Cao Cao Catastrophe

We've been down on our luck.. or rather pretty bad with our timing.

This is the 1st time in 2009 that we have managed to eat at CAO CAO lamb because it has been close all 3 times we swung by here for makan.

How do you find this place.. ? It's easy - find FGA just off old klang road and you find Cao Cao Lamb:)


Hmmm.. someone should have a word with the wantan mee stall about wasting so much water.

(OK, so I sent Cumi coz I don't know how to dodge/throw a punch... kidding, kidding... :P)

The smell is intoxicating! The sultry, lascivious smell of red meat on the grill, cacooned in cloying fumes of seared animal fat, hit my nostrils and make my toes curl.

They take 20 minutes to serve me but I feel it's all worth it :)

Hmmm, that's a little strange. The portions use to be a lot bigger for RM8.50 ... (actually RM7.00 not too long ago)


Digging into my Cao Cao lamb... I am even more dismayed to find that 60% of the lamb is BONE!

Very disappointing for the amount of money paid for my hunk of meat I tell ya. Might as well eat at some of the Western joints in PJ where at least you get less bone on your lamb and even chips and veges on the side!

The Satay here saves the day! Lean Chicken (breast meat) and a good dollop of greasy peanut sauce and I've already (half) forgotten about my lamb... :P

Other thoughts on Cao Cao:

Lost of Cravings

Very Sedap

Food4thot

Lamb:5/10

Satay:6/10

Salt factor:high

MSG factor:high

Oh, for the love of Fish Head!

We were on our way here (Jalan Kuchai Lama), to eat this (Cao Cao Lamb), when something far more interesting and distracting caught our eye..

Actually, everytime we drive past this place and see the crazy number of cars lined outside, the energetic, gesticulating old men who help park the cars and the massive sea of people eating at this outdoor restaurant, we always swear we will be back to try the food. Somehow, we never manage to get to this restaurant... Today, finally, was our day!


See what I mean.. We had to look real hard to find a place to sit. No one cares as they are just too busy looking at their plates and wolfing down their food...

Tables everywhere even under the bridge...

You know the food should be good, if people are reluctant to put down their bowls even when standing.. !

So what is the specialty here? Two things.

Bakuteh and Fish Head (done any way you like)!

Since the lady told us that the small fish was completely finished and they just had medium size left (like for 4 persons!), we had to go easy on the Bakuteh.

We ordered a small bakuteh for two...

The pork ribs were good. Sweet and chunky with a real meaty taste. The soup was average. Not herbally at all. Just porky. Not bad, but not knock your socks off, great , either.

RM8.00 for 6 pieces of small pai kuat! A bit steep.

Then came our huge fish. So, two of us had to finish this fish for four. Not an easy task but when the aroma of the fish caught our noses, we decided we were up for the challenge!

The Assam sauce was fantastic. Sour, spicy with that KILLER petai stink, that packed a chlorophyll punch at the end! Even if you don't eat the petai per se, the smell still permeates the entire sauce and fish. Fantastic... do not miss this Assam version, I tell ya.

Speaking to the boss lady, they only serve one type of fish here, and it's for the fish head. It is affectionately known as Soong Yui Tau, and is a reared fish... not wild. The flesh while super sweet and chunky, lacks a little bit of that tautness that you get in wild fish. No matter, all in all the Assam fish was still damn fresh and good!

Soong Yui Tau - RM24.00 (medium sized - ideal for 4 persons to share)

Don't worry .. if you miss dinner, this place stays open till 4.00am! We did not leave till every last fatty, slithery, neuronal bit was sucked out of that fish head (by me!)

Walking back to the car, we saw some interesting sights... This was one of them..

A streetcar named Excellent... (note the dent :P)

Add:
Ah Wang Bakuteh,

Batu 4 1/2, Jalan Kelang Lama,

Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 013 -228 2288

Bakuteh:4/10

Fish Head:7/10

Service: Fast! (eventhough packed)

MSG levels : high in the BKT soup

Salt levels: moderate

After the sour, cometh the sweet...!

psst... secret men's business...

secret men's business, secret-sauce-in-yellow-bucket... ;P

but it's no secret... simply delicious asam fish! Alas..! we got there late, so no more lotus leaf :(


This is an old, old favourite... ! We pig out here every time and are not disappointed!

Address : That Zinc roof coffee shop known as Choon Sun/Chung Sam, Jalan Anggor, Off Old Klang Road...
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After the SOUR... cometh the SWEET... !


Ah, the famous FGA, on Old Klang Road landmark...

And the 7 HEAVEN'S BAKERY cum Sunbaker equipment shop... we love the LOH POH PANG here... Good place to tapau, for that late night soccer match...



And as if the ASAM fish was not enough... we continued our Wallop-fest with the wantan mee (complete with huge, gorgeous Sui-kao)...

As well as the "CAO-CAO" bbq lamb!
I think we did well, for a mid-week night, oh yes we did!

Xenri

So.. one of our friends decides that he wants to take us to OLD KLANG RD for japanese....

huh? we scratched our heads.. there's jap at OKR?

Hah! There really is! It's called Xenri and it's in this secluded part of Old Klang Road (near the old PRIME college for those of you who are old enough to know where that is... ;P )

Its pretty quaint... overlooks the river (eek!) and has outdoor seating as well... perfect for a romantic tête à tête by.. a.. river (?) :P





well.. here was what we had...
the beef carpaccio was good.. but a lil tough on the seared outside part of it..

the sushi and the garlic rice was not bad...

the beef teppanyaki was not bad either...


This place has been around a pretty long time.. 5 years?... but it still is a cute lil place... totally out of the limelight... we recommend it, if you want a quiet, different dining getaway, not too far from the city :)



Address : Xenri, G Flr Elken Building , Old Klang Rd

Food :5/10
Service:7/10
MSG levels: moderate
Price: average