where and what to eat lah?

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Starting from May 30 till June 3, Zing with Groupon Malaysia will be offering an amazing deal for a delightful 6-course Cantonese cuisine specially prepared and crafted by Chef Leong.


For RM 39, indulge yourself in a luxurious 6-course fine dining worth RM 102.08! Yet another great deal brought to us by Groupon Malaysia (link: http://www.groupsmore.com/cities/kuala-lumpur/deals/zing).


Zing is an elegant and contemporary Chinese restaurant located on level one of the Grand Millennium Hotel.


Opened since June 2008, this 5-star hotel is ideally located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur along the ever busy street of Jalan Bukit Bintang (next to the Pavilion shopping mall).


Chef Leong Weng Heng, a passionate and award-winning chef with over 20 years of experience working in top restaurants and hotels.


Through extensive researching and practicing of new techniques, Chef Leong has revolutionized Zing by adopting a healthier way of cooking - using less salt, less sugar and less oil.

Zing interior decoration is an innovative concept to capture the spirit of the new millennium with its sophisticated and elegant ambiance.


Predominantly focused on traditional Shanghai in the 30s – from the style of the furniture, artwork to artifacts.


We had a great time watching the chefs moving around the open-concept kitchen getting busy preparing our appetizers.


Eye pleasing appetizers; the chefs nowadays are always trying to out-do each other with not just the taste, but also with the presentation.


The first course, four hot starters made of stir fried kung pao chicken, stir fried squid with X.O sauce, deep fried soft shell crab and salad wanton. A wonderful blend of flavors in one single plate!

The second course, mix roast platter with a combination of roast duck, siew yok (roast pork belly) and char siew (barbecued pork). We personally like the roast duck the most - it was succulent tender with perfectly crisp skin and the sinful thin layer of melt-in-mouth fats. We just wish there were more of it!


Well, we managed to get ourselves another plate of char siew though! *evil laughs* The char siew was comparable and top notch if you gotten the cut with the right fat-to-lean ratio and caramelized charred edges.


The third course, slightly deep-fried soon hock (marbled goby) fish sauteed with whole garlic and bean puff. Definitely the most expensive highlight from our six-course menu, totally worth paying RM 39 solely for this luxurious fish!


The forth course, braised deep-fried homemade bean curd with seared scallop and garden greens. The bean curd had a nice thin golden crust outside but soft and smooth inside. The lightly seared scallop was delightfully sweet and fresh.


The fifth course, stir fried egg noodles with shredded honey barbecue pork and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It was a little bland and the chef was notified.


The final course for dessert, sweet potato in ginger soup with black sesame glutinous rice balls. It was warm and comforting after our multiple course meal.

Some of the other highlights for this deal are:

• 3 hours free parking.
• Children aged 6 and below dine for free.
• Minimum 2 Groupons/table.
• Redemption begins June 4 and expires Sept 4, 2011.
• Applicable daily for dinner from 6.30pm - 10.30pm.

Not to forget with the Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) coming up in June, which means it's time for the Chinese restaurants to peddle up their bak chang (rice dumplings). During this bak chang season, Zing will be offering an array of tempting traditional bak chang and as well as workshops in making bak chang.


Bak chang reminds me alot of my childhood. I used to help my mom and aunt in making bak chang. It was fun greedily trying to fill it up and transforming it into some oversize out-of-shape bak chang.


It was a hearty combination of flavors encapsulated by the soft fluffy glutinous rice that are wrapped in aromatic bamboo leaves.


Once cracked open, there were tonnes of treasure inside. Some of the common ingredients in bak chang are marinated pork belly, mung beans, kidney beans, mushroom, salted egg yolk and chestnut.

Verdict: Like fine dining, the food came out one at a time on little plates portion and we were surprised to be quite full by the end. Definitely worth paying RM 39 for these delightful six-course with an opulent dining experience.


Address:
Level One, Grand Millennium Hotel,
160, Jalan Bukit Bintang,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2117 4180
Business Hours: Opens daily from 12pm - 2:30pm and 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.148089, 101.712112
Map: View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map

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Restoran Woo Ng Kee is a third-generation family run business located in Taman Ehsan, Kepong. Finding the location of this restaurant was not an easy thing - especially if you are not familiar with the roads in Kepong. But once you get there - you will find that you are in the right place for some of the best traditional Chinese food.


As soon as you walked in, you are greeted with a warm and old school environment feeling reminiscent of restaurants from the old yesteryears.


With over 60 years of history, Restoran Woo Ng Kee first started as a humble roadside stall at Pudu and later moved into Taman Ehsan for the past 26 years.


The second generation owner chef, Mr. Woo Hee Chow is a humble and nice person. His always-smiling and charismatic presence made us all felt welcome and comfortable.


The owner was not only an inventive chef, he was also quite creative in naming his dishes. Some of the extraordinary ones are "Mei Lan, Mei Lan, Wo Ai Ni" (梅兰梅兰我爱你) and "Pig Dog Friends" (猪朋狗友).


Restoran Woo Ng Kee also specializes in roasting, mainly roast duck, pei pa duck and roast chicken. Apparently, the famous Onn Kee roast duck in Kepong Baru is actually Mr. Woo's brother.

Traditional cold platter (七彩大冷盘, RM 70), the presentation of our first dish was visually stimulating. Made of tender kampung chicken, fresh prawns, abalone slices, garnished with cilantro, century eggs, sliced pickled gingers and topped with a thin gelatinous layer.


Adding a final touch over it by pouring a special concocted tangy and sweet chili sauce. This tantalizing dish was traditionally served at Chinese wedding banquets but over the years, it was replaced with the current Four Season platter.


The taste came from every directions, it was mind blowing amazing and I specially love the extra-kick by mixing it with some hot Chinese mustard. I am already craving for another round but to prepare this dish, remember to call up for advanced reservation.


"Pig Dog Friends" (猪朋狗友, RM), braised pork knuckle in traditional spices used to cook dog meat. Thankfully, no dogs were involved. These delicious pork knuckle were braised till tender and fully flavored.


"Kwai Fah Chi" (桂花翅, from RM 30), "shark fin" with crab meat and scrambled egg. I personally don't fancy kwai fah chi but eating it with fresh lettuce wrap was a new experience.


Pomfret fish in 3 styles (大斗鲳一唤三味, RM 170), thinly sliced fresh pomfret rolled around slices of carrot, black fungus and delicately tied with a strand of chive. Then carefully placed into the steamer over a thin layer of steamed egg. Both the fish rolls and steamed egg were perfectly cooked and timed till perfection! This time-consuming dish was indeed a test in skill and requires lots of effort and attention. Recommended to reserve in advanced and preferably during weekdays.


The other two styles, the leftover meat stir-fried with onions and black pepper while the bones were deep-fried till golden brown crispy. The deep-fried fish bones were nicely seasoned, tasty and a perfect delight to go with some beers.


Pei pa (香脆琵琶鸭) roast duck (RM 38 full). Unlike the usual roast duck, the pei pa roast duck is roasted butterflied on both sides. With slightly charred aromatic flavors on both sides, it is great for those who enjoys sucking up the bones. The skin was crispier and the meat was drier but still reasonably tender.


Sizzling Saigon prawn (铁板西贡虾球, from RM 18), fresh succulent prawns cooked in a sweet and sour spicy Saigon sauce. According to Mr. Woo, the sizzling plate is made of copper plating that are longer lasting and rust free nature. While most of the cheaper sizzling plates outside are prone to rust and a potential health risk. A real shocker for me. Okay, no sizzling plate from now onwards.

Silky smooth soft tofu with minced pork, salted egg and dried shrimp (RM 10), it was delicious over rice.


Braised pork knuckle (红烧猪手, RM 35 for half and RM 70 for full), braised to perfection for 10 hours until soft and tender with a layer of firm skin.


Roask duck (RM 9.50 for quarter), generously carved full flavor tender juicy meat with a crispy glazed skin. I personally preferred this more than the pei pa roast duck - it was more succulent and stronger herbal aroma.


"Mei Lan, Mei Lan, Wo Ai Ni" (梅兰梅兰我爱你, RM ), stir-fried kailan mixed with minced pork, sweet and salty preserved mustard cabbage. Simple dish but creatively combined together.


Chinese style curry fish head (RM ), another must-have dish in Restoran Woo Ng Kee. With fresh fish head pieces, lady fingers, long beans and bean curds cooked in a thick curry gravy rich in coconut milk. Not too spicy and I love soaking my rice with these curry!

Verdict: Definitely a worthy place for traditional comfort Chinese cuisine and I won't be surprised if I come back for more!


Address:
545, 546, 547 Jalan Ehsan 3/7,
Taman Ehsan,
52100 Kepong,
Selangor
Tel: 03-6274 2305
Business Hours: Opens daily from 11am - 2:45pm and 5pm to 11pm. Close every Thursday.
Pork Free: No
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.22116, 101.623906
Map:

View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map

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Gong Cha 貢茶 has finally found a new home here in Malaysia in one of the largest shopping malls in the country, The Gardens Mid Valley, Kuala Lumpur. Started in early May with their first outlet in SS15, Subang and only recently at The Gardens Mall in Mid Valley (opposite of Ying Ker Lou restaurant).


Gong Cha is a popular bubble tea chain that was established in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 2006. Ever since, Gong Cha has swept into neighboring countries such as Hong Kong, China, Macau, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia by storm.


Like other similar popular Taiwanese bubble tea chains, Gong Cha allows you to choose the level of sweetness and ice.


We got hooked to Gong Cha when we first tried their signature milk green tea in Hong Kong in 2009. Back then, there were long queues in every single outlet and after 30 minutes of queuing, we had one of the most unforgettable experience.


So when we heard about Gong Cha in Malaysia, we immediately drove down to Mid Valley looking forward to rekindle with the joyful moments we had before. To my surprise, there was hardly any queue when we arrived. It is either because of the high floor and hidden corner location or everyone else is at Cha Time. Meanwhile, Cha Time was crazily packed though!


The famous Gong Cha signature milk foam or also known as "nai gai" 奶蓋. There are 3 ways to enjoy this drink.

1. Sip the freshly brewed tea through the milk froth without a straw.
2. Slurp some tea followed by the milk through the straw for a smooth aftertaste.
3. Stir and enjoy a perfect blend of milky froth and aromatic tea.

Signature milk winter melon tea (RM 5.90), with a layer of creamy milk froth on top that gave a slight savory taste to it. When both of the milky froth and tea were mixed, the saltiness of the froth balanced the sweetness from the winter melon and perfectly creating one of the most addictive milk tea! One of the difference to Gong Cha Hong Kong was the cup size, we remembered having a bigger cup for HKD 12.


Signature milk green tea (RM 5.90), I would recommend a 70 - 100% sweetness level to balance up the slight creamy saltiness of the milk froth. Sadly, the milk froth was less thicker and much lesser than the winter melon version. It was pretty disappointing and it tasted incomplete. To us, it is still understandable and forgivable for the inconsistency due to the new opening and staffing.

Basil seeds with lemon and winter melon tea (RM 5.90), superb blend of winter melon tea and lemon bits with fun crunchy basil seeds. It was a very uplifting and refreshing drink!


Milk tea (RM 4.90) with white pearl (RM 1.50), similar to other Taiwanese milk teas, they all don't have a strong tea after-taste but more into the creamy and smooth milky taste. White pearl, one of Gong Cha's specialty made from seaweed extract and lower in calories compared to the black pearl made from tapioca. It is definitely a healthier alternative.


The texture of the white pearl is totally different from the usual ones. Not as chewy but interestingly special. The only downside was, they were broken in bits and not entirely round. Are they supposed to look like that?


Caramel milk tea (RM 5.90) with black pearl (RM 1), smooth caramel taste and not overly sweet. We were extremely disappointed with the black pearl - one of the worst we had! It had texture like it just came out from the freezer with a harden inner mid.


Milk oolong tea (RM 4.90) with black pearl (RM 1). We couldn't pick up any oolong taste unlike a recent similar drink we had in Cha Time, tie guan yin latte that had a bolder and more distinct Chinese tea after-taste. Also, the lousy pearls made it less enjoyable.


Lemon juice with aiyu jelly and white pearl (RM 6.40), reasonably decent refreshing drink with the right combination of sweetness yet sourish lemon and chewy white pearls.


House special milk coffee (RM 6.90) with black pearl (RM 1), the coffee was strong but expensive for coffee that tasted similar to our local cafes and kopitiams. The pearls were disastrous, we had to filter them out before drinking it further.


We had about 8 cups within 2 days and the overall experience was pretty bad. With much less choices compared to the Hong Kong counterpart and Cha Time in Malaysia plus the inconsistencies in quality, I personally felt that it will be difficult to command for those long queues. For the pearls, I hope it was just a bad day, otherwise, it will be my last Gong Cha in Malaysia.

Verdict: Utterly speechless since I expected Gong Cha to put up a good fight with Cha Time in Malaysia. Anyhow, if you haven't try Gong Cha before, it is still worthwhile to try their signature milk froth tea.


Address:
S-238B, 2nd Floor,
The Gardens Mall,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Business Hours: Opens daily from 10am - 10pm
Pork Free: Yes
Taste:
Value:
GPS: 3.117633, 101.675570
Map:

View Eat Lah Food Map in a larger map