Sam Tan's Kitchen: June 2013

A list compiled from various trips since 2009 through to 2013, of my favourite delicious Malaysian culinary delights (plus a few oddball additions).

Happy eating one and all!:)

New Restaurant Ipoh Chicken Rice (complete with delicious pork balls and tasty broth). At multiple air-conditioned branches including Damansara Jaya. My favourite food since childhood!

Chicken rice again, but the one-of-a-kind soy sauce variety. Formerly at Restaurant Keen/Kimwah, now down the block at the other corner Restaurant Wan Shoon in Damansara Kim. Luscious!

Proper punchy Penang Prawn Mee- my favourites are the famous RM20 humongous serving dished up by Champs Bistro in Centrepoint Bandar Utama (pictured above), Mee Yoke Lim hawker centre in SS2 and O&S Coffee Shop in Paramount Gardens. (image taken from vkeong.com)

Nyonya Curry Laksa at Bakeri Joy (4, SS 24/13, Taman Megah). Rich with tons of toppings and a delicious sambal paste. Good cheese tarts and moist chocolate cake too.

Village Park- 5, Jalan SS 21/37 Damansara Utama. Pretty much the best version in the Klang Valley of nasi lemak, our default national dish! My sides of choice are fried chicken and beef rendang. (image from vkeong.com)

Finally tried the famous Fatty Crab restaurant after all these years! Thank you Jason- amazing spicy sweet gravy perfect with fried rice just like you said :)

Crabs again, this time the "Kam Heong" variety at South Pacific restaurant. Yum too!

New Paris Restaurant (62-66 Jalan SS2/72)- my family's regular haunt. We ALWAYS order the same things- House Special Tofu, Butter Prawns, Guinness Pork Ribs (or Sticky Marmite Pork is also great), Steamed Tilapia Fish with Spicy Sauce and Crunchy Squid:)

1 month, 3 huge 8-10 course Chinese wedding banquets to attend. The typical

1st "Four Seasons" course is always one of my favourites :)

Rojak Buah (Savoury Fruit Salad), either from the Chinese old man in Damansara Uptown outside the old Fajar, or his two daughters in TTDI outside the KFC. Yummy chunks of jicama, papaya, pineapple and cucumber with crunchy crackers, crushed peanuts and the best gooey prawn paste sauce EVER!

Lavish all-you-can-eat weekend Japanese buffets that are all the rage in Malaysia-

stuffing our faces with all kinds of sashimi, sushi and hot foods for under £10, oh joy!

The diabetes-on-a-plate that is Kayu Nasi Kandar's Roti Tisu (Tissue Bread)- a tower

of crispy buttery sugary condensed milk drizzled goodness. Mmm. (Check out http://www.originalkayu.com.my for a list of branches)

Murni SS2- the embodiment of good mamak grub late at night. Naan, roti special (meat stuffed

murtabak style), roti kaya susu, awesome claypot loh shee fun...

Banana leaf rice, with all the traditional trimmings- make sure to fold the leaf

TOWARDS and not away from you at the end if you liked the meal :) The above is at Sri Paandi's TTDI, though tourists/newbies will like the outdoor atmosphere at Raju's (next to La Salle school off Jalan Gasing)

Ramly Burger- quintessentially Malaysian and unlike ANY Western burger you've ever had! Ask for the Special-a chicken or beef patty wrapped in egg, then sandwiched with chilli sauce, mayo and coleslaw-like shredded veg. Available from streetside stalls even in the middle of the night! :)

Sate Kajang Haji Samuri- delicious moist skewers of chicken, beef, mutton, fish, rabbit, venison or even tripe, on my doorstep in Damansara Uptown without needing to go all the way to Kajang! Served with bowls of thick rich peanut sauce that you can make as spicy as you like. Click here for a full list of branches. (image from vkeong.com)

Dave's Pizza Pasta Vino, 1 Utama Shopping Centre- so many years on, their signature honey mayo pizza, olive oil pasta and the most unauthentic but delicious creamy carbonara ever are still top class (but no longer 1/2 price on weekday lunches unfortunately)

Nothing like local Malaysian fruit! Itty bitty sticky pisang emas (golden bananas), syrupy white-fleshed mangosteens, juicy rambutans, sweet duku langsat, golden mangoes...