One of the more popular brand is Aun Kheng Lim Salted Chicken (宴琼林盐焗鸡) which my Mom and I buy everytime we go to Ipoh. Little did I know that it’s also available in Kuala Lumpur.

WHAT TO ORDER: Whole Salt Baked Chicken (RM 37)

WHY IT’S GOOD: The owner makes these chicken in small quantities using kampung chicken (these are free-range chicken with more natural feed). What makes it different from other salt baked chicken is that it contains spices like black pepper and good amount of a few different wine. I personally love the residual ‘sauce’ from the chicken essence and wine. While it may not be the authentic as Ipoh style salt-baked chicken, but I like the difference: flavourful and moist. 

WHAT ELSE TO ORDER: Stir-fry Ginger Chicken.

Restoran Happy Salts Steam Chicken 正家乡盐焗鸡

Address:1129, Jalan Jinjang, Jinjang Utara, 52000 Kuala Lumpur

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday | 11.30 PM – 5 PM

Contact: 016-625 7800

Status: Non-Halal

Link(s): Facebook 

The post Salt Baked Chicken @ Restoran Happy Salts Steam Chicken [Kuala Lumpur] appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

As a cooking instructor who teaches Malaysian cuisine, I am often asked where to go to sample Malaysia’s local street food. So I created a short tour in the form of Youtube video for my students:

1. Raw Fish Porridge @ Yuui Kee/ Hon Kee Porridge

Unlike Japan, in Malaysia, fish are rarely served raw. These shops are the exception. Raw, slice crap fish is served together with a bowl of hot porridge. The heat from the porridge would gently cook the fish!

HON KEE PORRIDGE

ADDRESS: 93, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

PHONE: 016-666 0603

OPENING HOURS: 4 am – 2.30 pm, opens daily

YOOI KEE PORRIDGE & CHEE CHEUNG FUN 

ADDRESS: Tang City Food Court, 21 – 27 Jalan hang Lekir

PHONE: 012-320 5311

2. Cincau Soya Bean @ Kim Soya

While soya bean is available around the world, what makes it special at this stall is that it’s served with cincau, or grass jelly.  Some people even nickname this drink Michael Jackson!

KIM SOYA

ADDRESS:4 9, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur,

OPENING HOURS: 10 am – 11 pm, opens daily

3. Air Mata Kucing Petaling Street

A unique drink made with monk fruit, winter melon, and dried longan; this refreshing herbal drink is well-known at Chinatown. Because this drink is not easily available, every time I am at Chinatown, I will surely get a glass of it.

AIR MATA KUCING PETALING STREET

ADDRESS: Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

OPENING HOURS: 10 am – 10 pm, closed on Tuesday

4. Curry Laksa @ Madras Lane

Curry laksa is one of the must-try noodles in Malaysia. It’s made with heaps of tropical spices like lemongrass, shallots, galangal, and gigner. Some of the earliest stall in Malaysia selling curry laksa is at Madras Lane. One of it even helped earned Malaysia #2 spot at Lonely Planet’s Eatlist.

MADRAS LANE CURRY LAKSA

ADDRESS: 170, Jalan Tun H S Lee、50000 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

5. Malaysian Mochi @ Madam Tang Mochi

This chewy dessert coated with roasted peanuts is locally known as Muah Chee. Madam Tang has been selling this dessert for many decades and infused local flavour such as pandan into it.

MADAM TANG MUAH CHEE QUEEN

ADDRESS: 42, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur,

6. Peanut Pancake @ Apam Balik

This peanut pancakes has man names: Apam Balik, Ban Chang Kueh, Tai Kau Min, etc. It’s made from flour, sugar, and roasted peanuts. While the ingredients seems ordinary, the taste and texture is spectacular – especially eaten hot.

PETALING STREET APAM BALIK

ADDRESS: Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur,

7. Black Hokkien Noodles @ Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Noodles

KIM LIAN KEE

ADDRESS: 92, Jalan Hang Lekir, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

OPENING HOURS: 11 am – 11 pm

PHONE: 03-2032 4984

8. Yong Tau Foo @ Madras Lane

If I could only eat one thing in the list, it is this Hokkien Noodles. The plate of yellow noodle is created almost 100 years ago in Kuala Lumpur using a lot of dark soya sauce, and cooked with charcoal on high heat. The black noodle is full of umami flavour and an elusive flavour we call ‘wok kei’.

MADRAS LANE CURRY LAKSA

ADDRESS: 170, Jalan Tun H S Lee、50000 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

Yong Tau Foo, literally means ‘stuffed tofu’ but it is actually tofu/vegetables stuffed in fish paste. One of my personal favourite, this stall sells freshly fried Yong Tau Foo that attracts crowds. I love eating this together with Curry Laksa.

9. Egg Tarts @ Buun Choon

Buun Choon egg tart is another stall that has been around Chinatown for many decades. If egg tart is something common to you, I suggest trying their pandan flavoured egg tart. There is plenty of other local pastry that you can try.

BUUN CHOON EGG TARTS

ADDRESS: 80, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur

OPENING HOURS: 8 am – 5 pm, Closed on Sundays

PHONE: 016-228 7625

10. Clam Lala Noodles @ Lai Foong Lala Noodles

If you like clams or prawns, and can tolerate alcohol, this seafood noodle restaurant is perfect for you. The soup is rich in umami flavour and wine. On top of the amount of ginger and chili used in making the soup, this soup would surely excite your palate.

LAI FOONG LALA NOODLES

ADDRESS: 138, Jalan Tun H S Lee, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur

 

Learn to cook food of Malaysia’s Chinatown

On top of eating these food, why not learn how to cook them?

Join my cooking class where we make Malaysia’s best street food such as Nasi Lemak & Curry Laksa in my family’s kitchen!

• 
  
  

  Choose Your Own Menu

  $100.00 / RM 400

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Malaysian National Meal (Chicken)

  $75.00 / RM 300

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Malaysian Favourite Hawker Food

  $85.00 / RM 350

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Curry Laksa & Yong Tau Foo

  $85.00/RM350

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Hainanese Chicken Rice

  $100.00/ RM 400

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Malaysian Chinatown Favourites (Pork)

  $85.00 / RM350

  Book Now

• 
  
  

  Banana Leaf Rice (Vegetarian/ Fish)

  $85.00 / RM 350

  Book Now

The post 10 Best Street Food at Kuala Lumpur Chinatown @ Petaling Street (local chef recommendation) appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

Check out my Youtube video to find out more:

ACHA CURRY HOUSE

WHAT TO ORDER: Banana leaf rice, crab curry, salted egg curry, ikan bilis sambal. 

WHAT ELSE TO ORDER: Durian Kulfi

Acha’s Curry House

Address: 271, Jalan 5/51, Bukit Gasing, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Hours: Everyday | 10.30 PM – 4.30 AM

Contact: +60122735096

Link(s): Facebook

BANANA LEAF RICE CORNER @ ROYAL SELANGOR CLUB

WHAT TO ORDER: Banana Leaf Rice, Crab Curry, Crab Rasam, Fish Cutlet

WHAT ELSE TO ORDER: Sotong curry,  fried tenggiri fish

Royal Selangor Club

Address: Jalan Raja, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Hours: Everyday | 7 PM – 12 AM

Contact: +603-2692 7166

Link(s): Website

The post Acha Curry House Banana Leaf Rice & Royal Selangor Club Crab Curry appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

WHAT TO ORDER: Mama Creamy Deluxe Noodle with all the toppings! 

WHY IT’S GOOD: Their soup is enhanced with herbs and spices like kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and galangal. On top of that, they use real topping: squid, prawns, oyster mushroom, meatballs, eggs, and coriander leaves. 

WHAT ELSE TO ORDER: Thai Milk Tea 

MAMA Mee  泰国海鲜面 夜宵食

Address: 111, Jalan Kaskas, Taman Cheras, 56100 Cheras, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur

Hours: Everyday | 6 PM – 12 AM

Contact: 011-1087 5299

Status: Non-Halal

Link(s): Facebook | Instagram

The post MAMA Mee – Thai Instant Noodle @ Yulek, Cheras [Kuala Lumpur] appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

So we decided to have lunch here again to try their famous Penang laksa!

WHAT TO ORDER: Their signature dish is their curry laksa. So make sure you order this one. As the portion is generous, for a small eater like me, a small bowl is enough (RM 7). But just an additional RM 1 will give you a bigger bowl. I’ll personally order an extra otak-otak and lemon jelly drink as both of these are rare in Kuala Lumpur and made well.

WHY IT’S GOOD: Unlike other places with only a few morsels of ingredients, this restaurant heaps your bowl with them. As it’s Penang-style curry laksa – they have different ingredients like prawns, cuttlefish, and pig blood cubes. It’s quite refreshing for me as I’ve always have the Kuala Lumpur version with chicken and long beans. 

WHAT ELSE TO ORDER: Their asam laksa and lobak (fried meat roll wrapped in beancurd) are also not bad. When I go again, I’ll try their signature drink – a combination of Milo and coffee. 

Jia Li Mian Noodle House

Address: 19, Jalan Pandan 2/2, Pandan Jaya, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor

Hours: Everyday | 7.30 AM – 4 PM

Contact: 016-497 8189

Link(s): Website | Facebook

The post Penang Curry Laksa & Asam Laksa @ Jia Li Mian Noodle House [ Pandan Jaya, Kuala Lumpur ] appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

I came here a few months ago for their degustation menu, which exceeded my expectations. What makes this fine dining restaurant different from others e.g Akar or Nadodi, is that the dishes can be ordered ala carte too. 

If I missed their amazing durian ice-cream and lawas highland red rice, I could come back anytime just for it. They also have monthly Chef’s Table even with different themes. This restaurant is by far the most exciting yet accessible fine dining restaurant.

The restaurant is helmed by Chef Tyson Gee, a Canadian who knows a lot more about local ingredients than even me, a Malaysian cook. Chef Tyson has a great interest in local ingredients and has been sourcing top quality, yet unknown local produce around Malaysia. I’m so glad to learn of the many different produce that my home country offers, e.g, stonefish, and how they can be made into such exquisite dishes.

Right after my first experience at ATAS Ruma, I immediately book the next Chef’s Table event featuring seafood from Sabah, near Semporna

1: SCALLOP

What is it? Fresh scallop from Sabah, sliced, torched, seasoned and served on its shells.

How did I like it? The scallops were sliced into smaller pieces (instead of whole), torched, and then lightly seasoned with kaffir lime zest, thinly sliced belimbing buluh, olive oil, and salt. This was easy to like. I like picking each chewy scallop and savouring the subtle flavour combination. I have both scallops and belimbing buluh in my garden at at moment. As a cook and a gardener, I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it is to elevate fresh scallops – spice from kaffir zest, sourness from belimbing buluh, fats from the oil, and salt. Its a lovely starter.

2: SEA URCHIN

What is it? A rich sea urchin custard with tiger prawns inside topped with a generous amount of mousse-textured sea urchin, garnished with gold foild, and served on a bowl of ice.

How did I like it? I always have a reservation for sea urchins; I have yet to acquire a taste for it. The custard is rich; I happily ate the chopped tiger prawns inside, but it was too rich for my palate (I’m the type who’ll choose aglio olio over carbonara). So my dining companion eagerly took half my share and scooped every last morsel of it. In his words: Uni custard. Tiger prawn base. Rich gel texture. Sublime. I’ve always thought that uni is only available in countries like Japan. But Malaysia does have it too. Unfortunately, it’s the only seafood that was not local that day due to the supply issue.

3: STONE FISH

What is it? Raw stoned fish with hand-pressed fresh coconut milk, lime juice, fried shallots, coriander oil, chili oil, and garnished with seaweed and coriander leaves.

How did I like it? Part of why I’m at the chef’s table is to try local unknown seafood from Malaysia’s shores. Malaysia truly has a variety of food – including a ceviche (raw seafood)! This stone fish ceviche inspired by a Sabah ceviche called hinava. It’s cured in three types of limes – kaffir, calamansi, and key lime. The sauce was a delight! As I often make nasi lemak with coconut milk, I know how rich coconut milk is drunk by itself. But the richness is beautifully balanced with the citrus and flavour enhanced with chili oil, coriander oil and leaves, and, most importantly, the fried shallots. The seaweed texture was also a beautiful addition. This is probably the most outstanding dish of the night.

4: ABALONE

What is it? Poached and grilled abalone. It’s glazed in juice from its liver and smoked. 

How did I like it? It’s the first hot dish and one of my favourite of the night. I saw it being glazed and barbequed on charcoal grill. The abalone, was then placed in its original shell, and served on a custom-made mini ceramic grill.

It was interesting to note the grain of salt against the smooth abalone skin, a sensation that I enjoyed. I loved the meatiness and umami taste of the abalone, a reminiscent of mushrooms. This smoky dish that warms my throat pairs well with chilled white wine. This was when I drank more than usual, and the fun began.

5: CONCH

What is it? Fried conch served in its shell,  and three types of dipping sauce: verde salsa, dijon mustard, and smoke tomato ketchup. 

How did I like it? The only seafood that I normally have fried is fish, not sea snail; but I loved it! The thin crispy texture was. I liked dipping it in tomato ketchup most – perhaps the sour taste complements the fish (and suit my taste bud more). The fried conch was about the size of my longest finger. So small, and so delicious, this is the dish that I wish I had another one of!

6: SEA CUCUMBER

What is it? Sea cucumber braised for two days and served in sea cucumber consomme.

How did I like it? Chef’s Tyson most experimental dish of the night, and unfortunately not my favourite. I do like the gelatinous texture of sea cucumber. After all, my family cooks this occasionally, especially during Chinese New Year. Perhaps the consomme was too one dimensional. I felt it was a little too fishy, and the local caviar despite giving a nice texture, only accentuate it. There was some cucumber for crunch, nasturtium, and its oil. 

7: TIGER GAROUPA

What is it? Fish Wellington. Tiger garoupa fish wrapped and baked in pastry, and served in roasted bell pepper sauce and beurre blanc sauce.

How did I like it? This is one of the most exciting dish. It’s so enjoyable to see beautifully carved fresh pastry before the dinner begins, the baked pastry right out of the oven, and seeing the chef sliced through it! The rich and harder pastry, and subtle and softer fish, contrasted beautifully. The fish was baked just right – moist, flakey, and natural taste of fresh fish.The roasted bell pepper sauce and beurre blanc sauce provides additional flavour. Loved the former! 

8: SEA GRAPES

What is it? Coconut and calamansi sorbet, sea grapes, calamansi zest, and tuak.

How did I like it? This is my kind of dessert – light and citrusy. I like biting into the little sea grapes, and feel it burst to reveal the salty flavour of the sea. It complements so well with the sour citrusy sorbet! I like the hint of tuak as well. I scooped every last drop of liquid.

9: MACARON

What is it? A burger-size macaroon with white rose chocolate and raspberry. 

How did I like it? The Chef said it’s bigger than he envisioned, but I was glad. Sweet but well-made. I loved the creamy white-rose chocolate, and the sweet and soft raspberry that was surrounding it. 

10: COCOA

What is it? Dark chocolate cubes from Pahang and lapsang souchong tea, topped with dehydrated wild betel leaves.

How did I like it? This is sublime. Delightful dark chocolate from Pahang, sourced from the north of Raub. I didn’t know that Malaysia produced such delicious chocolate. It’s paired with cubed ‘parfait’ made with smoky lapsang souchang tea. It was a joy to eat both of the sweet and soft desserts, with salty caviar and crispy betel leaves. It’s paired with cognac. I had it neat. And so I was the happiest girl that night.

DETAILS:

Booking

• Chef Table event happens only once a month and seats eight people
• Menu changes monthly. The menu above, for example, is unlikely repeated
• You can make a booking through their website 

Opening hours

• Their usual opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 18:00 – 22:00 | Sunday from 11:30 – 15:30 (Sunday brunch only)
• However, this event happened on Friday night at 7.30 pm

Location

• ATAS Modern Eatery is situated on the first floor of Ruma hotel. This place is not too far from KLCC and Pavillion.

IN A NUTSHELL

• FOOD: The seafood was so fresh that it can be eaten raw. On top of top quality and locally-sourced ingredients, the chef did a great job designing the menu and playing with flavour combinations.
• PRICE: RM 398+ per person. It’s an excellent price, especially considering wine pairing is included.
• SERVICE: Friendly and knowledgable chef with a team of genuine and competent staff.
• AMBIENCE: Seated at the bar and interacting with people make the experience feels casual and relaxed.
• RATING: 8/10
• WILL I COME BACK? Yes! For both of their degustation menu/ regular ala carte dining & Chef’s Table event.

The post Sabah Seafood Chef’s Table Experience @ ATAS Modern Eatery, Ruma Hotel [ Kuala Lumpur] appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.