Ayam Gepuk Pak Gembus, USJ 21 – the viral spicy chicken!

Ayam-Gepuk

I was pleased to see this new F&B outlet opposite my condo. Ayam Gepuk Pak Gembus is the famous Indonesian chain of fiery chicken where they use up to 100 cili padi to make their spicy chicken coating. Their main Malaysian branch in Gombak went viral recently and in a testament to scalability, they’ve rapidly opened smaller outlets around Klang Valley. This is an official branch, not a copycat. I love spicy food and I’ve always wanted to try this infernal creation.

Ayam-Gepuk-Pak-Gembus-USJ21

The menu is very streamlined – there’s only one item on offer here but 4 sets from RM 7.90 to RM 10.90. The cheapest one just has ¼ chicken + rice + RO water while the most expensive one throws in tofu, tempeh, chicken liver, chicken stomach, and fried cabbage. Their fried cabbage is insane so I highly recommend the RM 10.90 set. You can get free refills of rice, RO water and unlimited chillis.

Ayam-Pak-Gembus

Their ayam gepuk is the main draw and I had mine with 35 bird eye chillis. The chillis are pounded and mixed with oil and other aromatics before being spread on the ¼ chicken. They don’t use very spicy chillis – these are more flavorful than spicy. It’s a salty and umami rub that goes very well with rice. It burned my lips for an hour after though. I enjoyed the chicken and their delicious fried cabbage. The latter had crispy edges and a distinct taste of char that I love!

However, be warned that they do not have the capacity to deal with large crowds. Each dish is prepared individually and they only have one prep station so it takes ages for food to come out. There was a long queue to order and pay at the cashier too. The chickens are also tiny, but Malay poultry tend to be on the smaller side for some reason. It’s worth a try though!

Sama-Sama Hotels Ramadan Buffet 2018

Sama-Sama-Buffet

I was intrigued when I got an invitation to a Ramadan buffet preview at Sama Sama Hotel in KLIA. It’s actually not very far for me since I live in USJ. Driving to KLIA is closer for me than going to KL city center. Plus, I hear durian is also served in this buffet! I don’t need another reason to go.

Stalls

The Ramadan buffet is setup in themed islands instead of a row of dishes as is the norm in other buffets. There’s a Malaysian food island, an Indonesian food one, another dedicated to ice cream and cendol etc.

Food

This breaks up the line of people queuing into more manageable columns but popular stations like the durian, satay and drinks islands still has a formidable line.

Indoors

They also have indoors seating…

Outdoors

…as well as outdoors. The atas word for this is porte-cochere. Or so I read.

Prawns

I particularly enjoyed the food from this buffet as I’m a huge fan of regional flavours. I had two heaping plates of food! You may be surprised to hear that I liked the different styles of cooked chicken from this region with rice the most.

Lemang

I also had the grilled lamb with mint sauce but I found myself going back to the comforting familiar flavors more.

Durian-Stall

I also took advantage of the durian stall located outside the hall. I must have queued up three times to stuff myself with creamy durian.

Durian

I ate so much durian I was hard pressed to try all the other desserts.

Ice-Kacang

I did have several helpings of ice kacang though. They also have various local flavored ice cream which I found delicious! They even have traditional iced lollies in a tube! Nostalgic.

Dates

They have different types of dates for you to break your fast too.

Band

Live band playing melodic classics. This is perfect at a Ramadan buffet where people wait to break fast and tend to sit longer. Entertainment is always good.

Sugarcane

There’s also a variety of local drinks from freshly squeezed sugarcane to asam boi.

Apam-Balik

I loved the apam balik station too.

Apam

Yum!

Cake

These awesome photos are taken by Joyce. I don’t have the kind of creative eye to pull off shots like this.

Kueh

Sama-Sama Hotel KL International Airport is running this Selera Warisan Nusantara (Malay Archipelago Cuisine) themed Ramadan buffet throughout the puasa month from 6 pm – 10 pm. It’s RM 135 nett per person on weekdays and RM 99 nett per person on weekends. I’m not sure why it’s cheaper on weekends but I know when I’ll go! You can also get a RM 95 nett per person early bird price if you book before 7th May 2018.

Tudia! Crabby Fatty Char Kueh Teow @ The Food Bank, Kota Damansara

Tudia Crab Char Kueh Teow

The Food Bank is a collection of Malay hawker stalls in The Strand, Kota Damansara. I eat here quite often since it’s just opposite my condo and the halal options here are limited. Tudia! Char Kueh Tiaw is one of the stalls I frequent. It’s from Penang but it’s not Chinese style CKT – this is Malay style CKT with gravy. They also have a premium option with crab!

Tudia CKT

I like eating Malay style char kueh teow. The first time I came across it was when I started working in KL and frequented the Malay stall behind my office. I thought the gravy was simply mouth-watering! I have had kueh teow ketam in a lot of places since I also love eating crab. Tudia charges RM 6 for their kueh teow but the crab version goes for RM 15 – RM 25!

Deep Fried Crab

Tudia! crab char kueh teow is made by deep frying the flower crab. That’s quite unusual since most places just steam it. I thought it’ll come out greasy or overcooked due to the way it’s prepared but it’s actually quite good. The flower crab is huge too – the claws overflowed from the plate and they gave me a separate one to eat from. Haha.

Crabby Fatty (RM 23)

Crabby Fatty

The price fluctuate according to season, it was RM 23 yesterday. The kueh teow here is awesome! I love the sweet gravy that floods everything. I think it’s made with a combination of peanut sauce, sweet soy sauce and sambal. It’s very savory and sweet and makes you want more. There’s also an egg in addition to the deep fried crab. It’s yummy but not very filling. I had to order a ikan keli penyet (also called nasi lalapan in Sarawak) to fill up.

Tudia HB

There’s quite a lot of meat in the flower crab and I had fun picking at the shell. There was a Chinese couple who just got off work beside me who ordered the dish after seeing me eat it. The bomb ass sauce goes very well with the crab too. This is a problem in other crab kueh teow places since you don’t have gravy to eat with the crab. It’s a little expensive and you should probably go when you’re not wearing a white shirt but it’s delicious!

Restaurant Padang Sari Ratu Prima

Ikan Berdiri

I was shopping with my better half over the weekend when we saw Sari Ratu Prima. I know that place, I told her. They had just opened up a huge branch opposite my condo in Kota Damansara earlier in the year and it’s just about the only decent halal food (not counting mamaks) in my area. My dear isn’t keen on Malay food but I come here quite often.

Sari Ratu Prima

Technically, Nasi Padang is Indonesian food and the Sari Ratu Prima brand comes from West Sumatra. I would call them a higher end halal eatery, with air conditioned comfort and the prices to match. The people are friendly and the best part is that the dishes come out all hot. Unlike chap fan or nasi kandar, the protein and vegetables are either reheated or cooked to order, making it a lot more delicious.

Restaurant Padang

I come here for their deep fried fish. I used to work with government ministries a lot, and had a client who was really into “ikan berdiri”. It means “fish that stands up” in Malay and basically he wants it fried whole in a certain way that makes it defy gravity. Sari Ratu Prima does this quite well. There are a lot of other dishes which you can pick from as well.

Gulai Kambing (RM 13.65)

Gulai Kambing

This is Indonesian style mutton curry and the priciest meat on their menu. I didn’t even realize that I had such expensive taste. Haha. All kidding aside, mutton always costs more than chicken or beef. There are quite a lot of bone-in pieces so it’s great value. I like their gulai too – it’s mild and creamy, not overly spicy. I think my dear can eat this if she liked the flavor combinations more.

Sayur Kailan (RM 5.50)

Sayur Kailan

This is supposed to be RM 5.50 but I got it for free. I’m not exactly sure how that works, but if you order above a certain price for 1 pax, the workers have some kind of leeway to deduct the lowest priced item (usually a vegetable) from your total. They do charge full price for rice though (RM 2.20). It comes in a pyramid shape like a famous Kota Kinabalu chicken rice shop.

Jus Durian (RM 8.90)

Jus Durian

This is a very creamy milkshake made with vanilla ice cream and durian flesh. It’s quite good and I like to order it whenever I come to Sari Ratu Prima. They also have an avocado fruit juice called Jus Alpokat for RM 10.50. However, you can get the avocado juice for free in their RM 12.90 weekday lunch deal (told you they have strange pricing) so I recommend doing this instead.

Ikan Nila Goreng (RM 25)

Ikan Nila Goreng

This is a whole fish deep fried until crispy. The nila fish has little bones to speak of so you don’t have to worry about getting any stuck to your throat. It’s also served piping hot since it’s cooked to order. I love the fish here. Their sauce is excellent too – it’s a mixture of sweet soy sauce and sambal and it goes very well with the fried fish. This is what I usually come for.

Nasi Padang

Sari Ratu Prima also has a RM 12.90 weekday lunch deal where you can get a few items + a drink which is quite good value. The bill came up to RM 55.20 when I ate here last but the fish made up 1/2 of the total. The reason everything tastes so good here is coz they follow the “cukup rasa” philosophy – all the dishes are overspiced and oversalted, including the fried fish. I had a sodium headache so bad that I had to go to sleep after the meal! It was still worth it though. smirk

Mee Ketam KL @ Seksyen 7, Shah Alam

Mee Ketam KL

Mee Ketam KL is one of the most popular crab noodle places in town. The original outlet is located in Seksyen 7, Shah Alam but they have one in Jalan Dato Keramat, KL too. I had a phase where I was really into crab noodles – I had crab noodles in Sibu, Maggi Ketam and crab beehoon in Sunway Giza and crab kueh teow in Wangsa Maju. It was beautiful. I got my better half and drove down to Mee Ketam KL to check it out.

Mee Ketam Kuala Lumpur

Unfortunately, this place doesn’t open until quite late. I believe they start at 11 pm or 12 pm which is quite unusual, but on the other hand, they stay open until midnight too. There were heaps of university students around since the campus is right beside. Mee Ketam KL is quite popular with the student crowd due to their very affordable prices for flower crabs.

Mee Ketam

The signature Mee Ketam KL is served with flower crabs for RM 9.50. You can swap in mud crabs for a base price of RM 5 (for the noodles) and RM 6.50/100 gram (for the mud crabs). Udang galah (big head prawn) is priced at RM 9/100 g. They also serve cooked crabs with rice for the same price. You can choose from various methods of cooking including curry, buttermilk, red sauce etc.

Mud Crabs

My dear wanted to try their ketam nipah masak cili (mud crabs cooked with chilli) which was recommended. The owner came out with a selection of fresh mud crabs on ice cubes and you’re supposed to select the one you like to be weighed on the spot with a portable machine. I got the second largest one for 600 grams, which cost RM 39. I saw a lot of people eating this same dish with rice, even though they’re known for noodles.

Mee Kari Ketam (RM 9.50)

Mee Kari Ketam

This is their flagship dish. It’s a whole flower crab on top of their curry noodles. Mee Ketam KL uses thick yellow egg noodles and it goes quite well with the crab. The curry broth is very mild and more like a soup. I could detect lots of roe and random crab bits inside the curry though which is a huge plus point – it made the noodles all the more awesome. It was decent but not very strong flavored, to my disappointment.

Ketam Nipah Masak Cili (RM 39)

Ketam Masak Cili

My dear had this one and it comes with rice. OMG! If my dish was bland, this would be the polar opposite. The chilli sauce is fiery! The thick, starchy sauce is translucent, which makes you think it’s mild, but it’s filled with Thai bird eye chillis. It was salty, spicy and sweet at the same time. I couldn’t stop eating my better half’s sauce. It was the best crab I’ve had in my entire life!

Crab Picks

We had brought along our own crab pick for this visit. I first saw them when I was eating King crab and snow crab in Busan, Korea. It was really good for picking at the flesh and when we saw them in Hokkaido during our Japan trip earlier this year, we got a whole bunch of them to use. I gave a set to her parents too and this was the first time we had the chance to use these magnificent crab picks. Haha.

Mee Ketam KL Us

Mee Ketam KL serves decent curry noodles but I feel that the true standout dish is their ketam masak cili. If you like spicy and flavorful food, you’ll love this dish. It may be somewhat too spicy for people who can’t take peppers though, my dear had a bit of trouble with the dish. The stall is actually quite small, but they have an outdoors seating area of wooden tables. The entire meal, including drinks, was just slightly over RM 50 but if you don’t order mud crabs, this place is actually very affordable.

Kueh Teow Ketam + Satay Tulang @ Rawang Burger Bakar (RBB), Wangsa Maju

RBB

The last time I was in Wangsa Maju was when I had Pie Face at Wangsa Walk Mall. Wangsa Maju is really far for me, a 30 minute drive in perfect traffic conditions, so I don’t go there often. However, I was driving past last night when I saw this glorious sign – Kueh Teow Ketam! It’s at a place called Rawang Burger Bakar (RBB) and it piqued my curiosity enough for me to find a place to park.

Rawang Burger Bakar

This Malay owned eatery was still open late at night when other dining options have been exhausted. I’m not sure if this is due to Ramadan or if it’s usually open till late but I’m not surprised if it’s the latter. There were a lot of families inside, probably due to the fasting month. RBB is famous for their burgers but it just looked like regular Ramly style burgers with a few more bells and whistles so I had something else instead.

Nasi Ikan Terbang

It was the Kueh Teow Ketam which brought me here anyway. They also have a whole fried tilapia served with fried rice called Nasi Ikan Terbang (Fresh Tilapia) which goes for RM 15. You can have prawns with your kueh teow for the same price or clams (kerang) for RM 8. RBB has a very streamlined menu which emphasizes on their strength – you can have the same flower crab on top of fried rice or fried noodles for the same RM 15.

Kueh Teow Ketam

However, it seems like the signature dish of the place is the Kueh Teow Ketam (RM 15) so that’s what I got. It was really delicious! I used to have this jaw-dropping Malay style kueh teow when I first came over to KL in 2008 behind my office. This tastes similar. They use A LOT of spices and sauces to fry the kueh teow, making it ultra strong tasting. The provided home made concoction of sambal with soy sauce elevates the already salty, spicy and sweet kueh teow to new heights. The flower crab was served whole, and there was quite a lot of meat inside.

Satay Tulang

I also ordered the Satay Tulang (RM 12) coz I thought it was oxtail satay. It turned out to be huge chunks of chicken on a skewer. This took a long time to come, the server apologized for the delay and told me it’s coz the chicken takes a while to grill. The satay comes with nasi impit (boiled rice cakes), raw onions and cucumbers. I asked where the meat is from and was told it’s from everywhere, but especially the back of the chicken. Every single chunk has bones attached. This is an oily treat which isn’t easy to eat – you have to dig in with your fingers to get at all the meat.

RBB Wangsa Maju

I ultimately couldn’t finish the satay tulang coz of the cloying fat but the first two sticks were nice. It’s probably meant for sharing – a guilty pleasure of sorts. I enjoyed the kueh teow ketam though. It seems to be the most popular dish here, all the other customers were eating this too. Rawang Burger Bakar (RBB) looks family owned and the cashier is just a woman by a makeshift table. The meal cost me RM 30.50 with a Milo Tabur (RM 3.50) drink. The people are friendly and if you like strong tasting spicy kueh teow (or as they call it, cukup rasa) you’ll love the food here.

Maggi Ketam Claypot @ Chilli’s Crab Seafood

Maggi Ketam

Maggi Ketam?!? For real, Restoran Chilli’s Crab Seafood has this unusual dish and it’s not cheap. Maggi is one of the most popular instant noodles around and this place has paired it with a whole mud crab to produce a deluxe variant of Maggi Ketam (Crab Maggi Noodles) in a claypot!

Restoran Chillis Crab Seafood

This is located at Sunway Giza and I’ve seen the poster announcing their “extraordinary and must-try Maggi Ketam” a couple of times. I went there alone last week and had their Maggi Ketam in a claypot. My better half didn’t like the idea of Maggi instant noodles with crab so I embarked upon this culinary adventure myself.

Maggi Ketam Claypot (RM 38.80)

Maggi Crab Noodles

This is one (1) whole mud crab in the region of 500 grams cooked together with 2 packets of Maggi instant noodles in a claypot. You can opt for either Curry flavor or Tom Yam flavor – it really depends on which flavor of Maggi instant noodles you like. I went for the Curry version. I was told that it might be a little too big for a single person but I regularly eat 2-3 packets of Maggi anyway so I thought I could handle it.

Maggi Ketam Claypot

I was right. It was just the right size for a big eater like myself. The novelty of this dish is the pairing of the proletariat Maggi noodles with a luxurious ingredient like crab. The Maggi instant noodles were cooked well and the broth was super thick! I suspect they put it a lot more than just 2 packets of soup powder.

Crab Noodles

The claypot Maggi Crab Noodles also had a whole mud crab inside. You’re given a crab cracker so you can get at the meat. I think the thick soup was perfect since it added flavor to the crab. There’s also a smattering of vegetables and whole chillis inside to spice up the dish so beware if you can’t take spicy food. I think it was pretty decent, but there are cheaper crab noodle places out there.

Crab Claw

This place is very popular though – I saw two Chinese girls sharing a Maggi Ketam Claypot when I was there and that was around 3 pm in the afternoon. I went again over the weekend with my dear and the place was quite packed.

Crab Kam Heong Bee Hoon (RM 38.80)

Crab Bee Hoon

Chilli’s Crab Seafood Restaurant also serves their signature crab with bee hoon. There are 3 such dishes – Crab Singapore Bee Hoon, Crab Kam Heong Bee Hoon and Crab Hokkien Bee Hoon. They’re all cooked in similar styles with one (1) whole crab per dish. My dear went for the Crab Kam Heong Bihun and it’s spicy dry fried rice vermicelli with a whole crab. The rice vermicelli is great and the crab is awesome.

Crab Hokkien Bihun (RM 38.80)

Crab Bihun

This is the other crab-in-a-noodle-dish option. The Hokkien style fried rice vermicelli is slightly wet and the crab essence goes into the gravy, which makes it taste much better than the dry fried options. The prices are standard since the crab size is standard (500 grams per plate) – I just wanted to try all their crab noodle dishes. Haha!

Crab Dinner

I thought the best dish at Chilli’s Crab Seafood is their Maggi Crab Noodles. The Maggi Ketam is like a guilty pleasure, something to indulge in once in a while. I know some people might think it’s not “worth it” and to them I say, do you know how little rice vermicelli costs? It’s the same thing. The prices here are admittedly higher at Mee Ketam KL (review coming up soon) but they only use mud crabs instead of flower crabs for more meat. The meal came up to RM 86.50 for the two of us the time I went with my better half, which is less than the price we usually pay for dinner anyway.

Lontong kering @ Warong Saga

hb hanis

How does breaking your fast with royalty sound? Warong Saga has been operating for decades near the old cemetery in JB. The proprietors running it are the second generation and contrary to popular belief, it’s named after pokok saga instead of Proton Saga. 😉

lontong kering

Anyway, Warong Saga’s main claim to fame is their lontong kering. JB makes the best lontong kering in the country, or so they’ll have you believe. Lotong kering is a breakfast meal of nasi impit (compressed rice), a potpourri of vegetables (long beans, leeks, potatoes) and a piece of chicken rendang.

pokok saga

The entire dish is then doused with a generous amount of peanut sauce. It’s a pleasure to use the nasi impit to wipe the gravy from the plate before devouring it. The multitude of textures and flavors in lontong kering makes it an ideal breakfast.

nasi impit

The walls of Warong Saga is adorned with sultans, prime ministers (both ours and Singapore’s) and other people of historical importance and it attracts a healthy local crowd for breakfast.

warong saga

This place is a bit hard to find for non-locals but if you follow the old royal cemetery and watch out for a small shop by the road you’ll see it. The lontong kering and the chill, relaxed atmosphere in Warong Saga makes it well worth the trip! 🙂

Mee rebus tulang gearbox

mee rebus tulang gearbox

I just had the best mee rebus tulang gearbox at Restoran ZZ Sup Tulang in JB. This is one of those local foodie treasures that you need a local to bring you to.

zz sup tulang jb

The place is a rather chaotic assembly of huts and trees. The huts with the thatched roofs is meant to keep the sun and rain off your head and I found that dining in nature whets the appetite like nothing else.

mee tulang gearbox

What is mee rebus tulang gearbox? Well, it’s basically Malay style noodles with an interesting component – the tulang gearbox part. Tulang gearbox is basically the large bones from a cow, usually from the shank. There is still quite a lot of meat, cartilage and tendon on the bones but when you request for it “gearbox style” it comes with a straw.

bone marrow straw

The straw is for you to suck the marrow out of the huge bones.

hb tulang gearbox

The portion of the noodles in mee rebus tulang gearbox is a bit small for me but the gravy is sinfully rich and delicious. It leaves you hankering for more. It’s about RM 8.50 and comes with 4 good sized bones.

tulang

You’ll find at least one HUGE bone in there and you’re supposed to insert the straw deep inside it and suck in all the marrow and juices. It’s a visceral experience like no other. The bone marrow is sweet, warm and hearty. It’s simply the best mee rebus tulang gearbox I’ve had!

Nasi Lalapan

nasi lalapan

Nasi Lalapan is an Indonesian dish that’s very popular in Miri. I went to Muara Restaurant just now based on Jeanie’s recommendation to check out this unique incarnation of Indonesian cuisine. Muara Restaurant is self-dubbed “The Founder of Lalapan” – very lofty claims indeed. smirk

muara restauran nasi lalapan

This is the original restaurant at Miri Waterfront Commercial Centre. There’s another newer establishment in Miri but the first Muara Restaurant is located at a much more appealing location – it’s right beside the river!

nasi lalapan river

There is a very nice breeze and you can see the bustling activity of the river right from the vantage of your dining table.

muara restaurant

Muara Restaurant is supposed to serve the best nasi lalapan in Miri and coming from Jeanie (who doesn’t like spicy food) it was intriguing enough for me to check it out.

nasi lalapan crowd

We went there well past lunch hour (it was around 3 pm) and there were still heaps of diners eating nasi lalapan – a great testament to its popularity.

nasi lalapan tofu

Nasi Lalapan is basically a dish of vegetables, tofu and meat arranged around a unique sambal based sauce. You can choose the meat that goes with your nasi lalapan – there’s everything from chicken to prawn. The rice is served separately on a plate and there’s also a bowl of soup to go with your meal.

nasi lalapan stuff

Jeanie had the Nasi Lalapan Empal (beef) which costs RM 8. Here’s a top view of what nasi lalapan is all about – starting from the 12′ o clock position, there’s tempeh (a soy product which tastes like nuts), a piece of deep fried tofu, the meat (in this case, beef), some greens (spinach if I’m not mistaken), cucumber slices, uncooked long beans (called ulam in Malay), a lime, and some cabbage.

lime

You start eating nasi lalapan by squeezing the lime into the sambal based sauce and mixing it up. The sauce is the cornerstone of lalapan and it tastes great – spicy, with visible flakes of chilli and a tangy finish.

dip vegetables

The vegetables can be picked apart using your fingers and dipped into the sauce. I saw people eating it this way so I emulated them.

eat veggies

It tastes much better when you use your hands to eat. Primal. 😀

nasi lalapan beef

I really liked the beef in Jeanie’s Nasi Lalapan Empal – it’s smoked beef and tastes delicious, with a lingering sweet aftertaste.

huge catfish

I chose Nasi Lalapan Keli (RM 10) for my late lunch. Ikan keli is catfish and I was surprised when the plate of nasi lalapan came out – the fish is humongous! I forgot to use something as a reference point so you can’t appreciate the sheer size of it, but trust me, it’s gigantic!

nasi lalapan catfish head

It’s deep fried to perfection. The skin is crunchy and the flesh is tasty – delectable! The presentation is awesome too! They must have a really huge wok to be able to fry that mutant catfish wholesale. I particularly liked the precision in which they sliced the fish so that you can easily use a fork to spear a segment of the fish.

nasi lalapan chicken

We also ordered a chicken drumstick – you can order the meat in the nasi lalapan variants separately. I saw a lot of people eating the chicken nasi lalapan and wanted to try it. Unfortunately, it’s nothing to write home about – I preferred my catfish and Jeanie’s smoked beef tastes much better.

nasi lalapan meal

Muara Restaurant has really good nasi lalapan. You can determine the authenticity of the food based on how many Indonesians visit the joint and the spicy tang of the sambal goes very well with the vegetables and meat. The dishes range from RM 8 – RM 15 depending on what you choose as your meat and the entire meal just set us back RM 21.80.

nasi lalapan us

I only realized that they forgot to charge us for the chicken when I looked at the receipt. 😡

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