Train2eat with Danny Chen

Everyone is longing for normalcy as we gladly accept the removal of travel and other restrictions but that is not commonly shared as some are still cautious of the risk of being infected, which I think is fair. A visit to the Asian Heritage Row recently reveals that recovery is no where near, a once popular drinking hole for white collar professionals in the city dotted by popular restaurants all around is a far cry from its hey days. Shuttered stores with signs for sale or rental was a scary sight and tell tale sign of how the businesses were pummelled by the lockdown. Flanked by Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Abdullah, KLites throng this area especially during the weekend for a slice of coffee and breakfast culture.  Before the pandemic, getting a table at the Tapestry would be basically impossible without prior reservation. I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to get a table after a 15-minute wait. Still rustic and industrial from the outside and yet, airy and pleasant on t

Heighten fear of another lockdown and out of sheer desperation, off to a road trip we went. Only about 45 minutes away from KL, a drive to Semenyih dam was a brilliant idea. Escapade to the nature and a dinner appointment in a farm. How delightful? It was about 5:30pm when we drove off. Traffic was heavy. Great minds think alike. No time to waste. Let’s make this weekend count.   The dam was nice and there is a monkey hangout spot when you turn right at the junction towards Semenyih/Kajang. There are several spots which you can stop your car to catch a glimpse of the lake/dam. Then we backtracked for 20 minutes to have dinner at the Veg Fish Farm Thai Food restaurant. The restaurant has been around for 20 years and is situated at this current location for the past 15 years. The story is vegetable owner hired a Thai couple to work on the farm and Thai wifey helped in the kitchen instead and started dishing out butt kicking Thai food. So, Chinese boss decided to open a restaurant and app

Recently, I discovered this courtyard food paradise or to be more precise, hotpot village. When it comes to hotpot, Sunway Velocity might come to mind but here’s the twin city, Plaza Arkadia.  Somehow, I came hunting for a hotpot dinner but ended up at 舌尖上的中国 Chinese cooking (Translation: China on the tip of your tongue Chinese cooking). The hotpot restaurant that I wanted to try was full and this other restaurant was also packed with diners but I managed to get a table. It was busier than other restaurants around, so must be good right? Btw it’s next to  Sekai no Yamachan The menu consist of different cuisine from all around China. On the first page of the menu leading the way in the Chef’s specialty section was a Stone Cooked Cask Fish. I am Chinese illiterate and I couldn’t tell what exactly is in this dish but it’s on the first page of the menu. Must be good, right? 😆 The waitress was also not very helpful but she did understand when I instructed that I didn’t want it to be too sp

Ampang is probably the first Korean township in Klang Valley before Solaris and Mont Kiara became a more popular choice for Korean expats. So if you crave for authentic Korean barbecue, I would recommend exploring this area formerly known as One Ampang Avenue. Kim Ga Ne is one of my family’s favorite Korean barbecue joint because on top of the usual pork belly and bulbogi, they serve beef or pig entrails. What’s that? Entrails, also mean internal organs or innards. Yes, not for the fussy diners. One of the must order for me is the rice balls. A simple meal by itself which you can make at home. Hot rice with seaweed, sesame and and sesame oil which you can mould into balls yourself. It’s super yummy. We ordered the beef entrails which is a combo of stomach and tripe. It is chewy but delicious but the tripe which was marinated in chili paste is very spicy. So be warned.   We also ordered the pork shoulder. The portion is quite small for its price and we had to order another portion of p

Introduction passage found in the menu... "In "Dribbdebach", as we call the part of Frankfurt South of the River main, in the beautiful Sachsenhausen district, our restaurant awaits you with the traditional atmosphere of Frankfurt's apple wine culture. This is the place to get together with friends, acquaintances, business partners, travellers from all over the world in order to have a glass of apple wine (a "Schoppen", as it is called and other specialties which are typical of Frankfurt.  Stop by and enjoy the unique atmosphere." Established since 1931, Adolf Wagner is a woody tavern and institution of traditional German food in Frankfurt, famous for its apple wine and traditional Frankfurt cuisine. Highly recommended by Lonely Planet, Tripadvisor, Fodor and other travel guides. It takes about 15 minutes by tram to Sachsenhausen area and the tavern is a minute walk from the tram stop. The signboard is clearly visible from the roadside and a

I am ashamed to announce that this is the second posting on the blog for the year. Neglect is definitely the crime and I am caught red-handed. Well, I hate to come up with excuses but I really do have a few good reasons but anyway, I won't dwell on them. Just say, that I like to move-on and focus on the present, rather than to ponder over the past or over any milk spilled over. Anyway, I recall some 4 months ago and I had to verify that by checking my whatsapp message from a friend calling for accomplices, she called "porkers" for an assault at this certain dining place call Kompassion. I was busy and I couldn't participate. A few hours into dinner, these Porkers, starting whatsapping photos of their conquests to me, hoping to entice me to drop whatever I am doing and skydive over to join their compassionate indulgence. Evil porkers!!! Though my discipline was tested, I stood my grounds and did not relent to those seductive and horribly delicious looking photos. Tho

The last time I caught up with Kimmy was probably a year ago. Though I thought it was much longer that is when I was in Singapore but negative, we did catch up for a bowl of pork ball noodle at Win Heng Seng, Jalan Imbi last year when she had to attend a conference in town. Kim works in bandar Utama. Well, better late and ever than never. It was good to see Kimmy and she is going places and making good progress up the corporate ladder. Now, she is driven around by a driver. When we last met, I thought her mini cooper was cool but now I am convinced that being driven around is much, much cooler... Thanks to Sandy, who suggested the reunion and also this venue. I met up with Sandy a week ago. She is working on her new project and she consulted me for my views because I love food. She is contemplating on starting a cafe and is looking around for a suitable location. She suggested Nathalie Gourmet Studio for dinner but it was closed last week and we ended up in The Plan B. No puns inte