Seong Kee Hack Ka Young Tau Foo, PJ Old Town

Back in 2004-2005, I used to work around the PJ Industrial area. What I love about that area is the plentiful free parking at work (save a lot of moolah) and cheap good food nearby (PJ Old Town). Although our lunch hour is one hour, we still manage to drive out and have a good lunch.

One of my favourite places to eat is Seong Kee Hack Ka Young Tau Foo. They are located inside the medan selera (food court) of PJ Old Town, next to the wet market. They've been around for decades I would say. It started out with the parents selling yong tau foo and now that they have retired, the children took over with the help of their own kids.

Recently, I revisit my favourite stall with my family so dinner. And yes, they are open for dinner.

 

Selected fried yong tau foo. I love the dried dumplings here. A bit salty but then again most Hakka food are.

 

Fish head curry. In this case, we order the sting ray fish curry.

 

 

Selected yong tau foo. If you love chilli, you should order the ones here. It's spicy alright and taste so good.

 

 

Fried chicken wings. Feels like homecooked fried wings. Yumster.

 

Fried Abacus (a Hakka delicacy). In case if you have no idea what it's made of, it's yam. Or known as "Shuen Pun Ji" in Cantonese.

 

Pork trotter cooked in vinegar. For porcine and vinegar lovers.

If you're looking for cheap and tasty eats, you won't go wrong at this place. It's a bit hot because it's an open air food court. Most of the stall owners here are probably your grandparent's age. And there's lots of stray cats roaming around. 

Don't forget to check out the Ais Batu Campur (ABC) with red bean at a nearby stall. The lady owner look like a stern school teacher wearing glasses. Her red bean ABC is the best. 

 Gerai Seong Kee @ Medan Selera PJ Old Town

 35, Taman Selera, (beside the market)
Jalan Othman,
Petaling Jaya
03-7781 0946 / 016-254 9454
  Opens daily from 12pm - 9pm. Close on Tuesdays.

Doraku @ Life Centre

My colleague and I worked late last Friday and decided to have dinner together. We heard so much about Doraku that we had to give it a try. Doraku started out in South Beach, Florida by Kevin Aoki. He is Steve Aoki's older brother.

Doraku is located on the Mezzanine Floor of Life Centre. And yes, Life Centre is well and alive. They have re-brand themselves as your friendly neighborhood destination for food, drinks and entertainment located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, on Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the friendly staff and shown to our seat. We opt to sit outdoor for the view of Jalan Sultan Ismail. And we heard that at 10pm, the resident DJ will be spinning. Wow! A japanese restaurant with a DJ deck? Awesome! It's so uncommon in KL to have this kind of environment.

 

Doraku's neon signage

 

Our view for the night

 

The outdoor sitting area. Bar in the background.

 

DJ booth in the middle of the outdoor dining area 

 

 

 

Iced Green Tea

 

Sake Sangria - taken from my Instagram

 

White Tuna Carpaccio

 

Grilled King Oyster Mushroom.

 

Tamago Sushi

 

Doraku Roll

 

Sashimi Moriawase

 

Emperor Roll - no rice and the sauce is lightly spiced

 

Chicken Teriyaki

 

HMH Wafu Burger. According to my colleague this is nice and his go-to order everytime. I've stopped eating beef this year so I can't taste this.

It was a rather humid night and we did not stay long. But I thoroughly enjoyed myself there because I love EDM (electronic dance music in case you're asking) and that was played all night long. Heard some great mix of Chris Lake's Sundown and Sade's Kiss of Life.

A final note, despite the look and feel of this restaurant, the price is very affordable. If you're in the area during lunch hours, they offer set menus. For later in the evening, it's a great place to have dinner and enjoy some alcohol and good music.

Doraku

Lot M-03A, Life Centre Building,

20, Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur.

03-2181 4828

Bubbles & Bites, Genting Highlands

Once in a while, Mr Hubs and I will take a trip to Genting Highlands for a bit of R&R. And as usual, Genting Highlands's F&B outlets are well known for its steep price and so-so quality. We wanted to try out a few restaurants there but it's full house and reservations are required (since when?).

We walked around like lost souls and stumble upon a white cafe named Bubbles & Bites. It is located on Level 2 of Highlands Hotel. We were extremely curious as there are a lot of caucasian customers and a few yuppies. Most of the restaurants around the resorts are full of locals. I immediately googled the place and heard some rave reviews.

Bubbles & Bites serve miniature bottles of sparkling wines, alcoholic sodas, juices, soft drinks, beers and wines from all around the world.

 

Scrabbles on the wall.

 

The waitress request for us to comment on TripAdvisor.

 

 

 

Cappuccino. Too diluted.

 

Iced Chocolate. This is quite okay.

 

Clam Fettuccini. This is not the exact name of this dish. The portion is small but this is tasty.

 

Pizza Carbonara - creamy base with button mushrooms,chicken ham, spring onions, garlic, parmesan cheese.

The quality of the food here is good and the price is just like any casual cafe. And not the usual Genting food price. I will definitely come back for more next time.

Bubbles & Bites

Level 2, Highlands Hotel, 

Genting Highlands, 69000 Pahang.

03-61011118

Bonbori Japanese Cuisine

Bonbori is the newest Japanese restaurant to sprout in Setia Walk, Puchong. They have just opened over a week and the place is packed with people. We were greeted by the owners at the door with big smiles. And helpful waiters.

We were shown to our seats in no time. We felt a little uncomfortable because of the strong yellow lighting though. So far, the crowd is a mix of families and youngsters.

You can see from the photos below that the place is very yellow hence the quality of the photos.

 

The menu.

 

Our order of hot ocha and iced ocha.

 

Hamachi Sushi (Yellowtail). It could be better. Perhaps it is now no longer cold months, therefore the quality is not as good as it is during colder season. The fat content should be higher hence a tastier texture.

 

Katsu Curry Rice. 

 Gindara Miso Soup. The black cod taste good and fresh and miso base is normally a bit salty. It balances the taste when cooked with the fish. This is served with glass noodles, mushrooms, carrots and plenty of shallot. A great dish to order on cold nights.

Bonbori Japanese Cuisine has more ala carte and sushi item to order. They have a wide variety of sushi from tamago to tuna belly. This place is operated by an old and friendly couple. And the staff are extremely helpful and attentive.

Bonbori Japanese Cuisine

G-01-1, Block G, Setia Walk,

Persiaran Wawasan,

Pusat Bandar Puchong,

47160 Puchong,

Selangor.

Tokyo Kitchen, Setia Walk Puchong

Tokyo Kitchen is one of the newer restaurant in Setia Walk, Puchong. We were attracted to the design of the place. It's like a Japanese temple from the outside where people hang their wishes on a wooden plaque. The whole restaurant is made out of wood and red lanterns.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by friendly waiters and waitresses eager to serve. However, the inside of the restaurant was pretty humid. Perhaps at the time that we went, they have just switched on the air conditioner. It was a hot and humid season and we were sweating.

 

Table mat

 

The exterior from inside.

 

 

Cosy interior

 

Chicken Teriyaki Don set

 

Curry Chicken Katsu Rice set.

Tokyo Kitchen offers a lot of set items compared to other Japanese restaurant. The price offered here are competitive but the quality of the food is so-so. Why do I say so? Instead of using Japanese rice for their dishes, they use local rice.

If you want more variety and bigger portion then this is the place to go.

 

Tokyo Kitchen Setia Walk

D-05-G, Block D, Setia Walk,

Persiaran Wawasan,

Pusat Bandar Puchong,

47160 Puchong,

Selangor.

03-5651 0012

Kaffa Espresso Bar

Kaffa Espresso Bar opened early this year in Damansara Uptown. If you're familiar with the area, it is located right below Ryokan Chic Hotel. If you're a little old school and had lived your entire life in PJ but not sure where this is. It's the same row as the now abolished Fajar (your friendly neighbourhood store back in the days) but nearer to the police station side.

I was there last weekend with Mr Hubs and my younger bro Mr ML for drinks. It was our first time and I've heard great things about it.

The cafe's interior are painted black with a balance of brown from its coffee counter (bricks) and furnishing. It's a cosy little nook in Damansara Uptown and they are opened til late (it doesn't say til what time). May I assume until the last man standing? After all, it's not just an espresso bar as said, but a cafe that serves food, coffee and alcohol. They have Somersby (yay!) the one and only cider that I drink.

 

The facade of the cafe, just in case if you're looking to try. I dare say that you will missed it because that areas are full of eateries. So keep your eyes wide open and see.

 

My order of Cappuccino (my usual). I am okay with it but I prefer it stronger. Next time I will need to order a double or triple shot.

 

Mr Hubs' order of Iced Americano. It was a hot day.

I did not manage to snap a pic of Mr ML's drink because he was thirsty and drank a lot of it already. And it wouldn't look nice here. He ordered an Iced Latte.

We did not sit indoor and soon realised that they have a big mosquito problem. Don't know whether it's the black walls or that area generally attracts mozzies. The staff was very helpful and changed fresh mosquito coils around the outdoor sitting area. They even killed the mosquitos with those electronic badminton shaped thingy (presumably Made in China and highly popular in most households in Malaysia). It was so cool. The waiter said to us, "If it bothers you again, just let me know and I'll kill them for you." So macho, hehe.

Next time though, we'll sit inside to ensure that we are able to enjoy our drinks in peace. I did not take many photos of this place and it deserves much more. I did not want to look suspicious and snap everything as though I was there to steal ideas for my own cafe. But I'll be back to check out the food and drinks and Somersby.

Kaffa Espresso Bar

97, Jalan SS21/37,

Damansara Uptown,

47400 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.

03-7732 4502

The Grind Burger Bar

New burger joint alert! This time it's hitting the older part of PJ, Section 17! You see, life is pretty unfair. When I lived there for over 20 years, there's nothing there but market and hawker food. A couple of years after I've moved to Timbuktu, cool F&B outlets start sprouting like nobody's business.

My boss who currently resides there told me that there's this new place along Kanna Curry House in Section 17 called The Grind. Not The Daily Grind in Bangsar. So don't get confused by the name.

My parents and grandma was away on Sunday and my brother proceed to call me for makan. I think he was too lazy to drive..hehe. My sister finishes work at 6pm on Sundays and her boyfriend will normally have dinner with her. But since I'll be going to PJ with Mr Hubs, all of us got into a car and try The Grind.

There are plenty of parking on weekends. What I like about this place is the decor (brick wall) and table settings. There are plenty of spaces in between tables. I dislike dining in a crowded area for dinner. Lunch is fine because everyone is rushing for time.

 

Bar seating arrangements in the middle of the restaurant.

 

See the brick wall? Don't you just love it? It reminds me of the song Wonderwall by Oasis.

 

This is Black Cow. What is Black Cow? Root beer float. Just don't stick your straw in once the drink comes. Sip a lot of it or else you'll be wasting half a glass of your drink. All come spewing out like a witches' brew.

+And Brown Cow is Coke Float. White Cow is Sprite Float.+

 

Wild Mushrooms Soup. Not so good.  With the price charged, I would expect something better. And it came out lukewarm.

Chilli Pork with Cheese. This is a nice appetiser to share

 

My order of Bangers & Mash Pork. This is reasonable and not too oily. But the floor staff forgot to give me my cutlery. Had to ask for it. Maybe because they are still new?

 

The Fiery Peppercorn Burger (Pork). My brother's order. Not much of a comment from him eventhough he's a burger lover.

 

The JD Burger (Pork). This is quite alright. The patty is very homemade style.

 

The Grind House Burger (Pork). We ordered 2 of this. One of the patty was too dry, the other was okay. The bacon was too crisp and tasted like bakwa. This is one wet burger. If you don't like mess, don't order this.

 

Chocolate brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream.  The brownies was not heated up or else it would've tasted better.

Overall, this place is okay. Not bad for a new place. And the plus point is that your clothes won't smell of burger when you leave. The waiters and waitresses need to be more alert and not keep apologizing for not giving people their cutleries and etc. 

According to my sister who have been there before. On normal days the service is fast and attentive. Maybe they just need to learn how to cope the weekend crowds.

The Grind Burger Bar

No.7, Jalan 17/45,

46400 Petaling Jaya,

Selangor.