Ming Kee Freshwater Turtle @ Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
  
• Price (1-10): 8.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 6
  

15 February 2011: Kuala Pilah is famous for its freshwater turtle soup. Freshwater turtle is called "Labi-labi" in Bahasa Malaysia or "水鱼" in Chinese.


There are few stalls selling freshwater turtle in Kuala Pilah. The stalls are located in the food court next to Kuala Pilah market. Among the stalls, Ming Kee is claimed to serve better quality freshwater turtle.


Freshwater turtle soup is cooked with some herbs. One can choose to have the freshwater turtle with the herbal soup alone or eat with noodles. A bowl of freshwater turtle noodle (small) costs RM6. If you prefer stronger herbal taste, freshwater turtle soup is recommended. On the other hand, if you don't like soup with strong herbal taste, it's recommended to try the freshwater turtle noodle. Besides, it's more filling as well.

Here's the location of Ming Kee Freshwater Turtle/Labi-Labi Ming Kee/明记水鱼 @ Kuala Pilah...


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Santini Ristorante Italiano @ Suria KLCC

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
  
• Price (1-10): 7
  
• Environment (1-10): 8

14 February 2011: Santini is an Italian restaurant managed by Tai Thong Resources Bhd. It serves a delicious selection of Italian delicacies, from wood fire pizzas to crunchy salads, creamy pasta and grills. It is located at Ground Floor of Suria KLCC, facing the water fountain and park. Besides Suria KLCC, there's another branch of Santini in Tropicana City Mall.


Since it's on Valentine's day, we ordered their Valentine's set dinner, with prior reservation. The 5-courses set dinner costs RM108++ per person.

Here comes the food...

• Starter -> Love bread sticks with air-dried beef and smoked salmon roulade with ricotta and chervil. The bread sticks were too hard, especially for my newly de-braced teeth. However, the beef and salmon taste great.
• Pasta -> Lobster meat ravioli with saffron crustacean butter. I like this a lot.

• Baked cod fish with braised fennel and pink pepper sauce -> Fine an tender fish with tasty sauce. Nice!
• Roasted duck breast with balsamic, prunes, sweet potatoes and rucola -> The duck itself taste not bad but I don't really like the sauce. It's slightly sour and sweet. I'm not sure what sauce was that.

• Spicy chocolate with strawberry heart with pistachio gelato -> Looks appetizing and taste good. Chocolate is thick, smooth and creamy. Ice-cream is not chocolatie enough but goes well with pistachio. I like this!
• Complimentary take-away chocolate -> Looks lovely and taste great.
  

• Red & White Wine (RM16++ per glass) -> On top of the Valentine's Day set dinner, we ordered 2 glasses of wine.
• Coffee -> I'm not a coffee lover. However, I think the coffee is not bad.

Overall, I enjoy this meal. Although it's a 5-course dinner, the portion of the food is just nice. Not too filling. Dining next to the water fountain and park also add some credits to this meal.

Here's location and contact of Santini Ristorante Italiano at Suria KLCC...
Address: Lot No. G45B, Ground Floor, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-2382 0329
Business Hours: 12noon-12midnight (Sunday-Thursday), 12noon-1am (Friday-Saturday & Eve of Public Holidays)


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Chengmai Thai Food @ Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat, Kelantan

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8.5
  
• Price (1-10): 8
  
• Environment (1-10): 7
  

12 February 2011: Chengmai Thai Food is known as the best Thai restaurant in town. It is located quite deep inside a residential area called Kampung Kulim in Wakaf Bharu.


Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant uses traditional attap roof. Hence, even without air-cond, it's quite cooling dining there, under the attap roof. Here's what we had...

• Thai-style Steam Grouper Fish (RM30) -> Fresh grouper fish in very tasty and appetizing sauce. I almost couldn't stop eating this. Highly recommended.
  
• Pandan Leaves Chicken (RM20) -> 10 pieces of chicken wrapped in pandan leaves. Not the best I've ever had, but not bad. Reasonable price.
  
• Deep-fried Kangkung (RM8) -> It's my first time seeing and trying deep-fried kangkung. Great experience. Crispy and tasty while the kangkung is still fresh, not overcooked. Worth a try. Recommended.
  
• Seafood in Otak-otak (RM18) -> Various types of seafood (prawns, squid, crab, etc...) wrapped in tasty otak-otak. The otak-otak is slightly spicy but appetizing.
  
• Deep-fried Pork Knuckle (RM47) -> Very big portion. Pork is not very fresh, with kind of weird taste. Overpriced. However, I was told that this dish used to be very good on other days. I guess maybe they are running out of fresh pork due to the high demand during Chinese New Year.

In conclusion, Chengmai Thai Food is worth a visit. There are few others famous Thai restaurant nearby, such as Bangkok and Phuket but Chengmai is said to be the best.

Here's the location and details of Chengmai Thai Food Restaurant...
Address: No.107, Kampung Kulim, Wakaf Bharu, Tumpat, 16250 Kelantan.
Tel: 09-7190568
Business Hours: 6pm-12am




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Kedai Kopi Wah Mui @ Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8.5
  
• Price (1-10): 9.5
  
• Environment (1-10): 7
  

12 February 2011: Kedai Kopi Wah Mui (华美茶室) is a traditional Malaysian style of kopitiam. It has been operating in Kota Bharu for almost half a century. Although it's non air-conditioned, air ventilation in the kopitiam is good due to the high ceiling. This place is clean, comfortable and cozy. Besides, customers are also allowed to bring own food into the kopitiam. Most of the customers here are regulars. The price of the food and drinks here are economical too.


Here are what I had here for breakfast...

• Roti Kahwin (RM0.70) -> Toast bread with kaya and butter. Bread is perfectly-toasted, crispy and fluffy. Amount of kaya and butter spread on the bread is just nice, yummy!
  
• Half-boiled Eggs (RM1) -> Nicely done! The eggs are soft and smooth but not too watery.
  
• Kopi-O (RM1) -> Although I'm not a coffee lover, this is one of the best kopi-o I've ever had. Thick and aromatic. Not too sweet.

Although Kedai Kopi Wah Mui only serves simple food and drinks, they are of high quality at low price. Recommended for a comfortable, relaxing and economical breakfast or evening tea.

Here's the location and details of Kedai Kopi Wah Mui...
Address: 3925, Jalan Sultanah Zainab, 15000 Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Business Hours: 7:30am-8pm (Saturday-Thursday), 7:30am-12pm (Friday).


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Yati Ayam Percik @ Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Rating:

• Food (1-10): 8
  
• Price (1-10): 7
  
• Environment (1-10): 6.5

11 February 2011: Yati Ayam Percik is known as the best ayam percik in Kota Bharu. It is a specially marinated chicken roasted on charcoal flame. When done, a creamy percik sauce is poured lavishly over the chicken.

The ayam percik is sold at RM10 for 1 panggang, which consists of a piece of chicken thigh and a piece of chicken breast.

After trying Yati Ayam Percik, the comment I can give is that it's undeniably good. The chicken is juicy and tasty. Percik sauce is well-absorbed into the chicken. It's recommended to eat the ayam percik with rice. If you want to eat the ayam percik by itself, it might taste a bit too salty.

Yati Ayam Percik is located at 847, Jalan Long Yunus, 15200 Kota Bharu, Kelantan.


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