Did a staycation in Petaling Street (茨厂街) over this CNY period. Stayed at Hotel Geo (3 star) for 4 days 3 nights. It's pretty close to the Pasar Seni MRT, hence one could venture to nearby KLCC or Pavilion too! Central Market is within 5 minutes walking distance, as with Petaling Street.
MRT ride to Pasar Seni
Hotel Geo (Triple room)
Hotel check-in was 3pm. The room cleanliness need vast improvement as the floor was still dusty and the mini-fridge was sitting in a dusty cupboard. Heck, we even found empty wrappers of previous occupants instant noodles in one of the cupboards...
Due to heavy rain, we spent first day having fast food for late lunch. The only food outlet connected to Hotel Geo is Texas Chicken. For CNY, they were having the Spicy Szechuan flavour. Pretty good, as far as fast food goes...
Texas Chicken
Ventured out to KLCC and chanced upon Lion Dance performance. Just nice for CNY!
During CNY period, lots of foreign workers had their off-days as well and KLCC seemed to be the spot for them to hangout. The mall was very crowded.
There was such a thing as 'premium' toilet in KLCC for one of the level. Its entry fee was RM2. Tried it and can't say the experience was good. The toilet was crowded and yes, there was an attendant located in the toilet and there were moisturizers for the hand after washing. But that's about it. I didn't loiter in the toilet to use the hand cream. The toilets at other levels do not have entrance fee.
KLCC night view
water fountain show
The water show was of Bollywood themed in the initial before playing Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'.
In the mall, there's Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tarts going for RM14.90 for 3 selected flavours. That's less than SGD2 per piece.
For breakfast, we ventured to Tang City Food Court but my favourite beef noodles stall Kew Yee was closed for CNY. Had to make do with prawn noodles soup was the lam meen was sold out too. For CNY, expect food prices at foodcourts and hawker centres to be up-priced by about RM0.50 to RM1 per bowl.
prawn noodles soup @RM7.50
After breakfast, it was a stroll along Petaling Street to suss out stuffs to buy.
Petaling Street
Apparently, there's a Family Mart and of course, we went in to take a look. More like, we went in to enjoy the air-conditioning. Prices for a matcha latte or coffee were exorbitant. Korean products in this Japanese convenience store was too pricey. For example, a packet of 330ml banana milk drink (Bingrae) costs RM5.80?! Good thing was, there's soft-serve in-store and the flavours were cheesecake and matcha. So interesting, so I tried the cheesecake flavour.
Cheesecake and Matcha soft-serve from Family Mart @$M2.90 per cone
Walk along the alleys and you'll come across the famous vendors for soya bean and also muah chee. Often times, one would see a queue at the Kim Soya Bean stall. The soya bean stall is now at the third generation. On weekdays, you'll likely encounter the second generation and on festive periods, you'll see the younger ones manning the stall. The beancurd (tau foo far) is delicious too with its smooth as baby skin texture and fragrance of soy bean when taken warm.
queue for Kim Soya Bean
The most disappointing lunch went to the Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee 金莲记福建面. We tried in the afternoon for lunch, and ordered the famed black hokkien mee and a ying yong 鸳鸯 (mix of fried beehoon and hor fun, cantonese style).
Kim Lian Kee Hokkien Mee 金莲记福建面 (Medium @RM23)
The hokkien mee looked decent but once you pick it up with a chopstick, one sort of knows that the noodle was not braised enough. The noodles were dry and not separated. Ingredients wise, there were pork slices, cabbage that tasted a tad raw, pig liver and lardo. The main chef was around but unfortunately, he did not fry our plate. It was done by his foreign talent assistant.
al-dente lukewarm noodles
The ying-yong was more well-fried and tasted as per expectation. The small squids were pretty unique.
ying yong 鸳鸯 (small @RM11)
Kim Lian Kee had two outlets within Petaling Street. One with the old sign-board next to the porridge shop, while another is larger with upstairs air-conditioned seating. We were at the older (original?) shop but seated opposite at the bank area. The hygiene at this area was dubious and used plates were left on the table or chairs by previous diners. The afternoon crew seemed lethargic and we saw a plate of side-dish that looked like fried spring roll, and they asked us if we ordered it. We said we didn't and the staff just left the dish on an empty table. What?
Left unsatisfied, we bought some snacks from Fung Wong Bakery. The piglet siew bao (猪子包) was nicely sweetish savoury. Best eaten when it is still warm from the oven. RM2.50 per piece. Goes well with a cup of hot unsweetened tea.
piglet siew bao (猪子包) @RM2.50
Other breakfast option in Petaling Stret, include the famed Hon Kee porridge 汉记靓粥 or Koon Kee wanton noodles. If you venture abit further, then one could enjoy the laksa and chee cheong fun.
Hon Kee Porridge is of Cantonese style and thus, the porridge was silky smooth. However, the porridge lacked 'depth' in its flavour and hence, add a bit of the soy sauce to 'lift' the taste. Lots of ingredients in the porridge and our favourite was the crispy fried intestines.
Hon Kee Porridge 汉记靓粥
crispy intestines and other porky parts
Interestingly, we found a Dong Teh Mun Market in Petaling Street. A distant cousin of Dongdaemun, South Korea?
Dongdaemun?
Stay tuned for Part 2, for better eats in Petaling Street.
Read more about previous experience at Petaling Street here.
Had the opportunity to join in the fun of this year's A Reunion To Remember at Millenia Walk, thanks to Kilo Studio, Roy and Jennifer. Here is the link to the full promotion for 2018. Organized by Millenia Walk and this was the third consecutive year that the event is running.
Reunion Lunch @ Millenia Walk
mini sake barrel
sparkling sake
It was an affair to remember, with the tables setup in the middle of the mall foyer, and there were beverages booth showcasing sparkling sake and fresh hand brewed coffee. So excited that I was there early to learn more from the beverages booth.
Managed to try the Caramel & Raisin, and its acidity was just nice and the aroma of caramel was rather subtle. Was informed that the aroma grows stronger when the temperature lowers down. One could also drink the coffee almost akin to drinking wine.
Hand Brew Filter Coffee by The Bean Shop by Cafebond.com
Dark Chocolate & Spice, and Caramel & Raisins beans
sipping coffee like wine
Of course, I was drawn to the array of sparkling sake next to the coffee. There were three types of sparkling that was available at the event; Shirayuki de Ai Sparkling Sake (Hyogo, 7.5% ABV), Akazaru Sparkling Shochu (Kagoshima, 5% ABV) and Sawanotsuru Akane Sparkling Sake (Kobe, 7.5% ABV).
The Three Beauties (from left to right) - Shirayuki de Ai, Akazaru and Akane
Shirayuki de Ai, is said to be almost like the famed French sparkling and it is the only sparkling sake with beer hop added to it. It has a light straw colour to it and lots of tiny bubbles. Start with this as the other two had sweetness to it. The Akazaru sparkling shochu looked like water when all its little bubbles dissipated. It'll be trouble if one forgets and downed it all at one go! The Akane is immediately recognizable by its purple/red hue. Made from purple sweet potato and hence its purplish red tinge. Lovely bottle too because it's pink! Thank you Andrew from Kirei (who is also a certified sake sommelier), for taking the time to talk about the sake.
乾杯~
Had the drinks and was looking for some snacks before the lunch start proper. Lo and behold, there's Joe & Dough pineapple tarts making its round. Small round buttery crusts with not too sweet pineapple jam. Small enough to have it in one mouthful.
Joe & Dough golden pineapple tart
Of course, there was the customary yusheng toss that's a must for any CNY celebration. Plentyfull Blossom was beautifully laid on the large round plate awaiting for the moment.
Plentyfull Blossom - Yusheng with Yellowtail Hamachi by Plentyfull
in goes the dressing
in goes the hamachi
Altogether now, Huah Ah!
Next, we enjoyed a sit-down 10-course lunch. First course was of course the yusheng. Lovely yellowtail slices and the healthy tasting salad. Second dish was an equally healthy tasting 5 Elements soup served in a young coconut. The soup had a hint of coconut aroma.
A Reunion To Remember menu
1st course - Plentyfull Blossom Hamachi Yusheng
5 Elements Soup - snow lotus seed, bamboo fungus, chinese golden fungus and red date by elemen
Next up, was deep fried Oyster and Hotate Katsu from Saboten. Was anticipating this dish and it was well executed. The panko arrived crunchy and the gems inside was worth waiting for. The scallop was of a good size and sweet. The oyster was enjoyable with the tartar sauce and a squeeze of lemon. So yummy, these 'フライ'!
Oyster and Hotate Katsu by Saboten
ホタテフライ
かきフライ
It was quite matching to have sake after having the fried food. The sweetness from the sparkling shochu was just lovely. The next course, was a green bowl from Tokyo Chopped Salad. First time having chopped salad and must admit, that I liked it! The sesame dressing was really good and made each bite of those chopped fresh greens so tasty! The beef was gentle to bite. Lots of stuffs inside the bowl. It had shitake mushrooms, broccoli, romaine lettuce, wakame, quiona, red onions and brown rice.
Premium Beef Tataki Salad by Tokyo Chopped Salad
Homemade Charcoal Beancurd with Golden Oyster Mushroom by elemen
The charcoal beancurd looked interesting and it tasted like a good regular tofu. The flavours from the deep fried oyster mushroom was enticing and the asparagus provided the crunch to the dish.
Next, we sampled moo ping from Thai Affairs. Enjoyed this rendition as it was perfectly marinated and the meat was flavourful without sauce. But with the sauce, it was even more tasty! I'll go back for this. The best moo ping I've eaten was from a small little boat that floated to ours in Damnoen Saduak. Mainly because the fats ratio was higher.
Signature Grilled Pork Skewers by Thai Affairs
Can you believe it that I had not tried Teppei Syokudo Kaisendon before? The Kaisendon has 6 different types of seafood in it, mixed with signature sauce and served on a bed of Japanese sushi rice with a huge dollop of wasabi in it. The concoction was highly enjoyable and the contrast of texture from the baby scallops/whelk was good. Mix a bit of the wasabi in, small amount at a time for added kick.
Kaisendon by Teppei Syokudo
The next carb, was the Mazesoba Chasiu by Uma Uma. The bowl had onsen egg, diced chasiu bits, spring onions, bamboo shoots, chili oil, leek and sesame seed. The chili oil wasn't that spicy and the springy noodle had a nice chew to it.
Mazesoba Chasiu by Uma Uma
Mazesoba
Then, it was time for dessert. First up, is the traditional dessert by Beano. There's beancurd, grass jelly or ice jelly. I love those colourful balls. Sweetened and chewy. Enjoyed the beancurd the most. Ice jelly and grass jelly were refreshing.
Traditional Beancurd, Ice Jelly and Grass Jelly by Beano
And of course, ice-cream. Dark Gallery's 68% Ghana Single Origin. It was cocoa bliss.
This stretch of road has plenty of dining and drinking places. The likes of Bochinche, Birds of a Feather, Sugarhall, Jigger and Pony are amongst the brands one could find along Amoy Street. If you're in the mood for Japanese food before the drinking starts, then Uoshin Zushi could be your choice.
Was invited to try their foods recently, and it was promising. The foods served at Uoshin Zushi is not the most authentic Japanese cuisine as it has elements of fusion in it. Think Japanese-themed family-style food. Even its music is mostly English songs.
sake bottles decor
Japanese doll
Its interior is wood-heavy and has a cosy comfortable atmosphere. The dining area is spacious and suitable for large groups gathering, as well as intimate dinner for two.
wood-centric theme
sashimi counter
We started the evening with appetisers of edamame and deep fried salmon skin. The edamame was plump and nicely salted. The salmon skin was interesting as it was of an unexpected colour of light golden brown. Relatively thinner than most salmon skin that I've tasted!
edamame @$3
fish skin karaage (fried fish skin) @$3
Since the side dishes are good with alcoholic drink, they do have Sapporo draft for just $8 for half pint, while there's a promo of $10 1-for-1. That's a no brainer of which is the better deal! So do go with your buddies!
Sashimi lovers, you'll enjoy the next one. A beautiful bowl of Natsu Sashimi (for 2 pax). It has two slices each of salmon, salmon belly, tuna, swordfish and scallop topped with tobiko. The version that we had was topped up for the third person. The additional top-up would be counted at ala-carte pricing.
Natsu Sashimi (5 types of fish two pieces each) - @$32
On the day of our visit, the Chef had decided to replace the tuna with yellowtail as the shipment of tuna that day was not satisfactory. The swordfish was also replaced with amaebi. Not an issue as I love yellowtail sashimi! The scallop was very very good as it was plump and sweet. More scallops please!
The Natsu sashimi was hugely satisfying. If you need something more filling, the potato salad could be an option. It was mixed with plenty of hard boiled egg, well seasoned and topped with tobiko. Lovely and one just can't stop eating it!
Potato Salad @ $2
If all the cold food is getting to you, why not warm up with a small bowl of miso soup. Nothing special from its appearance as it looked like any other regular miso soup. However, there is a difference as it tasted somewhat sweeter and not so 'edgy'. Reason being, this restaurant uses dashi to prepare its miso soup and while it drives up the cost, the brother and sister pair running the restaurant would like Uoshin Zushi customers to enjoy the premium ingredients while maintaining it as reasonably as possible.
miso soup
chawanmushi @$3
If you like aburi sushi as much as I do, then the next plate is for you. A beautiful 5-piece torched salmon with various toppings such as mentaiko, sweet sauce, mayonaise, ginger and black pepper that promises to tantalize the tastebuds. I think I'll get two plates of these please, thank you.
Uoshin Salmon Zushi @$8
There's also grilled salmon fin with sea-salt on the menu, and these are the fin parts with fatty bits. Two pieces per plate.
Grilled Salmon Fin with Sea Salt @$5.50
There was one new item that we got to try. The salted egg tempura with garlic fried rice. The tempura consists of one prawn tempura and two pieces of vegetable tempura (brinjal and sweet potato). The batter was crunchy and slightly thicker and well coated with the salted egg sauce. A child of our friend tried the tempura and enjoyed it! It would have been great if there was less oil on the plate.
Salted Egg Tempura with Garlic Fried Rice
For dessert, we sampled the match and goma ice-cream. Didn't expect the ice-cream to be topped with red bean paste though.
goma ice-cream @$3
All in all, Uoshin Zushi serves lovely affordable, thick slices of sashimi and very good aburi salmon sushi. Recommend the sashimi, fried salmon skin, potato salad, and not forgetting the garlic fried rice.
Special thanks to Nicole and Uoshin Zushi for hosting and HGW for the invite.
Uoshin Zushi
Location: 82 Amoy St #01-00, 069901 Reservations: via Hungrygowhere Contact: 6222 2600
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