SIMPLY MALAYSIA - IMBI PALACE RESTAURANT

Jalan Imbi area is served by a number of eateries and you may be spoilt for choices.  Nearby, off Imbi, you will find an authentic Hong Kong restaurant, nice ambience, grand and it served a good selection of yummy dim sum in the late morning and seafood for dinner.  By the look of the pictures we shared when we were back in Singapore, my fren who did not join us for dim sum but had dim sum at Subang Jaya with his relative instead gave the thumbs up judging from the meal we had at IMBI Palace compared to what he ate.


The place was like a grand ballroom  with high ceilings and pillars, a huge seating capacity with plenty of tables (mind you Sundays may be packed) and  the dim sum spread was plenty to  choose from.  This sizeable restaurant is situated at Jalan Barat, off Jalan Imbi.  From the outside it looks like an old warehouse but when you stepped in, you will be in for a surprise that the restaurant is spacious and impressive.  You will feel relaxed with ample space from the neigbouring table to enjoy your dig without feeling jam packed which you may have to put up at most dim sum restaurants.


Noteworthy, most diners appeared to be locals which is a plus point that the bills will not be exorbitant touristic prices.  My colleagues nodded in approval.

We actually went there for breakfast on a Saturday but it was not opened until 11.30am (except Sunday starts at 10.00am) and we decide to come back for lunch instead.

As we all sat down, I requested that we needed just to order a few but immediately one caught hold of the Siew Yoke (roasted meat) that looks like Tung Lok servings and that became our first order and the rest just rolled in.  The siew yoke skin was crackling good but the fat portion was more than the meat.   When the waitress served the dishes, it was too late that the orders we made were presumably too much given the choices we had.  Pei Dan Chuk and another porridge which was supposed to be fish and seafood ended up with pig intestines instead but it was tasty and good.  Nothing much to write about dim sum as usual, har kow, siew mai, cheong fun, xiao long pau, beef la mien, lor mai kai, siew yoke, beancurd skin wraps etc...but actually the variety is much more, very authentic Hong Kong styled dim sums with praises from everyone. 

Just the twelve of us, less four who did not join ate that much through lunch.  My fren chorused in that the food is as good as the ones in Hong Kong.  We spent RM298.40 ++ = RM343.15, quite expensive actually but when you average out it works out to RM28+ per person or SGD12.00 per person but of course we had two kids with us inclusive. At this price, it includes desserts for almost everyone, throwing in two cold hashima, mango jelly, avocado soya milk etc..,.,.

My verdict:  Impressive restaurant though not traditional enough without the push trolleys but everything else was good.  The Siew Yoke (roast pork) was very good with crackling crispy skin and this was at RM14 x 2 plates = RM28.00.  The rest we almost called 2 trays or plates each and certainly that was a lot for lunch.  If you need a place to go on a weekend to whilst away the morning, this is recommended, JUST DONT ORDER TOO MUCH LIKE US   !!!!

IMBI PALACE RESTAURANT

NO. 8 Jalan Barat

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 KL

Tel: 03-21454822

Business Hrs Mon-Sat 11.30am - 10.30pm

Sunday and Public Holidays  10.00am - 10.30pm

Other joints include:

Grand Palace Restaurant @ Pavilion  on Level 6 of Pavilion KL
Jaya Palace Restaurant on the Ground Floor of Wisma LYL No 12 Jalan 51A/223 46100 PJ Selangor

FOOK WENG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT PTE LTD

No. 3 Seng Poh Road
#01-01 Singapore 168891
Tel: 65361691
Email: fookweng97@singnet.com,sg

Chef Ang Song Kang or better known as Chef Kang was missed by many when his famous Canton Wok at Joo Chiat had to be closed, for some reasons.  I have tried his culinary fares and he is good, creative and daring to be different, especially when he posted a huge poster of himself outside the former restaurant.

Well, reputation brought him back to his feet again and he is now the Chef at new Hong Kong styled  restaurant at Seng Poh Road, just behind Link Hotel.  It opened just two months back, with Hong Kong typical Cantonese name,

FOOK WENG SEAFOOD RESTAURANT.  


Very unlike the previous setup in an old colonial bungalow, this is a splendidly spanking new restaurant with an open kitchen concept behind a glass divider and a corner to display the roast duck and char siew and cascading tanks for the live fish and crustaceans.

I heard dinner is packed but for lunch, the crowd was thin and almost all waiter, waitress and captain attended to four of us besides a few other tables.  Service was good and so was the food.  Though the Dim Sum selection is not widespread, the dishes were better than some of the restaurants I had in Hong Kong.  Dont underestimate the usual Char Siew Pau (steamed BBQ pork bun), this was no ordinary fare but ingredient like Mui Choy, preserved vegetable with the char siew was delectable. 

Another favourite is the Deep Fried Yam Dumpling that is so tender and tasty with a delicate crispy nest like outer coating.  Not to be missed is the Deep Fried Durian pasty and at SGD4.00 for a plate of six cut pices, it is certainly worth your fill.

The Canto Styled steamd Prawn Dumpling and Hong Kong Styled Steamed Siew Mai effuse the charm of real DIM SUM taste, freshly steamed with fresh prawns and a well rounded fillings.

The glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf offer more with shred of dry scallops and salted egg yolk,  every spoon was yummy.

My only grouse, the DONG PO braised Pork was not as tender as I wished it had been and besides it has a  vinegary taste..

I have not tasted much of Chef Kang's feat today and he was no where to be seen either. I was told, our dear chef was busy in Guangzhou making his purchases for the coming Chinese New Year and that's the mark of a good chef who is involved right up to the finer touches of choosing the ingredients himself.

So much dish we had and the Bill comes up to SGD89.00 with NO GST and SERVICE charge at all.

Certainly recommended though I wish it has the Hong Kong morning mood where the restaurant is packed to the brim but again, I am happy that we were well attended to today.

KAI KEOK OR CHICKEN FEET

YUM CHA @ SENG POH ROAD

Si Chuan Dou Hua @ UOB Plaza

31st May 2009

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant
Top of UOB Plaza
80 Raffles Place
#60-01 UOB Plaza 1
Singapore 048624
Tel: 65356006
www.sichuandouhua.com



Ieatishootipost, Dr Leslie Tay has jointly organised with Canon for a photography workshop and although I am no owner of any Canon DSLR, this is an interesting session to learn directly from the experts. I have migrated from the Sony Cybershot with 10megapixels to the coveted Panasonic Lumix LX3 but besides photography what's not stopping me to register immediately is non other than we get to enjoy the Imperial High Tea @ $18.00 (daily 2.30 - 6.00pm) with delectable dim sum accompanied by pairing of 3 types of tea at Si Chuan Dou Hua and Tian Fu Teahouse.

http://ieatishootipost.sg/2009/06/canon-ieat-food-photography-workshop.html

After the workshop we have the chance to take snapshots of delectable dim sum laid on the table. Everyone on my table was like doing the usual of shooting at the food until Leslie came and makes the difference for the day. He showed us a more interesting and unique way of food photography and all of us just sussed up the new approach as the food became our "victimised" focus to play on.

We were so caught up with photography including levitation piecework to make the food looks elevated above the vessel and this was more enjoyable than desiring to eat the delightful food presented. However, after completing our mission, we certainly enjoyed our dim sum but I must add that the SOYA BEAN CURD, Dou Hua is certainly the best, very smooth.

At the dizzying height of 60th storey where you can marvel at the scenic city skyline, we had a calming effect with tea appreciation ceremony presented by the tea masters. The three types of tea are "BiLuo Chun", "TieGuanYin" and "Da Hong Pao" tea.

Si Chuan Dou Hua presented us with a grand finale when they brought out a big artificial bonsai tree with savoury edible sesame balls blooming on the branches, very creative presentation indeed. Every table was presented with a min tree and we just pluck the balls from the tree.



The gleaming edible Gold on the dim sum add spectre to it

Mini Bonsai plant with blooming sesame balls

Tea ceremony













So pretty tray of dim sum with fish roe

Floating Siew Mai special effects?




Tea pouring skill need kung fu training


\ The tree blooms with sesame balls

Playing with Sesame Ball on the magic carpet





The long and short of it - springrolls, I mean !





Deep Fried spring rolls, rolls of them and diffent angles of viewing it

My half bite of the spring roll and creating food presentation with the lifelike carrot and bun makes it captivating





Gold shavings on the dim sum



Steam Siew Mai with Crab Roe


FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY, A FOODIES SECOND HOBBY

PRIMA REVOLVING RESTAURANT

10 May 2009

Prima Tower Revolving Restaurant201 Keppel RoadSingapore 099419Tel: (65) 2728822

We reminisce nostalgia of primary school days at Prima Revolving Restaurant as ex-Convent classmates, seven of them drove down from Kuala Lumpur and Batu Pahat to visit us and including residents here, we numbered a total of 14, though for lunch we had a table of 11paxs.

We caught up old days tales and adventures of growing up in Batu Pahat, slowly graduating to stories of motherhood , beauty, work and women's talk just like the restaurant revolves 360 degrees over sweeping panaromic view of Sentosa and the surrounding waterfront, as we pick at our dim sum and sip our chinese tea. The full revolution takes 90-minutes and in between, we had our fill our of stomach with good dim sum and the exchange of conversation that kept us occupied not realising we had made one full circle as we go on our circle of life.

Prima Revolving Restaurant is an old establishment and this iconic landmark at Keppel Road has been around since 1977. It has since continue revolving non stop and the restaurant offers delectable good Beijing cuisince since. The unique feature is that it is nestled on top of a grain silo and you need to pass through some grits of the yards of the warehouse environment before the lift brings you to the restaurant on the 9th storey. You just leave to Hong Kong Master Chef Chan with a realife size caricature standing at the entrance to welcome you in.

We relish a simple yet special "THREE NON-STICK" dish also called "GUI HUA DAN" and I believe that this is the only place that serve this traditional food. With the continous stirring of eggs, starch, sugar and water, you get a golden brown clump of non-stick dough.

My frens has their respective views of this piece of history which dated back to the Chinese Qing dynasty. Emperor Qianlong visited the south and on his way passing An Yang, he stopped in an attempt of the local food for which the local county magistrate asked the chef to prepare the dish "Gui Hua Dan" for the Emperor.

Emperor Qianlong was overjoyed after tasting the dish and when he noted that the dish

did not stick onto the serving plate,
did not stick onto the chopsticks
did not stick onto the teeth,

he immediately decreed the dish to be called "Three Non Stick". Contrary to the Emperor's liking, our modern day palate has evolved and my frens commented that it is too eggy in taste and one abhored it and shows disinterest in such a famous historical dish. For me, I enjoyed it very much as it is light, not sticky and as a dessert, not too sweet and the taste suits me.

THREE NON-STICK At Usual Price of SGD60.00, this is expensive for simple ingredients though much effort and skill is required in stirring the eggs, flour and water to the right consistency of texture here. For promotion period, we had this for SGD32.00 only

Har Kau with strands of Scallops

Char Siew Pau is always a favourite

Siew Mai has succulent prawns

Xiao Long Pau with spouting juice when you bite,; served in a bamboo steamer basket, we ordered a few "long".

Steamed Yam Cake topped with fresh scallions and shallots is yummy

Chee Cheong Fun wrapped around Chinese Cruellers is a must have dish for Dim Sum

Chinese Souffle Balls made of egg whites with red bean stuffings is another interesting dessert

Peking Duck, already de-skinned and short of it's glimmer sheen on a crispy duck; Meat a bit tough though. Usual Price SGD60.00 now at SGD32.00

Plain flour crepe instead of egg crepe to wrap the crispy Peking Duck skin

E-Fu Mien stir fried with the duck meat from Peking Duck



CONVERSATION AND DIM SUM DOLLY

REVOLVES

WITH PRIMA REVOLVING RESTAURANT