New Shanghai

I've got a soft spot for dumplings. Be it Chinese style jiao zi, Korean mandu, Japanese gyoza, wontons... Any kind of dumplings basically. So you can imagine how excited I was when I received an invitation from ID Collective to dine at New Shanghai.

I am personally a huge fan of their dumplings and have been to New Shanghai numerous times since they opened for two particular dishes; their 小籠包 (xiao long bao) and  生煎包 (pan fried pork buns).

The Boyfriend however, being the westernised Asian that he is often laments, "They (referring to any sort of dumplings) all taste the same!!" So instead of bringing him to the lunch tasting, I brought along The SIL who was super excited as she too is a fan of New Shanghai.

We started with some steamed crab and pork xiao long bao. I appreciate how the skin isn't too thick, and the filling being all tender and juicy. They were just as good as the pork ones that we often have, but I found the broth to be a tad tastier with the addition of crab.

Ahhhh, they're so good, I swear I can eat the whole serve all by myself! Just a kind warning though, you have to be extra careful as the broth inside can cause quite a fair bit of mess if spilled.

Take a small bite up the top of the bun, and slowly suck the hot broth out; it is after all the best part! ;)

Of course, we could not go past the pan fried pork buns even though we've had them so many times before. I absolutely love how soft and fluffy the buns are, paired with a crispy bottom and juicy filling, oh so delightful! You won't be able to stop at one. ;)

Truth be told, when the waitstaff recommended these prawn wontons with chilli oil, peanut and sesame sauce, I was a little hesitant, but it turned out to be the highlight for me! These dumplings were smooth and silky with a generous amount of prawns.

And the sauce? It does sounds like a weird combo, but it comes together really well and was super delicious!  It was a dish I would not have otherwise ordered but now I see why this dish is popular.

I often associate New Shanghai to dumplings, and as such we've yet to try many of the main dishes. The Boyfriend upon seeing my photos of the dishes The SIL and I sampled said, "Why have we never tried these main dishes before? You always order the dumplings only!"

Now that The SIL and I have sampled the mains and really enjoyed them, I am pretty sure we would return again with our other halves. :)

Speaking of the mains, we started with a sweet and sour whole barramundi, which is one of my favourite childhood dishes and definitely brought back very nostalgic memories.

The SIL was really keen on the crispy American pork ribs with garlic as her colleague raved about this dish. I swear I saw her eyes lit up upon her first bite as she went, "Mmmmm!"

The ribs were so toothsome, we had no patience with our lack of chopstick skills, we ended up using our hands haha!

If you enjoy salty food, I highly recommend the deep fried tofu coated with salted egg yolk. It was delicious, however as we were not having rice that arvo, I found this dish to be a little salty for my liking. It would have been great if we had rice.

I used to frequent Hu Tong many years ago but I found the standard of the dumplings to have dropped a fair bit in recent days. They aren't as tasty and as well made as they were before.

I am glad New Shanghai came about as it has been my go to place for dumplings since their opening. I am also sure we would be returning for dinner to try the other mains next time. ;)

If you've never been, I highly recommend you pop by Emporium to try out New Shanghai one day. I hope you will enjoy the dumplings as much as I do. And as my SIL would say in excitement, "MUST HAVE THE AMERICAN RIBS!"

Where to eat in Klang? - Part 1

I don't remember if I've ever mentioned that I grew up in Klang, the royal city and former capital of state of Selangor, Malaysia... Or the city known to many as the Land of Bah Kut Teh.

When people hear that I come from Klang, the first question that I often get asked is: "Where can I get the best bah kut teh?"

Well, I think most bah kut teh's in Klang are good. But they do differ from recipe to recipe as some has stronger herbal taste than others.

As the broth at each shop taste slightly different to one another, I can't tell you which is "best" as it all boils down to personal preference.

But what I can tell you is that there are more to Klang than just bah kut teh. So today I bring to you 10 of my favourite places to go to for good eats in Klang. ;) They are in no particular order, as I like them all equally as much. Alrighty, here goes!

1) Restoran Siow Tiow (or known to locals as the Klang Hilton)
No.58, Lorong Gopeng, Off Jalan Goh Hock Huat, 41400 Klang

Image Credit: Tracy Tan 

Siow Tiow is a well-known restaurant in Klang, which has been dubbed as the "Klang Hilton". But no, it's not a hotel, and please do not expect fine dining presentation/environment etc.

It's an old kopitiam-like restaurant, but I appreciate that the shop is air-conditioned and clean. The reason why it has been labelled as Klang Hilton is the sky high price that you have to fork out, in return for fresh, tasty, amazing, fabulous, delicious... (you get the gist)... food!

So, what's good here, you ask?

Their steamed pomfret with garlic sauce. Oh, the sauceeeeee! So garlicky, but OH-SO-GOOD! No doubt it leaves you with bad breath, but a very happy and satisfied tummy. ;)

I highly recommend that when placing the order, you request for "extra garlic sauce by the side". Yes, even if you're not too big on garlic, this sauce will convert you. This is the only garlic sauce I eat.

Then order their fried meehoon as well, and slam on a generous amount of the garlic sauce.... Oh, the best combination that will definitely keep the vampires away for a good while! ;)

Their steamed prawns with rice wine is also really fresh and delicious. But I have to admit this isn't one of my favourite dishes.

For me, the must orders at Siow Tiow would be the steamed fish, fried kuey teow, fish maw and oyster omelette. Trust me, you and your dining partners will be very very impressed. ;)

2) Peng Heong Hakka Paikut Restaurant
No. 2, Lorong Gudang Nanas 1, Off Jalan Pasar, 41400 Klang

Image Credit: Hungry Go Where

Peng Heong Hakka Paikut restaurant used to operate by the roadside, near the Klang bus terminal with a small stall and several tables, where the drains are visible and rare sights of unhygienic animals/insects sometimes put you off from returning.

But I am glad to report that they have since moved to a comfortable, clean and opened-air shop off Jalan Pasar.

As the shop's name suggest, Peng Heong is popular for their pai-kut (which translates to pork spare ribs) rice. The owner, Mr. Yong, has apparently been crowned the 排骨大王 (King of Spare Ribs).

Although I am unclear as to whether it was a self-proclaimed title, but I definitely wouldn't deny that their spare ribs are really good - in fact, these are the best I've had. And probably the only place that I know of that specializes in Hakka pork ribs.

The meat so succulent and tender, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture to boot. The spare ribs, packed with flavours, is perfect with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

As pictured above, the spare ribs come served with a family secret sauce, that often goes right into my rice. I love how the sauce is salty, yet has a hint of sweetness to it.

Their Hakka meatballs fried to a crisp perfection, and the assam fish (not pictured) are also really delicious too and compliments the spare ribs well.

What I also love about Peng Heong, is the affordable price despite its popularity, ranging about RM10-15 per person - cheap and delicious! ;)

3) Melawis Fried Kuey Teow
Jalan Lintang Gangsa, Taman Melawis, 41100 Klang

Image Credit: Messy Witchen

One of the best black char kuey teow you can find in Klang. I've been eating this since I was young, and absolutely love it.

This fried black kuey teow, whilst taste nothing like the kind of char kuey teow you'd get in Penang, is very unique in taste.

It has a good amount of wok hei, and is very very tasty. I think the addition of chu-yao-zar (pork lard crackling) contributes a fair amount of deliciousness heh! ;)

The uncle who mans the place is 70+ years old now, and according to my Mum, he has been frying kuey teow (rice noodles) for over 40-50 odd years now.

One day when Mummy and I were sitting down, enjoying our fried kuey teow, I asked her if she knew whether or not he has children. "Why so busybody?" she smirked back at me.

"Because I want to know if someone is going to take over the uncle's business one day!" I replied. I hope he has plans on who to pass on this amazing recipe to. I want to be able to eat this fried kuey teow with yellow noodles every time I am home.

4) Fatty Mee Hoon Kuih House
No. 19, Lebuh Bangau, Taman Berkeley, Klang

Image Credit: Chowhound

Mee Hoon Kuih is one of my favourite comfort food... it is one dish I've grown up eating. And no place does mee hoon kuih any better than Fatty MHK House does.

Fatty MHK House is a family business, and it opens from 10am to 10pm daily. The mee hoon kuih is always tasty regardless if it's the Mom (morning), Son (afternoon) or Daughter (night) standing behind the stove, manning and cooking bowls after bowls of mee hoon kuih.

Image Credit: The New Edge

The broth is light, naturally sweet and tasty; and the mee hoon kuih (ie. hand-peeled noodles) always has the right thickness and smooth texture. In other words, the noodles were always 'al dente'.

P/S: Although I've been to Fatty countless times now, I can't seem to find a picture that I've taken of the noodles. #failedblogger So I had to make do with a borrowed one.

But let me warn you, the queue and wait for this delicious noodles, can be quite long. Try to avoid lunch hour, and head down at odd hours like at 10.30am or 3-4pm.

5) Funa Zushi Japanese Restaurant 

Unit G-01, Garden Business Centre, No 3, Jalan Istana, Klang

Funa Zushi. My favourite go-to sushi place when I am back home. I swear, they're one of the best (if not the best) Japanese restaurants in Klang! I've been frequenting this place ever since it was opened, and I still do these days.

There are usually a variety of sushi you can pick up from the cute sushi train that comes around, or if the items you want aren't on the train, you can easily place an order and have the sushi made fresh for you.

And if you're a big fan of soft shell crab, I highly recommend you pay them a visit. Here's why:

A whole plate of soft shell crab sushi with various toppings!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ They have the BEST soft shell crab sushi.

Although I love them all, the Klang Maki (pictured above, right in the front) has got to be my favourite amongst the lot! Crispy soft shell crab, rolled in delicious sushi rice, then topped with avocado, mayo and tobiko. YUM!

Even the sushi sitting right behind, that's delicious too. Similar to the Klang Maki, except with a different topping (ie. avocado replaced with mango). I know mango and soft shell crab sounds weird together, but you'll be blown away by the flavour combination.

You are allowed to go crazy, and order a whole plate of soft shell crab sushi rolls with various toppings like I did. The ones with seared beef and eel with cheese were also AMAZEBALLS!

Or go for the usual nigiri sushi with your choice of fish. Of course, Funa Zushi also offers bento boxes, and main dishes.

On days when I can stomach that little bit extra, I'd opt for their garlic or salmon fried rice. Japanese fried rice seriously, hands down, beats any other kind of fried rice I've ever had.

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Alrighty, with this post getting a little too long, I figure maybe it's best if I break it down into two posts. Part two coming up soon!

I hope this post has somehow or rather managed to inspire you to head over to Klang, my haven of good eats! ;) Till the next time, folks!

Old Kingdom - for duck lovers. ;)

Are you a duck lover? I am; my group of friends too. And that was how we found ourselves at Old Kingdom located on Smith St. in Fitzroy, for the infamous 3-courses duck meal.

The wait staff will present the whole glistening duck to the table, before he gets into action and starts slicing out pieces of the skin with some meat. 

You'll be served with a basket of pancakes, still warm from the steamer, alongside with hoisin sauce, cucumber pieces and spring onions as accompaniments.

First course: The Peking Duck Pancake

Place a piece of two of the duck, with some cucumber and spring onion (which I have rather conveniently omitted) on the pancake, drizzle on with the hoisin sauce, wrap, and SHOVE it all into your mouth.

Om nom nom nom! The peking meat was so juicy and succulent, and the skin was crisp, to a perfection.

Of course, not forgetting how thin the pancake was. Some restaurants serve really thick ones - making you sick at your third serving.

Second course: Stir fried bean sprouts with shredded duck meat

I don't usually eat bean sprouts and I actually had a good stare at this bowl full of bean sprouts for a good minute or two before I actually started to dig in.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but man, the bean sprouts were surprisingly nice.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough shredded duck meat in there. I believe they took away our duck carcass with more meat than what was served back, hmmph!

Course 3 - Duck Broth with tofu and veg

The broth was sadly, very plain. There wasn't enough flavour in there, I figure they must have just chucked some duck bones in a huge pot with some MSG and there you go. Meh, I didn't enjoy it.

There were 8 of us, and we had 3 ducks. Some had really tiny tummies and barely ate anything, some were really big eaters so it all worked out well for us.

I'd say get 2-3 people per duck, depending on how big or small an eater you are. That way you don't have to fight or be overwhelmed with too much duck.

Would I return? Oh hell yes, never mind the lack of shredded meat or tasteless broth, I'd return just for the peking duck pancake. I just need to find my "duck kaki's".

If memory serves me right, I think it is $55 per three courses duck meal. You might think that one may not leave with a satisfied stomach, but let me tell you, those pancakes were pretty filling.

Just so you're aware, you will need to pre-order the ducks, so don't forget to call to make a booking or you'll have to scavenge for food elsewhere if you just rock up at the door.

Note: I have also recently been to the Old Kingdom at Surrey Hills, but it unfortunately wasn't as good. I'd highly recommend the Old Kingdom on Smith St. My next Peking Duck stop: Simon's Peking Duck.

The Xiao-Long-Bao Queen

If you remember, I mentioned in one of my recent posts (Peko-Peko) about xiao-long-bao's. But for those of you who have no idea what xiao-long-bao's are, they are a type of steamed dumpling filled with pork and fragrant soup. They are usually served in bamboo baskets, just like the ones you see in dim sum places.

Being a snob when it comes to xiao-long-bao, I've tried them in quite a lot of places here in Melbourne and none meets the expectations that I have... Well, except for Hu-Tong.

HuTong is located on Market Lane, which is between Lt. Bourke and Bourke Street. And that's Jenna enjoying her cup of chinese tea after a tiring swimming session. :P

Nana's favourite fried turnip cake which was juicy and crunchy.

My favourite pumpkin cake. It wasn't too sweet; just right for us.

They also have really good pan-fried dumplings. Something really different from that of other restaurants. They first steam it then fry it. And that layer of crisps just taste so fantastic with the dumplings. ;D

But this is THE BOMB! I'm really particular about the skin being too thick especially at the head, but the chefs at HuTong mastered the skill really well. The translucent skin is smooth and not too thick, yet it doesn't break too easily. If it breaks, then your yummeh soup will flow all out. :(

What you have to do is to bite off the head, then yay, there's more than enough soup for you to sip out before you bite into the xiao-long-bao, which is what I love most. :D

I personally reckon that there are no other better xiao-long-bao's in Melbourne. So yes, in my opinion, HuTong serves the best.

Never mind the dusty corridors and cocky service, as long as I get awesome xiao-long-bao's! ;)

The dodgy dumpling place.

Located at a back-lane alley in Chinatown, Camy Shanghai Dumpling is quite a popular restaurant although it does seem a tad bit dodgy.

I've got to admit though that the food is not too bad and most importantly, cheap! Despite hearing a lot of stories about the dirty kitchen, I really wonder why we still keep going there, eh? *giggles*

This is deep-fried beef dumpling! Omg look at the plate, so oily! We always wonder if they get their oil supply for very cheap price. :P

Super yum pumpkin cake! 

My photography skills don't do enough justice.

Or more like the lighting in the restaurant. :P

Oh my! My long awaited Xiao Long Bao! *droools* :D

With a dip of vinegar, whoah, perfecto! *YUMMEH!*

The bill came up to $16, so yeap, it's $8 per person.

Not too bad right considering we had 3 varieties. :)