Asian Go-Tos In KL

Head over to the new Thai Fusion semi-fine dining restaurant, KomPassion at Damansara Kim! Same row as kitchen table restaurant & bakery, and eurodeli.
Opened daily for lunch from 11.30am - 3.00pm; and dinner 6.00pm - 10.00pm.
I went over during lunch and it was already rather packed. Since it was my first time here, it gave me the impression that this place is good because of the crowd. And also their affordable set lunch menu ranging from RM 13.90 to RM 18.90.

Featured is the seafood Tom Yum noodle. The soup was a nice blend of sweet and sour, a kick of spicy but manageable.
I like the fresh seafood given as well as the nice translucent Tom yum broth, that proves that it's not fully loaded with evaporated milk.
For a person that doesn't take spicy food, this was delicious and at its best level of spicyness. However, pure fans of tom yum noodles would prefer it to be more sour and spicy.
Food: 7/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 15.90 set lunch with a drink. However, the ala-carte menu at KomPassion is very expensive, with the highest that I've seen on the menu at RM 70 for a duck pasta.)

Every time I come here, it's always packed with people and their desserts run out fast too.

Clockwise: Chicken nugget cutlet, sweet chinese pancake, egg shaped meat ball, savory chinese pancake, mixed fruit shaved ice, Mango Loh, ginkgo nut barley and steamed radish cake.
First, the mango loh aka shaved iced with mango sago purée and chunks of mango. This is my MUST TRY MUST ORDER dessert. It's amazing. The purée isn't too sweet. It's enough to cover all the ice, there's some at the bottom too! Cold and satisfying. They have other flavours too. Like strawberry, kiwi, red bean(?) and etc. Quite big portion too!

Next, steamed radish cake. Steamed ones are not common as they are always fried with veggies or by itself. So it's a double thumbs up for me here. You can taste the radish perfectly and aroma of dried shrimps too. Dip it with some chilly paste/sambal, you'll have a party in your mouth. I really love the steamed one.
Third, chinese pancakes. Comes in sweet and savory, try both! The sweet goes well with their hot desserts/tong sui or just by itself! Crispy on the outside, sweet on the inside. The savory is like a crispier and square Korean pancake.
Fourth, ginkgo barley and red bean. The ginkgo dessert is not so visible here. It's behind the mango loh. It's sweet enough with barley taste and ginkgo nuts. Better than Dragon-I. They ran out of red bean which would have went super well with the sweet pancakes. Told you they'd run out of desserts fast!

The chicken cutlet was nothing special. Just pure grease. The mixed fruit shaved ice tasted OKAY. Nothing special. The ice is just a little sour from lime juice. The egg shaped meatball is not bad too. The staffs would recommend it. Worth a try! But it's just not my cup of tea.
Food: 9/10 Price: 7/10 (Quite reasonable but if you order a lot it does adds up. Just like dim sum. My bill came up to RM 60+. Mango Loh costs RM 10.90 but I can't remember the rest.)

[unable to geo-tag 😞]
Rice is a staple food for Malaysians, especially Chinese. But we can't always go to Dragon-I or Crystal Jade for lunch. We all need a quick lunch to keep us going through the day. So we all resort to economy rice.

You might be wondering why I'm suggesting the "best" economy rice or "zap fan". I'm a frequent economy rice eater because it feeds my whole family at a cheap price. But it fills us up efficiently. Some economy rice stalls here in Malaysia are bland, oily and dirty. Some are very expensive too. (I'm looking at you food courts)

But this stall at Kepong is my favourite.

There's quite a lot of dishes and there's always a special everyday. (Note: Yong tau fu every Wednesday, pork curry every Thursday - must try!)
The dishes aren't bland at all but full of flavour. The crispy fried chicken is delicious. There's plenty of varieties for stir fried vegetables. Especially bittergourd. It's cooked down till it's not butter at all!!

Price always ranges around 4-6 ringgit depending on how many dishes you take. Just leave the price calculation to the auntie managing the stall.

The stall is always crowded by 11.30am and finished selling by 1.30pm. A queue of customers starts to form by 11am. It is that good guys!

Although economy rice is not really a healthy option because it is rather oily. They're better than your McDonalds because you're having a balanced meal with cooked whole foods. Also you have a variety of dishes to choose from. Choose wisely then! 😊

First stall inside the restaurant at the left corner.
Restoran Chu Yu
No 50 Jalan 16/38D, Taman Sri Sinar 51200 Segambut, Kuala Lumpur
Occasionally closed on Mondays!

A simple and delicious Japanese rice bowl! I love chicken and mushrooms. So this rice bowl is the perfect combo for me. They even have edamame! The teriyaki chicken breast was very nice and tender. Shimeiji mushrooms were sautéed nicely in soy sauce. So delicious! I love Japanese mushrooms especially with rice at japanese restaurants. They know how to cook it simple and delicious. Edamame! The main reason I ordered this rice bowl. Edamame obsession is real!
If you're into chicken-dons, this is another place to go to although Manmaru specializes in udon. This rice bowl is a chef's recommendation too!
Food: 9/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 17.90 - price is almost the same as Waku Waku and it's rather cheap!)

(Next to the famous curry noodle place in Jalan Ipoh that only opens at night from 8pm onwards)
I love coming here for their soup Pan Mee because of the tasty broth and handmade Pan Mee. Clear broth, simply flavored deliciously with some fried minced pork and anchovies. The noodles were not too floury or sticky as well. It slips right into your mouth in a slurp. Texture is chewy and not overcooked.
It was raining when I visited, so the broth was definitely perfect and comforting to the tummy on that rainy day.
The portion size is very generous too!
Chilly Pan Mee on the other hand is mediocre. Well, you can't go wrong with chilly pan mee because you add chilly according to your hearts desire. However, I still prefer the chilly pan mee at Jojo's Little Kitchen. They have better flavour and the pan mee was not just an explosion of heat.
Besides pan mee, the aunty here sells economic rice too! But the taste is not extraordinary. Economic rice is just to fill us up for lunch, so Michelin star taste is not required but an edible satisfying taste would do. I love the tomato sauce fish cake balls though! Heheh

Food: 7/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 11 for the soup and chilly pan mee. RM 4.50 for a small bowl of soup based pan mee, RM 6.50 for a large bowl of chilly pan mee)

Who's up for some big and crunchy Homi curry puffs! 😋 Malaysians favourite local pastry. The curry puff. Usually they are quite small, maybe just the size of 3 fingers. But Homi puffs are HUGE. As huge as my whole Palm! That's their signature. Huge, crispy and filled.
I was able to grab a shot of the freshly fried puffs cooling down. Looks so delicious!they puffed up so well! Be careful not to take the extra hot ones or you'll burn your throat.
There's a choice of spicy, non-spicy chicken puffs and sardine puffs. I love the spicy one because that is what a [curry] puff is supposed to be. They're not too spicy! The non-spicy is delicious too. I didn't try the sardine ones though.
At least they're not stingy with their filling! I hope they maintain this and don't cut down cost by reducing the filling. 😒 Food: 7/10 Price: 7/10 (RM 2.70 for one. They always have an offer to buy 10pc free 1pc. Good for a pot luck party maybe?)

This time at a new discovery recommended by my dad! Restoran Hock Thai is located on the same road as Standing Theory Cafe. Just a few shops away!
I haven't really had a 'mit' / peeled styled dry pan mee. Besides that, some dry pan mee that I try are bland or just tastes like dark soy sauce. Which sucks a lot! This stall is delicious though. Tasty, flavorful and the rice noodle wasn't too slimy nor sticky. Usually they stick in this style and makes the noodle soggy. The rice noodle was kneaded nicely and chewy. I also love the real flavour of pan mee that comes with it. Not just the flavour of dark soy sauce.
But the portion is very small. It does keep you full for one or two hours. That's it. Rice noodles are filling but for a certain time only depending on your metabolism and appetite. My dad was hungry after an hour eating this little bowl. 😅 This Chinese restaurant serves other food as well like dai chow (Chinese dishes aka big fry), chicken rice and many other stalls. They are always packed during lunch hour as all the workers comes here for lunch. Closed on Mondays!
New place to grub for me! 😋 I know some people will have much better recommendations but this place is a new discovery for me as I don't travel to PJ a lot and I really like this pan mee! ☺️ Food: 8/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 5.50 for one bowl - really cheap considering its a stall in PJ!)

Kim Gary is tasteless. U-Village is fine. But Chatterbox has the tastiest and most consistent cheese baked rice. These restaurants that I've mentioned are HK styled cafes.
The portion for cheese baked rice here at Chatterbox is just enough. Portions shouldn't be too big because there's cheese. The rice is just a simple egg fried rice, topped with whatever meat you choose (Pork chop, chicken chop, fish fillet) and sauces (white or red) and then baked with a layer of delicious cheese.
I chose one with fish fillets and they go well with white sauce. It is so tasty! The melted cheese coated the rice perfectly. I really love tasty cheese baked rice. They're just sinfully delicious! So much satisfaction in every bite. They have a great balance of fried rice, fish fillet, sauce and cheese too! Kim Gary in comparison is very off balanced. They would give you a lot of rice, very little meat, sometimes very little or too much sauce and a lot of cheese. It's just tongue scalding hot at Kim Gary, with no taste even when cooled. But at chatterbox, the cheese is already tasty. Fried rice is awesome too. I usually take pork chop with red sauce but today I decided to try with fish fillets. Not disappointed at all! I'm always happy with the cheese baked rice here.
So much indulgence, but worth the calories every once in a while. It also depends on your mood if you want to eat this filling carb loaded cheesy goodness.
I recommend this, their yong zhou fried rice and their iced milk tea too!
Food: 8/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 15.50 - quite cheap and a reasonable price!)

Handmade udon with chicken teriyaki and poached eggs.
The udon is so delicious and chewy! I think it's a perfect udon texture. Chicken Teriyaki is delicious and sweet. The chicken skin is so crispy because of the nice glaze. The yolk from the poached egg becomes a natural sauce for the udon, which was so divine. Not really a big portion though.
Manmaru has a lot of udon styles. I would love to come back to try the rest! Fresh udons are the bomb!

Food: 8/10 Price: 7/10 (RM 15.90 - quite a reasonable price too. The portion is not too big and you're given fresh handmade udons. I will complain if this bowl was RM 20++. But it's not 😁)

In picture (clockwise): Soft Shell Crab Temaki, Ebiten Temaki (Fried prawn tempura), California Temaki (crabstick), Sake Ikura Temaki (Salmon sashimi and fish roe) and Unakyu Temaki (Eel and cucumber). The handrolls were made perfectly. Fresh and neat. Love Japanese sushi rice! Have them with pickled ginger, some soy sauce and wasabi, you'll get a burst of freshness and appetite.
What stood out the most was the Sake Ikura Temaki! The salmon literally melts in your mouth! So fresh and so good!
My all time favourite is the California Temaki. Definitely did not disappoint.
Soft shell crab was very flavorful. But the handroll is not as nice as the sushi plate.
Ebiten Temaki was just a prawn tempura handroll. Nicely fried batter and fresh prawns!
The weirdest one for me was Unakyu Temaki because it is an eel sushi. I felt a little sharpness when I bit it in. Quite terrifying. I thought I was biting into some bones. But I guess it's just how it's fried or cooked to crispness.
I love going to Rakuzen for Japanese food because they serve the freshest sashimi and the most tender Yakiniku/Beef stir fry rice set. They are very generous with their set menu too! Fruits, chawanmushi, pickled vegetables, miso soup, a whole load of rice and your protein. Go for their set meals for a cheap steal!
I recommend their dragon roll too. Another favourite of mine which is a prawn/lobster sushi roll, topped with avocado.
Food: 9/10 Price: 8/10 (RM 8 for each handroll - Some might say Rakuzen is very expensive but they are the cheapest place for fresh, high quality and satisfying Japanese food)

I frequent here often for lunch and I must introduce this to you because not many knows the "wonders" of Jalan Ipoh. But office crowds and people from everywhere do come here for lunch breaks and meet ups. Uncles all the from PJ or Shah Alam drives all the way here for food too. (Eavesdropped. Oops). They've been in business for several decades now, ever since my mother was a young girl.

Bitter gourd is the most hated vegetable to some because it is very bitter if not cooked well. This dish is not bitter at all because all the flavour from the gravy and pork belly is absorbed by the bitter gourd and cooked down to a soft texture, which eliminates the bitterness.
The gravy is very nice too! I could have them with rice itself. 😋 Can you see the amazing glistening gravy in the picture? YUM
But, the pork belly is quite fat and not as nice as the ones that melts in your mouth. I did take off the fat and ate the lean part of pork belly only. There's very little meat but sometimes they do give too much pork belly. Too much can be overwhelming. I guess the bitter gourd is the star of this dish and pork belly is there for the amazing flavour. Maybe you can request to add pork belly if you need your meat! I love bitter gourd so this portion was just right for me.

Sin Ban Fatt is good for Chinese dai-chow and siu-chow. It is one of the best restaurants in. Jalan Ipoh but they don't open for dinner. Only lunch but they're always full by 1pm.

I love Sin Ban Fatt's yang-zhou fried rice too! You get to taste the awesome flavour of Char Siew fried together with loads of vegetables and rice. They are very generous with their fried rice portion though. An RM 10 portion is enough to feed 4 person in my family with leftovers!

Food: 8/10 Price: 7/10 (I can't remember the price but I think overall for what I ordered - two sets of rice, one stir fried romaine lettuce, chinese tea and warm water is RM 25+. They can be quite expensive sometimes)

By far the best Char Siew I've eaten. I always come back here for their char siew. No other restaurants or top chicken rice shop places has given me this texture and flavour of char siew.

I know I sound very intense and passionate about the "Art of Char Siew" but we're talking about perfect food here which is an art of taste to me. 😤

Alright cut the nonsense. Hahah I love the Char Siew here because the skin is glazed and grilled to perfect crispyness. The char on the skin will sometimes stick to your teeth and the pork fat will blend perfectly with the meat and melt in your mouth. Sweet and flavorful in every bite. Not too fat! Of course if you're late, all the good parts will be sold off. Good just by itself and with rice.

Normally the char siews I have are not sticky-crispy nor as tender. I've eaten this for many years and I still can't find a substitute for it nor has it dropped standards. Besides pork, they have a similar glaze with chicken drumstick.

However, this restaurant's rice is sometimes not cooked well and you might be served with half cooked rice.

They have other HK style food too besides chicken rice. Another recommendation is their King Prawn Curry Fried rice. Mhmm! Will capture its picture the next time I order that and make a thorough review. 😉

Famous for their yuan-yang drink as well. Perfect balance between coffee and tea.

Food: 8/10 Price: 8/10 (I usually order the full set which has rice, char siew and salted egg which was about RM 10.90 - LOVE eating with salted egg. But I'm not too sure about the price of a plate of char siew by itself.)