Jugra Begger Chicken

After almost 10 years, I finally have a chance to go back to Jugra and taste the mouth-watering Beggar Chicken. Going there is an task, almost lost my way there. Once you reach the Banting town, you have go through the town and head toward Jugra(there is a sign board stated Jugra Historical Palace). When you come to end of the road at a T-junction, you have to turn right.


The 1st thing I saw is the shack with Malaysian flag. I guess they did not take it down since Hari Merdeka. The sign board is one of it's kind, the name of "Renowned Beggar Chciken"is written on a few plank wood.
Basically, they would burn the charcoal till ashes. The they would buried the chicken wrapped in glazed paper and cook for 8 to 10 hours. That's why you need to call in advance to book the dish.






After 8 to 10 hours of cooking, the chicken is so tender. Flavoured with Chinese herbs, it really add distinct smell and taste to the meat. Because of the slow cooking, the juice of the chicken would subtly fuse with the Chinese herbs and absorb back in the meat. I just love the fragrance.
Apart from the Beggar Chicken, they have Beggar Lamb, Beggar Duck, Beggar Pork Trotter, all cook in the same manner. Apart from that from the beggar stuffs, their herbal chicken soup and boneless fish are very well received here. The meat of mackerel is scrapped from the bone and skin. The the chef would de-bone the fish and leave a vacuum to stuff the fish meat early which already mixed with seasoning. After the stuffing, the fish is fried golden crisp before it is served.

Generally, the food has never failed me. Apart form the quality, the shack is built on stilts on swamp which give the ambient a refreshing touch. Feel like going back to nature! They only serve lunch; AND lunch starts at 1 pm. So if you want to taste the Beggar Chicken, 2 things must remember: 1) Book in advance, or else you would not get any Beggar Chicken. 2) Make sure you have good breakfast coz lunch only served at 1 pm.

Top 10 Hainanese Chicken Rice

Hainanese Chicken Rice has always been our regular staple for ages in Malaysia. However, good and quality chicken rice in KL especially has seems tremendous dip compare to many year except for few shops and stalls still selling the authentic Hainanese Chicken rice.

So, ntv7 and Guan Ming Ribao are doing a series searching for the Top 10 best Chicken rice in Malaysia. The Executive Producer, Boon called me us to direct, and without any hesitation I take up the job.

Our first 2 episodes are telling people how do a real chicken rice and how a real chicken rice taste like.

We decided to visit Nam Heong Hainanese Chicken Rice and see how they cook the chicken rice. Well, I would tell you much about the cooking. All I can said is that the chicken, the cooking time, the spices used, the rice and sauce they made make a world different from other chicken rice. Watch our TV programme to know more.

Chef Miaw is only 29 years old but has master the skill to do the chicken rice so well. Came from Cameron Highland many years ago, he is now Chef in Sri Hartmas Nam Heong Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant. Remember to say hi to this handsome if you happen to be there. He is so friendly.
Our host, Vicent Ng, another food connoisseur is trying to uncover the secret of chicken rice from the sifu itself.
Look at this perfect looking cooked chicken. The skin is so smooth and clear. When you cut into the chicken, the juice of the chicken is oozing out as if it can't wait to escape from the chicken. You should see bone marrow which is in red colour if the chicken is cooked at perfection. If it is under cooked, the blood from the chicken would flow out. If over cooked, the bone marrow become black. That's the tips!

Well, more to come on the Hainanese Chicken Rice. I'll be flying to Hainan Island to find out more story behind the chicken rice. So remember to tune in to ntv7 every Sunday at 10:15 pm starting on the 2nd week of July. We will discover the best chicken rice in Malaysia. Oh yes, you can also suggest your choice of chicken rice. Buy a copy of Guan Ming Daily to find out more.

Special Brew Coffee at Lotus Damansara Jaya

Church friend brought me to this place at Damansara Jaya called Lotus Banana Leaf Restoran. He had me hooked with this special brew coffee. First they put hot milk(i mean real susu lembu) about 1/3 of the cup. Then, another 1/3 layer of coffee(this is not the Starbuck Coffee but kopitiam coffee - robusta coffee, and it's really thick like espresso); top with 1/3 layer of foam. I thought the mamak now is really creative. It taste so good that I personally think it's better than the Arabica coffee you get in Starbuck. Again this is my own opinion. MAMAK, SATU LAGI!

Penang Food Excursion Part 4

Well, it was Sunday evening before I leave Penang. Not gonna miss some good old Penang food. So came to this hawker centre at Batu Ferringhi. Full with tourist.

Got to have Nasi Kandar. Plenty of different curries (that makes Nasi Kandar taste so good). Off course, without lady fingers, the Nasi Kandar is a complete meal.

Look at the Or Chien(fried oysters), it's starchy yet the oysters is huge and juicy.

Hokkien Mee(generally KL folks would called it Har Mee or Prawn Mee). The sweetness from the prawn and pork tenderloin with chillies would give a shiver in your spine. It's so good.

Ahhh ..... one drinks I never miss in Penang - "Gu Ning Ping"(direct translation is iced mik). Usually, it is served with the rose syrup at the bottom, then top with condensed milked and finished with shaked ice. It tasted like Sirap Bandung but I like this better coz it has more milky taste.

After this, I got to rush back to KL after a wonderful food rendezvour at Penang. Penang, I'll be back!

Penang Food Excursion Part 3 - Restoran NZ

Second day, we sort of lazy and decided to come out for brunch(actaully we skip breakfast coz I was watching F1). BB took me to Rostoran NZ at Gurnet Drive. We ordered pickled vegetable with toufu soup, fried tougay with salted fish, touchew lala, fried yam noodle and deep fried fish.

This deep fried fish(they called it here jiam chui, which mean sharp mouth) is crunchy in the outside but sweet and tender in the inside. We enjoy the fish so much that we used our hand to peel the fish, and diners at neighbouring table was watching with awe. He he he ...

This fried yam noodle is rather unique. The texture is kind of rough and chewy, but tasty.

Oh wow .... this lala dish really brought lots of memories ... My mom used to by this lala which is rather samll(probably about 3 mm) but extremely sweet and fresh. The shell is still crunchy but of course you only eat the tiny meat. I really like this lala coz the texture is so smooth compare with the bigger version. It's rather hard to find this type of lala in the restaurant anymore.

Penang Food Excursion Part 2 - Ikan Bakar Telok Tempoyak

After much waiting, BB finally pick me up from Gurney Drive about 5:30 pm. Immediately we head toward Batu Maung, passing the Bukit Jambul. Before we reached End of the World(only local know this place for good Chinese seafood), we make a left turn towards kampong right after the traffic light. As we drove in, a skyview of a beautiful sea side greeting us. Awesome view! Immediately, we bump into a signboard saying "Kampong Telok Tempoyak". Very interesting name as "Tempoyak" is actually a Malay dish where they frement durina for a week or two before the Malay used for cooking. It has a very pungent smell to it and it really a acquired taste to enjoy tempoyak. Anyway, we were there about 6 pm, bit Kia Su ....
As we walked in, there were already few customer looking for the fishes. BB said we got to be there early as crowds started to flow in after 7 pm, and we have to wait for hours before our foods comes.

There were many types of fishes, prwan and crabs.

BB was standing there wondering which fish to choose. We end up with 2 fishes, bit greedy and glutton. Anyway, who care! We are here for good food. Usually, Malays will only take flower crabs but here they sell mud crab. Hmmm ... very interesting !!

So many types of fishes to choose. All are fairly fresh ....

Another item not to be missed is the coconut drinks there, i guess they just pluck them from the trees from the back of the house.


While waiting for the food(almost an hour later), we has to be amused ourself with this sunset view. Well, afterall we are here for the food, nice view just another bonus .... Soak yourself in the sunset doesn't seem to be the right thing to do with another guy, right?

The owner preparing the fishes for grilling.

The seafood is grilled under slow fire with charcoal. Now wonder it takes so long to get to our table. I was famished by then. Where is my food??????

Finally the Ikan Bakar is here. Look at the colour, we knew it's gonna be spicy. There is a layer of slightly sweet chillies paste on top of the fish. The falvour of the chillies and souce really simmer into the meat.

There are 2 souces to choose that goes well with the fish. But for me, the paste is more than enough. The fish taste delicious, it's so juicy and tender. It's really worth the wait!!! 2 tumbs up for the grilled fish.

Drum rolll......... the finale is here .. the Ketam Baker or grilled crabs .. when I was choosing the crabs, i thought they were fairly small and I did not even have much faith on the taste ......

Oh mine ..... I was so wrong... look at the roe in the crab, almost a quater of the crabs is filled with succelent crab roe ..... sooooooo sinfully good ...... the meat is sweet too even though not as much meat as the meat crab we usually consumed at Chinese seafood restaurant. I really enjoy the Ikan Baker & off course the Ketam Bakar ..... As we finished our meals, there were like more than 100 people already crowded the warong .... definately a good choice BB!

Penang Food Excursion Part 1

Decided to drive up to Penang for another food excursion. Off course also to meet up with my best friend, BB. Arrive in Penang about 2 pm, but BB has an appointment. So I decided to go on my own exploration. Actually, I have no problem going around Penang Island. Been here numerous time.

Ok, 1st stop! Sister's Chao Koay Teow.

The Chao Koay Teow comes with huge prawns and some minced crab meat. Hmmm ... the taste however is really disappointing .... lacked of charcoal fragrant and it is just so so in flavour ... did not live up to the reputation ... RM 3.50 for a rather small portion, not quite price for the money ....the otak otak however, compensate for my disappointment ....

2nd Stop
Gurney Drive

After a small portion of Chao Koay Teow, got to hunt down another delicacies, so got to drive down to find the Crab Bee Hoon I has always craved for many months. It is this Kedai Kopi Public we came last time for the delicious Crab Bee Hon.

Kind of upset when I found out the Crab Bee Hon stall did not open that day, so got to go for second choice, seafood mee suah.

When I saw there is roe isn the Ikan Senagin, immediately opted for the Ikan Senangin Mee Suah. Mee Suah is like angle hair pasta but with softer texture as it is made of rice flour. The mee suah is really a savour after the disappointment on the Chao Koay Teow. The soup is so sweet because of the the fish is extremely fresh. With the right touch of sesame oil and few slice of ginger, the mee suah taste so heavenly as the mee suah has absorb the essence of the juice of the fish into its texture. It's really a pleasant surprise.

There is more to come on this Penang Food Excursion, stay tuned!