Phở 2000- Phở for the President

Phở 2000

Upon arrival at Saigon City, our first activity was to EAT! We walked to the city centre in search of food and phở (rice noodles) was our first craving. We stumbled upon Phở 2000 when we were just about to cross the busy streets near Ben Thanh.

Talking about streets, yes you've probably heard it before and I'm gonna reaffirm what others had said, THE STREETS IN VIETNAM IS CRAZYYYYYYY. Cars and motorbikes (tonnes of 'em) just come zooming from every direction and there's literally no way you can ever cross those streets even if it's just 5 meters away! Simple rule of thumb for those crossing for the first time is, always always follow the locals. If they walk, you walk. They stop, you stop. After mastering the beginners level, JUST WALK! The cars and motorbikes will somehow avoid you. Fortunate thing though is they don't drive fast so you won't die as a pancake even if the motorbike hits you. Oh and the honking seems to be their way of saying hello to everyone else on the road.


Bill was here!

Phở 2000 prides itself for having served the President of the United States of America- Bill Clinton. In fact pictures of Bill and his entourage adorned the walls within the shop. When I open my own restaurant in the future, I shall invite Obama to officiate my shop.


Phở Bò
Beef Noodle Soup (R- 33.000 vnd, L-41.000 vnd)

We quickly ordered the Phở Bò, to satisfy our cravings and proudly tell everyone, "We've eaten the REAL Phở Bò yo." The noodles were good, not too soggy and the beef were tender. The soup was flavourful with the basil leaves, chillies (quite hot), beansprouts and a squeeze of lime.


Bùn Chả Giò
Spring Rolls & Vermicelli (33.000 vnd)

Vietnam is also famous for their rice vermicelli and I remember when I was much younger I had this dish during my first Vietnamese meal in Malaysia... The spring rolls were made with meat and other assorted vege that would usually go inside a spring roll. No need for me to elaborate further as the picture already tells you how wonderful it is.


Sinh Tồ Đu Đủ & Sinh Tồ Sapôchê
Papaya Shake (26.000 vnd) & Sapodilla Shake (20.000 vnd)

One of my favourite drinks in Vietnam was the papaya shake (Bangkok was their orange juice). The juices here are relatively cheap compared to Malaysia. Alex had the Sapodilla shake which is actually the Ciku fruit. Yums!


Bowl lickin' good

You know it's good when we both licked our bowls clean. Total bill came to 112.000 vnd or just about RM22. There is no service taxes for restaurants in Vietnam except one that we came across which was abit on the 'atasan' level.

Headin' off to Taiping for work but will be bunking in Ipoh for the night (cos Taiping's hotels are not very haps). Already got a few things in mind that I wanna eat! Will anyone be in Ipoh? If you have my number, call me :-)


Pho 2000
Phan Chu Trinh St. District 1,
Ho Chi Minh City.
Tel: (84.8) 822.2788

26 A Le Thanh Tob St. District 1,
Ho Ci Minh City.
Tel: (84.8)829.2612

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Assorted Saigon in Collage

From KL to Saigon

There are tonnes of pictures from Day 1 to Day 8 in Vietnam. As much as I would like to post every single one of them, I certainly don't have the time and (bandwidth) to do so. Hence, most pictures will be in collage form except food posts which will be coming soon...

My travel partner (Alex) and I left for Ho Chi Minh City (for laziness sake, I will refer it as Saigon) in the morning and touched down at the quaint historical city an hour and half later. I always do tell people, for the same price (slightly less or more) to travel to East Malaysia, I could do better by going 'abroad' and utilizing my underutilized passport at a shorter traveling duration and experiencing different cultures. Oh and the currency allows me to buy more too :)


Saigon City

We got whisked away to our gueshouse at Bui Vien St- Pham Ngu Loc, District 1 where it is also known as the backpackers street. I will write a separate post on the recommended accomodation but just to share, the accomodation was better than I thought and we really had a great time without having to worry of cleanliness and all.

The first day was spent much on sight seeing around Saigon City. To be honest, you can literally walk the whole Saigon city though you will need very comfy shoes as their pedestrian paths there are pretty screwed up- uneven plaza, some unpaved and some under construction. Our first activity was to EAT. We had pho and proceeded to Ben Thanh Market (similar to Chatuchak Market) to scout for cheap stuff to buy.

Now, before we embarked on the holiday I have read or heard somewhere advising tourists not to take the cyclos (one person trishaw/beca) in Vietnam as you'll suffer the similar consequences as taking the cabs in Malaysia. The first guy who approaced us offered a very unfriendly price so we ignored him. Then came another guy who gave us an offer 50,000 vnd (about RM10) for 2 persons and will take us to 3 tourist place.


The cyclo conning experience

We thought it was a pretty good deal and decided to hop on. Now, to be honest it was a very good experience as these cyclo drivers can manage to manouvere their way through anything (hence, abit scary at times, just like your tuk-tuk). He brought us to all the touristy places we wanted to visit and even more. He kept trying to 'sell-in' his idea of bringing us on a 1 day trip to Mekong. In his words, "Company got new car, I can bring you to Mekong, take you to islands.... only USD50 per person. Very good!"

I hesitated and kept saying I will think about it. Towards the end, he insisted to bring us to his friend's travel agency to buy the ticket. We followed him and it appeared very dodgy. I insisted on seeing some brochures or pictures of what there is to do in Mekong but the lady said she doesn't have.... but cyclo guy assured us that he has some pictures and requested that we purchase the tickets first. Alex and I were smart enough to evade from that situation by saying we'll call them if we are interested and then faster requested him to send us back to the hostel.

He obviously wasn't very happy about it and dropped us off at the park (which still needs abit of walking to the hostel) and when we asked for the price... he said it was 650,000 vnd (RM130) per person!!!! *inserts curse words* Alex and I tried to argue that he said it was only 50,000 vnd but he insisted and we all know very well it was gonna be a dead end arguement with him especially when you're a tourist. It was definitely the MOST EXPENSIVE beca ride I've been on.

We gave him the money and proceeded to curse and stare with prejudice at every cyclo drivers we met for the next 7 days. Oh and we also laugh at others who got 'conned' to ride on the cyclos.

Who Has The Toughest Job in Vietnam?

The Ridiculousness of Ho Chi Minh City's Electric Cables

The electrical man aka Tenaga Nasional Vietnam! May I wish him good luck in his future undertakings of adding/removing/identifying/fixing the cables.

One Photo Post

D'Italiane Kitchen

d'italiane setting

Jaya 33 houses some of the best above average dining places- Nagomi Shabu Shabu, D'Italiane, Vietnam Kitchen etc. Bruno's didn't impress us much with the change of its menu, Nagomi Shabu Shabu was a pretty good dine out and D'Italiane was recommended due to its range of pasta dishes.

I like the white minimalist deco of the restaurant.


Mushroom Cream Soup- RM8.90

One of my favourite soups would be mushroom and/or french onion soup. D'Italiane's version was served in a generous ingot shaped bowl. The mushrooms were blended to create a thick creamy soup- yums!


Scallops Angel Hair Pasta- RM25.90

There are plenty of pasta dishes to choose from. My pick was this Scallops Angel Hair Pasta with rocket salad. The serving was huge! The rocket salad has its own distinct taste of course (actually I would say it's more for the acquired taste- not really my kinda raw vege), scallops were big and fresh. Overall pasta was nice but beware of the buldging tummy after you're done!


Mussels Aglio Oglio Pasta- RM23.90

The Mussels Aglio Oglio spots the usage of herbs to enhance the taste. As with the scallops, the mussels are big and fresh too. Another huge serving though. Advisable to share, seriously.

Will be off to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City) till next week! That's 8D7N and 5 days off from work, woohoooo!


d'italiane kitchen
PG-01B, Ground Floor Jaya 33,
Seksyen 13, 46100 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7956 3684

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Going Hokkien... Restoran Hua Xing

Work and study is no difference- at school, we wait for the recess bell to ring as it means makan time! and at work we wait for the clock to strike 12pm as it also means makan time! Therefore, the only thing we look forward to- whether in school or at work- is makan time!

That being said, lunch is an essential meal for the day especially when you're already half dead from the first half of the day and there's another half more to go. Lunch is where you recharge!!



By 'recharging', I mean having some sinful black Hokkien mee laden with crispy crackling pork lard. Powerrrrrrrrr. Everytime at Hua Xing, this is a sure order.



My lunch makan kaki also ordered the Ulu Yam Lor Mee. Thick yellow noodles (the same type used for Hokkien Mee) is cooked in a thick starchy gravy. I'm not really a fan of Lor Mee, would prefer Wat Tan Hor more.



This was also another first- Salted Egg Yolk Pork Ribs. Usually for the pork selection, we will go for the Braised Pork with Alkaline kuih. Salted egg yolk pork ribs is certainly quite special as usually it is with squid or crabs. Very addictive salted egg yolk bits :p



Another must order is this Deep Fried Eggplant with Garlic bits. This is a favourite among us and can be a 'once-you-pop-you-can't-stop' dish. The sliced eggplants are deep fried to perfection- crispy but maintaining a soft texture in the inside and those garlic bits further enhance the bland taste of eggplants. Yums!



And a plate of Kangkung Belacan for the perfect ending to a recharging meal.


Restoran Hua Xing
Lot1-12, 1st Floor,
Plaza Seri Setia,
Jalan SS9/2, Seri Setia,
Sungei Way 47300,
Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7876 3288
Business hours: 11:30-3:oopm, 6:00-10:00pm

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Emperor Q by Ministry Of Food

Emperor Q

This is my second time eating at Emperor Q. The first was sometime last year but I never blogged about it... Since I'm not a regular at Pavillion, I gave Emperor Q a revisit. Emperor Q may come as an eatery outlet with identity crisis, since the outlook of the outlet hints Chinese but the menu is of fusion- food with Chinese, Japanese and Western elements. The menu is extensive, offering a variety of set meals, ala carte, sushi rolls, hot stone sets etc.


Wild Fern Belacan- RM13

Starting off with some greens, one of my favouritest- wild fern belacan or also known as paku pakis. Paku pakis here has a more slimey texture than the Sabah paku pakis (aka Sabah Shu Chai Choi). The bestest way to cook this is chilli belacan and nothing can beat that. NOTHING!


Salmon Hot Stone- RM12.80 (add RM2 for egg)


Cod Fish Hot Stone- RM13.50

One of the signature dishes at Emperor Q is the hot stone series. Having had this during my virgin visit, I decided to give it a go again at their bestseller Salmon Hot Stone. My makan partner had the Cod Fish Hot Stone. Served piping hot with bits of raw fish, the hot stone bowl quickly heats up the rice and raw fish, thus cooking them. No worries if you're afraid of raw food as the bowl of food ends up being very well cooked due to the heat. Hot stones are known to be healthy and natural low fat as minimal oil is used. The rice taste somewhat like dark sauce fried rice, it's simple but delicious!

The only downside is the very expensive egg! An additional RM2 for one egg, over inflated!


Pearl Macha Latte- RM8


Coffee Almond Nut- RM13

Always have been a fan of green tea + bubble tea, so the Pearl Macha Latte makes a perfect combination for me :) The Coffee Almond Nut drink however can be a little heavy due to the blend of nuts, chocolate chips and ice blended coffee.


Emperor Q
Lot1.59-1.66, Level 1,
Pavillion KL.
(beside Mercato Marketplace)

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room

Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room

I am unshamefully a regular to Sunway Pyramid as it is the nearest mall to my terpencil home. Haven't been there uncountless times, I still have difficulties answering the most basic but hardest question of ALL time- "What to eat?"


Sourplum Jasmine- RM4.90, Papaya Milk Shake- RM6.90

Perhaps the next time you are undecided like me, you can try Xian Ding Wei, a Taiwanese cuisine restaurant located just opposite Starbucks.

What is synonymous to Taiwanese food? Bubble tea, Taiwanese sausage, XXL Chicken, Oyster Mee Sua? Xian Ding Wei is an avenue for you to explore more of the Taiwanese delights and cuisines without having to produce your passport. To start off with, treat yourself a good healthy papaya milk shake or refreshing sourplum jasmine. Thick and yumz, and good for the digestive system too!


Salty Crispy Chicken- RM10.90

Snack on salty crispy chicken while waiting for your mains. It's similar to your pasar malam Uncle Bob or the more famous Shihlin XXL chicken. Thumb sized chunks fried to crispy perfection, with the flavours of curry leaves and sprinkled with generous amount of white pepper and chilli powder. I'm sure alot of you out there will agree it goes well with beer :)


Oyster & Large Intestines Vermicelli- RM9.90

Another one of Taiwanese famous exports is the oyster mee sua, a thickened soup containing small oysters and Chinese vermicelli. XDW's version has large intestines, which makes it quite exotic.


Sweet Braised Squid Set- RM19.90

For those who prefer a wholesome meal, there are a variety of set meals to choose from. Much similar to the Japanese bento sets, the set meals come with rice, three side dishes and a soup. The rice is served with braised minced pork, just like what you will find on the streets of Taiwan. The sweet braised squid fared quite well, thank goodness because I'm a fan of all things sotong.



The ambience is nice, service is good and commendable food.



Xian Ding Wei Taiwanese Tea Room
OB3.LG1.7 & OB3.LG1.8
Oasis Boulevard (New Wing),
Lower Ground Floor, Sunway Pyramid.
Tel: 03-5631 3322

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Jin Shan Cheng Steamboat

Steamboat places are mushrooming around Sunway's Dataran Mentari area. Sometimes I just wonder whether the feng shui there is good for opening a steamboat business or people just like to jump on the bandwagon when they spot something is doing well in that area. This often makes the business becomes diluted and most often not, the food in 9 out of 10 shops there is below par.

Jin Shan Cheng is another steamboat outlet, except unlike the other steamboat shops in the neighbourhood that thrives on buffet concept, JSC is solely ala carte. The establishment is on the 1st floor which means you'll need to walk up a flight of stairs. My first impression?

0_O errrrrm is this a steamboat place? *walks into the shop* ok certainly looks very dodgy here. There were hardly any filled tables and I had the feeling of walking into a dodgy Chinese restaurant with China import waitresses, red lanterns, unclothed tables, wornout cushion chairs. Hmmmm.



We were given a menu ala HK tick yourself style. Sauces and tidbits were then served to us but we declined the tidbits. The sauces available are chilli oil and flakes (ala chilli pan mee), peanut sauce, sesame paste and fermented fu yu.



We ordered the Winter Melon Ham soup base which came slightly cloudy with wolfberries, winter melon and few slices of chinese ham to give it a sweet taste. We also opted for a spicy base in the middle. The pot was really quite huge!

Being the ever enthusiastic foodies we are, here are what we ordered:
- fish noodles (RM8), beef slice (RM18), pork slice (RM8), crispy pork intestines (RM6), golden mushroom (RM6), smooth bean curd (RM2), fu zhou fish balls (RM8), pork balls (RM8), fish balls (RM8), meat roll (RM8).



The hits were definitely the beef and pork slices, very razor thin but when dipped in the boiling soup it cooks and unfolds perfectly. The balls were so-so. The miss would be the crispy pork intestines that were unfresh, we left them untouched completely and also notably a miss would be sighting of a baby cockroach on our table.

If any chance I would ever be back is to take away the awesome beef and pork slices (note- take away not dine in!).

Eiling's review on JSC here.


Jin Shan Cheng
42A-2 Jln PJS 8/2,
Dataran Mentari,
Bandar Sunway, 46150 PJ.
Tel: 03-5631 8220

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]

Bavarian Bierhaus

Such tragic ending for the pig :(

Am I the last food blogger to ever blog about this? But like they say, "Better be LATE than NEVER!"

Ok, so I have in mind all you readers out there already know the existence of this German restaurant in The Curve that is famous for their BIG beer kegs (Paulaner I think?) and BIG pork knuckles and BIG sausages. They say everything is BIGGER in Texas but I think German deserves a mention too.

As for Malaysia, well we have the BIGGEST mooncake, BIGGEST ketupat, BIGGEST lemang and whatnot as well!


House Specialty Pork Knuckle- RM58

To be honest, the pork knuckle is really HUGE! Those pigs must be damn well fed! Upon dissecting it, well I guess what makes this body part HUGE is cos of the fats... A caution should be placed on all pork knuckle dish (western or chinese)- Beware of Fats. Eat At Your Own Risk!

It was deep fried to perfection, crispy, crunchy, meaty and fatty as well. It goes well with the brown sauce and mustard too. The potatoes were good too, I love potatoes done in this way.


Mixed Sausage Platter- RM70

I am a great BIG fan of meaty sausages and this comes as another must order as seen in everyone else's blogs. There are at least 10 variants of bratwurst on the platter- lamb, beef and chicken served with a side of sauerkraut (finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented) and potato salad with bacon bits.

Another caution on this dish- Can be Very Very Very Filling.

A glimpse at the next table, one whole family of 5 persons were having the same dishes as us, while there were only 2 of us! Hahahaha, certainly overdosed with meat. But no wastage though, as I took away the sausages and had it for breakfast for 3 days.


Bavarian Bierhaus
Lot G66,
Ground Floor,
The Curve, PJ.
Tel: 03-7728 8269

[disclaimer: the opinions expressed here are based on my personal views, tastebuds and preference and may vary for others. please dont sue me, i dont have money. kthxbye.]