It’s a small restaurant located inside Jaya Grocer, Empire Shopping Gallery at Subang. I arrived at 12pm ++ and that’s the crowd on a weekday…. Which lead to me thinking, if it’s really that good, shouldn’t it have more customers?

Well, things are already going bad when they totally mess up all our order. There are 3 of us, and every single portion of it is so wrong and I wonder what’s the waiter is doing at all.

Anyway, the supervisor did came in and apologize to us and listen to our order again.

The roasted duck is really just meh. Forgettable and nothing close to the best. Not even closed to 2nd class. Just for the roasted duck alone, I will rate it as 4.0/10.

The roasted chicken is really average too, while the char siew does taste above average. The noodles itself does taste ok too, but not something you will want to come and eat again. 4.0/10

The roasted pork tasted average too. Seriously, I can’t find anything special in this restaurant. Really just an average one that served really forgettable food.

It cost us around RM60 for 3 person. For me, it’s TOTALLY not worth the price, and I will NEVER dine here again. It’s rare for me to post about some restaurants that served below par food, but after I read that quite a few blog that praised it, I really felt cheated. Sigh….

Total Damage: RM60++ for 3 person

Operating hours: 10.00am – 10pm

Location: Lower Ground Floor (inside Jaya Grocer), Empire Shopping Gallery, Subang Jaya

Google Map:

The jade flat plate looks really interesting, too bad seems that it’s for decoration purpose only as the waiter took it off after I order my food.

Crispy fried dragon beard with cod fish served with fruit salad and tobiko @ RM18 is very good. 7.8/10

“Siew Mai” topped with mini braised abalone @ RM13. The abalone is really too mini until I couldn’t taste any of it, and although the siew mai does have big prawns in it, it doesn’t taste as good as it should be. 6.8/10

Charcoal Soft Bun with Salted Egg Yolk and Custard Filling @ RM12, which taste amazingly good. The bun is very soft, and the fillings taste great. 8.0/10

Steamed phoenix claw’s with hot bean sauce @ RM12, which is well, just chicken feet. 5.8/10

Imperial Shark’s Fin Dumpling with Abalone &  Bamboo Pith in Superior Broth @ EM38 taste superb! It’s extremely flavourful and the dumpling itself taste awesome. If not due to the price is on the high side, I will definitely order another bowl! 9.0/10

Rice Roll with Barbecued chicken @ RM13. As much as the rice roll can be softer and the char siew can be more tasteful, the soy sauce they used taste superb! 8.5/10

Scallop Dumplings with Shrimp and Spinach topped with Salmon Roe @ RM15. 7.6/10

Crab Meat Dumplings with Asparagus @ RM13. 6.0/10

Chilled Cream of Mango, Pearl Sago topped with Vanilla Ice-Cream & Almond Flakes @ RM12 taste superb and refreshing. A great desert to end the meal. 7.5/10

Chilled Herbal Jelly topped with Lemon & Lychee Granite @ RM12 is another wonderful desert. LY loved this very much as the lemon totally covers the supposedly bitter-ish herbal jelly.  8.2/10

Overall, I am very satisfy with the food here. However, the service can be improved as it’s not as attentive as it’s in 5 Senses, Westin Kuala Lumpur. It take quite some time for my tea to arrived, and that’s even after I approach the waiter for few times.

Total Damage: RM230++ ( I only need to pay RM30++ as I am using the RM200 voucher)

Operating hours:  Monday – Saturday, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Sunday and Public Holidays, 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Daily 6:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Contact: +603 2717 9988

Location: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Google Map:

Hence, immediately I make a reservation using my Free room voucher are Westin Kuala Lumpur, and my Buy 1 night free 1 night voucher at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur.

Not only that, I still got a bunch of RM200 vouchers to spend!

After meeting up with bear at Pavillion, we head to the newly renamed 5 senses at Westin Kuala Lumpur for our dinner.

The appetizer is indeed, quite appetizing.

The Famous Authentic Traditional Peiking Duck in Two Series (北京鸭) @ RM108, which is very expansive for me and I would not order if I did not have the RM200 voucher. It’s a 2 dish combo, which we will be eating the skin first, and then the meat will be cooked with noodles and served later.

The chef and waiter bring the whole duck beside us, showing us his skills on slicing out the skin of the duck.

It’s taste heavenly! The wraps is not too thick, the sauce taste good and all of us enjoy it happily. 8.0/10

Next up is Sizzling Roasted Pork Belly @ RM33. It’s tasted a bit sweet and sour, and will go quite good with rice. 6.5/10

The Peiking Duck leftover meat are used to cook with noodles, which taste quite bland. I do enjoy it after eating it with the gravy of the roasted pork belly above. 5.8/10

Crispy-Fried Soft Shell crab with smoked Szhechuan Peppercorn Salt @ RM38. While the name of the dish is so damned long, it’s actually just soft shell crab that you can ate anywhere outside. The portion is amazingly small too. 5.0/10

Sichuan Ma Po Tofu with Minced Pork @ RM28. While Ma Po Tofu supposedly to make your tongue numb, it did not. It even doesn’t taste spicy at all. 5.0/10

All of us had our expectations high after the awesome Peiking Duck, but we were left in to utter disappointment of all the other dishes. Did we order the wrong dish? Sigh….

Total Damage: around RM350 (We only need to pay RM150 since I had the RM200 voucher)

Operating hours: Lunch – 11.30am to 2.30pm
Dinner – 5.30pm to 10.30pm

Location: Westin Hotel Kuala Lumpur

Google Map:

Anyway, I just treat this as a makan trip for me…hehe.

My friend bring us to Shee Yaan Restaurant (喜燕楼), a famous restaurant in Muar that serve good Assam Fish.

First dish that being served is the Deep Fried Dragon Tongue Fish. The fish is very thin hence not much meat on it. We just ate it with soy sauce. Not bad la. 6.0/10

The O-Chien (Fried Oyster Omelette) . Also taste average, the stalls at the famous hawker street in Muar town is much much much better. 5.8/10

Deep fried squid….gahh…too many fried dishes liao. Again, taste wise is just so normal like you can get in any other restaurant. 5.5/10

Fried vegetables, which is so normal that I really got nothing to comment on it. 5.5/10

Finally, the famous Assam Fish,which is the recommended dish of the restaurant. However, I am really quite disappointed for me. Not to say that it’s taste bad, but since it’s so famous, I come with high expectations, but….

The taste of the soup is very bland, and it will be much better if it’s more sour and spicy. 5.8/10

Overall, not really a good experience here. However it seems to me that many Muar people love this place as it’s always pack with people during lunch hours!

Total Damage: Should be around RM70 for 5 people ( I am not the one paying, so not sure about the price)

Operating Hours: 11.00AM to 9.00PM

Location: 30 & 31, Jalan Pesta Baru 1, Pusat Perniagaan Pesta Baru (Jalan Bakri), Muar, Johor 84000

Google Map:

Yes, that’s the super awesome rated 10.0/10 Temple’s street Cow’s Intestine Stew (庙街牛杂). However, due to I had to extend my stay 1 more day in China, leading me had to stayed in Hong Kong on Saturday instead of Friday, which unfortunately is also the Dragon Boat festival, which not only leading to most of the food I am going to eat is closed (Yes, including the Temple’s street Cow’s Intestine Stew! Damned!!!!), I also had to pay RM6xx for my room instead of RM4xx!!!!

Argghhhh!!!

Anyway, back from ranting, instead of staying in Casa Hotel at Yau Ma Tei, I stayed in Kings de Nathan Hotel instead since Casa Hotel is full on that day.

Since on that day itself is the  Dragon Boat festival, we checked out from our hotel at Shenzhen as early as possible, reaching Luohu border at around 7.30am to avoid the crowd. Luckily, it’s still early and passing the immigration is smooth and fast.

We arrived at Kings de Nathan hotel at around 9AM ++, which is just a 2 minute walk from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station.

The hotel entrance is small, same goes to the lobby. Also, we were told to pay a HKD500 for deposit in CASH. Yes, they don’t accept credit card for deposit, seriously wtfisthisshit? Since I am only in Hong Kong for 1 day, I don’t have much HKD on me, end up I just give them USD100 for deposit instead. Sigh.

Since it’s so early, obviously we can’t check in yet, so we just left our luggage and walk around.

We were back at 1PM ++ and were told that we were given an upgrade room, which consist of a Queen Size bed and a single bed. Well, I doubt it matter much since the room is still small in size.

The bed ain’t that comfortable too.

The room is does not include a refrigerator and safety box, but it does have pretty fast wireless broadband connection.

The toilet is small too.

Although it does have a separate shower room, but then it’s only separated by a curtain, which is pretty useless in terms of avoiding the whole toilet from being wet.

Also, the soap dispenser is spoilt, but since it’s just 1 night, I don’t bothered to complain too.

The room cost me RM636.91 per night, which is just ridiculous for it’s size, even if it’s at Hong Kong. However, the location of the hotel is pretty perfect. Just 2 minutes walk from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station, and it’s located at Temple street, which is famous for many foods and snacks.

Besides, the airport express bus (A21) also stopped very near to the hotel (less than 1 minute of walking), hence it’s very convenient when leaving Hong Kong

Total Damage: RM636.91 per night

Location:  Nathan Road,  Hong Kong

Pengker Deluxe Collection Hotel does look classy outside, and although the lobby is kinda small, but I kinda like the purplish design of it.

Check in was kinda slow, but it was a WOW when I enter the room as the bed is HUGE. It was 2 queen size bed combine together, which can really fit 4 person to sleep on it comfortably.

The carpet is thick too and nice to step on.

Although there are complimentary free broadband in the room, but there are no complimentary bottled water.

I absolutely loved the toilet too as the wall is a huge window. Best part? The window blind is located outside the toilet (on the room part) which you can always open it to see who is bathing inside the toilet. ROFL!

The hotel is also located near to the Shenzhen metro, and taxis are easy to called for. It’s also a 5minute drive from the Luohu border crossing to Hong Kong.

Total Damage: RM222.41 per night

Location: Shentie Building, He Ping Road, Luohu District

Location: Shentie Building, He Ping Road, Luohu District

Hunan cuisine is also one of the eight most famous regional cuisines in China. It’s well known for it’s hot spicy flavour and deep aroma. Although it’s hot and spicy, but the taste is very different from Malaysia’s curry, or the sour spicy type at Thailand.

I really miss Hunan cuisine every time I am back in Malaysia, and I really hope that I can find authentic Hunan cuisine here in Malaysia. However, I guess it will not be easy because most of the ingredients they used are very different from us, especially the chilli they used.

Some famous chain restaurant in Malaysia did try to served Hunan Cuisine in Malaysia before, too bad they failed badly, and in my opinion, it just tarnished the image of Hunan Cuisine.

I also noticed that, most more established restaurants in Zhuhai, their service quality is really miles ahead compare to most in Malaysia. For example, it was raining heavily when I arrived at this Man Ting Xiang restaurant, and I was thinking that I am gonna be real wet when I am out of the taxi.

However, there were already someone waiting by the road side with a huge umbrella waiting to shelter us in. I noticed that the waiter actually waited outside the restaurant, and if they ever see any potential stopped in front of their restaurant, they will walk up to them and shelter them in.

In Malaysia? Unless you are a VVIP or else, bring your own damned umbrella they will say.

Back from rantz, Chinese white wine is a must for me for every dinner. Too bad, not much people know how to appreciate it.

Pork dishes which I forgotten the name, which taste quite good. 6.5/10

The dish I loved the most here, spicy fish fin. For most fish lover will know, the best part of a fish is the fin and mouth. While for this dish, only the fish fin was served. Yummy!

The dish might look pale, but it’s actually very spicy. The yellowish thing on top of the fish is a type of chilli that can’t be found in Malaysia. It does have a unique taste and it’s very different with ours.

I absolutely loved this, however, I know this dish will not have any loved for people who enjoy fish meat. 9.6/10

The name of this dish is pretty beautiful as it was known as crystal chicken. However, to me it’s just like steamed chicken which we can found almost everywhere. Not to say that it taste bad, but I pretty regret ordering this since I can get to eat it easily in Malaysia. 6.0/10

I actually kinda regret with the dish I ordered this time because 2 of them are not the authentic Hunan cuisine. I really wonder what I am thinking that time when I made the order.

Now I had to wait for months before I get to enjoy Hunan cuisine again. Sigh.

Total Damage: RMB270

Operation Hours: Lunch and Dinner

Location: Gongbei area, Zhuhai, China.

Fresh live seafood is prominent in Canton cuisine, and according to them, fresh live seafood are best cooked with by steaming, with only little used of seasoning to bring out the natural sweetness of live seafood.

While most authentic Cantonese cuisine restaurants have live seafood tanks in their restaurants, Wanchai Seafood Street in Zhuhai bring it up to another level.

There are more than 10 restaurants serving authentic Cantonese cuisine here, and while all the restaurants here does not have live seafood tanks, behind these restaurants are a whole stretch of stalls selling all sorts of live seafood.

Walking past here is just like walking at Petaling Street in Malaysia where you are being shouted to asked you visit their shop, telling you that they are offering the cheapest price or even sell you are a price that they actually making a lost. It’s really a mess as since I visited this place during lunch where there are not much customers, we are the target of every stalls here.

However, it’s also a wonderful experience since many seafood sold here are not sold in almost every wet market in Malaysia. Most of them I don’t even know their name.

We were given a basket by the restaurant we choose before we went shopping. We were also told to bargain hard and careful when they weigh the seafood. However, I am usually bad in bargaining hence well, it cost me RMB230 for seafood below. =.=””

I have a feeling that I was being slaughtered, but well….it’s a tourist place ma. (trying to console myself as hard as possible)

We gave the seafood we bought to the restaurant’s waiter, and we were asked on how we wish to cooked them. Each dish you asked them to cooked will be charged from a range from RMB10 to RMB25, depends on how you want it to be cooked.

We also ordered some greens, which seriously, the portion is too big for 2 person.

As usual, vegetables in China does taste sweeter compare to Malaysia. 7.0/10

One of the clams that we bought, which I totally had no idea what’s its named in English.

As you can see, the clams are huge, it’s also very fresh and sweet too! Just plain delicious! 8.0/10

Fresh Sea Urchin steamed with egg. Only some slight seasoning are used to cook the sea urchin with egg, but it still taste okay. However, again, the portion is way too big for both of us, end up we only eat the sea urchin and left most of the eggs. 7.0/10

Steamed grouper with is very very tasty. Although this grouper is 2 level down compare to the famous mouse grouper (老鼠斑）but the texture of the fish is just so yummy! 8.0/10

I still find that it’s quite a wonderful experience to come here, and although it’s not cheap at all, but I will come back again next time, ordering something more special this time.

Total Damage: RMB230 for live seafood only, RMB150 for the cooking fees and 2 bottle of beer

Location: Wanchai Seafood Street, Zhuhai, China

Although the hotel is only rated 3 star, but in my opinion it beats most 4 star hotel in Malaysia. The standard of star rating in each country really differs a lot.

It’s a nice clean hotel, and the television have like more than 40 channels in it.

There’s also a convenience store located just beside the hotel which you can literally buy most of the necessities there including snacks, beer and my favourite chinese white wine. All of them are reasonably priced.

The toilet is quite large too with separate shower room. Although they do provide free toiletries, but they do have few packs of toiletries for sale at the bathroom if you wish to purchase it. The cheapest one is only RMB6, which is like RM3?

Also, unlike most hotels in Malaysia when they charge you RM8 or even more for a can of coke for the mini bar, most hotel’s mini bar snacks/drinks are reasonably priced, maybe like RMB1 more expansive than you bought at convenience store. I really wonder, why must hotels in Malaysia charged so much for a can of coke, or kit kat? Damned.

There is however one complaint for me, the air conditioner is not cold enough for me! I noticed that most Chinese are content with a room temperature of around 25 degree, but it’s just not enough for me. It takes hours for the room to reach my favourite room temperature of around 21 degree, which is too bad especially since it’s summer time when I stayed here!

The location of the hotel ain’t the best, but still it’s conveniently located. You can walked to the huge underground shopping complex in 15minutes time, or you can just take a cab that will cost you RMB10. Most taxi in Zhuhai are metered taxi so you don’t need to worry about being slaughtered (unlike in Malaysia).

The hotel do provide free breakfast, but it’s bad.

Total Damage: RM140 per night

Location: 中国珠海市拱北粤海中路2067号

Google Map:

Hence, I travel all the way down to Alor Setar to the best Nasi Kandar I had tried up till today, Nasi Kandar Md. Ibrahim.

This is truly a 1Malaysia stall, unlike the BS you heard and read in newspaper everyday.

This small coffee shop are run by Chinese in a traditional Chinese Coffee shop setting, while the Nasi Kandar stall are run by Indian Muslims, or better known as Mamak. You can always find all races dining here happily, proved that we Malaysians, although we do have our different believes and culture, we can live together in a harmonious way.

We don’t need all those marketing campaign and 1Malaysia logo all around to tell us what 1Malaysia are, all the time we are already able to do so.

My portion, with the choice of lamb, beef, vegetables and squid!

Another angel of view. Both picture really doesn’t justify the awesomeness of how great this Nasi Kandar tasted as you can only known how good it is after you tried it!

Also, my rice is full with gravy because I asked for ‘basah’, which means wet my rice with all types of curry!

Besides that the curry is awesome, the beef and lamb is super soft and tender. Although it does not melt in my mouth, but it does came close. 9.5/10

LY’s portion, with chicken, squid and vegetables. She’s loved it too!

However, the curry here does taste a bit sweet hence maybe it might not be a cup of tea for everyone, but to me, it’s the best Nasi Kandar that I ever tried before (even compare to those in Penang).

Another thing why I loved here so much is because the rice given is Nasi Minyak (oil rice) and not white rice, which goes so well with all the curries!

The only complaint for me will be the choices of dish is a bit too limited.

Total Damage: around RM20 for 2 person (include drinks)

Operation Hours: early morning till noon.

Location: Jalan Tunku Ibrahim, Alor Setar, Kedah

Google Map: