Food reviews

Little Hanoi

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little hanoi

Little Hanoi is a coffee shop that mushroomed up in place of another
coffee shop which has ceased operating some time ago. I just saw this
eatery when I came back to Sibu this time. I went there today with my
girlfriend for lunch. Little Hanoi serves Vietnamese food, with slight
alterations to suit local tastes.

little hanoi pho

This is their pho, which is made with hor fun. The dish is made with good broth (which IMHO dictates the taste of the pho) – clear and satisfying.

little hanoi lime

It is served with half a lime, the likes of which I’ve never seen
before…the patterns in the middle of the lime seems unfamiliar, or
maybe they just sliced the lime diagonally.

little_hanoi_pho_close.jpg

Here’s a closer look at the pho. The hor fun is soft, and the thinly sliced beef in the soup tastes tender too.

little hanoi beef noodles

This is Little Hanoi’s implementation of beef noodles – it comes with thickly sliced carrots and chunks of beef in a thick soup.

little hanoi sea salt

This one is served with half a lime and some sea salt, which goes nicely with the chunks of beef.

little hanoi beef noodles close

Here’s a closer look at the beef noodles…there’s some bean sprouts in there too, to counter balance the taste.

little hanoi spring roll

Finally, we ordered a side dish of deep fried spring rolls. The
coating on this is very unique, and this makes the texture interesting.

Little Hanoi may not be an authentic Vietnamese eating experience,
but it’s a welcome addition to Sibu’s relatively slow growing food
industry.

Hoi Fu Restaurant

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hoi fu restaurant

My father celebrates his birthday today and also his retirement day
from the education sector. I’m glad for him coz working in that sector
is often unappreciated and hard work. Well, we went to Hoi Fu
Restaurant for some “home cooked” meals coz my dad has been eating at
restaurants constantly due to his farewell retirement gatherings.

dad bday fern

The first dish that came out is some of the largest ferns (?) I’ve
seen – it’s a staple over here, and the locals call it something that
sounds like “billion”.

dad bday mapo tofu

Ma po tofu (a spicy tofu dish) was the next item on the menu – it’s
great, most places skimp on the chilli to suit local tastes, but I like
my stuff to be hot, hot, hot so I’m glad they didn’t.

dad bday pork

Next, came the clay pot cooked pork leg – it’s salty and delicious,
very nice implementation by Hoi Fu Restaurant. This was the only dish
we didn’t manage to finish though – it’s a family affair, with just my
gf and my parents, and they’re not exactly big eaters.

dad bday prawns

We also ordered a side dish of buttered prawns. It’s not as good as the ones in Kuching, but it’s alright.

dad bday cod

Finally, what meal would be complete without the obligatory fish?
This is steamed cod and it was delicious! I always like the fish
steamed with soy sauce from Chinese restaurants.

dad bday dad mom

Happy Birthday Dad, and Happy Retirement! Now, it’s time for some long due and well deserved rest. 🙂

Happy Valley Home BBQ

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happy valley home bbq

Happy Valley Home BBQ is an eating establishment located just behind
the Happy Valley pub…and just like the name suggests – it’s a
residential house (!).

happy valley home bbq gate

There’s small gate and bridge that leads into Happy Valley Home BBQ.
There’s a sign on the gate that goes “No Outsiders Allowed!”. I’m just
kidding with ya – the sign goes “No outside food allowed”. 😉

happy valley home bbq home

The interesting thing about Happy Valley Home BBQ is just
that…it’s a home that’s been converted into an eatery, with all the
coziness that the ambience allows for.

happy valley home bbq special

I started with Happy Valley Special – a drink that comes with all
sorts of Oriental Healthy Stuff (TM) that I can’t identify. It was very
“cooling” though. Jesus, what conformist words I’m using…seriously
though, it’s good. The interesting mix of ingredients makes the drink
sweet and piques the palate’s interest at the same time.

happy valley home bbq curry

This is their Curry Fried Rice, which one of my friends ordered. It
came with savory rice and crackers, in addition to a bowl of curry
chicken with prime cuts inside. It’s good!

happy valley home bbq chicken

Here’s Happy Valley’s implementation of Chicken Chop. I forgot what this one tastes like, my bad.

happy valley home bbq spagetti

I ordered some Spaghetti Bolognese…

happy valley home bbq chef

…and the Chef’s Recommendation of the Day – some mixed grill that
tasted sweet (probably coz of the glazed honey and sesame seed sauce).
It’s good.

happy valley home oxtail

There’s also a complimentary Soup of the Day (Oxtail Soup). Happy Valley BBQ makes a good bowl of Oxtail soup…hearty.

happy_valley_home_bbq_table.jpg

Having a meal at Happy Valley Home BBQ feels like eating at
home…with all the messiness and ambience of home cooking. The bill
came up for RM 60+ for three people, which isn’t too bad, considering
the fare.

The famous Tai Sam Lou fish head review

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csl3 fish head shop

I went to the renowned Chan Sow Lin No 3 Road fish head shop for lunch. It’s located somewhere in KL and I’m told that it’s very famous for their fish head dish.

csl3 fish head shop flagship

It seems that the fish head is their signature flagship dish as everyone there is having it…

csl3 fish head shop cooking

The Tai Sam Lou (literally Big Three Road in Cantonese) is a roadside restaurant of sorts, with a side area for cooking…

csl3 fish head shop wood side

…and a wood structure to the side, which I assume is the living quarters of the proprietors.

csl3 fish head shop rice

The rice came out first, its just ye ol garden variety rice…

csl3 fish head shop belly pork

…and we also ordered kay yok, which is belly pork with yam. It’s
really good – the pork is fatty and hearty and the yam was nice too.
It’s a great addition to the meal for people who like meat.

csl3 fish head shop bean sprouts

There is also the obligatory vegetable dish…this is bean sprouts.
The unusual thing about the dish is the size of the bean sprouts.
Jesus, the things are huge! Bean sprouts on steroids or genetically engineered (GE) bean sprouts, whichever you like to think of it as. 😉

csl3 fish head shop fish

Finally, here’s the flagship dish of the restaurant – I present to you, the Spicy bean sauce gravy steamed fish head with bean sauce and soy sauce. I don’t recall the Cantonese name for it, but it sounded something like chiong ching something something yu tau.

csl3 fish head shop rice fish sauce

It really is good! It’s lightly steamed with spicy ingredients, but the freshness of the fish still manages to shine through.

csl3 fish head shop fish macro

The Tai Sam Lou fish head shop is a great find indeed…couldn’t have done it without a local.

Kafe Zhi Wei review

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kafe zhi wei

Cafe Zhi Wei is latest eatery to open up in
Kuching. It has only been in operation for less than 2 weeks. The words
“Zhi Wei” literally means “(The) Taste” but the Chinese characters
means “Taste Expert Cafe”. I went there last night to try out this new
eating establishment.

zhi wei interior

Kafe Zhi Wei is nicely spaced out, with seating arrangements to
accommodate couples, groups and larger packs of diners. There is also
an al fresco (this word should never be used in Malaysian food reviews)
dining option for smokers. The seats outside are nicer than the ones in
the interior, for some reason.

zhi wei owner

I love the personalized service that Cafe Zhi Wei provides. The
proprietor was kind enough to come out and recommend dishes to us. Her
name is Ng See Sian and she hails from KL. Cafe Zhi Wei is meant for an
authentic Hakka cuisine experience. She’s very friendly, and easy to
talk to, and can recommend the best dishes for the day.

zhi wei lime assam

She told us the Lime Asam Juice (RM 2.50) is
different from most implementations and suggested that we try out this
drink. It’s good. I can’t remember what I ordered, coz we just ate and
shared dishes and drinks. It’s pretty much of a communal dining
experience with us coz we like to sample new things.

zhi wei lemon sugarcane

This is the Lemon Sugar Cane (RM 2.00) that the
proprietor also recommended. It looks a little like the Lime Assam
Juice, but without the froth on top. She told us that the lemon offsets
the overt sweetness of the sugar cane juice. I found it very nice and
thirst quenching.

zhi wei longan

Here’s the Longan with winter melon (RM 1.50)
that’s served in a unique receptacle. It’s recommended for its
“cooling” properties and apparently is popular in with Hakka people.

zhi wei rice

The proprietor told us that their strength is in the Hakka Fried Pork dishes. This is the Hakka Fried Pork Rice
(RM 4.50). It comes with Oil Rice, which is a very fragrant type of
rice. I tasted it and I swear it’s better than Bario rice in taste (but
not texture).

zhi wei noodles

This is the Dry Hakka Fried Pork Noodle (RM 5.00).
The proprietor informed us that the pork that they serve is not the
usual “three layer pork” but a specially prepared Hakka style cured
meat that requires a long seasoning time. I love the Hakka Fried Pork,
it’s really different from the others I’ve had.

zhi wei noodles close

Here’s a closer look at the contents of the Dry Hakka Fried Pork
Noodle. It has generous portions of pork, fresh green vegetables, and
edible fungi, all topped with chopped spring onions. It’s great – the
Hakka Fried Pork is really something to experience and the noodles are
nice and springy.

zhi wei fried dumpling

This is the Deep Fried Dumpling (RM 5.00) that we
ordered as a side dish. One bit of information that the proprietor told
is that the Deep Fried Dumplings are only available at night. The lunch
crowd is usually in a rush to get back to the office so they serve
Dumpling Soup during lunch instead.

zhi wei fried dumpling inside

Here’s a closer look at the Deep Fried Dumpling. It has a lot of
ingredients which I couldn’t identify, but the pastry wrap is crunchy
and the inside hot and delicious. As I mentioned, this dish is only
available at night, so go for dinner if you’ll like to try this dish.

zhi wei cripsy vege

Finally, we had the highly recommended Crispy Vegetable With Chicken
(RM 4.50). The proprietor informed us that this is their flagship dish
– there’s no other eating establishments in Sarawak that has this
particular dish. It’s really delicious, I polished off the whole plate
in no time.

Kafe Zhi Wei gets two thumbs up from me. Don’t miss out on this
place if you’re in Kuching – it has great Hakka based cuisine and a
list of must-try dishes that the proprietor can recommend. Great
service and food, that’s a 10/10 in my books.

Coconut chendol special

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coconut chendol special

I saw this decadently designed dessert and the picture just called
out to me…it felt like the photo was compelling me, saying “Order
me…I am a big bowl of coconut and chendol goodness and you’ll love
me…”

coconut chendol special coconut

…and love it I did. 😉 The whole concoction is made of a plethora
of ingredients – chendol, yam pieces, sweet potato, sweet bean, sweet
corn, and others, all stuffed into a real coconut with coconut juice
and flesh and topped with evaporated milk. It was over the top.

coconut chendol special close

Here’s a closer look at the ingredients contained inside the Coconut
chendol special. It’s well worth the RM 3.50. There are a lot of
unorthodox ingredients that belong better in a bubur cha cha mix e.g.
the sweet potato and yam, but the coconut implementation is rather
unorthodox too. It’s nice to drink the slightly tart juice of the
coconut mixed with the classic chendol milky sweet taste while
harvesting flesh from the coconut to eat.

coconut chendol special inside

Coconut chendol special tastes like chendol crossed with bubur cha
cha and given a twist with real coconut juice and flesh. It’s amazing
that no one has thought of this before. It gets two thumbs up from me.

Fried pah wee

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shi shan shui cafe

There are a lot of memories embedded with eating fried pah wee at
Shi Shan Shui Cafe located opposite the library. I used to come here a
lot with a couple of my friends for dinner while studying at the public
library…but sparing you the trip down memory lane, let’s get straight
to the food.

pah wee pawe

This is pah wee or pawe which literally means white pasta. It’s a
uniform sized flour based product that bears a close resemblance to its
cousin, kueh tiaw. Pah wee is usually soaked in water until an order
comes in to soften it up. The same proprietor has been manning this
stall since the days of my library “study” excursions, but again, the
nostalgic monologue will be saved for another day.

fried pah wee

Pah wee is usually fried with soy sauce and other sauces and its
served like spaghetti – al dante. It’s fried, but the springiness is
retained while having a soft center in these pasta like flat rotund
pieces.

fried pah wee eat

Here’s the fried pah wee dish that I remember having all those years
ago…it still tastes the same. 🙂 The pah wee is chewy and topped with
fresh spring onions and the salty dish is best eaten with a side of
chilli sauce. It’s great and it’s a dish that’s hard to find outside
Sibu.

Sibu’s famous kompia

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sibu kompia dry

Sibu is well known for kompia as the birthplace of kompia began here. Kompia or kom pia
(literally baked biscuit) is a uniquely Sibu based product. There are
several different implementations of kompia, the most basic being just
the baked pastry without filling.

sibu kompia wet

However, the most popular implementation is arguably the meat filled
kompia soaked in meat gravy. It usually goes for about RM 0.50 per
piece. Different people prefer different variants, but the only type
I’ll eat is the gravy soaked meat stuffed kompia.

I like to soak the kompia in the meat gravy for a long time till
it’s all soggy before eating the whole soggy mess of bread and meat and
gravy. It’s like a salty Tim Tam Slam, Sibu style. 😉

Cha soba (Green tea noodles)

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cha soba

Cha soba is a green tea noodle dish served cold (chilled). There is a side of noodles, a dish containing fresh spring onions and wasabi, as well as sauce.

cha soba macro

Here’s a close-up of the soba noodles. Soba is made from buckwheat
flour and green tea powder is added to the mixture to make the noodles
look green. It comes with nori (dried seaweed).

cha soba mix

I like to eat cha soba by just mixing everything together to form a chilled noodle mix. 🙂

cha soba side dish 1

Just add a couple of side dishes…

cha soba side dish 2

…and you’re set for the perfect meal. Zen…

Memories Grand Cafe

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memories grand cafe

Memories Cafe (or Memories Grand Cafe, Grand
Memories Cafe) is an old eating establishment located along the old
part of town. The signboard looks weathered and faded, and this adds to
the charm of this themed restaurant.

memories grand cafe 1

Memories Cafe has an interior designed to look like a blast to the
past, back to the good old diners of the 60’s. There are various decors
and posters from the past to immerse the customer in the ambience of
the good old days.

memories grand cafe 2

Diner style seating arrangements is also available on one side of
the place – Memories Cafe seems to attract a wide range of clientele –
the cafe was partially full when we were there for lunch and people
from all walks of life (there’s the cliche again ;)) comes in.

memories grand cafe posters

Check out the posters mounted on the walls – Breakfast at Tiffany’s,
The Sound of Music, a Beatles poster…man, this place is old skool…

memories grand cafe blended ice

I had The Memories Blended Ice (RM 8.50) for the
drink. It was so good; I ordered another one as dessert. 😉 It contains
“espresso, mocha powder blended with ice & milk, topped with
whipped cream”. There are other themed drinks such as “The Elvis
Blended Ice” and “The Marilyn Blended Ice”, but they’re just variants
of ice blended coffee.

memories grand cafe big texas

The main course consisted of The Big Texas (RM
15.90), which the waiter recommended. It’s the cafe’s flagship burger
and it’s huge! It comes in either beef or pork options and I went for
the pork. The description of it goes “BBQ burger served with beef
bacon, cheese slice, tomato, cucumber, onion, tomato sauce and
pork/chicken patty”. It’s served with crinkle fries on the side.

memories grand cafe big texas macro

Here’s a closer look at “The Big Texas” – check out the crispy bacon
and the generous patty (steak cut would be a better description for the
portion) of tender and juicy pork chunk topped with melted cheese.
Mmm…

memories grand cafe karen

I went there for lunch with Karen over the weekend, who’s a friend
of a couple of my co-workers, to discuss about insurance with
investment options. She just ordered drinks coz she had already eaten.
We were there for nearly two hours and still felt welcome by the staff,
despite our extended visit.

memories grand cafe sign

I never knew that Memories Cafe had such a vibrant group of
customers – it always looks empty and dilapidated from the outside.
.but I know better now. It’s one of the best kept secrets in town. It
has good food and attentive service at reasonable prices. Memories
Grand Cafe will surprise you if you haven’t been there before – check
it out.

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