Wednesday, September 17, 2008

A MID-AUTUMN 'FEASTIVAL'



Don't you find the mound of bright orange roe a sight for sore eyes and rumbling tummies? Yes, those miniscule, slightly crunchy pearls are ebikko or prawn roe - most people mistakenly assume these as tobikko or flying fish roe which actually are bigger, more translucent and pricier. We reckon they make such an appetising adornment for the dish of seafood fried rice! I daresay this delectable dish created quite a stir with my whole family last weekend for our Mid-Autumn 'feastival'!



In case you're wondering where did we partake this amazing dish, it was pure serendipity which led us to its discovery. My siblings and I were just racking our brains on where to go for our family feast that wet, wet Sunday ... since Mom has retired from cooking our festive meals, we had to find a place to eat our Mid-Autumn Festival celebratory dinner. Our regular haunt, Restoran 52 threw a spanner in the works earlier when they informed us at the last minute that the outlet won't be open for the day! So there we were, moping around and wondering when the torrents of rain would ceased when we got really captivated at the sight of the two 8TV Ho Chiak presenters scarfing down this dish of fried rice with seafood, egg yolks and fish roe which we thought was rather unique. You could have seen our jaws dropped in disbelief when it was revealed that the eatery is located in Kajang!

To cut a long story short, we were out of the house in a jiffy and headed for the said outlet for dinner!



Besides the Seafood Fried Rice with Flying Fish Roe (that's what the outlet called it anyway), we also ordered Deep-fried Oyster Mushroom, Steamed Tilapia with Spicy Bean Sauce, Homemade Tofu with Minced Pork, Saucy Pork Ribs, Stir-fried Long Beans with Brinjal in Sambal, as well as Shelled Prawns Deep-fried and Tossed with Mayonnaise and Coleslaw. Admittedly, we went a tad overboard but the food portions were not exactly skimpy either for our clan of seven adults and four kiddos.





While waiting for our dishes to arrive, we had a field day drooling over the wall-mounted colour photos depicting the outlet's many house specialities. The dishes are imaginative and varied compared to other no-frills restaurants with selected ones requiring advance orders. More outstanding ones that caught our attention include Shark's Fin Kway Teow, Hairy Gourd Stuffed with Dried Scallops, Tofu with XO Sauce, German-style Crisp Skin Pork Knuckle, Premier Loh Hon Chai (Vegetarian Dish with Assorted Mushrooms and Layered Bean Sheets), Deep-fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Freshwater Prawns Noodles and Black Pepper Udon.





Overall, the Fried Rice was a hit with everyone especially the kids. The crispy fried mushrooms were great with a piquant and tangy chilli dip but we found the fish a tad too sweet from the bean sauce which literally 'drowned' the fish. The vegetable dish passed muster as did the beancurd. Luckily the pork ribs and prawns proved memorable for their inventive marinade and sauces.





But what's even better is the prices which are similar to that of Restoran 52. According to the young chap who runs the place, his father helms another outlet by the same name in heart of Kajang town by day while his uncle takes over at night. However, he told us that the three of them offer different dishes so we may have to try out the other two as well given a chance. One thing's for sure - this eatery has not seen the last of us yet!

OLD MAN RESTAURANT
CG-1 & CG-2 Ground Floor
Block C Jalan Putra
Taman Putra
Kajang Selangor
Mobile no. 012-3450575, 012-2380575

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow!thats great! I wanna lay my hands on the seafood fried rice with flying fish roe!anyway I would like u something...I lived in sunway, nearby to sunway pyramid, and i was wondering how can i get to old man restaurant?any means of transportation...can i take a train to kajang?or i dun know...mind helping me on this matter?Urgent!!

Alice JomMakanLife said...

Hi Jason

You can take the KTM Komuter and disembark at Kajang station. However, it still requires some driving - taxis are available but it can be a costly ride although it's just a 15-minute drive to an area in Kajang known as Sungai Chua (Sek Mai San in Cantonese).

I will try and post a rough map for those of you who intend to find Old Man Restaurant a.s.a.p.

Alice JomMakanLife said...

Hi again

This is the best map I could locate from Google to help guide you to the restaurant:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=2.975956,101.778738&spn=0.005368,0.006781&z=17

Directions:
From Kajang town where the main T-junction in front of the Police Station, go straight heading towards Sungai Chua. You will pass a high-rise building (formerly Hugo Supermarket)and a BHP Petrol station on your left after the ascending flyover. When you reach a set of traffic light, make a left turn and go straight pass Xi Lai Ton Restaurant on your right.
Continue going straight all the way until you come to a signage which says Taman Putra Kajang. Look out for a Bintang Supermarket - the restaurant is just around the corner from this landmark.

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