chEAT SHEET KL: Foong Foong Restaurant (The Original Yong Tau Foo)

Ampang has always been associated with Yong Tau Foo and we have Restoran Foong Foong to thank for this light, yet filling, tofu-stuffed with minced pork wonder.  It also comes with okra, bitter gourd, and eggplants all swimming in this flavorful broth, which by the way, can be ordered and taken like soup.  Okay, I might have just invented the last part, but it seemed like my friends and I enjoyed doing so.  


Competition is stiff for the best Yong Tau Foo, depending on how you look at things, since almost everyone I know in KL, attest to Foong Foong being on top of the game.  After all, this family-run shop has kept their original recipes intact.  Others have tried to mimic their dishes and have upped the ante by trying to have better ambience, but for the most part, have failed on the taste department, and as for the ambience section, well, you sort of don't look for that when in dining in authentic Malaysian restaurants anyway.  If you're looking for an air-conditioned restaurant with an impeccably clean kitchen, Foong Foong is not the place for you.  If you are, however, looking for really good food, head over Ampang.  If you get lost, don't worry.  Everyone knows where this place is.

Ordering food is quite easy-going here but can get a little bit of getting used to.  Don't be foolish enough to expect waiters asking for your order.  Instead, head over to the counter on the left side and ask the gentleman with the microphone for your Yong Tau Foo.  And like most well-oiled family restaurants, I believe the two men behind the counter are part of the family.  Microphone you might ask?  Well, business can get really busy here, they actually have speakers in the kitchen, and bark orders that way.  Another family member sits in the kitchen, with a microphone (why am I not surprised), who accepts the order by way of speakers, and whispers the order right back at the cashier.  Why they haven't thought of another way of getting orders across at this day and age of technology baffled me, but I quickly forgot about this as soon as the food was brought to the table.

Take a look at the photo above.  This is also the same counter you have to walk up to for the bill.  It might be good to note, that everyone seems to order only two dishes here, so don't be surprised.  They actually only sell two items.  Aside from Yong Tau Foo, they're also known for Siu Kow, otherwise known as steamed dumplings.  However, my friends and I opted for the deep-fried counterpart.

At first bite, you would imagine that it had lacked something to balance the flavors - it already had enough umami, with the skin crisp and light, but it seemed to miss another flavor dimension.  And I have myself to blame, as I had forgotten to dip it in a combination of chili and hoisin, of which, the proportions are left with the diner's discretion.  When in doubt, go with a 50:50 combination.

See, now here's the good part.  Take another bite and you'll get to the yam beans, carrots, coriander, and wood ear fungus.  

Here's some intel for you.  They're so addicting, order as much as you can before the kitchen gets very busy!  Thank me later.

 All of it are hand-made in their no-fuss, let's-get-straight-to-business open-air kitchen.

And as you can tell, everything is cooked in big batches here.  After all, this restaurant gets packed easily, and getting a table here during lunch hour can be quite the battle.  I suggest you head out here before or after lunch hours.  They're open from 9am-4pm, although most attest that by 3pm, they've practically run out of things to serve.  

Restoran Foong Foong

621-A Jalan Ampang

6800 Ampang, Kuala Lumpur

(closed on Tuesdays)

chEAT SHEET: Kuala Lumpur's Roti Canai, Dosa Masala, and Char Kway Teow in Petaling Jaya

I recently paid Kuala Lumpur a visit, on business, but had decided to arrive two days early to revisit my favorite food joints.  I consider KL as one of my hometowns, as I was based there for 2 years when I worked for the biggest manufacturer of salad dressings, bouillons, and ice cream in the world.  Back then, I used to help formulate, create concepts, and standardize products for Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.  It would be safe to say that I enjoyed my job, no matter how much people thought I'd sold out.  It's not that easy to actually mass-produce a product millions of people would like - it involved heavy research, a good marketing strategy, and a great product.  Take ice cream for example, there are so many flavors to choose from - how do you decide or pin down one flavor (gambling your name in the process) and guaranteeing that producing it will generate business?  Sell out or not, what most modernist chefs do these days is to some extent, what we've been doing in our labs -- they play with raw materials like xanthan gums and oleoresins, use items from flavor houses, understand the chemical reactions of each and every single ingredient when cooked together, and use fancy food science -- you get my drift.


Now back to Malaysia.  Kuala Lumpur is such a diverse city of flavors and trying to pen it all down in one post won't do it justice.  I do intend to share a few of my favorite places because I realized earlier on that I wasn't diligent enough to actually keep a list of the good finds.  I used to rely heavily on Benny Tan, a colleague, who piqued my interest in all the food KL had to offer.  He's since moved on to the after life, may his soul rest in peace.


As a tribute to Benny, let me begin with breakfast.  We used to work in Menara TM, which is a short drive to Petaling Jaya.  The photo above captured 2 of my favorite places in PJ known for Rotis, Canais, and Char Kway Teow.  The first two, I usually eat for breakfast and the latter for lunch.  

This is the home of The Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar.  They painstakingly do everything by hand, use massive amounts of Planta Margerine (if you know who produces this, then you know which company I used to work for), and serve everything in a no-fuss manner.  Business for them just kept getting better, since they've renovated several times, now with air-conditioning and new tiles.  I was apprehensive at first, since most of the time, success or fame gets in the way of consistency, but they've remained to stay true with the flavors they've been known for.  Prices have gone up a modest 2 Malaysian Ringgit in 5 years, and I'm not complaining, since everyone in the city seems to have gone the same direction.

Roti Canai is an Indian-inspired flat bread, served with curry or lentils, and best with Teh Tarik, a Malaysian concoction of black tea and condensed milk. 

Dosa Masala is another one of my favorite breakfast items.  It's a fermented, crepe-like pancake folded into a flat cone, cooked in clarified butter or ghee (but usually cooked in margerine in Indonesia and Malaysia), then stuffed with vegetables.  It is served with several curries and is usually eaten for breakfast.

The cooks actually allowed me to stand and join their line, allowing me to flip a few rotis, during their peak hour!  Quite an oily yet gratifying experience.  

Full from having both items for breakfast, I had to pay next door a visit.

You'll find James Bond, the name the cook goes by, on the second stall from the left of the facade.  He's responsible for one of the best Char Kway Teows in town.  I know, everything is almost rice-based here.  The rotis are made of rice flour, and the noodles for the char kway teow are also made of this humble ingredient.  Take my word for it, diets and KL food don't make a good marriage.  You just have to live with all the carbs, which in my opinion, is worth it!

He's been doing this since he was young.  His char kway teow is an amalgamation of soya sauces (both light and dark varieties), belachan, rice noodles, cockles, shrimps, eggs, bean sprouts, and chives.  Consume this humble perfection as soon as it's served.

If you stare long enough, you'll see his name plate.  And in all honesty, I forgot to take a photo of one of the tastiest noodles in town.  


The Original Kayu Nasi Kandar
64, Jalan SS2/10
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor


James Bond Char Kway Teow
Ho Ho Sek Food Court, right beside Kayu Nasi Kandar

chEAT SHEET: Ramen Bankara

There's nothing like a hearty bowl of ramen when feeling under the weather.  I needed something warm, comforting, and delightfully good to fill my soul over the weekend and I thought it best to eat in good company.  There are quite a number of ramen shops to choose from in Bangkok and I have about 2 I frequent (originally 3 until I found out the one in my soi had just closed).  

Ramen Bankara is pure genius if you ask me.  You can choose from 4 different kinds of broth and I always gravitate towards the Bankara Special, on tonkotsu broth.  If you're having their typical one, a slice of chasu (pork) is not enough - order extra slices and thank me later.  Another option which I always do, is to order it with the slowly-braised pork belly.  I know, it's just fat on fat, but this is what epic bowls of ramen are truly made out of... good broth, melt-in-your-mouth pork meat and pork fat, and need I mention, great noodles?  I also make use of the unlimited peeled garlic by pressing it into my bowl, mid-way through the meal, when I feel satiated by the hearty flavor - it definitely adds a pungent kick!  And oh, they also have crushed roasted sesame seeds which you can add as your heart desires.  Oishi desu.  Oishi. Oishi.  Oishi.

You'll have to make do with the photos because when a hot bowl of ramen is in front of me, I forget everything (and everyone).  I had initially planned on taking the usual raise-the-noodle-with-your-chopstick shot but had only remembered I had wanted to do this after my bowl was wiped out (pfffft!).  

And what's not to like about this place?  You can pretty much build your own ramen by ordering extras from butter, corn, nori, bamboo shoots, slices of pork, scallions, eggs -- you get my drift.  Just take note though, that I usually order my ramen with less oil, just so I can find the excuse for the extra order of pork slices and fat.  Yes, I'm a girl full of contradictions, you just have to come to terms with that. 

By now you should also know that I do have an insatiable appetite.  My ramen fix won't be complete without an order of gyoza.  Theirs is pretty good too.

You may call me a karaage snob.  This one did not quite get my seal of approval.  But hey, I'm not complaining, you visit Ramen Bankara for their ramens.  If you ask me why this order didn't quite hit the spot, the chicken could've used a higher pick-up of coating, which also needed better adhesion.  Also, I prefer eating this with salt and pepper on the side.  

Word of caution:  finding a table here takes time and their last order is taken by 22:30.  I find it easiest to get a table around 2pm.  

To finish off a meal full of umami and kokumi, you must, must I say, order macha ice cream.  It sort of cleanses your palate.  To be honest, I could have had this order all to myself but my friends were already full.  There is after all, a gene of restraint in me, considering moderation in all things good is something I'm not very good at.  All or nothing baby!  And in Ramen Bankara, you'd have to go all the way.

Fancy sesame broth or curry ramen?  I'll fill you in on the details some other time.  It's in another place equally deserving of another post. 

Ramen Bankara
The Manor, Sukhumvit soi 39
Bangkok, Thailand
+662.266.251.623

chEAT SHEET: Wine I Love You

Admittedly, I've been eating around.  I just can't help it when Bangkok has so much to offer.  No drama, no strings attached, and the restaurants don't get all too clingy.  I particularly like Wine I Love You, because of the thrill of not knowing whether I'd get some action here or not, they apparently, do not take reservations.  And just because you're so hard-to-get, I like you more.  Twice I've been lucky (or perhaps thrice -- but who remembers when you've had too much) to get a table in big company.  The strategy we've devised is to actually drive to this place when we finish work early.

Depending on my mood, my wine of choice usually ends up with the bold flavors, earthy at times then, and then, the occasional fruity ones!  

The salads here are good but of all that I've had, I particularly like the spinach with foie gras and bacon.  Looking at the photo I had just posted, I wish I didn't fool around with the app on my phone.

You don't really need to commit to a particular order when in big company.  So we went haywire with random musings.  We pretty much had appetizers ranging from Thai sausages, satays, quesadillas, spinach and cheese, steaks...oh what joy when you can just try one or two bites, and depending on the degree of interest, pursue as your heart desires!

Anything goes really, when you can't decide.  Oftentimes though, I find myself looking for hearty flavors.  Their chili pasta with sausage did just that and few pieces of ribs (although to be honest, I'm still searching for the best ribs in town).  If you want local flavors, I suggest you hit the streets, this is not the place to eat Thai dishes, for real.

The truffle-infused ravioli sounded and looked interesting on the menu, but it didn't quite live up to the hype.  I suppose I had too much fun with the other dishes.  Perhaps I'll give you another chance next time, if you let me.  

Right next door is their dessert bistro, I Love You II.  Why, I love you too!  Because I can have my cake and eat it too.


Wine I Love You
I Love You II
Building E, Crystal Design Center
Ekamai-Ramintra Road (Ladprao)
Bangkok, Thailand
089-141-7000

chEAT SHEET: Pizzeria Limoncello

Admittedly, I've been remiss at posting; things have gone from busy to hectic at work. 

Today I'd like to start my chEAT SHEET posts; a good way of deflecting my lackadaisical ways.  I've lived in 5 countries (Thailand included) in a span of a decade and have always found good food in the most obscurest of places.  I always thought that my local friends would lead me back to our haunts until the day a good friend of mine named Benny, passed away last year -- it dawned on me that KL would never be the same without him, who was more or less, my food compass while in Malaysia.  After grieving his loss, I decided to look for my little black book of food and realized, I had not jotted a single entry into my KL list, confident in knowing that he would always be there.  Needless to say, if I find myself back in that city, I would still be able to find some (not all) of our beloved joints.


And so, here it is, my attempt in writing places I like to eat in, from easy to swanky, in an effort to make things simpler for friends who insist I share my eat sheets in places I frequent.  They always reason that I used to travel too much -- when I lived in KL, I was out of the country more than 250 days, visiting Asian countries thrice a week.  I've been to more or less 30 to date and intend to add more, hoping I could afford it.  But this time, I intend to bring The Young Tongue with me.

Pizzeria Limoncello.  The first time I ate here, I remember telling myself that they had the best pizzas in Bangkok.  My sentiments were validated by the several chefs I worked with back then -- a motley crew of nationalities ranging from: Swiss, Germans, Italians, Thais, Indonesians, Indians, Vietnamese, Chinese, Singaporean, Malaysians, British, Americans, Mexicans, Dutch -- I guess you get my drift.  Fast forward to a few years later, a few days to be exact, I found myself eating in several Italian restaurants in search of the perfect place to take clients to.

Bangkok is not one to be bereft of good Italian restaurants.  I'm going out on a limb here in saying that in fact, it has the best line-up of Italian restaurants in the whole of Southeast Asia.  I remember falling in love with a handful a few years back so it was but natural for me to revisit each and every single one.  To my disappointment, some have closed, and some have gone from good to bad - consistency has always been the nemesis of anyone in the food business.  I also found myself in a few establishments with sky-high minimum orders to get a private room.  Touché.

Photos from our dinner:

You can never go wrong with an order of pizza in here.

Food meant for sharing...

A few of their pastas are also hand-made.  And desserts aplenty...

however, it was their Tiramisu I fancied the most.  And in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way, their Limoncello was on the house.  Grazie!

Pizzeria Limoncello

17 Sukhumvit soi 11, Bangkok; Thailand

+66(2) 651.07.07