Train2eat with Danny Chen

Today is a public holiday in view of the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri and as expected the malls were bustling with people and car parks were full. Well, I was craving for a bowl of steaming noodle soup and Pho Hoa just came to mind naturally. It is situated on the Ground floor between The Curve and Ikano Power Station. It is opposite the courtyard away from Sakae Sushi and Kim Gary. I have had the vermicelli with spring rolls and grilled beef cutlets and the rice with grilled lemon grass chicken but today, I was craving for something soupy. For those who are new to Pho Hoa, pho is vietnamese for rice noodle soup. Here, at Pho Hoa, you get to choose what you like in it. To be more specific, you can choose between being safe or being adventurous. Safe means having only beef brisket and beef balls. Adventurous means adding tendon, flank, tripe... basically innards which will make some squeal. Well, I am the adventurous type and will always opt for the "all-in" version. I think most peo

Sunday brunch... wanted something healthy, so went for the passion fruit, garden greens with vinaigrette dressing. It was interesting that the chef mingled some spring onion with the usual salad greens. I didn't think that it enhanced the flavor in anyway but I really like the passion fruit addition. It is a bit overpowering but at the same time refreshing. Bringing along the bitterness that you normally derive from the red endive or lollo rosso. If you don't know what I am talking about, look this up: http://www.foodsubs.com/Greensld.html I ordered the pasta as my main.... It was sort of like a stir fry spaghetti with lean chicken slices and tomatoes. It was disappointing... too bland, too dry. I think it could use a bit of gravy or at least a bit more oil. Maybe if they substitute the olive oil with peanut oil, then perhaps it will be more fragrant. Maybe it is me, I like my char kuey teow too much. The baked fish was recommended in the menu and it was such a deligh

Great place to stop for breakfast when you travel up north to Ipoh, Penang or Cameron Highlands.... exit Bidor and after the toll, turn right at the junction. Heads towards town which is about 2KM away. Town is two row of shops and you will find Pun Chun on your right. Parking is available behind the Caltex station. Must try.... the herbal duck drumstick noodle, the dim sum especially the "wu kok" (yam puff) and the selection of dim sum... You can also buy chicken biscuit, "pong peah" and local produce there. You will also find stalls selling petai, guava and other seasonal fruits outside the shop. ; P

Very nice fresh water prawn noodle from Yik Kee (Jalan Besar, Karak). RM30!!! The prawns are so fresh... Local from Triang, a small town near Temerloh.

Just want to share some food shots from my Krabi trip. Nothing extraordinary for those who have been to any Thailand cities or towns. I mean, You can find about the same in any part of Thailand but nevertheless, it is such a delight for me to savour this goodies in Krabi... from the sidewalk food stall to the tourist class restaurant to the al fresco thai dining eateries. Well, enjoy... these are what I discovered in my short holiday in Krabi and Phi Phi Island... Krabi Day 1 Street food... as greasy as they come. This is the Thai version of roti canai (for my fellow Malaysians) or prata (for my Singaporean friends). Sorry, more like roti telur (bread with egg) with dollops of butter inside. Served with a drizzle of condensed milk and sprinkle of sugar... rolled into a cigar with a piece of yesterday's newspaper. Yes, isn't that interesting... peel the paper and munch like you are having a crepe or popiah.... Hmmm go figure. Next stop, was to try the oyster omelet

Located behind the famous Maxwell Food Centre. Somewhere amongst the beautifully conserved colonial shop lots. The Scarlet is situated at the corner, all the way up Erskine Road. The entrance to the hotel lobby is situated on the second shop lot. The corner lot is where the hotel restaurant is. The decor at the lobby was mysteriously gothic? I don't know why I feel that way... maybe because it was very dimly lit. Heavily carpeted. Dark furnishing but nevertheless, the front desk personnel greeted with so much warmth. I bet they could melt and iceberg. I was most impressed with the service. Another impressive discovery was how big Scarlet actually is. I thought it was a small boutique hotel and occupies probably 3 shop lots and possibly housing 20 rooms. But I was so wrong. As I was led to my room, I went through a good 50m walk through a maze of rooms and apparently Scarlet occupies the shops all the way down to 7-Eleven. That must be a good 10 lots at least. If I remembe

Welcome to my new series on boutique hotels around the region. These are some pictures taken at the Red Ginger Chic Resort in Krabi. I stayed in the "Clubhouse" room, which is really a loft. Spacious. I really like the day bed in place of the conventional sofa settee. Really nice for afternoon naps or even card games with friends. Nice view of the pool. Service is great. Not a big resort, so you can be assured of peace and tranquility. 5-10 minutes walk to the night market and also to the seafood restaurants. For more details on pricing and booking, please look up the website. http://www.redgingerkrabi.com/

I ought to really carry a sling bag with me every time I go out. So that I have no excuse for not bringing my camera and uploading blurry pictures here. Blurry photos does not do justice to the food... My fault... I'm bad... I'm bad... You know it! (bereavement of MJ's  passing... still). Anyway, Mum's Place is one of those eateries that is so reputable that people are willing to travel the distance to have dinner there. Though the menu has grown over the years but what most patrons return for are the local nyonya dishes which I refrain from calling simple because the preparation required to present an unpretentious looking dish does not necessary mean that it is  any lesser. Well, Gordon Ramsay don't have to pound red shallots, chilly and belacan for his fillet mignon. Not to undermine western cooking but I believe all form of cuisine deserves it's place in this world. Maybe I am just being argumentative, I am sure may people would agree with me. Gosh, it is th

De Maw is fairly new... I think probably less than 2 years old and the chef was from one of the notable 5-star hotel. Some say Mandarin, some say the former Ming Court on Jalan Ampang. Though fairly new but it has already created quite a reputation i.e. extremely huge serving, great taste and reasonable price. It is not hard to find. From town head towards Cheras via the old Cheras Road. The easiest and least confusing way would be to take the Jalan Pudu. If you are in town, from Pudu Jail, head towards Cheras until you pass Jaya Jusco at Taman Maluri. Then keep left and when you see PGRM but do not turn into the road leading into Taman Shamelin. Instead just go straight into the secondary road. De Maw is the first shop lot on your left. The restaurant is air-conditioned but it seats probably around 10 tables. So, reservation is a definite must.  The must-try in De Maw.... the shark's fin soup... No offense to our animal protection activist friends but if you do not mind, the soup