Food Review - Kim Lian Kee

Location
VIVA Home Mall, Jalan Loke Yew (not to be confused with the VIVA Mall as I was.)

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Getting there

The restaurant is located on the 1st floor of the VIVA Home Mall. This mall is very easy to spot as it is located along the famed Jalan Loke Yew (parallel to Jalan Cheras) and right next to the new hotel - VIVATel.

Parking
If you are going to the VIVA Home mall, then you'll have no problems parking as there are tons of parking at the mall itself or if you are trying your luck at the free weekend parking at the shops right outside the mall, you may also do that.
Ambience
One interesting aspect of this place is that its kitchen is located right smack in the middle of the dining hall. I guess that's why they have a separate section for the diners outside on the verandah. The seating on the verandah is rather interesting as it overlooks the constantly busy Jalan Loke Yew. So I suggest you try it out there if it's not too hot for you.
Presentation
The food comes quite nicely presented on dainty little oval plates. I have to say they have very nice plate-ware as their logo appears on each of them. They seem clean enough and I think the place is still fairly new and thus, the logos on the plates still look pretty clear & vibrant.
Variety
All the standard noodle varieties are found on their menu, even the Not-so-Standard Loh Mee, Claypot Loh Shu Fun (which Literally means Rat Noodles) and Moonlight Hor Fun (with a raw egg on top). So in terms of variety, there's definitely reason for a repeat visit, which was what I did, unfortunately.

Taste & Value For Money
Yes, the noodles here taste good despite the person doing the cooking may not be a Chinese at all (Yes, it looks like many of the foreigners are really picking up these culinary skills very quickly).I have to say each time I eat here (I've been here 4x thus far), I ask myself why do I even come here? The prices are a little on the high side for the portions and ingredients (or the lack of it) we get for the prices that they charge. On average, each menu item is around the RM10-11 (and this is before the taxes mind you) and the portion is similar to a snack or tapas - ie: just enough to tantalize but not enough as a full meal (unless you are trying to lose weight).
I actually tried to count the pieces of shrimp in my plate of noodles the other day when I was there. Wow - there were 3!  I think that was my lucky day. So what do you get for RM11 - 95% noodles and 5% of ingredients if you are lucky.
Having said that, it's easier to accept what I have to say next - which is, despite Kim Lian Kee's reputation and pedigree as a big name in Chinese Fried Noodles (especially for the Hokkien-Style - where the noodles are fried in thick dark soy sauce), I have had quite a few equally good, if not better, Hokkien-Styled noodles even in unassuming street stalls. And these places only charge between RM6-7 per serving and their sizes are very much more reasonable.

Verdict
Overpriced and over-rated. Definitely not worth your time or money unless it's just to sate your curiosity as to how good Kim Lian Kee Noodles actually taste. But then, you know what they say about curiosity.

Food Review - Ah Koong Eating House

Name

Ah Koong Eating House
Food
Chinese Fish Ball/Fish Paste Noodle/Mee
Location

Pudu (in the Berjaya Times Square vicinity)

They also have an outlet at the Subang Business Centre and another one at Taman Sentosa, JB.

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Getting there

There are various ways to get there depending on where you are coming from but if you just zoom in on a landmark (there are quite a few landmarks in the vicinity) such as the Berjaya Times Square or the Pudu Prison/Jail. Once you have located these landmarks, then, you just need to get your bearings and then make your way there as they are all within the vicinity.

Parking

There are lots of parking around the shop-lots or even at Berjaya Times Square itself which is located at about 300m away.

Ambience

Despite this place having the comfort of air-conditioning, this is strictly a no-frills dining place (hence I categorize it under "Street Food").

The place is relatively clean & well-lit, which is a plus point in helping it look clean & bright.

Variety

The process begins at the front door when diners are given an empty bowl and need to select the type of noodle they wish to have and whether they would like to have it dry or with soup. The standard noodle types  plus a couple of less common types are available:

- Bee Hoon (Vermicelli)

- Mee (Yellow Noodles)

- Loh Shue Fun ("Rat" Noodles)

- Kuey Teow (Flat Rice Noodles)

- Wantan Mee/Noodles (both flat & thin varieties)

- Spinach Mee/Noodles

There are simply too much choice in terms of the many types of accompanying items you can add on to your meal. They range from:

- Fish Cakes (this is a "must try" item when you are there*)

- Fish Balls

- Fujok (soya skin with fillings) items

- Tofu & Yong Tau Foo

- Prawns (or shrimps as the Americans like to call them)

- and many more

* The fish cakes are fragrant, springy in bite texture and it just looks fantastic! Can't resist this item!

Service

The place is mainly manned by Nepalese or Myanmarese workers. It used to be manned by local Chinese. Other than the occasional inability to understand due to their lack of command of our languages or strong accent, the service is quick & fuss-free.

You order your food when you arrive up at the front door, go find a table and the food will be served to you in usually 10-15 minutes. After you are done, just bring the order chit to the cashier counter located right behind the open kitchen, and you're done.

Presentation
Again, despite this place being a no-frills dining outlet, they have nicely branded themselves as all of their wares, from the white plastic plates & bowls to even the spoons have their branding. This helps make the place a lot more presentable than a mere food stall.

Nicely done.

Taste
I'd say that the food here is a little bit too savoury (salty-lah macha). However, I personally, quite like strong flavours in my food (despite my liver's silent protestations). 

I like my noodles dry while some may prefer their noodles in soup. Either way, you won't lose out on the soup as the goodies (fish balls, fish paste slices, sea-weed, etc) all come in a separate bowl soaked in the deliciously fragrant soup!

I usually like to add the finely cut red chillies to my bowl of Ah Koong noodles. However, they have recently switched from the red chillies to the significantly spicier Cili Padi (more commonly known as Bird's Eye Chili). And sadly, the red chillies are nowhere to be found! I guess the reason why they switched was because the Cili Padi is much cheaper when compared with the red chillies.

Overall

This place is a favorite of mine when I'm in the area and have run out of ideas as to where or what to eat. It's affordable and delicious at the same time. No need to worry about whether I'm appropriately dressed or not. As I had said, no-frills fuss-free quick bite kind of place that never lets you down.

Food Review - Tang Pin Kitchen

Name

Tang Pin Kitchen - SS2

Food

Chinese Street Food

Location

SS2/24

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Getting there

If you are coming from the BAT side, just keep heading in the direction of the Durian Stalls at the corner of the traffic lights. Just go slightly further beyond to the 2nd set of traffic lights. It's located at the cluster of shops on the left & diagonally across from the Petron (or what is used to be known as Mobil) Station.

Parking

There are lots of public parking right in front of the shops (provided you can find a vacant lot). Or, you can try  to look for one on the other side of the street (ie: the side with the houses)

Ambience

It's a typical small sized eatery (seating capacity of about 70) catering to the young and young at heart and those who crave the simple Chinese Street Food but would not want to brave the sights, sounds & scents of back-alley ways, uncovered drains and rats.

This place is clean, brightly lit and air-conditioned (inner section).

Presentation

For this type of food, I will say that the presentation is pretty good.The food is served in Chinese-Style decorated plastic bowls and plates.

The only problem I had was with the chop-sticks and spoons. It looks as though the restaurant staff had neglected to properly clean them as there are stains on almost ALL of them. I literally had to go through almost 20 chop-sticks before I found a pair that I could tolerate. Same thing with the spoons.

Taste

The food is tasty, although I cannot say if it's free from taste enhancements. But honestly, these days, most people don't really care as long as the food tastes good. And I must say the food here tastes good =)

Service

Strangely, having a very Chinese image & Branding, there wasn't a single Chinese Staff member at the restaurant at all. I had difficulty getting my order processed because they could not really understand me when I spoke English or Chinese. I had to use my hands a lot and point.

However, having said that, they are quite responsive to customers.

Variety

I have to say, despite a relatively simple menu (only 4 pages) but it was pretty good. It had enough choices that had enough variation to warrant a subsequent visit. For example, as a main item, there are items from Fish Noodles to Fried Porridge to Curry Mee.

And for add-ons, they items are pretty varied too. For instance, they have Hock Chew Balls (Fish Balls stuffed with pork) to Yam Cake and fried Chue Cheong Fun.

As for the drinks, they offer the usual suspects from the Tong Sui range - Black Glutinous Rice (Hak Lor Mai) to Barley Fu Chok and the standard Coffee, Tea, Soya Milk, etc.

Value For Money

The prices are pretty reasonable and can be even compared with street stall prices. But here, you have a fairly nice place to sit down for some Chinese styled Tapas with friends or family without causing a dent to your wallet.

Overall
Above average fare at very affordable prices but in a clean and cozy environment. I think that's a winning combination that explains why the place is usually packed, especially on weekends.

Give it a try, it may even bring you back some nostalgia of the good times from that small town you grew up in.

Food Review - Celestial Court (Sheraton Imperial)

Name

Celestial Court Chinese Restaurant

Food

Chinese Cuisine (Lunch & Dinner) & Dim Sum (Lunch only)
Location

Sheraton Imperial, KL

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Getting there

Located on the 3^rd floor inside the iconic Sheraton Imperial along Jalan Sultan Ismail (and across from the famous Asian Heritage Row for the hip and happening crowds) or a stone’s throw away from the Dang Wangi LRT Station.

Parking

There are lots of parking inside the hotel and outside the hotel for the club-goers

Ambience

It is a multiple award-winning fine dining restaurant, hence, the place exudes an air of elegance with professional & friendly staff members who would make your dining experience memorable.

Presentation

I must say that it has one of the best Chinese Food presentations I have ever come across (the other that comes to mind would be Zuan Yuan @ One World).

Taste

The taste is exquisite (except for the pan fried cod dish which we thought was a little too salty.However, they quickly replaced it with another one which was done just right!). Regardless whether you decide to go for the Dim Sum or Non Dim Sum items, it is evident that they take pride in their food preparation where they not only look good but tastegreat.

Variety

There are enough items on the menu ranging from Meat dishes, poultry, seafood to non-meat/vegetable dishes to keep diners coming back for more. They also have a separate section for Dim Sum where it is further sub-divided into Steamed or Fried varieties and sweets/desserts.

Value For Money

Now, the Non-dim sum items are a little pricey. A single item can range from RM35-55 and the portions are rather dainty (well, it is fine dining after all!). The dim sum however, are a different story altogether! Ranging from RM12-38 per item, they come in really huge portions. For instance, the Siew Mai/Har Gou are at least 35% larger per piece than what one would get in a typical dim sum place. So, for 2 persons, ordering 5-7 items would be more than enough! Yeah, they are that big!

Overall

This is a great place for some top notch Chinese Cuisine – especially if you want to bring your Muslim friends for a good Chinese dining experience. However, be prepared to be set back by quite a bit if you are going for the Non-Dim Sum items.