NOT a food blog
Yes, Yang Arif, we crashed a wedding dinner. No, Yang Arif, we weren’t aware that there was a wedding going. Yes, Yang Arif, we saw the school buses and cars parked outside the restaurant. And the wedding entourage, yes. Yes, Yang Arif, I’ll get new prescriptions for my glasses.
Use a different entrance, Yang Arif? But the Bride and Groom and their parents were smiling at us. I know, Yang Arif, we shouldn’t have walked through the wedding arch, especially since we were wearing just shorts and T-shirts, but in our defense, the other guests weren’t quite GQ material either. Sorry, Yang Arif, no laughing matter indeed.
Yes, Yang Arif, we walked the entire length of the restaurant in our shorts. How many people saw us in our shorts? I reckon about 400 people. No, Yang Arif, I wasn’t sniggering. *cough*
Yes, Yang Arif, we cheered on the karaoke singers at the wedding dinner. I agree, Yang Arif, they should never have come up with a Hokkien rendition of My Heart Will Go On. Yes, Yang Arif, we did toast the bridal couple. It was the only polite thing to do. Yes, Yang Arif, we were still in our shorts.
Yes, Yang Arif, we’ll accept the charges.
Sentence: Blogger and friends to listen to 150 hours of bad Hokkien karaoke.
It’s scary how brides these days squeeze themselves into tight bodices until they look like segmented insects. Then again, society can be quite judgemental. I can’t imagine how I’d be able to become half my size if I were to go through that rigmarole again, short of slicing my fat off bit by bit and cooking curry with it.
We did crash a wedding dinner. How were we to know that someone would pick Hari Raya to celebrate a union? Having said that, we still had good fun. After all, entertainment was free, albeit off-tune. And a good laugh is always better than talking about current affairs these days.
Of course, we ordered our own food.
The ultimate test, where there is no way to mask a bad crab. Steamed, with its flesh still juicy and sweet, in egg white and garnished with spring onions and parsley. Our favourite that night.
A two-in-one. Tilapia, part steamed in soy sauce, and part fried in a black pepper sauce. Both styles of cooking resulted in very firm chunks of flesh, still moist, and tasting very fresh.
Another favourite, the squid was cooked to perfection with a nice bite, in a crisp batter of salted egg yolk that clung to the flesh. The curry leaf added a bit of spice to the dish. We should have ordered a double portion. It was that good.
The crabs were delicious, cooked in a sweet and sour sauce which we mopped up with the fried buns (below). I’ve seen better fried buns before…these didn’t have the nice crisp exterior, nor did they tear up well, but they were ok.
Oh, we had vegetables too.
The food at Choong Foong is reasonably priced. The crabs, about 2 kgs cost us RM96, while the fish cost us RM28. The delicious squid dish was just RM12. The food fed 5 people. I’ve tried several other dishes on different occasions. The food will definitely not disappoint.
Getting to Choong Foong may be a little more difficult. The easiest directions I can think of would be from Shah Alam. Imagine driving past Bukit Jelutong towards the Guthrie Corridor Expressway. Instead of taking the tolled way (right fork), head towards the left fork where the signboards say Bukit Jelutong. Once you reach the traffic light, take a right turn then do an immediate left. This will take you on the old road towards Sungai Buloh. Go straight past the first traffic light, and at the 2nd traffic light (Monterez Golf Club), take a right turn. Go straight until the end of the road, and at that T-junction, take a left. Choong Foong is on your left, probably about 200-300 metres down that road. It is a huge single-storey warehouse-looking structure with a large carpark which can quite easily park a whole kampungful of cars and several buses.
There’s another way via the Subang airport, but I can’t for the life of me remember how to get there.
Yes, Yang Arif, I apologise. I promise to pay more attention next time.
Choong Foong Seafood Restaurant
No. 8, Lorong 1D, Kampung Subang
40150 Shah Alam.
Tel: 78463253, 78462482, 78461081.
Food, for me, is a means to an end and not an end in itself.
Food, for me, represents the love of family, the fellowship of friends, and the community and communality it brings.
Christy
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hahaha….hilarious and I can imagine how that feels to have to sit down and practically worrying about whether the food will pass through your esophagus properly if one pitch is off the tune:p
Oh my….and you’re having crabs…that’s dangerous but thank Goodness you are safe now, survived the sentence:p
Looks like you’re enjoying a great meal of seafood…hehe, though I am still wondering how you managed to go through a wedding for that!~ *winks*
daphne
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
I wonder who is yang arif? I might be missing something there!!!!
And I dont think i ever what to listen to the hokkien version of “my heart will go on” that will be torturous!
I can only imagine how the fried buns soak up the goodness of the sweet and sour sauce…
tigerfish
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:04 pm
You mean one fish in two styles (how did they do that?) or two fishes each in one style ? Hee heee…
fatboybakes
October 3rd, 2008 at 8:59 pm
ah, so this was the meal…..
you must bring me there. the steamed crabs look lovely. much like diana krall……;p
Chin
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I am envious you got excellent food. The crabs looks so good. Went there 2 months ago on a Sunday at 2pm. Food was average.
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Christy: It was a kampung wedding, but damn happening la the singers. 😛 Anyway, the company was very good. 🙂
daphne: You’re not missing anything. Yang Arif is a fictitious character. And no, you don’t wanna hear the Hokkien version of that song.hahaha.
tigerfish: Actually, one fish 2 styles wor. One side steamed, the other side cubed and fried with black pepper. Wah lao!!
fatboybakes: Milk milk milk. 😛 But yeah, we’re taking you here for your birthday. Oops. Rahsia terpecah.
Chin: I was surprised to get food that good considering that they were catering for a wedding crowd of a few hundreds. But I’ve always got good food here.
Dharm
October 4th, 2008 at 7:42 am
I used to work in Subang for 13 years and this was a favourite restaurant. It still ranks as one of the best places for Chinese food for me! Love your photos. Canon 400D right? But what lens??
fatboybakes
October 4th, 2008 at 9:45 am
wow, i can hardly wait. this would be definitely more exciting than diana krall. how can i ever thank you enough.
chin: don’t you know that our lemongrass is the nationwide famous blogger, who is recognised on a first name basis, hence the likelihood of her getting bad food is virtually zilch?
backstreetgluttons
October 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Our tribunal of Honorable misJudges have delivered verdict
You are NOT guilty and from henceforth FREE to dispose and predispose each & every of your ultra-fine extraneous photo shoots the way you deem fit.
This day of 4 Oct 2008
annexture
you are free to continue crashing into any weddings or feasts at your whims and fancies , with or without weaponds
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 4th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Dharm: These pics were shot with an EOS 1D and a 50mm lens. Glad you like the pics!
fatboybakes: We have only your best interest at heart. This is way better than a Diana Krall concert. We do this because we love you.
backstreetgluttons: Hehehe. Thanks. I think.
cumi&ciki
October 4th, 2008 at 10:55 am
lol.. very cute! i don’t know how Hokkien songs/lyrics, always end up sounding like someone swearing/ picking a fight.. it’s like the harshest dialect i know.. and i am hokkien as well .. so.. !?!
J2Kfm
October 4th, 2008 at 11:00 am
hahaha.. guilty as charged. but fortunately you guys did not join in the karaoke session .. or did you?
you should’ve peeked at what the others had at their wedding banquet. =P
or better yet, stole a spoonful or two.
HairyBerry
October 4th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
How come you get wedding biscuits one ar?
You curi from the next table ar?
I must report police d……… 😛
pssssttt…i’ll keep quiet IF you bring me there for crabs…haha!
Kiran
October 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
HAHA! as usual, nice joke and the food looks scrumptious! Did you had a taste of the wedding banquet as well? 😉 Perhaps a spoonful or two? I like how the way the pictures turned out. Are you using Photoshop cs?
http://wescribble.blogspot.com
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 4th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
cumi&ciki: I’m sure if I dig hard enuff in the right places, I’ll find traces of hokkien in my blood too. My grandma used to scold me in hokkien last time. Aww..I really must hear you speak one day to se how hokkien (loud) you are. 😛
J2Kfm: Oh believe me, we were dying to go up and karaoke too! But our shorts woulda scared the guests.
HairyBerry: Oh, you’ll get to eat there soon….when we take FBB there for his birthday treat. (But no Diana Krall live performance there lor.)
Kiran: We would have loved to taste the food at the wedding banquet, but somehow, the staff knew not to serve people in shorts. No, I don’t photoshop my pics. I’m quite technically challenged. I confess, Yang Arif, I use Picasa.
GPOAD
October 4th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Miss those way-too-noisy “YUMMMMM SEEEEENNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG” 10-20 course wedding dinners that start way too late. The 4-season course is always popular. Is that because everyone is usually starving by the time it comes out??
keropokman
October 4th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Amboi amboi. Gua nak makan.
Next time you all go gatecrashing, let others know, so we can gatecrash the gatecrashers too.
I suddenly remember I went to a similar place, but it was at Sepang, when KLIA just opened. Friends drove into some ulu kelapa sawit plantation, and in the middle of it, bright lights, modern buildings and GOOD SEAFOOD!
and drive for a few minutes, you get excellent view of planes descending into KLIA. those running guiding lights. nice 😉
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 4th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
GPOAD: Ya man, everyone attacks the first few dishes, then by the time the fried rice comes out, everyone’s stuffed! Always fun…. 🙂
keropokman: Wahai abang di selatan, lain kali, aku panggil you makan ya. Tiket kapalterbang makin murah. Sampai sahaja di lapangan terbang KLIA, boleh terus makan sama-sama.
Chong
October 5th, 2008 at 1:40 am
My Heart Will Go On in Hokkien ?!!
I’ve heard of ‘Peng You’ rendition and sang by a dozen of not-drunk people in awful voice and totally out of tune.
GPOAD
October 5th, 2008 at 3:54 am
But I always look forward to the dessert wor. The longan, lychee and blood red jelly. I missed it so much, I made my own the other day. So what if the canned longan and lychee cost almost RM8 each.. 😛
Do you think rests do the banquet feast for one table wan ah?? 😀
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 5th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Chong, it coulda been some other song. Hehe. The singing was quite atrocious, I assure you!!
GPOAD: Aiyoh, my heart goes out to you lar!! I hope one of my friends flies to AD soon so that I can send you a goodie bag!! And of course restaurants do the banquet feast for one table. I’ve been to quite a number (coz my mum will only accept a chinese 8 or 9 course dinner for her birthday, together with 4 seasons and yes, the typical desserts too!)
Paprika
October 5th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
What a hilarious post! hahaha. Is this what I missed that night ah? Good lord, karaoke is bad enough but Hokkien songs?! Crabs look good. Lets go for crab. Queen Crab, lets go for makan!
milochel
October 5th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Looks scrumpilicious.. Not a big fan of crabs but they sure look good from here! Fish looks awesome too.. special wor.. how on earth do they do that arh ? is the fish still in one piece or chopped into two already ?
Squid looks sinfully mouth watering as well..
Jackson Kah
October 5th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Wow… another place for good food! Wahaaha… im Hokkine Lang but i really dunno how to sing Hokkien version of MLWGO
terri
October 5th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
passed u an award. pls check on my site.
Jun
October 6th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
hahaha how ingenious of u, with the first part of the post! 😀 truth be told, any karaoke, hokkien or otherwise, is the most vile form of punishment one can get *runs from angry karaoke fans*
Salivating Argus
October 6th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Aiyo… ultimate social fox-pass, attending a wedding in shorts and T-shirts, lah. Hahahahaha! Yang Arif will sentence you to untasty gruel for a week in the slammer.
Just how many kilogrammes of crab did y’all eat? ^_^
Lyrical Lemongrass
October 6th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Paps: aiyoh, you crab addict. Okay okay…let’s go for a nice seafood meal soon. I’ll remember to dress appropriately. 🙂
milochel: One side of the fish was sliced off, then cubed and fried in black pepper. The other side remained intact and was steamed. cool, eh?
Jackson Kah: Some things should never be attempted. Even if you’re Hokkien.
terri: Thank you! You’re so sweet lar.
Jun: Hahahaha….you forget that there are a lot of karaoke fans among the food bloggers. 😛
Salivating Argus: Hahaha…tell me about it, lar. Fox pass indeed. Somemore I hardly looked foxy. (One can only look so good when one wears rags.) That was about 2 + kgs of crabs. 🙂
Life for Beginners
October 7th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Don’t feel too bad. I once crashed a wedding banquet dressed up as Two-Face (along with the Spider-Woman and a Pontianak). Who in their right mind has their wedding day on Halloween’s???? 😛
Precious Pea
October 7th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
OMG! Am dancing in clouds when i saw those steamed crabs. Such a beauty!!!! We go there one day, ok ok ok??
Precious Pea
October 7th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Pap, were you calling me?
Nate
October 8th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Oh, I want that squid right now! With extra curry leaves, please.
But leave out the Hokkien karaoke.
ling239
October 8th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
i like the first heading ~ ^_^
Rioj
October 9th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
You should have flagged down the waitress serving for the wedding dinner, then you’ll have extra dishes that night. People from Bangsar are known to come all the way to dine.