Dining Snippets in Kuala Lumpur: Nan Yang Food Garden x Lot 10 x Chatz Brasserie

NAN YANG FOOD GARDEN

Having arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the early afternoon, my mom and I were famished. Despite grabbing brunch inside the airplane, we were greeted by a crazy immigration queue upon landing which ate up a lot of our time. To satiate our growling tummies, we decided to grab a quick lunch in the airport before heading out to our hotel.

Of course, since we were in KL, we were psyched to try out some local food so we decided to order from the first local restaurant we saw in the airport, the Nan Yang Food Garden.

FRIED HOKKIEN MEE (RM17.90), ROTI CANAI (RM15.50), CHRYSTANTHEMUM TEA (RM6.50)

I have a weak spot for most types of noodles, so I was immediately drawn towards its Fried Hokkien Mee. Malaysian cuisine tends to use a darker soy sauce when preparing the Fried Hokkien Mee in contrast to Singapore’s tamer and lighter version; which gave the dish a stronger flavor. Nonetheless, I loved the crunch of the vegetables and the perfect al dente texture of the noodles. My only issue with it was their chili could have been made a tad bit spicier.

On the other hand, my mom’s weak spot would be any type of curry; so she decided to order the Roti Canai. The Roti Canai came with a large piece of chicken doused in a delicious fiery buttery curry sauce. I loved that the roti pieces we were served with were toasted before being served, Unfortunately, these were smeared with strong-tasting margarine which tainted what would have been a perfect curry pairing.

Each of us ordered a glass of cold Chrysanthemum tea as a refreshment; however, it was unfortunately too watered down.

Nan Yang Food Garden

L2M-17 & 18, Gateway@KLIA2 mall, 64000 Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia

Date of Visit: March 17, 2018 with Lily Chua

LOT 10

I had pretty high expectations for Lot 10 as it came highly recommended by a lot of people. I’m pleased to say, that it definitely delivered.

Its set-up can be likened to the fancier air-conditioned hawker centers; think of it as how Century City’s Hole in the Wall paved the way for more posh (and pricey) food courts here in Manila.

Choosing what to order was extremely difficult as we were only two. I actually wanted to get a dish each from each stall, but it was physically impossible to do so. We ended up getting from three stalls (yes, I know, we still over-ordered). We actually got a lot of judgmental glances from other diners, but who cares? Our tummies were stuffed and delighted.

ROAST DUCKLING STALL

ROAST DUCKLING’S ROASTED DUCK WITH NOODLES (RM 19)

We weren’t really intending to get the Roasted Duck; however, while scouting for food, I chanced upon two old ladies who were each immensely enjoying a plate of the Roasted Duck with Noodles. It made me so jealous that I ended up getting an order of this dish. This dish was absolutely perfect. The noodles had a nice glossy finish and a perfect firmness to their bite; while the roasted duck meat was immensely tender, juicy, and gloriously clothed in its deliciously crisp skin. My only comment was that the soup wasn't served piping hot so it immediately cooled down after a few minutes.

SECRET PENANG CAFÉ

SECRET PENANG CAFÉ’S STIR FRIED CHEONG FUN

Cheong Fun has got to be my favorite dimsum of all time. This Singaporean breakfast staple brings back nostalgia from my days studying in Singapore. Because of this, every single time I see it on the menu of any Chinese restaurant, I make sure to get it. The stall Secret Penang Café serves up a spiced up version of this dish by adding in some stir fried seafood into the mix. Ultimately, the dish was a delicious mix of chopped rice rolls, beansprouts, shrimps, oysters, and Chinese sausage; however, it tasted closer to a traditional carrot cake rather than the Cheong Fun. It was a pleasantly delicious dish; but it failed to satisfy my cheong fun craving.

However, the prime jewel of our meal was the Chili Crab from Wong Wok. It took a while for this dish to arrive, but the wait was worth every second. The crab came bathed in a sauce which meant business. It doesn’t hold back on the spices, nor does it hold back on the heat. My mom and I couldn't help but smile throughout this indulgent meal. Sure, the crab was relatively small; but that didn’t stop its meat from being freshly sweet and juicy.

WONG WOK’S CHILI CRAB (RM 44.90)

Lot 10

50 Bukit Bintang St., Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Date of Visit: March 17, 2018 with Lily Chua

CHATZ BRASSERIE

My mom and I stayed in ParkRoyal Hotel in Bukit Bintang; which we thoroughly enjoyed. The hotel’s facilities, amenities and customer service were exceptional. Added to these, the hotel is also located along the busy shopping district of Bukit Bintang; literally just a few minutes away from Lot 10; as well as a row of shopping malls. It’s amazing that despite its prime location, its rates are reasonable; especially since these come packaged with a complimentary breakfast buffet at Chatz Brasserie.

Make sure to come to breakfast with a ravenous appetite as its food selection is one of the best I’ve seen. I’m not a big fan of baked goods so I simply skipped its extensive display of breads, pastries, jams, and spreads. Instead, I immediately proceeded to its noodle station and got a bowl of their hot laksa. Yep, eat all you can laksa for breakfast. In contrast to most buffets, the noodle station is entirely DIY; which means you would have to boil your noodles yourself. Not a problem though as they provide multiple individual noodle nets for diners to use.

Its breakfast spread boasts of a cold cut selection, a Japanese section (which serves freshly made tamago and miso soup), a kid-friendly station, and a Western section. However, it’s the Malaysian/local section which I savored the most as it features a DIY Nasi Lemak station. One begins with scooping from its gigantic rice cooker filled with steaming hot coconut-infused rice. After which, one can top it with some dried anchovies, boiled egg, the curry base of the day, fresh cucumber slices, and scoopfuls of their delicious chili.

A visit here is guaranteed to last you until after lunchtime!

Chatz Brasserie

ParkRoyal Hotel, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang

Dates of Visit: March 18 to 19, 2018 with Lily Chua