Thumbs Down for Tong’s Roast Workshop

 

Second visit: August 2011

Alas, a great disappointment the second time around.  We were the only diners on a rainy Saturday evening and the food was as soggy as the weather.  The chicken tasted as though it had been sitting on the fly-infested shelf the whole day while awaiting patrons. 

 

We ventured to try the duck and the roast pork but both were fairly regular fare.  Definitely not worth the trek to the eatery.

 

The place is manned by foreign workers which did nothing to the authenticity of the food nor ambience.  They were, at times, rather dim in understanding simple orders.  To complicate matters, the coupon usage system had changed between July and August 2011.  In July, we were billed and refunded the RM1 paid to Dealmates as part of the standard operating procedure (SOP).  However, SOP changed in August whereby although the payment was automatically deducted from the bill.  While I have no problem with a change in SOP, I definitely do take offence to rudeness and the manner in which the staff informed me to ‘go count’ the total billed. 

 

So unless you are like soggy, tasteless chicken and temperamental foreign staff, steer clear of Tong’s roast workshop.

 

First visit: July 2011

A favourite of my kids so at RM1 per plate (down from original price of RM5.50), why not? Value of chicken rice is probably less than my cost of petrol getting there but hey, it’ll be a weekend adventure for the family and it was!

The old 'F&N' venue just off the Sg Besi highway proved a challenge to get to especially since we came from the south of the city. Nevertheless, after doing a few u-turns (legal ones I might add :) we got there eventually. The restaurant is located just off the main road and faces away from the hustle of city. There's ample free parking particularly on a Saturday evening.

First impressions were that it was a clean, decent place to bring both the young children and elderly. Staff were a little less efficient and appeared to be running around like headless chickens (apologies for the pun) and despite the small number of tables that were occupied, they were not able to cope with the serving patrons. Incoming customers were left to find seats for themselves and had to wait some time before being attended to.

Nevertheless, after confirming our reservation and use of the vouchers, we proceeded to order our food and were pleasantly surprised by the generous portions offered. They kept to their promise of serving full-sized meals at RM1 each. We tried the steamed, roast and braised chicken and while the former 2 were tasty, it was the braised chicken that is a must-try. The chicken was tender, juicy and full of flavour. This venue is definitely worth a repeat visit.

The RM1 Chicken Rice (Steam Chicken)

Braised Chicken

Roast Chicken

Sample Menu

The address is 52-G, Jalan Metro Pudu, Fraser Business Park, Off Jalan Yew, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, 55100. Tel: 03-9222 2218. It faces the Jalan Loke Yew (instead of Jalan Sungai Besi).

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Save RM10 on groceries @ Tesco

Over the past few months, Tesco has been offering RM10 vouchers in The Star newspapers.  Usually found on Fridays and/or Sundays, these vouchers can be used to offset purchases at Tesco with a minimum spend of RM100.   It’s a great way to encourage shoppers to visit their store – I certainly have been going there to do my weekly shopping :P

Crab lovers galore

A must for crab lovers: Crab + 1 Fried Dish (Shange Fried Mee/Fried Rice)+ 2 Herbal Drinks (Hot or Cold) @ Shange Dim Sum Home Food.  At just RM25.90 for 2 pax, choices include:

• Hong Kong Crab Porridge
• Salted Egg Fried Crab
• Chrysanthemum Steam Crab
• Kam Heong Fried Crab

Deal still available at:

http://www.everyday.com.my/coupons/kl/leetc.ec?886

3 plates of DimSum @ RM10

Golden Sun Restaurant in Kuchai Lama is offered this ‘yumcha’ experience via JackCow.  Over 40 items on their menu is available for selection.  They even had a menu printed for the JackCow promo.

Overall, the dining experience is similar to that of most chinese restaurants so nothing really outstanding there.  Food was tasty and service prompt.  The steamed pumpkin dumplings are worth a special mention. However, the egg tart (which took a very long time to make while we waited) was basically too much fluff ie. too much pastry.

Buffet dimsum is on every Saturday for RM25+ (adults) and RM13+ (kids).  If you have already bought this voucher, you can top up the remaining balance which really defeats the purpose of buying a ‘discounted’ voucher in the first place.

The deal  is worthwhile if you are a small eater and ordering ala carte.  Unlike other online deals, there are there are hidden costs with this voucher:

1. Tea is chargeable at RM1.80++ per person

2. Towels are chargeable at RM1.20++per person

The above charges are not included in the meal deal but will be served.

 

 

iCe nail beauty manicure & pedicure RM29.90 by EziVoucher

Brought to your own home, this steal includes 2.5 hours of manicure and pedicure plus the option of either nail art or French art services.

Only available in Penang (and soon to be available in Taiping) but nevertheless, I bought 2 sets :P 

iCe was over half an hour late for our appointment but did a terrific job with the manicure and pedicure.  Her usual fees are over RM100 so this deal was definitely value for money. 

The nail art work is gorgeous as pictured below.

 

Pangkor Village Kitchen @ Scott Garden by Everyday

Purchased these RM4 vouchers which are worth RM10 each.  Menu includes Mango & Prawn Rolled (crispy mint spring roll stuffed with mango and prawn), Pangkor Fried Rice (wok and tossed fried spice rise, with raisin, pineapple and prawn), Curry Mee (mildly spicy coconut based soup, garnished with curry chicken, tofu puffs, long beans, eggplants and bean sprouts over yellow mee), Fried Ice Cream (available of vanilla chips, chocolate, strawberry, yam, mocha, mango) and many, many more.  How could I say no?!!!! 

For starters, we tried the deepfried eggplant and the fried ‘tau kua’ which came with sweet Thai chilly sauce.  The eggplant were finger sized and tasted absolutely delicious as it was wrapped with fluffy batter topped with dried shrimps.   We also sampled the Pangkor Fried Rice which reminded me very much of pineapple fried rice (without being served in a pineapple, that is).

We also tried the much recommended pandan lemongrass tea.  It knocked my socks off!  This drink is made from blended pandan leaves with a hint of lemongrass from the stick that protruded from the glass.  Only recommended for those who enjoy fresh green (very green!) taste.

Perhaps this place is still new but I sure hope that business picks up.  I have never seen more than 3-4 tables filled – not even at peak meal times.  This is rather surprising as the food is tasty (with hardly any trace of MSG) and reasonably priced.  Perhaps the deterrent was the loud music blasting bollywood tunes from the shops nearby!

I’d give this restaurant another go anytime.  Must try the mango & prawn roll next :P

Pictured above (from left to right): fried eggplant, pandan lemongrass tea and fried ‘taukua’.

4 course-meal @ Star Cafe by Everyday

The voucher priced at RM17.90 per person included:

• Cream of Fresh Mushroom Soup
• Choice of:
  • Tagliatelle (Fettuccine cooked with seafood, mushroom, capers, olive & a touch of chili)
  • Star Giant Fresh Water Prawn Noodle (Served with Fried Prawn with Flat Rice Noodle or Crispy Noodle with Creamy Sauce)
  • Braised NZ Lamb Shank (Osso Bucco with Aromatic Herbs served with mashed Potatoes or Noodles & Vegetables); or
  • Supreme of Chicken Cordon Blue (Chicken Breast stuffed with Ham and Cheddar Cheese, Deep Fried and served with Fries & Vegetables)
• Dessert: 2 Scoops of Ice Cream with Banana
• Drink: Star Milkshake

 

What we got was the following:

 

The mushroom soup was light and tasty.  Although nothing original nor special about the taste, it served well as an introduction to the menu.

 

We had two meals which consisted of  the ‘sang har’ mee and chicken cordon bleu.  The chicken was rather dry with hardly any ham and cheese but the noodle was delicious.  A must-try for anyone visiting this joint.  The drinks in the background came with the meal.  We ordered chocolate and vanilla milkshakes respectively.  Both were well made and not overly sweet.

 

By the time dessert arrived, we’d already had our fill with whipped cream from the milkshakes.  Hence, this dessert was an overkill.  I could locate a single scoop of ice-cream (and not two as advertised), a few slices of banana and a whole lot of of whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce on top.  A real let down to a rather pleasant meal.  I would not recommend this all-too-boring dessert.

Overall, the experience at Star Cafe was pleasant.  Waiters and staff were keen on ensuring customers were served promptly.  However, the menu is nothing out of the ordinary and if it were at it’s regular pricing, it would be not be worthwhile.