Archive for July, 2009

Taste of Foochow

July 29, 2009 at 1:30 am · Filed under Eating Out, Food, non-halal

After hearing about a place that served Foochow food, I have frequented this place a couple of times but held back writing about it until I got my hands on some Fuzhou Bing or Foochow Dumpling that’s only available on weekend mornings.

Foochow Dumpling is in actual fact an oyster pancake in origin, but due to the availability of oysters, the ingredients of the filling has changed over time and these days, minced pork, chives and prawns are used. The watery batter is made of ground rice flour and is spooned into a shallow ladle, followed by the filling and more batter to end up a dorayaki lookalike.

The production can be laborious as the two halves of the batter will only stick together at the right temperature but the end result, a puffed up but soft and chewy golden snack. The chinese chives’ taste is a tad heavy here but does not cover the flavour of the minced meat and chopped prawns at all.

At RM1.20 each.

The red wine mee sua (vermicelli) is much redder than what I am used to at home. Brimming with the taste of the red wine lees, each strand of rice vermicelli is evenly coated in the slightly sweet soup. However, the thickness of the soup can be slightly overwhelming, yet the rice wine’s punch somewhat lacking. I have to admit I was a tad disappointed when I tasted it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good substitute for the times when I am missing my dad’s cooking (for me, his noodles are still the best) perhaps, but still, only a substitute.

Fishballs are also signature Foochow cuisine, esp. those with fillings in them. The fishball noodles had the plain Saito Fish version, as well as the Foochow fishball (with pork filling) and some sliced fish cakes. The plain ones were nothing to shout about though they were quite bouncy but I quite liked the ones with fillings. The filling oozes a bit of soup like the xiao long baos which can be quite addictive. Hehe.

Another specialty here is Yanpi dumplings (燕皮饺子). Yanpi or “Swallow’s Skin” refers to the thin, delicate skin used to make the dumplings. Reputed to be made from pounded lean pork, tapioca flour and glutinous rice, it’s quite ingenious how it ended up being those paper thin slices! Tasty with the generous filling, but apart from the thinner, smoother skin, I can’t really differentiate between the taste of this and normal dumpling skins. Eeps.

Taste of Foochow also sells various types of processed meats i.e. fishballs and dumplings, along with tubs of red wine lees and even packets of dried Yanpi dumpling wrappers in the shop for anyone interested in preparing these dishes at home. Convenient indeed.

Taste of Foochow 福州滋味館
14 Jalan Gajah (off Jalan Yew),
Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.

other reviews;
- waisikkai
- eatingasia
- tailim
- the star writeup

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Seapark Nasi Lemak

July 23, 2009 at 9:45 pm · Filed under Eating Out, Food, halal

A friend in PJ told me she would be bringing me to one of the best nasi lemak spots in town and I was intrigued when I heard that it was in Seapark since I have yet to hear of it before.

Despite being outdoors, and on the roadside, the crowd turnout was promising. In fact, it stretched quite long, spanning over Maybank even. We sat near the edge of the road, and even then, the helpers of the stall were still adding tables near us for waiting customers.

The nasi lemak is simple, served with one piece of fried chicken and one fried egg. The fried chicken is of course mass produced, i.e. fried in the bulk but it’s well marinated and flavourful. Best of all, it’s crisp and not too oily.

The watery sambal is mildly sweet but a great accompaniment to the egg and chicken. Sunny side ups are not normally my thing as I am a tad wary of runny yolks but in this case, it seems right as I mixed it thoroughly with the still hot, fluffy rice.

Love that they use banana leaf as I am the type that believes the extra piece of leaf enhances the aroma and taste of the food. Hehe. I definitely would want to come back here for nasi lemak again and I heard that their mee goreng kambing (fried noodles with goat meat) is worth a try too.

PJ Ibumie
Jalan 21/11B, (near Maybank)
46300 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor.
Open in the evenings only.

other reviews;
- masak-masak
- joyofood
- desmond-t

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Macau Sweets.

July 16, 2009 at 7:06 am · Filed under Dessert, Food, Travel

To end my Macau posts, will be talking about the end to a meal, the sweets, or desserts!

Yee Shun Milk Company, or Leiteria “Eason” as per their signboard, is well-known for their steamed milk puddings in both Macau (where it originated) and Hong Kong. The more well-known branch is the one situated at Senado Square but we spotted this quieter shop along Avenida de Almeida Rebeilo and headed in. The facade is inviting as rows of their chilled milk puddings are displayed in glass chillers.

Double layer steamed milk puddings or 双皮燉鮮奶 is basically a milk and egg white mixture that is steamed until it’s of a pudding consistency with a thin layer on its top. Silky smooth in texture, it tastes slightly eggy with a light milky aftertaste. One can opt to have it served warm or chilled.

I opted for a dollop of red bean topping so that it wouldn’t taste so plain. Even though it was a nice accompaniment, the creamy taste of the milk pudding could hold its own.

Yee Shun Milk Company 義順牛奶
381 Avenida de Almeida Rebeilo 新马路381号
Macau.

other reviews;
- joyful steps
- lemonade’s

***

Another dessert shop that we visited was Gelatina Mok Yi Kei, a corner shop at the end of Rua Do Cunha in Taipa Village that specializes in ice cream, jelly etc but is most well known for its durian ice cream. There are various flavours and if you’re not sure what to go for, their signature ones should do.

The ice cream was very creamy and rich but started to melt a tad too quickly. Hehe. That’s bird nest jelly in the other cup and I reckon that the ice-cream is the better bet between the 2 variations.

Mok Yi Kei is also well known for their sawdust pudding, or Serradura, a famous Macanese-Portuguese dessert which we didn’t manage to try due to insufficient tummy space. Hehe.

Next to the shop was this park where the old market used to be. Great just sitting there, eating out desserts and soaking in the atmosphere. Macau’s truly picturesque and I’m already looking forward to going back!

Gelatina Mok Yi Kei 莫義記大菜糕榴莲雪糕
end of Rua Do Cunha
Taipa Village, Macau.

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Seng Cheong, Macau.

July 14, 2009 at 4:38 pm · Filed under Food, Travel, non-halal

One of the must eats in my list for Macau was Seng Cheong, which is known as THE place for crab porridge. Located along Rua Do Cunha, also the food street of Taipa, the waiting crowd is telling of its popularity.

Pictures of their signature dishes graced their entrance, enticing us. Lucky for us, our wait was considerably short as we were only 2 and could easily share tables. The interior was simple, with white round tables, and plastic stools.

The signature dish, Water Crab Porridge (水蟹粥) was a must so we ordered a small portion, which was good enough for 2-3 pax. If I am not mistaken it’s about 90Patacas while the bigger portion is going for 30 Patacas more. A bit pricey considering it’s only porridge, but the silky smooth texture and rich flavour was worth savouring. Golden yellow hue, and thickened with bits of crab roe, the crab meat was quite delightful as well.

Despite wanting very much to try the steamed eels, I knew we couldn’t finish that so we settled for deep fried frog. Unassuming dish, served with only a vinegar dip but this was finger licking good! Light but crisp batter and easy to tear off flesh. Yum.

The family we were sharing our table with had quite a few of their signature dishes and it all looked so drool worthy. Worth visiting again if I am back in the city with a bigger group.

Seng Cheong 诚昌饭店
28, Rua do Cunha,
Taipa, Macau.

other reviews;
- preciouspea

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