Choon Yien Restaurant

Char siu (Chinese: 叉烧), also known as char sau or Chinese barbecued pork, is a Cantonese cuisine using barbecued pork.

Char siu is usually made with long strips of boneless pork, typically pork shoulder. The distinctive feature of char siu is its coating of seasonings which turn the meat dark red, or occasionally burnt and black during cooking. The seasoning mixture for char siu usually includes sugar or honey, five-spice powder, soy sauce, red food colouring (optional) and sherry or rice wine (optional).

Before you start salivating away, let me introduce a place for you to get some really good char siu. The place mentioned is Choon Yien Restaurant, which is tucked deep in a corner of section 17, PJ ... a place called Happy Mansion. When I first heard about this place, I was like .. is there a place named Happy Mansion in PJ ? Apparently there is ... it's the name of the flats in that area. If you refer to my previous article on 6 to 10 Grill and Food Foundry, that's exactly where Choon Yien is. But worry not, I'll provide the map to go there down below.

A word of caution though ... this is a restaurant ala coffee shop i.e. not air-conditioned and it's pretty much open-aired. But somehow that doesn't stop me from going back there again ... and again ... and again ... and again ..... ok, ok .. I am sure you would've gotten my message by now. Anyway, back to the topic ... Choon Yien do serve very good char siu, if not the best. I never asked the name of the chef (I think he's the chef ... i.e. he's the moustache guy who does all the chopping on the chopping board) but I usually make my orders through James 'Ayam'. First impression of him ... very cocky (he's a little loud) but once you're familiar with him, he's ok.

Everything seemed quite process oriented here ... from the moment you take your seat. James or some other guy would approach you to take your order and usually they would know how much you 'can' eat i.e. the portion of meat served would be just nice.


There really isn'y much option to choose from ... char siu and chicken. And maybe some boiled vegetables.

I think ....

I don't recall any other dishes from there. Anyway ... orders were taken swiftly and your food is served promptly. Hmm... that came out like a tagline eh ... wonder if I can recommend this tagline to them.

Alright, now over to the char siu. Your first experience with it will be memorable....

Everything turns quiet as you grab your fork ... thrust it forward and sink the pointed edge into the meat.
You lift it up ... and move it towards you ... and as it approaches, you can already smell the perfectly barbequed pork. The effort, the passion of a chef in creating this beautiful piece of work ...

And finally, the moment comes when you sink your teeth onto it ... your first time .... feels ... juicy .... tender .... sweet ... and finally just slides down your throat ....

. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .

And you're ready to order some more ! Please don't forget about the rice ... it's equally good. The rice and the char siu ... it's like bread and butter ... has to be accompanied.


But before you start making your rush out the door to get there, please allow me to remind you that the precious char siu is very limited. Please go early if you want to get your share of it. Better still, call James 'Ayam' and drop your order with him before going there. Else, you will end up with a plate of chicken and probably some vegetables ... which would be a equally suffice for a simple lunch. Then again, we are not traveling all the way there, braving the heat and traffic to just have a 'simple lunch' ... are we ?


Well ... words are spoken, I let your imagination run wild .... while I present my reviews to you.


Contact Details
Restaurant Choon Yien
Happy Mansions, Jalan 17/13
Section 17, Petaling Jaya

Ratings
OVERALL RATINGs : * * * * (Yes, I am biased when it comes to rating, but I'd give anything for another piece of that char siu ... !!! And I couldn't care less if I have to sweat it out ...)
Environment Ratings : * * (I can't help you much here, James ... the truth is the truth)
Food Ratings : * * * * (Only selective ones are good)
Service Ratings : * * (Inconsistent, I do get different comments)
Value Ratings : * * * (Average pricing for a cuty restaurant)

Operation Details
Average Price : Pay RM10 to be a happier person
Business Hrs : Lunch hours only (please be early). Close on Sundays.
Accepted Cards: Oh come on, you're asking too much !

Miscellaneous Details
Halal : HA HA HA .. you think ?
Dining Method : You can dine anyhow and anywhere ... I doubt they care as long as you pay.
Food/Cuisine : CHAR SIU ..... chicken (who cares) ...vege ....
Ambience/Features : The only luxury would be a shade from the sun.
Reservations : Only for food. Bring collapsible table and chair la .. if no more seats.

Restaurant Capacity
I think I can estimate around 40 pax ?

Here's some recipes on making char siu :

Lily Wai Sek Hong
Recipeland

Ryo Zan Tei in Berjaya Hills

Berjaya Hills (formerly known as Bukit Tinggi Resort) is just 40 minutes' drive from Kuala Lumpur and 10km off the East-West Karak Highway. Berjaya Hills covers 16,000 acres of rugged hills and mountains crowned with lush tropical rainforests.

Stepping through a rustic gateway and a winding Japanese footpath leads you through a beautiful garden to a waterfall, over a bridge spanning a Koi pond and up to a Japanese Tea House. Further down the path, you will come across Ryo Zan Tei Japanese Restaurant. At 2,700 - 3,500 feet above sea level, the air is cool, fresh and rejuvenating. The only Japanese restaurant in Malaysia that is located in the midst of a tropical rainforest high up in the hills of the Main Range.

My last visit to Berjaya Hills was on New Years Eve and not surprisingly, the place was crowded. As we hiked along the Japanese Garden, we arrived at Ryo Zan Tei slightly early and the place was pretty quiet. But within 30 minutes, which is around lunch time .. the place was already swarmed with people.

We placed our orders and waited patiently for our food to arrive although the tummy is already growling. But sitting there in the restaurant that is surrounded by the cool jungle really makes your feel peaceful and relaxing. Sounds of chirping bird and buzzing insects adds to the natural 'feel'.

Tori Teriyaki Set (RM30.00)

Finally our food arrived, the first being the Tori Teriyaki Set which is Grill Chicken with sauce. The set comes with Miso Soup, pickles, salad and Chawan Mushi (Steamed Egg Custard). The tender pieces of chicken cooked with teriyaki sauce was pretty good since I cleaned off my plate within minutes !

Unagi Set (RM45.00)

The next item on the list is the Unagi Set. Grilled unagi is a delicacy in Japan, popular not only for its flavor but also for its stamina-giving properties. The ingredients in the sweet basting sauce are important to the final taste of the unagi, and different restaurants have their own secret recipes. As for Ryo Zan Tei, the Unagi set was favorably rich with an appetizing texture, crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. It takes an experienced chef with the right cooking process to really make the eel both crisp and tender. And of course, lightly sprinkle your unagi (or dojo) with sansho, a powdered aromatic Japanese pepper for added taste.

Saba Shioyaki Set (RM35.00)

Saba shioyaki or grilled mackerel is the most commonly ordered dish in a Japanese restaurant. Slow grilled to perfection, the flesh of the mackerel is thoroughly cooked yet retains the juiciness from the fat. The skin of the fish is intact, brown to a crisp yet not burnt. Doused it with a squeeze of lemon to cut the oiliness, a complete meal with japanese sushi rice.

Contact Details
RYO ZAN TEI Japanese Restaurant
Japanese Tea House
Berjaya Hills Resort



Ratings
OVERALL RATINGs : * * * (Good food, but weighed down by lousy service)
Environment Ratings : * * * * (High score for nature 'feel')
Food Ratings : * * * * (Surprisingly good)
Service Ratings : * (Poor fellows working in the jungle, no motivation?)
Value Ratings : * * (Quite pricey)

Operation Details
Average Price : RM30 & above
Business Hrs :
Accepted Cards: major credit cards accepted

Miscellaneous Details
Halal : Yes
Dining Method : Dine in - who would wanna go all the way to Bukit Tinggi to 'tar pau' ?
Food/Cuisine : Japanese a la carte and set
Ambience/Features : Japanese setup wannabe with nature surround
Reservations : No

Padi House Cyberjaya

During my last visit to the Old Town Kopitiam in Prima Avenue, Cyberjaya .. I spotted a cafe next to the Kopitiam. Eventually I found out the cafe name ... Padi House. Pretty interesting and creative name, I would say. So I decided to schedule one of my Friday lunches there .. which is today.

I guess Padi House did score some plus points for being so close to my office. That means I don't have to travel more than 10 kilometres to the nearest "mixed rice" source.

Arriving Padi House, I encountered my first problem ... the parking lots are not accessible ... apparently you can only access it using a smartcard or something. Guess what I did next, there was a huge gap beside the carpark exit barrier .. I drive right past it and parked my car. I know, I know ...I shouldn't do that ... but for some reasons, I did.


The cafe has an open-air concept, pretty much like any coffee shop but the seats are quite comfy. We sat right next to a landscaped fish pond, with the fishes swimming right next to you while you enjoy your course of salmon fish....

Ordering process, unfortunately ... is via pencil and form, here we go again ... with the tickings. And I guess the form was too small, the waiter brought us a large piece of A4 paper to write our orders, ourselves!!! Anyway, to cut the story short, we got our orders in and waited. And waited. We were the first few to arrive. By the time the restaurant filled up, we were still waiting.

Then eventually they brought our drinks and then the snacks that we ordered. The first to arrive were the Onion Rings and then the Deep Fried Sweet Potatoes. The Crispy Duck Noodle was considerably alright. The noodle tasted very much like instant noodle probably because it is one but fortunately the duck meat was very good, though! Soft, fat-free, very tasty without any of that sou mei (overly strong meaty taste).

One of the item found in the western favourites section is the Chicken Chop Rice. This, apparently is a fusion of western (Chicken Chop) and oriental (rice) and happens to be the favourite among the patrons. Another item from the western section is the Grilled Lamb Chop, which is also a favourite order. You can choose between the black pepper or the mushroom sauce but I personally like the black pepper sauce as it brings out the taste of the lamb, with a slight touch of spicyness although some commented that the sauce is a little salty. That aside, the lambs are as tender and juicy as it can be.

Those who would like to try something different can opt to order the Grilled Salmon Fish Rice. Topped with black pepper sauce, this item should have scored high on the chart but unfortunately the Salmon is a little dry. I had to request for extra black pepper sauce for the salmon dressing.

Here's our bill for the day ...
Drinks - RM2.50 - RM2.90
Chicken Chop Rice - RM5.90
BBQ Chicken Noodle - RM6.90
Crispy Duck Noodle - RM6.90
Mushroom Soup - RM3.90
Onion Rings - RM6.90
Deep Fried Sweet Potato - RM5.90
Grilled Lamb Chop RM14.90
BBQ Honey Chicken Rice - RM5.90
Grilled Salmon Fish Rice - RM8.90


Contact Details

Padi House
Block 3503, Jalan Teknokrat 5,
63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor D.E.

Ratings

OVERALL RATINGs : * * (Average food ... average everything)
Environment Ratings : * * * (Open-aired - plus point for the pond with fishes)
Food Ratings : * * (there's a lot of room for improvements)
Service Ratings : * * (I got pissed, what do you think?)
Value Ratings : * * * (affordable for 2-3 visits a week)

Operation Details

Average Price : RM10 could get you a good square meal
Business Hrs :
Accepted Cards: not sure

Miscellaneous Details

Halal : Yes
Dining Method : Dine-In . Takeaway
Food/Cuisine : Local / Western
Ambience/Features : Open-aired Coffeeshop concept
Reservations : Accepted (I still don't have the phone number ....)

Old Town Kopitiam Cyberjaya

Finally !!! A decent food establishment in Sahara .... I mean Cyberjaya. For the last 3 years of my employment term in Cyberjaya, I have visited countless number of food establishments in and out of Cyberjaya (more outs than ins). Let's just say working in Cyberjaya is different, very different from working elsewhere. Be it the working lifestyle, dressing sense and even eating habits will have to change. No more frequent Bah Kut Teh sessions (the one in Dengkil doesn't count... it's far away!!!), I doubt you can find a decent stall with deliciously fried Hokkien mee ... poor those hokkien fellows ... that includes me!

The opening of Oldtown Kopitiam in Cyberjaya of course, is not my dream come true .. but it provided us fellow Cyberjayans with a sense of hope. A hope that someday, we don't have to organize a Guided Tour Package just to go for lunch. Or visit that "Lego land" foodcourt. Or that overpriced Bistro ... in my workplace. And I heard that a chinese coffee shop has opened next to the Oldtown Kopitiam as well ... Padi House, I think. Thank you ....

Anyway, reverting back to Kopitiam .. after all this article is about them. Smacked right in the middle of the hot, hot Cyberjaya - behind DHL ... stands the Old Town Kopitiam and apparently that area is known as Prima Avenue (I never knew). I heard froma friend, who heard from another friend about this new place - I think they opened about a week ago, somewhere in early October 2006. The place looks cool with little fountains on the front - with this huge OldTown signage. You'll never miss the road.

There are 2 sections, outdoor if you choose to fry and sizzle in the hot sunny Cyberjayan lunch noon or indoor with the almost comfortable airconditioned area. I wish they'd fix that problem, airconditioning is a neccessity not a luxury (yes, i know it's not true ... you go sit in the sun then).

Food ordering, like the rest of the HK themed restaurants and also kopitiams .. is a hassle with the pencil ticking on a list of paper menu. Why can't they just take the order like any other decent food establishments - just because they've taken off service charges?

Anyway we ticked and ordered. Some of our food came and we ate (forgive our manners, firstly it's Cyberjaya.. what manners, secondly it's lunch and we're starving) while the even hungrier ones waited and waited for their food. Finally we couldn't wait and reminded the waiter, which he eventually said .."Hah, not yet come ah ... wait ah, I check" ... subsequently ALL the food came. No further comments on the service quality.


The OldTown Coffee which I presume is from Ipoh, is good, especially the "Cham" or better known as YingYong, the ice ones of course. By the way, they do sell the coffee powder, if you feel like making one yourself back in your office. The rest of the coffee are pretty much the same. I believe the Oldtown Nasi Lemak Special is their speciality, almost every customer that visited this place ordered that. Me, as usual .. ordered something else .. just so that I have more variety when I take my food shots. I ordered the most pathetically expensive Nasi Rendang Chicken, rice, with a dry piece of Rendang Chicken ... a little patch of sambal and cucumber. Go imagine.

Generally, the food is somewhat common, with "kopitiam" concepts mushrooming all around town. Nevertheless, it's a welcoming concept ... think of it as a 'chinese' mamak if you may.



Our meal details :

Oldtown White Coffee (Ice) - RM2.50
Oldtown "Cham" Coffee - RM2.50
Oldtown Ice Blended White Coffee - RM5.80 !!!
Ice Lemon Tea (Ice) RM3.20
Lemon Coke (Ice) - RM3.20
Fruit Juices - RM3.20
Drinking Water - RM0.60 !!!!
Thick Toast Peanut Butter - RM2.80
Nissin Noodle w/Egg & Sausage - RM4.80
Oldtown Nasi Lemak - RM5.80
Oldtown Curry Chicken Rice - RM6.80
Oldtown Rendang Chicken Rice - RM7.80


Contact Details

Old Town Kopitiam Prima Avenue
Block 3503 Jalan Teknokrat 5,
63000 Cyberjaya
Tel : 03-83181988


Ratings on this particular outlet

OVERALL RATINGs : * * * (Ample parking - convenient for Cyberjayans)
Environment Ratings : * * * (thumbs down on warm airconditioning)
Food Ratings : * * (the "Kopitiam" usuals...)
Service Ratings : * * (They forgot our food!!!)
Value Ratings : * * * (stick to your Dengkil "chap fan" if you can't afford it!)

Operation Details

Average Price : Slight more than RM10 if you want a square meal
Business Hrs :
Accepted Cards: not sure

Miscellaneous Details

Halal : Yes
Dining Method : Dine-In . Takeaway
Food/Cuisine : Local
Ambience/Features : Open-aired / Indoor Airconditioned
Reservations : Accepted

Food & Tea Restaurants (欢喜地茶餐厅)

Hong Kong themed restaurants are pretty much a dime a dozen nowadays. From "Char Chan Teng" to "Kei Tak Sek" and there's even a coffee shop in Bandar Sungai Long with the name "Wan Chai". As much as I enjoyed the food in these establishments, I don't know how close they are to the "real" Hong Kong food ... because I've never stepped foot on the shores of Hong Kong. If then, who am I to comment on the food since I've never tasted real HK food? Rest assured ... I do seek 3rd party critics and advices. Those who've actually been to HK or lived there ... and better still, actually love HK.

Anyway, our story today brings us to another HK themed restaurant, Food & Tea Restaurants (doesn't score much creativity point in the restaurant naming dept eh?) ... in Berjaya Times Square, KL. 欢喜地茶餐厅 reads (Fun Hei Tei Char Chan Teng) should directly be translated as Happy Land/Ground Coffee House. There are a couple of other outlets, one in Cheras and 2 others in JB. We'll discuss about the one in BTC since I've only been to this one. The outlet is located adjacent to the GSC cinema - in fact, right next to it. The owner must be real smart, choosing such a strategic location. Cinema goers would probably drop by for a quick bite before going to the movies. The restaurant has pretty decent setups, I noted 3 different types of seatings ... my favourite are the bright red ones. Generally, the deco exerts a very strong modern feel ... but then again .. isn't it typical among the HK restaurants and cafes?

Fortunately, we don't need to fill up some forms to order our food although I might add that the restaurant's probably shorthanded. I sat there for almost a good 10 minutes and no one is aware of my presence. A little irritated at first, I finally managed to put in my orders ... and waited for my food to arrive, which is surprisingly fast!

Food and drinks in this joint are quite interesting, especially the desserts. This is what I ordered, for me and my partner... I had Roasted Honey Spare Ribs Rice, Fresh Lemon Honey drink and Mango & Yam "Tong Sui" while my partner got the Pork Chop Black Pepper Spaghetti and the Mango "Tong Sui". As I said, I particularly like the "Tong Sui" presentation ... and it taste pretty good as well. As for the foods, Roasted Honey Spare Ribs Rice was good - the meat is tender and juicy ... The Pork Chop Black Pepper Spaghetti is a little dry but other than that .. it tasted quite decent. Overall, I would say that the place is quite commendable ... only if they improve their service a little.

Now for the ratings :

Contact Details

Food & Tea Hong Kong (BTS)
3rd Floor (Postel No. 03-108)
Times Square, Kuala Lumpur
Tel/Fax : 603-21452518

Cheras Branch
67, Jalan Manis 4,
Taman Segar, Cheras,
Kuala Lumpur.
Tel/Fax : 603-91325488

Johor Branches
2nd Floor (Lot 5.74)
AEON Tebrau City Shopping Centre, JB.
Tel/Fax : 607-3513488

Ground Floor (Lot G05)
Jusco Permas Jaya Shopping Compleks, JB.
Tel/Fax : 607-3070948


Ratings

OVERALL RATING : * * * * (good food, fair priced)
Environment Rating : * * * * (nice setups, comfy)
Food Rating : * * * * (commendable)
Service Rating : * * (need improvement)
Value Rating : * * * * (affordable)

Operation Details

Average Price : RM 12 - 15 per person
Business Hrs: Daily, 11am - 10pm
Accepted Cards: : Master Card . Visa Card .

Miscellaneous Details

Halal : No
Dining Method : Dine-In . Takeaway
Food/Cuisine : Hong Kong
Ambience/Features : Cosy . Family . Air Conditioned .
Reservations : Accepted