The Nyonya 'One' , SS2 Pasar Malam

I had come across this nyonya nasi lemak stall when I first stumbled on it at Taman Connaught's Pasar Malam (on every Wednesday) and had blogged about it back in Nov 13, 2006. Since informing me that they will be coming over to SS2 pasar malam on Mondays too soon, I have been looking forward to having my usual dose of nasi lemak and after waiting for almost a year, they have finally set up stall here in SS2 Pasar Malam recently.

Some of my pics of the rendang and chicken curry didn't turn out well. However, I would like to say that what makes this stall special are mainly two things. One is that they actually have Australian Lamb Rendang (RM5/USD1.50 a portion) if you want that as an additional side dish.

Secondly, what's different is that the pre-packed small packet of nasi lemak (RM1/USD0.30) has rice with only a slight hint of coconut milk and fragrance from pandan leaves. There's no egg, no cucumber, peanuts or the usual sambal that one gets. Instead, there's only one topping on it, this......

It's a spicy delicious mixture of dried chillies, deep fried shallots, dried prawns, garlic and bits of lemongrass (I could be wrong...)! Open the packet and mixed this topping well with the rice. It's really good enough to even eat it on its own. They even sell bottles of this topping (RM10/USD3 a bottle). I've eaten the topping with normal steam rice and even on plain chee cheong fun!

Of course, you can still have other things if you want. Apart from the Australian Lamb Rendang, there's Portugese Chicken Curry, Chicken Rendang. There's also Fried Chicken Drumstick!

For some more snacks, you can get a stick of these skewered home made fried fish ball for RM2/USD0.60 where they will sprinkle some chilli powder on it if you want it spicy. Springy and nice!

You can also pack some Tom Yam Bee Hoon (Vermicelli), done economy style (RM2/USD0.60). No meat or vegetables but flavourful nevertheless.

To locate this stall, head towards the side where you'll pass Hong Leong Bank and then you'll see MJ Cafe. Take the left road and walk along the stalls on the left side. You should be near to this stall when you see the OSK Investment signage in the back area of that stretch. They are also at the Cheow Yang pasar malam on Thursdays. If you still can't find them, call Nyonya Leong at 016-6411851 for directions.

Most of the food allergies die under garlic and onion. ~ Martin H. Fischer

Sailing On A Sunday

A couple of months back, I grabbed the opportunity to go out to the sea to catch some sailing action at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club. I was contented to be a spectator while the rest participated in a sailboat race.

I went out on a keelboat and followed John who had the task of setting the race course.

John looking up the course to set from the course guide book

Checking the direction of the wind. Barely visible in the photo, there's a white thread tied to the end of the pen.

We sailed pass a kelong and there were a number of fishing enthusiasts trying to get their catch of the day.

Once we sailed out to the right spot, we would anchor the boat.

Big orange markers are deployed at different areas to mark the course

Signal flags would be put up to instruct the teams; different flags had different meanings. Here are some examples and rules of racing.

Sound signals are made to denote the start of the race and to draw attention to the teams of the changing of signal flags; twice for signal flags raised and once for signal flags lowered.

Then while the race is in progress, John, his crew and I sat around to watch and wait.
At this point, John whips out his nice looking Australian hat and starts puffing on a pipe, making him look very much the part of a Skipper! :o)

I like his shoes. Cute Crocs!

Here are some pics of some sailboats in action that I managed to take with my little camera.

We started around 2 p.m. and it was windy and cloudy during the course of the race. When the teams finished racing at about 5 p.m plus, we headed back to the club where the teams got together for the official announcement of the results admist beer, food and more beer! Hahaha....

I certainly enjoyed myself that day and learnt a bit about sailboat racing. What a perfect Sunday it was! :o)

A Sunday well spent brings a week of content - Proverb

The Bird, Bandar Menjalara, Kepong

Big Boys Oven had organised a dinner for some of us floggers at The Bird in Kepong back in September. The rest of us had no idea what was in store from The Bird as we have not been there before prior to this and was puzzled by its name. What did it served? Only chicken dishes? Bird's Nest? Ostrich meat??? Well, we had an enjoyable meal that night and soon after, I had gone back for dinner here twice to try out the food again.

I liked The Bird's interior as it transports me back to the olden days before I existed, back to the days when my mom was young, ultra slim with a 24 inch waist and wearing her cheongsam :o). They even play Chinese songs of yesteryear and I enjoyed listening to my mum humming along to them when the family ate here on one occasion.

The interior is decorated with bird cages (with no birds but light bulbs encaged) and old memorabilia adorn the walls and displayed all over the place. It's called The Bird as one of the owners of The Bird has a lovely 10 foot congkak set shaped like a bird; a prized possession of his.

This 3 Flavour Prawn was consistently good throughout my 3 visits here. This is done on the sweet side but is one prawn dish I like as it's bursting with flavour.

It was my first time trying Kam Heong (dark sauce and with curry leaves) style Mantis Prawn and this too was very tasty. Best eaten with steamed rice as it could be a tad salty on its own.

Four Heavenly Kings vegetable (RM10/USD3 for a medium portion) with sambal - brinjal, longbeans, four angle beans and petai (a.k.a parkia speciosa otherwise nicknamed smelly beans but has a lot of beneficial attributes!). I enjoyed the medley of tasty vegetables here but it was bit too much oil for me, maybe coming from the sambal itself. Must remember to tell them to ease up on the oil next time.

The Sambal Paku "Wild Fern Shoots" (RM10/USD3 for a medium portion) was a bit bland as compared to the previous vegetable dish.

Hmmm....I seem to be stumbling onto big pieces of Fried Squid/Calamari (previously the same from this place HERE). I would really enjoy this dish more if they were smaller bite sizes.

The Coffee Chicken Wings (RM7.90/USD2.30 for a set of 3) were nice but there was only a very light hint of coffee in its flavour. The meat was tender and moist and we enjoyed it. However, I had ordered this dish again on another occasion; during a busy weekend dinner and this time round, the chicken wings were not marinated long enough - hence only flavourful on the surface. I highlighted this to them and hope that they will take note and improve on it.

This is a definite must order dish at The Bird; their signature Butter King Fish (RM29/USD8.50) dish. Its accompanying gravy is rich and has a creamy texture, making this fried garoupa fish dish a real treat and we enjoyed dipping the buns (that were served along with the fish) into it. Do note that one should eat this dish ASAP as the gravy will start to coagulate when it gets cold and you will literally have a "cold fish" on your hands. Hahaha....

(From Right - Left, clockwise)
1) My fave drink would be the Umbra/Kedondong (RM3.50/USD1) as it's not too sweet and has the right mix of the Kedondong and prunes.
2) Honey Sea Coconut is also available and this is served in a quaint bowl on a small ceramic tray where you can rest the spoon on.
3) The Cendol was served with the gula melaka "Palm Sugar" (hence the dark colour) already added in and the cendol bits were nice and smooth, coupled with bits of sago and some coconut milk added to it, it was thumbs up! Not too sweet or diluted, this was delightful.

Some of the prices are not available as they did not list it down individually. We had ordered a set menu (RM78/USD23), enough for about 4-6 persons consisting of Butter King Fish, Kam Heong Mantis Prawn, 3 Flavour Prawn, Four Heavenly King, Egg Foo Yong
and Cendol for dessert.

Prices are reasonable and if you dig nostalgic ambiance, The Bird would be a good place to dine at where one can find a fusion of Chinese, Thai and Nyonya food. The lighting here is rather dim and some photos that I took did not turn out well. For more reviews and photos, visit

Spare Change

Living In Food Heaven

Eat First Think Later

Babe In The City KL

Da Wheel Of Life & Happiness


The Bird Restaurant
5 Jalan 3/62D
Medan Putra Business Centre
Bandar Menjalara, Kepong


Open Daily (except Mondays)
10.30 am - 11 pm (dinner)
Do call to check -Tel: 603-6277 1453

Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly
- Langston Hughes

Hot Hanoi - Part 5

Returning to my yet "unfinished" Hanoi posts, Part 5 highlights the food that was served on board while we were cruising along Halong Bay. Seafood as fresh as it can be, caught and immediately cooked in the tiny kitchen area of the boat.

A customer taking her pick over the window of the fresh fish just caught! Of course, that's if we wanted additional food, otherwise we already had a fixed menu for us.

The condiments that is given to each table. Slices of garlic, cut red chillies, seasoned salt and a half cut lime. The condiments play an important role as most dishes are served plain!

Squeeze the lime over the seasoned salt and together with the soya sauce, they make a wonderful dip for the fresh seafood served. I don't think I would even need to say how fresh the seafood was, I'm sure you can tell by the following photos - off the boat and onto the plate!

Grilled Prawns

Fried Fish, the only seafood dish that was served with some cooked sauce (carrots, onions & chives).

Blanched Lala

Baked Crabs

This is one of the most interesting meals served during my trip to Hanoi (of course, I ate my fair share of Pho Bo "Beef Noodles").



To be continued...

Nam Chuan, Bangsar

These photos were taken a while back when some of us floggers took Jason of Ipoh Mali Talak Sombong around when he was visiting in town. I think he decided to relocate to Kuala Lumpur after seeing how friendly the floggers are and of course the array of delicious food that was introduced to him ;o). Well, you know what they say; we don't usually appreciate what we have cos I for one love the food in Ipoh. Hahaha....

So, one of the place we dropped by was Nam Chuan in Bangsar as one can find a good variety of hawker food here. Am still thinking about all the wonderful hawker food I recently had in Penang during Star's Drive For Food competition. Which brings me to this community message, hahaha...Please do remember to vote for us at http://star-motoring.com/mystar/driveforfood/finalvideos.asp. We are the first two videos on top, Fantastic Four and Apple Crumble Team. Last day of voting will be this Sunday, Nov 18. Thank you all once again for your support.

Whenever I go to Nam Chuan though, I normally end up ordering only from either one of my two usual stalls. One would be which from this lady that dishes up many varieties from this little stall where I usually order two of my faves here.

Sarawak Laksa - Close to eating the real thing in Sarawak itself. It's about as good as it gets, eating this noodle in Bangsar! As per the Wikipedia page of Laksa, "Sarawak laksa (Malay: Laksa Sarawak) comes from the town of Kuching in the Malaysian state Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. It is actually very different from the curry laksa as the soup contains no curry in its ingredient at all. It has a base of Sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass and coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. Ingredients such as bean sprouts, (sliced) fried tofu or other seafood are not traditional but is sometimes added".

Abacus Seeds - A mixture of yam and tapioca flour, its name is derived from its shape. The seeds are fried together with shredded Mok Yee, minced pork, dried shrimps, shallots and garlic. However, this is not a favourite of everyone; one either loves it or don't. For me, it was love at first bite :o)

And then there's this other stall, serving up Char Kway Teow (fried flat noodles) which is simply scrumperlicious! With enough wok hei, this plate of noodles, egg, prawns, cockles, beansprouts and garlic chives is a rhapsody with harmony! Give it a try...

Restoran Nam Chuan
2-4 Lorong Ara Kiri Dua,
Lucky Garden, Bangsar,
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-2094 4221

I think I just ate my willpower. ~Author Unknown

My Elephant, Sec 17 Petaling Jaya

I have passed by the restaurant, My Elephant several times (when I went for my usual beef noodles nearby) and told myself that I have to have dinner there one of these days. Eventually, I did end up going there on a Friday night where a group of us met to go over our tactics & strategies for our trip in the finals of The Star's Drive For Food. Yes, we had a serious discussion (though some folks digressed, like yours truly), hehe...I think some of you beg to differ! Hahaha...Anyway, before I move on, do remember to vote for us here at http://star-motoring.com/mystar/driveforfood/finalvideos.asp. We are the first two videos on top, Fantastic Four and Apple Crumble Team. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts again! Okay, now onwards with the food!

The owners of this place had previously run another Thai restaurant by the name of Doodee down in KL at Jalan Mesui. They then decided to move their business up to PJ; giving the restaurant a new name. It's a cute name, My Elephant; I wonder if I were to ever open my own restaurant, would I call it My Monkey? Of course, not to be missed on the dessert menu would be My Monkey's Banana Split! :o) Lame but very possible!

I managed to take two pics that night and when JC asked what's new in town the week after, I suggested My Elephant and joined in by another makan kaki, I had my second meal here (this time without the maps/guidebooks and time planner strewed on the table! hahaha) at leisure pace.

I think the rice served here are the normal Jasmine rice mixed with a bit of Thai Red Rice (I could be wrong), which I really like - RM2.00/USD0.60 per head, unlimited.

I absolutely love this tangy Seafood Tom Som Talay. Somewhat like a clear version of the usually fiery red Tom Yam, this soup has herbs, lime and lemongrass. A small order of it costs RM12/USD3.60 which gave the three of us a bowl each.

I loved the Green Curry chicken too (RM12/USD3.60). The chicken meat was sliced nicely and the gravy was simply delicious. Not too rich but definitely yummy, made me eat more rice than I should! "Greta Garbo has no fear of carbo!"...LOL!

On the other hand, I found the Papaya Salad RM8/USD2.40 (Som Tum) - way too raw for my liking, so much so, it was hard to chew.

The Tempura Squid - RM15/USD4.50 (I forgot what it's called in Thai !) was tasty too. Deep fried with some curry leaves, the fragrant batter was crispy and not oily. However I would have preferred if they served a slightly smaller bite size, it would have been even tastier!

This otak-otak omelette pic was taken from my first visit. It's a tasty dish but I didn't know there's otak-otak in it till I was told! Where's the otak-otak? Or did I miss it???

Desserts from the 1st dinner was Sago Pudding with corn, mango and jackfruit. It came drizzled with light coconut milk. I enjoyed this dessert as it wasn't too sweet and the portion was just nice. Not sure of the price but I think it's about RM4 plus/USD1.40.

My dessert during my 2nd visit was Glutinous Rice with Yam and Fresh Mango (Mango Pulut). This was another hit; the three of us shared a plate (RM6.50/USD2). Served slightly warm, we enjoyed the mixed of little soft yam cubes buried within the mount of well cooked glutinous rice.

With a bare minimum design but yet one that exudes a certain class with a dark interior, food here is pretty tasty and with prices that are reasonable to boot. In time, I'm sure My Elephant would do quite well. Happy Mansion is definitely getting more interesting. Let's drink to that! (FYI, corkage charge of RM10/USD3 per bottle).

Precious Pea has also posted on My Elephant HERE.

My Elephant
Block C-G4 Happy Mansion
Section 17/13
46400 Petaling Jaya

Business Hours:
Lunch : 12 pm - 2.30 pm
Dinner : 6 pm - 10 pm
(Tuesday-Sunday) Except Sunday - only dinner available
Do note that ala carte is only available during dinnertime while they serve only set meals for lunch.

Call 012-3285028 or 019-3608911 for reservations.

Turn left after the Shell station, with the brown flats being on your right (going towards Happy Mansion). Then as you past the first block of flats on your left, slow down - it's the third block (the block opposite Food Foundry and same as Choong Yien, the chicken rice shop).

Salesman : You got time for lunch?
Homer : Yeah, I do...
Salesman : You like Thai?
Homer : Yeah, you like shirt?