Every trip back to my hometown in the Klang Valley is a food discovery mission. First mission target: Kedai Kopi Taman Eng Ann. The last time I attempted a visit, it was closed for the day. I’m back with a vengeance, so to speak, and was not disappointed this time round.
I ordered kopi right away. Well, i believe it was the best kopi I have had. It has the right mouthfeel – thickened evenly with coffee and sweetened condensed milk. Afterwards, you are rewarded with a lingering aromatic aftertaste, the best one I have experienced to date. To me, the aftertaste is what sets it leaps and bounds above its competition.
I got to know this place through Motornouth’s blog post, and have since vowed to visit, as it is said to be one of ten highly regarded kopitiams in Malaysia. With more than half a century of history, they must be doing something right. Not to be missed also are the toasted bread with kaya spread and butter, served Klang style, where you have to spread the kaya yourself.
The other stalls are not bad too. I noticed fried noodles was a common item ordered by other patrons, so I did too, and it was fantastic – strong Wok Hei, nicely charred, taut (non-soggy). The Yong Tau Fu was not bad too, it came with a tasty sauce which was not overly sweet like the black sauce variant, and had just the right thickness. Chicken rice was nothing spectacular but quite edible nonetheless.
While at Paradigm Mall (a nice mall by the way), we decided to have dessert. I did a quick research there and then and found out about Komugi Cafe.
The cakes and pastries were not just presentable, they were as good as they looked. Their signature item is the Hanjuku Cheesecake. It was really moist, fine, smooth and tasty. The Cheesecake with Ganache as well as the Krone were excellent too. The latte came with nice latte art, but was not gimmicky at all – the froth was very well done, and stayed frothy till the last drop.
Magnum Cafe Kuala Lumpur was a surprisingly good value themed dessert cafe. The basic ice cream stick, with lots of toppings and sauces, sets you back by only RM9.90 (S$3.50), and there is no additional charge whatsoever. The more elaborate desserts are around RM30. It is conveniently situated in Mid Valley Megamall.
If you go to KLCC by LRT, the first thing you will come across as you enter the mall is the smell of fresh-of-the-oven buns by Rotiboy. It was Rotiboy that popularized the Mexican Coffee Bun in Malaysia/Singapore from 1998, almost 20 years ago, and although the general interest has waned, Rotiboy continues to thrive at KLCC. If you purchase the Rotiboy bun here, you will get it hot off the oven, and “one is never enough”.
After a short visit to KLCC, i checked out Kampung Baru for the first time, and probably the last time it can be said to be a Kampung. There is a huge condominium being built that will forever decimate whatever little Kampung feeling there is left of this place. In the near future, when you lift your head, you will not see the sky, like you should in a Kampung, but a huge modern building.
Anyway, on this first day of the Chinese New Year, the eatery I was intending to try out, Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa, was closed. I selected another random place based on popularity, which seems to be Chunburi Seafood. They offer Nasi Campur (mixed rice) with a selection of over 20 dishes. The only problem was that the dishes were cold. Otherwise, these were tasty Malay dishes. The ambiance was pretty good, enhanced by two very talented young buskers singing right outside. I imagine more restaurants and stalls would be open at night, but the advantage of having lunch is being able to take in the sights when everything is brightly lit. Having a meal here instead of at the typical upscale places in KLCC is certainly refreshing for a change.
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