Campbell Road Ban Kee - awesome crabs!

September 4th 2016

Yet another venture into the gastronomic unknown. This time it would be the Campbell Road Ban Kee now located in Gombak with the so named Ho Chiak group (Lord I seem to have a lot of food groupings…). Like the other group, this seems to focus on mostly Chinese cuisine and pretty much similar tasting food. And sucking down lots of wine. So the benefit of doing both is that we all compare notes with each other and pick out the best and take the other group there when the occasion arises. With more wine. Sheeeeee….  

Ban Kee from the outside

This dinner was at the suggestion of El Manica and spouse Uncle Lim. El Manica is so named because notwithstanding a great and generous heart and steady friendship, she gets a bit… manic in the thought process on occasion. She is also a total control freak and the combination can sometimes kick into overdrive and send you mental. But he is wonderfully laid back and they know their food and bring lots of decent wine and they seem to like our company and we like theirs so never mind and just enjoy the non control freak time. 

Looking in to the Ban Kee

The Campbell Road Ban Kee is so named because they were apparently legend on the road of that name in the centre of KL but moved out presumably due to rental concerns. It is a family business with the third generation now controlling operations and still attracts the elite of the Chinese community - pride of place goes to a photo on the wall of ex-MCA President Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Toh Puan Ena with the owners and friends sat at a table. The place is a long narrow space which can take about fifty people at a stretch. Very workmanlike, not much in frills, but the bathroom was clean and the place was cool enough. They also gave us a table to locate the booze and were generous with ice and buckets for cooling. I had had the foresight to have brought glasses this time which was well received - the older Chinese establishments rarely have reasonable glassware though they are improving. 

The Baked Crabs. Awesome.

Getting there was relatively painless, though being a passenger with El Manica can be fretful and fraught - as said the mind can get like a butterfly on methedrine, with thoughts flying in and out before deciding on one thinking line and taking it to the absolute limit. Example - both he and her decide to use the Waze direction (neither is driving). Then at the first Waze spoken direction, decide to ignore it and advise to go the way that he knows. Then at second direction decide to maybe go along with the Waze which he switches on at her request. Then third turning decide to switch on the Waze on another device, whilst all the while arguing about which is the best way to get there. Then driver Kevin snaps "too many voices, shut up!" which upsets El Manica. But one of the Waze devices does get shut off and an awkward silence reigns for two minutes. Then more directions and suggestions get put out along with a running commentary about how Waze is useless. Before she asks the car and herself should she switch it back on. Which she does. ARGHHHH!!! Can drive you to Mandrax. The fricking food better be good. 

Which it indeed would turn out to be. Uncle Lim had pre-ordered the Crabs which were big and juicy and sweet and baked in nothing but salt and pepper. Unspeakably excellent and absolutely one of the naturally sweetest crabs I have eaten. The second one had been basted and baked in salted egg style and was very tasty but the massive salt whacked the tongue into numb submission and I kind of lost the taste. The first was a stunner - less was absolutely more. We also had Clams in what felt like wine and chili jus, some seriously fresh and full of iron greens, a couple of plates of different style and well tasty noodles (hats off to the Kuey Teow, an order of which got set aside for the housebound Lenglui who was trying to kick some nasty cough that refused to clear) and lots of cold crisp Sauvignon Blanc. We started off with 2015 St Clair SB and pretty much stayed there - perfect with the crab and clams and soothing the chili and garlic salt heat. Someone also brought a Chilean SB (an older 2013 Luis Filipe Edwards Reserva) which gave more of a mellow mouth compared to the racy zing of the Clair). The reds were a 2000 Montana Shiraz and a 2012 Heartland Shiraz - the former was a bit past its best but no one seemed to complain whilst the latter was firm and full as only a young Shiraz can be. Think of a young buckaroo kangaroo hunter riding down the Snowy River and you get a sense.

Various dishes - steamed la la, various noodle dishes, Popeye iron greens - total yum

Absolute Brahma of an evening for the food. Full of taste and fulfilling in a way that only homestyle Chinese cuisine can be - sticks in the craw and feeds the soul. Coupled with a bottle or five of crispy white wine in a decent glass and all was definitely well with the world. Got a great sense of pride from the owners that they can still churn out this food and get this kind of praise night after night. Would absolutely go back there in a second for the Crab and La La (Clams) and noodles. Though perhaps the presence of Uncle Lim helped - he and the owner clearly went back a long time and perhaps we got the rock star treatment as a result. Almost a transcendent experience - even El Manica seemed calmed by the experience given that the ride home saw her quite serene. Probably just the wine. 

Campbell Road Ban Kee

@A Jalan Suria Setapak

Gombak Batu 4

53000 Kuala Lumpur

012 6984532

016 6577 492

Daily 5pm to 12.30am

Ban Kee menu page 1

Ban Kee menu page 2

Restoran Sun Kar Hee - okay, I guess...

September 3rd 2016

Got really angry trying to find this one (and I really abhor with a vengeance these outlandish expeditions into the unknown in search of new tastes for old dishes). Out in the middle of some Kampong jungle area named Taman Kok Lian on the east side of some dopey nowhere. Fricking madness. On the map it looked simple enough to get to - hang a right off Jalan Ipoh and just follow the roads. It would have helped if the roads were not piled up with debris and barricades from what seemed to be abandoned repairs and building - couldn't seem to get into the area. And actually getting to the area proved to be a safari through outland forgotten urban jungle in which a few houses seemed to have been planted and subsequently abandoned to despair and ruin. And dark. Eventually after trying about five different attempts to get into the area, the roads became slightly more accessible and suddenly there was a long block of shophouses and a Chinese Temple and hundreds of cars looking to park up and eat. Unbelievable. Only in Malaysia. Thankfully getting back was straight out onto the highway and five minutes to our turnoff. Now if only someone had told us the reverse to get there in the first fricking place…

Our hostess had come out to look for us and guided us to a verge on which we parked the car with a prayer it would still be there on return. This was a strange area - surrounded by jungle with blocked off roads. Felt…  not entirely safe for me. Strange vibe on the place. Perhaps I was just too freaked by the madness of getting there. The restaurant also felt strange and somewhat of an anomaly - a large corner block upstairs with enough rooms to hold a banquet or two at the same time. Slap in the middle of nowhere. Yet clearly surviving and doing reasonably well. We got ushered into an upstairs room. This one was to be with the same group I wrote about for the Oriental dinner we had last month, the one that evolved from Lenglui's Line Dance kaki and relatives and which focuses on the Chinese cuisine places. The one with the Comedian. Who was also here on the night with spouse. And who again brought no wine. But I managed to skewer the joker - more on this later. Dick.

I opted to first go to the bathroom to simmer down from a hugely frustrating drive to get here and on sitting got handed a glass of cold white which helped hugely. I guess they had been talking about me while I was out of earshot and Lenglui would have suggested a glass of booze to calm the shattered nerves. It really annoys me - wasting time getting lost in some outlandish backend of freaking beyond just because someone has said the food is the best on the planet and we all should try it. I would cheerfully strangle the SOB who planted this idea in the Chinese consciousness. Because in my experience most of the time the food is nothing to really write home about.

Which for most of the dishes would prove the case on this occasion. It was pretty standard Cantonese cuisine - braised belly pork with (very tasty) bread, garlic fried vegetables, and a couple of other dishes which I can't remember now four days after the event. There were two somewhat standout dishes - first was a seafood broth made of the scrapings from the claypot rice pots after a good cooking and mixed with hunks of crab, prawn, and various other bits of seafood. The broth came together as a hearty whack in the chest and the soaked rice made for good slurping. The second dish was the Sotong - the burnt carbon edges suggested it had been roasted over some charcoal fire but just enough to impart a wonderful char to a squid that had lost its rubber and gave way to a perfect bite. Not sure of the preparation - perhaps a soaking in some brine to soften the boy - but little more. Okay, this was possibly worth the head and heartache to get to the place.  But only just.

Anyhow, back to the Comedian. I normally get parked next to the wine because as IWFS Secretary it is assumed that I know more about wine than everyone else and can assume the opening and pouring duties. Well, and maybe. For this occasion, I had brought a Tocornal SB out of Chile and presumably the TMC supermarket and an old G D Vajra Barbera 2008 which we had bought from a visiting winemaker some years back on the recommendation of a wine sifu at the time and which we had never quite liked. It had been parked with the clearance wines in the rack and needed to get drunk. I had been pouring the Tocornal for Comedian (which had proven quite grim on the throat and as a result of which I was taking evil pleasure in pouring it for him) and had moved to the reds and neglected to pour any for him. This had put the thirst on him and he waltzed over in search of some liquid on the premise of "my friend's glass is empty" and verbalising something like "what do we have to drink now?" I turn to him saying "I don't know, which wine did you bring?" He dissembled and I pursued - twice. He mumbled something and after a short lurk at the icebucket stumbled back to his seat. Bugger couldn't answer me. See if he learns a lesson from this. I somehow doubt it - cheap chinamen don't change spots easily. The other wines were fair - a frisky SB from Cola, a somewhat earthy and harsh South African Shiraz and a drinkable Heartland Cabernet from the LTO. The G D Vajra proved quite friendly with the food and far less fierce than memory served - still good forest fruit, medium bodied, firm finish and in fair balance. A new friend on the table who seemed to be only sipping the other wines helped himself to a second and third round of the GD - guess he knows his wine. 

Not sure I would go back to this place. The Seafood broth and Charred Sotong were very good and probably worth the mental drama for a taste, the food and wine service was efficient and with decent stem glassware and ice buckets (I had forgotten to pack the glasses on this occasion) and the aircon was fiercely cooling. And now that a presumably easier way to access the place from the highway rather than the trek through the jungle is available, the drive is certainly less fraught. But I somehow think that this won't do it - the roadworks are awful and the parking on a Saturday was madness. One for the intrepid and the dedicated only. But our organiser clearly enjoyed it - she sucked down the fish head and two crab bodies, in addition to whatever else she had piled onto her plate on the first round. Fair enough - if no-one else is going to take it then got to get sucking. Especially when the total cost gets shared by everyone on the table. Beautiful when the gods smile like that, eh?

Restoran Sun Kar Hee (also Kedai Makanan Sin Kar Hee)

28 Jalan Manjoi

Taman Kok Lian

Jalan Ipoh

51200 Kuala Lumpur

Tel 03 6253 1240

Meatology and Veramonte Wines - mostly good!

August 26th 2016

Phoo…

Belly buster of a week on the food trail. Two Western style wine dinners in TTDI and two Chinese blow outs in the wilds of the KL environs. Thank the Lords for Waze. Well, most of the time - bugger still likes to take us on the wild goose hunt rather than the direct routes we know. Though most of the time it does seem to know best.

First up was Meatology Restaurant, which involved pairing fine meat with wines by Chilean producer Veramonte and introduced by visiting Brand Manager Sarah Hajjaji. Lenglui and I had actually visited this vineyard en route to catching a ship in Valparaiso out of Santiago in 2009. We figured we needed some booze for the boat and insisted the driver stop at a vineyard - Veramonte was the first sign we saw and there we supped and bought. The vineyard was like a vast ranchero with modern renovations to delight the tourists. But no cows. I remember the top end wines being stunners (Cabernet 2005 and 2006) and we bought what we could. We also managed to get the non drinkers to carry a couple extra for us and circumvent the apparent quota of two bottles per person for bringing on board - they most graciously agreed. Nice people.

We rarely see such good stuff make its way to these shores, a point I reminded Sarah of a number of times through the evening. Not sure if she got the message, but I live in hope. The most we see are the introduction Reserva varietals and the "Primus" which is an occasionally velvet and rich blend of the Veramonte varietals (Cabernet, Syrah, Merlot and Carmenere). But those Cabernets at the vineyard are seared into the memory - belting wines they were.

We arrived a bit late and found ourselves getting seated away from the main room where a predominantly young crowd were getting boisterous and noisily boozed. This turned out to be a blessing - we were able to sip and eat and enjoy some conversation with both ourselves and Cynthia and Sally from Cave and Cellar, organisers of the evening. 

The restaurant has been up and running for about a year, with apparently an upstairs area to cater to larger groups. Previously going by the name of "Boathouse" (for eleven years according to one source), the name changed following the launch of a book written by Chef and Operator Yenni Law. 

Foodwise, the dishes were pleasant enough. The zesty Mussel and Clam shot perked up the mouth whilst the Balsamic Bacon salted the whole. This all made for a lot of work for the Sauvignon Blanc to clean up which it efficiently did. The duck felt a bit flabby - bit like a day old chip of Tau Foo in texture and not much taste. As said, the SB was efficient in its cleansing and made for a good quaffer. I think it was 2014, so certainly peaking in friskiness terms. Worth to hunt down in the supermarkets for quick drinking. 

My Seafood Bisque felt a bit cold, though perhaps this was my fault for arriving late (horrendous traffic on a Friday night and parking was madness). Tasty enough, though nothing that at this time of writing that stands out as memorable.

In contrast, the Escargot with Blue Cheese was a sparky salty creamy delight - all goo and chew and springle zaps in the cheeks. The snail texture was firm enough and the whole ensemble sang nicely. Would come back for this one.

Quite why it got paired with the Merlot was a bit strange. Okay, the cheesy aspect would match the gentle acid of the wine, but the fruit and tannin seemed well at odds with this kind of food. The Merlot itself was a pleasant mouthful of fruit and cool finishing, but ultimately pretty non descript. Pleasant but a bit thin and bland for my taste. I like my Merlot full and fleshy and ripe - a floozy rather than the fair and chaste maiden this Veramonte seemed to be offering. In this context, it did not overpower the dish. But by the same token it did not do much to enhance the thing. This Merlot might be a useful pizza party wine to glug and chug and clink with friends. But not one I would serve at the table for the more demanding palate. 

I had the Ribeye whilst Lenglui and Texas had the Pork. I had a quick taste of the Pork which was a bit fiery on the tongue. Actually make that a LOT fiery on the tongue. Lovely fierce chili tang and bite and the pork was nicely done. Not my style of dish, but one that clearly would appeal hugely to the Malaysian palate. My ribeye was done nicely and tasted good, though a shade too much salt and seasoning for my taste. But still good and again one I would come back for. 

But the star was the Panna Cotta, an absolute delight of light creamy melt in the mouth loveliness that food dreams are made of. It was perfect combo of sweet creamy lightness with a hint of herb and a sugar crunch that fused together in a pure moment of wonder. Star star star. Loved it. My diabetes went ballistic but screw it. 

The Primus was indeed a blend in the standard Bordeaux style but the result was somewhat thin and lacking the whack one might expect from something that bills itself as "The Blend". The notes talked about "deep, dark opaque garnet. Exotic spice, toast and hints of tobacco and mint. Ripe red and dark berry fruit with spicy notes. Round mid palate with elegant yet powerful tannins." Didn't get it. Mine was firm, reasonably full in body though not so much that it would win any bodybuilding contests. Fruitwise, more plum than berry, yes to mint and low spice, and the mid was fair. Not a large finish, though after the third refill it seemed to gain more of a whack in the chest as it went down (must say the pourings were most generous on the night). It went reasonably well enough with the steak but naturally died with the tangy pork. Might have been stellar with the lamb. I have had Primus previously with Pork Rib at Checkers (2007, 8 or 9 - I forget) and it was vaguely reminiscent - pleasant mouth, not a big finish. Nice wine, but perhaps Meatology's big tasting beef overpowered it a bit. 

Had a quick chat with Chef to share my thoughts. She seemed to take them on board, but ultimately who am I to argue with a veteran meat chef and book writer? She knows her meat and the best ways to cook the sucker. And getting all the food out reasonably hot to forty plus punters is always an achievement. Still, all these places are in competition with each other and need to maintain an edge to get the customer's gig. 

Would I go back? On balance, yes. I would like to to see what Chef can do when there is not a large crowd to cater to all at the same time. Regret to say that I don't see in in the near future. It is a trek and a slog to get there and find a parking spot, though perhaps earlier in the week might prove a better choice. And there is always Uber, which Texas took on the night to get there way ahead of us (though he happily accepted a ride back). We shall see. Steak of choice remains Chambers at present (see previous write up). Not sure what the Meatology corkage policy is - give them a bell beforehand to check. 

Meatology Restaurant

16 Lorong Rahim Kajai 14

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

60000 Kuala Lumpur

03 7727 4426

Cave & Cellar 

47, Jalan PJU 1a/16, 

Ara Damansara, 

47301 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor, Malaysia

MENU

Pre Dinner Canapes

Mussel and clam meat picante

Bacon Roll and Balsamic Glaze

Smoked Duck en Croute

Veramonte Riserva Sauvignon Blanc

Dinner 1st Course

Seafood Bisque laced with Brandy

Veramonte Riserva Sauvignon Blanc

Dinner 2nd Course

Creamy Escargot with Blue Cheese Spinach Cream

Veramonte Riserva Merlot

Mains

Pan Grilled Grass Fed Australian Ribeye with Shallot in Red Wine Jus

or

Grilled Lamb Loin with Tomato Raita

or

Baked Fiery Pork Ribs with a Spicy Tang Coat

Veramonte Primus Blend 2010

Dessert

Panna Cotta with Organic Palm Sugar served with Rosemary perfumed Cream Cheese and Macaroon