Soo Kee, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Going from my healthiest meal for 2012 at Living Food posted yesterday right on to the unhealthiest but equally tasty at Soo Kee today. Well known by locals as one of the best char siew places in KL the evening we visited we saw this dish on every table. My local buddies and a number of foreigners in the know had advised that char siew is really the only dish to order as it is so good that anything else pales in comparison. It comes with rice and a plate of peanuts to nibble while you wait but we had to at least add some greens to balance out the heavily tipped scales - which were fresh and a welcome conscious saving side dish. So... the char siew - basically caramelized pork fat - so sinfully sapid that I wrestled hubby for the last piece and will need to run everyday for the next week to work it off. I later found out that you can ask for a portion with a higher or smaller meat to fat ratio. I don't know that I would choose differently though - I'm a pretty good runner :-) 

Soo Kee
373 Jalan Ampang
(near the junction with Ulu Klang by the overpass)
Ampang
Malaysia
+603 4257 0767

Bistro 42, Bangsar Village II, Malaysia

This is a very quick post on Bistro 42 as I'm yet to eat an entire meal here, just desserts. As with the rest of the Big Group restaurants the setting is well designed and a delight to wile away a few hours. This post though is principally about the passionfruit cheesecake (white rounds in the middle of the above pic). They are just heavenly. I can't imagine a better combination of flavours and texture - smooth, perfectly blended cream cheese with sweet but slightly tangy passionfruit. Yum!

Bistro 42
1F28 First Floor
Bangsar Village 2
Jalan Telawi 1
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+6 03 2287 6566

Makan Kitchen, Double Tree Hilton, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Makan Kitchen, in the Double Tree Hilton, is an ideal place to take guests who are only in town for a short time. You can experience Chinese, Malay, and Indian cuisine all in one spot and not worry about unaccustomed guests' tummies adjusting to the local bugs they might be exposed to with street food. The buffet is spread over three huge dining areas with each section taking on the feel of the cuisine that is served in that area. The dinner buffet generally costs around 79++ RM but can vary depending on the season and other special promotions.

Makan Kitchen
Double Tree by Hilton
The Intermark
182 Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia 50400
+60-3-21727272 

Souled Out Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Souled Out Ampang makes it to The Yum List for their uber friendly service. There are few places around KL that try so hard. The staff are energized and do their best to make sure that you have an enjoyable evening. The ambience, in one word, is happy. Food here is unpretentious but decent and you'll be sure to find something to satisfy everyone's taste buds on the menu with both western and local fare given adequate coverage. Famous for their classic margaritas and lychee cocktails, Souled Out Ampang is the perfect place to enjoy a drink or two and a nibble with your buddies.

Souled Out Ampang
Menara HSC
187 Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur
50450
Malaysia
+6 03 2181 1626
www.souledout.com.my
slurp@souledout.com.my

Feast Village, Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Feast Village at Starhill Gallery is a lovely spot to take visitors. A cluster of uniquely designed restaurants, walkways, walls, and ceilings make a visually very interesting space. Food is definitely not cheap but the ambience is truly lovely. The pictures speak for themselves. I suggest taking a drink in the bottle bar before taking a wander to choose on the dining location. Be sure to visit the bathrooms and take a walk through the starlit entrance coming from the Marriott Hotel.

Feast Level
Starhill Gallery
Jalan Bukit Bintang, 
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Starhill Concierge : +603 - 2782 3855
http://www.starhillgallery.com/

Luk Yu Tea House, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Local buddies might say I'm crazy to pay 26RM for noodles in Malaysia.  These one were really good though!  Luk Yu Tea House in Starhill Gallery serves some mighty fine Chinese cuisine. What's more, it's air conditioned, clean and beautiful. Yes, I probably could get something just as tasty on a street corner, but then I might have to share the scene with rats, smelly drains and car fumes. This experience was much nicer. The service staff were fantastic too. They made suggestions, told us the house specialities, advised on the spiciness of various plates and and even told us when they thought we had ordered enough. The pictures above show mushroom soup, seasonal veges in oyster sauce, seafood noodles and Japanese udon noodles with black pepper prawns. Everything was fresh, tender and super tasty. If you have an American Express Platinum card you get a 50% discount when dining as a couple. So those 26RM noodles, that suddenly become 13RM, in the same friendly environment, start to look even better :-)

Luk Yu Tea House
LG5 Feast Floor
Starhill Gallery
181 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
+6 03 2782 3850
www.starhillgallery.com

Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits & Restaurant, Bidor, Malaysia

Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits & Restaurant is a famous local rest stop for travelers on their way to Pankor Island, Cameron Highlands and Ipoh. Take the Bidor exit off the highway and you'll find Pun Chun on the right hand side as you enter the small town of Bidor. Park where you can, but be forewarned of the weird parking system whereby you purchase a ticket resembling a scratchie lotto from a local business to stick on your dash board. It's best to ask a local to help you scratch the right boxes to show the day's date and time of parking. The ladies working at Pun Chun are very sweet and friendly and obviously take pride in the family business which has been in operation for over 70 years. The restaurant is famous for duck noodles and wonton dumplings. The yam buns filled with pork are delicious snacks with a cold drink and their specially made biscuits are an ideal takeaway purchase to get you through the rest of your road trip.  The biscuits are made in their own factory not far from the restaurant.  If you call ahead of time there is even a possibility of arranging a look around the factory.  Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits in the traditional style are filled with pork and taste sweet, savoury and chewy all at the same time.  The new style cookies are thin and crunchy. Something a little more familiar to Western taste buds are the Shat Kek Ma - caramel biscuits - they look like cornflakes mixed with caramel sauce and taste just as they sound.  You can sample some biscuits before you buy - but be careful - the more you sample - the more you are likely to buy. :-)

Pun Chun Chicken Biscuits & Restaurant
38-40 Jalan Besar
Bidor
35500 Perak
Malaysia
+605 4341 554
+605 4341 562

Master Woks Family Restaurant, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Outstandingly fresh and high quality ingredients make the dishes at Master Woks Family Restaurant more than memorable.  Pictured above are prawns in a ginger sauce, sizzling beef in a garlic sauce and Chinese broccoli in a mushroom sauce.   Drink service comes from the club bar with prices considerably lower than those of a pub or restaurant in Australia.  Service is rapid and friendly.

Master Woks Family Restaurant

Coffs Club on West High 

61a West High St.

Coffs Harbour

NSW 2450

Australia

(02) 6652 1477

http://www.clubcoffs.com.au