Kolam 77, Restoran Sawadee 88, Chan Sow Lin.

Kolam 77, Off Chan Sow Lin, is spanking new.. When you see the sign however, you will get a rude shock. Don't let the dirty rubbish put you off.. if you stick to the 'off the beaten track' side road for just a little whilst more, you will be rewarded with great food! Kolam 77 is a Fish Farm.. where people go to fish, obviously. However, they also have a new Thai restaurant which serves really rather good food. So far we have not had that great experiences with Fish Farm Thai Food restaurants. The food just seems to have been sub-par and rather expensive.

Here we are Kolam 77, just 3 months old. Fishing area that is both shady and comfortable for the avid 'fisherman';)

This place even has a pool table.

See what I mean? The place is comfortable, tastefully designed and extremely airy even in the heat of day. Mr Lim the manager is an enthusiastic and friendly man. We had a great time chatting with him that day.

A map to help you find the location.

We were served the Pandan Chicken, piping hot. We found the portions a little too small. Taste wise just so-so.

Otak otak! This was a pleasant surprise. The otak-otak was oozing seafood freshness and sweetness.. not your conventional processed otak-otak, but rather one that was packed with seafood.

You will see chunks of fish, crab, prawn and squid falling out of the sweet centre as you break into it. If that does not get your saliva going, I don't know what will.

Fried Tong Fun (glass noodles) - more Chinese style than Thai style. I liked the fragrant stinky sotong/squid (the kind that is BBQ-ed to give it that fishy aroma) and the generous amount of seafood, yet again, in it. All I can keep thinking to myself is 'value for money'.

Steamed Sotong in chili hot, sweet and sour sauce. The mint leaves and basil made this dish phenomenally good. They left the roe of the sotong in the sotong (which resembles some goey, white semi-translucent matter) which is apparently the 'good stuff' in the sotong. I beg to differ. I did not find the roe appealing. Cumi liked it a lot... said it had the texture of collagen..

Paku Pakis- fried with loads of prawn and belacan. Nice but a little too oily for me.

When the cock grazed my leg, I jumped in surprise. Most ladies would;)

Finally, some nice refreshing and cooling Leong Fun jelly dessert, on the house. - why thank you Mr Lim, how kind! A fantastic lunch, inclusive of a large bottle of Heineken, for just under RM90. I would say that this place serves great Chinese Thai food. C&c would highly recommend it to anybody looking to blow their brains out over a spicy Thai meal!

Kolam 77,
Restoran Sawadee 88,
Jalan 5, Off Jalan Chan Sow Lin,
KL.
Contact No - Kindly refer to the map above.
(Non-Halal)

Vegi Fish Farm, Hulu Langat, Ampang

Hulu Langat??! Aiiyoh why you so ULU one huh..?

That's what they said when WE said we wanted to explore KM4 in the HL vicinity. (Anyway, thank you to one Mr. Superwilson of Places and Foods who told us about this place.) Head towards Ampang, Hulu Langat and you will soon see the main-road, turn into a dust road.

Follow that road till you hit a clearing and LO and behold - the huts!

At the entrance you will notice a couple of Thai folk busy preparing the seafood. From the cleaning to the BBQ-ing of Japanese snails, fish and crabs, you will see and hear a lot of activity going on.

The attraction for the kids here is mainly feeding of the fish.

For a mere two bucks, parents can distract their kids long enough to finish their own lunches before another grubby, fat hand reaches out for yet another bag of fish feed.

"They are hungry. They will die if we don't feed them!" declares the little voice of one girl. Yea well, I too will die if you don't soon feed me;)
CUMI: True capitalism... why not charge the customers the fish feed which the restaurant buys for the fish anyway! These kids got the parents to buy minimum 4bags... i lost count.

Toddy and spicy seafood goes together like lock and key. Too bad the fish was over-priced, over-fried and over-cooked. Nearly RM30 for a fish you can get for twenty(or much less!) in KL.

Also we opted for the 'White' tomyam thinking it might be like the original authentic northern thai style white tomyam, but unfortunately, no such luck. It was bland and the only saving grace was the large number of prawns it came with.

The toddy dulled the pain.

The Japanese snails. I ate all of these single handedly (ok, fine, I ate them with both hands) dunked in a generous amount of spicy thai sauce. It really knocked my socks off. The toddy dulled the pain, but this time, in a good way.

Fresh as hell crabs,


With buckets of pre-prepared marinade or smoking herbs?

Somewhere, mid-meal, a man fishing in his boat, fell into the fishing pond. All the people eating lunch clapped and cheered and waved at him. It was really very funny. Immensely entertaining.

Finally the tab tim grob for dessert. It was sickly sweet and tasted average, and far too expensive! Again the toddy dulled the pain.

Mung beans - guaranteed to make you a farting machine.


We steered clear of these, though they looked incredibly tempting.

Finally time to pay the bill and go. We found this place overpriced and not really up to par compared to many good thai restaurants(authentic or not) in KL. Of course what this place has going for it is the scenic, novel fish farm and they obviously capitalize on this to the max. Funnily enough, past reviews of this place by other bloggers have been good. Maybe the good business in the past has made this restaurant somewhat rather slack. We will probably not be back anytime soon to eat here.

Add:
Vegi Fish Farm (Thai Restaurant),
KM4, Jalan Ampang, 68000
Ampang, Selangor.
Tel: 019-260 6493

RAMA V - Happy Birthday Danny and Andre!

Thai food is synonymous with spicy chilies. What is Spicy Thai food if it is less than Cathartic in nature, right? I don't know about you, but I am addicted to mind-blowingly HOT, tongue-numbing Thai food.



A few reasons why Chili in Thai food is Good for you:

1. Chili has a lot of fiber.
Chili is an excellent source of fiber. In addition to keeping you regular, fiber also slows the rate of sugar absorption into the bloodstream. This keeps your blood glucose levels from rising and falling too quickly.

2. Chili contains Vitamin C.
Chili provides a tremendous amount of Vitamin C. The more antioxidants you take, the better. Their high vitamin C content can also substantially increase the uptake of non-heme iron from other ingredients in a meal, such as beans and grains.

3. Chili is high in potassium, magnesium and iron.
Capsaicin in Chili is a safe and effective analgesic agent in the management of arthritis pain, herpes zoster-related pain, diabetic neuropathy, postmastectomy pain, and headaches.

On a HAPPIER less scientific note:

4. Chili can help you lose weight.
The capsaicin found in the chilies can increase your metabolic rate simply by raising your bodily heat production.

5. Chili can make you happy.
Chiles promote endorphin and serotonin release, both of which inflate your mood. The capsaicin is the trigger for increasing the serotonin and endorphins. These two raise your mood levels so you can actually feel happier just by trying a new chili recipe. What an added bonus:)

6. Chili can curb your cravings for fatty foods and sweets.
Some recent research has given some proof that the capsaicin in chilies actually curbs your cravings for fatty foods and sweets and you have a good chance of no wanting dessert afterwards. (erm, but if you're Me, not likely.. haha, but it was worth a try..)

7. Chili can help boost your immune system.
Chilies are high in Vitamin A, which can naturally boost your immune system. The more chilies you use in flavoring your Thai chili dish, the more Vitamin A you are putting into your body.




8. Chili may help regulate blood sugar after eating.
Apparently the capsaicin in chili also can help regulate your blood sugar. A July 2006 study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the amount of insulin that was needed to lower patients' blood sugar after a meal is lower if the meal contains chili. It's true that your fiery Thai food chili is good for you.

9. Chili can help clear congestion.
The capsaicin in chiles help clear mucous from your stuffy nose. The next time you feel a cold coming on, prepare a big batch of chili to help you breathe easier. It will help keep you warm too. Eat spicy Thai food, ward off the cold!




Anyway, enough talk about Chili. Thai food was what we had for dinner that night. Rama V was the location. The occasion was the joint birthday celebrations of Andre and Danny - a good enough reason as any, to get together for a huge makan and piss up session!

As you can imagine, Hot, spicy chili and great Thai food to lift the mood, alcohol to loosen inhibitions, great music and singing by the host himself Danny, stellar crowd of gorgeous people, both familiar and new faces.. mix it all up and what you have is a fantastic party!


Oh, and my favourite Thai dessert of all time.. the Lup Chup. Dainty mung bean desserts fashioned as miniature fruits. Explosions of flavour!

The night draws to a close. We had a great time. Thank you Danny and Andre for the invite and for throwing a spectacular party!

Footnote:
* Collages 1 & 2, courtesy of FBB.
** It is true, Danny can really sing, but Andre cannot.
*** Happy to have made the acquaintance of R and B! Wishing you guys all the best for your year end celebrations:)

Hardly a white elephant - myElephant

One of the few contemporary Thai restaurants in the PJ vicinity - myElephant, by DooDee is cosy and normally packed to the rafters with young people and families as well. Its strategic location in PJ and free parking is a real bonus that has served myElephant well because eventhough this restaurant is no longer new, it can still pull an evening crowd. Maybe it's the fact that the place is so cramped and short of space, that it looks perpetually full. Great marketing strategy I say!


Apparently, the Chef, Nikom is Thai. His hometown is Chiang Rai (northern thailand) and this in itself, is a big plus. It's getting harder and harder to find Thai chefs in Thai restaurants these days if you ask me.


I find the Thai food just OK ... Of course I have had better Thai cuizine but the convenience of location/parking (we being PJ folk ourselves) and the the affordable prices at myElephant, makes this place hard to resist for a mid-week, fuss-free, zippy, wholesome Thai dinner.

My friends, the yuppies who are always rushing around.. they totally agree.. NO? :P

Add:
myElephant,
C-G-4 Happy Mansion,
Jalan 17/13, Section 17,
Petaling Jaya,
Malaysia

The Betong Connection

Instead of spending a horrendous amount of money, as a result of last minute year-end holiday planning, we decided on a road trip to South Thailand to satisfy our nosy snouts, our food cravings, our need for culture-exchange and play time!

The plan had been to roll on the north south expressway in the wee hours, exiting (no.143) at Kuala Kangsar for highway route 76 passing by Gerik/Grik to Pengkalan Hulu then switching to route 77 which leads us to the border. We ended up starting late morning.
We were hoping to catch a glimpse of wild elephants along the Grik highway but none came in view that day.

We stopped by Lenggong town for a quick break but didn't have time to visit the Archaeological Museum. Here's the blue metal tank junk just outside Lenggong town.


It seems that Lenggong is a popular Archaeological destination in Peninsular Malaysia with many caves of importance(read more here). What a waste.. No time to explore!

Given more time we would have loved to hike up Bukit Kepala Gajah (Elephant's Head Hill) for Gua Gunung Runtuh (Fallen Mountain Cave) where the archaeologists found the Perak Man - Malaysia's oldest complete human skeleton found in 1991. The remains of this late 50s man, was dated to have lived over 11,000 years ago. There had been many more artifacts and animal bones found next to him. In 2004, they excavated another complete skeleton from cave nearby called Gua Teluk Kelawar (Bat Cove Cave). A female skeleton known as the Perak Woman apparently died in her 40s and lived over 8000 years ago.

There are many roads, caves and trails spread out in this hilly area. It's very confusing so if you are visiting, it might be a good idea to find a guide.

Pressed for time, we decided to stop at this one cave because you could drive your car right up to the entrance.

Villagers took the time to build the bamboo structure & platform but never reinforced it as time passed. Kind of reminds you of everything else in Malaysia! I think this is the Asa Cave. It leads us to an open trail at the back.

After quick walkabout in a littered chamber, we had to leave. After another 30 minute drive, we reached Pengkalan Hulu, the town where you can buy your Thai car insurance, exchange your Ringgito to Thai Bahto. We continued on route 77 until the Malaysian immigration & JPJ (Road transport department).. All nicely built and pretty much a quiet riot really.


The immigration officers just waved us as we flashed them our vacation smiles. We're just a lovely couple heading into Thailand for fun and frolic..! NOT sex, drugs & Thai rock n roll!

Ahh.. the Thai Immigration... it was early evening and thank God Thailand rolls back 1 hour so the immigration office was still open. Our earlier online check stated the office closes at 6pm but sometimes it remains open till later during the holidays. The place seemed to be winding down as we arrived.

You can review the application process at these booths.



You have to get your immigration cards at an information booth at the start of the building. If you can't read Thai like us and hate filling up cards, you can pay the eager Thai clerk to complete it for you at RM2 per person. Probably in collusion with the immigration officers. Small fee or not, you decide.



Then you wait your turn on the queue to get your passport stamped and your pretty face registered in their system with the webcam (birdflu/H1N1 screener?).


Next, we head to the car registration section, show your car registration paper and the officer will complete the data entry and churn out a Thai declaration form - to declare that you are the rightful owner and not smuggling that particular car in. Costs about RM16. The document is very importanté! You will need to return it when you 'check-out' of Thailand at the customs.. otherwise, wave bye-bye to your car!


The whole process took about 45mins with some assistance from a few regular border crossers. The Thai's and the immigration officers weren't very helpful, preferring to stare, smile and stare. Maybe the language barrier?

Having settled all the paperwork... We are now officially in Thailand!! Yay!


Now we have to race against waning daylight to find a place to stay.



What you need to have to drive across the border to Thailand

• Original copy of Car registration - Apparently certified original copies from our local police station might be approved as well. We brought the originals. You will provide this to the car registration/declaration office at the Thai immigration. This form you must keep close to you as you will need to return it to them when you return back to Malaysia.
• Thai 3rd party insurance - purchased from Pengkalan Hulu or Betong. You won't need it to cross immigration but you will need it if you go further than Betong. Price and policy terms varies a little between different Thai insurance brands, car and duration of coverage. Best to get it to prevent the hassle of dealing with the Thai authorities, in the unfortunate event of an accident occurring.
  
• Valid Passport
• RM2/20Baht for the someone at immigration office to fill up the Thai immigration cards - you could do it yourself if you can find the immigration card(!)

KL to Betong is approximately 6hours casual drive exclude immigration delays.
Thai South Border Checkpoints Contact

Is Traveling to South Thailand Safe?
Can i smuggle rice back?
Can i smuggle people back?
Are there still cowboy/girl towns here?
Do you get to fire magnums, ak-47s, bazookas and lob grenades here for fun?
Is black magic still prevalent here? Where can i obtain it/them/that?
If you play around with a Thai girl's heart, will they put a curse on you? Will i carry the curse back to Malaysia?
Are ghost and ghoulies a big part of the Thai society? Why are there so many movies about them?
Are car parts cheaper in Thailand?
Are Thai's really just about Tom Yam?
Is it still cheap to shop here?
Are Thai's prettier, handsomer, macho'er, sexier than Malaysians? (Including the transsexuals)
... and the list goes on...

To have some of the silly questions answered, read more.... (oh, yes, this post will definitely span many, many installments.. stay tuned!)


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Rama V

I remember the first meal I had on holiday in Thailand. The Mieng Kam is one of my favourite Thai snacks. Even now, everytime I eat that deep green Kadok Leaf (Piper sarmentosum) that wraps dried shrimp, fried coconut meat, diced fresh herbs (Galanga, Citrus hystri and onion) , and thick sticky sweet mieng sauce, I am transported back to the dusty roads of Bangkok, the bustle of Chatuchak Weekend Market and the chaotic hum of Sukhumvit shopping.

Needless to say, Thai food ranks way up there on my list of favourite foods. One of the places that has been around for ages in KL, is Rama V.

This was "THE PLACE" for Asian fine dining back in the day when Micheal Jackson was still the king of pop and Meg Ryan still had her own nose and cheek bones. I remember the second year back from Uni in Cardiff, being on holiday and all, we would tag along with our senior 'yuppie lawyer friends', who use to knock off work late and grab a quick bite at Barn Thai whilst unwinding to the Live Jazz band. Rama V was the other trendy, shi-shi place that side of town, that the yuppies frequented as well. Time passed. Things changed. Rama V slipped into oblivion.

Then one day, we get a call from an old friend. Apparently Rama V is back in the groove of things with new management.. the works... and menu is as good as ever! Of course we had to go check it out (with foodies in tow, obviously).

What can I say. This place is still amazing! Fantastic ambiance, cool deco and great service to boot. We started with the Mieng Kam, the Kao Tan Na Tang (Crispy Rice Served with Minced Chicken and Shrimp Sauce) and the Chor Ladda which is the Flower Shaped Dumplings Stuffed with Minced Chicken And Peanut.
My goodness, if Mieng Kam was my favourite starter before this, let's just say that now, Chor Ladda ranks a close second! That gorgeous flower dumpling with magnificent deep purple hues makes me want to keep it as a souvenir (not eat it!). Each mouthful is a wonderful explosion of sweet peanut and savory chicken... yes, yes, somewhere in my mind I am walking around in flip-flops and a summer dress in the Sukhothai gardens photographing gorgeous, looming, stone statues set against a clear blue sky. Bliss!

Next, the Pomelo Salad with Minced Chicken & Shrimp and the Banana Blossom and Minced Chicken Salad were served. This is thai salad with a twist! Imagine being served in the actual Banana Blossom itself.. beautiful! The taste was uniquely thai and the flavours were distinctly light and refreshing. Just as how a salad should be.

Between the The Hor Mok Talay which is the otak otak and the river prawn, I take... the river prawn! I loved the taste of the herbs used to marinade the prawn but found the otak otak a little over cooked. However, looking at the presentation of the food, all is forgiven... even slightly overcooked otak-otak is soon forgotten!

After that, amidst the laughter and the wine and the Soju (!) the other dishes were a bit of a blur but none the less delicious. I remember trying the Tom Yam Seafood - delicious but a tad mild, the Sautéed Beef with Young Pepper and Basil - succulent and tender, the Thai Fish Cake - fresh and crisp and the Deep Fried Garoupa Fish served with 3 Taste Chili Sauce.

If you are wondering how we ate so much, let me just say that there were 6 of us there and occasionally, our hosts joined in.

Thai desserts are renowned for their intricacy and the time and care involved in their creation. Thai women have such lovely delicate hands, no wonder they make such pretty delicate desserts;) Many Thai desserts just consist of three ingredients - flour, sugar and coconut, though close to a thousand different sorts of dessert have been created by the Thais! These days fewer are on offer, or even to be found. Not only that, the freshness of the coconut used is compromised more than ever. What crime! What sacrilege!

Anyway, if Mieng Kham is my favourite Thai starter, then Tab Tim Krob would be my favourite Thai dessert. Unfortunately for me though, most Tab Tim Krob that I have tried here in Malaysia, is not up to par mainly due to the sub-standard coconut milk they use.

Well, just check out the dessert platter at Rama V. If this is not thai dessert variety at its best, I don't know what is. Amongst the ones you see are the Mango with Sticky Rice, the Kao Nya Durian, the Steamed Tapioca served with Coconut Milk Sauce, the Pumpkin Custard, the tab tim krob i.e. Water Chestnut Dumplings with Jack Fruit in Coconut Milk (my favourite!) and the Thai Bo Bo Cha Cha.

So which ones were good? My favourites were the Mango and sticky rice, the pumpkin custard and the Tab Tim Krob. Sweet, tangy, rich, milky and most importantly, made with the REAL thing!

Wow! What a night. We polished off all the food, a couple of bottles of wine and soju, took many photographs, chatted with our hosts about old times and then called it a night. What a perfect end to a perfect dinner!

Footnote:
*The food featured -
STARTERS: MIEANG KAM Traditional Thai Hors’ Doeuvre, KAO TAN NA TANG Crispy Rice Served with Minced Chicken and Shrimp Sauce, CHOR LADDA Flower Shaped Dumplings Stuffed with Minced Chicken And Peanut.

SALADS: YAM SOM O Pomelo Salad witn Minced Chicken & Shrimp, YAM HUA PLEE Banana Blossom and Minced Chicken Salad.

MAINS: TOM YAM TALAY Tom Yam Seafood served in Young Coconut, NUE PAD PRIK THAI ORN Sautéed Beef with Young Pepper, Chili and Hot Basil Leaves,Thai Fish Cake, PLA KAO SAM ROS Deep Fried Garoupa Fish served with 3 Taste Chili Sauce, HOR MOK TALAY Seafood Souflle (Otak-Otak), CHUCHEE KUNG ME NAM River Prawn with Thai Chili Paste and Herbs.
DESSERTS PLATTER: KAO NYA MA MOUNG Mango with Sticky Rice, KAO NYA DURIAN Durian with Sticky Rice, MAN CHIEAT Steamed Tapioca served with Coconut Milk Sauce, SANG KA YA FAK THONG Pumpkin Custard, TAB TIM KROB Water Chestnut Dumplings with Jack Fruit in Coconut Milk, SAM SAE Thai Bo Bo Cha Cha.

** photo of restaurant in 4th collage courtesy of Rama V

*** photos of statues taken on our holiday in Sukhothai

**** a big thank you to andre and danny for being such great hosts.

***** portrait of cumi&ciki in the final collage courtesy of Luscious Lemongrass aka queen of dslr and now more recently known as, (due to an amazing post on the 'boogeyman blumerman') the new queen of horror!



Add:
Rama V,
No. 5 Jalan U Thant,
55000 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact: 03-21432663
Opening Hours: 11am-3pm, 6.30pm-11pm