The Ugly Nasi Kandar in Old Town, & The Imported Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun

Imagine to circle endlessly around the perimeter of the famed (maybe over-rated) coffee shops in Old Town serving those inimitable (doubtful?) cups of white coffee .... Then by a stroke of luck, you finally manage to find a parking spot out of nowhere, either double-parking, or illegal parking (who cares, right? .... but one note of warning though, the officers in blue work EXTRA hard around this area, mainly cz IPD (Police HQ) & Majlis Perbandaran also located nearby only ma... no need to ride out to oblivion to achieve daily quota of summons!)

Direct competitors side by side. Which would YOU choose?

Then after punching your fist repeatedly in the air, you strut your stuff and walked over to Nam Heong, Sin Yoon Loong or Sun Yuan Foong (bitter rivals ..... a fight to the finish's at hand!) only to discover that the place's crowded to the max! Holds true on most days, especially weekend mornings and public holidays. You can either kiss your white coffee goodbye, wait for aeons for a table (even more troublesome if you decided to bring your whole busload of relatives) or .... you can set up your own tables/chairs. But of course, don't try this and credits to yours truly lah ... =P

This Indian uncle VERY eloquent in conversing in Cantonese! It's almost funny.

But don't worry, help's at hand. Though comes slightly late, for someone who has worked in Old Town for a good 1.5 years. LOL. This stretch of old, dilapidated shophouses consist of various Nasi Kandar stalls, and some rather rundown shops. It's facing the Old Town famous 20-storey flats, and a stone's throw away from the white coffee outlets. Just imagine Jalan Bijeh Timah (Nasi Kandar) is parallel to Jalan Bandar Timah (White Coffee).

Did you see what i see? Can you see ME? ;)

Nasi Kandar Pekan Lama is the shop at the end, manned by a pair of Indian (maybe mamak, not very sure) twins, who are both very good at speaking in Cantonese. It's hilarious how they tease customers, and nonchalantly converse in OTHERS' mother tongue. Probably the reason why the place was crowded with Chinese patrons that Sunday afternoon.

Not the prettiest sight eh? Swear I did NOT purge this!!!

Nasi Kandar in Ipoh and those in Penang is slightly different. Whereelse Penang's version has been commercialized, branched out, and franchised, Ipoh still has yet to develop a mamak nasi kandar stall worthy of a mention in food guides, or rave reviews. Except for Yong Suan or Nasi Ganja, maybe. Still miss Penang's Kayu, Pelita, Subaidah and Kassim. Those good times .....

Tastewise? The similarity exists in the gravy doused onto the pile of rice; The Kuah Campur (mixed gravy) whereby he'll scoop every type of curry imaginable from the pots and bowls in front of him, and then proceed to 'banjir' (flood) your rice. If you're not in favour of ultra wet curry rice, you can hold the gravy.

About RM4 for a packet of rice with chicken and vegetable, and the killer sour-ish sambal at the side, as well as cucumber slices to lessen the heat.

Location : Nasi Kandar Pekan Lama @ 125, Jalan Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh, Perak. Notice the next door neighbour? Omar Nasi Kandar has a following of its own, heavily promoting the Ayam Merah (chicken cooked in a reddish sweet and spicy gravy), and has a branch somewhere on its own.

Teluk Intan Chee Cheong Fun (RM2.20 for 2 rolls)

Remember the post on my previous Teluk Intan's excursion in Jan? We didn't manage to sample the famous Teluk Intan CCF that time as the original factory only churns them from evening onwards, and the shop (Teck Kee Foodstuff) which gets their supplies from the factory was not selling them due to the CNY season. Shucks, right?

See the dried shrimp enveloped by the rice rolls?

But TallGal and FCOE were kind enough to 'tapau' (takeaway) 2 packets back from Teluk Intan, succumbed to my pitiful pleas and let me share their lunch. Hahahah ..... The power of persuasion? ;)

The experience brought back memories indeed, as I'm a fan of Teluk Intan's CCF, and used to buy back 10-20 packets at one go, whenever my family went to the town for any occasions. Of course, detractors may condemn the oiliness of the rice rolls. But the deadly combination of dried shrimps, fried shallots, wrapped inside the freshly steamed rice rolls .... I'm sold.

Teck Kee's CCF wasn't exactly bad, but rather dry and tasteless. For your information, the Teluk Intan CCF does not need any accompanying gravy, or sides. Only some pickled green chillies would do fine. Makes me wonder does Teck Kee REALLY get their supplies from the factory? Hmmm.....

Bye Bye office ..... muahaha .... =)

On that note, Motormouth's going on another journey up north ..... C ya around guys !!!

Akamomiji - The Latest Japanese Restaurant in Ipoh?

Akamomiji has piqued my interest since its renovation period sometime during the Chinese New Year. Located in Medan Ipoh Bistari (yup, don't you get that sense of deja vu ....), this latest addition to Ipoh's line up of Japanese restaurants opened few days ago to much fanfare, almost fully booked every evening, and prior reservation seems to be the norm, lest you decide to casually waltz in and capitalize on the furore/chaos that is surrounding almost all newly-opened outlets. Josephine Cafe and David's Diner come to mind, naturally.

Occupying 2 shoplots of space, the restaurant is brighter than its counterpart, Kizuna, and a tad more spacious. With a sushi bar that can seat about 5 guests

Service was far from satisfactory however, let alone impeccable. But given the fact that the place is rather new; the new staff and new management deserve a second chance (least in my humble opinion) and time to improve before being put on the gallows. I mean, before passing any judgmental opinions. Some may disagree on this, I'm sure, as discerning diners may categorize first impression as a make-or-break experience, and the proprietor's better impressed, or else.

But seriously, this IS Ipoh after all, whereby quality and quantity of the food comes first, while dining experience comes a close (or distant) second. And credits to be given where credits are due, all the staff were in fact, rather friendly and approachable. Just lacking in terms of training, and more vitally, hands-on experience. Imagine to be seated and without any menu nor attention for a good 5 minutes. But with that said, the waitress was rather accomodating, topping up our cups of green tea every now and then.

Chuka Wakame @ RM4.80

OK, let's move on to the food. Before that, Ipohans must have heard about Kizuna japanese restaurant? Situated a stone's throw away from Kizuna, the owner of Akamomiji is in fact, from the management of Kizuna. Still on good terms or not, I don't know. But for sure this is a strong contender to Kizuna (and even Waraku, to some extent), business-wise, as all of them are located within the same area.

Chuka Idako @ RM4.80

Our orders got mixed up somehow, and we were served more dishes than we initially ordered. But we relented and gobbled up everything that was put in front of us. Such hungry souls eh?

The appetizers of marinated seaweed (Chuka Wakame) and marinated baby octopus (Chuka Idako) came in dainty portions, but served their functions as appetizers well. Sweet, slightly tangy, and spicy (for the seaweed), the appetizers teased the palate for more to come. The baby octopus were crunchy to the bite, served on a bed of julienned cucumbers. Refreshing.

Unagi and Tamago Sushi

Kyushu Nigiri Sushi (Platter of 9 pcs) @ RM25.80

The staff explained that the fishes are freshly flown in from Japan every Tuesdays and Fridays. Hmm, Waraku (yet to blog, later) seems to import their supplies on the same days as well. Suspicious?

It's already Sunday, (meaning we could be savouring on Friday's supplies) the slices of fish remained fresh, sweet and succulent. Especially tempting was the roes (tobiko?), VERY 'crunchy' and QQ, every bite released squirts of juices. A far cry from Sushi King's, believe me.

Ebi Kisu Tenpura @ RM16.80

The prawns and fish tenpura was disappointing though. Not exactly LARGE prawns, the platter consisted of 2 prawns, a slice of fish, and a piece or two of vege only. And the batter was nothing to shout about, nor was the accompanying generic tenpura sauce.

Una Jyu @ RM23.80

We were served with the Una Jyu (grilled eel with sweet teriyaki sauce on rice), something none of us ordered. And we digged in before realizing it was not in our order list. Oh, but what the heck, the thick, juicy and well-marinated slabs of eel were perfectly grilled, with its juice retained, and none of the cold, fishy taste. Thumbs up to the unagi!!! With complementary miso soup.

Chicken Teriyaki Jyu @ RM11.80

The chicken was succulent, and tender. Simply served with strips of seaweed, and sprinkling of sesame seeds. Sufficient to be a complete meal, or a light lunch. Also came with a bowl of miso soup.

Ninmiku Chahan @ RM3.80

And ultra-light eaters can order any of their variety of fried rice, from garlic to crab fried rice and silver anchovies fried rice. The garlic fried rice was good; fluffy and fragrant from the garlic cloves, perfect as an ala carte order to complement your salads, grilled meats, hot pots, or even the kushiyaki (which sadly, was not available this particular evening). They serve okono-miyaki (japanese omelettes) as well, but unfortunately was not available for orders on this visit.

On the whole, the meal was above average, with rather reasonable prices to boot. The meal costed less than RM100 for the four of us. But of course, we did not go crazy with the orders nor order any sashimi, given the fact that it's 2 days too late to sample their freshly flown supplies from Japan. But there's always another visit, when the craving comes, ya? :)

Location : AKAMOMIJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT @ 36-38, Medan Ipoh 1E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh, Perak. Tel : 605-546 8368. It's directly opposite the row of shops with SSTC Italian Cafe, Kafe Tim Curry Mee, and Serai Sate Kajang. Visit any of those links for directions.

#Updated 24/3/2009 : Here's The Star Online's compiled version of this article #

What?! Curry Mee AGAIN?!! (Kafe Tim's Curry Mee @ Medan Ipoh Bistari, Ipoh)

Here's a short post on a lazy Friday afternoon ..... Weekend's beckoning, timely as my whole body's on the verge of shutting down .... *_*

The gal was obviously ... surprised. Shocked. Or agitated ....

A friend recommended this place in Ipoh for the supposedly delicious curry noodles, beating Nam Chau's and Yee Fatt's hands down. WHAT?! For real?!!! (Note of bias here .... I'm a die-hard fan of Nam Chau's dry curry noodles. Sinfully rich, and bursting with curry goodness ....sigh .... =P)

Dry Curry Noodles with Deepfried Beancurd (Tau Fu Pok), Char Siew, Prawns and Cuttlefish

Being the curry noodles fan that I am, needless to say, I warped myself over in a jiffy. The shop's name is Kafe Tim (Cantonese pronunciation of Kopitiam, for those wondering), situated near to Tesco in Ipoh Garden East. In fact, it's a few shops away from Yong He Taiwanese Snacks, and SSTC Italian Cafe, so you know you have options in case your tummy's acting up and curry noodles seem a far-fetched idea.

Curry Noodles in all its glory .....

My preference for dry curry noodles dated back to the days when I was introduced to the DRY version, possibly at Yee Fatt in Pasir Putih. (In case you're wondering what's "dry" curry, it's actually thick curry paste poured on top of noodles lightly tossed with soy sauce/dark soy sauce, resulting in a "Kon Lou" type of noodles, with a generally thicker taste of curry)

Kafe Tim's version of dry curry failed to impress, however. The curry wasn't rich enough for me, possibly holding back on the gravy, and the coconut milk used to cook the curry. Halfway through my plate of dry curry flat rice noodles (kuey teow), I was practically slurping on "Kon Lou Hor Fun", instead of "Kon Kari Hor Fun."

The soup version fared much better however, the curry exuded a very strong prawn flavour, possibly prawn shells were used in the stock. The curry's a bit spicier than the others I've mentioned. The addition of cuttlefish (yau yue) is a refreshing change, offering a springy bite as opposed to the usual roast pork (siew yoke), and chicken shreds.

Kafe Tim @ Jalan Medan Ipoh 1E, Medan Ipoh Bistari, 31400 Ipoh.

Noticed a lot of other patrons indulging/slurping on their bowl of pork noodles, and chicken wine noodles. But my patience runs rather thin, especially on early mornings, as you know how long it takes for the bowl of pork noodles/fish head noodles/chicken wine noodles to be cooked, compared to a bowl of sinful curry mee. :)

HAPPY WEEKEND GUYS AND GALS ......

Sungai Petani Day 2 - LeBOSS Cafe and Restaurant

Continuation from Part 1 of Motormouth's Sg Petani's journey ....

An overview of the golf course at Cinta Sayang Golf & Country Resort, Sg Petani

Recreation-wise, what can one do? Other than stuffing your face with the meagre food, dozing off in the rather comfy rooms, or listening to hours after hours of talks?

You can play some golf ..... full course, or putting. Or get some lessons from the academy, at a price of course. I never bothered, as I can't even swing for the life of me ....

OR, you can .....

Whoever will swim under the hot sun?!

Take a dip, soak, splash about, or drown oneself in the swimming pool, sometimes with a lifeguard, sometimes none. And which hotel's pool does NOT supply the guests with towels? Here's one ; Cinta Sayang it is!!! (Pathetic right? Imagine we walked all the way from our chalet, only to discover the hurtful truth .... )

OR, you can .....

Shoot some cupid arrows at lovebirds (or not), or instead launch a barrel of them arrows at your worst enemy. Or best enemy, depends on which angle you're looking at. Fun Golf may refer to the Putting activity ....

OR, you can go horse-riding, put on your tightest leotards (hehe) and display your assets at the gym, rejuvenate your battered soul at the health club.

OR get a group of friends and ignite a massive war against each other, paintball style.

OR ....

Sorry, only a poster .... didn't bother crossing over to The Carnivall

Hop over to The Carnivall, situated next to the resort, a water park in Sungai Petani (believe that!), for a mere RM16 per entry. Beats Lost World of Tambun in Sunway City Ipoh anyday, I'd reckon?!

Btw, all activities in the resort need CA$H. No money no talk leh ..... But no need to pay an arm and a leg, except the golfing activities, of course. You can't use a broom or a twig to beat that golf ball, that's for sure.

Nothing's up your alley? No sweat. Go satisfy your cravings somewhere else .....

LeBOSS Cafe and Restaurant

Read bout this place, a HALAL cafe and restaurant from JayceOoi's blog. Since the area near Tesco Sungai Petani houses a good number of cafes, restaurants, and nasi kandar outlets, we were having a tough time differentiating the hits and the misses.

A quaint little cafe, with wacky ornaments such as golf clubs, bicycles (!) and cactus for decoration ....

I was rather surprised to discover that all the staff are Malays. Guess this place's HALAL then? The menu covers Asian delights such as fried noodles and rice, to Western fare. Prices lean more towards the reasonable end, with most items below RM20.

Teh Tarik Hazelnut (RM3.90) - Frothy, milky elixir ....

Spot The Difference ?

Of all the items on the menu, all 5 of my dining companions chose the Grilled Chicken Breast. Geez .... talk about 'muhibah' !!!

One can choose his/her preferred side dishes (two of them), from the usual fries and wedges, to buttered corn, pasta, salad and mashed potatoes.

The portion was large enough for one, and may even be shared among light eaters. The grilled chicken can be served with your choice of gravy, from BBQ to mushroom, and teriyaki as well as some others. The mushroom sauce was a tad too salty to go with the already marinated meat. Though the chicken breast was grilled well; tender and juicy without being overly tough.

Honey Quail (RM16.90)

I had my eyes on the Grilled Tiger Prawns (RM19.90), Grilled Tenggiri with Spicy Sauce (RM14.90) and the Honey Quail (RM16.90). Ended up with the quails, as these are seldom served in restaurants, aside from the Goreng Puyoh in Mamak outlets.

The birds had a really strong gamey flavour, not even masked by the honey sauce basking the exterior. Not one for those who does not take a liking to wild fowls, definitely. In fact, they served THREE birds, and I was having trouble finishing the whole portion. (Of course, the meal being a marathon of sorts somewhat jeopardized a leisure meal!)

The side dishes were rather tasty, mine being the beef bolognese spaghetti and baby fried rice (yeah, read that right).

Sides of Baby Fried Rice and Beef Bolognese Spaghetti

And that was possibly the one and only proper meal we had in Sungai Petani throughout the 3 days. Yeah .... kinda sad right? But since all meals were provided, and with such tight schedule, one can't be blamed for resisting temptation and dine at Sayang Restaurant (Cinta Sayang's house restaurant) instead, right?!! =)

Location : LeBOSS Cafe and Restaurant @ 201, Jalan Legenda 7, Legenda Heights, 08000 Sungai Petani, Kedah. Got MAP !!! Legenda Heights is a business centre of sorts, situated next to Tesco Sungai Petani, and Village Mall. Exit from Sungai Petani Utara toll to get here.

An Excursion to Sungai Petani, Kedah (Part 1)

Pardon the hiatus. Last few days were spent in Cinta Sayang Golf and Country Resort, Sungai Petani, Kedah. Yup, THE rice bowl of Malaysia. Far from a holiday, it was another one of those courses. Rather intensive, with talks spanning hours, from early morning until night time. But on the whole, the experience was more play than work, at least to me. :)

Gee .... don't you just miss those rural shots? Business' picking up fast, and there'll definitely be more outings to nowheres ....

Cinta Sayang Golf Resort has almost EVERYTHING. From health club to gym, archery sessions to putting and full golf course.

Rather ashamed to admit that this is my FIRST ever visit to Kedah. Of course, we passed by when we went to Perlis, and some years ago to Songkhla/Haadyai. But that's another story altogether. For a brief rundown on Sungai Petani town of Kedah, here's Wikipedia's link.

Notice the funny signboard? Saddle up and ride your horsies ... at 30km/h tops !!

Cinta Sayang Golf & Country Resort (website HERE) is a 4-Star golf resort which has been around for a good 20 years! With an 18-hole full golf course, and even a golf academy, the place spells H-E-A-V-E-N for golf aficionados from all over the world, as evident from the number of Japanese and Korean tourists staying at the resort.

Home Sweet Home ... our chalet

Our accomodation was slightly different from the average hotels. Each chalet consists of 5 fully air-conditioned rooms, rather spacious, with double beds, cable TV, safe (which did NOT work, sadly), bath tub, hot shower, and tea making facilities.

One minor gripe though, travelling between our rooms and the lobby/restaurant/conference halls was a chore, as the whole area's rather spaced out. So, either you drive your own, wait for their free shuttle erm, buggy? every 30 mins, or walk your way (not feasible under the hot sun!)

No complaints bout the room .... sans the company of those dastardly mosquitoes!

If you're one who freaks out at the sight or sound of mosquitoes roaming your room, be prepared to .... erm, freak out. As some rooms may not have been occupied for some time, they became breeding grounds for those sworn enemies of humanity. But help's at hand, just call housekeeping and SOS for assistance. They'll come spraying in no time ....

Uncle John's Kopitiam @ Village Mall, Sungai Petani

Enough bout the place for today's post, as I'm still reeling from the journey. Witnessed not one, but TWO bushfire of sorts along the highway. The weather's burning hot ....

Bearing in mind the schedule's rather tight, I did not search or ask around for good food in Sg Petani. Hmm, wrong move. Though our food was provided (6 meals per day, count em!), the quality left much to be desired. So off we went with our foodie-radars all up for some decent grub in town. Tough luck.

Ended up at Village Mall near Tesco Sungai Petani, housing some outlets such as Chicken Rice Shop, Laksa Shack, Nash Donuts (local?), Secret Recipe, Starbucks, and Uncle John Kopitiam. We unanimously chose the latter, as it was teatime and we were still keeping our fingers crossed for the potentially lip-smacking dinner ahead (yeah,RIGHT). The food's nothing spectacular, and the beverages were a notch below Old Town's even.

Erm, nasi campur anyone?

Dinner was at Sayang Restaurant at the lobby of Cinta Sayang Golf & Country Resort. Four dishes, and one Acar. With cold/warm water. And fruits. Non-befitting a FOUR-star resort, no? Needless to say, we were still famished come supper hours. But of course, supper was also provided in the form of Malay-style Fried Kuey Teow. How not to be FAT leh? ....

Breakfast - Nasi Lemak, Fried Kuey Teow, KIMCHI (yup, heard that right!)


Dim Sum - The taste was as artificial as the looks ....

Breakfast offers more choices, but we sticked to cereals and toasts mostly. The Nasi Lemak was not half bad though, and rather decent for hotel's standards. But don't get me starting on the Dim Sum. Or whatever they're supposed to mimic.

Signing off now .....

Of course, it wasn't all fun, eat and play. The various talks consumed most of our time, even until 11pm at night. Imagine that .....

To Be Continued .....

Famous Steamed Tilapia @ Lan Je, Rawang

A restaurant so famous for its steamed tilapia (Fei Zhou Yue or African fish, anyone?), one has to endure the horrendous traffic at peak hours (a good half an hour from the toll exit in Rawang), brace the heat (the restaurant ain't air-conditioned nor shielded from the sweltering heat fully, aside from the misty air blown from the many fans with vapours), and patience tested to the limit from the 15 minutes stand-by mode at the sidewalk waiting for a seat, AND roughly 20 minutes cooking time. Phew.

Astro AEC fans would recognize this show, Taste With Jason on every Sunday 10.00pm that introduces a lot of Chinese food from all over Malaysia

But when such simple and unassuming outlet has got the legendary boo_licious and so many others singing praises, you know it's gotta be good!

Blink and you'll miss this restaurant by the roadside .....

The intimidating crowd .... do NOT expect a comfortable tete-a-tete or a relaxing yumcha session with your pals here.

Refrain from arriving during peak hours. The shop's opened for lunch and dinner, but come public holidays/weekends, the queue for a table can be a rather .... unforgiving ordeal. Fortunately, the staff are helpful, and thankfully remember who's first, and who's last, and who's the impatient in-betweener who's trying to sneak up and play dirty. =P

Steamed Tilapia with Ginger, Bird's Eye Chillies (yup, potent ones!), and Garlic (RM12.50 onwards)

If you're wondering, Lan Je refers to the lady owner who's been manning this restaurant for a good many years. She does help out running the place, especially during peak times, when the place looks like helter-skelter, but instead rather systematic.

Ordering your food here is a breeze. No menus, no daily specials. Steamed Tilapia is a MUST, hence if you're bringing one who doesn't value his/her seafood, tough luck. Choose from mild, spicy, or extra spicy. Go for normal spicy, as you wouldn't want the excessive ginger+chilli padi to burn your tongue and risk tasting none of those firm, sweet flesh. Most patrons order a fish each, to fully savour his/her own fish, without the need to fight over the best parts.

Kung Pao Chicken

They do not serve pork, so for your other carnivorous needs, you have chicken cooked either Kung Pao style (with onions and dried chillies) or Sweet and Sour style.

Without much expectation, the Kung Pao Chicken was nearly mind-blowingly good. Really thick, sweet, spicy and glistening gravy coating the slightly fried cuts of chicken. The difference between Lan Je's version and the average out there lies in the sauce definitely. With a lot of chopped garlic, for that special flavour. Minor gripe? The cuts of chicken should be deboned 100%, so that every bite is a bliss.

Stir-fried Four Angle Beans with Dried Shrimps

Not much choices when it comes to the greens, with many ordering their famed "4 Dim Dau", or Four-Angle Beans fried with Dried Shrimps. Crunchy, tasty, and not spicy at all, the vege was pleasing to the palate, as well as the wallet. Hahaha ....

The meal was cheap, with dishes ranging from RM6-RM7 per plate, and the fish at about RM13 each. Another one of their specialty includes the deep-fried prawns, which we did not order that day, at RM19 per serving.

Location : Kedai Makan Lan Je Steamed Fish @ 27-28, Block C, Jalan Rawang, Gerai MPS, Batu 16 Rawang.
Tel No: 012-227 0037

Directions : From Rawang toll exit, go straight until the traffic lights. Turn right and go straight along the long and winding road, which I believe is Jalan Batu Arang. You'll pass over the railway beneath you, and KTM station on the left. Turn right at the traffic lights at the intersection, then go straight along Jalan Rawang, the main road. You'll pass by the mosque on your left, and Maybank on your left further down the road. Lan Je is situated on your left, a single-storey shoplot tucked between some Malay shops and such.

DURIAN-ized @ Sri Karak Restaurant, Section 52, PJ

Man, Ipoh is HOT !!!! In every sense of the word. The weather is scorching, the STILL-chaotic and volatile political fiesta still threatening to throw the citizens into lunacy, etc etc .....

Notice the 8TV's Ho Chak's endorsement? Gotta be good, no?

I'm a sucker for anything with durian in it. Be it Durian Cendol from Melaka, Durian pancake from Seri Petaling, Durian Ice-cream with Ais Kacang (or, the other way round, most probably) from Kek Seng, Penang Road, Tempoyak with or even the REAL DEAL, fleshy & thorny raw form. The title given, the undisputed "King of Fruits" well-deserving for a fruit that's not only versatile for desserts and savoury snacks, but the infinite potential of harm the thorny exterior can impose to others ... Muahahaha .... Makes Tear Gas sounds wimpy now, eh? =P

Durian Egg Tart @ RM1.60

I somewhat stumbled upon this outlet in Petaling Jaya's Section 52, an area I've never even been to previously. Yeah, makes one wonder is PJ really that HUGE of an area, exceeding 52 sections?!!! Geez. I'll just clasp my hands and pray for a GPS. C'mon now ..... -_-

Durian Bomb @ RM1.80

Sri Karak Restaurant originates from Yik Kei Restaurant in Karak town in Pahang. The HALAL restaurant serves mostly Chinese dishes, from their famous steamed fish (including patin with tempoyak!), as well as Freshwater Prawns Noodles (Sang Har Meen).

But of course, that's not their main pulling factor, nor the reason for our patronage. We were there for their tempting durian desserts, previously covered by 8TV's Ho Chak programme, and then some.

Durian Pancake @ RM6.50

The egg tart was rather cheap, at RM1.60 per piece, with pastry that doesn't crumble, but more to cookie-like, ala John King's style. But lacking in pungent durian aroma and flavour, I found it rather mild. My vote goes to John King's version, no doubt.

The Durian Bomb is actually durian flesh enveloped by crispy pastry skin, much akin to a Yam Puff (Wu Kok), but on the smaller scale. All the pastries are prepared freshly everyday, and no leftovers are being sold on the next day.

Durian Cendol @ RM6.00

The Durian Pancake's not on the menu, so you gotta ask if they're preparing them. One layer of durian ice-cream, one layer of sponge cake, and another with durian flesh, the pancake skin was thin, and highly advised to let the pancake warmed to room temperature first before consuming, so that the ice-cream layer will thaw slightly before one gets brain freeze.

The Durian Cendol has way more ingredients than Jonker 88's, with Gula Melaka syrup served at the side. A wise choice, as not many would prefer their cendol to be extra sweet. The bowl of colourful concoction resembled Ais Kacang more than Cendol though. The Durian Ice-cream served atop was creamy, but lacking the punch somehow. Maybe I'm used to stronger Durian flavour in my desserts.

Location : SRI KARAK RESTAURANT @ No 17, Jalan 52/8, Section 52, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel No : 603-7958 3240.