Kar Heong @ SS14, Subang Jaya

Kar Heong is one of my favourite places for chicken rice in Subang Jaya. It is located in SS14 which makes it slightly hard to get a parking spot but the chicken there is really worth our patience.

      

Shop Front

        

Bean sprouts

     
Bean sprouts are plump and crunchy with the fragrance of fried garlic oil.

         

Oiled rice

           
The oiled rice here is fluffy and warm.
           

Chilli sauce

       
Love the chilli sauce which has sufficient kick to it.

         

Steamed chicken

         
The steamed chicken is popular as the meat is moist and skin extremely smooth.

         

Pork ball soup

       
Pork ball soup is average but I do like the meaty pork balls.
     

Char Siu

       

Siu Yuk

     
We also tried the char siu and siu yuk which are on par with other famous chicken rice establishments. The char siu is the dark caramelised type and the siu yuk retains its crispy skin. There is also kuey teow soup but we did not try it. It seems a popular dish though as many other patrons ordered that.

   

     

PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion
       

Kar Heong

60 Jalan SS 14/2
Subang Jaya
Tel: 012 389 0399
Daily: 9am - 9pm

Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

The main highlight of our trip to Singapore (other than the Wicked musical of course =P) was going to eat yummy tonkotsu ramen. It was a tug of war between Ippudo and Tampopo. After lots of researching, we decided to go with Ippudo.

      

Cute logo

     

Expect long queues

     
Ippudo is so popular that there is always a queue for it even at 3pm!

    

Menu

     
Basically you choose the type of ramen you want on the left page and proceed to the add-ons on the right page.

      

Love their black wooden chopsticks =)

       

Hot & Iced Ocha

      

Complimentary Condiments

    
Cloves of raw garlic and a garlic press were available should you wish to add some kick to the ramen and your breath.
   
It seems like restaurants in Singapore favour this sort of sesame seed dispenser. Both JS and I prefer grinding the sesame seeds to release the fragrant aroma.

    

Loading the pungent missiles

      

Squeeze!

        

Karaka Tamago (SGD 19)

   
The Karaka Tamago is basically tonkotsu broth mixed with special spicy miso laden with minced pork and the ever popular Japanese boiled egg. No comment on this as I did not try it but it must have been good otherwise our foodie friend would not have ordered it =P

     

Akamaru Chashu (SGD 19)

   
A warning: health junkies stay awayyyyyyyyy!!!! This dish of tonkotsu broth and special miso paste with fragrant garlic oil is highly recommended. It comes with chashu, strips of woodear fungus and finely diced spring onions. After you mix everything together, you can see a layer of over the soup as well as bits of white fat floating on the surface. Once you get past the idea of drinking oil and fats, you'll experience the wonderful robust and complex flavour of the dish which is really like no other. I can't describe the complexity of the soup very well - it's just something you have to try for yourself =)

     

Shiromaru Tamago (SGD 17)

 
The Shiromaru Tamago consists of pure tonkotsu broth served with pork loin chashu, cabbage, spring onions, woodear fungus, pickled ginger and Japanese-style boiled egg. It is a wonderful dish on its own but it definitely pales in comparison to the Akamaru broth. For those who can't stand bits of fats and oil floating in your soup, this is the one for you.
 
Ippudo's ramen certainly lives up to its name, springy ramen with flavourful soup. Luckily for you (and us), there is no need to travel all the way to Singapore just to sample yummy ramen anymore as Ippudo will soon be opening an outlet in KL so do check it out once it's opened!

PawPoints: 5 Paws

   
Ippudo

Somerset MRT
#04-02/03/04, Mandarin Gallery
333 Orchard Road
Singapore
Tel: +65 6235 2797
Mon - Sat: 11am - 11pm
Sun: 11am - 10pm

Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant @ Wardour Street, London

Four Seasons Restaurant at Bayswater is arguably the best restaurant in London for roast duck, or so they say. Even my friends swear by it. I went there once when I was a student but I didn't like it. This time, I returned there again with my brother to see if it is indeed the best roast duck in town and also, to get a second opinion.

      

Wardour Street branch

     

Menu for Rice Dishes

   

Menu for Soup Noodles

   

Menu for Noodle Dishes

   

Complimentary chilli sauce, pickled green chillies and chilli oil

   

Two Combination Barbecued Duck and Soya Chicken on Rice (GBP 6.50)

   
The Barbecued Duck looked good with a thick glistening skin but in reality, the meat was quite tough and the skin too fatty and oily. Both my brother and I didn't think it was worth all the hype. We also unanimously agreed that the mobile roast duck stall at USJ 2 is way better than this (Incidentally, JS's family also regularly buys roast duck from USJ 2 and I can tell you it beats whatever famous roast duck from Loong Foong at PJ too).

     

The Soya Chicken was a surprise winner with super juicy, soft and smooth meat and a nice slippery skin which has absorbed the soya sauce flavour. The combination of finely sliced spring onions and ginger truly complemented the chicken and enhanced its flavour. Too bad they gave only a small amount of this.

   

Two Combination Barbecued Pork and Crispy Pork Belly on Rice (GBP 6.50)

   
The Barbecued Pork was disappointing. First of all, I prefer the glazed, charred kind to these artificially-coloured pork. Second, the meat was quite dry without much flavour and it's just like eating plain pork. I gave away most of it to my brother who was hungry and took the opportunity to barter for more Soya Chicken =P
   
I eagerly awaited the Crispy Pork Belly as who makes them better than Hong Kong people? Unfortunately it also fell short of my expectations as the skin was not crispy enough and the meat was too lean and hence, quite dry.
   
Overall, not a very memorable dining experience >. > I'd much rather have some gourmet burgers or go for more Moolis! I'd say skip this or head for Empress of Sichuan. If you're on a budget, Eat sandwich shops or any of the many Chinese restaurants in Soho would be good for a quick bite. But if you really, really, really want a taste of it, there's no need to travel halfway round the world - there is a branch at Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya.
   
 
PawPoints: 2 Paws

http://fs-restaurants.co.uk/
      
Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant
T: Picadilly Circus
23 Wardour St
London
Tel: +44 020 7287 9995
Mon - Thu: 12pm - 11.30pm
Fri - Sat: 12pm - 12am
Sun: 12pm - 11pm

The Han Room @ The Gardens, KL

The Han Room is part of the Oriental group of restaurants and with such a good reputation, posh decor and nice ambience, my family headed there to try out their dim sum. 

    

My first impression of the restaurant is its unfriendly reception staff, one of whom was quite cold and stand-offish. Perhaps they were busy, perhaps I was prejudiced. 

     

Anyway, next grouse was the method of ordering dim sum. Instead of giving us a piece of paper to mark the types of dimsum we wanted like other restaurants, theirs was quite confusing. Steamed and deep-fried items came in a cart which allowed us to pick what we wanted from the array of dishes. For congee and braised chicken feet, we had to go to a corner where the congee is prepared upon order. For  steamed rice rolls, we had to order from the wait staff. No one informed us of this beforehand - we only knew of it after enquiring about the dishes because they were not among the items in the cart.

    

The final thing which gave us a bad impression of the restaurant was the super long wait for the bill. We requested for the bill twice and it still did not come. I reckon if we walked out without paying, they wouldn't even know as they immediately cleared our table when we went to the reception to ask for the bill.

     

Additional Dipping Sauces

      

Siu Mai

   
 The Siu Mai was good but as you can see from the picture, the amount of roe on top was very little.
   

Har Gau

     
The prawn dumplings were good with bouncy prawns and acceptable dumpling skin.
   

Char Siu Bao

   
The Char Siu Baos were inconsistent in size but quite good. One grouse is that the char siu filling is a little too crumbly due to it being chopped into too small pieces.

      

Loh Mai Kai

 
The glutinous rice came with a huge piece of mushroom and was quite good.
   

Stir Fried Radish Cake

   
This dish lacked wok hei and it was served warm. The cubed radish cake was also slightly hard and tough like it was the previous day's leftovers whereas the beansprouts were not crunchy.

   

Yam Puff

   
The yam puff was also disappointing and the yam shell was quite hard instead of being soft and fluffy and crunchy. The filling, on the other hand, was good but typical.

   

Char Siu

   
Char siu was really good with sweet caramelised layer on the outside.
   

Braised Chicken Feet

   
The braised chicken feet was really flavourful and absorbed the marinade very well but it was not very tender.

   

Medallion Carp Congee

   
The congee was really smooth and pleasant. My mum detected hints of oatmeal mixed into the congee for added aroma and texture.
   

Prawn Cheong Fun

   

The prawn wrapped in rice rolls and soya sauce were good but they were stingy with the prawns >.> For each portion of rice roll, there was only one tiny prawn so if you bit the rice roll in two, the other side is just plain rice roll =.=

   

Overall, the Han Room is really disappointing. The dim sum was really just average for that sort of restaurant and price - I've had much better at Grand Palace Restaurant at Pavillion and the now-closed Crystal Jade Fine Dining Restaurant at The Gardens. Go there only for the ambience and decor but the service and food leaves much to be desired.

 
 
PawPoints: 2 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
   
The Han Room
Lot G243, G246 & G247, Ground Floor
The Gardens
Tel: 03 2284 8833
Mon - Fri: 11am - 11pm
Sat - Sun: 10.30am - 11pm

Menya Musashi @ 1 Utama, PJ

The newest ramen kid on the block is none other than Menya Musashi but it has gained fame at an incredible pace, thanks to its wonderful ramen which many rank as the tastiest in town. I highly recommend you to try it but if you're a healthy eater, best to avoid the place - scroll down to find out why =)
   
The ramen here is as authentic as those in Japan as evidenced by the numerous native Japanese eating here with their families and also by the yakuza-looking boss who walks around the restaurant to ensure that customers are happy and the kitchen is running smoothly. 

      

Menya Musashi

     

See the long queue even at 11am?

   
The owner really looks like the samurai painted on the scroll! He is an imposing figure with his tall and well-built stature, hakama and clip-clopping elevated wooden clogs. That's him on the menu below =P

      

Menu

   
The menu is relatively simple but that's the point of a specialised ramen-ya. It also helps to ensure that the ramen is served quickly.

      

Love the unique addition of mixed white, black and Szechuan peppercorns as well as chilli oil

       

Restaurant decor

      

Ice-cold green tea

   
I love the cold green tea here (there's no option for hot green tea). It has a very strong and refreshing green tea taste which is not found in the usual mall-situated Japanese restaurants. The fact that it is ice-cold helps "dissolve" the oil and fats from the ramen and cleanse your palate.

      

Kuro Musashi Ramen (RM 26)

   
This is the signature ramen with chashu and half an aji tamago. There are 3 choices for the soup base - shiro which is essentially white in colour and consists of onion-flavoured oil, kuro meaning black which is derived from the oil of fried shallots and garlic oil, and aka which consists of chilli oil to give it the reddish colour.
     
We had the kuro ramen and as you can see from the picture above, the colour of the soup really is black! Fret not as it is very fragrant and tasty. However there is a layer of oil sitting on top of the soup which will deter most healthy eaters and weight watchers, but if the oil is not present, the taste of the ramen would be less dimensional and bland. The method to disperse off the oil is to mix it all up, ramen and soup, and watch as the layer of oil magically melts away =)

• The ramen here is extremely springy and unstarchy - I'd rate this the best ramen in town at the moment as it definitely beats Marutama and a lot of friends have said it even tops Santouka
• The pork broth is heavily flavoured with garlic and shallot oil and is really satisfying
• The addition of bamboo shoots and finely sliced spring onions and leeks gives a nice crunchy coating to the ramen - ms. bulat gushed continuously about the bamboo shoots, saying it's the best she ever tasted and proceeded to finish them =P
• As you can see, the chashu here is a huge slab of juicy tender pork with appropriate ratio of lean meat and fats. It is so huge that even I feel two pieces is more than I can take O.O
• The aji tamago is perfect with solid whites and half-runny yolks

      

Musashi Tsukemen (RM 27)

   
I've always wanted to try tsukemen and finally, it's available in KL! The tsukemen is identical to the Musashi Ramen but the soup and noodles are served separately. The broth for the tsukemen is a lot richer, saltier and thicker with a lot more of finely sliced spring onions and leeks. This is to allow the broth to adequately coat and flavour the ramen when you dip it in before eating. It is indeed an unusual way to eat it and I suggest that everyone try it at least once. Although it is very tasty, I think I'll stick to Musashi Ramen the next time I return or perhaps eat it once a year as the dipping broth is just too salty for me.

      

Tsukemen eating method

   
The owner knows that tsukemen is not well known so he has included a tutorial on each table, how thoughtful!

     

Gyoza (RM 9)

     
We also had the gyoza which came in 5 pieces and the customary vinegar dip. It is sufficiently good with a good portion of yummy minced pork and vegetable filling and moist yet well grilled skin.
   
To close this post, I must reiterate (strongly) that Menya Musashi is really good and you should try it and see for yourself =D Oh and I just found out they've got another branch on Jalan P Ramlee near KLCC so I can go there during lunch on weekdays yay!

   
 
PawPoints: 5 Paws
Pawket: Tomato
     
Menya Musashi

Eat Paradise @ Isetan
1 Utama Shopping Centre
Daily: 11am - 10pm

Jin Xuan Hong Kong Dim Sum @ Damansara Jaya, PJ

This place is always packed with families on weekends enjoying a late dim sum brunch. This is a good place to go as the dim sum are affordable and there is a huge variety. The downside is that it is really packed on weekends and you have to register at the counter where they'll call you once a table is available.

      

Customers spilling onto the road

       

Minced Pork Century Egg Congee

     
The congee was good overall but it was not very smooth as you can still feel the rice grains. For this price however, it is acceptable.

     

Minced Pork Potstickers

     
This was quite good although the skin was a little thicker and the bottom of the potsticker was not crispy enough. I wished they provided 2 saucers of ginger and vinegar dip as one is not sufficient. Or at the very least, more ginger shreds. I think the potstickers at Esquire Kitchen are the best d^_^b

    

Prawn Cheong Fun

    
The cheong fun was smooth and silky and the prawns were of average size. Quite good, I'd say.

   

Loh Mai Kai

    
Loh Mai Kai was not bad though I think the char siu is a bit too sweet for my liking.

   

Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice

     
The Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice was value for money as the lotus leaf's fragrance permeated the glutinous rice. JS enjoyed this dish as it had lots of filling. The salted egg went really well with the glutinuous rice and bits of meat.

   

Abundant filling

     

Steamed Prawn Dunpling

     
The prawns here are big and bouncy. Very nice.
   

Steamed Pork Dumpling

     
The Siu Mai here are also humongous. Lots of filling with a sweet taste to it due to the pork juices.

     

Braised Chicken Feet

     
The chicken feet here are not intact =.= The sauce is also much thicker which wasn't really my preference.

    

Yam Puff

    
Yam Puff was good with crunchy outer layer and creamy yam within. The char siu filling was sweet and it complemented the taste of the yam on the outer later.

   

Deep Fried Prawn Dumpling in Cheese

    
This was the most expensive item on the menu =.= The fried wantans were very crispy and the prawns inside were huge. My bro loved the cheese topping.

   

Egg Tart

    
The egg tarts were flaky and eggy. JS thought that they were not too bad although he had tasted better ones elsewhere.

  

Cha Siu Bao

    

The char siu pau here had lots of filling although the pau skin was a bit too thick for my liking.

In conclusion, do come to Jin Xuan Hong Kong Dim Sum for a variety of relatively cheap dim sum. If you're looking for something refined, I'd suggest Grand Palace at Pavilion.

     

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Onion

     
Restoran Jin Xuan Hong Kong 

59, 61 and 63, Jln SS22/19
Damansara Jaya
Tel: 03 7729 6866
Daily: 7am - 11.30pm