Hai-way Robbery?

Joy is a slice of bread for RM5. As long as you're the owner.

In all the interviews I have done with Hainanese chefs and older Hainanese folk, the one thing that came through strongly was their frugality. New migrants to Malaya were most often broke after paying their passage from China, and among the first things they did was to buy a few chickens for their eggs, as well as their droppings, which would fertilize a vegetable plot so there was cheap food available. The chicken would later also become part of  the food chain. Cheap, easy-to-cook items remain the backbone of Hainanese cuisine. Just not at restaurants or cafes.

Does this look like RM5 to you?

Call me a cheapskate, but paying RM5 for a piece of toast with a slice of processed cheese and sugar is something that would make a chef's mother turn in her grave (if she was buried, and not cremated). Just let me get this rant out of the way before we talk about the other food at Hainan Joy. RM5 for piece of toast! Of course the menu calls it thick Hainan bread, but I'd be the thick one if I ever order this one again, seeing the bread, though wholemeal, was not of such traditional quality that warranted the price of the item. In fact, I could get a whole loaf for that price, as well as a few slices of cheese!

Rant aside, it is always the case of willing buyer-willing seller, isn't it? What can a parent do if a child will only eat toast? As evidence by at least two other tables near mine, this was the clear case. The simplest food, with the highest mark-ups will allow a nice profit baseline and ensure clients who do their math will opt to price up and get a more expensive dish which has more value and substance than toast.

Charming little entryway.

Like CVS always tells me: people eat out for the convenience of not having to clean up. Eating out gives the cook a rest and allows him or her to be part of the dining experience as opposed to the provider of the food that makes up the backbone of the experience. For this, I'd bring guests to Hainan Joy.

The general food items are within market price for a cafe, and there is certainly some truth to their Hainanese claim. I'm told their coffee is also the traditional kind, sugar roasted for a sweeter aroma and silkier mouth feel. I guess RM3.50 for a kopi-o isn't too much to pay if it is really good coffee. I do think RM1 a glass for water is a bit much, although it is a large glass. I'm not sure if it is refillable.

While the Nyonya laksa (RM8.50) looked good, and was priced well-within acceptable limits, my dad claimed it was a bit watered down. It tasted, he said, like the Prima Deli packets available from Singapore - just not 'lemak' enough, as if they had tried to get too much gravy out of one packet. Still, it smelled very authentic.

Nyonya laksa.

The nasi lemak special chicken was RM10 - also well-priced. The portion was good, and the serving was made to look bigger with lots of little additional items. It was certainly a filling meal, and very passable.

Nasi lemak special chicken.

The Hainanese chicken chop (RM14) were also large. The chicken legs they used were certainly not the usual scrawny hypermarket chicken ones. They were also fresh, and well breaded. A Hainan chef, however, will tell you that chicken legs for this dish should always be de-boned and flattened before being coated in batter. Still, it was a good batter - very close to the puffiness of KFC's Hot & Spicy - though not as spiced.

Hainanese chicken chop.

While the peas were missing, there were baked beans in its place. The quality of the beans could have been improved if they'd warmed it in a pan slowly before serving, to dissipate the metallic tang that I always find prevalent in canned foods.

The fried egg was a bit of an oddity, but it had a nice, oozy centre, so it added thickness to the gravy. The brown sauce was so-so despite the addition of mushrooms. Using dried black mushrooms may have given the sauce more presence and a heavier clout.

Generally this is not a place I would shun in the future. I would, however, stay far away from any of the toasts because that RM5 slice of bread still rankles me!

Hainan Joy Cafe

53 Jalan SS24/8,Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

We'll See The Dr Now

Not sure if it's the best coffee in the world, but it's pretty good.

Post-prandial drinks on a hot day in Solaris saw my brother-in-law suggesting somewhere more blog-worthy than Coffee Bean if we were going to document the exercise. So we went to see the doctor. Why Dr Cafe is named such I have no idea. I read through the founder's story (and grammar errors) and did not see any medical profession attached to his name. Still, the overall experience was a good one, apart from an incessant blasting of a car horn from someone who had been hemmed in by a selfish motorist with a doctorate in proctology.

The car park situation is so bad that you'd have to be in the vicinity to be a patron.

Outdoor seating for Englishmen only (since mad dogs and all other pets aren't allowed).

CVS shouted the first round, which consisted on a pretty good cinnamon role (RM6.35) which, although not as squishy as I would have liked, was pretty soft, and very well flavoured.

The cinnamon roll in all its glazed glory.

 This is possibly the only cafe which offers cider, and a hot one at that. Impressively, it was darn good cider too, with the tangy smell of apples, and a tasty mouthful of cinnamon. I'm pretty sure it did not come from whole apples, and it may have even been made from a pureed concentrate (it had a slight hint of preservation in it), but it was still good steamed cider, and it was not overly expensive at the same price as the cinnamon roll.

Steamed cider went well with the cinnamon roll.

White sugar, white vanilla, white cream. Evil never looked so pure.

The caramel franilla grande with whipped cream (RM13.80 + RM2.10) was really sweet, but oh, how evilly delicious was that smooth, rich-smelling mouthful of cold mush.

The decaff cookie frappe (RM13.80) was another winner. The flavour was awesome and it helped that they made it with a Vitamix blender, so it came out creamy smooth. The off shoot of that was an absence of any real cookie bits.

The naked decaff next to the white queen.

Despite the sign above the counter claiming that if no receipt was given, then the drinks would be free, the lax counter person failed to honour the claim, choosing to reprint individual receipts for the misto house blend (RM7.40) and Espresso Con Panna (RM7.40). So much for the whole rahrah propaganda of serving great products via great and knowledgeable staff! Companies should really enforce these service propositions if they're going to go to town with all their slogans and corporate posturing!

Just above this display is the sign claiming that your drinks are on the house in event of a receipt not being presented. Yeah, right!

Plastic packaging, like their free drink promise!

This took quite a bit away from my enjoyment of the second round of drinks. I am never out to get a free drink, but I believe in principles and really hate it when promises are not kept.

It looks big, but it's an espresso!

We all felt that the thick layer of cream on the Espresso Con Panna took away the scent which is the primary enjoyment of coffee. It made the espresso seem rather insipid, and a tad alkalic once it made it through the cream.

The misto fared better, since it was not all dressed up, though it was not so good that I would have drunk it without the addition of sugar.

Misto wasn't nearly as dark and mysterious as it could have been.

Dr Cafe Solaris Dutamas
Level G2 Block A4
Solaris Dutamas
1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur

Operating Hours Fiasco

If you're not open for business when you say you will be, it's hard to patronize you!

Consistency is key in the food business. Most of the time the C word is used for the food, but having gone to a place which professed it only closed on Tuesdays and finding it closed two Sundays in a row, was enough to detract me from being a regular patron.

I've been eating at and talking about Tasty BBQ House for some time, but each time I have brought my dad to try it, the place has been shut. And I am sure on one occasion it was not even Sunday or Tuesday. It happened last Sunday when AF and I went to try to have lunch there. Today was a repeat which makes me think it's not really worth having to call up the telephone numbers given to try to ascertain if they're open. If you're not, you've just lost my business.

What we could have had!

It's a real pity, though, as the barbecued items are really good. Keep an eye on my review which will be coming out on HungryGoWhere soon!

Tasty BBQ House
47 Jalan SS3/29
Taman Universiti
Kelana Jaya
Petaling Jaya

Comfort Food At 6000 Feet

The Bakery is my favourite place in Genting Highlands. Located at the foyer of Genting Grand Hotel, its glass front gives a view of the comings and goings of travellers, and allows me to pretend to be suspended in time as I watch people go about their arrivals and departures. When it is shrouded by the thick mountain mists outside, I turn my attention inside to the warm, cheery atmosphere, and celebrate being surrounded by the scent of fresh breads, and the sweet fragrance of sugar, cream and coffee. I feel most like a writer here, when the cool air whirls through the outlet and cuts through the rising warmth of the smell of people and their rapacious appetites; when, alone, I scrutinize the people, wondering about their lives, and spinning made-up histories for them.

When my reptilian core kicks in, reminding me of the onslaught of hunger because of the energy it's been burning to keep me warm, I wander to the display counters where a landscape of calorific delights await. Forget Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. My food fantasies will always feature baked goods and pretty little sweet morsels bedecked with silver balls and latticework of cream and fondant.

The hunger to know the stories of the people around me manifest in a desire for sweet things. To satisfy the sugar urge, I pick out two macaroons. Each are RM6. One is a green coconut lime, the other a purple lavender. Both flavours speak at once to the palette of memory. The sharp bite of lime and the cream of the coconut brings me back to all-day diners where key lime pie always finished the meal, no matter at what time of day. The lavender transports me to the child me who would ferret through my grandmother's Yardley lavender-scented cupboards, looking for pieces of lace and stiff, embroidered Peranakan fabric.

The macaroons are technically superb. Unlike the usual crumbly, light-as-air, flaky kind, the pastry department has devised a bon bon which looks airy fairy, and yet has substance. It's like biting into a dream cake and finding substance. The shell of these macaroon have the brittle give associated with the sweetmeat, but their interior is firmer, with a nuttier, more nougat-like filling before the ganache is bitten into. The flavours are naturally, not overpowering, and they release slowly into the mouth as opposed to the one-two sucker punch of more commercial macaroons.

Pretty to look at, and as good to eat.

Although I'm an emotional eater, I could not bring myself to pass off the lemon brioche as anything nearling good. In looks it was a pretty little scalloped thing of joy, with its light yellow shade and drizzle of icing sugar down its side. However, despite the commendable lemon cheese topping, the main reason people order brioche was quite lost. The RM14 bread was stiff and dry, with not even the presence of lemon peel to give the dryness respite. I struggled to find the magic, but gave up when even the lemon cream spread over the interior failed to hydrate the crumby offering.

Lemon brioche proved that sometimes you can't make lemonade out of lemons.

The drinks were better. The altitude make creamy, steaming hot drinks a must. I thought the strawberry tea would be a black tea infusion, but the RM10 cuppa turned out to be latte-ish drink served in a mug. It looked usual, but the taste was divine. It felt like having a cream tea in a drink.

The top selling beverage at The Bakery has to be the hot chocolate. My dining partner ordered a double. It's RM16.50, but it was worth it to see a glass of hot steamed milk slowly dissolving sticks and cubes of good quality chocolate to turn the milk brown. I liked the presentation too. It looked posh, and worthy of the price tag.

Before the chocolate sticks go in.

The transformation.

A perfect beverage.

Even the RM10 three-layer ice tea was pretty to look at. While a cold beverage may be a little out of place on a windy mountain, it kept its robustness thought the ice, and the milk made it more bracing.

Three layer tea done to a T.

The Bakery

Genting Grand Hotel

Genting Highlands Resort

69000 Genting Highlands

Pahang Darul Makmur

Good N Plenty

There isn't much choice when you have to eat at the immigration complex at Plaza Glomac. I walked into one cafe offering fish and chips and chicken Maryland because I knew I would come out reeking of oil as the staff were frying things in the ill-ventilated kitchen.

The bars were still closed at noon, and I was not up for a RM38 fish head set lunch for two, so it was a good thing there was a nasi campur place to fall back on.

Simple and satisfying food.

Halim is not posh, nor do they offer a staggering range of food items, but their nasi campur (Malay mixed rice) is commendable in taste and flavour. That is possibly one of the benefits of only offering a maximum of ten food items.

It's dim, but the food is good.

Patrons take their own rice from warming tubs, and select the dishes they want. I like this, as I prefer to be in control of exactly how much rice I want. My simple selection consisted of fried kangkung in belacan (the only vegetable available, truth be told), a slice of skate in tamarind and chili gravy (pari masak assam), a wedge of egg omelet, and bamboo slices with tripe in turmeric gravy. With two glasses of iced water, the meal came up to RM8.10. But I for the 10 sen off.

RM8 fed two.

The omelet was fluffy and thankfully not oozing oil. I liked the sliced chilies in it, but thought the addition of birds eye chili (chili padi) was a bit much. The skate was flavourful, with a fresh smell (no ammonia reek), and a very solid gravy base of chili and tamarind paste. It was spicy, but not overpoweringly so. The fish was also tender, and not overcooked.

Traditional dishes done right.

Many people cannot stand the sour smell of the sliced bamboo shoot and tripe. It's the nature of fresh bamboo shoots, as well as the addition of fermented durian paste (tempoyak) that some cooks put in the turmeric gravy. I, however, with my penchant for all things noisome, enjoy the crunch of the bamboo and the spongey, chewiness of cow stomach. This gravy too had good balance, with enough creamy turmeric and just hints of heat from cili padi.

While I won't head to Halim just for a meal, I do consider this good cooking with very precise flavourings. The chillies in the kangkong belacan were way too coarsely chopped to pass muster, but that did not affect the flavour of the offering. And face it, for RM8, this is possibly the cheapest meal you can get while you wait for your passport to be done.

Restoran Halim
Plaza Glomac
Jalan SS7/19
Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya

Good Food, Good Friends

While it's always nice to be paid to eat, it is nicer to eat in the company of people one loves. When it happens that the person one loves is also the one paying for the meal, it becomes a feast for the heart as well as the stomach.

A random introduction by an old neighbour connected me with a man who now features  prominently in my life. His son is adored by my daughter, and his wife, who is an amazing baker, keeps surprising us with her lovely creations.

On the occasion of their son's birthday, AF treated us to dinner at Rakuzen in Tropicana City Mall. The close to 20-strong guests ordered off the ala carte menu, and relished the food and the company in a private room.

Where friends gather.

Our selections drew from the more exotic, to the more usual in Japanese cuisine, and it must be said that at least from my side of the table, there were absolutely no complaints.

Livering it up.

How a restaurant treats its offal is always an indication of the finesse of its chefs. Animal 'spare parts' (I never did understand this term, because without our 'spare' parts, we'd be functionless vegetables), are always difficult to handle. Some need a tender touch, others require firmer handling. Fish offal takes it to another level, seeing that there is so much less of it. Granted monkfish can grow to quite impressive sizes (up to four feet, with urban fishing legends claiming six feet whoppers), and thus have larger livers, but they are still nothing compared to the liver of a cow or pig. As such, I was curious to how the ankimo ponzu (monkfish liver in ponzu sauce), RM13, would be served.

I like ponzu, possibly because of the connection it has with one of my most-loved chefs, Oliver Lopez, whose Chilean seabass in ponzu helped me see beyond the ugliness of a whole fish on a plate. Ponzu is a citrusy-tasting, thin, dark sauce which is made by simmering mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi flakes (from tuna), and seaweed (kombu) over medium heat.

The sizeable portion of monkfish liver was served atop slices of cucumber and seaweed, and garnished with spring onions. The texture of monkfish liver is pastey and floury, something many cannot stand, but which I am completely fine with. It feels very substantial and meaty, and though rich, as offal tends to be, it is lighter in flavour, coming from a marine creature. It is odour-less, but it does have a flavour of Omega Oils which the salty ponzu helps negate. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed and will order again.

Lotus root and fermented soybeans.

I enjoy eating things many people consider rather noisome. It is my way of honing my palate and adding to my  repertoire of food descriptions. Natto, or fermented soybeans has never scored big with my dining partners, due, I believe, largely to the mucilaginous texture and the way the enzymes make the starches stretch out into think strings. I guess it's okay in mozzarella cheese, but when it is clear, it does look, as my six-year-old friend Julian says, "like saliva."

Still, I enjoyed this with plain steamed white rice, relishing the crunch of the pan-fried lotus root. I was relieved to find that Rakuzen serves this dish with the lotus roots grilled, as opposed to steamed, as I have had some very mushy boiled roots before that were pretty unpalatable. For RM13, the renkon natto no kimpara was a tasty study in texture and taste.

Oyster hot pot: warm and comforting.

From subtle to stronger, I opted for the spicy miso soup with oysters (kaki no miso nabe). At RM38 for a set meal, it was nearly too much for me. The save was because it was spicy, making it very moreish and a lot less 'jelak'. It also had lots of vegetables, along with the oysters.

Loads of goodies in this spicy hotpot.

The sushi to mini udon zen, RM36, was the most conventional meal item we ordered. The sushi and mini udon set was selected to ensure that Rakuzen continued to get its basics right. And of course it did. The sushi seafood was fresh, the cuts well proportioned, the rice firm and adhesive enough and well-vinegared.

Sushi and udon set.

Fresh seafood on perfect rice gave the sushi top marks.

It was a mini udon, but they didn't stinge on ingredients.

While it was my first time to this Rakuzen, I do remember the first time I sampled their wares in Singapore, before they embarked on the Malaysian expansion. Back then, about five years ago, I was wowed by the mastery of tradition offered and their boldness in serving the more unconventional dishes. Today, I think they play a big part in the furthering of Malaysian diners' understanding of good Japanese cuisine. And I'm not saying this just because I got a free meal!

Rakuzen
G-41 & 42 Ground Floor
Tropicana City Mall
3, Jalan SS20/27
Petaling Jaya

Prawn Bomb

This is one prawn mee that did not get into the good books of HungryGoWhere. I'm including it here so that there's a documented example of what prawn mee should NOT taste like.

The least likely to succeed: Hock Seng 2's prawn mee.

While it may look pretty good (my partner is a food photography specialist, so of course it does!)it definitely does not live up to its looks. At RM5.50 this version of Penang prawn mee had way too much chili in its stock. This made the soup close to undrinkable. One slurp, even if it was an inadvertent one, taken when eating the noodles from the spoon, resulted in a choking frenzy and left me with a raw, parched throat. The chili ratio in the stock was certainly off, and it was further demonstrated in the chili paste which accompanied the dish. The chili was so hot, yet completely lacking the sweet pungency of shrimp paste (belacan) or the saving fragrance of fried shallots.

While the condiments were good enough - sliced pork, fish cake, egg, kangkong, bean sprouts - the sum of any prawn mee lies in the soup, and this was an epic fail.

Hock Seng 2

Jalan SS2/66, Petaling Jaya, Selangor