Malaysia's 2005-2006 Top 10 Listings
Cze Cha
Restoran
Woh Fung (cze cha restaurant)
No. 17 Section 20, Jalan 13, Paramount Garden (near Taman
Paramount LRT station),
Petaling Jaya (30 mins from Kuala Lumpur city centre)
Lunch and dinner daily
A local family eatery, serves up one of the freshest steamed pating fish around. Its home made tofu dish with mnced meat and shaves of chye po (pickled radish) is comfort food at its best and it all goes well with its Seremban-style four-vegetable sambal dish (sey tai teen wong). They have a big menu board of many “ala minute” dishes which the boss will serve up in around 10minutes each. But they taste nothing like fast food, only in the hands of an expert wok handler, can these be made that fast. Relatively inexpensive and it’s a family meal hangout.
Banana Leaf Rice
Raju
Restaurant
27, Jln Chantek (5/13), off Jln Gasing, Petaling Jaya (next
to La Salle School)
6.30am – 9.30pm
A very popular lunchtime spot. A little more upmarket than most banana leaf joints as you won’t be given the customary metal cups of water, but rather, you’ll have your pick of mineral water, from local brands to Evian. The food is always tasty and served piping hot, with the chicken peratel (thick curry chicken) and fried tenggiri fish being the more popular add-ons to choose from.
Bak Kut Teh
Restoran
Chow Kiat
18, Jln Kapar, Klang
5.30pm – 10.00pm
A good spot if you have a bak kut teh craving at night as most Klang places operate only in the mornings. This place serves big bone bak kut teh and prepares it the original way, albeit without using claypots. The soup is thick, rich and very fragrant.
Crab
Restoran
Wong Poh
36/38, Jln BM _ Bukit Mayang Mas. Petaling Jaya
11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11.00pm (Mon –
Fri), 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.00pm – 11.00pm (Sat
– Sun)
The claypot butter crabs are to die for- spicy, creamy , fragrant and addictive. Ask for plates of mantou buns to help mop up the creamy, rich sauce. The good thing about Wong Poh is that they will give you extra complimentary gravy if you ask for it- with a smile!
Chicken Rice
Restoran
Ong Kee
No. 48, 51, 53, Jln Yau Tet Shin, Ipoh
7.00pm – 11.30pm
Ipoh chicken rice means rice with chicken and tau geh. Ong Kee’s take on this ironic Ipoh dish is faultless. Have it with silky smooth hor fun, if you like. The char siew is also deliciously sweet , meaty and juicy.
Coffee
Kayang
Butter Toast & Hot White Coffee
Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong, A15, Jln Bandar Bijih Timah, Ipoh
7.00am – 6.00pm Closed on Sun
An excellent place for coffee, especially it’s white coffee- done with a unique blend of beans and smoothened in an rich exotic mix of milks - a beverage believed to have originated in Ipoh.
Assam Laksa
Assam
Laksa Balik Pulau
Balik Pulau Market, Penang
11.30am – 5.00pm Closed on Wed
Bowls and bowls of rice noodles (udon like) garnished with finely-sliced pineapple, onions, mint and bunga kantan (ginger or rojak flower) is stacked on top of each other. You wonder if it’ll ever topple. But the hungry and discerning packs throng the place and clear it fast. They say they close at 5pm but by 3pm on most days, they are already scraping the pot. The broth is sour, fragrant and thick with minced fish and that dollop of hae ko (rojak prawn paste) is an odd but perfect boost to this strangely sour and wonderful Nonya noodle dish. Easy to locate – go to the market and the stall is right out front.
Chendol (Cendol)
Penang
Road Famous Teochew Chendol ===
Off Penang Rd, on Lebuh Keng Kwee (adjoining Joo Hooi Restaurant),
Penang
12.00pm – 7.00pm
The most famous chendol stall in Penang – even has branches in Kuala Lumpur. There are two stalls along Lebuh Keng Kwee but this is the one that is always crowded. It’s the quality of the coconut milk and the gula melaka and haunts you- well made and good balance in richness and sweetness. Good ais kacang and an unusual herb juice made from daun pegaga are sold as well.
Wanton Mee
Kafeteria
Dan Hotel Eng Loh
Jalan Gereja (Church Street), Penang
8.00am – 3.00pm Closed on Sunday
The noodles are good and springy. Besides the usual wantan mee, there’s a mind boggling varieties to match with the noodles, eg, with curry, with stewed chicken feet and mushrooms, with Hakka style fried meat or drunken chicken soup and many more!
Seafood
Sea
Pearl Lagoon CafÈ
338 Mk 18, Tanjong Tokong, Penang (next to Tua Peh Kong Temple)
11.00am – 10.00pm Closed on Alt Wed
Crabs, prawns, and cockles only – steamed, salt-baked or barbecued. We like the beautiful baked egg crabs, meat crabs, flower crabs and prawns. One of the most memorable dining experiences you could have in Penang, sitting right next to the sea, with a lighthouse in the background and, if you’re there during the right season, a Chinese opera in action. Totally old world and piece of retro, lost in time. A favourite with TV crews for its picturesque location.
