Sunday, August 9, 2009

Kanpei to the rescue, Mid Valley working class!

Work lunches in the culinary wasteland of Mid Valley are typically undertakings filled with dread, stamped with a dozen blaring caveats. Thankfully, there are shelters we return again and again to seek temporary refuge before we brave the terrain overpopulated with mall junkies, bad service and overpriced bad food.

Kanpei, located at Northpoint across the road via the pedestrian overhead bridge from the retail congestion of the main mall, is one such shelter. It's extremely reliable for a quick decent bite, for days when we simply cannot fathom working our way across to the mall for midday sustenance.

Kanpei serves dependable Chinese favourites in comfortable woody setting. The Claypot Lou Shu Fun here is a firm pick, goes straight to cure any mid-week client blues. On this visit, my workmates orders a large claypot to share - the sight of the noodles being dished out into smaller bowls, emitting porky fumes, is akin to therapy.

I go for the more subdued Wan Tan Mee with Dumplings because I trust Kanpei to serve it with a decent side of greens. The egg noodles are skinny, springy and chewy, just the way I like them!

Dumplings burst with whole prawns & pork upon first bite, perfect with the house dried chilli paste they are very generous with.

Another office-wide favourite - Whitebait fritters with chilli & garlic. Whitebait is a curious entity in this part of the world. Having been first introduced to them in NZ as those tiny worm-like beings in Whitebait fritters, I was a little thrown off when they turned out to be about the size of sardines. The flavour too is somewhat different - it's still subdued and sweet, but with a component missing, I can't quite put my finger on it. Nevertheless, this dish is a crunchy solid 8/10!

Another option to stave off institutional revulsion and the system - Wat Tan Hor or Cantonese Hor Fun. Gloriously eggy, moist and serving size that guarantees the snoozes after, I can't say this is the best I've had, but in times of great need, and in the context of Mid Valley's blandness, this will have to do until dinnertime!

11 comments:

hApPy HaPpY said...

i like to link with yr blog, is it possible?

Sean said...

ooh i didn't realize this place existed. it's been ages since i checked out northpoint, back when isthmus, ninja jones and red ginger were all there (are they still?). this looks like comfort food, though it might not be worth traipsing over if one is parked at the gardens! :D

Rebecca Saw said...

yums..it does looks good! Northpoint..aft boo's post last week, and yrs now..me thinks its time to explore a bit!

Unknown said...

I would like to try the clypot lou shu fun.

Big Boys Oven said...

you know how to make working slave with salivating on all your awesome lunch! :)I want to break free!

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

didnt knw there was anything left that was worth going to..

sc said...

wooo the loh shu fun looks real good to warm the belly on a rainy day!

allie said...

everything looks so good. It's been raining here since morning and I would like to have a bowl of claypot lou shu fan to warm my belly :P

minchow said...

Happy Happy, for sure! :-D Hope to find out more about yummies around town from yr blog!

Sean, tell me about it! Us poor non-season parkers sometimes have to do the trek all the way from bloody Gardens, after we get back from meetings offsite. Is painful, very painful :-S

Nomad Gourmand, who'd have thought right? Mid Valley hardly conjures images of good hearty food. Let me know when you're in the area, we go eat the place down! :-D

Food Paradise, I wouldn't go as far as saying this was the BEST claypot lou shu fun, but it's still a pretty good feed!

BBO, break free! Eat like we don't have to work after lunch!!

minchow said...

Joe, well, there really isn't MUCH to be honest... we are just cornered into making do with the remotest resemblance to good food lying outside the Mid Valley periphery!

SC, belly-warming, that's a spot-on description!

Allie, I wish it would rain here! At least you got plenty of sun while in Cambodia yes??

backStreetGluttons said...

But while your unabashed general disdain of so called food in da Mall has our broadest sympathy being proudly backlaners and all that , we nevertheless have some great moments in the high floor Mid ...that also most probably from poppy kon induced GSC fantasia beside the Mc D , or issit da young gals hanging loose