Nasi Vanggey a.k.a. Nasi Ganja

I did sumthing crazy yesterday ( tell me sumthing new! ). It's the same craziness I did a couple of years ago when I actually went al the way to Taiping just for for a bowl of mee udang. There's no compromise when it comes to good food - at least that's how I felt.

Anyway, you only live once and the time spared is very limited. So, live your life to the fullest. Do things you've always wanted to do. Follow your heart though all the people around you say you're crazy. It's better to look back at your past and say, " I can't believe I did that......" rather than "I wish I did that......"

I am lucky I have enuff of crazy people around me who are always willing to jump into the same ship with me to do some crazy stuff together......well, birds of the same feathers, they flock together-gether, isn't it? So, yesterday a few crazy birds from KL apparently flew to Ipoh for some good stuff for the tummy.



I've heard and read about Nasi Vanggey a.k.a. Nasi Ganja before and I'm sure most of you, readers have heard of it as well. Vanggey in Tamil means "come here" which denotes the situation of the restaurant where people keep on coming back for their food. It's like they are addicted to it the same way people are addicted to cannabis and that's how the name Nasi Ganja came from.

I've made an attempt to come here few years ago but to no avail since it was already closed when we got there. This time around however, I am not letting the same thing happen - no banana tree should bear it's fruits for the second time .....hehehe.



It all started when my fren, Mantong posted in status in FB about his craving for Nasi Ganja. The moment I saw his status, I jumped to the opportunity and offered myself to join him for a plate of Nasi Ganja. We then set the time, date and asked another fren of ours to tag along.

Marsya hogging the Ipad

So last Saturday, the four of us ( including my dearest Marsya ) heads to Ipoh to experience the tastiness of the infamous dish ourselves. We got there by lunch time and was greeted by restaurant that was already 3/4 full with patrons. A big Nasi Vanggey signboard was displayed at the entrance of the restaurant which gave me an assurance that it is indeed the correct place.

Free wi-fi lagi !

The restaurant was big with an open concept where it doesnt have walls but only ceiling on top. It is a self service restaurant where customers have to queue up to buy the food. Since we arrived at lunch time, the queue was quite long - at least 7 - 10 feet long. As Mantong been there before, we gave him the full authority to choose the dishes. We ended up with plain rice with fried hot n spicy chicken and beef cooked in hot n thick gravy.




The verdict. : between the chicken and beef, I'd choose the chicken though beef has always been my favourite as compared to chicken. Reason being, the chicken is hot in taste while the beef is a bit sweet for me. I've tried other Indian food before but this particular ones is a bit different from the rest. Theirs are more spicier and hotter which I guess was their uniqueness that brought people back to their restaurant.

Mantong's THE man !!

All in all, I liked and enjoyed their food but to drive all the way to Ipoh just for a plate of it, that is something I would really consider. But then, as how Mantong puts it : "it's not the destination but the journey that matters" which is very, very true since all four of us had a hell of a great time along the journey.

We talked, we laughed (so hard that it hurts our stomach), we teased, cursed each other and not forgetting dreaming about spending our old age together in Temerloh which was the highlight for the day.

To Mantong and Jamie, thanks a lot for sharing your precious Saturday with me and my daughter. That was one great and wonderful experience I'd cherish for the rest if my life.

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Akob Patin House

I had the opportunity to visit this infamous restaurant while in Kuantan on my last day of the recent school hols. Heard of this place from my sis a couple of times already but didnt really get the chance to make a visit. 

It was last Wednesday that I finally gotta step foot to this much talked about restaurant in Kuantan. We were on our way back to KL & since it's nearly lunch time, my mum suggested to stop by at Akob Patin House for lunch.

The moment I saw the restaurant, I immediately understands why it has becoming the most famous makan place in Kuantan. It's the location - being located by the Kuantan River definitely gives them the advantage. They've got the best location for a restaurant. Not only you can enjoy the food, patrons could also enjoy the view & the soft breeze while having their lunch.On top of that, parking is not an issue at all as there are ample parking space provided.

Akob Patin House is located in Tapak PCCL, Jalan Besar i.e. by the Kuantan riverside, behind the old KWSP office and the old Samudera Hotel building. The only setback to this place is that, they are only open during lunch hours. If you planning to come by, do get there around 12pm or it'll be tough to get seats as it'll be swarmed by huge crowds by then.

Akob Patin House is a self service restaurant where they have an array of of Malay dishes which you'd take with white rice. Most of their dishes are those local malay dishes like tempoyak pucuk ubi, sayur batang keladi, kerabu, etc. It was already 1 pm when we got there, hence not much are left.

Their specialty is of course patin masak tempoyak. I've been told that there are usually 2 different types of patin available which is Patin Sangkar and Patin Buah, the latter being more expensive. The gravy is thick and the aroma and taste of tempoyak is very prominent, which left you drooling without even realizing it.

None of us actually took the Patin Tempoyak as we just had it at home a few days earlier. Our total bill (for 4 person) was RM 23 which is ok considering that we took mostly vegetables only.

Just look at her empty plate - another satisfied customer !

If you happened to be in Kuantan, do find some time to drop by at this place - especially if you are a malay food lover like me. One thing I can promise is that, you'll be surprise of the resemblance to your mum's cooking ( or even better ).

 

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Best Kebab In Town

For those who originated from KL, I'm sure most of you knows which kebab I'm referring to here. They've been in the business for as long as I could remember. I would say that their kebab is the pioneer in the kebab's world here in our country. They have been in the business much, much earlier than those many kebab franchisees around like Doner, Kyros, Melawati etc.

The queue gets longer in no time !

Kebab Syawarma Raihani is indeed the best kebab in town. It's them who introduced "kebab" in my eating life. They are not as popular & commercialized as the rest of the other kebabs but theirs are totally incomparable. Operating at a small stall along Jalan TAR (opposite Kamdar), kebab Syawarma never failed to satisfy the cravings of their customers.



The juiciness & tenderness of the meat makes us wanna come back for more. The freshness of the celeries, cucumbers & tomatoes complete the taste of the kebab alongside with the special mixture of various sauces. If you think other kebab is the best - this particular kebab might change that view of yours for good.

As good as it gets !

There are 2 choices of bread available - it's either the normal hotdog bread or the pita bread. As for the meat, unfortunately only beef is available - no options for chicken or lamb though. The prices are RM 3.00 for the Bread Kebab & RM 3.50 for the Pita Kebab.

If you are around the area, make it a point to catch a bite of this kebab. One thing for sure, your effort would definitely be paid off the moment those succulent meat hits your taste bud. You'll be sorry for not knowing the existence of this kebab much, much earlier. And of course, you'll be thanking me for writing about this in my blog. You're very much welcome !

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My Pre-Birthday Lunch

Carol & Ija are so kind to treat me a pre-birthday lunch today. Actually it's not only them but Lin & Ain too but both simply cant make it. Ain is too sick ( poor girl ) while Lin is bz with her studies. Too bad.

It was Carol's idea to go to The Apartment @ KLCC for the lunch - based on good reviews given few people. Since I've never set my foot there yet, so off we went.


The place was okay - I mean, the look of it. It's like other restaurants along the same stretch where you can choose to sit either in or out of the building. Since it's quite hot these days, we opt to be inside. But then, it doesnt really make that big of a difference since it's still warm & humid inside - that we need to move to a another table a bit further from the door.



This is what we choose from the Tapas menu which would act as the appetizer :



My rating : 1 over 5. The chicken is a bit too dry & it's salty too. The sauce on the chicken is too garlic-ish & while the sauce on the side is a bit too cheesy for me (but Carol loves it ).

For our main dish, I ordered Lamb Rack (RM 38.90), Ija ordered the Sirloin Steak ( RM 45.90 ) & Carol chose the Chicken & Mushroom Pasta ( RM 24.90 ).


I can only comment on my own dish which is the Lamb Rack. It was ok, I would say. The meat is tender & quite juicy. But then, one thing with me is that I cant eat this kind of thing on its own. So, I asked for a black pepper sauce which turns out to be okay. So, I'll give 3 out of 5 for my Lamb Rack.

I thought of skipping the desert since I cant even finish my lambs but those 2 clowns still insisted that I should complete the course since it;s my birthday lunch. So, not to disappoint them I proceed with the desert :



Mine choice of desert was Mocha Panna Cotta ( RM 12.90) while Carol took the Caramel Custard Tartlet ( RM 10.90 ) and Ija went for Baked Chocolate Pudding ( RM 16.90 ) which took about 20 minutes to prepare.

Turns out Ija's desert was the best among three others. At least it's worth waiting for. Mine was okay except for the sourish strawberry sauce which I dont feel it's good combi with the mocha Panna Cotta. A chocolate sauce would be better.

All & all it was an okay lunch - it could have been better if the restaurant invested on a few sets of new powerful air conditioner. Service was really good. Thumbs up to the waiters.

Last but not least, again thanks to my buddies - Carol & Ija for the wonderful lunch. Not forgetting Ain & Lin (plus Ija & Carol too) for the birthday ang pow. Love y'all ! Muahhhhhh !!!!

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Roasted Lokan @ Sulaman

For those who didnt know what "lokan" is, well it's a type of clam found buried in the stiff mud of the landward fringe of mangroves. Honestly, I dont know what is it called in English - or maybe, it doesnt even have one. However, scientifically lokan is known as Polymesoda expansa - what a name, huh?

This roasted lokan is a must-have while you're in KK. For as far as I know, nowhere else in Malaysia you would be able to find this special cuisine. I came to know about it while browsing for KK's local attractions in the net. From all the forums I've read, this roasted lokan has been receiving lots of good reviews which makes me decided to include it into our itinerary.


The place which sells this lokan is situated in Jalan Sulaman i.e. the KK - Tuaran road. It is a few meters ahead the KK Polytechnic, if you're coming from KK town. You wont missed the place as there would be rows of cars parked in front of the many road stalls there.

Right in front of each stalls are the the piles of fresh, raw lokans waiting for the customers to be picked. The large pile is priced at RM12 while the smaller ones are RM7/pile. Since there are 7 of us altogether, we took the large pile which consist of 20 big lokans.


Apart from the lokans they also have BBQ crabs but we didnt go for this since our intention lies only on those lokans at the moment. While waiting for our lokans to be ready, we tried their icy cold, superlicious coconut jelly. What makes it so special is how it's been presented where the coconut acts as the mould for the jelly. I've never had a coconut jelly before but this particular ones are really awesome. The taste is simply out of this world. Each of this jelly is sold at RM4 per piece and RM2.50 for the ones in small cups.


As for the lokans, they are not bad either. Those lokans are grilled with a special gravy & a bit of grated coconut. It tasted something like mussels but a bit more chewy. I would certainly come back to this place if I were to visit KK again - not for the lokans though but definitely for the mouth watering coconut jelly.

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Ruz Aladdin Restaurant

I've been very, very busy since last week which leaves me with no choice but to desert this beloved blog of mine. There are just too many things in line with so little time left to do it. I'll be holidaying to KK this coming weekend & will only be back on Ramadhan's eve. And speaking of fasting month, I haven't even finalized the 30 days breaking fast menu yet. There you go - I could see the panic button started to blink already !

I've lined up a list of things that I should be doing last weekend, which includes completing the breaking fast menu, packing for my KK trip, cleaning up the house & cleaning my mini fish pond. These are some of the many things I need to wrap up before Ramadhan steps in. But then, everything ground to a halt since I have to entertain my BFF who came all the way from Kuantan last weekend. Not that I'm grumbling, NO I certainly am NOT, since me too had a tremendous fun with her company.

So now, I'm left with a few more days to accomplish all those stalled missions. Prioritize is something I have to do since there's not much time left. And the menu is absolutely top priority. My oh my ! How I'd wish I could have more than 24 hours in a day !

In today's entry, I'm gonna write about this makan place me & my frens dined last Friday. It is called Ruz Aladdin Restaurant. Nasi Briyani lovers in Ampang would have known this place for sure coz that's what they are famous for. It seems that their Nasi Briyani is one of the best in town. Well, I am in no position to comment on that since I dont actually like Nasi Briyani. I cant take the milky ghee taste in it. Well, you can take a person out from a kampung but that doesnt mean you've taken out the kampung out of her !

The talked of the town Briyani Kaki Kambing - RM 25.00

Curry Mee - RM 9.90

Rojak Buah - RM 6.00

Chicken Chop - RM 18.90

I had Sup Ekor while Marsya settled down with of her fave, Curry Mee. My soup was okay with a generous amount of ox tails as compared to some places where you'll have to dig through the onions & tomatoes to find the tails. The Curry Mee however, was just a so-so dish. If I were to taste it blindfolded, I wont even know it's a Curry Mee. Though the name is Curry Mee, I couldnt detect any taste of curry at all. It's either they didnt put any curry powder in it or my taste bud has gone bonkers !

Faces of hope......before the arrival of the food

Anyway, one thing you can be sure of is that you wont leave the place with an empty stomach. Their portion of food was reasonably huge. For a small eater like me & Marsya, one dish is more than enuff for both of us. The oxtail soup was supposed to be my starters but end up being the main course instead - especially when it comes with 2 slices of thick bread as well.

Ruz Aladdin is definitely a place when you have a craving for Nasi Briyani. I would like to recommend the Goat's Leg Nasi Briyani - though it's a bit pricey but it certainly worth every cents you're paying for. But then to those who doesnt eat lamb / mutton, there are still lots of other varieties to choose from - chicken, prawn, beef or fish.

Faces of satisfaction....burrppppp !!!

And it's not only Nasi Briyani they have there, in fact their options are quite diversified - from locals all the way to westerns. It's like a mini food court with a range of food arrays. That's why a non Nasi Briyani eater like me & Marsya can still dine here. Those who would like to try out this restaurant, here's the address :

Lot 1243, Jalan Ulu Kelang
Batu 4, Ampang Point
68000 Ampang

Tel. # : 03 - 4251 6463
Operating Hours : 11.00 am - 11 pm

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Sekinchan Ikan Bakar

After a long break (to give way to the Fifa World Cup 2010), the Celibacy Club has been officially re-enacted last Friday. The destination this time was Sekinchan Ikan Bakar Restaurant. Though the name is Sekinchan which is a small town in the state of Sekangor, it's actually situated in Taman Setiawangsa, Ampang. The very crowded part of Taman Setiwangsa that is.

There are 2 ways to get to this place - either via the Middle Ring Road II or Jalan Jelatek, Ampang road. Since MRR2 is forever prone with traffic jam, I opted for the other route which is not that much of a difference as compared to the MRR2. After 40 mins battling with the traffic, we reached the place @ approximately 9 pm. As mentioned earlier, the restaurant is located at the busiest part of the area & looking for a parking spot that night was a real pain in the ass.

The crowd at the restaurant was reasonably huge as well. I'm quite sure it's due to the "promotions" they got from TV3 where they have been featured in the recent episode of the Jalan2 Cari Makan series last Sunday. It's a good thing that the restaurant is quite spacious to accommodate all its patrons comfortably.

Overall, in terms of restaurant's setup & facilities, theirs are not that bad. Apart from having the ample spaces, they also have this big screen TV & above all, while having their food customers will be entertained by the performance of their live band. It was a big restaurant with a number of counters - fresh seafood counter, BBQ counter, Ulam counter, nasi lemak counter& of course, the cashier counter.

In my honest opinion, the food is a bit too pricey - especially with their super-slow service. We ordered squids, fish & cockles which took them more than an hour to deliver. I guess that's where they got the name Sekinchan from. The time taken to prepare the food will be as tho they have to fetch the seafood all the way from Sekinchan it seems.

These drinks are called "Jumbo Juice" - RM8 each.

Imagine, we started ordering @ 9.30 pm & we only got to eat close to 11 pm. Rather than having dinner, we've ended up with supper instead ~ big sigh ~. Another mistake we made (apart from choosing this particular restaurant to dine in), was to complain their slow service to the wrong person. There's this old chap aged somewhere late forties or maybe early fifties, who simply cant stop talking when the only thing we've asked was our food. This guy could talked & talked as if there's no tomorrow it seems. It was so bad that we have to avoid any eye contacts with him every time he passed by our table - coz once started, he could never stopped.

Basically, what they have here is plain rice or nasi lemak, paired with variety of grilled seafood. The nasi lemak was quite good actually especially with the sambal kerang ( or is it "rendang kerang" since there's stripes of daun kunyit in it). Unfortunately I've to give way to K.Mimi on the sambal kerang as there's only one portion left.



As for the seafood, this is what we took : ikan keli, squids & cockles. For these seafood, you'll have to personally handpick them from an array of seafood at the counter. There are varieties of seafood available, all the way from prawns, squids, fish, crabs, lala & cockles. Once you've made the selections, you'll be directed to the weighing counter where all the seafood will be weighed & priced. Then, just go back to your table & wait for at least 1 hour before you'll get re-united with your seafood !



All & all, it's place I dont think I would go for a second time. Firstly, the food is just not worth waiting for. It's not that great of a food & practically nothing to shout about. Secondly, I feel that it's a bit over-priced. Imagine, 2 medium sized squid can cost RM16 & 2 small sized catfish is priced at RM18.

With that amount of price & time of waiting, one might as well drive all the way to Umbai, Melaka for a much, much more satisfying seafood dish !

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Borneo Baruk Club

Me & a few of my BFFs had this arrangement on how to wisely spend our lunch time and this is how we've planned it. Every Thursday, we're gonna have lunch at a place picked by each one of us every week. This is the day where we shall rest our feet (since the other 4 days we will be busy measuring the area of KLCC & Pav) & indulge ourselves with good food while discussing about the business development of the oil & gas business across Asia Pac. Boohooo !!!!

So today being a Thursday, was chosen to execute the said plan or should I say, the lunch. For this pilot lunch, four of us ( Ain, Carol, Mei & myself ) are attending and the destination (as picked by yours truly) is the Borneo Baruk Club.



Borneo Baruk Club is one of the many clubs surrounding the building I'm working at. This particular ones however is quite unique in terms of it's architectural aspects. The exterior was built as a replica to the longhouse in Sarawak with striking totem poles in black and white motifs. The interior of the restaurant was modernly decorated with a touch of the traditional elements that gives the place a natural & local ethnic environment.

The Borneo-themed ambiance makes you feel very cozy & relaxed while enjoying your meals despite being in the headhunter's house. Yes, that's what "Baruk" means in the Bidayuh language. In the wilderness of Borneo, warriors return from hunting excursions to the Baruk to celebrate their victory, exchange stories of bravery and obtain information about other tribes. Not that much of a difference with all 4 of us who fought in the corporate battle everyday for survival. And we do have lots of bravery & success stories to share among each other, especially stories about the other "tribes" we're fighting with !

The mango cordial drinks

I'm not sure whether they have other food for lunch since we've only been given the menu for the set lunch i.e a 3 courses meal ( soup, main course & desert) + a drink. There are 6 options for the main menu which consists of westerns & local foods. Service was quite fast & smooth and I have to give credits to the waiter who replaced my 1/4 filled glass of spilled drinks with a fresh new ones !

Soup of the day - a plain soup with a few small chunks of carrot

There are 3 good reasons for me to come back to this place. First & foremost would be the quality of food. Their food was really good especially when it's only RM 10 nett for a 3-course lunch set. Not only it was good, they are quite generous with the portion as well.

The awesome main dish

The second reason would be the atmosphere of the place. Despite being by the bustling road of Kia Peng, the restaurant managed to create a cozy & warm environment for its patrons to enjoy their meals. The last reason is of course, its location. It is conveniently located in Jalan Kia Peng, across the road from Novotel Hotel, next to the Hakka Restaurant, which is just a few minutes away from my office. Great isnt it?

If you are wondering how the desert looks like, well we kindof missed it actually. We were so engrossed with the stories of the other "tribes" that we've forgotten our desert ......hehehehe !

To those who are working around the area, I highly recommend this place as one of the great option for your lunch escapade. It'll definitely satisfy your appetite without having to burn a hole in your pocket.

Open time: Daily: 11am-3am

Address : No 1, Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 03-2148 0015

Parking : Available

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