Tim Pun Gor Gor, Kepong

Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part Three (Final)

After the long wait for our noodles at Seng Yuen, we needed to end our night in Kepong on a sweet note. During our 1 hour 15 minutes wait, Simon and CityGal mentioned a few places where we go head onto for some desserts. Since Jason and I weren't familiar with this territory, we just kinda went along - and we ended up at Tim Pun Gor Gor (Tim Pun - "desserts" and Gor Gor - brother).

We reached there near to closing time and sat outdoors as they were preparing to clean the indoor area. The dessert menu is rather extensive and we had a tough time trying to decide what to order, Simon especially, hehe...

The time we took to put in our orders were further delayed slightly as we took some time to take photos of ourselves too (me excluded in this pic, since I was the one taking the photo).

Simon, CityGal & Jason


Almond & Black Sesame Dessert (RM3/USD0.85). I tasted a bit of this but I found it a tad sweet but Simon liked it.


CityGal's Almond, Red Bean and Lotus Dessert (RM3.30/USD0.90). This was an interesting combo and fared better.


Jason and I shared this unique Mango with Noodles Dessert (RM7.50/USD2). Served chilled, it had strands and strands of "noodles" buried underneath a generous amount of mango cubes. I was cautious when it came to eating the "noodles" as they looked like some slippery hor fun (flat noodles). On first bite, I was pleasantly surprised as it turned out to be strands of jelly instead - coconut milk flavoured jelly strands. How interesting! The strands of jelly and the mango cubes complemented each other well.

We had a great time in Kepong - spending approximately RM15/USD4 each in total for our three stops here (Sen Kee Duck Satay, Seng Yuen Fried Noodles and Tim Pun Gor Gor). It was nice to do a food crawl after such a long while - it's what food bloggers do and enjoy best ;o). So, here's to more food adventures!

Tim Pun Gor Gor
(opposite Carrefour)
D-G-6, Jalan Metro Perdana
Taman Usahwan, Kepong
52100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-6251 0209

Work is the meat of life, pleasure the dessert
- B. C. Forbes

Seng Yuen Fried Noodles, Kepong

Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part Two

Sorry, been busy...so dropping an updated line to wish all readers and friends...

GONG XI FA CHAI,
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
&
SAFE JOURNEY

See you folks next week...

Having fed ourselves with duck satay earlier, Simon suggested we try out this place for fried noodles called Kou Lo Chow Fun (Cantonese for Tall Man's Fried Noodles) that he goes to once in awhile but not before he warned us that we might have to wait quite awhile before we get served as there's usually quite a crowd. I told him of my experience with Man Shook ("Slow Uncle")'s Fried Noodles in Jalan Tong Shin and about my 45 minutes wait for the order to arrive, so, I was prepared!

When we arrived at the coffeeshop lot, we were slightly taken aback to see the long line of tables on the shop pavement and five foot way - ALL TAKEN and with most still waiting for their order.

So, we made our way into the shop...I felt like I was transported back into time or had made my way to a little place out of town. There were only two empty tables left.

Even the work station (located right next to the cashier's counter!) where the "tea" guy prepares the drinks order looks so nostalgic that it made me think of my childhood days when I followed my parents to the old Bukit Bintang market(which had to make way for KL Plaza/Lot 10!) and would go for our usual kopi ping (iced coffee with milk) or cham (tea mixed with coffee) after buying vegetables, fish, chicken and sundries. Ahh....I miss those days, I miss my dear ol' Dad :o(

Since we were prepared for a long wait...us floggers kept ourselves busy taking pics of the surrounding place and the people and eventually ourselves.....


However, after an hour of waiting....our standby mode was almost going into sleep mode! Hahaha...

Meanwhile, just outside - the master was hard at work at churning out oodles of noodles, with plenty of wok action but as I stood there to look on, I waited for a shot of high flames but it never happened..Uhh...plus, he didn't seem that tall to me though. Will the real Tall Man please stand up???


Well, after 1 hour 15 minutes, our first plate of noodles arrived. Hokkien Fried Noodles (a mix of flat and thick yellow noodle with dark sauce - Simon's usual way) With all that built up anticipation, we tucked in with great enthusiasm...only to be somewhat let down. The noodles were cooked al dente but lacked one crucial aspect. Just as I had made that observation about "no high flames" when I was looking on earlier, these noodles did not have any "wok hei" (food cooked over high flames, see HERE for a photo example), which is essential for chopstick licking and lip smacking good Hokkien noodles. However, we had one solution to kick it up a notch...


Extra crispy lard to add more oomph and aroma to the noodles! Crispy lard saves the day! Yay!


The Cantonese Fried Noodles (RM6/USD1.70) fared a bit better as the egg swirled gravy had the right consistency (meaning not too starchy till gooey like!) and the noodles were a bit more aromatic as it had been fried lightly before the gravy (that is cooked together with vegetables, prawns and meat slices) is poured over it and served immediately. CityGal said that she found the noodles bland, but I found it okay...maybe it was that bit of sambal that I had put on each spoonful of noodles that I ate. Oh, of course...some crispy lard too :o)

Simon had wanted Loh Mee (thick yellow noodles with thicker consistency broth cooked with some corn starch and eggs) but we were given a plate of Braised Yee Mee (RM6/USD1.70) instead. We decided not to send it back at the risk of waiting even longer, hahaha! This egg noodle was the most normal fare of the three types (by that time, all four of us were faced with a dire situation - we were running low on crispy lard supply. Egads!). Jason ate the crispy lard bits with so much gusto that I felt quite envious...with his small frame, he can jolly well afford to eat up a whole bucket of it if he wants to :p ! We somehow never got round to replenishing the supply as it was the last plate to arrive. So, we ate the crispy bits sparingly.

Not enough crispy lard = Not enough oomph!

Well, we came to the conclusion that Tall Man (if that elderly man was indeed the real Tall Man) might not have been able to cope with the many orders that he had to dish out and therefore food quality was compromised. We surely couldn't comprehend why the stall can draw such a crowd if the noodles aren't tasty - surely not worth the wait especially. We said that we would try to come back here again during a non-peak hours and give it a second test.

A basket of Yee Mee being air dried on a table set up along the five foot way

Well, it wasn't that bad but disappointed, we were. However, I give it two thumbs up for bringing back such lovely memories for me with its nostalgic look...


Kedai Makanan Seng Yuen
19E Jalan Besar (Main Road)
Kepong
52000 Kuala Lumpur
Opens evening till early hours of the morning


Coming soon - Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part 3 (Final)

Weekend Discovery

I discovered this cool video when I stumbled onto a blog called Split Screen. This video is done by Francois Macre singing Thriller acapella style using 64 frames (with 64 tracks produced) - each frame delivering a different track of the song. His singing voice is quite weak but I give him 110% for his ingenuity and hard work recording this video. Check it out - see how much work Francois Macre did! He spent 350 hours singing this song and 2 1/2 months putting this video together! It's amazing!

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Sen Kee Duck Satay, Kepong

Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part One


When Saturday arrived again and Jason mentioned about meeting up for dinner, I had in mind to trek into some unfamiliar territory for some good food hunting. With the recent post on Lim Kee, KampungBoyCityGal had left a comment to "remind" me that they stay nearby to us too. So, at around 7.40pm, the three of us (CityGal sans KampungBoy) headed off to "unknown" coordinates. Why unknown? Cos even at that very moment, we still had not decided where to eat! After Jason and I had our usual brotherly and sisterly "argument" in the car with CityGal sitting at the back thinking where to go to, I suggested that we go in search of Sen Kee's Duck Satay in Kepong and take it from there. Problem was, none of us knew where it was or how to get there. Reading road maps and making calls to friends (to the extent of not only asking them for help with directions but to also those who were at home to go online and get us the address from VKeong's post on Sen Kee!) yielded no answers.

We decided to throw caution to the wind and just started heading towards Kepong. Quarter way through, we suddenly remembered that Simon stays in Kepong and we called him to see if he knew where Sen Kee is and whether he wanted to join us. He couldn't really figure out the directions over the phone but decided to join us. We pulled over at Carrefour in Kepong and waited for him...by the time he got into my car, it was already 9.30pm!!! But nothing can faze us and with Simon leading us towards Taman Desa Jaya, we arrived ... Aaahhh! I don't know about the rest of them, but for me it was like "Eureka!" - felt like doing a little dance there and then! Hahaha...

It's actually just a little stall located outside a Legend Garden Restaurant and since we had no intention of eating Chinese dishes, the four of us decided to sit on the lone table outside and eat duck satay and nothing but the satay...all forty sticks of it!

At 60 sen (USD0.15!)a stick, one has a choice of chicken, duck or lamb.

CityGal at "work" with her new DSLR!

This is my first time seeing two staff, working side by side while fanning the grill. Apparently they dress in the same colour code too. They both had worn pink when Vkeong ate there.

When the satay is cooked, it'll be transferred to the side table where one of the ladies will trim off any burnt bits with a pair of scissors before it's served to us.

and here's the Duck Satay in all its glory! It was moist and the meat had a springy texture, had no gamey taste to it and was flavourful enough to eat it on its own without the satay sauce. I did try the sauce and it was quite good - thick and nutty! Well, Jason surely liked it a lot as he drank up his plate of satay sauce! :p

Would I come here again for the duck satay? The answer is a resounding YES! (CityGal and I ordered extra sticks to go!) and I just hope that I still remember the way there. Hahaha....Well, as in any "traditional" food crawl, one stop just doesn't cut it. Going along with Simon's suggestion, we proceeded to our next destination...but's that another post :D


Sen Kee Satay
Jalan 12, Taman Desa Jaya
Kepong
Tel : 019-218 7538/019-249 2572
Opens from about 6pm - 10.30pm
Close on Mondays

Update : Take note : This was informed by "dreamangels" who left a comment on this blog post

dream.angels said...

hi.. juz to inform u guys tat d restaurant where d satay uncle is at, has changed d name to Restaurant MCY.. then, this will make it easier to find uncle satay's stall...



Stay tuned for Food Adventure Series - Kepong, Part Two

Can All My Future Weekends Be Like This One?

I had an enjoyable weekend, starting with a food crawl with some floggers in Kepong on Saturday night- the first food crawl for 2009 ...

and ending my Sunday here...

Sepang Gold Coast

Stay tuned....

Here's To A Great Week Ahead!

Lim Kee, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, KL

(NON-HALAL)

Sometime in 2008, both Precious Pea and Teckiee who stayed near me initially moved further away. I felt a tinge of sadness (cue music from the violin! Hahaha...) as my days for "sudden" (read : ad hoc) food adventures came to an end. But of late, my grey clouds have been lifted and such adventures are back with Jason moving up to Petaling Jaya and staying a stone's throw away from me!

So, it was one weekend when we decided to take a drive to an unfamiliar territory and try out this place that Jason had read about. He told me that the place didn't have a signboard but is known as Lim Kee. I forgot to ask how that name came about! It was rather ad hoc and I didn't bring my camera and had to borrow Jason's (we actually took turns to take photos with the same camera-I think this is something only food bloggers would understand!) to take these set of pics.

Located at a shack behind Full Gospel Assembly (FGA) building, I didn't really know what to expect but was briefed by Jason they were well known for dishing out yummy stuff. When I saw the crowd and saw what they were eating, I knew we were going to have a good meal.

We arrived there during peak dinner time. Our orders were promptly taken though and we just followed whatever Penny, the lady boss/staff (we never ascertain who she was) recommended. We wanted to try this and that and that and this and I think we ended up ordering more than enough for the two of us :p

The cook busy at work - a very busy kitchen area. Check out the cook's Japanese slippers ;o)

First up - Sweet Potato noodles. I expected it to be the dry version like the one in Hua Xing, Sg. Way. It was fried the usual Hokkien style with prawns, meat and vegetables. I love the added topping of the crispy fried lard. The noodle on its own didn't taste as fragrant as Hua Xing's version though, a bit too wet for my liking.

Next was the Fried Glass Noodles with bitter gourd -I actually thought the bitter gourd would be stir fried together with the noodles and hadn't noticed when I took this photo that it was actually served on the side. You can see the bitter gourd at the other end of the plate ;p. This glass noodles was nice and not oily (the bits of crispy fried lard do not count!). It definitely fared better than their sweet potato noodles.

This was the special for that weekend. A special East meets West Pork dish. It has a fruity tasting sauce that complimented the tender pork. We both loved it - ate it all up and left the plate almost squeaky clean (I drank the gravy up!). It seems they have different specials on different weekends. So, if you're looking to try this out, do note that you may not get to on certain weekends. Call ahead and find out the specials if you want to know.

When I heard they had Fried Abacus Seeds, I could not possibly pass up on it. Again, both Jason and I loved the taste. The minced meat and dried prawn bits combined made this flour mixture of yam & tapioca a delight to eat. It's cooked in a different way as the one from the stall in Nam Chuan, Bangsar but both have their good merits.

Eating here was an enjoyable experience and in a surrounding not often seen nowadays. I've been back to this place and will continue to do so as the prices are reasonable and most food items are yummy! Unless you are one of those who can't bring yourself to eat in a shack (read : quite particular about hygiene), you'll find yourself making a visit here, if not often but still occasionally just like me.

Others who have gone into the shack :

Masak-masak

Makantrip.com


Lim Kee Fried Noodles
Shack behind FGA (Full Gospel Assembly) Building
Off Jalan Kuchai Lama
Tel : 03-7981 1972
Opens from 6 pm-12 am
Close on alternate Mondays

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
~ Oprah Winfrey

A New Year Ahead...

What a night .... first there was dinner in Subang, then to a pub in Taman Tun Dr Ismail for countdown which we "technically" missed by the last 9 seconds as we were sitting outside! Then it was supper for each of us to sober up a bit before we drove back home. Hahaha....I got home at 4 a.m, ending my outing on a brand new day of 2009!

Here's me, signing off WMW (with the neon green torchlight) for 2008! Here's to 2009...

May 2009 fill your heart with new hopes, open up new horizons and bring you promises of brighter tomorrows!