Seeking Chinese eateries that refrain from charging extravagant prices for this festive fortnight, we hopped over to Hau Gang & Hock Kee, both of which basically fit our needs.
Hau Gang's setting feels fully familiar, replicating the look of hundreds of Chinese restaurants across the Klang Valley & sparking the sensation of "wait, have we been here before?"
Thankfully, the menu holds a few surprises: We like this 'Teochew-style charcoal-fire fish broth' (RM26), similar to steamboat, featuring fresh chunks of fish, bean curd, veggies & refillable soup. Nutritious-tasting.
Mantis prawns, a little less memorable, but tasty enough for what it is.
Bean curd with spinach & mushrooms. Good one; nice ingredients.
Pork comes in many of the expected forms, sweet & sour, crispy with honey, in claypot with salted fish or cooked with yam.
Eat your veggies: Bitter gourd fried with salted egg yolk straddles the line between wholesome & worrisome for health watchers.
Next up, Hock Kee, a breezier outlet with a greener view & brisker business.
Hock Kee's specialty: Ulu Yam loh mee. A bit bland but not a rip-off, considering the low RM6 price tag for a single portion.
So much starchy, steaming-hot soul food, suitable for cold, wet evenings, from mun fun (RM6), also in need of more flavour, & claypot noodles with yam (RM11, we love yam, so no complaints for this one).
Wok-fried kampung chicken in Hakka wine (RM23), bony & saucy, for better or worse.
Salted egg yolk mantis prawns are available too, as are Marmite chicken wings.
Green with enjoyment: Claypot kangkung (RM10) & complimentary jelly.
Hau Gang
85, Jalan Kenari 20, Jalan Puchong Jaya
Hock Kee Ulu Yam Loh Mee
27, Jalan Kenari 22, Bandar Puchong Jaya
Hau Gang
85, Jalan Kenari 20, Jalan Puchong Jaya
Hock Kee Ulu Yam Loh Mee
27, Jalan Kenari 22, Bandar Puchong Jaya
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As a separate initiative, the latest edition of Eat Drink KL: 100 Favorites for January-March 2014 is now online, featuring 100 pretty nice eateries, including more than 20 new entries for this quarter. This eBook of restaurant recommendations is available for free, convenient reading on computers, tablets & smartphones at this link: http://eatdrinkkl.publ.com/Eat-Drink-KL-100-Favorites-Jan-March-2014 (This link expires March 31, 2014; see blog entries after that date for new link).