Duck n' Such, Hartamas Shopping Centre

Duck is right up there on my list of favourite proteins, so a name like "Duck n' Such" really does call out to me. There have been quite a few write-ups about the place of late, and it's not often that one comes across a restaurant that's really all about duck (and a few other "such"es) - so yes, a visit is definitely warranted.

Duck n’ Such
Lot G11A & B,
Ground Floor,
Hartamas Shopping Centre
Tel: 03 6143 2285

We were there for dinner one rainy weekday night and after getting just a little bit confused by Hartamas Shopping Centre (that place never ceases to confuse me), we found the outlet, and found that we were the only ones there (I have to admit, we were slightly unnerved by the lack of other customers).

 

 
The leafy fruity salad - as promised, a lovely mix of greens, grilled duck breast and nuttiness, topped with a deliciously fruity date vinaigrette reduction. This is clearly one way of getting people to eat their vegetables.


 
Salted vegetable and plum duck soup. We had high hopes for this one - with it being one of my childhood favourites. While the soup definitely packed a punch - it packed a bit too much of a punch. It would perhaps have been a lot more comforting (as soups should be) if the sour notes were tuned down by just a couple of notches. 


 
The Duck n' Such Signature Peking duck wrap, one of their (as so-named) signature dishes. Serving crispy, Peking duck with roti jala instead of the usual steamed, paper thin Chinese pancakes puts a giggle-worthy Malaysian twist to the dish. One can also opt to have their duck served simply with lettuce leaves, without the roti jala - for a lighter meal, perhaps?

 
 The skin was light and crisp, and the trio of accompanying sauces (sambal!) were good complements.

The overall menu is an interesting one and while a few kinks have to be worked out here and there (perhaps with just a little more time), I'm hoping that this will will grow into a dependable place to get your duck fix.

Fong Lye at the Gardens

There are a few places at the Gardens that are never without a queue come meal times, and I noticed that Fong Lye is one of them but there's something about the efficiency in which they deal with the queue that reminds me very much of Din Tai Fung - and I suspect that that's the reason why the queue doesn't intimidate customers.


Fong Lye Taiwanese Restaurant
Lot T208
3rd Floor
The Gardens
Mid Valley City
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03- 2282 8699

Fong Lye runs on a simple, hearty concept - set meals with a few options for sides. One can get a little spoilt for choice, and I remember hmming and hawwing for quite sometime over my options on my first visit to the restaurant. Sets generally feature a main dish accompanied by rice (or noodles, in same cases), soup, and a small selection of appetisers.

 
This time though, it was a simple - dad wanted soup so we thought that the steamboat set would be perfect. I'm not entirely if the set is meant for one but enough food came for two, so no complaints there. The set came with a nice little mix of ingredients - thin slices of pork, golden mushrooms, fish derivatives and my personal favourite, slices of pumpkin (I'd never thought I'd see pumpkin as part of a steamboat set before).

 
Clear, mild soup - no overseasoning here. 

 
Some fried mushrooms on the side - coated with batter that tasted not unlike a deep fried Chinese doughnut (from the addition of Chinese five spices to the batter, perhaps).

 
A special soy sauce mix (we detected some white radish, among other things) that was a lovely complement to everything. 

While it probably doesn't serve up the best of the best, Fong Lye is a good place if you're on the lookout for a complete meal (fish and egg in tomato gravy, anyone?) and with good, quick service as well as a pleasant ambiance, the queue really doesn't come as a surprise. 

Little Korea, Solaris Mont Kiara

I had my heart set on steaming hot soup, and not just any soup but one that had that distinct Korean flavour that's always such a thrill. Having spotted a few Korean places in Solaris Mont Kiara before, we decided to just park our car and take a walk to suss out the options. Little Korea won hands down on first impressions - with the smell of meat being barbecued and the slight buzz from diners who were already tucking into dinner despite it being a bit before dinner hour.

Little Korea Korean Restaurant
5-3 7-3 9-3, Jalan Solaris One
Solaris Mont Kiara,
Kuala Lumpur

Sure, the sizzle from the barbecue was tantalising but when one's heart is set, one's heart is set. Hot pot it was.

 
To kickstart the appetite - eight side dishes, and a nice little mix of dishes too.


 
At the top of my list - light, smooth, comforting steamed egg. 


 
We decided against a kimchi-based hot pot, opting instead for a pork rib hot pot which featured a less spicy broth. When it arrived at our table, in all its bubbling, gurgling glory, we knew that we'd made the right choice. Bordering between soup and stew, our pot came with a generous amount of pork ribs, cabbage, chunks of potatoes and springy bits of golden mushroom. 


I'm rather unaccustomed to seeing such huge chunks of pork ribs - despite their size, they were deliciously tender and had a lovely, hearty, porky goodness to it.


 
I like that Korean restaurants usually cover all bases - our meal ended on a sweet (and refreshing!) note with a serving of fruits and a sweet drink made out of rice ("Barley, but rice," offered our kind waitress).

It's a good thing we decided not to add a serving of Korean-style pancake to our order - the "small" hot pot was more than enough for two, what with the bottomless side dishes. In fact, I reckon that the hot pot could comfortably feed a party of three or four (and yes, by comfortable I mean not leaving the restaurant chiding yourself for thinking that you could handle "just one last bowl of soup").

 
So yes, steaming hot soup - check. I see myself coming back for more - and how can you not, when a restaurant wishes all its diners "all the best"?

Din Tai Fung, The Gardens Mall

I remember having an entire meal made up of dumplings when we were in Beijing a few years ago - dumpling after dumpling arrived at our table and after awhile, we couldn't tell the pork-chive ones from the pork-carrot ones from the vegetarian ones. A serious case of over-dumpling-ness. That didn't put me off dumplings, though - in fact, it was that dumpling meal that got me taking dumplings seriously, not just as a side dish to a main meal but as the star of the meal in its own right.

Din Tai Fung

The Gardens Mall,

Mid Valley City

LG207, Lower Ground Floor

Tel: +603 22832292

We were on one of our mother-daughter weekend shopping excursions in Mid Valley City and were looking for a place to re-energise after all that exercise (read: looking out for good deals should be a sport). I have to admit, the pictures at the entrance of Din Tai Fung are quite a good idea - we were tempted at first glance. Dumplings galore - that's difficult to resist.


Xiao long bao - pork and broth encased in a thin, delicate dumpling skin, perhaps the star of the menu. Best eaten hot, and with a tiny bit of vinegar and fresh ginger.


Shao mai - we weren't expecting it to be a twist on the xiao long bao, but we aren't complaining. The dumplings looked a lot like flowers in their vases and unlike the usual shao mai, these little pockets contained the xiao long bao broth as well.


Their vegetable and dumplings are delicious, if you like your veggies. The first time we ordered these dumplings, the waitress informed us that the dumplings would filled with more greens than pork and very kindly asked us if we would be alright with that. We were more than "alright with that", and have ordered these on every visit since. Dip in a bit of chilli for an extra kick.


Din Tai Fung doesn't just serve up dumplings and this is perhaps my favourite non-dumpling dish, pumpkin fried in salted egg. Coated with a delicious layer of salted egg, the chunks of pumpkin are crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I had never had this combination of ingredients before this and I've been wondering why ever since.



La mian with minced pork and mustard greens.


The menu also features a selection of la mian (pulled noodles) and rice dishes. The noodles are lovely and smooth and broth-based noodle dishes are generally light, mild (but flavourful) affairs. One gets a choice between normal and Japanese rice for the rice dishes and on what visit the brother ordered a serving of fried pork and shrimp Japanese rice, which was pleasant but paled a little in comparison to the other more punchy dishes on the table.



Pork and shrimp fried rice


Eating at Din Tai Fung may require a bit of strategising as there's always, always a queue at conventional meal times. However, despite the crowd, waiting times are generally not very long - they seem to have an incredibly efficient system both with handling the crowd and queue as well as with food preparation. My guess is that that's what's kept people coming back, on top of the food, of course.

Plan B Roasters and The Gingerbread Man, B.I.G, Publika

Sundays are for giving into your whims - breakfast at noon, random nibbles for lunch, you get the picture. When a friend wanted to meet up for a catch up and a light bite on Sunday afternoon, I thought of the coffee bar and laid-back picnic tables that line one side of Ben's Independent Grocers.

Ben's Independent Grocers, 

UG - 1A, Publika


 
Cappuccinos from Plan B Roasters - foamy, flavourful and a satisfying afternoon pick-me-up (and don't you think the different coffee art patterns was a nice little touch?)

We were presented with the menus from B'Witched upon settling down at a table but decided to pick out our treats from the display counter over at the Gingerbread Man (the bakery section of the grocer) instead. Bakeries are hard to resist - enough said.


 
The Gingerbread Man has a nice array of (larger than normal) goodies to offer - one really does get a bit spoilt for choice. After some extensive hemming and hawing, we finally settled on a 50-50 split between sweet and savoury. Pictured here: the (slightly obscured) chicken curry bun, the wagyu and onion bun and a sugared doughnut. While not the best we've had, they were all still pleasantly light (yes, even the savoury buns) and sufficiently satisfying.


 
The English muffin - perhaps the largest English muffin I've ever seen. Pillowy soft, and oh-so-comforting eaten warm with the cream and jam.



 

I like the atmosphere they've managed to create in B.I.G - the slight hustle and bustle of people picking out groceries, the smell of coffee and baked goods, goodies on display everywhere you turn. Ahh, those clever, clever people behind B.I.G.

Hung Kee, Jalan Loke Yew

"Meet downstairs, lunch, wantan mee, Loke Yew"

 

Few things can match the perk-up power of finding a slew of messages about a wantan mee lunch upon coming back to your desk after a whole morning of meetings. Yes, charsiu powers are never to be underestimated.

Hung Kee

28-5 and 28-6 Jalan Loke Yew

Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

Hung Kee seems to ring a bell with most KL-ites but I'd never heard of it until now. We found a parking spot in almost no time at all, much to my surprise, and were quickly seated at a table in the air-conditioned portion of the restaurant.

Noodles are thin and springy in Hung Kee and the char siu is of the moister, well-caramelised sort, as opposed to the drier, red-rimmed char siu that one sometimes gets in less authentic places. The boys ordered a "large" each and I must say that I've not seen portions quite so large anywhere else. I reckon that a "large" would probably be enough for three small eaters (though some extra char siu would probably be needed).

 

We ordered some sui kow to go with the noodles and I have to admit that for the most part of the meal, I was extremely confused by the bowls and bowls of sui kow and wantan that arrived at our table - I only realised later that each plate of noodles came with a bowl of five wantans in broth (it's wantan noodles, duh!). I think perhaps if we'd known beforehand that they were going to be so generous with their wantans (most other places only give you two or three), we'd have been a bit more conservative with our sui kow order. I personally didn't mind though - I thought the large, prawn, pork and black fungus-stuffed sui kow had a really nice bite to it.

So the char siu isn't quite like my mum's and I would have preferred more char siu to go with my noodles but the fact that it still felt somewhat authentic earns it some brownie points. The funny thing is, amidst all the talk of char siu, it was really their sui kow that left the biggest impression (on me, anyway) - I'd go back, even if just for the sui kow.

Moo Cow Frozen Yogurt

Oh yes I do! (Love Moo Cow, I mean). They say that going to university is one of those turning-point-milestone things in life and I daresay that it's true - perhaps one of the most important "aha!" moments was my sudden love for yogurt. To think that there was a time when I didn't like that wonderfully addictive, tangy, distinct flavour is beyond me.

Anyway, when I moved back home, I knew that one of the things I would miss most about London would be Snog - those bright lights, the huge display of toppings and that green tea frozen yogurt that I'd grown extremely fond of. I was disappointed to find that while there was frozen yogurt in Malaysia, it was either sold by weight (the shock when you pay at the counter!) or didn't quite have the flavour I was looking for - until Moo Cow came along, that is.

Not only is frozen yogurt at Moo Cow not sold by weight, the frozen yogurt is oh-so-good - I don't think I miss Snog very much anymore. The frozen yogurt is yummy just as it is but all "original" flavour yogurt cups come with a free choice of topping (the almond bits are my favourite). On top of their staple "original" flavour, they've always got two more adventurous flavours (8-treasure herbal tea, anyone?).

It's times like these that you wonder how anything that tastes so good could actually be good for you.

The fun Moo Cow stands are now at these locations:

Hartamas Shopping Centre, The Gardens Mall, Wangsar Walk, Sunway Pyramid, The Curve, 1 Utama, Bangsar Telawi, Ikano Power Centre, Publika, Suria KLCC, Paradigm Mall and Great Eastern Mall

Look out for their signature, periodically-mooing cow!

Fatboy's Burger Bar, Publika

When it first opened, I thought Fatboy's was a milkshake bar, with its black and white patchy cow interior. I'd walk past it en route to The Bee and as the weeks went by, I noticed that there would always be a line or a small crowd waiting to be seated - a sign that Fat Boy's was slowly catching on. I was intrigued - it was about time I gave the place a go.

Lot 30, Level G2, Publika
No 1, Jalan Dutamas 1,
Solaris Dutamas, 50480 KL

The day after the 16 year old's celebratory dinner at The Bee, we decided to go further down that burger-laden path and head to Fatboy's for dinner (because really, nothing appeals to a teenage boy more than a burger joint and one called Fatboy's, no less).

 

 
Jamaican Me Hungry - jerk seasoned bacon stuffed pork patty (don't you just love the sound of that already?) topped with sundried tomatoes, bacon, coleslaw and mayonaise on a sesame seed bun. This was the brother's choice and he loved the sundried tomato-coleslaw combo.


The first thing on the menu, the Fat Basterd - two beef patties, bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg and some Fatboy's sauce on a sesame bun. This monster of a burger is one for those monster appetites, definitely not for the fainthearted.

 
Fatboy's also gives customers the option of building their own burgers (the most fun bit, if you ask me) and this is what I'd like to call the Tastebud-talk Special - pork, grilled bananas and curry remoulade on a honey oat bun. They make burger building a straightforward process and with a good variety of toppings to choose from, it's pretty easy to build that burger you've always been dreaming of. It was perhaps the pork patty on this burger that sold it for me - pork patties are not easy to come by, for one, and this was thick, juicy and had just the right amount of flavour.

Fatboy's also has a selection of sides to complete the meal - we found the chilli cheese fries to be quite addictive. I've been told that the milkshakes are quite yummy as well. Service is friendly and efficient, the outlet has the nice background hum of people having a good time over their burgers and with prices far more reasonable than some other places I know, Fatboy's is a keeper.

Yut Kee, Dang Wangi

Old-fashioned Hainanese coffeeshops (that are not part of a chain) are hard to come by in the city these days so I remember being pleasantly surprised on my first visit to Yut Kee. Sure, I'd heard the name uttered before, but I never knew what it really was about until I was greeted by the plates of Hainanese-style chicken chop when I stepped into the coffeeshop one Sunday morning.

"Oh my, it's a Hainanese coffeeshop! With Hainanese chicken chop!"

I suppose, to say that I was pleasantly surprised is a bit of an understatement.

Yut Kee

35, Jalan Dang Wangi,

Kuala Lumpur

One doesn't doubt how long the coffeeshop has been around for, with its rustic interior and menu boards. Deciding on what to order is a pretty simple task, especially for first timers, as all one has to do is to look around to spot the trend.  

To start off, some roti bakar with homemade kaya. There's a choice between steamed bread and toast, though I'm personally more of a toast person.


 
The Hainanese-style chicken and pork chops are clearly the popular dishes at Yut Kee, with one (or more!) at every table. Unlike some other Hainanese-style chops, the ones here are served not with a tomato based gravy but with an onion-y brown sauce-like gravy. While the tender chicken was delicious, the pork won my vote for being the juicier and more flavourful of the two.


 

The roti babi is another favourite - a slab of french toast (for lack of better term) with a pork and onion stuffing. The Worcestershire sauce present on every table truly complements this dish, giving it the kick that it needs. 



Meehoon soup - because my dad is partial to meehoon soup. This was surprisingly good, with clear, flavourful soup that's sweet from the chinese cabbage. It had that taste of home in it.


Some ice cold glasses of coffee to wash it all down. Perfect brunch material.
 


We noticed freshly baked batches of marble cake being brought out from the kitchen and couldn't resist buying one. We had to wait a couple of minutes for ours but once the warm package is placed in your hands and you get a whiff of that delicious, buttery aroma coming through the slightly ajar box lid, you know that it was worth the wait.

Yut Kee is one of those places that has probably seen generations come through the door and you get that sense of history everytime you walk in. The restaurant is particularly crowded at brunch and lunch times so expect a queue (or go a a little earlier in the day). The place runs like a well-oiled machine, though, so it's never a long wait, whether it's for a table or for food. Getting there early is also a good idea if you want a taste of the popular pork roll and apple sauce as that runs out pretty quickly.

My parents declared, after their first visit, that they'll gladly come back again. The dishes served here are perhaps not the best versions you'll ever taste but you'll go back - for the simple, hearty food of your childhood.

I'm always, always on the look out for Hainanese kopitiams like this (perhaps, its the Hainanese in me) so if you have a recommendation, you'd be my hero.

The Bee, Publika

It feels like I've been on a bit of a burger binge lately and it all started two weeks ago at The Bee, where we decided to go for a a little celebratory dinner in honour of my now 16 year old brother (oh my, how time flies!). Publika has now become home to a whole host of good eateries so we were a bit spoilt for choice but the birthday boy wanted somewhere with a quirky, relaxed atmosphere and The Bee was a perfect fit.


 

The Bee

36B, Level G2, Publika, Solaris Dutamas
Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480, Kuala Lumpur
 
 The place has an "unfinished" feel to it that's suprisingly comforting, with its mismatched furniture and open layout. I've been to The Bee quite a few times now and I've noticed an impressive flexibility in its atmosphere - friendly neighbourhood coffeeshop in the afternoons, upbeat concert space on some evenings and relaxed, casual dinner place on this particular evening.


 

The hungry teenage boy knew at once that he wanted a burger- zoning in on one of The Bee's many beef burgers. He managed a thumbs up in between (frantic) bites, a good sign if I do say so myself.


The boy also wanted a serving of nachos (we picked the vegetarian option), to share. The nachos came under an addictive mess of cheese, sour cream avocadao salsa and Tex-Mex inspired beans - truly something to get those appetites into high gear.



 
The chicken avocado burger - soft bun, juicy grilled chicken and a delicious avocado salsa. I would have preferred a slightly heartier portion of the grilled chicken, though.


The club sandwich, served on a generous bed of potato crisps.

The Dukka prawn salad - a tasty mix of greens and prawns cooked in Dukka spices. I've always enjoyed the salads at The Bee (the chicken avocado salad is a good one to go with) and this one didn't disappoint. 



The Bee spoils you when it comes to desserts - cakes supplied by Fatboybakes, milkshakes galore and of course, these little pink tubs of ice cream by The Last Polka.

The flavours are fun and playful, with things like salted gula melaka, Horlicks and teh tarik on the ice cream menu. Having tried the salted gula melaka the last time I was there, I was looking forward to more of that this time but unfortunately, they had run out of that. We went with Horlicks and the deep dark chocolate instead, and I'm glad we did. The deep dark chocolate is as it is named - deep, dark and with a gorgeous bittersweet flavour. Along with the Horlicks ice cream came an interesting (and shocking, for me) discovery that my brother had never had Horlicks before and ice cream that stuck true to it's flavour made it easy to say: "Yup, that's exactly what Horlicks tastes like".

The Bee has it's high notes - food that satisfies, attentive service, and a cosy atmosphere. Brunch items on the menu, coffee that's pretty good (and peppermint tea, too, if you're more of a tea person), a lunch buffet on weekdays and occasional gig venue - yes, The Bee wears many, many hats, and there'll definitely be one that suits you.


 
 Photos courtesy of the birthday boy (and his new toy) 

Read the blogpost on Babe in the City - KL that inspired my first visit to The Bee.