7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes

Special thanks to 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes for extending this food review invitation.

Neighbourhood Foodcourt (好街坊美食中心) is a 24-hour food court at Dataran Sunway. The eatery has around a dozen stalls selling a variety of hawker dishes. Shaded by trees, the food court's open-air concept takes advantage of cooling breeze in the evening.

7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes (7686财哥住家菜) is one of the tenants in this food court. The stall is run by a couple who is passionate about food. The family business used to operate a shop at Damansara Perdana until late last year. As the name implies, 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes serves dishes that are based on their parents' home recipes.

Yellow Wine Chicken Soup (黄酒鸡汤, RM10.00) is one of the most popular dishes in this stall, and is certainly my personal favorite. The soup contains chunks of chicken that were pre-cooked with sesame oil. Another crucial ingredient is homemade rice wine, which is sweet and does not have any bitter aftertaste. One unique aspect of this dish is the addition of a fried egg!

Sam Kan Chong Pork Ball Noodle (三间庄猪肉粉, RM7.00) was popularized by a stall in Petaling Street (茨厂街) several decades ago. The appeal of this dish revolves around pork meatballs, which are springy and succulent. Also present are Chinese barbecue sausages (烧肠), pork lard (猪油渣), minced pork and spring onions. The soup is boiled with pork bones for several hours, making it tasty to the last drop.

Pan Mee (板面, RM8.00) is another bestselling dish. It is easy for me to understand why: both the noodle and the soup strike a chord with my palate. The amount of ingredients is plentiful too. There are pork slices, meatballs, sweet leaves (马尼菜), fried anchovies and fried shallots. And if you have an affinity for spicy food, the homemade chili sauce packs a powerful punch. You have been warned!

Claypot Loh Si Fun (瓦煲老鼠粉, RM8.00) is cooked in classic Hokkien Char (福建炒) style, albeit using a different type of noodle. The dish comes with a large slab of roast pork (烧肉) paired with sweet-and-savory sauce. Meanwhile, the egg is meant to be "cooked" by mixing the claypot's contents while it is scorching hot. With so many ingredients in the mix, this dish offers great value for money!

If you prefer a noodle dish with soup, Claypot Yee Mee (瓦煲伊面, RM8.00) is a better choice for you. Despite the fact that yee mee is used, the soup does not taste too salty. Other key ingredients are meatballs, minced pork, pork lard, fried tofu skin (炸腐竹), fried shallots, spring onions and egg.

The next dish on the menu is Claypot Chicken Rice (瓦煲鸡饭, RM10.00). Unlike those served by other stalls, the rice is pre-cooked and then finished in the claypot. This explains why the rice is not as "toasty" as expected. The dish contains a generous amount of chicken, which is marinated rather well. Other ingredients that contribute to the overall flavor are smoked Chinese sausages (腊肠) (sweet), mushrooms (savory), salted fish (salty) and ginger slivers (pungent).

Ipoh Hor Fun (怡保河粉, RM8.00) is meant for customers with lighter palates. The recipe is inherited from a popular stall in Ipoh. In this dish, rice noodle is served in clear soup alongside shredded chicken, bean sprouts and shrimp. Spring onions, garlic chives and fried shallots serve to enhance the soup's aroma.

Last but not least, Pork Noodle (猪肉粉, RM8.00) uses a mixture of yellow noodle (黄面) and rice vermicelli (米粉). Pork Noodle uses the same soup as Sam Kan Chong Pork Ball Noodle, but the ingredients are quite different. The former contains sliced pork, meatballs, pork liver, pork intestine, pork lard and choy sum (菜心). Given the amount of ingredients, the bowl of Pork Noodle is worth every sen.

In summary, the dishes at 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes are generally up to the mark. The proprietors clearly expended a great deal of effort in fine-tuning the recipes. In addition, the dishes here are reasonably priced when compared to similar stalls in Kota Damansara. 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes also does food delivery (through third-party services) and food catering upon request. Payment can be made through major e-wallets.

Name: 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes (7686财哥住家菜)
Address: Central Park East Wing, Jalan PJU 5/7, Dataran Sunway, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Contact: 012-682-6086
Business hours: 8:30am-10:30pm, closed on alternate Wednesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/7686kopitiam
Coordinates: 3.15219 N, 101.59398 E
Directions: Neighbourhood Foodcourt (好街坊美食中心) is situated at the center of Dataran Sunway. 7686 Choy Kor Homecook Recipes is a stall next to the central stage. Roadside parking is available. Alternatively, customers may park at the multi-storey car park next to the food court. The parking rate is RM1.00 for the first 2 hours.

Golden Bowl Cafetiam

Special thanks to Golden Bowl Cafetiam for extending this food review invitation.

Golden Bowl Cafetiam started as a joint venture among three entrepreneurs who share a common passion for food. Founded in Batu Lanchang, the restaurant has added new food items over the years. Today I visited the outlet at The Promenade.

Golden Bowl Cafetiam is known for popularizing milky cheesy soup (招牌芝士汤). Other recommended soups here are milky broth (浓郁上汤), hot & sour (酸辣汤) and asam pedas (亚参酸辣汤). Meanwhile, noodle options are rice vermicelli (米线), ramen (拉面) and instant noodle (快熟面).

Since each person's palate is unique, the restaurant allows each diner to customize the noodle bowl to one's liking. There are roughly 20 ingredients to choose from. Popular ones are fried fish (炸鱼柳), chicken dumplings (鸡饺), beef balls (牛肉丸), cocktail sausages (香肠) and ring rolls (玲玲卷).

If you prefer rice dishes, Salted Egg 1/4 Fried Chicken (咸蛋酱炸鸡椰浆饭, RM13.90) is a good choice. Coated with salted egg paste, the chicken is extremely savory and delicious to the last morsel. The dish comes with sambal (chili paste), fried anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumber and coconut-infused rice.

As for Western dishes, the restaurant serves poultry dishes such as Italianese Chicken (意式芝士鸡排, RM14.90). Similar to Chicken Parmigiana, the chicken chop is baked with tomato sauce and a slice of cheddar cheese. Cheesy potato wedges and garden salad are served on the side.

Aglio-Olio (蒜香鲜虾面, RM12.90) is cooked with garlic, olive oil, prawns, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. I am pleased that the spaghetti is cooked al dente. The pasta dish is topped with parmesan cheese for added flavor.

Golden Bowl Cafetiam has several interesting beverages too. Besides Hor Ka Sai (虎咬狮) that I tasted previously, the restaurant also serves Kiam Kopi (咸咖啡, RM4.00) and Yin Yong (鸳鸯, RM3.00). The former has a hint of salty aftertaste, while the latter blends bitter-sweet coffee and creamy milk tea.

Compared to similar eateries in the vicinity, Golden Bowl Cafetiam is priced reasonably affordable. In fact, the dining section is packed with office workers during lunch hours. In case The Promenade is not a convenient location for you, Golden Bowl Cafetiam also operates at Batu Lanchang and New World Park.

Name: Golden Bowl Cafetiam
Address: 5-G-27, The Promenade, Persiaran Mahsuri, 11950 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 010-565-5387
Business hours: 8:30am-3:00pm, 6:00pm-10:00pm, closed on Tuesdays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/goldenbowlpromenade
Coordinates: 5.32505 N, 100.28229 E
Directions: Golden Bowl Cafetiam is located at The Promenade, a commercial block between Elit Avenue and D'Piazza Mall. There are parking spaces within The Promenade's compound.

Left Handed Char Koay Teow

Left Handed Char Koay Teow (左手炒粿条) used to operate a roadside stall on Lebuh Keng Kwee (near Teochew Chendul). I stumbled upon the stall at M Mall today by chance. Interestingly, the food stall still has an actual motorcycle attached to it.

The man behind the wok, Uncle Chan, always dons his signature yellow T-shirt and red baseball cap. As the stall's name suggests, Uncle Chan cooks with his left hand. According to him, he is naturally left-handed except when writing.

The walls of the shop are covered with photos of the stall's former location and encounters with celebrities. A flight of stairs leads to more dining space upstairs.

Char Koay Teow (炒粿条, RM6.50) is the signature stir-fried dish of Penang. Flat rice noodle is cooked with prawns, cockles, eggs, bean sprouts and garlic chives (韭菜) using high heat. Left Handed Char Koay Teow does not use pork nor lard. Instead, the texture of lard is imitated by pickled radish (菜脯). Brine is removed so that the radish is not too salty.

Left Handed Char Koay Teow serves Chendul (煎蕊, RM3.50) for dessert. The shaved ice is sweetened with gula melaka (palm sugar). The dessert also contains red beans and green jelly noodles.

Address: 79-G-11, M Mall, Jalan Dato Keramat, 10150 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: N/A
Business hours: 11:00am-9:00pm, closed on Wednesdays
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Bee Hwa Cafe

Special thanks to Bee Hwa Cafe for extending this food review invitation.

Bee Hwa Cafe (镁华茶室), also known as Kedai Kopi Bee Hwa, is a popular kopitiam (coffee shop) in George Town. The shop is situated at Dickens Street (Lebuh Dickens), just across the street from the Penang Police Headquarters.

Bee Hwa Cafe has been operating for more than 20 years. Unlike similar shops of its era, Bee Hwa Cafe is remarkably clean and well ventilated. In case the main dining area is full, customers can be seated at the adjacent shop.

Bee Hwa Cafe serves a variety of hawker dishes that Penangites are familiar with. The shop owner does most cooking on her own. For meats, she uses chicken (from halal suppliers) and seafood only. Most notably, Bee Hwa Cafe does not serve pork, beef nor alcoholic beverages. This explains why the shop attracts customers from all ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Perhaps the most iconic street food of Penang is Char Koay Teow (RM6.00). This local favorite uses a flat rice noodle called "koay teow". The noodle is stir-fried with prawns, cockles, fish balls, crab sticks, eggs, bean sprouts, garlic chives and chili paste. Char Koay Teow is best enjoyed when the dish is steaming hot from the wok.

Sang Mee (RM7.00) is prepared by dressing crispy egg noodle with a thick sauce. The dish also contains chicken, prawns, fish balls, crab sticks, eggs and yau mak lettuce. The unique combination of crispy noodle and savory sauce makes Sang Mee very appealing.

Nasi Goreng (RM6.00), or Fried Rice, is one of Malaysians' favorite comfort foods. Cooked rice is fried with prawns, fish balls, crab sticks and eggs in a wok, and then garnished with yau mak lettuce, spring onions and fried shallots. If you prefer to spice things up, adding chili paste should do the trick.

Hokkien Mee (RM6.00) is known as Prawn Mee outside Penang. This is because the flavorful broth is derived from shrimps. The broth is typically served with yellow noodle or bihun (rice vermicelli); I recommend a combination of both noodles. Other ingredients in Hokkien Mee are prawns, fish balls, crab sticks, fishcakes, hard-boiled eggs, water spinach and sambal (chili paste).

Penang's version of Curry Mee (RM6.00) uses a white, creamy broth. It typically comes with prawns, cuttlefish, crab sticks, hard-boiled eggs, tofu puffs and mint leaves. Chili paste can be added to make the broth spicier. Like the previous dish, most locals prefer to combine yellow noodle and bihun.

If you prefer something with milder flavors, Koay Teow Th'ng (RM6.00) is probably the best choice. The dish is essentially flat rice noodle in clear broth. Other ingredients of Koay Teow Th'ng are chicken, prawns, fish balls, crab sticks, fishcakes and yau mak lettuce. A sprinkle of spring onions enhances the soup's aroma.

Toasted Bread (RM2.20) is a popular breakfast dish in any kopitiam. The sandwiches are basically toasted slices of white bread spread with butter and kaya (coconut jam). As for Boiled Eggs (RM2.60), feel free to add pepper and soy sauce to suit your taste.

Bee Hwa Cafe serves a variety of hot and cold drinks too. For instance, Kopi Susu (RM1.90) is local black coffee sweetened with condensed milk. Meanwhile, Teh Ais (RM1.90) is sweet Ceylon milk tea topped with ice.

Bee Hwa Cafe is well received among locals, which is always a good sign. Over the years, the kopitiam has been seeing a steady increase in out-of-state visitors and foreign tourists. Nevertheless, Bee Hwa Cafe maintains a personal touch with all customers and keeps food prices very affordable.

Name: Bee Hwa Cafe (镁华茶室)
Address: 10, Lebuh Dickens, 10050 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-263-6092
Business hours: 7:00am-3:00pm, closed on Sundays
Website: https://www.facebook.com/beehwacafe
Coordinates: 5.41890 N, 100.33094 E
Directions: Bee Hwa Cafe is located at Dickens Street (Lebuh Dickens), a one-way road next to the Penang Police Headquarters. Street parking is available along this road.

Pun Chun

Bidor used to be a stopover town for interstate traffic before the opening of North-South Expressway. Perhaps the most well-known eatery in Bidor is Pun Chun Restaurant (品珍酒楼). The shop is renowned for iconic pastries like Chicken Biscuits (鸡仔饼) and Shai Kek Ma (萨骑马).

Pun Chun serves noodle dishes too. A bowl of Duck Drumstick Mee (鸭肉云吞面, RM11.30) consists of double boiled herbal soup, duck drumstick and handmade wan ton mee. Food taste has somewhat improved since our previous visit, but still falls short of satisfaction.

There is also a dry version of Duck Drumstick Mee where the noodle is seasoned with soy sauce. Meanwhile, the herbal soup and duck drumstick are served separately. The soup is similar but is slightly thicker.

As for beverages, we had Kopi O (RM1.40) and Teh C (RM1.40). The aromas of coffee and tea are not strong enough. Overall, the drinks in Pun Chun leave a great deal to be desired.

A meal for two costs RM26.90. This is considerably expensive given the restaurant's location and ambience. The saving grace is the improved food taste than before. In addition, the shop is not so crowded on weekdays.

Address: 40, Jalan Besar, 35500 Bidor, Perak
Contact: 05-434-1554
Business hours: 6:00am-8:00pm
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