Fan Cham Mei Restaurant 返寻味鱼头米

I've walk past this Fan Cham Mei Restaurant many times seing it fullhouse during lunch time but never had the chance to try it. Decided to try it out today since i had a sudden craving for fishhead noodle =P

They have both indoor and outdoor area,some good news for smokers i guess. There's wan tan mee and pork noodle in the menu in case you want to try something else other than fish head noodle. If you are no big fan of fish head,no worries here,as they have fish fillet,fish paste and also fish maw to choose from. For noodles you have a choice of thin or thick vermicelli.

Crispy fish fillet noodle RM7.50

I had the crispy fish fillet noodle. The soup was milky and slightly sweet,while the fillet was thinly sliced and deep fried. I was expecting thicker cuts of fish,but then it surprised me at first bite. Why? Because the fillet were very crispy like eating chips,even the bones were deep fried till crispy,so you can eat everything without having to worry about accidentally swallowing fish bones. It would not have the same effect  if the fillets were to be thicker.

Bbq pork soup wan tan mee

While the BBQ pork soup wan tan mee was just okay. The serving of bbq pork (char siew) was too small and the char siew was abit dry for me. 

Dumpling soup RM7.00

We ordered a side dish of soup dumpling. The dumplings were very plump in size and the mince pork filling were mix with chopped carrot and turnips,which added sweetness and crunchness to it. I like this alot. Each serving comes with 5 pieces of dumpling.

Restaurant Fan Cham Mei 返寻味鱼头米

No 33, G Floor,

Plaza Sri Sinar,Block D,

Jalan 6/38 d,51200 Segambut,

Wilayah Persekutuan.

Tel : 012-2368131

Opens daily 

8am - 9pm

Close on monday

Tim Ho Wan 添好运

As we were deciding where to have lunch with my parents,hubs suggested Tim Ho Wan. He knew I've always wanted to try it out since it open its door in november last year,but we always brush the idea off due to the crazy notorious queue. But we thought the crowd should fade off by now plus it's a weekday lunch, so Mid Valley we went!!

Queue already started when we arrived

We reach Mid Valley about 12.30pm,there was already a queue but fortunately we were seated about 15 mins later. Mind you they only sit complete parties and they practise first come,first serve,no reservation policy,so yeah.. just walk-in.

Claimed to be the dim sum specialist,the famed 1 michelin-starred restaurant started its operation in Mid Valley november last year. Owner-Chef Mak Kwai Pui was formerly dim sum chef at 3 michelin-starred Lung King Heen restaurant under Four Season group. He opened his first Tim Ho Wan in Mong Kok,HK in 2009 and earned a Michelin star in 2010,thus earning its reputation as the "cheapest michelin star restaurant in the world", serving quality dim sum at affordable prices. But the main branch in Mong Kok closed down in 2013 due to high rent (??) so now the outlets still retaining its michelin star would be the one in Sham Tsui Po & Northpoint. 

Filled with hungry diners

Order chit being handed out during the queue

An order chit is given during the queue so you can decide on what you wan to order and hand them your orders as soon as you are seated.

Table Setting

The menu

The menu is only 1 sheet of paper. It is divided into categories as you can see such as big 4 heavenly kings,vermicelli rolls,steamed etc. Prices ranging from RM 6.80 to RM12.80. However on a personal note I think the menu selection is quite limited though. Beverages wise they only have water,chinese tea,barley & soft drinks.

Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (RM10.80)

Time to feed the hungry bellies!! First to arrive at the table was the oh-so-famous michelin awarded BAKED BUN WITH BBQ PORK. A cross between "polo bun and char siew pao". The golden-hue of the crust definitely looks inviting *drooling*

The bun itself crusty on the outside,warm,light and airy on the inside. Thick,gooey,caramelized bbq pork filling,sweet yet savoury,top with the sweet crusty bun,it was just perfect. REAL pieces of bbq pork is used and is coated in reddish-orangey char siew sauce. This is one char siew pao in a class of its own. A must order perfect parcel. But for the price they are charging,I do wish that they would be more generous with the filling @.@

Steam Eeg Cake (RM7.80)

Next up was another star dish here,STEAM EGG CAKE or commonly known as "ma lai gou". 

Fluffy and pillowy soft with a hint of brown sugar,best eaten hot/warm. This was polish off within seconds.

Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean sauce(RM8.80)

The steamed pork rib with black bean sauce was a miss. While the pork ribs were fresh and plump, as dim sums here are made-to-order, it tasted rather pale.

Congee with Lean Pork,Century egg & Salted Eeg (RM9.80)

My parents loved the congee with lean pork,salted egg & century egg. They said it was very creamy with the blended salted egg. They dig in even before i could snap a picture lol.

Steamed Prawn Dumpling (RM11.80)

Steamed prawn dumpling came in a set of 4. The skillfully pleated dumpling skin were thin and delicate,encasing 2 fresh and juicy prawns. 

Pan Fried Carrot Cake (RM9.80)

Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver (RM10.80)

Two more items under the big 4 category are pan fried carrot cake and vermicelli with pig's liver. I prefer the latter as the rice noodles were really smooth and silky,and the pig's liver gives it an interesting twist. The carrot cake lacks crispness on the exterior and were too soft & mushy for me,but mum loved it. 

Deep Fried beancurd Skin Roll with Shrimp (Rm10.80)

Deep Fried Spring Roll with Eeg White (RM7.80)

Both  deep fried beancurd skin roll with shrimp and spring roll with egg white were just fair,nothing too memorable. 

Pork Dumpling with Shrimp (RM10.80)

Pork dumpling with Shrimp a.k.a 'siew mai'. You can taste the freshness of the mince pork & shrimp due to the mild seasoning. Some dim sum joints used heavy seasoning to cover up for the lack of fresh ingrediants.While the beancurd skin roll with pork and shrimp was just decent.

Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin (RM7.80)

Our last basket of dim sum arrives and it was the beef ball with beancurd skin,best eaten with Lea & Perrins dipping sauce.A common dim sum dish in hong kong,not so in kl though. Bits of dried tangerine peel and coriander complements the soft and tender beef ball. However i wish it had abit more texture and had a better presentation instead of the few sad looking pieces of beancurd skin.

Rice with Beef & Fried Eeg (RM10.80)

Beef Petty Hidden Underneath The Fried Eeg

Up next is the rice with beef & fried egg. The beef patty were actually similar to the steamed beef ball. Top with a fried egg that came with a thick runny yolk and crispy edges,just how i like it. Drizzled with quality soy sauce,it all went suprisingly well with fluffy steaming hot rice.

Tonic Medlar & Osmathus Cake (RM6.80)

Lastly for dessert we had the tonic medlar & osmanthus cake,served chilled. In case if you are wondering what tonic medlar is,it's another name for wolfberries/goji berries. This was incredibly aromatic. The berries and osmanthus flowers are suspended in the clear light brown tinged jelly,paired with just the right amount of sweetness,was the perfect ending to our meal. It is as if I can still smell the fragrance of the flowers just by the thought of it.

So how does Tim Ho Wan hold up to its hype? Was it worth queueing for? Well I have not tried the michelin-starred outlet in HK,so I can't comment on that. For me,it was good,ingrediants used were very fresh,but then I don't feel that it is michelin-mind-blowing definitely. Will I return? Maybe when the crowd has ease off and I don't have to queue for it or when I'm craving for its baked bbq pork bun,steam egg cake and the osmanthus cake.

Tim Ho Wan

27-G.Ground Floor,

The Boulevard,

Mid Valley Megamall,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : 03-22015081

(no reservation policy)

Opens daily

Mon - Thurs (1000-2200)

Fri - Sun (0900-2200)

Last order 2130

*This article is written based solely on Kitty's personal preference & tastebud*

Tian YaKe Ban Mian 天涯客板面

lady boss churning out bowls of ban mee for her hungry customer

A humble roadside stall nestled in one of the lorong in chow kit,is said to serve the best ban mee in kl. Some claimed that this is the very first stall who started selling ban mee in KL since in the early 1975. Some people may find it hard to find the exact location,but if you know where GM plaza is,this stall is located just nearby the plaza at the bend of the road on Lorong Haji Taib 5. Parking is no easy task here especially on weekday,but even that it did not stop people from patronising the stall. It can be packed during lunch time so you might need to wait for awhile before securing yourself a seat/table. And remember to wear light cause there's no fan provided and it can get really hot during noon time. But of course u can order drinks(chinese herbal tea,canned drinks)from the drinks stall to get some instant relieve from the hot weather.

I was there today after the peak lunch hour. As soon as i sat down,an old lady came over to take my food and drink order.

lime and chilli padi is provided at the table

Food is served approx 5 minutes later. As you can see,the soup is thick unlike the normal clear soup you get from other ban mee place. Also I added an egg,which is a must!! It makes the soup even thicker and smoother somewhat reminded me of "loh mee". The lady boss does not cook the egg,instead it is place at the bottom of the bowl,and then the pipping hot ban mee is poured over it,leaving the egg to cook in the residual heat.

a humble bowl of yumminess

closer view

They only serve 1 type of ban mee here,which is the traditional ban mee soup,no dry or chilli version available. But i can assure you that this ban mee taste as authentic as it can get!!! The noodles are handmade daily. There's no thin or thick or pinched noodles to choose from,instead the noodles are hand rolled with a glass bottle(yes you heard me right) and then 'cut' with a knife and hence the irregular shapes and sizes. The noodles are cooked just al dente,with a lil bit of chewiness to it,just how i like my noodles to be. It is soft and moist,and definitely smooth enough that you can slurp it from your spoon. *YUMSS* I especially like how the noodle tasted light on my palate,sometimes some ban mee may leave you feeling heavy and full just after a few spoonful.

gooey bowl of happiness

see the irregular shapes of the noodles

Also the lady boss is very generous with the toppings. Handfulls of 'choy sum' or sawi is added,giving sweetness to the soup base and you can see from the pictures the mushrooms topping almost covered half bowl of the noodles. Slices of lean pork are also added,but there's no anchovies or mince pork here. You can also add some lime and chilli into your ban mee for some extra kick.

spicy and tangy chilli sauce povided at the table too

lick the bowl clean!!!

The noodles remain hot till the very last drop and i totally savour each and every mouthfull. 2 bowls of ban mee + 2 eggs and 1 'leong sui' cost me RM13 and i left a very happy gal with a tummyfull of ban mee  ^^  On another note,raw/uncooked ban me is also available for sale here. So for those who would like to cook it at home,you can always tapao some back! How convenient!

Tian YaKe Ban Mian

Lorong Haji Taib 5,

Chow Kit,

50350 Kuala Lumpur.

Opens daily 7am-5pm

Closed on tuesday

*This article is written based solely on kitty's personal preference and tastebud*

A new year ahead,A new blog for me ;)

Welcome 2015!!! Well I hope it's not to late to say that though it's been like 19 days overdue haha. Anyways I have decided to start blogging again this year since I've last stop a few years back(i think it was 5 or 6 years back),thanks to hubs for the encouragement and support *wink wink*. He said that since I have so much free time in my hand and that I love to eat and write,why not start writing again? After some discussion,here I am. So let's roll up my sleeves and let my journey of blogging(food mostly..i think) begins!! ^^~