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.

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

MyLim Restaurant and Kang Master Chef Restaurant @ Semenyih Sentral

If you've been to Ipoh before, you may have noticed a red and white building in the heart of town selling salt baked chicken. It's practically an institution in Ipoh and I make it a point to pack back a few chickens every time I visit Ipoh. The good news for Kajang and Semenyih folks is that you need not have to travel to Ipoh to taste this delicacy. We have our own version of

it in Semenyih called MyLim.

MyLim and Kang Master Chef - side by side

If you visit the shop, you'll find rows of ovens with chicken slowly baking in salt crystals.

 

The chicken are wrapped in paper which retains all the juicy goodness or 'chicken essence'.

 You can have the chicken chopped and served with rice at the restaurant. 

Or you can eat it at the next door restaurant called Kang Master Chef Restaurant. Supposedly famous for fish head noodles, we found the signature dish there to be quite uninspiring.

Ditto for the seafood curry noodles. Not worth talking about.

 

 

But do give MyLim a try. You can also get it shrink wrapped and ready for the freezer. It makes an excellent spare dish when you need it, just take out from freezer, steam, chop it up according to your personal liking and it's ready to serve.  It's RM22 for a whole chicken, either freshly baked or shrink wrapped. They also do delivery so give them a call to find out.

Location :  Jalan Semenyih Sentral 6, Semenyih Sentral, Selangor

Contact : 03- 87248820 (MyLim)

Osaka 1961 @ Taman Kajang Prima

The new Japanese restaurant in Kajang Prima called Osaka 1961 has 2 sections; a ground floor section which is a sushi bar and does set meals as well, and a first floor section that houses a shabu-shabu (steamboat) buffet. We tried the ground floor section and here's the verdict:-

Sorry for the picture quality - lights were quite dim

All sushi on the conveyor belt are RM1.80 a plate. At such a price, you really can't complain. But I have to say that the octopus was very chewy. The raw fish however was fresh.

The Buta (pork) Katsudon set came with a crispy fried pork fillet served on a bed of rice. The set came with a bowl of salad, miso soup and two watermelon slices. Again, you can't complain at RM7.90. The Salmon Fish Set which can be done in Shio or Teriyaki style was somewhat better. We had the salmon done in Teriyaki sauce and the salmon came in a reasonable size for the RM8.90 asking price.

We also had a Osaka Itako Salad. A decent portion of sweetish squid topped on a plate of cucumber, baby tomatoes, shredded cabbage and salad leaves. Nice refreshing salad. No complaints for RM6.90.

Overall, a cheap and cheerful place. It's good value for money but don't get your expectations too high. You get what you pay for. Give it a try.

Location : No 11 Jalan KP 1/6, Taman Kajang Prima, Off Jalan Semenyih, Kajang
Contact : 03-8741 6119

Yip Sheng @ Bandar Teknologi - Revisted

A friend (IB Tiong) mentioned some time ago that Yip Sheng had the best Hokkien Mee in Kajang. We've been going to Yip Sheng for ages but always for rice and dishes and not noodles (see our previous posts on Yip Sheng). So we had to satisfy our curiosity and we finally found an occasion for a light dinner here.

First up the Hokkien Mee. Suitably greasy with pieces of fried lard between the fat noodles. Bits of green vegetable, squid, pork and a few small prawns - a good if rather standard mix. No liver though. The batch we got had a distinct burnt aroma. Not the wok hei (breath of the wok) but the aroma of something that had been left a tad too long in the wok. Despite the aroma, the taste was faultless - a top class Hokkien Mee all right. Ask for some sambal chilli and mix some in for extra heat. Recommended.

Fried rice (sorry - half eaten already)

Jeremy had his usual fried rice and this was again truly good. Lots of carrots, long beans and shallots with bits of char siew and a few plump prawns. This had the right wok hei. One of the best we have had in some time. Recommended as well.

Our selection of a meat dish, pork ribs with a Marmite sauce. Tasty, but the meat was a little over-fried and a tad tough.

So now you know where to go if you are in the mood for a little supper of noodles and fried rice. Give this a try. And thanks to IB for the note.

Location : No 73-79 Jalan Seri Baiduri 1, Taman Seri Baiduri, Bandar Teknologi Kajang (it’s on the right hand side of the road after you turn in from the traffic light).

Contact : 03-87237805

The best places to eat in Kajang for 2012

As we come to the end of 2012, we would like to list our favorite restaurants. These are the places that we keep returning to. These are listed in no order of priority. Click on the links to take you back to our earlier reviews.

Chinese Restaurants
1. Wan Fatt behind Jalan Mendaling, Kajang -they are scheduled to move from their current location soon as the premises will make way for the MRT project. We will keep you posted on their new location.
2. Sing Kee at Bandar Teknologi, Jalan Semenyih
3. Min Kee at Broga – our regular family gathering place, great for the braised eight treasure duck
4. Fook Loy in Sg Chua
5. Sin Tai Mah in Semenyih, famous for their ‘lai sar yee’

Indian Restaurants
Unfortunately, we are still looking – please send us your feedback if you have found any worth mentioning.

Malay Restaurants
1. Satay Haji Samuri, the flag bearer for Kajang satay
2. Satay UK in Bandar Baru Bangi, good not only for satay but also for their signature Urat Ketin (UK) soup and Malay dishes.

Thai Restaurants
Only one worth mentioning - A’Wet Thai at Sg Chua

Indonesian Restaurants
These are sprouting up everywhere now, mostly selling Ayam Penyet. But our pick is Rumah Makan Cibiuk at Taman Putra, Sg Chua – possibly our best new find of 2012.

Japanese Restaurants
Koya Japanese Restaurant in Bandar Mahkota, Cheras. Pretty decent Japanese food at reasonable prices.

Happy eating and do keep the suggestions coming. Happy New Year!

Sup Power Ali

Sup Power Ali has been around for some time now, located along the Jalan Semenyih road near the interchange with the Silk Highway.

This is the place we go to for some local "comfort" food, steaming bowls of hot thick and spicy Mamak style soup with your choice of meat - chicken, beef, mutton, oxtail or various types of innards including tendons, tripe, 'torpedo' and bones. It's served with bread cubes, the perfect accompaniment to mop us the tasty soup.

There's also a stall selling nasi lemak with dishes but it's really not worth mentioning. The soup however is worth the drive there. Give it a try on cold rainy night (like today) and you'll not regret it. Be warned however that it's not for the faint hearted - the soup really packs the chilli and spices. Also be warned that picking too many meats may burn your pockets. We usually just order chicken, beef or oxtail separately. You tend to get more value for money that way ;-)

Location : 7-A, Jalan 1, Taman Maju 2, Jalan Semenyih, Kajang

Beef noodles at Zuan Kee, Bandar Teknologi (CLOSED)

UPDATE AS AT JUNE 2014 - CLOSED
Gone but not forgotten.

Once in a while, I get the urge to have a good bowl of soupy noodles. My favorite pork noodles with an extra scoop of lard and garlic is usually the first choice. The next choice would be beef noodles. Made with beef stock brewed for hours, it is a great comfort food.

You can have it with beef and tripe,

Or with just the beef slices.

It comes topped with fragrant fried shallots and spring onions. I'd recommend the slippery smooth kway teow (flat rice noodles) which goes very nicely with the soup. They also have the dry version, but that would be missing their star ingredient - the beef soup, which is good to the last drop. Possibly the best beef noodle soup in South Klang Valley ?

Location: No 1 Jalan 1/3, Seksyen 1, Bandar Teknologi Kajang, Semenyih, 43500 Selangor

Lek Kee Chicken Rice, Taman Kajang Prima

Following up on my earlier post about the best chicken rice in Kajang, the main contender for the title was Lek Kee Chicken Rice which was located at the car park area of the Kajang market. Quite famous actually, but also notorious. See the comments to the review in the Kajang Town blog here.

Actually gd, Rose and myself too have a love hate relationship with the Kam Mou (golden haired guy) who used to chop the meat there. Good food but bad hygiene and bad attitude. But putting everything else aside, it was a pretty good chicken rice. So when the Kam Mou dissapeared, we though that was the end of his legacy.

The good news is that Lek Kee has now reopened at Taman Kajang Prima, off Jalan Semenyih.

However the Kam Mou has lost his signature blonde hair and is now with black hair :-) Not sure if he is less ham sap as well ;-)

Still with the same bad ass attitude though. Somehow it wouldn't be the same without the attitude :-)

Chicken and char siew are still good. Haven't tried the duck and siew yoke yet. Give it a try and let me know what you think. It's located behind the HSBC Bank.

The best chicken rice in Kajang ?

This is going to be contentious but I'm sticking my (chicken) neck out here. The best chicken rice IMHO is to be found in a coffee shop named Double Six Restaurant (Restoran 66) at Bandar Teknologi, Jalan Semnyih, Kajang.

A steady stream of customers from about 12 noon until they sell out, which can be as early as 2 p.m. is testament to the quality of the chicken rice here.

 The roast chicken, roast pork and char siew are all good.

And the rice is cooked in chicken stock, making it tasty and flavorful.

Located on the left side of the main road as you enter Bandar Teknologi from Jalan Semenyih, do give it a try and let me know what you think.

Yip Sheng at Bandar Teknologi

It’s been a while since my last post – busy with studies lah. So thought I’d share about Yip Sheng which we have kind of "re-discovered" of late. Bandar Teknologi along Jalan Semenyih is also home to some good restaurants, including one of our favorites, Sing Kee. 

We’ve actually been frequenting Yip Sheng for a long time – maybe about 10 years? I remember they used to serve crabs but I don’t see it on their menu now, which is a shame since they did a pretty good chilli crab here. My cousin from Mumbai (since relocated to UK and then Down Under), swears that this was the best crabs she had ever eaten. But then again, she swears a lot :-)

Their signature dish is a stewed pork foreleg (chee sow). Cooked until tender and falling off the bone, this is a dish to savor with some plain white rice. Excellent.

Their steamed fish comes in various styles. If you like something a little piquant, try the assam steamed tilapia. It has the right balance of sweet, sour and spicy. Excellent.

We ordered squid in a curry but the taste of the curry was quite similar to the assam fish. Maybe they were using the same spice mix? But that’s actually not a bad thing since the taste is just right. The only thing missing was some meehoon to dunk in the gravy and we would have had perhaps the best curry noodles in town?

The pork ribs came in a very tasty sauce. I don’t remember what they called it – three taste (tiga rasa) ?

Broccoli with mushrooms is not very common and perhaps a good choice for vegetable. Well executed.

Clay pot taufoo with prawns was pretty decent but not memorable.

Other dishes that we have had at other times include the kung po chicken (very good) and butter fried prawns (excellent).

Location : No 73-79 Jalan Seri Baiduri 1, Taman Seri Baiduri, Bandar Teknologi Kajang (it’s on the right hand side of the road after you turn in from the traffic light).

Contact : 03-87237805

Kajangfood’s Top 10 Best Restaurants in South Klang Valley

It's the First Anniversary of our Kajangfood blog. It's been a year of exploring (burp!) and documenting (burp!) some of the best food in South Klang Valley. From Cheras to Broga, from Puchong to Dengkil, we've scoured the countryside for the best eating places we have heard about. Thanks to our readers and friends for all the suggestions and feedback. In return, we'd like to share with you our updated Top 10 list of best restaurants in this part of the world. Our criteria for selection is pretty simple; consistent good food, reasonable prices and popular with the locals. With the exception of the satay and bak kut teh (pork rib soup) places, the rest are restaurants with a full a-la carte menu.
 

1. Satay Kajang Haji Samuri

Haji Samuri topped our Ultimate Best Kajang Satay Shoot-Out. With a pretty good chicken satay and a decent beef satay, it's easy to understand why they have been so successful not only in Kajang, but also expanding nationwide. Their peanut sauce sets them apart from the others – their well balanced (spicy and flavorful) is one of the best.
 

2. Restoran Wan Fatt

There's no change with Wan Fatt, they're still churning out good food at reasonable prices. Their signature steamed fish and lor mee are worth special mention. Well worthy of their mention in the Ho Chak TV show.

3. Restoran Sing Kee (New Entry)

If you've been following our blog, this new entry to the Top 10 would come as no surprise. We've been singing their praises since we found them in Bandar Teknologi (after they moved there from Semenyih). Their ginger steamed wan yee (fresh water fish) is about the best we have had, and their pork with yam is also outstanding.

4. Fook Loy Restaurant
One of our regular eating spots. We keep returning for their claypot braised dishes (chicken, duck and even terrapin occasionally). Also worthy of mention is their signature dish of tomyam style prawn served in a coconut. 

5. Restoran 52

Our favorite restaurant in Semenyih, their signature dish – Guinness pork ribs - is a sweet and sticky success. I particularly like their spinach soup with century egg and fish finger slices. 

6. Seatown Seafood Restaurant (New Entry)

A rather obscure and little known restaurant on Jalan Reko, we keep going back for their shark curry. The curry beats most Indian restaurants flat – which is the greatest compliment for a Chinese chef. They are also generous with their petai. Just try the stir fried petai with prawns. A new entry to the Top 10, we're still exploring their offerings.
 

7. Ming Kee Restaurant

Another of our regular eating spots. A must-have here is the best braised eight treasure duck which has to be pre-ordered. Not many restaurants still have this hard to prepare dish. Also good here is the butter fried tilapia fish – crunchy to the last bone !
 

8. Balakong BKT & steam fish (New Entry)

This is actually a bak kut teh restaurant and a limited a-la carte menu. However it serves what in our opinion is the best steamed fish head in the Klang Valley – even better than the famous Chan Sow Lin restaurants. The pork leg is another must have here. The bak kut teh is not particularly outstanding though. I just realised we have not

9. Bukit Mewah Restaurant

This is another Kajang restaurant that's been featured on the Ho Chak TV show. Their signature dish is the lotus leaf wrapped fried tilapia and fish head curry. We haven't tried the curry as it did not look too interesting but the lotus leaf wrapped fish is a must-have here. Prices are pretty reasonable too.
 

10. Restoran Soong Kee

A popular restaurant in Kg Baru Sri Kembangan, we haven't got down to doing a proper review of this place yet. Their signature boneless fish and steamed kampong chicken are the draws here. Look out for a review soon.

So there you have it. Some places have dropped out of the Top 10 due to dwindling standards or rising prices. That's the nature of the food business, whats up this year may be down next year. So do keep visiting our blog for the latest updates. We'll try our best to keep you updated (Buuuurrrpppppp!!!).


 

Malek Tauhu / Semenyih Cucur Udang

For us, living in Kajang for many years, Semenyih has been synonymous with Cucur Udang (fried prawn patties) since the time we were in school. Considering that we left school some 25 years ago, that's a pretty long time. And the place that put Semenyih on the food map is an un-named stall located near the Semenyih field (beside the Sekolah Kebangsaan China Semenyih) which is referred to by locals as "Malek Tauhu". We just call it the 'Semenyih cucur udang' place.

This is the famous Semenyih cucur udang stall

Malek retired from the police force many years ago and decided to try his hand at the food business. He got it right with his cucur udang recipe, especially the chili sauce that accompanies this simple treat. They also sell plain fried taufoo pieces, which explains the name, "Malek Tauhu". The cucur udang are tasty, light and fluffy, with sufficient air pockets inside to soak up the sweet and tangy chili sauce. The fresh prawn (with shell) tops the cucur and chives are added to enhance the taste. This contrasts with the plain taufoo which are dense and rather tasteless. Cucumber slices are added to the order which serve to soothe the taste buds of those who can't take the pungency of the chilies.

Freshly fried taufoo & cucur udang waiting to be cut and sold

Of late, Malek's has also become very popular with the locals for it's chicken rice. Come lunchtime, the queue for the chicken rice may be 20 deep. Everyone queues patiently for their pack and the diners are Malay, Chinese and Indian – truly a 1 Malaysia place! Diners who choose to eat-in can just place their orders and they will be served at the table. Be warned however that this roadside stall gets pretty warm, especially in the mid-day sun. So take-away is recommended. Also available are the kerang rebus (boiled cockles) which are served with the same tangy chili sauce. Most tables would have an order of cockles to accompany the chicken rice or cucur and taufoo. We've tried the chicken rice here and whilst it's pretty good, it's not the reason we keep going back here. The star of this stall is the cucur and chilli sauce.

I love the chili sauce so much that I save any balance in a bottle in my fridge ! Give it a try if you're in Semenyih. The stall is now run by Malek's daughter who handles the cutting and sales of the taufoo and cucur udang. The speed that she can cut these is quite amazing - something perfected over many years of practise (and clearing long queues no doubt).


Location : Stall beside the Semenyih field (near SK (C) Semenyih. Open from about 11.00 a.m. until about 4.00 p.m. Very crowded at lunch time.


 

Restoran 52 - Again

We hadn't been to Restoran 52 for some time but a recent chat with my colleague, Derek about this place prompted me to go here again.

We had the Guinness pai kuat (still good), spinach soup with century egg and fish fingers (the best I've had) and fried chicken wings (thumbs up again).

This time, we wanted to try a different fish preparation, so the captain suggested 'lai sar yee'.If you recall, the place thats popular for lai sar yee is Tai Mah, also in Semenyih. We gave it a try and I must say that I was very happy we did. The fish was not as well fried and crispy as the other place but it was nice, fresh and tasty.

The plus point for their version was the pickled cucumber and onion salad, which was served on another plate. Sliced finely and with sufficient vinegar to give it a nice tangy taste, it was a perfect accompaniment for the fish and grainy fried bits.

Verdict : Very good

Stir fried bitter gourd with salted egg. This was done just right. The bitter gourd was nicely bitter and crunchy and the salted egg pieces made it palatable. Gd did not like this very much but it was appreciated by my MIL & SIL. Plus points for it being healthy dish too.
Verdict : Very good

Apologies for the slightly blur images - taken on my handphone - forgot my camera.

Location:-52 Jalan Sungai Lalang
Semenyih
Selangor
Contact : 87238733 or 0126439892