Tai Ho Jiak @ Kajang Prima

 Tai Ho Jiak @ Kajang Prima

This place has been drawing a steady crowd since opening a few months ago, and I finally managed to drop by on a quiet weekday evening. The atmosphere was relaxed, with moderate noise levels and no wait time—ideal for a casual dinner.

The food was generally good, and I found the set meals to be excellent value for money. The Braised Pork was tender and flavorful, pairing beautifully with warm rice. The pickled cucumber added a refreshing tartness and chill that helped open the appetite, while the seaweed soup was simple but satisfying.

The Handmade Dumplings were a standout—tasty, well-textured, and something I’d happily order à la carte next time. Definitely a highlight of the meal.

For dessert, I preferred the Brown Sugar Brûlée over the Signature Herbal Jelly. The brûlée had a deeper, more indulgent flavor, although the boba balls didn’t quite add to the experience. The herbal jelly was light and refreshing, but less memorable.

Service was prompt and friendly throughout, and the overall dining experience felt well-balanced. With prices ranging from RM 20–40 per person, it’s a solid dinner option that delivers on both taste and value.

I’ll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

Happy Restaurant a.k.a Oscar’s

If you have been following this blog for long enough, you would know that we've been patronising this restaurant ever since the new cook (Oscar) took over in 2016. In fact we wrote about the new cook taking over from the Old Man about 8 years ago (click the link here to go to that post).

Happily, the restaurant has prospered, thanks to consistent good food, reasonable prices and a relaxed vibe with abundant parking at night. This may be one of the hidden gems of Kajang and possibly one of my favourite restaurants at the moment.

Highly recommended (and consistent in taste since the start of their operations) are the Fried Fish with Garlic Sauce; their signature Tofu with Minced Meat and Stir Fried Four Angle Beans with Lotus Root. These dishes are a Must Try and are Highly Recommended. Here are some of the dishes we would recommend:

Must Try : Fried Fish with Garlic Sauce

Must Try : Stir Fried Four Angle Beans with Lotus Root 

Recommended : Smoked Chicken

Must Try : Tofu with Minced Meat 

Recommended: Kangkung in Claypot

Indonesian Glass Noodle in Curry with Prawns

Deep Fried Kangkung topped with Squid Sauce

Pork Belly with Salted Fish 

Generally, all the food here is good. Be prepared to wait, especially at peak dinner hours and on holidays as Oscar does all the cooking himself, although he has an assistant to help with the prep.

Dress casually (shorts are recommended) as there is no air-cond and it can get stuffy when there is no wind and on hot days.

Ex Oldman, Restaurant Happy

To write or not to write, to share or not to share - the million dollar question we always ask. To be honest, I am reluctant to share this place as it is ‘damn good’ and I don’t want to end up waiting when I go there once he become famous, but.......what the heck!

Famous Oldman (retired)

Farewell Oldman, welcome Youngman and I am indeed happy to blog about Happy Restaurant - it’s kept me happy for the last month or so since they appeared on my food radar.

Located at the parking lot of Pasar Kajang where the Oldman Restaurant used to be, it is now renamed as Happy Restaurant and run by a young tattooed Chef and his Cantonese/Mandarin speaking and ever-smiling wife. Nice couple they are.

I was a bit skeptical when this new guy appeared about 2 weeks after Oldman Uncle decided to retire. He told us his son’s friend will be taking over after a quick renovation. Now I have been a faithful customer for the last 3 weeks or so and I have to admit, I am kinda addicted to this place, swearing to come back again next weekend!

'Youngman' Chef

Today’s dinner even inspired me to get back to my blogging, so here it goes - Kajang’s new secret food hideout @Pasar Kajang parking lot - Restoran Happy.

Husband wife team with a child in tow, the wife greets you with a big smile (every time without fail), she even remembers what you had there the last time and ever willing to recommend something new for us to try. Although a Myanmarese, she speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently and some Bahasa too.

What have we tried so far and recommendations: at the top of the list will be the simple fried Talapia topped with lots of fried garlic-chili-api mix - superb, will make your crave for more! Well executed for a very simple fried fish but full of flavour from the garlic-chili api sauce.This is a must have. (FYI: There is a guy under a tree in Sg. Way who does this style of frying Ikan Kembung for lunch, laced with similar garlic sauce - very famous - behind Cycle & Carriage, 200m from new Krishna Curry House - Federal Highway)

Fried Talapia with garlic-chili-padi topping

Next, pork ribs cooked with lots of onion and tomato plus some samsu (rice wine) - as normal as it look, has a fantastic aroma/flavour to it (reminds me of really good claypot musang from the good old days) - its a very 'old school' way of cooking with fantastic results.

The Bitter Gourd and Salted Egg came as the biggest surprise - we were expecting the normal stir fried green bitter gourd, but was completely surprised when it was served as deep fried and looked much different from our expectation - it was very tasty and strangely, not bitter! Makes a good appetizer. 

Retro-tasting Pork Ribs with onion-tomato & samsu

I also have to mention the pork ribs (or even fried chicken) topped with crushed peanuts sauce we had - very tasty and flavourful.

We had eggplant/brinjal with salted fish and this was also a winner - flavourful but a little oily (he admitted, he forgot to drain the eggplant after frying it - give him the benefit of the doubt this time - still new).

Fried Bitter Gourd in Salted egg

Other dishes we tried here were kangkong in claypot - not sure why the claypot but just average stir fried kangkong. It was ok, little different. The curry sea-food claypot of parwns/sotong/fish was very tasty, worth a try too. There is also a dry fish head curry - garupa fish with some vege - also tasty and worth the try.

What was amazing, my kaki makan friends all kept telling me, this place is like an addiction, we keep wanting to go back there week after week for his cooking! Must be good. He is open from about 10am in the morning to about 3pm after lunch, then a break till 5.30pm, then to 9.00pm. Youngman has taste and can dish out some awesome dishes, tell us what you think. Keep up the good work Chef Youngman! 


GPS Location 2.990527, 101.793127
Address: 824, Jalan Changkat, 43000 Kajang, Selangor
(Pasar Kajang Car Park area)
 
(more photos to whet your appetite below)

Garupa Fish Head

4-angled beans with lotus root - very good!

Fried nam yee pork - simple, nice

Steamed brinjal - yes, white in colour! nice.

Fried squid/sotong with salted egg - nice

Pork ribs in special peanut sauce

Signature fresh fried talapia & loads of garlic-chiliapi! RECOMMENDED!

Live & Fresh Talapia in 'Samsu' - sorry, only for regulars ;-) (1/3 bottle of samsu!)

Fried Ikan Kembung with young garlic-chilipadi - also for regulars only, sorry ;-)

Kedai Makan Pok Nik @ Sg Ramal

A random link on Facebook lead me to Kedai Makan Pok Nik in Sg Ramal. I read a few good reviews about the place as well and decided to give it a try during the CNY holidays recently. The food was packed for take-away so my  apologies as appearance is not so appealing. 

Nasi Dagang Ikan Tongkol - RM6.50

First up, the Nasi Dagang. Brown rice - check; thick kuah ikan tongkol - check; pickled cucumber - nope; salted egg - nope; solok lada - nope. Instead, there was a red chilli, half a hard-boiled egg and some spicy brinjal. Overall the taste was good. I would recommend the Nasi Dagang here. 

Nasi Kerabu Daging Bakar - RM6.00

Next up, the Nasi Kerabu. I decided to have it with the Daging Bakar (Grilled Beef). Blue rice - nope; raw vegetables - check (albeit very stingy with this); kerisik and sauces - check (but not really sufficient); daging bakar - check (but too tough and stringy). There was also a packet of gravy included which added some taste to the otherwise bland rice (due mainly to lack of ingredients). If only they were more generous with the ingredients......

Nasi Lemak (RM3.00)

I also packed a Nasi Lemak which was packed in a styrofoam box. The sambal had a real chilli kick. On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd give this a 4.5 on the heat scale. However overall taste-wise, it was not particularly outstanding. 

Lompat Tikam (RM4.00)

Kelantanese kuih such as Lompat Tikam were available although I did not have any. I understand that more kuih are available on normal days but their kuih maker was on leave ? 

The Breakfast menu

Overall I would only recommend the Nasi Dagang. I would return for that and also to try the Laksam. It's close to the highway, so if you're travelling south and need a convenient place for breakfast near the highway, give this a try.
 
Location : Jalan Ramal 2, Taman Ramal Indah, Sg Ramal, 43000 Kajang
Contact : 012-501 5194
Facebook Link :  https://www.facebook.com/KedaiMakanPokNik?fref=ts

 

Food Taiwan Restaurant @ Bandar Teknologi, Kajang

Fans of Taiwanese food can rejoice with the opening of a new restaurant tucked away in a obscure location in Bandar Teknologi Kajang.

 

Looking  like a normal coffee shop, it offers up some variations to the usual local fare. These include:-

 

Beef noodles - a thick beef stew  with springy noodles. It was a little salty and just average in taste.

 

Fried rice with pork. Very generous with the pork but rather average taste. 

 

The highlight of the visit - the famed Taiwanese Stinky Taufoo. And wow, did it stink. This was a real Fear Factor moment for me. Both Ros and Jeremy were nauseous from the smell so it was left to me to wolf it down. The first mouthful smelt like sewage in my mouth. And the chilli topping and pickled cabbage did little to add flavor to this dish. It tasted flat and disgusting. Anyway, as per my personal motto - I'll try anything once - I persevered and finished the whole plate. And for that, I was left with a disgusting taste and smell in my mouth for the rest of the day! Once is enough for me unfortunately.

 

The desserts here were more promising though. This red bean, grass jelly and bubble tea thingy was huge for RM6.90 (I think) and enough for 3 persons.  

 

The honey tea was thick and nice. Enough for two persons too.

Overall, this is a nice little Taiwanese cafe. Go for the desserts and snacks. 

Location :  No 3 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Off Jalan Semenyih, Kajang

No 1 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Selangor Darul, Seminyih, Selangor, Malaysia - See more at: http://my.nusalist.com/restaurants/all/2.965659/101.826843/no-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangorno-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangor-malaysia#sthash.YFdwcdB6.dpuf

No 1 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Selangor Darul, Seminyih, Selangor, Malaysia - See more at: http://my.nusalist.com/restaurants/all/2.965659/101.826843/no-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangorno-2-jalan-p21-bandar-teknologi-kajang-43500-semenyih-selangor-malaysia#sthash.YFdwcdB6.dpuf

Y Y Fish Ball Noodles @ Pearl Avenue, Sg Chua

Rainy days always give me cravings for something hot and soupy. With the current rainy spell, we decided to visit YY Fish Ball Noodles at Pearl Avenue for a bowl of hot noodles. 

 

It has the look of a kopitiam / cafe. Simple and  clean.

 

First up, the 'Special" Seafood Noodle Soup. It came with about 5 springy fish balls, fresh pomfret fish slices and several medium sized prawns. All the seafood were fresh and tasty. The soup was clear and slightly sweet from the fresh seafood. Some green vegetables gave a healthy balance and the topping of spring onions with fried shallots lent the noodles a lovely fragrance. Add some chilli padi if you need some heat. This really hit the spot for me, although it was a tad expensive at RM16.50 a bowl. 

 

Next up was the fried fish head noodles. The fish head was fresh and juicy. You can have the noodles with or without the evaporated milk. I had it with and it lent a nice creaminess to the soup. The preserved vegetables however made the soup a little salty. The mee hoon had a nice bite. A tad expensive also at RM10.50. 

 

We ordered a side dish of Braised Fried Pork Belly (RM11 for a small portion which was quite generous actually).  It was crispy on the outside and moist inside. The meat had absorbed the lovely marinade flavors during the braising and this was brought out by being fried. This is a recommended dish.

 

Lime and Sour Plum and Hot Barley drinks to wash it all down.

Overall, it was a little pricey but you do get freash and and tasty seafood in the noodles. Good for a rainy evening meal. Give it a try.

Location :  PA-S-37, Pearl Avenue, Jalan Pasir Emas, Kajang, Sg Chua, 43000

Fook Loy Restaurant @ Sg Chua

Another leisurely Sunday family lunch, this time at Fook Loy in Sg Chua. This is a restaurant that has remained the same over the years. This is what we had:-

 

Their signature must-order dish - prawns in fresh coconut. This is NOT a Thai style tom yam, so you have to get your expectations right. Fresh medium sized prawns are cooked in a spicy broth, using fresh coconut water. The coconut water and fresh prawns impart a delicate sweetness to the soup. Don't forget to scoop up the soup, it's the best part and good to the last drop. RM55 for a large serving for 13 persons.

  

Fook Loy serves roasted duck and chicken rice at lunch time for a quick lunch. Their duck is worth ordering, and this half duck portion (RM23) came with a tangy lemon sauce. Recommended.

 Another signature dish, braised taufoo with seafood. Nice.

 

Steamed pak su kong  fish. The fish was fresh (the use live fish from tanks), but the sauce was rather bland. The fish is RM5 per 100g.

 

We asked for the roasted chicken (RM46 for a whole bird) to be served with a Thai style kerabu gravy. The chicken was rather dry and the gravy was not sufficiently spicy/piquant or sweet. This was quite disappointing. 

 

For vegetable, we had the stir fried bean sprouts with green dragon leaf (Ching Long Chai). A simple dish with different textrures and tastes. Well executed.

The lunch cost us RM255 for 7 dishes (we also had a claypot pork with salted fish dish) with rice and tea for 13 persons. Overall, the food was good, but not outstanding. As I mentioned earlier, this is a restaurant that has remained very much unchanged over the years, which in the ever evolving food scene and with customers having more discerning palates, is not a good thing. 

Location : No 61, Jalan Kima (Kg Bukit Angkat), Sg Chua, Kajang (at the junction of the road leading to the Jade Hills project)
Contact : 03-87333985