O'Viet -Sunway Pyramid

Vietnamese food is definitely that I seldom indulge in. After a few hours of walking (and shopping) at Sunway Pyramid, I decided that I could no longer walk and took a short rest near the skating rink area. I look up and spotted O’Viet.

So the 5 of us made our way to O’Viet to have a rest and rejuvenate..and obviously to eat, as well. We ordered lemon grass ginger tea (RM7.90) – I love the fragrance of lemon grass, which always reminds me of a spa. As I took sip after sip of this drink I couldn’t help but feel refreshed. All fresh juices here are served without sugar. The photo below also shows watermelon juice and mango juice. If you are wondering what the brown drink with tiny black strips are –that’s a drink called Michael J (RM5.90). I’ve decided to not spoil the fun by describing the taste of Michael J, but I’ll just say that I highly recommend it.

This is steamed wrapped roll (RM9.90). With bean sprouts on the side and fried onions on top, this was appetising.

Fried spring roll (RM8.90) was delicious as well.

Not bad, I thought, so far so good and I am really enjoying my Vietnamese meal. Next came the stuffed tomatoes (RM18.90) .  Frankly I had no idea what to expect when we ordered this. The outcome – exceptional. The sweetness of the tomatoes combined with the well marinated meat i.e the stuffing made this dish go very well with rice.

Beef salad (RM19.90) – this has to be my favourite salad from now on. I’ll pass on the Caesar salad…more beef salad please!!

Fish grilled with lemon grass and basil (RM23.90). The grilled fish was yummy on its own, but when dipped into the sauce provided tasted really superb. Love it!

Tamarind prawns  (RM28.90) – well, the name of this dish says it all – prawns cooked in tamarind sauce.  I must admit that I have a penchant for  food with a tinge of sourness and this really made my day.

Chicken soup with bean sprouts and basil (RM8.90). I love the spicy earthy note of basil which lends a sharp contrast to the taste of chicken. The end result – a bowl of ‘rat ngon’ soup….well, those are  the 2 words I learnt that day – meaning very delicious.

For dessert we had ice cream with fruits (RM9.90) and Viet cendol (RM8.90)

Address:

G1.45 Sunway Pyramid

46150 Bandar Sunway

GPS Coordinate : 3.073297, 101.607576

Credit cards accepted for RM 50 and above

Oceanic Fortune, Kuantan

This is my second makan trip to this restaurant. The last time I came I was totally swept off my feet with the quality of food here. This time around I arrive at 1pm and the place is full except for one table. How lucky I was!

 

We had this herbal drink while waiting for food to be served.  It is known as ‘8-treasure’ drink.

Our super duper tasty soup – lala with wine. The lala were fresh and the wine powerful. Simply divine!

 

Ladies fingers in oyster sauce – the slightly ‘black’ ladies fingers were indeed a put off. But the taste was alright.

 

Bean sprouts with salted fish – the charring from the wok was sufficient and the fragrance from the salted fish was enough to make anyone hungry.

 

Pork with yam 芋头扣肉 – sinfully fat pork! The pork was juicy and tender. The same can be said of the yam. One bite into it and I knew I was head over heels in love with it. This distinct dish kept me longing for more pork!

 

 

Shark curry – I’ve never liked sharks, but this dish really made me change my mind. It was so yummy. The thick curry with coconut milk was very  delicious. The long beans and brinjals were firm and yummy.

 

 I'll be making my way to Oceanic Fortune in the near future, and no one is going to be able to stop me!

Address:  Lot A 259 Ground Floor

Jalan Air Putih

25300 Kuantan

Opening hours : 11.30 am -3pm,  5.30pm- 11pm

Cash terms only

Restoran Meng Key, Kuantan

Located on the ground floor of what looks like low or medium cost apartments to me, Meng Key is not visible from the main road. The best landmark I can give you would be that it is located across the main road from Giant Hypermarket. Once you are on the other side of the road, you get the impression that the road leads nowhere and just as you are about to give up…that’s when you will see Meng Key. Yes, it is that difficult to locate it, especially at night when the whole road seems deserted apart from the colourful fluorescent bulbs coming from the few Malay stalls located by the roadside.

The restaurant is divided into 2 sections – both have air conditioning but the main area has it door wide open. A look at the photos on the walls tell me that this place has been patronised by famous celebrities and politicians alike. Alan Tam, Chua Soi Lek, Ti Lian Ker and Ong Tee Keat, just to name a few.The lady boss told me that they have been in business for the past 40 years.

 

 

 

We ordered 4 dishes:-

This is should I say frogs???? – well, steamed and served with a bottle of chicken essence. I found it to be slightly bland so I had to pour lots of gravy on top of the frogs to make them more palatable.

 

 

Hong Kong choy sum – stir fried with garlic. Perhaps a more appropriate description would be stir fried with lots of garlic. It was very well cooked and I loved it.

 

Noodles, slowly simmered with a variety of mushroom. We requested for this dish to be done with as little meat as possible and what we got was a heavenly platter of noodles.

 

Steamed fish (RM90 per kg)  in soy sauce -  I must really salute the chef for making this wonderful dish. Although it was a fresh water fish, this fish had totally no mud smell.

 

 

 

Address : G15 Tingkat Bawah, Blok J, Medan Warisan

Lorong Seri Teruntum

25100 Kuantan

Tel : +6016 -931 0198 , +6012 -989 2877

Opening hours : 11.30 am-3.30pm, 6.30pm-9.30pm except on Wednesdays : 11.30 am-3.30pm and weekends : 6.30pm-9.30pm

Mastercard & Visa accepted

Hai Peng Kopitiam, Kemaman

Hai Peng Kopitiam has been around for as long as I can remember.  Whenever we made a stop at Kemaman for tea  time(or should I say coffee time) it had always had to be at  Hai Peng Kopitiam.

The place is full of people as I popped in at 3.30pm on a Saturday afternoon.  Getting a table proved to be a great chore…but hey, good food comes with a ‘sacrifice’ right? So I waited patiently for someone to vacate their table. The long wait finally ended when a family of 4 got up & went off to the cashier to settle the bill.



Some items for sale - nasi lemak, coffee

I sat down & noticed that the shop was filled with people of all races. And lots, and I mean LOTS of smokers too…..which was something that really put me off.

Service was, as usual, lackluster – but I guess this is how it is in Kemaman where the pace of life is definitely many  folds slower than the busy KL life I am used to.

Coffee beans in a big bottle

After several attempts to catch the attention of the waiters, someone finally came to take my order. This is what I had:-

Milo Hai Peng (RM2.50) – a little diluted and I honestly think they ought to put in more Milo powder.

Toasted bun & bread with kaya (RM1 per set) – the bun & bread were toasted using charcoal and when they were served, the aromatic bun will just make you feel like grabbing the bun & eating it right away – which was what I did – Simply great!

Home made tuna sandwich (RM5.90) – I took one bite and looked hard at the menu – no where was it mentioned that it was spicy tuna – so I wasn’t prepared for the spiciness of this!

Garlic bread – 3 pieces for RM5.90 . Although the crust was hard, the bread was surprisingly soft and delicious.

I finished up all my food and left as there was already someone eyeing my table. Wow! Business sure is brisk here.

Hai Peng Kopitiam
3753 Jalan Sulaimani
Chukai, 24000 Kemaman
Terengganu

Tel : +609 – 859 7810

Opening hours: 6.45am – 6pm

Cash terms only

Restaurant Tong Juan, Kemaman

A quiet little town located north of Kuantan, Kemaman thrives on its oil & gas as well as steel industry. I went there just to try out what they are very famous for – stuffed crab. I did not know which restaurant to pick as there were so many of them in a row…..so I chose Tong Juan because I found a parking spot right in front of the shop.

We found a table easily as it was still early  and they have just opened for the day.  We ordered our drinks – lo han kuo, ice lemon tea, coconut and longan.

This is fishball soup (RM10)  – easily 20 fishballs inside. The fishballs were smooth and fresh. They did not have any stale fishiness!

Rice served in a pot

This is grilled prawns – the prawns were placed on a stick and served to us. The prawns were very, very fresh and flavourful. Price? RM12 each.

Half a dozen of stuffed crabs.  They cost RM8 each. The crab meat was soggy. I personally feel that this dish has been overhyped.

Tau miu with salted fish (RM12) – both tau miu and salted fish have very strong smell and taste. So I was pleasantly surprise by the outcome – a very delicious dish!

Sin Kong tofu  (RM15) – I love the gravy which was not too starchy. The combination of capsicum,  carrots onions and button mushroom gave this dish an extra boost.

As I paid for my lunch at 12.45pm, I notice a long queue in front of the restaurant – hungry people waiting for a table…Phew! Lucky I was early.

Address: K117, Jalan Sulaimani,

24000 Kemaman.

Terengganu

Tel: +6 09 859 1346‎

Opening Hours:  11.30am - 3.30pm / 6.00pm - 10.00pm

(Closed on Friday)