Restoran Capati Maju Rapat @ Ipoh

Truth be told, I was a bit reluctant to come here. I like capati but what's so special about this one that we'd drive all the way from Klang Valley to Ipoh for? It sure looks like your typical mamak shop, and it wasn't even crowded (but to be fair, we did come at an off-peak hour).

K: We came with middling expectations and we went away with great appreciation of the modest capati. All hail the capati!!

 

We came here quite late, around 11ish, I think so we didn't get any freshly made capati - it was all reheated stuff. That was already a bad sign since most capatis would get tough once it gets cold and no amount of reheating will change that. Imagine my surprise when I bit into the capati - it was as tender and soft as the moment it was first fried. A sign of good quality material used in the dough.

Then there was the sardine. I've had roti canai with sardine before but it was usually sardine with tomato sauce, straight out of the can. This was different. They took the sardine but they did not use any of the tomato sauce, instead they cook it in curry. 

 

Now that was something! Good curry + good sardine = mouthwatering deliciousness.

To top it all off, it was dirt cheap. A capati costs RM1 while the sardine curry was RM1. Yes, a RM2 meal!

The shop actually has a lot more curry choices recommended (beef, mutton, etc) but sardine was all that was left for that day. In fact, I think we had the last bit of sardine.

Verdict - Delicious, healthy(ish) and cheap. Must makan!

Restoran Capati Maju Rapat
Jalan Lapangan Terbang
31350 Ipoh

Price - $
Halal

Mee Daud Mat Jasak @ Ipoh

Wah, I didn't know Ipoh was famous for mee kicap. One of the most popular malay noodle shop in Ipoh is apparently Restoran Mee Daud Mat Jasak (or just Mat Jasak), their specialty being mee kicap and curry mee.

K: My friend told me to try mee kicap Mat Jasak as that's what it's famous for. I have to wonder, is the business really started by Mat Jasak or is it just people shortening the name to Mat Jasak and omitting the Daud? Well, since the business is started in 1972, it could well be Mat Jasak's recipe.

So does it live up to the hype?

Erm. 

The curry mee (RM3.50)  is surprisingly mellow, more lemak (coconut cream) than spicy. As it was Malay, I was expecting something with more kick. If you prefer something less spicy, this is for you. As for me, I'd give it a miss cos I find it tawar.

K: Since we just had curry mee at Canning Corner, I couldn't help but compare both. The curry mee here is also thin but it lacks flavour. Thumbs down from me.

The curry mee comes with fishball and "prawns". Have you seen those prawns balls now shaped like the real thing? Yuck. I personally never liked prawn balls, this new shape doesn't improve the taste either.

Thankfully, the mee kicap (RM3.50) was much better. It comes with yong tau foo

K: Mee kicap was definitely better than the curry mee. In comparison to mee kicap at Canning Corner, I think the mee kicap here is better. The kicap is not too sweet or too salty, just nice. The soup with the yong tau foo has more flavour, while the soup at Canning Corner was drowning in white pepper.

I forgot to taste the soup at Canning Corner but I will say I prefer CC's yong tau foo over Mat Jasak. I think their fishballs/ cake and bean curd skin tastes better. Mat Jasak's mee kicap, btw, uses yellow noodles.

K: Also had a nice conversation with the operator. Apparently the 3 siblings take shifts to operate the shop. One prepares the food in the morning, the other one on the afternoon and the last one at night. So, the taste and flavour might differ depending on which sibling is preparing the food.

Verdict - stick to the mee kicap, skip the mee curry unless you like it tawar.

Mee Daud Mat Jasak
Jalan Datuk Onn Jaafar
Taman Jubilee,
30300 Ipoh, Perak

Price - $
Opening hours - 8am - 10pm daily but if food finish early, tutup awal.

Restoran Canning Corner @ Taman Canning, Ipoh

 K: The elusive hunt for halal roast duck continues! We were actually looking for halal roast duck which were supposedly sold at Restoran Hong Kong but the restaurant is there no more. 

Eh, go check the address again? Right address... Let's go around the block, nope, no Restoran Hong Kong anywhere. Ah well, might as well just eat here then.

It turns out that Restoran Hong Kong's previous owner sold it, and the new owner has renamed it Restoran Canning Corner. It's still the same concept though, a kopitiam housing several operators serving halal-ish Chinese hawker food fare. Alas, no halal roast duck. Aisey.

Nevermind lah, janji got makan. No roast duck? No problem. There's always curry mee and mee kicap with yong tau foo. :)

The curry mee was deceptively thin looking, maybe even watered down. Wah, so wrong! The soup was very robust, just kurang lemak (less cream), which is healthier anyway.

K: I agree. The curry was not thick but it certainly was not lacking in flavour. Thicker is not always better! I also like the generous sprinkling of mint leaves in the curry. 

The noodles had the usual fishballs and tau foo pok. The kerang (cockles) was lightly cooked, therefore deliciously succulent. 

I'm not usually a fan of yellow noodles as they tend to have a strong chemical taste (too much perservatives?) but these tasted great and had a nice springy texture.

The mee kicap was like wantan mee but no wantans. It's a popular breakfast/ lunch meal in Ipoh served with crunchy fried shallots, sesame seeds and a side of yong tau foo soup. It also came with a generous amount of fresh mint leaves and of course, taugeh.

Sedap but overshadowed by the curry mee.

K: I agree. Curry mee is better than the mee kicap. The mee kicap supposedly costs RM1.50 while the curry mee is supposed to cost RM1.80 but since I added cockles in the curry mee as well as extra yong tau foo for the mee kicap which costs RM0.70 per piece, the total bill for both came up to RM9.10. Still quite reasonable.

Char kueh/ chakoi (70 sen per piece) was a big hit for us. Wah, best! It was not oily, with a crispy exterior but surprisingly soft, not chewy. The dough is more sweet than salty (but not too sweet) and delicious unadorned or dipped in your kopi/ cham/ curry mee, etc.  

K: Cheap chakoi is quite chewy, probably due to the cheap flour or maybe there's some secret recipe which keeps the chakoi soft even though it's no longer warm? Not this one. Naisss....

Chee cheong fun with curry (RM3)

Slippery smooth rice noodle roll served in black sauce with fried shallots and sesame seeds, no yong tau foo. This dish is normally not halal cos the sauce usually has pork. You can order it with or without curry, if you don't like spicy food. The curry boleh tahan pedas jugak!

Verdict - So coming back for the chakoi! Extra bonus points: The stalls have halal certs for their food products. That should allay some worries.

Restoran Canning Corner
Corner of Lorong Cecil Rae and Jalan Jaycee Park
Next to a big field, on the opposite end of Restoran New Holly Wood
Ipoh

Price - $
Certified Halal meat sources
(Apologies, we forgot to take the telephone number and opening hours. But we came for brunch, and unlikely open for dinner)

Ikan Bakar Seri Empangan @ Putrajaya

The Ikan Bakar Seri Empangan Putrajaya (which translates to Putrajaya Dam Grilled Fish) was opened earlier this year, taking over a failed steamboat restaurant.

K: It was actually brought to Putrajaya by Tan Sri Aseh, the President of Perbadanan Putrajaya to liven up the dam area. The original restaurant is the famous Muara Ikan Bakar in Kelang,  at least that's what I was told.

We had four dishes; kailan ikan masin (salted fish kailan), sotong masak tiga rasa (three flavoured squid), ikan pari bakar (grilled sting ray) and nasi lemak.

K: This is actually the 1st time I've had sotong masak 3 rasa. Masak 3 rasa is normally done for fish rather than sotong.

The veggies (RM6) were so so and the sotong (rm15) rubbery and lacking in flavour.

But the fish saves the restaurant from being written off.

The fresh sting ray (RM 7.50) was grilled simply in banana leaf, which keeps the fish moist yet fragrant. That's it, no sambal or fancy spice rub, I don't think I detected salt either! It's served with a not too spicy asam jawa dip.

K: The dip was nice and it complements the fish well.

Sambal ikan bakar is available only during lunch time, so we'll have to make it a point to drop by at that time.

The nasi lemak (RM2) was good as you can tell they weren't stingy with the santan. The sambal was thick and had a nice kick that went well with the sting ray. But the nasi lemak was rather kedekut with other condiments, just some lonely cucumber.

K: Price wise, not bad, the pari was only RM7.50 but the sotong cost a whopping RM15. Maybe I'll pick a different recipe for the sotong next time.

Pfft. A different recipe will not change the fact that it was overcooked to death.

Ikan Bakar Seri Empangan, is as the name says, at the dam near the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). There's a lovely waterfront park with a playground to help you work up an appetite. Apologies, no pics of the park as it was dark by then.

The restaurant itself isn't terribly fancy (just plastic tables and chairs) but it's clean and has a gorgeous view of the (only) skyscrapers in Putrajaya.

Verdict - Food wise, hit and miss. Bonus points for the park and view, boleh lepak!

Ikan Bakar Seri Empangan
​Pusat Kawalan Empangan,
Taman Empangan, Presint 5,
62000 Putrajaya

Tel: 013-3490191, 012-4268081, 017-3368081, 012-2888340, 012-3378081

Price - $ - $$
Opening Hours: 10am - 10pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Closed on Mondays.

Halal

Kedai Makan Jadi Baru Botak @ Restoran Botak

Apologies for the lack of pics for this post, it was a rainy day and we were rushing for cover.

K: One good way to find out good makan places is to ask people. That's what we did. We got a lot of recommendations and one of them was for Kedai Makan Jadi Baru (Botak). 

TJ: With such a name, who wouldn't be intrigued? Is the chef botak? Will you lose your hair from eating there? Dun dun DUUUUUUNNN....

K: Kedai Makan Jadi Baru literally translated is Becomes New Eating Shop. How did Botak comes into the picture? Apparently, the proprietor is bald (botak), so people started to refer to the shop as Botak's. As they say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. So, as the place is already well know as Botak's shop, the proprietor included (Botak) in the signage.

High on the recommended list was the fried senangin, fried cuttlefish and asam pedas. My friend who recommended this place said he would always go here everytime he's in JB. Apparently this place is also a favourite of the Johore Sultan. Which Sultan? Now that's one question I forgot to ask.

So when we got here of course we ordered all that plus some otak-otak and stir fried spinach.

TJ: The food here tastes very homemade. All of the dishes felt very simple and humble, but well cooked indeed.

Take the fried senangin for example. It's just fresh fish, seasoned with a light hand, fried to a crisp but the flesh was still tender and juicy. The stir fried sotong with shallots, also lightly seasoned, was soft but springy. It takes experience to not overcook such delicate things!

The otak-otak was a very generous sized portion and not fishy. I prefer nyonya otak-otak over Malay as the former usually steams the dish instead of grilling, which can make the dish dry if the cook isn't careful. Plus the former is heavier on the spice. Botak's otak-otak also had some fish flakes to add texture to an otherwise smooth mousse.

I find that Malay asam pedas to be spicier and more sour than the nyonya version. This one was like a middle ground; spicier than nyonya but sweeter than Malay style. The fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. The assam pedas was served with okra and eggplant.

The stir fried spinach was worthy of my popo's home cooking. 

This was our third Asam Pedas for this makan trip, plus we had a late breakfast, so we were not as enthused as we normally would be. While I can see why it's recommended and I agree that they were all good dishes, the prices weren't competitive. 

Out of the three places we had Asam Pedas, Botak's was the most expensive. To be fair, we had the other two in Melaka, however one must factor in the ambience.

The ambience at Botak's is nothing to shout about. While the restaurant is clean, it's in an old, shabby neighbourhood. There's no air conditioning either. Despite the lack of a crowd, parking was surprisingly scarce for a weekday (we came around 12pm to avoid the lunch rush hour). 

The cost of our meal (inc drinks) came up to roughly RM30-40 per pax.

Wah, can you imagine the price if it was upscale? We hear this restaurant is very popular, even with Singaporeans. Could that be the reason for the price?

K - The portions were so so considering the price. Only the otak-otak's portions were generous. Nice food, but not a must eat for me, especially since there's nothing special about the restaurant itself. Just a typical kedai makan. 

Verdict - Worth a visit, at least once to rasa. Delicious, simple food but the price makes us think twice about coming again...

Restoran Makan Jadi Baru (Botak) (map)

No. 145

Jalan Lumba Kuda

80000, Johor, Malaysia

Tel: +6072249225

Price - $$ - $$$ (depends on what you are ordering of course)
Opening hours - 7am to 10pm

No pork served

Azo 96 Murtabak Kg Melayu Majidee @ Johor Bahru

I first had murtabak singapore in Singapore, in Kampong Glam/ Arab Street. To be precise, we had murtabak from Zam Zam, which was famous for that dish. 

How does murtabak Sg compare to My?

The murtabak I'm familiar with is yellowy and a little wet from the filling. Sg murtabak is drier but it feels more meaty. This could be because they use ground beef instead of finely minced beef. The roti is also thicker, crispier and chewier. The filling is cooked individually and added layer by layer. 

It's served with curry or sos cili and cucumber (at Zam Zam anyway) instead of pickled red onions.

Size wise, the sg murtabak is a LOT larger. About double, quadruple the size. Of course this means the price is heftier too (especially when you convert huhu)

When I brought some back for my grandmother, the purist to try, she took one look and declared that it was not murtabak and the best murtabak can only be found in Kota Bharu (she's biased).

So if you, like my grandmother, are stuck in your definition of what's a murtabak, then no, it's not a murtabak. It's a square roti canai stuffed with ground beef and with more ground beef on top. Now try it cos it's delicious, mmkay?

K - I was first introduced to Murtabak Singapore at Kg Melayu Majidee a few years back when I was on a working trip to JB. My colleague who was a Johorean brought me here and wow, it was really good. Not only did I finished it in double quick time, I even bought a few more to bring back to KL. Now that I'm back in JB, a trip to Kg Melayu Majidee is a must. However, the outlet I went to at that time was not the same one I went to today. But they both taste just as good.

Azo 96 is in a warung opposite of the Masjid Jamek Kampung Melayu Majidee, so it is relatively easy to find due to the landmark. This area is apparently famous for Murtabak Singapore as there are several stalls offering this dish. 

How does JB's Murtabak Singapore compare to the one Singapore?

Fuh! Very well fought indeed, pretty much neck-and-neck in taste. But I'm going to give JB the crown because it's easier on our Malaysian wallet (about rm7). Extra points for not serving it with sos cili and cucumbers (that stuff should never touch murtabak).

K - I have to disagree with TJ here. No, I'm not saying Zam Zam's murtabak is better. I'm saying that Kg Melayu Majidee's murtabak is waaaaaaay better than Zam Zam's. Why? Zam Zam's ground beef on top of the murtabak is quite dry, it sticks in the throat. Kg Melayu Majidee's murtabak on the other hand still retains it's juice & moisture so it tastes sooo much better. 

Verdict - Best in JB and better than Singapore!

Azo 96 Murtabak Kg Melayu (map)
Jalan Masjid
Kampung Melayu Majidee
Johor Bahru

Price - $
Opening Hours - forgot to ask, one website claims 5pm but we went earlier, around 2pm and it was open.

Halal

Kacang Pool Haji

When K added Kacang Pool to our JB makan list, my first thought was, "wtf is that?"

A pool of beans? Is it a sweet dish like bubur kacang merah?

Fuh, so wrong and how!

Kacang Pool is actually Ful ("f" is not native to bahasa), which according to wikipedia, is Ful Medames, "an Egyptian/ Sudanese dish" consisting of mashed fava beans (kacang parang).

If you, like me, have never had Kacang Pool, the closest dish I can think of would be chili con carne like at Wendy's (but miles better than the fast food place of course).

This robust dish is thick not watery, and instead of leftover burger meat, you have fresh ground beef for added texture. There's a slight sweetness (courtesy of red onions) to balance the spices. According to a Harian Metro article, there's no added salt, sugar and additives used.

Kacang Pool is served with lime (to squeeze), sunny side up egg,  fresh chopped green cili and diced red onion and a thick slab of home-made toast. It's a breakfast dish, so you can come over from 7am. I hear that the weekends can get pretty busy though.

The stall is located at the Medan Selera Bomba Larkin. They have other dishes such as rojak buah and tauhu bakar but we were saving stomach space for another makan place.

It's a tiny food court so the parking here can be quite limited, the view ain't pretty, and there's no air conditioning. But who cares?

K: However: The drains around the food court is filthy. Food containers & other food stuff were clogging up the drains. So if you are picky about stuff like that, avoid the place.

Behind the food court is an open field overgrown with lallang and other shrubs. When we were parking our car, we saw a mother burung wak wak with her chicks foraging for food. I've seen adult burung wak wak before but not the chicks. So, that was a big plus.

Verdict- Omnomnomnomnom. Hearty, cheap and healthy(ish)? Good god, I need another trip to JB!

Kacang Pool Haji (have a map)
Medan Selera Larkin Bomba
Jalan Tun Abdul Razak Susur 5,
Taman Larkin, 80350
Johor Bahru

Open from 7am
Price range - $