This is a departure from our usual South Klang Valley posts. Gd and myself decided we had to go back to our roots – Malayalee roots to be precise. Our search for good Malayalee cuisine would take us to Petaling Jaya this time. Gd had been to May N Mike's many times before but it was the first time for me. My expectations were pretty high as Gd had previously given it the thumbs-up (possibly the best Malayalee restaurant around?) and getting a thumbs-up from Gd for Indian food is quite rare. We can thank our Mum for setting pretty high standards for Indian food, to the extent that most Indian restaurants fail to meet our expectations.
Here's how we sampled the food – we got a plate of rice each, picked a few vegetables of our choice.
Then grab some meat or fish on a small plate – we had the fish puttu and
chicken varuval (dry curry ) which I think is not what it's called in Malayalam - my bad.
Make sure you take some dry spicy powder (chamandi poddi) and ginger pickle (inji pulli) from the counter.
You can have some rassam (spicy soup) and curd too if you like. Then sit back and enjoy ……
May Miranda is a true "pakka" Malayalee and it shows in her cooking. There's something very homey and down to earth in her cooking, so much so that we want to call her Aunty May ! You will notice that most vegetable dishes have grated coconut in it – typical of Malayalee cuisine. On the day we were there however, they did not have the signature Malayalee mixed vegetable dish called aviyal. So that alone is cause enough for a return visit (very soon) to Aunty May's.
Be warned however that food is more pricey than your average banana leaf joint. Expect to pay about RM15 per pax with drinks or more if you tend to load you plate with too many things!
Location : 357C, Jalan 5/57, Petaling Gardens, 46000 Petaling Jaya.
Contact : 03-77701050.
Firstly, let me clarify that this post is not about the Old Man Restaurant which used to be on the Kajangfood Top 10 list of best restaurants. This is actually the original Old Man Restaurant which has been around for over 30 years. I think has been handed down from father (the real old man) to son.
This is not a fancy restaurant with fancy dishes. They stick to the tried and tested and the food is pretty consistent and good. We tend to go here quite often but with no single outstanding dish to differentiate from other restaurants, it's more a place we go when we want some simple home-style food.
Top on the list of our favorite dishes here is the cheong cheng style steamed tilapia fish. A spicy and tangy sauce tops the perfectly steamed fish.
The sweet sour pork comes with chunky pieces of pork, cucumber, tomato, onions and pineapple. Crispy outside and juicy inside with good balance of sweet, sour and salty. Thumbs up.Perhaps one of the best versions in Kajang even.
A good choice for a taufoo (soy bean curd) dish here is the Japanese taufoo on hot plate which can be served with minced meat or with small prawns.
Brinjals with minced meat is simple and tasty.
Green vegetables are served with garlic, oyster sauce or sambal belacan and usually arrive crispy and crunchy.
Other good dishes here include their noodles (Cantonese style or Hokkien style), fried spring roll and pai kuat wong (King's spare ribs).
The lady boss (her husband is the cook) is a nurse by day. She speaks very good English and is usually able to suggest some good dishes. She will also adjust the order according to the number of persons so there is no wastage.
Location : Gerai Makan Tepi Medan Letak Kereta, Pasar Kajang, Off Jalan Bukit, Kajang.
Open from about 6.00 p.m. to about 10.30 p.m. and closed on Wednesdays. Ample parking.
