries of work, responsibility and life cannot touch you. It's just You and your bowl of Pan Mee.

  Just right when I took swipe on the forehead with my napkin, it came. There it is in its full glory. Like a mother who had just seen her new born child, I wanted to just hug it close to me and bask in its glory. Apologies for being so disgusting, hunger got a hold of me and my thought process. Anyways, the thing that is very important to Lat Jiu Pan Mee is how much Lat you want in it. Lat is what us Malaysians and Singaporeans love, it is the spiciness, the kick that we all worship so dearly. I ordered extra chillies because clearly one wasn't enough.

It's just You and your bowl of Pan Mee.

  The Lat Jiu Pan Mee served here is of the thin noodles and not of the thick flat noodles. The noodles are topped with fried anchovies(ikan bilis),minced meat, fried onions and a poached egg is placed beside it. Lime is also added to give the customer the choice for a more zesty taste in their noodles, A small bowl of chili is placed on the noodles as the picture shows, this is also optional for the customer as some do not like or want the burning sensation in their mouth and stomach. The crucial part like I said before is the chilies and now I must also add in the poached egg. I add two bowls of dry chili then mix the yolk of the poached egg together with the noodles, the creamy goodness of the yolk will then coat the dry chilli flakes and the noodles together like force marriage but in a good way. Ikan bilis and fried onions are there to give the crispy texture, the 'Crunch' as we all like when eating. Smooth and chewy one moment, crunchy crisp the other. Another bite and the Lat starts its work, its covering my red velvet tongue and turning it into a barbecue pit. The heat starts to creep up on me, the sting on my tongue like those of an ant bite except it isn't just one ant bite but multiples of it.

  I had to move my face away from it and wipe the snot that appears when we eat spicy food, the sides of my head sweating their balls off but I wanted more. The Lat is what I need, the stimulating taste it gives and dances on your taste buds. The noodles which were white and innocent before were now covered in dark red and coated by the rich yolk. Each bite an explosion piquant taste of the holy trinity(Lat, Noodle and Egg), the saltiness that came from ikan bilis and a bit of bitterness from the fried onions. The triumvirate kept order in place and they were united for a single front, to please your appetite and your taste buds while the others served loyally to the triumvirate. I took a spoonful from the soup and it pushed the hot burning sensation back but the potato leaves however did the opposite and multiplied the Lat ten times. 

  Madam Chiam Curry Noodle House gives the eater a chance to experience the fiery flames of the Lat Jiu and also the chance to taste the holy trinity at work, Lat, egg, and noodles. It is the epitome of Lat Jiu Pan mee in connaught, the seat of the throne untested but it comes with a great price to kiss the throne. If you want to add extra chillies then you have to pay an extra 50 cents while most other places don't. RM6.00 for a bowl of noodles that will certainly not disappoint you but maybe in the night your stomach will because reasons. I must warn you, don't have it before a big event, you might regret your decision for the rest of your life like I have. 

Makan Meter: 9/10

Tue–Sun
7:00 AM–5:00 PM
Reservations: Yes
Restoran Madam Chiam Curry Noodle House
22, Jalan Cerdik, Taman Connaught,
56000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Restoran Al'-Ali @ Jalan Bee Eng 1

Your Friendly Neighborhood Mamak

  Valentines Day. For couples a day where they are obliged to do romantic activities almost fairy tale like. For lonely singles it is a time to do whatever they want without having to worry about pleasing your significant other. One thing always plagues the mind of both sides, where do you bring yourself or your significant other to eat ? If you're the kind of couple that would be willing to save a bit of money or the kind of person that just wants to check lunch of their checklist then say no more.

  Mamak Je ! This particular mamak that I am about to pitch to you locates in a quiet part of Tayton View. Restoran Al'-Ali is a place for the young and old of different races or couples too to converge and eat under the same banner. College students can enjoy a good meal with it's low prices. I pulled my chair and sat with my fellow lads who are itching to have a good plate of Maggi Goreng/ Fried Instant Noodle. Good old Macha came straight away and started the ordering process. He looked us straight in the eyes while both hands at his waist and said in a very clear tone "Minum ?". As each of us feed him the info he combed his Wolverine like hair and proceeded to the next question the makan.

"Maggi Goreng, pedas, single, sayur dan telur mata."
*Macha nods his head*

  

  Foreigners can be baffled sometimes at the Macha because they don't use a pen and paper, they memorize everything. Each and every single different order he repeats to himself constantly as he starts his journey to report to the chef. Yes there are some who use a pen and paper but those in my opinion are the trainees who have yet to reach the skill ceiling of the Macha and Abang. A macha's nod is as reassuring as a doctor reassuring his patient. 

Maggi Goreng best lah !

 The plate arrived and we dug in. The melting thick yolk came running down on my maggi like a maple syrup on pancakes. The taste of spicy sambal fills my mouth with every slurp of noodle I took. The zestness from the lime gives a bit of competition to the sambal and evolves it into a sting like taste. The lime is like the cucumber and raw cabbage, they enforce the spicy taste from crossing over and dominating the whole plate. Each chew, something crispy pops out. The white onion has that tinge of sweetness and crunchy texture. The mustard leaves (sawi) are added together with cabbages to give you a reassurances that you're eating healthy. Tofu is also added to give a cold texture for the hot nature of taste the noodles already have.

  The thing about maggi goreng is it's so simple but so hard to perfect, it is like painting and in painting a great artist can bring meaning and life into their paintings just like how a great chef brings meaning and the taste of life to this plate. One bite and instantly I was reminiscing my secondary school days. The days where you come over after school and chill until late afternoon with nothing but nonsensical conversations.

  Restoran Al'-Ali has this laid back atmosphere that you can just sit there with your friends and family with a drink in hand and just talk and talk about anything. It lives up to the mamak identity which is to relax, eat and have fun. It's open surroundings offers vapers and smokers alike to exercise their right to vape and smoke. Sitting there just releases a bit of stress, the ceiling fans fanning as hard as they can, the TV showcasing the sport channel and the constant gibberish you can hear from your buddies just makes you grateful to have them as company.  Portion size is small due to the state of our country's economy and the price for one plate/ single is RM3.50. The adding of an egg/telur mata makes it RM4.00.

Makan Meter: 8/10
Restoran Al'-Ali
Jalan Bee Eng 1,
Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan