Category Archives: FOOD TYPES

Saigon Village, Jln Imbi – Vietnamese food

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Considering the fact that lemongrass is used a lot in vietnamese cuisine, I should be a big fan. But, in reality, I must admit that I am not very exposed to vietnamese food, having sampled it only 3 times in my life. My ignorance stems from the fact that I have yet to collide into a vietnamese restaurant that makes my senses tingle, but it could very well be a case of the chicken and the egg. Unfortunately, if I don’t consciously look out for one, then it’s quite unlikely that the mountain will come to Mu….on second thoughts, scrap that. All we need is another Rosnah/TV3 incident.

So as far as food blogs go, once upon a time, Barbie and I found ourselves in a situation where we were sick of eating chinese food for lunch, and coupled with the fact that we found a parking space 10 metres away from Saigon Village, we knew it was our destiny to have our Friday lunch at this restaurant. I suppose, in all honesty, it was the parking space that predominantly dictated our decision; it would be a lie to say we were sick of eating chinese food. Laziness does cause one to make new discoveries.

Saigon Village

The restaurant looks like it has been around for ages, as I’ve noticed it everytime I take the turn around Jalan Imbi towards Soo Kee (Sang Har Meen). About 5 tables were occupied when we entered the place. Most of the diners were huddled in quiet conversations. The restaurant was running a lunch special (RM8.90) consisting of a main rice or noodle dish from a long selection of dishes, a bowl of soup and a chinese/vietnamese tea. With only less than an hour to go, we agreed to order the lunch hour special.

Noodles with spring rolls and lemongrass chicken

Barbie’s order of rice vermicelli with spring rolls and lemongrass chicken came with a bowl of sweet sauce which is supposed to be poured over the noodles. A sprinkling of peanuts stirred together with the rest of the ingredients (including bean sprouts and sliced cucumbers) reminds me of a refreshing salad made of crunchy ingredients. According to Barbie, the sweetness of the vegetables enhanced the flavour of the dish, which would otherwise have been rather bland.

Duck curry noodles

I like duck, and was immediately drawn to the picture of the duck curry noodles on the menu. The waiter recommended this dish too, so I ordered it. This dish was generously topped with sliced roast duck which had just been added to the bowl of noodles; the meat had yet to fully absorb the flavours of the curry resulting in a delicate balance of flavours, both from the duck and from the lemongrass flavoured curry. The curry was, in my opinion, rather thin, but to its credit, it was more drinkable than a thick, coconut milk-laced curry. A substantial amount of ladies fingers and cucumbers were added to this bowl of noodles. I didn’t care much for the vermicelli which was bland, and I thought the vegetables were too raw, but I certainly enjoyed the tender flesh of the roast duck and wolfed down every piece.

Soup

The accompanying bowl of soup (which tasted very much like hot and spicy szechuan soup) was nondescript.

Probably not a place I’d be in a hurry to introduce my friends to.

Saigon Village Restaurant

No. 45, Jalan Barat

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 KL

Tel: 03-2142 6296

Lian Bee, Jalan Cheng Lock – Hokkien Mee

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Food bloggers’ gathering – Part 3 of 3

A tribute to all things dark and tasty ~

……dark chocolate

……….babi pongteh

…………..guinness

………………dinner by candlelight

………………….Will Smith

…………………….hokkien mee at Jalan Cheng Lock.

hokkien mee
It had to end, eventually. The floggers’ final street call was at Lian Bee. This stall has succumbed to progress – it now has a retracting roof! In the old days, only a handful of tables stood in a dark alley lit by very scarce lighting; if you were lucky, you’d see little creatures flitting by, sharing the darkness with you, and you knew you were not alone.

hokkien mee hoon
Now, in the 21st century, the only thing that hasn’t changed is the hokkien mee. The dark, charred noodles with pieces of pork and crunchy lard is still very popular with KL folk. Our band of 8 ordered a plate of hokkien mee, hokkien mee hoon and a large bowl of pork meat soup. Despite looking quite plain with balls of meat and vegetables, the soup was rather tasty and I’d recommend it as a complement to your plate of hokkien mee.

pork meat soup

cook at Lian Bee
Lian Bee Hokkien Mee
Lorong 1, Jalan Cheng Lock, KL.
Tel: 019-335 9203

Meng Kee, Jalan Alor – grilled fish and sotong

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Food bloggers’ gathering – Part 2 of 3

You know how when you’re on a blind date and you discover new things about the other person and you don’t want it to end so you look for reasons to make sure the evening never ends? That must be how it was with us as we proceeded to our next stop just a few restaurants away from Wong Ah Wah. That, and the fact that we were still ravenous (translated: greedy). Sucking and licking the sauce off balitongs (whelk?) just don’t cut it.

Meng Kee
Grilled fish was next on the menu, and Meng Kee grills a mean fish! Nestled among several stalls, it is easy enough to spot (and smell) this place. Be prepared for a barrage of sales talk as several waiters try to persuade you to sit at their stall, thereby securing your business. Once we sat down, several dishes were promptly ordered. I did say, after all, that we were famished.

hor chien

char koay teow
A plate of hor chien (fried oyster omelette) and two plates of char koay teow (fried flat rice noodles) were placed in front of us. Although the char koay teow had the vital ingredient, cockles, it still lacked oomph. But when you’re hungry, everything is edible and delicious!

grilled fish
Shortly after that, two plates of grilled ikan pari (stingray) and a plate of chilli fried sotong (squid) arrived. The grilled fish tasted lovely, with a nice thin crisp skin and moist (!) flesh without being overdone (which can be a problem if you don’t grill the fish correctly). Unfortunately, the first piece that I picked up had some slime at the bottom, which brought to mind a tale of lonely fishermen in the deep seas related by WMW just minutes before, and I held my breath for a moment before savouring the fish. Who says I don’t have balls? Seriously though, the grilled fish was very tasty. Honest!

sotong
Everyone agreed that the chilli fried squid was the best dish at this stall. The spicy dish was fried with lots of thick cut onions and curry leaves and the squid was not at all rubbery.

All the above were achieved together with enigmatic discussions about personal lives and food interests under open skies dotted by fairy lights and chinese lanterns. Very much like a first date.