Seeri Authentic Thai, SS2

This post shall serve to remind me to never repeat this recent string of weekends pretty much wasted in recovery from too much of a good time. Spent most days struggling with motion sickness at the slightest movement and remorse. Too much remorse.

Following this maligned period of time, I wanted to reward Fat Tulip for being so patient in my many hours of need, save for a truncated lecture or two about my excesses, and so we checked out Seeri Thai in SS2.

The Sambai petai prawns bowled us both over. The amount of juicy, putrid beans perspiring in perfumed gravy got us good. We couldn't stop even if we knew that the sensible thing to do was to leave some to take away for dinner.

Equally happy with the Tomyam Seafood, a heady, satisfying concoction. One of the better tomyam I've had of late.

Despite it being barely noon, they had apparently "run out" of chicken so we made do with pork to go with its Green Curry. Not disappointing enough to complain but I think they could've done the dish greater justice with fresh(er?) coconut milk.

Pretty happy with this though and well deserving of a repeat, unlike the feeble weekends prior. There is no good EVER to be had from that additional shot of liquor!

Seeri Authentic Thai
Jalan SS2/10 (Same row as Okay kopitiam and Super Kitchen, Chow Yang, SS2)
Petaling Jaya

A Great Deal (of Spice), Anna Thai Kitchen, Pulau Tikus

Apart from the ability to speak rapid-fire Hokkien and guerilla traffic dexterity, anyone Penang-born worthy of this unique birthmark must also possess the aptitude to sniff out a good deal in any condition.

A pretty good deal is what's been driving throngs of hungry, carb-starved locals to Anna Thai Kitchen in Pulau Tikus. We arrived slightly before noon and the place was packed to the brim, with a steady queue forming. I learned of this place first from CK Lam and I'd been counting down the days until my visit back to Penang to give it a go.

Anna Thai offers a decent selection of ready-cooked economy rice-style Thai dishes, as well as some staples ala carte. All very affordable, almost kopitiam prices! Warning: we found the spice factor in the dishes here tongue-numbing. Definitely not for chilli wimps!

I dove straight for the Thai Pork Leg Stew Rice (Khao Kha Moo) on the ala carte menu and it arrived a true picture of grace. The chilli sauce missing from the picture was startlingly, deliciously fiery. Much closer to the real thing sampled on the side streets of Bangkok than this inferior version on the other side of the island.

Dad and Mag both sampled the Chicken Rice (Khao Man Kai) with great enjoyment. The intrepid gourmand Ollie couldn't keep his chubby hands away and proclaimed it "Oishiiiii!!"

The Kerabu Rice was a deceptively delightful and kaleidoscopic mix of texture and taste. Shortly after the first swallow, the finely chopped bird's eye chilli and ground chilli powder sneak up on you with alarming speed. Make sure you have a tall icy glass or four handy!

The dishes from the fast disappearing trays outside, while unassuming, would appease even the stickiest tastebuds. The Thai Red Chicken Curry with Bamboo (Kaeng Phet) was creamy and robust, driving us mad for even more rice.

More spice in the Curry Chicken. We were sweating buckets at this point.

The Otak-Otak, a touch more moist than I like but flavour-wise, full marks.

The requisite plate of greens (featuring yet more chillies) rounded off a meal VERY heavy on the girth and our gastrointestinal system but VERY light on the pocket.

A Penang deal-maker? You bet you bottom ringgit it is!

Anna Thai Kitchen

26, Jalan Moulmein

Pulau Tikus

10350 Penang

Pints and more at Tom Dick & Harry's, TTDI

Tom Dick & Harry's has done well for itself, despite having chosen to open its doors on a competitive stretch in TTDI.

We like to come here time and again because it's a comfortable place to get your pints, the service is fast and friendly even when the heat is on. They really ought to do something about the recurring power outage though.

We didn't start trying the food menu until recent visits, when it was apparent that more and more tables were dinner as well as drinking ones.

The recommended Chicken Chop - a huge slab of deboned chicken fillet breaded and served with brown sauce. It's mystifying how many places get this wrong even though it's a difficult dish to stuff up. Fortunately, TDH's is one of the better ones tried and tested. Very good with cider.

Less stellar was the Pork Ribs Curry, which was served with poppadums and toasted bread. Perhaps this dish just isn't meant to read off a pub menu, but it just didn't do much for us beyond being a token curry dish in a Malaysian joint. The pork ribs were extremely tender admittedly but the stew was too watery and lackadaisical to warrant recommendation.

These cold ones we come back for frequently. Nuff said.


They also have what looks to be a fabulous weekend breakfast menu. Can't wait to hit it next!


Tom, Dick & Harry's
Lorong Rahim Kajai 14
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
60000 KL
Tel: 03-7710 2122

You Shall Eat Well in Penang

Who ever gets tired of Penang food porn? Not me!

So while I try to sift through the massive collection of random food photographs amassed in the camera and figure out what the hell to do with them (how do food bloggers do it? Do you guys make notes? Impose a post deadline?), here's another edition of more friendly food finds on sunny island.

Penang Curry Mee arrived at the perpetually packed New Cathay Coffee Shop, Pulau Tikus. I like this version because the curry is a notch thicker than average but not as loaded as the curry laksas down south. Cloud Nine mornings are made of this.

We also visited the poorly ventilated Sin Kim San Coffee Shop on Macalister Road. The Curry Chee Cheong Fun gets top marks with the olds because of the healthy chunks of chicken on smooth silken rice rolls. Didn't fancy the plasticware it came in, but I could definitely appreciate the robust gravy.

Also at Sin Kim San was Koay Chiap, a craft that is slowly but surely dying. The stall here serves up a perfectly worthy bowl of this herbal and somber delicacy, the handmade rice noodles springier to the spoon compared to the famed Kimberly Street's version.

To round off this day of eating well in Penang was a serving of Stewed Pork Leg, served with rice. The pork was fatty and invoked varying levels of lust. While not the best around, it was still very satisfying.

New Cathay
425E Jalan Burma
10350 Penang

Sin Kim San
Corner of Macalister Road & Rangoon Road
10400 Penang

Permission to Fusion, Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, Kota Damansara

The word "Fusion" used in food is a source of great personal agitation. Kinda like badly cut pants that chafe at the thighs. Or the Malaysian persistent fondness for replacing the article "the" with "D'" and springing a whole host of D'ed abominations, like D' Pub, D' Shop, D' Bakery, D'Place where you don't want to be if you had a shred of sense in you. Or the inclination to bad spelling, like replacing the letter "S" with "Z." Appropriating the language of another is a necessity for our young lingual heritage but come on, this level of abuse is practically Defilement - another D word of epic popularity among the jesters we call politicians.

I had read about Erawan from the pretty smashing, multi-authored food blog on the Malaysian Insider and its post here got me all hot and bothered, despite the threat of Fusion starting to sound like an excuse for aspiring gourmands to splice and dice cuisine artlessly, badly. Getting to Kota Damansara was however, another challenge for what is that geographical horror if not another cultural nightmare? I shall however, save that rant for another day, for there we were, regardless, ready to pounce and devour.

Seeing that there were all but two of us, Anan, the charming manager deftly explained that the portions were a little on the large side and recommended we went for the single-serve rice dishes or the tomyam noodles, which were also more economical options. The idea of a basil stir fry with rice and a fried egg just didn't cut it with us so we went with ala carte.

The Erawan Pomelo Salad arrived swiftly, well before we had taken in the cosy, warm interior of the restaurant. It came with a separate serving of sweet Mieng-Kam like sauce, to which we were told to mix in on our individual platters to our own taste.

I loved the handsome shelled prawns and the succulent chunks of pomelo dressed with toasted coconut and crushed peanut. Not crazy about fried shallots in general, but it somehow worked to this salad's advantage here. Gorgeous!

We had to contend with a lengthy wait for the mains to arrive, and understood later that Erawan's main chef Korn attends to each and every dish, hence the delay. I need to add here that a meal at Erawan isn't meant to be an in-and-out sort of dining experience; it absolutely needs to be savoured, sipped and praised.

When it finally did arrive, the Tomyam Seafood unseated us from our quiet lull. We were provided a choice of Clear or Thick soup, and spice levels of one (mild) to five (very spicy). Our pick of Thick, level Three set our bellies and worlds on fire. This was very hot and very good.

I had my heart set on the duck curry, but it was unavailable that day. The manager recommended the Green Curry Fish Paste in place. The fish paste, made on the premises with fresh ikan tenggiri (mackerel) are shaped like balls, with a salted egg yolk ensconced within. This was an interesting twist to an otherwise spectacular ode to a classic. Suppose that warrants a nod to "Fusion"?

Fragrant jasmine rice presented in dainty little bowls. Toto, we're not in Tai Pai Tong anymore!

To wash it all down, Lemongrass juice with ginger, dwarfed next to the Iced Lychee Tea.

The meal came up to RM93.50, very gratifying and well worth the journey into the frenzy that is Kota Damansara. For this and this alone, I could sideline my loathing of the rampant use of "Fusion" and just bask in the perfect marriage of spice and everything nice.

Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion
22-1 Jalan PJU 5/16 Dataran Sunway
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Malaysia
Tel: 03-6141 2393

Reservations are highly recommended.

The Church of Japanese Curry, Cocoichi

Barely two weeks of work into the year, I am already struggling to remember things that took place in December. All that drinking (which persists "because it's still January and if you even think about starting resolutions before Chinese New Year, you're just passive-aggressive setting yourself up for failure") is probably counter-productive but then again, since when did January and productivity make any sense together?

I wanted to make sure I documented at least this meal, our first stop fresh off the plane, to the church of Japanese curry, Cocoichi. I have been in love with Cocoichi for a long, long time.

Cocoichi is practically everywhere in the Kansai region. It is THAT well-loved. In freezing December temperature, the heat that the curries here pack makes even more sense.

They were featuring some nifty winter specials when we visited. We had the very delightful Gobo salad (burdock root chips). The root's subtle earthy flavour did nicely when sliced and fried to a bewitching crunch.

Also on the seasonal menu were these seductive beauties. Kaki furai (deep-fried oysters), courtesy of oyster harvesting season across various regions in Japan. Fat, slinky oysters captured and crumbed - these were gone in 10 seconds flat!

The main star curry finally arrived, glowing like the good red earth that bears the human race many fruit. My choice topping: Hire pork katsu and ebi curry, Spice level 4. Even though I've long held the aspiration to hit the max level of 10, I think 4's about the highest I'm ever going to go. Any higher and it would've killed my enjoyment of how the tenderness of the pork cutlet dissolved sublimely in the flaming stew.

Pickles galore on each table, as much as you can stomach - absolutely essential pairing with your curry rice!

We all had the Hire Katsu on rice with different sides. Memo went for the vegetable curry on the side - not a tiny bit healthier!

The meal was one of the heaviest I had in a while and we had to abort any other plans we had lined up for our first day. No one minded one bit - first of many overeating milestones!

Birthday Treats, Courtesy of Joshua's First!

Baby Joshua turned the grand old age of one recently and we were lucky to snag an invite to the chowdown, as part of the 70-odd party guests. I can't think of gathering any more than 10 people I would want around me at ANY age; Joshua is set for a life of immense popularity. We had heard so much about the cooking prowess of my Boss' mom or Joshua's grandmother, so we weren't about to let up on this opportunity to sample.

I arrived that evening after a rather eventful Saturday afternoon, quite, quite famished. Nevertheless, I managed to contain myself and idled with workmates, recapping our respective Friday evenings while waiting to eat. There were plenty, including a lovely fresh mushroom salad, pasta, fried spring rolls & money bags but I got barely decent shots of those.

To start, we queued eagerly like school kids at the school canteen for Boss' mom' to dish up individual portions of her uber-spicy, uber-lemak Thai laksa. Practically frothing with fish! I especially liked the sturdier version of Thai rice noodles used.

My workmates had shamelessly grabbed the table strategically located nearest to the roast leg of lamb station outside. Now I understand this not because I don't do lamb, but they assured me I was losing out big, BIG time.

They ooh'ed and aah'ed over how excellent and flavoursome it was while I sniffed and pretended not to care. They helped themselves to seconds, thirds, fourths with little inhibition. Not exactly a shy lot, this bunch.

I was bowled over by the crazy good satay, the product of one rather reputable stall in Bangsar. It was a touch sweeter than I was used to but there was no denying this was applause-worthy.

Encik Zul usually works his grilling magic behind TMC. He can be contacted for catering at +6016 204 1566.

Boss' mom also whipped up a very gorgeous Nyonya curry chicken, served with nasi kunyit. I couldn't shove this down then but meekly requested to take home the curry when it became apparent that there were plenty of leftovers as the evening wore on. It provided me with some three solid, tasty meals for the following week.

Thank you for having us over and feeding us, ML! Hope it was a wonderful first of many birthdays to come for the very loved Joshua!

One For The Road, Kavitha's, off Jln Gasing

With the remnants of Raya-induced misbehaviour slowly dwindling to a heartbreaking stop, so begins the onset of a period of solid work and discipline, right up until year end. But before that, I had to make one last hungover pit stop at Kavitha's in Taman Petaling, off Jalan Gasing.

Had spied Kavitha's when we were in the area not too long ago for Khun Thai, and had subsequently heard raves from other bloggers and BLR lovers alike.

We had been warned about the atrocious service here so we arrived with a good measure of patience and good faith. It took the staff a full 20 minutes before they leisurely laid on our tables the banana leaves, and a further 15 minutes to dish up the rice and the sides.

Now we weren't 100% sure what this was - one of the staff, who looked like he'd been smoking a lil' something something, said it was "perut ayam" but Fat Tulip who finished this all by himself said it tasted more fish than chicken. Can anyone enlighten?

Spicy shrimps - these were just okay. I'm not crazy about the sweetness of the sauce, especially when served stone cold.

Their Chilli chicken worked for me - chicken was fresh, nice mix of breast and thigh meat, all coated very nicely with the pungent, extra spicy dressing.

Last to arrive were the crunchies - poppadum, stuffed chillies and rather lacklustre version of fried bitter gourd.

The best thing about Kavitha's though was the basic vegetarian set itself. The combination of its extra-rich gravies, generous serving of 3 types of vegetables, chutney and sambal was a beaut! The result was almost not entirely classic BLR; it had a whiff of nasi kandar, especially in the thickness of its fish gravy. One could happily tuck into this minus any of the side dishes and go to war (or period of hard slog & moderation) quite, quite charged.

While the service was dire despite the place being only half-filled, and the side dishes just adequate, I'd be back in a heartbeat for the very exceptional basic vegetarian set.

Until then, let's soldier on, troopers!

Feel-Good Jap at Akane, Hartamas

How great was the long Raya weekend? Hands up all those who think we should have a four-day weekend every month??!

After three days of reckless indulgence, we decided to revisit our inspiration from moderation and hit for similar contemporary Western cuisine turned Japanese at Akane in Desa Sri Hartamas for a meeting that wouldn't involve alcohol.

Over thirst-quenching iced Mugi-cha, we discussed this rare, exceptional influx of positive vibes clouding what was affirmatively one of the best times of our little lives. Despite some broad concerns about the danger of slipping back into our excessive tendencies, we were delightfully smothered by the energy, possibilities and conviction that this interval offered.

Akane was peopled by Japanese patrons and staff, their delicate brand of service a gust of fresh air from lame Malaysian standards. We started with the Akane Salad, because we were being good girls. The slices of grilled unagi provided the punch to an otherwise scanty salad made up of mostly iceberg lettuce.

I had some trouble deciphering the rather perplexing menu (which included modular options of sets) but settled for Katsu Pork spicy curry rice, on account of my very long journey to trip to Japan end of the year.

I had pooh-poohed the spice level when the Jap wait staff warned, "It's very spicy" but upon first taste, understood. The spice from Japanese curry hit only a few seconds after settling on the tongue and once it did, out poured the sweat and the tissues! Halfway through meal, nose was dripping, sweat was pouring, I was a mess!!

Omu Raisu (Omelette Rice) with Tomato Sauce. Akane offered a choice of either Tomato, Curry or Demi Glace (Beef stock sauce).

The rice had been fried liberally in butter and a wealth of various types of mushrooms, scallops, shrimps and squid. This plate was cleaned!

And to part, before we embarked on a walking tour of Hartamas commerce, Akane had these table standees of messages which baffled and bettered us at the same time. I have control of neither my thoughts or actions so if someone can show me the way, that would be great!!