Chilli Pan Mee @ Kin Kin Restaurant

I love chilli and I love pan mee (min fun kueh). Therefore when I found out 4 years ago of such a dish called Chilli Pan Mee, my first reaction was hesitance! Huh? What's this? Well, I like my pan mee in soup and I could not imagine Red hot chilli flakes in my soup pan mee. Then I realized it was the dry noodle version, and with one bite, I've not looked back since.

The best place to try this special dish is Kin Kin Restaurant. The restaurant is located along a road just off Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, near Chow Kit and the infamous Lorong Haji Taib area - this means it is a little difficult to find....... but I will provide some links on map at the end of posting.


It is not the easiet place to find if you are not familiar with KL but Kin Kin Resturant has been around for many years. Be prepared for the lunch crowd as it is usually full, and be prepared for the heat as it is quite hot inside.

With every good food, comes it's not so good points.... can't get a table, hot and sweaty environment and yup be prepared to wait. About 20-30 mins is norm! Trust me...it's well worth the wait.

First comes the soup. It looks simple enough. Typical pan mee vege.

Then the noodles. It may not look like the most appetizing dish. The noodles are round vs the usual flat pan mee, with some minced pork on the top, fried anchovies and a half cooked egg. Hmmm.... what's the big deal, right?

Ok, bring out the power ingredient. The Chilli!! In a plastic container on nearly every table, you will find dark brownish red chilli flakes. What you will notice is also, that all the chilli seeds are inside. Definitely not for the weak stomach!

But, these chilli flakes...hmmmmm...they are the BEST!!

Fill the chilli in your bowl of noodles. Ok caution if you are eating it for the first time and if you can't take spicy...you may just wanna pace yourself or else...a burning tongue and stomach is guaranteed.

The key to enjoy this chilli pan mee is to mix all the ingredients together. Mix, mix, mix.....ohhh yum yum yum! Ok it looks even less appetizing after the mix-up but you have to take the first bite to understand what is the hype all about.


The noodles texture is just right, the combination of the minced pork, half cooked egg, the fried anchovies and the ultimate chilli flakes truly gives a very unique flavour. One bowl is not enough! You will feel like eating a second bowl for sure!

Again, I would warn to pace yourself...as the noodles expand in your tummy a little while after the 2nd bowl and you may end up feeling too full. But, by all means, just order 2 bowls cos truly one bowl is just not enough.

Address: 40 Ground Floor, Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman 1,

off Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman,
Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 016-3728069
Shop Hours: weekdays 7:30am - 9:00 pm

weekends 7:30am - 4:30pm

closed on the last Sunday of the month

Other reviews with map :-

KYspeaks

Malaysianfoodreview

Spaghetti with Special Tumeric Cream Sauce

Before I cook, I usually go thru a whole thinking process, what I am going to cook?, what's in my fridge?, what are the leftovers?, how to mix and match?, what should I cook first, then next etc to maximize time and importantly not to have to wash the wok / pan so many times.

I love to minimize the effort and by thinking thru step by step, I personally feel that it makes my cooking simple and satisfying!



So remember my Chicken in Special Tumeric Cream Sauce. I made a lot more of the sauce required due a slight error but my brains started the thinking process and what I could do with it and for what dish.

I love it when a light bulb lights up in my head. I had the perfect solution on what to do with the cream sauce and I could not wait till the next day to make it :).

Zeng zeng zeng....I decided to jazz up some spaghetti with my special tumeric cream sauce. OMG! it was so yummy yummy!

All I did was to stirfry some garlic and prawns in a some olive oil, add in the tumeric cream sauce, simmer for 5-10 mins. Toss in some cooked spaghetti.

Oh la la...another meal ready within minutes!!

What do you think? Yummy? you just have to take my word for it! :)

Chicken with Special Tumeric Cream Sauce

A twist of Asian and Western. I don't know what was the inspiration but I knew that I wanted to make something close to the butter cheese cream sauce I've eaten many times in Malaysian Seafood restaurants usually served with crabs.


I decided to go for a slight twist with Tumeric and chilli in cream sauce with chicken. No Cheese. But using sour cream. Luckily it turned out well despite squeezing in too much lime!


This is an definite indulgent that will add pounds to my buttocks but sigh...it was yummy and infact I made more creamy sauce to be used for another dish later. So much for my diet! What diet??!!!

Let's eat!

Ingredients :-

1) Chicken breast - cut in cubes, marinade with salt, pepper and a little starch flour.
2) Butter - 200gm
3) Tumeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
4) Chilli paste - 1 tsp
5) Sour cream - 300gm
6) Water - half a cup
7) Half a small lemon or lime (juice) - 1 tsp


Simple steps

1) I stir fried the chicken first till cooked with some garlic.



2) Next, put the butter in the hot pan, add in the tumeric powder and the chilli paste. Mix well.

3) Then add the sour cream, add water and mix together. Let it simmer for 5 mins. You will get a lovely bright yellow creamy sauce. Squeeze in half a lime or quarter of a small lemon for a zesty taste.

4) Put in the cooked chicken cubes and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. It's ready to be eaten.

5) It goes extremely well with rice and even bread.

Since I made a lot of this cream sauce, errr... actually because I added too much lime, I had to add more water and sour cream thus I had double the sauce that I needed for the chicken.

Thus I kept the sauce for another lovely dish. Wait for my next posting yeah!

Maxim's Palace : Hong Kong's best dim sum

I must confess, I did not have very high expectations of Hong Kong food when I first reached there. I thot...hey Malaysia's food is pretty fantastic...hmmm probably all the reviews on Hong Kong's food were overated.

It's good to have low expectations cos it can only go up, right? And Hubby-D and I were pleasantly surprised by our food finds. Read here and here for previous posting on Hong Kong Food Finds.



Thanks to Michelle who brought us to Maxim's Palace for the most delicious dim sum I've ever tasted. Ok, I can't really describe why the food is so good, so you just gotta try it yourself but all I can say is that there's something special about dimsum in Hong Kong!

Like all popular eateries in Hong Kong, please be prepared for at least 30 mins wait before a table is available for you. But it is definitely worth the wait cos when you get a table it means it's DIMSUM time!

As you oogle over my photos, just imagine each and every piece of fresh, delicious, succulent delicacy teasing your eyes, nose, lips, tougue and mouth.

Prawn Dumpling - Fresh, succulent prawns in super thin wrapper

Steamed Radish Cake in Superior Stock


Tender pork & prawn meat in tofu wrapper


Lotus leaf glutinous rice - Oh my! This was superb!

Pepper Salted Octupus ("Chew Yim") - Crunch, crunch! Yum Yum!

Scallop Onion Rice Noodles

Prawn wrapped in rice noodles

Yam Puff with meat fillings


Just imagine super yummy taste ok!

BBQ pork puff - melts in your mouth!

Egg Tarts - One is not enough!

Purple Sago Dessert

Sweetened Egg Loose Floss ("Tang San")

Maxim's Palace

Chinese Restaurant

No.566-570, Level 5, Metroplaza,

Kwai Fong, N.T.

Tel : 24206933

Hungry in Hong Kong? Where to eat?

Yes!!! Please be hungry in Hong Kong cos there are just so so many delicious food. When me and Hubby-D were in Hong Kong to celebrate the new year, we both wished our stomach could grow another one so we could fill more food in. Wishful thinking! We were there for 4 days 3 nights and did not visit many places but sure thing, we made sure we hit some popular spots for the best food.


Here are a list of where to go for yum yummy Hong Kong best delicacies!


1) Roast Goose @ Yung Kee Restaurant, Wellington Street, Central

Roast Goose, an absolutely popular dish in Hong Kong and the one place that many would recommend any tourist to go is Yung Kee Restaurant at 32 Wellington Street (at Lan Kwai Fong). Yung Kee acquires fame for its gourmet specialty-Roast Goose. Read about the history of Yung Kee, click here.

Yung Kee Restaurant is a huge (5 shoplots and at least 3 story high) restaurant. Please remember to call and book a table. Initially we thot we will just go over and wait for a table but luckily we called to book a table. We called at about 12noon and by then the earliest table we could get is at 9.45pm!!! I could not believe it, dinner is usually over at 9.45pm but we could only get a table at 9.45pm?? Wow! We quickly reserved the table!! :)

It is not my first time having roast goose in Hong Kong but I can't really remember what the previous experience was like. So this time, I sat down, patiently waited and build up the anticipation of how delicious it will be. And seriously, it did not disappoint.

The skin was super crispy and the meat was tender and soft. I guess it is very close to roast duck but I find the goose's meat a bit lighter and a bit more tender. It was a little fat though but I guess that added to the succulent taste! :)

So, you must hit Yung Kee restaurant when you are in Hong Kong. It is really easy to find and it is so convenient, after dinner, you can enjoy the night life in Lan Kwai Fong!

2) Wan Tan Mee @ Mak's Noodle Ltd (77 Wellington Street, Central)

Tel: 2854-3810

Next, if you are hungry after all the partying, you must go to this restaurant for the best "Wan Tan Mee" (Shrimp Dumpling Noodles). It is located at Wellington Street too and all you need to do is walk further up the street. It is called Mak's Noodle Ltd located at No. 77 Wellington Street.

Hubby-D and I were really excited since we heard this is the best "Wan Tan Mee" and it was also featured in many food magazines and reviews. We waited in anticipation for our order to come and to our surprise, it was such a small bowl - just a normal rice bowl size. I was thinking, if I was really hungry, I think I can finish the bowl in 3 big slurps! :)

Ok, I was not that hungry and not to look like a total glutton, I savoured the special wan tan mee slowly. Both me and Hubby-D have high praises for it as we felt it was really really good compared to another shop we had the day before. I guess quality is more important than quantity. The soup was tasty, the shrimp dumpling were succulent and fresh and the noodles were just right. Yum!!

Oh course, my Hubby-D decided order one more bowl which he reluctantly shared with me :)

3) Egg Tarts / Polo bun @ Kam Wah Cafe (金华冰厅) - Mongkok


Our Malaysian friend Michelle (she and husband are residing in Hong Kong) took us to Fa Yuen Street or also known as "Sneakers Street"which is a street of shopping stalls selling shoes, clothes, mostly sportsware, accesories etc.


Then we stopped by this shop with a big crowd outside...all waiting for the fresh egg tarts and polo buns.



When there is a crowd, it means good food!! Yummy! Although we were still very full from lunch.....but we were not going to give this a miss. We were not greedy so we waited in line for just one polo bun and 2 egg tarts! I know...pathetic right but seriously, it was all our stomach could take and we just wanted to taste to satisfy our curiosity.

Verdict - Thumbs Up!! Double Thumbs up! It is hard to describe why it was so yummy, but it the taste was just super yummy.......... hot hot right out of the oven!

Kam Wah Cafe (金华冰厅) is a "char chan teng" located at 47 Bute Street, Mong Kok (太子弼街47号地下). It is nearby the Prince Edward (太子) MTR Station.

4) BBQ Pork "Char Siu" @ Joi Hing BBQ 265-267 Hennesy Road,Wan Chai
Tel: 2519-66395

We saw this restaurant in a food magazine and since we have half a day before our flight on the last day, we decided to venture into Wan Chai to find this shop. Rated as the best "Char Siu" in Hong Kong, we were determined to satisfy our taste buds. It's street address is 265-267 Hennessy Road Wan Chai, but the restaurant is actually on Stewart Road, next to Wing Wah Chinese Restaurant.

Hubby-D and I walked along Hennessy Road but we found 263 and then the next street was 270. Hmmm, we turned down the street and we saw a shop with a lot of BBQ pork, chicken, roast pork, we took a chance and sat down. Luckily it was the right shop!!

We ordered one plate of their famous BBQ pork (char siu) and one plate of Roast Pork (Siu Yok) plus a side of Roast duck.

Verdict - Good but that great. There are some restaurants in Malaysia that serves even better Char siu but nevertheless both Hubby-D and I were extremely pleased that we found the place and ate a hearty meal before we flew back to Malaysia!!

I am dedicating my next posting just purely for Hong Kong dim sum! Stay tuned!

Must Eat in Hong Kong...

To me, Hong Kong have always been branded as a food paradise. Maybe due the brainwashing from years of watching TVB series. The Hong Kong people I see on TV are always eating from yummy noodles, dimsum, roast goose/duck/pork, tea and not forgetting the desserts....yum yum yum.

This is my 3rd trip to Hong Kong, first trip I was in my teens....don't really remember what I did (except being screamed by a lady selling bags when I was browsing at Ladies Street - that's how "great" service levels were in Hong Kong during the 90's). 3 years ago, I was back in Hong Kong but this time for work. I was so tied up with work, I did not even really know where I was, hmmm did I stay in Kowloon or Hong Kong Island??

This Hong Kong getaway was a surprise plan for my dear Hubby-D who was coming back from the States in December - a belated anniversary gift and an early birthday gift all combined in ONE. :) Smart eh!!?? Guess what I got from him from the States? - An iphone - hurray!! and a beautiful Coach bag! Lucky me!

Ok back to the Hong Kong trip. We had a wonderful time. We stayed in beautiful Excelsior at Causeway Bay with a spectacular view of the Harbour. Thanks to "my lovely neighbour" for the help in getting a good rate for the hotel. Just to be clear...it is still expensive (RM700++ per nite) even after the discount but then for that room and the amazing view, it was a great deal for Hong Kong standard.

View from our room

I must say the food were just yum yum yummy. We were lucky cos my sis-in-law Peng joined us for the trip and she has a good friend in Hong Kong. It is always great to know a close friend in a foreign country, they can recommend the best places to go and importantly the best food to go for. This will reduce the trial and error of trying out not so appetizing food. Thanks Michelle and Marco for your hospitality!!

For this posting, I will list down the MUST EAT FOOD in Hong Kong. Hopefully it helps those who are planning a trip to Hong Kong.

1. Wan Tan Mee (Shrimp dumpling noodles soup)

This I can safely say is super yummy. Don't worry, just drop by any noodle shop in any corner of HK, the quality won't run far. The Hong Kong "wan tan mee" is definitely different from the Malaysian version. I still don't understand why such a big difference but then again who cares.... as long as both are yummy and has it's own uniqueness. The Hong Kong version is in soup and with large shrimp dumplings. The Malaysia version is dry with dark soy sauce and with BBQ pork and comes with tiny pork dumplings in soup for the side.

For me, what makes the Hong Kong wan tan mee so yummy is not the dumplings or the soup but it is the noodles. The texture is just so different. There is a "springy" life to the noodles. Some say it taste like delicious rubberband! :) Ooops wrong association! Too unappetizing to be associated with rubberbands. Michelle told us that the flour used in Hong Kong is better quality and obviously different technique in making it thus creating such a springy texture.

Alright, whatever they put in there... I hope it is a good thing but all I can say is that it is super yummy!

2) Char Leung (pronounced in Cantonese)

Oh mind! I raked my brains to find the best way to describe this dish. Here goes..Steamed Rice noodle rolls with deep fried strip of dough. It is the combination of "Chee Cheung Fun" (flat rice noodle rolls) and "Yaw Char Kway" (Deep fried flour dough).

I frankly don't find this dish in Malaysia or at least I have not eaten it in Malaysia. My friends told me it is available in some Chinese restaurants. I actually first eaten it in USA. When both me and Hubby-D first put the Hong Kong "char leung" in our mouths ....hmmm..hmmm..hmmm no words to describe. The "yaw char kway" was super crunchy and the skin of the rice noodles was tender and smooth combined with the saltiness of the soy sauce. Ohh!! It was marvelous!

Infact, we liked it so much that we went back to the same shop the morning before we left and ordered one for our tummies before we headed home. The watch-out is that this dish is best consumed immediately after they make it. If they have made it earlier and put it in the hot steamer (for the next customers), the crispy dough would be a little soggy and that would make a huge difference between a great "char leung" and a not so great "char leung"!

3) Porridge, Congee

Ever so often in any TVB series, they would have congee for breakfast or supper whether at home or they pack back to the house. In Hong Kong, you can get congee anytime of the day. It is made fresh with whatever ingredient you desire....pork, chicken, fish, pork stomach, pork blood, pork liver, century egg, etc etc. Why I like Hong Kong style congee? It is the way they cook the rice....it is so soft, so blended and watery. Yeah...! I like the watery soft congee and not the "teochew" type whereby each strand of rice is still visible.

4) Roasted Goose ("Siu Ngor Pei")

I think Roasted Goose is probably "the" must have dish in Hong Kong. Not many places have this and I must say that Hong Kong is most popular for this dish. Check out my next posting on where is the place to go for the best and most popular Roast Goose.

5) Desserts

After this trip, I now understand why the Hong Kong people always have dessert after their meals. That is because there is so many varieties and it is all super yummy. And to me, someone who don't have a sweet touch and not a fan of sweet dessert. But, I was super impressed with the many different varieties.

Yoong Chi Kam Loe (Chilled Mango Puree with Sago and Pomelo)

Ohhh! Look at the thick and creamy Black Sesame Dessert.

This is Tong Yuen but the special part is the skin is not made of glutinous rice flour but made from sago. This version is so light and yummy! Trust me ...a must try!

6) Nai Cha (Milk Tea)

Now, you can't leave Hong Kong without having a milk tea. This is Hong Kong's version of Teh Tarik (pulled tea). Have a drink....for the smooth texture of Hong Kong's milk tea.

What do you think? There are lot more food - egg tarts, "smelly" tofu, pineapple bun, and all the dim sum you have. I will be posting more yummy food of my Hong Kong Trip. Stay tuned.