SB Corner: Start & End of 24-Hour Sojourn

It's Chap Goh Meh!

In the spirit of the festivities we booked an Airbnb at Bintang Fairlane Residences. So at lunchtime today we hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM20.00 (approximately USD/EUR4) to the Airbnb located in Bukit Bintang.

Since we were early we decided to have lunch at the Indian restaurant just across the street, so be sure to catch our upcoming video on SB Corner.

Since we were early we decided to have lunch at the Indian restaurant just across the street. We first got to know this Indian restaurant during our first to Hazel's Airbnb in December and knew that we would have to come again. Without further ado:

•  Brendan had the Rice with Fried Chicken and Curry
•  Cat had her usual Fried Beehoon
•  I had a Puri, then a Vadai 
•  We had a round of Iced Tea
•  Then I had a hot cup of Nescafe 

Our lunch came to RM29.70 (approximately USD/EUR6). We left at three and proceeded to check into our Airbnb.

The next day we checked out of the Airbnb to have brunch at SB Corner, and:

•  Brendan had two Roti Canai
•  Cat had Roti Telur [egg]
•  I had a Thosai [Dosa]
•  We each took away a packet of Rice with Fried Chicken

Together with a hearty round of drinks our brunch and packed lunch came to RM49.50 (approximately USD/EUR10). We then hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM9.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) back to our condo.

Do stay tuned for our upcoming videos where we checked into the Airbnb and later had an awesome dinner at a Hotpot spot in the midst of an impromptu walkabout!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/swtNfVmjFK4FgRsf8

Bintang Fairlane Residences - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xBppWrDdcSMYyKPU9

SB Corner - https://maps.app.goo.gl/GwZubRxee6uGrVsT9

Restoran KADER: Banana Leaf Rice!

Banana Leaf Rice!

After completing our errands we caught a train for a fare of RM1.40 (approximately USD/EUR0.30) to the Masjid Jamek station where we disembarked and walked across Jalan Tun Perak onto Jalan Lebuh Ampang.

It's been almost three years since we last featured Kader Banana Leaf restaurant on our channel, and we thought that it was time for a revisit. We both had:

• the banana leaf rice spread 
• an assortment of side dishes and curries
• a shared serving of Chicken Varuval
• each an Iced Tea 
• each a hot Masala Tea

Our banana leaf lunch came to RM41.50 (approximately USD9/EUR8). We enjoyed our sumptuous lunch immensely and firmly believed that the Chicken Varuval as well as Masala Tea are among the best we've ever had in Kuala Lumpur!

We walked out of Kader at two and caught a Rapid KL bus #300 for a fare of RM1.00 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) to Jalan Ampang where The Borneo Songket Heritage Festival 2024 was being held . 

Be sure to catch our upcoming video!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Restoran Kader - https://maps.app.goo.gl/EGDXGf2LHaBPFc5X6

MAYA MESS Brickfields

Banana Leaf!

Since nothing at Avenue K whetted our appetites we made our way to Brickfield for our fix of banana leaf. We have been coming here for a while now, although this is the first time we are showcasing it on our channel. 

Maya Mess serves Chettinad cuisine originating from its namesake, a region in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu state in India. Chettinad cuisine is perhaps the most renowned fare in the Tamil Nadu repertoire.

By the time we arrived lunchtime was in full swing, and it took a while for us to be seated. Once seated the banana leaf was unfurled and the various delectable side dishes served. 

We added a serving of Chicken Varuval for good measure. It is a dry chicken curry dish from Southern India made with a combination of fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, and dried chillies to give its spicy flavour.

We hope that our time-lapse footage did justice to our awesome concoction of spices and herbs!

Our fiery meal came to RM54.20 (approximately USD/EUR11) which consisted of:

• 2 servings of banana leaf rice for RM29.80
• Chicken Varuval for RM9.90
• 2 glasses of Masala Tea for RM7.00
• 1 Iced Tea for RM3.00
• 1 Iced Lemon Tea for RM4.50

The Masala Tea after lunch helped to wash down the fire in our bellies, and then took a walk back to KL Sentral for a short shopping spree. Be sure to watch our next video!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

KL Sentral LRT Station - https://maps.app.goo.gl/vFHgbDQPjZBAfrnj6

KL Sentral - https://maps.app.goo.gl/74Sj99TycBxFsFcZA

Maya Mess @ Brickfields - https://maps.app.goo.gl/5ewvExGJGEqPhUZJ7

MANSION Tea Stall

It's time for Teh Tarik!

We moved in to our present home sometime in 2005 and in that time have always been coming here to Mansion Tea Stall, which in our opinion has the best Teh Tarik in town. This and Syed Bistro have always been our default Mamak (Malaysian Indian Muslim) restaurant.

Before the days of YouTube we used to blog about Mansion Tea Stall before here and here.

Brendan was only six when we first came here and everyone here got to see him grow from a boy to a man. Each time we visit the first thing they will do is ask "mana anak?" or "where's your child?". It was no different today, and we had to explain that Brendan was away visiting a friend.

After greeting everyone we sat down and ordered the Roti Canai Telur Goyang (roti with a half boiled egg on top), Maggi Mi Goreng, Iced Tea and Teh Tarik. Our brunch came to RM13.50 (approximately USD/EUR3).

Apart from the best Teh Tarik we are also of the opinion they serve the best Roti Canai and Chicken Curry as well. Don't believe us? Then come on over and give them a try.

Lastly, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are now optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Mansion Tea Stall - https://goo.gl/maps/g9D5JCDrTQfxDBJ59

Restoran TAJUDIN Nasi Beriani

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr blog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

After visiting the excellent Borneo Native Festival (BNf) held at Pasar Seni (Central Market) we thought we would have an early lunch here at Tajudin.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... actually it was in the late1980s and I remember frequenting Tajudin at a very narrow back alley (fondly called a 'lorong tikus' or mice lane) nearby. Eating at his stall meant braving the extreme sauna-like heat, so it was no wonder he decided to move to the present premises about ten years ago.

We were glad to see that he survived the tumultuous two years that inflicted so much misery to other traders and eateries in the area, and without thinking we both ordered the Bryani rice with chicken. Together with a round of drinks our absolutely delightful meal came to only RM22 (approximately USD/EUR5).

The very definition of the everyday food for the everyday man, a visit to Pasar Seni (Central Market) would not be complete without experiencing Tajudin Nasi Beriani. Nuff said.

While not wanting to be a wet blanket or anything, we feel that it is our civic duty to remind everyone that while masks are optional outdoors, it is still mandatory indoors!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Restoran Tajudin Nasi Beriani - https://goo.gl/maps/hfzKFRZ5gPw2Bytm7

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

BANANA Plaza Damas (Re-opened!)

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr blog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

I spent the whole afternoon editing our videos while Cat busied herself cleaning up the apartment. Before dusk I set the DJI Pocket 2 up to capture some time-lapse footage of the sunset here from the balcony of my sister's Waldorf Tower apartment.

Soon as the DJI Pocket 2 was set up we went down in search of dinner. We usually head to Restoran Bestari for some Mamak (Malaysian Indian Muslim) cuisine but to our utter dismay it had closed down. As we mentioned in the previous video Restoran Bestari could not avoid going down the unfortunate route of so many other eateries in the vicinity. Oh well, it is what it is.

We then headed to the next available Mamak restaurant (so much for loyalty!) and found ourselves at Banana. It had taken over the restaurant formerly known as Mari Canai (another unfortunate victim of the times) and was doing reasonably good business.

I had the Fried Yellow Noodles while Cat had the Fried Rice Vermicelli, both done in the typical Mamak style. Together with drinks our dinner cost us RM23.40 (approximately USD6/EUR5), which in our minds epitomises the everyday food for the everyday man.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Banana - https://goo.gl/maps/WoSUwfuGnC1a6YuL9

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

*barely a month after posting this Banana closed, apparently for good. Then a few months later it re-opened!)

SYED Bistro (Dang Wangi)

нello everyone! we are caт and нarold. welcoмe тo oυr blog, creaтed ιn нonoυr oғ oυr devoтιon тo тнe everyday ғood ғor тнe everyday perѕon, aѕ well aѕ тo caтalogυe oυr мeмorιeѕ, lιғe'ѕ evenтѕ, and тravelѕ wнere oυr 'perυт' (тυммy) leadѕ тнe way!

 Happy NRP Phase 4 Kuala Lumpur! 

Settling all our errands at Sungei Wang Plaza, plus filling Alfie's tank full of petrol we then thought about having lunch. With nothing particular in mind, we decided to play it safe and settled on something close to our home. 

For as long as we have been living in the area, we have always come to Syed Bistro, least of all for the fluffiest Roti Canai this side of the Klang Valley, believe you me. The Roti Canai is freshly prepared and not pre-made, unlike most Mamak shops thus ensuring its fluffiness. Also, it is not as oily as most others.

However, this time we came for lunch, and I opted for the Mutton Briyani while Cat had the Nasi Kandar with Curry Ikan Tenggiri (Mackerel) while Brendan stuck to his customary Nasi Kandar with Curry Chicken. Our lunch, with beverages came to RM55.25 or approximately USD14/EUR12 which was a little on the high side but made sense since the Briyani itself cost almost half the bill (RM23 or approximately USD6/EUR5).

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Syed Bistro - https://goo.gl/maps/CD54vrwjDuoQG4t96

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Restoran KADER (Banana Leaf Rice)

Restoran Kader is located in the heart of Lebuh Ampang, and we have been coming here for our fix of banana leaf rice for as long as we can remember. While very reasonably priced, Kader is on par with the likes of its other upmarket contemporaries, although in our (biased) opinion it leaves the rest for dead!

As mentioned in an older post, I’ve actually been coming here since the 1990s, and nothing much has changed. The aroma emanating through the shop has not changed one bit, and is every bit as appetising now as it was back then.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Restoran Kader - https://goo.gl/maps/jqz9w8PXRUzQem6W8

We do what we can to support local businesses, and it's always good to know that everyone here observes all related SOPs, it helps make us feel safer and reassured.

Kedai Makanan Sithique (Revisited)

Kedai Makanan Sithique Nasi Kandar Pulau Pinang

Jalan Dang Wangi (within the old Odeon theatre)

50100 Kuala Lumpur

(Coordinates: 3° 9' 25.50", 101° 41' 47.25")

Today is the 17th day of the lunar Islamic month of Rabi-ul-Awwal which marks the birth anniversaries of Prophet Muhammad and is a public holiday for certain states in Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur. And it is on this day that Sogo too saw fit to announce today the start of their two-day “Sogo Member’s Day Sale”. When this happens, the streets in and around our home will be flooded with shoppers.

Rather than enduring the snarling traffic to drive out and back, we opted to have lunch at our old favourite ¹Nasi Kandar joint nearby. Right beside the old Odeon Cinema which still stands tall to this day in its Art Deco style it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away from our apartment, and we’ve been coming here for our Nasi Kandar fix since we moved in all those years ago.

¹a popular northern Malaysian dish which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavoured, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes. The word ‘Nasi Kandar’ came about from a time when rice [Nasi] hawkers or vendors would balance a large pole [Kandar] on their shoulder with two huge containers of rice meals.

follow the arrow!

at the start of the bustling Jalan Dang Wangi

you can see it from Sogo

if you're not into rice

what I'm here for

Brendan and his Chicken Curry

good to go!

tending to his dishes

a lot of tender loving care went into this dishes?

in the mood for something stir-fried?

We’ve posted about Sithique before and you will know that this as well as Haji Ibramsha are our two most favourite Nasi Kandar shops in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman area. As always I ordered the Ayam Kicap (Chicken in Thick Soy Sauce) with my (halved portion) white rice while Brendan dutifully had the Chicken Curry with his white rice. Cat was not in the mood for rice and ordered the ²Mee Goreng Mamak instead.

²¹yellow egg noodles sit-fried Mamak (local Indian Muslim cuisine) style

Brendan's chicken curry

pleased as punch

 my ayam kicap

Cat's mee goreng mamak

eager to dig in

our beverages

time to put the camera away

yup, your eyes do not deceive you

The verdict? Sithique never disappoints, it has always been and will always be our default Nasi Kandar restaurant. And the damage? The photo above says it all; the everyday food for the everyday person? Heck yeah!

NZ Curry House (Wangsa Maju)

NZ Curry House

Jalan Wangsa Delima

Wangsa Maju

53300 Kuala Lumpur

+60341491500

(Coordinates: N3° 11' 53.4" E101° 44' 39.5")

After visiting with my sister we ignored Brendan’s pleas for curry and headed out to Setapak intending to have (a late) lunch at Cannes Tea House (that was in hindsight located along Jalan Genting Kelang).

However an error in punching a digit in the coordinates on our navigating device took us on a different path which eventually led us to the vicinity of Wangsa Walk in Wangsa Maju. Having failed to locate Cannes Tea House and considering Brendan’s earlier wish to have curry, we settled on NZ Curry House nearby.

In the days when Brendan used to attend classes at British Council the NZ Curry House along Jalan Ampang was our default lunchtime destination every Saturday afternoon, all those years ago. It was in fact here that Brendan had his first taste of curry (if I recall correctly) and he has not turned back since.

felt odd to come here in broad daylight

We’ve been here before on several occasion, mostly related to my car club gatherings and always at night so coming here in broad daylight felt a little odd. Brendan had the (what else) Chicken Curry with white rice while Cat had the Curried Mackerel with her white rice. Earlier in the day I played ‘masak-masak’ with my adorable niece Sophie and she kept serving me chicken with rice, so it eventually got me in the mood for some Chicken Rice, hehehe.

the beverages

Brendan's white rice with chicken curry

Cat's white rice with mackerel curry

it was a case of style over substance, I'm afraid

bon appetit!

The verdict? While Brendan and Cat enjoyed their curry immensely I would have to give the Chicken Rice two thumbs down. The chicken was dry, the soup plain and the accompanying condiment very, very sour. But what the heck, at RM24.20 I am in no position to complain and will just give the Chicken Rice a pass in future.

Restoran Safiz Corner (Revisited)

Restoran Safiz Corner

No. 2 Jalan 31/70A

Desa Sri Hartamas

50480 Kuala Lumpur

+60163608795

(Coordinates: E101° 38' 53.8" N3° 9' 47.1")

Breakfast is a rarity for us, and even more so during the weekends. Safiz Corner is our default breakfast stop each time we pay our sister a visit.

it was a quiet Sunday morning

you won't miss it

ample seating arrangement

Brendan and I both had the perennially preferred ¹Roti Canai while Brendan settled on some good old ²Roti Bakar.

¹a type of Indian-influenced flatbread, known as roti prata in Southern Malaysia and Singapore, and is similar to the Indian Kerala porotta.  Circular and flat, the dough is either twirled until it becomes a very thin sheet and then folded into a circular shape or to spread out the dough as thinly as possible before being folded and being grilled with oil.

²toasted bread with coconut jam

the beverages

Cat and I both had the...

... excellently fluffy roti canai

fish curry gravy to accompany

Brendan's roti bakar

a rare sight, my family having breakfast on a Sunday

we kid you not!

The verdict? Toast bread and Roti Canai are two breakfast dishes that no restaurant will get wrong, and Restoran Safiz Corner cannot be faulted. And the damage? Would you believe us if we told you our breakfast cost us only RM9? 

Nasi Kandar Pelita @ SS2

Nasi Kandar Pelita @ SS2

No. 1 Jalan SS 2/64, SS 2

47300 Petaling Jaya

+60378749072

(Coordinates: E101° 37' 11.3" N3° 7' 5.5")

It’s ‘kill-two-birds-with-one-stone’ time for us. Yes, we need to get fed while Gwen (our humble ride) desperately needs a bath after that long drive back from Kuala Terengganu. Looking around for a 24 car wash on the internet we chanced upon one located right beside the Nasi Kandar Pelita in SS2.

Being unfamiliar with Petaling Jaya, we punched in the coordinates and headed out. After a fifteen minute drive we located Nasi Kandar Pelita, and after leaving Gwen in the hands of the car wash (but still maintaining line of sight) we moved swiftly to the rice stall where we were greeted by a phenomenal array of curries and spices, and we all duly had white rice with dishes of our choosing.

 

Gwen getting her much needed bath

 

bright and cheerful, just the way we like it

 

you won't miss it in SS2

 

spacious and cosy

 

Pelita (which means oil lamp) lighting the way

Brendan went for his perennial favourite, the Chicken Curry; Cat opted for Chicken in thick Soy Sauce while I had the Fried Chicken.

 

rows of spices and herbs

 

Brendan's (what else?) chicken curry

Cat's chicken in thick soy sauce

 

my fried chicken

 

our beverages

 

magizhnthu unnungal!

The verdict? We’ve said it before; our family has and will always adore curry, and this particular chain of Pelita restaurants (as with most others) does not disappoint. The damage? Together with a round of Iced Lemon Tea for Cat and Brendan and an Iced Nescafe for moi it all came to a very inexpensive total of RM23.10, and as we’ve said before Pelita definitely is a place where the everyday person looks for his everyday food.

Restoran Istilah (formerly Sri Paandi)

Restoran Istilah

36 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

(Coordinates: E101° 37' 45.8" N3° 8' 28.0")

All done gallivanting with his new friends, we picked Brendan up and headed to Taman Tun for dinner. We had meant to try a food court called Plaza Rasta located along Jalan Datuk Sulaiman but parking proved to be a challenge. We drove on and ended up along Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad.

We were in the neighbourhood some time back looking for a restaurant called Sri Paandi only to find out later that it underwent a change of owners and with it, a change in name.

we're back!

 

what used to be known as Sri Paandi

 

cold cold dishes

 

she didn't know it at the time

 

her spiced fried chicken cutlets

 

I spy with my little eye.. a banana leaf beckons?

 

cold fried chicken?

 

the variety of curries

 

the vegetable section

Still trying to maintain some semblance of a low-carb diet, Cat and I decided against having the banana leaf experience. Brendan who had his fill of pizza earlier during his outing with his friends prematurely pronounced that he will not be joining us for dinner. Cat had Spiced Fried Chicken Cutlets with white rice while I sampled the Chilied Sardines with a smattering of Fried Bitter gourd and Tofu and a modest serving of white rice.

my chilied sardines with tofu and bitter gourd

 

Cat's spiced fried chicken cutlets with cabbages

 

the usual beverages

 

bon appetit (he eventually succumbed to the call of curry!)

Oh, and the lure of curry was too great for Brendan to resist so he ended up having a plate of rice with (what else) Chicken Curry. The verdict? Taste wise it is comparable to most other Southern Indian type restaurants but we had issues with the distinct lack of temperature in the dishes. In other words, the dishes (including the rice) were served cold! Oh well, at least we warmed up to the fact that the bill came to a pretty miserly RM24.40, well within the reach of the everyday person.